For my first
Ironman, it only made sense to pick IM Zurich. I wanted to share the experience
with my family and childhood friends, and also wanted to make a vacation out of
this event. What an incredible race: amazing course, amazing scenery, amazing people, incredible
organization, and most importantly, amazingly memories! I couldn’t be happier
with my overall time, beating my target by 21 minutes, but one thing is
certain, I underestimate the emotion and memories I brought back to New York.
The following report is long, but hopefully it’ll give its readers an idea of
what I went through and how much fun I had!
For those
already bored of reading it, here are my stats on the big event
Race day
Breakfast
3:30am and I slept much better than I thought, probably got 5+ hours of sleep, which I considered to be really good. I made oatmeal (no clue about the portion, but it was a lot!), mixed it up with cold milk, sugar, and a sliced banana. I had a large cup of coffee with sugar and a glass of water. I ate it all, which was another good sign that mentally I was in a good place. Transition set-up
3:30am and I slept much better than I thought, probably got 5+ hours of sleep, which I considered to be really good. I made oatmeal (no clue about the portion, but it was a lot!), mixed it up with cold milk, sugar, and a sliced banana. I had a large cup of coffee with sugar and a glass of water. I ate it all, which was another good sign that mentally I was in a good place. Transition set-up
I got to my bike
around 5:10am, and we could tell that it was going to be a cold bike ride. I
think the temperature was in the low 50s, high 40s, and did not warm up until
later in the day. The speaker announced some light, scattered rain in the first
part of the ride. It then was supposed to dry up, and warm up in the afternoon.
I could hear people complaining already about the cold and wet conditions, but
I was HAPPY! I like the cold; I like the hills, so things were lining up
perfectly.
I walked to my
transition bags and added my gel and Coke to the T1 bag, and my sunglasses. I went to the
T2 bag and put my nutrition belt in, my running shoes, and my socks.
5:45am, I’m
ready. Let’s get out of here and go for a quick warm up both on land and in the
water.
| Swim (1:02:14) Oh boy! I did not expect to get elbowed and pushed around while lining up on the beach. I questioned why they’d push on the line up. Most of the first wave will be in the water for a good hour. 30s to me would not make a big difference. What is it going to be like in the water?? And the gun goes off!
I got in the
water and for a good 4 minutes it was a “well-balanced” mix of elbows to the
nose, heel to the head, slapping in the head, with 3 athletes
literally swimming over me.It “eased down” a bit after the first buoy, but I made the rookie
mistake of using my training goggles. I couldn’t see anything after maybe 30s
into the swim, except bubbles from all the kicking happening in front of me. I could touch feet, but couldn’t see them. At least I “knew” I
was swimming in the right direction.
 The biggest
surprise was to realize that the swim was crowded for the entire first loop. I
still felt good in the water; though I knew I was a bit slow. The swim
was a 2-loop swim, with a short run over an island and back in the water for
the second lap. As I neared the end of the first loop I could finally see something after 25+ minutes guessing
where I was going. I ran up the ramp and immediately cleaned my goggles. I
could SEE! I looked at the watch and saw 29:46, which was disappointing. I targeted
28:30 on the island, but with the hectic first loop I had, it could have been
worse.
The beginning of
the second loop could not have gone any better. I managed to draft off a guy
who had a good pace, forcing me to work on my swim. I lost him after the first
buoy. I tried looking for a good pair of feet to draft off of, but unlike in
the first loop, swimmers were scarce. Not so say I was fast, but I was in this
middle pack, probably 5-8 minutes behind the “Nemos” of this race and the rest
of the pack. No luck. My goggles fogged up again, and finding my way and the
buoys became impossible again. Frustrating! I felt so good in that second loop. After passing the bridge I started to think about T1.
2.4 miles done.
I looked at the watch and to my disappointment it said 1:02. Disappointed but
not defeated, a good swim will come with more practice. I just wish it happened
today. Regardless, I am done with the
swim and on T1.
T1: 3:15 Will's saying was again running through my mind: "slow is smooth, smooth is fast." Helmet first, and then I decided not to ride with my shades as it was drizzling already. I ran passed my support crew. They were so loud! It gave me energy and a big smile on my face. It was also a good reminder that, though I was the one having fun that day, they were all key parts of my race and my training. I was glad to see familair faces in Zurich.
Bike: 5:06:48
Equiment:
Bike: 2012
Cannondale Slice 4
I feel really
good, and the most important now is to bring the HR down to normal bpm after
the swim and T1.
The first 18
miles around Lake Zurich were good. I was cruising at around 23.5 to 24mph
And the climbing
begins...
We made that
left turn at the roundabout after 17 miles and off we are on the first climb of
the day. The first water station was right after the roundabout.
 The gradient got
more serious past the penalty tent. A nice, long, and steep first 2 miles to
warm up the legs, followed by a 3-mile “flatter” section set the tone of the
course. I could see people pushing hard, and I could certainly push harder, but
we were only 22 miles into the first loop. I feel good and continued to focus
on both my wattage and nutrition. I knew that was only the first climb of 4,
and not the hardest. With the cold temperature and the rain that picked up a bit
right after the first climb, I did not want to risk it. The roads were getting
slippery. I was enjoying the 45F temperatures we were having at the top of the
first climb, and the rain as well, as it essentially helped control my HR.
With rolling hills come
descents, but with wet conditions, braking with carbon wheels is not ideal. I
had to be extra careful and held back on most of the descents in the first
loop. I think it helped me have a better idea of what to expect on the second
loop. At this point I have no clue of where I stand in the race, nor do I care. It stings to let athletes pass you, but I
feel like I’m racing smart so far, so let’s keep it that way.
The Beast
carries its name well…
The gradient increased
rapidly and after a sharp right turn we faced a wall for about 2 miles. I felt
good, and definitely wasn’t complaining about it. If anything I was enjoying
it. There were still a few cyclists passing me, and I thought they were
probably pushing a bit too hard so early into the race. I really thought that,
for me, the race wasn't really going to start until halfway through the run. This is when
I anticipate to no longer be racing against the clock, but rather be competing
against my dark thoughts of walking the run and throwing in the towel. To have
a chance to get to that point though, I had to race smart
Onto the 3rd
climb...
A 3-mile steady climb /
false flat, but you could already feel it in the legs. I thought to myself that
this could be a key section on the second loop. I tried to find a good rhythm.
It was easy to push harder than necessary on this section because you feel like
you’re at a standstill. All of us were barely moving, but I knew that being
patient was key.
The rain made
the descent extremely dangerous. I could barely slow down and though it was
tempting to let the wheels spin and pick up a nice speed, I did not know the
road well enough to anticipate any sharp turn.
Back to the flat
and fast section along the lake...
The flat section was about 10-12 miles long. I started to get my
cadence back in the 90s, lowered my HR to a comfortable 145. We had a bit of
tailwind on that section, which made for a quick and easy ride back towards T,
cruising at around 23-24 mph. What a great sensation! The bike was fast, the
mechanics worked well
At mile 47 I saw
the first pros already on their second loops. They were probably already 60
miles deep in their rides. They looked so calm, focused, and efficient on their
machines, making it look effortless, but you could tell they were moving. We
could hear the roaring sound of their disc wheels, like a trembling train passing
by.
Mile 50:
Heartbreak hill
I was looking
forward to this climb. I have not seen it, but everyone doing the race knows
that the climb is a replica of a summit finish of a tour de France stage. If
anything, along with crossing the finish line, this could also be our 2nd
moment of glory.
 At mile 50 the
course makes us make a right turn and the road quickly goes up. For over a
mile, you are on your small chain ring and on the smallest gear possible. After
a slight right turn follows a left turn, and here we go: people from different
countries lined up on the side of the road with signs, Vuvuzelas, and other
stuff to make as much noise as they possibly could. As you climb to the finish
the road gets narrower, with people closing in on us to touch us, encourage us
Back on the
flats around the lake...
56
miles in, and the nice 17-18-mile flat section along Lake Zurich turned out to
be much harder with the headwind. I focused on my nutrition, and again, had my
eyes riveted on my computer.
The first climb
of the second loop went well, and I still was feeling strong. I figured I would
feel the fatigue the most in the Beast climb. By now the road is completely
dry, and I was excited about the descents. Let the brakes loose and give the
legs some relief. As the sky cleared up, the beauty of the region took over.
After that first
climb, I had a group of three in sight again. I knew that if I could keep up
with them while keeping my power in check, I would be in a good place off the
bike. They seem strong and that gave me a target for the last 40 miles.
The Beast x2
Here we go. You
take the first right at that tiny roundabout (everything is smaller in
Helvetia!), and the gradient starts going up. I see more folks on the climb,
and recognize some that were passing me in the first loop. If anything, that
was encouraging because that meant that I paced myself well thus far, avoiding
pushing too hard too soon.
I popped my
first salt capsule in the middle of the climb as I started to feel that my
calves were working much harder, and I wanted to avoid any cramping.
The rolling
hills before the 3rd climb felt harder than the Beast. That’s probably because
I started feeling the 80 miles of the bike course. That false flat section
after a long descent was treacherous. That’s where I passed the last athlete of
the race. She was escorted by a motorcycle, about 35 miles into her ride when I
was already 80 miles in. I was only hoping that she’d be able to reach T2
before the cutoff. She had 10 hours to do this. I gave her a word of
encouragement as I passed her.
My wheels, after all that climbing and braking were just as
smooth and comfortable as in the first mile. On the perfect road surface I felt
no resistance with the road. They still felt sturdy and I had absolutely no
problem controlling them. In fact, I was extremely surprised to see that, after
that last steep downhill, the braking sensation was still smooth, continuous,
and controlled. I expected it to be a bit choppy, discontinued and less
precise, but none of that. The wheels responded incredibly well. In short, if
you haven’t realized by now, I’m super satisfied of my Hawk
Racing V55 and V80 tubulars. Thank you Sven for talking me into
getting the Ts instead of the clinchers.
Heartbreak hill
x2
Heartbreak hill
X2 was hard. I’m now riding with a pro woman who looked shattered. She got up
on the pedals, starting throwing her bike left and right with her head bouncing
around. She gave me the impression that she was not in control, which to me was
a sign that she may be cooked.
The downhill was
uneventful until the last left turn where we had to go over a bump. That pro woman lost control of her trajectory to end in the wall across the road. She T-boned
it at high speed. A paramedic ran to her, I slowed down and asked if she was
ok, but she shook her head no. She looked in shock and in pain. I continued as
I knew the paramedic was there. I was hoping she could rally T2 and complete
the race.
The flat section
that brought us back to T2 was short, but at that point, I just wanted to rack
my bike and get on the run. I unstrapped my shoes in the 112th mile in
anticipation of the T2 “Bike dismount” sign.
There! I can see
it. I approached it and dismounted my bike. 2.4-mile swim, 112 miles on the
bike, let’s do this! Let’s tackle that marathon run leg.
Equipment:
Newton Running Distance
Garmin 910XT
watch
My Stats:
Time: 3:24:31
Pace:
7:49min/mile
Avg Heart Rate: 140
bpm
4 loops of
approximately 6.5 miles. I ran out of T2 and heard my support crew screaming my
name again, encouraging me, and making noise. I felt great, and was ready to
tackle this marathon.
1st loop...
The legs, after
spinning 5+ hours, felt loose and light. Had I not restrained myself to a
7:10-7:20 pace in the first 4 miles, I would have probably blown up shortly
after that.
After the transition, they made us run over
that overpass to get to the other side of the road. The first water station had
everything one needed. Water, sponges, dry fruits (apricots, dates…), oranges,
bananas, and Coke. I grabbed a sponge, water, and a hand full of quarters of
orange. My form was in place, my strides seemed good, and my HR was under
control. I wasn’t pushing too hard at that point.
The
loop made us run through a park, through the trees, up a hill and back down
before getting to the lap control. 1st bracelet on at approx. mile 3.
 Right after that
we ran through the underpass to get between the road and the lake. There was a
long, shaded stretch along the lake right before getting to the tip of the
lake. The run felt easy at that point, and though few passed me, I did not get
side tracked and stuck to my race plan. I was averaging 7:20ish at that point,
and was hoping to maintain that. More people were on the side after we passed
the tip of the lake, where the ferry station, and essentially where the city
center started. They all looked at us, encouraged us, but seeing a good crowd
was great. The section after the ferry station was under the shade and on
gravel. Not much there, a bit of a no man’s land where you’re just waiting for
that U-turn to come. Heading back towards the transition, I really felt good
and had a good form. I saw Mariesa, Sam, and the family right before the finish
line and waved at us. I knew I had a good pace and focused on not doing too
much. I passed the finish and looked at it for a good 10 seconds before
re-focusing on my run. I told myself I already covered 120 miles, and had 20
more to go. 20 could seem like a lot, but looking at the bigger picture, it was
not that much, but the hardest was to come, for sure.
2nd loop
I knew that if I could run that second loop without any injuries or
feeling of exhaustion, I would only have to push through the last 13 miles. I
focused on hydration, but lost 2 of my bottles in the span of 3-4 minutes.
Roughly 300 calories wasted, which was not ideal, but the only thing I had to
do was to deal with it. I focused more on getting my nutrition from the aid
station, and get a better idea of what they had in each station for the next
loops. I still had 3 gels in my pouch, but I was very reluctant to taking them.
I figured I’d keep them if I really needed them, but I knew it wasn’t the right
approach to have. I have a hard time taking gels on the run, though I practiced
a lot in the past 3 months. It doesn’t get down the hatch, even when I try to
wash it down with water. That’s a huge part I need to improve.
I remembered the
stretch along the lake being nice, and was looking forward to getting to that
U-turn. That, to me, was my landmark. Getting to the U-turn would send be back
to T, and onto my 3rd loop. I felt good, but the legs started to be heavier. The
finish line is in sight, and as I ran passed it, I knew I was halfway done with
the marathon. 2 loops done, 2 more to go.
3rd loop...
If I could sum
it up in few words, I’d say “Bonking fear.”
Running over the
overpass seemed much harder, and the thought of having to run what I just ran
put a dent in my momentum. I was feeling the impact of each stride in my knees
and lower back. It was not painful, but I could feel it. At that first aid
station I took a sponge, cleaned my face, and grabbed water.
The toe strike I was having changed to heel strike, and I knew I was
going to get some tough miles. I paced my run down a bit, to around
8:30min/mile. A significant drop from where I started, but it was necessary.
Being my first 140.6, I did not know what these signs were about. Had I decided
to push through it and maintained my 7:30ish pace, I may have lasted another 2
miles and completely bonked.
I approached the
park and that small climb seemed huge. I did not want to look at my watch, but
I was slow. I picked up the pace again without panicking. Some may think going
downhill allows for some resting, but going down that path was painful for the
knees. I got that 3rd loop bracelet at the lap control, and Mariesa and Co.
could see the toll IM Zurich was taking on me.
4th loop…
At that point I
was already 20 miles deep into my run, and 134 miles into the race. Nothing
would stop me from finishing high and proud. I knew it, and worked hard for it.
I had to get through the first 3 miles, and get the last bracelet, and the rest
would be fine. I managed to maintain a decent pace, avoided to watch my watch
too often to not get discouraged by the 7:50ish pace I was running at. I’m saying
this because I thought I could maintain a 7:20 pace when I was training, but
that was when I was only running 19 miles on Sundays, without swimming or
biking before. Stupid me!
Gosh I have a
lot to learn, and I sure learned a lot during this race. I found myself in this
“no man’s land” place, that stretch that went form the underpass to the U-turn.
Mentally it was just me and I. I started to look for a distraction that would
help me disconnect from this ordeal.
That’s when I
looked at my wrist and thought about Glenn’s accident. He sure would not want
to hear that I did not have it mentally to finish strong. I had no injury and
not a single pain in my legs, aside from the sore and stiff muscles. Glenn, on
the other end, is fighting his way to recovery after a terrible bike accident.
He would give anything to be in my shoes right now. I did not have the right to
throw in the towel. Team 2N’s is in Switzerland and we’re racing for him too! I
started pushing a bit, and back in the race I was. Plus, I knew folks like papa
bear, Will, and Kevin were following my progression online. I had no valid
reason to slow down or stop. None. There was only one way to go, and that was
forward.
Last few miles before the finish
I passed that
U-turn and the run became emotional from there. I had 2+ miles left and started
thinking about what I was about to accomplish.
I saw the 140.6
miles at first, but then I started to have flashbacks of the past 7 months.
Lots of downs, few ups, and a lot of determination, motivation, and drive got
me to that mile 138.6 mark. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions and Mariesa
always put me back on the right track, always believing in me more than I
believed in myself. I only hoped she’d be proud of me at the finish, because
it’s going to be her big W as well.
I passed the last water station and few minutes later my parents
stood at the same spot I saw them in the 4 loops. Mom was taking
Blue carpet,
stage on each side with the clock showing 9:38ish. I could not believe it. I
was going to crush my target by over 20 minutes. I tried to show how happy I
was, but the beating of the race took over. My smile looked more like a candid
expression of pain. I really thought I was smiling, because I was a happy dude.
 I did it! 9hrs,
39 minutes, and 12 seconds after the gun went off few hundred yards from here,
I completed 2.4 miles in the water, 112 miles on 2 wheels, and 26 miles in my
Newton shoes. The sensation was so strong it was hard to keep it all in. I
pumped my fist in the air towards my support crew as a thank you for their
support before getting my medal. I’m beat, but I’m happy. It took me a few
minutes to let it sink in. I walked away from the finish and found my crew.
Mariesa was at
the finish to greet me, and the emotion was too much at that point. All the
sacrifices she made to allow me to be there is surreal. This performance was
hers as much as it was mine, if not more. I pushed hard in the last miles
thinking about her, and about how much she changed her life around to be with
me, how much she deals with the whole training thing without a single
complaint. She’s my number one support and I’m only hoping she knows how much I
love her.
My brother, my
mom, and my dad all had red eyes. My mom cried, but I was really glad I could
share this experience with them. It was another strong moment of the race, one
I’d never forget.
In short...
 My first Ironman
is in the books. The disappointment of not qualifying for Kona was real, but if
anything I can only be proud of what I accomplished. With the best girlfriend a
triathlete can hope for, with the best coaching services I could get this season,
the incredible support from Hawk Racing and from Hilltop Bicycle for anything
bike related, I was well surrounded. Add to this some incredible Physical
Therapy treatments from Josh at Clutch PT, and amazing friends like Papa bear,
Will, and co. who always took the time to calm me down when I had my moments, I
couldn’t not deliver.I will continue my progression for 2015 and come hungrier, and more motivated to hopefully get my Kona slot.
And a huge Thank You to
Kevin Danahy & TriCoach for taking me
onboard, and Kevin for his incredible work with me this year. I had high hopes
and he delivered by giving the right training, providing his expert eyes and
being a good support when I had my downs
Papa bear (aka Jared Tootell), because he’s
always been highly involved in my progression and believes in me. He never
shies away from giving advice or sharing his experience
Will, because he’s the one who got me
hooked onto the sport. Just like papa bear, he is always here in time I need
him, and always believes in me. I’d be curious to know how far/fast he thinks I
can go? J
Glenn, because he was my training buddy,
and has been a huge inspiration after his tragic accident. If anything, he
showed me the path to overcome the tough moments during the race. He’s an
example to me, and to a lot of folks. He has shown incredible spirit despite
his condition, and I’m sure he’ll be back soon. I cannot wait for this day to
happen!
My training partners, Matt, and everyone I
got on bike rides, runs, and swim.
Everyone involved and interested in my
progression, because talking to triathlon is just as fun as training for one or
racing one!
And to the below folks, as they hugely
contributed to a great 2014 season already!
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