Ironman Louisville 2008 Race Report

Ironman Louisville is the youngest race in the North American Ironman Series. Louisville is known for horse racing and the mighty Ohio River and the multiple industries that surround the river and the city. The mayor of Louisville spoke at the Thursday night welcome dinner for the participants and was proud to report that Louisville is now the sixteenth largest city in the US (a surprising statement to most in attendance).
I considered Ironman Louisville 2008 to be a gift for me to participate. I had previously been in a walking-boot with a stress fracture in my left tibia for the last two months. I was unable to run even a mile for 3 months prior to this race. The boot was taken off when I got on the plane to Louisville. Fortunately, my mind and lungs were in proper condition and my attitude going into the race was just to have fun, enjoy the experience and not remotely worry about my time, just cross the finish line.
The swim venue is very unique to this race. The swim starts in a protected cove where the course requires everyone to swim upstream approximately the first third of the distance. Additionally, the start is like nothing I had ever seen or even heard of in triathlon. All two thousand plus participants start lining up on the sidewalk around 5am, one after the other. The line was literally hundreds of yards. Once the gun goes off, everyone is shuffled in one by one, jumping into the river. I got to the lineup just before 6am and by the time I jumped into the water it was 23 minutes after the start of the race. The format reminded me of watching the penguins jump into the water. The water temperature was just about perfect. No wetsuits were permitted. After the initial part of the swim in the cove, the course makes a hard left turn into the main channel of the river, with the current. After getting some inside information from someone who had participated last year, they recommended that I get as far out in the middle of the river to take full advantage of the currents push. It got pretty lonely out there more or less by myself but I was enjoying the swim, the water, and the start to a fun day. I didn’t rush, I took my time (my swim time clearly showed my effort).
T1 was a mess by the time I got to it. Inside the changing tent was a mud hole. I was very careful to make sure my feet were clean and my socks were on correctly for the proper care of my feet. I stuffed my pockets with calories for the long ride. I had not ever seen a transition area with so few bikes on the rack, but I guess that’s what happens when you take in too much scenery on the swim.
The bike course for Ironman Louisville took its toll on the racers last year with the combination of hills and heat. This year was the same scenario. The first 12 miles you leave the city and the terrain is flat as a pancake. It is a really nice start to a long ride. This section gives you time to catch your breath, start drinking and eating, and get comfortably situated for the next several hours. In the 20-mile range, the hills start. For the next 70 miles, it is a derailleur workout. You shift a lot on this course. The countryside the course covers is what most would expect from the Kentucky area. Rolling hills, horses running around in the fields, lots and I meant a lot of fence lines, and very little traffic. Just before the halfway point is an out and back section with a considerable amount of elevation. One of the downhills caused a few crashes. I rolled up on a crash that had just happened and it was very clear that it was someone who attempted to take a corner at 30+mph and the course won. The emergency personal were extremely quick to respond as I made my way back up the hill on the way out of that section. I will also add that no matter how many times, during pre-race meetings or in your race packet, a considerable amount of racers do not ride to the right of the lane. I was surprised more crashes did not occur from slower riders riding in the middle of the lane and faster cyclists running into them. On more than one occasion, I had to slam on my brakes to not run into someone at 30+ from them swerving into the middle of the lane around a corner.
The aid stations were awesome on the course. Full stocked and staffed. The volunteers were in full force with wonderful attitudes. The last aid station I had to stop and use the bathroom and one of them changed out a water bottle on my bike for one that was colder, amazing!
The last part of the bike course is negative elevation. You make your way back into the city and you can almost watch your average speed increase. The entire ride I felt like I was literally passing someone constantly from being so far in the back of the pack but the last few miles were fast and furious. Myself and another female rider were flying into T2 about the same time and with words unspoken both looked at each other with a smile and a “that was fun” glance.
T2 was a breeze. A volunteer grabs your bike to rack it for you and I had someone with my gear bag in hand waiting for me. The Ironman organization is second to none.
I was looking forward to being able to run after not having the opportunity for almost 3 months (I am still surprised how much I have missed running during training). The first 2 miles are an out and back over one of the bridges across the Ohio River. I was able to give my wife-to-be (in 3 days) a kiss at the turn to head out for lap one.
The run can be summed up fairly short. It was HOT, really, HOT, very little wind, fairly flat course, with lots of carnage. The bike course takes a lot out of your legs but this race is more about nutritional management than strength or speed. Without the right nutritional plan that is Executed, this run is brutal. Racers were cramping and lying on the sidewalks constantly. The medical personal was wonderful but they were constantly in need somewhere on the course. The aid stations were great.
What I remember the most about the run, unfortunately, the city smelled like port-a-potty. The last thing you want during a marathon is to have a lot of smells. Your body is very sensitive to tastes, temperature, etc. I remember saying to myself, I just want the stink to go away and I wanted to get the run over so I could go inside and not be surrounded by this stink. Possibly in a good way, it made me a little more motivated to finish sooner but it is also one of the main reasons I won’t hurry back to this race. One more thought on the run course was the surrounding neighborhoods that it winds through are not the safest or cleanest that you would expect. I realize Louisville is a big city but my lasting impression from the run is that it is also very dirty and rundown. I overheard a few of the female racers afterwards comment that at times they didn’t feel very safe through some of the “rougher” sections.
As for my run, the first half felt great. My leg was not hurting, I was still able to drink and eat well. I stopped to go to the bathroom, twice. The heat grabbed my energy around mile 14. I literally stopped and walked almost 5 miles. I stopped at every aid station to “go grocery shopping: a water, a Gatorade, pretzels, oranges, a sponge – it was kinda fun.
This section was the lowest point I have every experienced in Ironman racing to date. The muscles in my legs were in a lot of pain from not being able to run for so long, I couldn’t cool down, I wasn’t thirsty or hungry but my stomach didn’t feel good at all, my head was starting to count the minutes and steps that it would take to finish.
My game plan for this race was just to finish. For the first time I was not concerned about my averages or speed but I at this point I was getting mentally dejected by my performance on the run. Fortunately, I pulled myself out of this mental trough (I chalked it up as one of the reasons I love to participate in Ironman so much, it makes you stronger mentally more than physically, then and for live after the race is over) and at mile 19 started running again. I ran the rest of the way. I maintained a nice pace just below 10/miles and was thrilled to get across the finish line.
I felt fairly good, the best to date once I was done. I didn’t cramp until almost an hour later and was almost instantly hungry. I only got the chills once (typically it happens several times the following few hours).
I highly recommend staying close to the race sight. I stayed at the Marriott that was 2 blocks from the finish line (the customer service here was an A+). We walked right up to the room and I was quickly able to take a hot shower and change my clothes.
FYI for everyone who does this race in the future: unlike most Ironman courses, the recovery area is not at the end of the chute. It is in the convention center a few blocks away. The food, drink, massage, medical personally are all inside. Granted, there are more than enough volunteers at the finish line but it was odd not seeing the rest of the post race “stuff” right around the finish line.
Conclusion: Ironman Louisville is NOT an easy race. The course is very unique starting with the swimming start, swim course, very challenging and hilly bike, all while in the August heat. The city of Louisville is not what I would call a destination city or a location I plan on going back to in the future. The race is perfectly organized and well planned out. All of volunteers rocked! The city smells horrible. I will personally go to Ironman CDA or Florida before going back (I’ll be in CDA in 2009).
Bottom line: I’m happy I was able to experience and complete another Ironman in another location, there are no words that can give justice to mental and physical gratification crossing the finish line in an Ironman.

Train Hard, Race Harder

Race statistics:

Swim: 1:27:57(248)
T1: 5:54
Bike: 6:09:35(139)
T2: 9:51
Run: 5:06:54(138)
Overall:13:00:11(138)

September 20, 2008

Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina

Swim 1500m intercoastal channel(point-to-point)

Bike 20K

Run 5K

The Wilmington Sprint is the largest triathlon in the North Carolina Set Up Events series. The race is approximately 1300 participants strong and upon looking into the sea of bikes racked in transition, it looks like everyone one showed up this year.

The swim is in the intercoastal waterway is a point-to-point swim. The swim start is approximately a little over a half a mile from the transition area. You can walk over or take a short bus ride over to the swim start. The course is a zigzag through the channel. The swim buoys are set up just for reference. You don’t have to swim to the “left or right” of the buoys or make a turn at the triangles, just get there with the fastest line you personally decide on. This format intimidates a lot of swimmers but if you are comfortable in open water it is a huge advantage. For me personally, I think it is one of the most enjoyable swim courses I have had the thrill of participating in. I felt like I had a good swim. I was comfortable, took what seemed like the shortest line in and wasn’t out of breath until I exited the water.

Upon exiting the water is a several hundred-yard sprint to the bike. You have to get out of the water, run through a marina parking lot, run across the a four lane road, and then all, and I mean all the way down the long transition to eventually find your bike racked.

I left my shoes in my pedals, strapped on the helmet and took off.

I struggled a little this time getting my feet in my shoes to get rolling on the bike (one of my shoes almost clipped out of the pedals several times from me fighting with it). Instead of loosing more time with a shoe on the ground, I just rolled at 10mph for a few seconds until I got my feet strapped into my shoes, the it was Hammer Time!

The bike course is flat and fast. The only incline is the bridge over the intercoastal. The wind was fairly strong for approximately four miles of the bike that slowed down times a bit but it was still a fast bike. A few of the corners were rather sharp and several participants felt the need to leave some skin cells on the pavement before they left the course. Fortunately, I stayed upright, drank a bottle of hydration throughout the ride and felt like I was making good time.

T2 was easy. I slid on the shoes and race belt and was off. I apparently got myself fairly worked up in transition because by the time I was leaving the area I was completely out of breath, to the point were I was in such oxygen debt that I could hardly hear anything. I had to throttle back a bit for the first almost mile to catch my breath.

As for the short 5K run, I did what I could for not being able to run for sometime. By design, I am not a sprinter but I did expect to pull off a much better time. I was passed by what I counted as 20 people in the short course. The muscles in my legs aren’t used to running right now and I had to come to grips that they weren’t going to turn over any faster. My left leg (from the stress fracture) hurt a little and I didn’t feel like making it any worse to pick up at most another minute or two by forcing myself to go faster.

I finished feeling content that I was able to just participate. I truly love waking up on race mornings.

The course at this race is unique and fun. Set Up Events does a great job coordinating so many people in this race. I’ll sign up again next year and just hope that after the race the weather is sunny and a fun time (maybe even a nap) on the beach afterwards will be a nice reward.

Race Results

Swim:23:19(180)

T1:1:02

Bike:33:32

T2:1:40

Run:22:58(205)

Overall:1:22:30(125)

Train Hard, Race Harder

September 14, 2008

Cary, North Carolina

The Duke Half is the most “feared” Half in the area. The bike terrain has constant rolling hills and the run in just 13.1 miles has as much elevation change as the 56-mile bike (over 4000 feet). Typically the sun is shining in full force and the wind is present on the bike.
This year the race lived up to its past dynamics, delivering pain to all.
The swim is a lake swim in a protected cove in Jordan Lake. In past years the water level has been so low that participants could literally walk in sections of the swim. This year the water level was above normal from all of the recent rain. The swim was just a perfect as anyone could ask for. The water felt great, there was very little chop and everyone was spaced out the entire time, no one was crawling all over each other.
I got out and felt fine after taking my time and enjoying the swim. T2 was easy except for taking too much time to stuff my pockets with all of my food for the ride (Plain GU is just so yummy!). I couldn’t get the calories in my back pockets fast enough!
Once on the bike, I was ready to hit the familiar roads that we train on the weekends. I can leave my driveway on my bike and in less than five miles I am on the course.
The bike course is considered to be one of the toughest in the southeast. The course is constant shifting, with very little rest in-between. The first 20 miles is deceivingly easy. You leave the park and you and traveling away from the lake, which typically means you are going downhill. Approximately, mile 22 the hills start and don’t stop for the next 26. They hit you suddenly and until you hit mile 48 they don’t stop. The elevation graph looks like an EKG. Up down, up more, down, up, up, and then up again. Your quads feel like they are getting stuck with a knife but you brain keeps trying to convince you that they will stop soon. I hit the first water station at mile 24, it couldn’t have been better timing. I was pouring sweat from my forehead (to the point that I had to take off my sunglasses because I couldn’t see out of them anymore). I was out of water and had already consumed 24oz of liquid (eating 3 GU gels, 6 Ecaps and a PowerBar). I took two more bottles and downed one of them within the next two miles. Up to mile 48, I approached each hill with as much purpose as I could muster but on the downhills I forced myself to push as hard as possible. I am always amazed but not surprised watching participants try and grind a ridiculous gear up hills, only to coast and barely recover on the downhill. The last 8 miles are slowly downhill but it is the final road of carnage. The wind picked up and was hitting us in the face on the way in. People are literally hanging over their handbars gasping for air. Your legs have truly discovered that inland North Carolina has quite a few hills. Once back in the park you are ready to get out of the saddle but one of the toughest 13.1 miles are ahead of everyone to get to the finish line.
The run is on mainly a gravel path that borders the lake. The run has almost as much elevation as the bike! A 13.1-mile run that has a much elevation as a 56-mile hilly bike (I had to put that another way for impact). The run is a two-loop run that has two incredibly steep hills with three others that are fairly long as painful as well. Fortunately, the course has quite a bit of shade but at this point the temperature was above 90. As typical for a SetUpEvents races, the aid stations on the run course were well stocked and prepared for the onslaught of zombie runners coming their way. SetUp had trashcans full of ice water and towels for everyone to wrap around their neck to attempt to cool off their core temperature to survive until the finish.
The run hurts, period. It is very hill, hot, and doesn’t give you much time to recover. The only flat section is the road leading in the transition and finish line. Most of the uphills force the majority of the participants to walk up to reach the summit. The biggest highlight of my run was a mile 5 when I look out a small packet of Skittles (that is my run secret weapon) and after eating 15 Skittles, I felt like I had an extra lung. I was ready to run again and not just shuffle.
Once I hit the finish line I was ready to just stop moving. This race is not easy but that is exactly why I do it. The race is beautifully run, in a gorgeous area of North Carolina, and it is a true test of mental and physical endurance. I would easily recommend and travel 600+ miles to participate in this race. I personally have done this race 4 out of the last 5 years and I will sign up as soon as possible for 2009.

Train Hard, Race Harder

Race Statistics:

Swim:39:58(133)
T1:2:26
Bike:2:46:19(71)
T2:1:26
Run:2:12:18(114)
Overall:5:42:25(90)

"I am happy to announce that after talking with my children, my family and my closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden. This year alone, nearly eight million people will die of cancer worldwide. Millions more will suffer in isolation, victims not only of the disease but of social stigma. After the passage of Proposition 15 in Texas, a $3 billion investment in the fight against cancer which is helping to make this disease part of the national dialogue in America, it's now time to address cancer on a global level."

Lance says he's doing it to launch an international cancer strategy and he will announce more details about his emergence from retirement on September 24th at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City.

Lance's Comeback to Cycling in 2009 -- powered by http://www.livestrong.com

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on his return, so please leave your comments for us.

Of course, this could all be the standard denials typical of a comeback and we'll hear more details about a possible comeback over the next week or so.

Lance really has nothing to prove, having won seven, consecutive Tour victories from 1999-2005 other than maybe that he can win other races, too.  However, I think it has more to do with how far cycling has fallen since Lance's departure.  This past year's Tour was disgraceful.  I'm surprised there were any riders at the end of the race to win.  Every day of the tour, more racers tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and tactics.  I know there are detractors that say Lance is dirty, too.  While I whole-heartedly disagree, Lance will absolutely bring viewership numbers back up for the cycling industry.

I look forward to seeing how this story develops over the next few days.

My post focuses on the precautions necessary to enjoy a safe mountain biking experience, while balancing it with the joys of the adrenalin rush from the risks involved in a ride.

With the recent story of a missing mountain biker in Missoula, MT,  I was reminded that the concept of safety goes beyond the equipment that I spoke about in my MTOBikes post.  Fortunately, after a long search, the mountain biker in Montana was found safe.  However, a basic ride plan would have helped in the search and rescue process.  Anytime your doing something outdoors, someone that's staying behind needs to have your plan of action.  Whether a float plan for boating, a hike plan for hiking, or a trail plan for a ride, let someone know where you plan to go, what trailhead or ramp you plan to use, how long you plan to stay out, when and where you plan to return, and what stops you plan to make along the way.  This takes just a few minutes and could be the difference between a search & rescue mission or a search & recovery mission.

In an odd twist, an inmate at a federal prison in Williamsburg, South Carolina filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit in July, alleging that he and other inmates produce bikes for LeMond under the Federal Prison Industry Unicor Program for 12 cents an hour, a violation of minimum wage laws. The inmate also claimed LeMond bicycle are shipped to Iranian troops for training purposes, violating the “Training with Enemy” Act.

Violating federal labor laws?  Treason?  Yes, it seems Trek and LeMond have managed to get themselves in a real pinch!  This will, no doubt, drag the case out for quite some time.  Plus, who knows what other plaintiffs may come out of the woodwork to get involved in this case.  Next thing you'll know, Iran will file for lost ability to perform militarily.

250 Meter Swim / 11 Mile Bike / 3.1 Mile Run

Race Results:

Swim: 3:47(15th)

T1: 0:37(4th)

Bike: 35:46(17th)

T2: 0:51(43rd)

Run: 27:03(86th)

Overall: 29th

This was a very well organized race, with a hilly bike and run course, for a great cause.

Over half of the participants were first time triathletes. It is nice to see a race with first time racers, the excitement, nervousness, and most importantly the future of the sport.

Train Hard, Race Harder

Even with all the rain we've had recently, we still encountered a bit more sand than I was expecting, but the course was still in great condition.  The storms obviously brought down a few more trees, as there were a lot of log crossings on the Motorcycle Loop.  One such crossing provided a bit of a challenge for me at one point.  The challenge was not the size of the log, but the height.  It kind of surprised me, so I did not have enough momentum to get over it.  I attempted to pop the wheel up, but my rear tire just spun on the log it was sitting on (I think this is where the rear tire issue probably began) and I roostered my friend that was sitting right behind me.   He said it felt like dirt went six inches up his nose.   I have posted video from right after this incident and the clean-up effort to get us going on the trail, again.

Overall, a very fun day on the trail with only a minor glitch.

The place was fantastic and unfortunately, I was not able to bring my kayak, but I can assure you, that won't happen the next time I visit.  We took the one-mile hike on a mostly gravel path around the whole river that was just right for the whole family.  In September, they will be having their annual Whitewater Festival that will include a Jeep Adventure off-road triathlon.

I've included the video I took while visiting that shows most of the facility.  I was not able to take video of the ropes courses (did not bring closed toe shoes -- required for the zip lines and ropes course) or the zip line (the current line was not open on the day I visited).  I took the video on my Flip (I know, "You bring a Flip video camera, but no closed toe shoes??!!" -- Yes, that's exactly what I did).

Note: Yes, that is the Amazon video widget.  Yes, those are affiliate links in the video.  Just ignore them if they bother you, I just wanted to play around with the widget.