It's all too funny just how similar my last two races at the Ironman World Championships went. So I have decided to use the 2011 race report as a template and only add/change things that were of notice. You can see which parts are actually from the 2011 report by the fact that the additions/changes come in bold letters. Enjoy!
Almost everything leading up to my third try at the Ironman World Championships in Kona this year went right (except for the occasional foot issues over the year). Even the race was going in the right direction for about six and a half hours. But then, just like the two previous times came the meltdown.
But let’s start from the beginning:
On my three runs in race week I had fun out there on Ali’i Drive for the second time since I came there first in 2004. The practice swims by the pier were just awesome and my bike rides on the Queen K highway a lot of fun.
After the usual two week taper came race day. Nervous as always I tried to find a spot a little to the right of the center of the starting line. Right before the start I spotted my loyal supporter on the pier and we were able to shake hands one last time.
When the gun went off at 7am I had a blast. I missed out on the infamous Kona Pier Brawl but was not the least sorry for that.
I decided to just go with the flow and the only time it got a little congested was at the turn around where I headed a little too far to the right. […] Nonetheless I found some space on the way back […] When I climbed the stairs to Kona pier I was clocked at 1:01:33h. A new personal best here by more than three minutes. Yeah! Everything was fine.
In order to keep as cool as possible already on the bike I took my time in transition. I donned my long sleeve bike jersey and headed out. I took the loop through town up and down Kuakini Highway easy and was going up Palani road towards Queen K Highway in no time.
Once on the Queen K Highway I began looking at my watts more closely and tried to push towards my target wattage of 250. It felt easy and why should it not, I was in great shape. That worked out quite well and I was passing a lot of guys. And yes, a lot of groups that were not abiding to the drafting rules. To my great satisfaction a saw a lot of guys in the penalty tents by the roadside when I went by. So the marshals were doing some work. If it was enough that would turn out later. At every aid station I went through the routine I had practiced especially for this race. Grab two bottles. One bottle of energy drink and one bottle of water to pour over me and keep the jersey wet at all times to help cooling down. At the first few aid stations though I missed a lot of bottles as the volunteers had not yet figured out to run with the athletes when passing on the bottles.
I decided very early on that I would not go for my usual “Hammer the Bike” race tactics. There was no cloud in sight all over the bike course and so I played the game most conservatively in order not to overheat or dehydrate on the bike already. So I limited my efforts to about 235-245 watts and was fine with this. Still the first two hours saw an average speed of 26 mph.
What annoyed me a great bit was the fact that even riding up to Hawi the whole race felt a little bit like a group ride. There were guys moving back and forth among one another and I had to try really hard not to get mixed up in all of this. Once or twice I tried to distance the guys but the effort I decided would have been too great. I did that once back in 2007 and payed bitterly on the run. And as the prime objective this year was to get an overall acceptable result I resisted the urge to put the pedal to the metal every time it arose. So I rode on the shoulder of the road quite often to avoid any appearance of me drafting.
What really was a problem for me though was seeing the quite large groups going up the hill only a few minutes behind me. Yoda would say: “Legal that was not!”. Still I took my time to actually stop to grab my special needs bag at Hawi. I would need that hydration I was sure! I was convinced that my time would come on the way back to Kona on the highway as the wind there would surely do away with the groups.
So when I reached Kawaihae again and turned right onto Queen Kaahumanu Highway I was a little angry. And from here onwards – so went the race plan – I would give the bike a little push.
A few light cramps on the inside of my legs hit me at around the 130k mark. A further testament to the fact that even with all the additional salt I put in the energy drinks, bars and gels I was losing more electrolytes than I could substitute. To make a long story short: I was getting dehydrated. So I increased the fluid and salt intake even more and at the end of the bike had consumed more than 6.5 liters of energy drink, two energy bars and about 10 energy gels.
The last 45 kilometers of the bike did not go by as uneventful as last time. At about 160km my intestines rebelled against all the sugar and I had to use a bathroom twice. Regrettably there was no aid station in sight so my bathroom had to be the lava fields next to the highway. At this time I lost sight of fellow German and eventual third place finisher in the 45-49 AG, Harald Funk who I had sort of picked up after he had spent some 4 minutes in the last penalty tent. He had then used me as kind of a locomotive [just to clarify: locomotive is to be understood as "drafting legal pacing device". At no point did Harald suck my wheel. If he had, he would have faced serious consequences!) and at that point rode away into the distance.
What I saw weather wise when I approached downtown Kona was a bit different to the last three times I had raced this beast. There was cloud cover over Ali’I Dr. and everything looked promising.
So I was actually looking forward to the run when I turned right from Kuakini Highway onto Palani Road and thus entered T2 after 4:49h on the bike (http://tpks.ws/5vdr), NP 230 watts. About 5-6 minutes slower than in an ideal world but still good enough for a solid race if I could hold up on the run. For those that might think I overdid it on the bike: The NP of 230 is much much less than the NP of 273 at Ironman Wales last year and even 18 watts less than on one of my long rides (6:35h) which was measures at 248. The TSS is at an incredibly low 270, the IF at .76 vs an IF of .90 at IM Wales last year. So even the available data says I took it absolutely easy. Bummer, that. In the end I should perhaps have biked a quite possible 4:35h and then run just the same h marathon… well…
The first steps after dismounting the bike were a real pain and very, very slow. Then again this time I was prepared for it, I thought. And yes, when I got off my bike coming into transition my legs felt quite ok. Not great, but ok. Which is usually very good for the start of a marathon in an Ironman. Again I donned my anti overheating gear. For the run this consisted of compression socks, a long sleeve top, a cap I had equipped with a cloth to keep my neck covered and wet.
This time I also took my time to get the ice cold towel in transition and put my anti heat clothes on, wetting them thoroughly. In short I was looking really, really ridiculous - ugly as hell. But it was not looks that I was after. At the exit of transition I used all the water I could get hold of and poured it over me. So starting the run up Palani Road I felt good and even smiled.
Along Kuakini Highway and also down on Hualalai Road everything was fine. Even when I passed my favorite food place in Kona, Lava Java Café, I was rolling. All that though, was on the first four miles of the marathon. Immediately thereafter when buildings between Ali’i Drive and the coastline shield the road from any wind, things got ugly. Again! This time it was the foot and knee injury that had plagued me the last four weeks before the race that did not want me to run faster than a speed of approximately 5min/k. Bummer! And in addition to that I was also overheating. Again!
I saw it coming for a few minutes and on the fifth mile I got dizzy. Vertigo hit me and I was not able to continue running. Rather I was reduced to a walk by the roadside and at times had to sit down as I had difficulty keeping my balance. Writing this race report that scene reminds me the pictures I saw of the first few tries Macca had at this race. Even worse for me as I really looked like a fool when reduced to a walk after only four miles after reaching T2 among the top 100 of the World Championship. It was 2008 and 2011 all over again. Only in 2008 I had a good explanation for the meltdown: A serious lack of training leading up to the race. This time I was prepared as good as was possible for me but still the heat of about 30 degrees Celsius was too much for me. Thoughts of pulling out of the race seriously crossed my mind. Again! But since cooling down would have been a necessity anyway I kept on walking on course from aid station to aid station. My “race” though was already over at this point. That was what I had come here for and now it was over after only 8 km on the run. I was angry at myself, the weather, the conditions as well as my genetic predisposition. Angry and disappointed. Again!
Each aid station from then on had me pour two cups of ice into my pants as well as the front and back of my shirt.
On the way back from the turnaround at the Blue Chapel all the ice had cooled me down so much that I was able to start trotting again. On the way back into downtown Kona that trot went up to a speed of roughly eight minutes per mile which I was able to maintain from then on.
As always it was a little cooler once up on the Queen K Highway again and so things got better. Not with the foot but with the heat situation. Still the icing continued at each aid station costing me about a minute each mile. Things lightened up every time I saw someone I knew. First there was my dad who accompanied me to the island this time around. Then it was my buddy Flo from this year’s training camp, then Björn Müller from Oberursel, the list goes on and on.
Down on the road to the lab it was not as hot as in previous years. Good for me and good for my second mile in under 7min. Only there did dare to roughly calculate my projected finishing time. If I were able to keep up the 8-minute-miles I was running now I could still break 10 hours. But other than back in 2011 there was not much left in me that wanted to do that.
The highlight of my day happened on my way back from the energy lab just at about 22 miles. I saw my friend Lutz running in the opposite direction from far away. It was his first time out there and he was really, really nervous before the race. We took the time to quickly hug and wish one another good luck for the rest of the race.
I continued at about a 8min/ml pace and even when I was overtaken by racer number 2047, Jose Forcelledo (BTW Thanky you Jose!) and he randomly singled me out for some encouragement about the fact that we could still break 10 hours, I felt no urge to give it a try. I even told Jose that my “race” had been over for some three hours already and that I did not mind whether or not I would go sub 10 hours. When I thought about what had just come across my lips I changed my mind. Breaking 10 hours would perhaps mean that I won’t have to come back here. So I got rid of my arm coolers and my cap and put the pedal to the metal. The final ascent to the top of Palani Road felt like forever and I barely high fived anyone of the Hannes crew. I promise to do better next time!
I reached the top of Palani Road from where it’s about 2,1k to the finish line with exactly 9:30min to spare. If I wanted to break 10 hours. That meant two sub 4:30min kilometers when I had not run one of those the entire day. So down Palani Road I went – eyes closed and at full throttle. That downhill is about 600 meters long and just under 10% steep. I did not feel my legs any more. No legs, no pain! That was a good deal!
Turning onto Kuakini Highway then felt bad as immediately the speed was slow again and I felt my legs. Bummer! Nonetheless I was able to keep up some speed and turned right onto Hualalai Road and another 200 meters further onto those fames last 500 meters of Ali’I Dr. This time though there was not much time to celebrate. I was in a hurry. And even when I entered the finish chute I did not slow down to high five the spectators that stood there. And even when I finally saw the finish line and the clock on its top I did not slow down. Why? there were other right behind me with the same sub 10 plan and if I slowed down then that would riun a good finish picture with all the others in there. And as there was no one at least 20meters in front of ne and within 20 meters behind me me I thought this would be a good one. You might ask for my final time. I only saw it when I had already crossed the finish line: 9:57:13h. Done I was and immediately collapsed right behind the finish line. All I wanted was to relieve my legs after that final push. Not that I was that exhausted. I only needed some rest. Nonetheless the instructions of the finish line volunteers are very strict. Each athlete collapsing at the finish is picked up and asked a few questions. I remember the following:
Volunteer: Are you dizzy?
Me: Yes!
Volunteer: Can you walk?
Me: No!
Volunteer: You have to walk, we’ll help you!
Another volunteer grabs me under the arms and they guide me out of the immediate surroundings of the finish line. The questions continue.
Volunteer: Did you throw up during the race?
Me: Yes! (I don’t know why I said this as actually I did not!)
Volunteer: Did you have diarrhea?
Me: Yes!
Then came the decisive Question I already expected.
Volunteer: When on the run did you last pee?
Me: Not at all?
Volunteer: Ehm… when did you last pee on the bike?
Me: Not at all?
Volunteer: When did you last pee?
Me: This morning before the race started.
Volunteer: Let’s get him to the med tent.
In no time had they brought me to the med tent and there they weighed me. Much to their surprise (but not mine) they found that I had lost some 16,2lbs (7kg) just about 10% of my pre race weight. My temperature was measured at 104F (40°C) and when the physician said something like”This guy is the most important patient right now!” I must admit I got a little worried. So immediately I got an IV of one liter and a second one came right after that. I left the med tent some 90min later and felt a lot better.
Only a short wile later, Lutz arrived and we were able to have some quiet moments to discuss a really, really long day.
To sum it all up I am just not made for this race. When I met Paula Newby-Fraser after the race in 2011 and had asked her about what else one could do to do well in the conditions in the Big Island, even she had been at a loss. Some people, she said are just made to race here, others are not. I am definitely of the second kind.
Will I be back nonetheless? Uli already documented back in 2011 that I vowed the race in 2011 to be my last shot. If there will be another try at all? I don’t know. I was in roughly the same shape regarding swimming and cycling than in 2011 and a bit less fit for the run and still the heat broke me. So what’s the point? Should I stick to races in Scandinavia or Antarctica? Perhaps. Still there is some strange allure to this race that I am not really able to explain. Sure it’s the fact that it’s the race that started it all. It’s the race that made the sport what it is today. It’s a living part of triathlon history. WTC calls it the World Championships and it gets more difficult to qualify every the year. So it’s a privilege to be at the starting line at all. No question. But the race also moves away from the mythos it has become. The course is way too overcrowded - in the water as well as on the bike. If you swim anywhere between 58min and 1:10h you are in the middle of one large pack that sets sails for Hawi at about 25 miles per hour. After about 60 miles of the bike I had finally squeezed through and blasted by too many packs of riders to count. But that necessitated a bike time of 4:48h. Could I still post such a bike split at age 45? Highly unlikely! And to go with the peloton like so many people do these days? For them it’s part of the game in 2013. Nope, that’s not going to happen for me!
These were my last words in the 2011 RR:
So it has to be in the near future. I age up in 2013. And in 2014 the Olympic Distance Triathlon Worlds is said to be held in San Diego sometime in September. One of those might be my year!
Obviously, 2013 was not my year!
So perhaps: Until then!
Tim
