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Reflections – One Week Later

That’s what I came home to last week. She couldn’t be there with me, but was there in spirit. How lucky am I!

It’s been eight days. And I’ve had some time to think about Canada and my race and what’s next.

Although it may sound like it sometimes, I’m really not disappointed with my time. Last year I would have been (or, actually, was) on cloud nine with a sub-11 hour Ironman. The difference this year was that I did it last year and this year I felt like I was in better shape. I’d spent a lot of time on the bike, I’d run more miles and since I wasn’t working, I was getting enough rest and enough time off my feet in between training sessions. I had a nice long taper. Also, after two Ironmans I felt like I had a pretty good idea of what was coming on race day. I knew the course would be challenging, but I’d prepared for hills and heat with the riding I’d done in the Malibu canyons and the weekly tough Griffith Park brick. So, for the first time in three tries, I psychologically set myself up for a good, fast race. I felt that I could put a 10:30 (or faster) Ironman together, and I thought this would be the year to do it. Then, as I approached T2 and knew that I’d be off the bike and starting the run about 6:40 into the race. A 3:45 marathon meant a 10:25 race. 3:45 wouldn’t be easy, but it should have been possible. And then, well, you know what happened then. So, I’m not disappointed with my time. But I am a little disappointed with my performance, especially on the run, which should be a strength.

I’ve thought a lot about what happened last Sunday. It’s hard for me to determine exactly why I struggled so much on the run, but I’ve thought of a few potential reasons. A few reasons other than the fact that it’s a tough course, it was hot and there was that headwind on the bike, that is. As much as anything else, I want to figure out what I can do differently in the future (see below for more on that), regardless of what the course throws at me.

In somewhat chronological order:

• I battled through my injuries last year and had some pretty good races last summer. But then I took most of the fall and winter off. The biggest thing I missed was working on my bike base. Between September 13, 2008 (one week after racing SOS – have fun Cat and Jeff!) and the Boston Marathon on April 20, 2009, I rode exactly 0 miles outside and spent about 20 hours on the trainer. That’s 20 total hours on the bike in six months. Losing that bike base hurt. The bike training and canyon riding since Boston were great, and enabled me to get that 5:30 bike split, but more time on the trainer and/or the road throughout the winter and early spring would have helped me to ride that 5:30 bike split and then go out and run the marathon I’d trained for.
• Pretty soon after we moved to LA, I let my gym membership lapse. I hadn’t really been using it for the previous few months and with the great weather and all the outdoor opportunities here, I didn’t want to be inside lifting and figured it was a good way to save a few dollars. And at the time I didn’t miss it. Looking back on it, doing some strength work two or three times per week at least during the spring and early summer might have been a smart idea. It’s hard to say that my quads were “weak” and that’s why I struggled during the run, but I’ve always always believed in the benefits of strength training and I’m certain it would have helped when my legs started tiring during the run.
• I didn’t know the Ironman Canada course. I strongly believe that being familiar with the course at Lake Placid was a big contributor to my “success” there in 2008. By the time I raced in 2008, I’d ridden the 56 mile bike loop five or six times and run the 13 mile run loop three or four times. When the gun went off at Canada on the other hand, other than driving most of the bike course and some of the run course, I really hadn’t been on either. And we drove both courses wrong, including completely missing the first big climb on the bike at McLean Creek Road. When I signed up for Canada, my plan was to get up there at least once for a training weekend. I obviously never made it and that definitely contributed to my struggles. In shorter races, you can get away with not knowing the course, but the longer the race, the more important it becomes.

What does all that mean? It means I still have more work to do. It means that I can do better and race a faster Ironman. And with that in mind, I’m finalizing my racing schedule for the fall, winter and spring seasons.

What’s next?

First off, this weekend we’re headed to the Hamptons for a wedding. (Unfortunately, I won’t be making it into the City this trip.) The wedding happens to fall on the same weekend as one of my favorite Olympic distance triathlons, the Mighty Hamptons in Sag Harbor. I definitely didn’t want to bring my bike out to race, but when my friend Rob suggested that we get a relay team together, I was all for it. I’m going to swim, Rob will bike and his friend Harry will run. I’m really looking forward to it. I’m psyched to go all the f- out for 1,500 meters without having to save a single drop of energy. I’m also excited to get out there and cheer for my team and for a few other people I know who are racing.

After that, I’ll turn to running. (Mostly running anyway; I’ve hopefully learned my lesson and barring something unforeseen I’ll be putting my time in on the bike as well!) I haven’t signed up for any of these races yet. I’ve been putting it off to see how I felt post-Ironman, but since I feel pretty good and anxious to race again, I’ll probably sign up for at least something this week.

On September 27, the season’s first race of the Xterra Trail Run Series takes place at Pt. Mugu, a little bit up the coast near Oxnard. It looks like a good race series and, at 18K, is a reasonable distance for my first fall race.

Next, as I mentioned before is the Catalina Eco-Marathon on November 14 and the Northface Endurance Challenge 50 Miler on December 4. Those both sound like fun races.

At that point, we’re just about into 2010 and I am signed up for Ironman 70.3 California on March 27. Fear of that race will hopefully help keep me on the bike throughout fall and winter.

The last piece of the puzzle is one I’m still draying over. Ironman St. George is May 1. It is officially closed to general entry, but a friend who is racing it says he has connections and can still get me in. Hmmm… As of a few weeks ago, my answer was pretty much “no”. Now, though… I see a chance for a little redemption. I can learn from what I think I did “wrong” in training for Canada. Assuming things go well, my “base” heading into the early spring would be incredible. St. George is only about a 6 hour drive from here, which means I can easily go check out the course. I also see an opportunity to get one more (final for now) Ironman under my belt before the other things in life take over – and hopefully finally nail the run. But it is a really challenging course, for whatever that’s worth. It does also mean a bunch more of those boring 5-6 hour bike rides. It also (hopefully) means trying to get training in around work (assuming I actually start working at some point soon. Which is the plan.) I don’t have to decide today, but I do need to decide soon. This plan would necessarily put off my hopes of doing a 100-miler next summer, but that would be OK. A May 1 Ironman means I have all summer to recover and relax – or do other races!

I’ve taken it really easy this last week, but am feeling ready to get back into a little more structured training. The first step is to go back to the Griffith Park Brick tomorrow evening and see how I feel.

Indoor bike – September 3
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate:

Run – September 5
Distance: 3.1 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Course: Santa Barbara, along beach
Conditions: Sunny and warm (high 60’s)

Indoor Bike – September 7
Time: 30 minutes