Twelve months ago, I finished the Ironman Coeur D’Alene comfortably in 12:49. It was my second Ironman finish and it was enjoyable. But I wasn’t completely satisfied. I knew I had more in me. I hadn’t really laid it all on the line and given myself everything. My investment into my training and preparation had been modest, and the rewards from the race were, in return, just modest. I could do better.
So, I laid out an ambitious plan to give 100% of myself to the race in 2008. I improved my preparation by training harder and smarter. I improved my body composition by re-structuring my diet. I improved my race-day skills by racing more often. And I improved my attitude by choosing more difficult workouts an avoiding any shortcuts. By the time I boarded the plan to fly to Spokane in 2008, I was a different athlete and very ready to take on the race.
Pre-Race
I arrived into Spokane early on Thursday and had plenty of time to drive to Coeur D’Alene, register, pick up my bike, and check into the hotel before a nice sushi dinner. Returning to Cd’A was a happy experience indeed. The town and lake are beautiful and the locals are warm and welcoming to the athletes and the race. Banners everywhere proclaim “Welcome Ironman Athletes!” and clerks and cashiers go out of their way to wish you luck. This hospitality adds to the growing energy in the days before the race.
On both Friday and Saturday mornings, I rode the challenging parts of the bike course with friends Val and Jim. These sessions were fantastic; we rode easily, talked strategy, laughed a lot, and just had a great time in tremendously beautiful North Idaho. Getting a feel for the rollers on the bike course and thinking about how to ride them well added to all of the race planning I had done. With my game plan re-confirmed, I had excellent pre-race nutrition and got to bed nice and early on Saturday night.
I woke up early on Sunday morning, well before my 4:00 am wake up call, and I used this time to relax, stretch out, and reflect on the promise of the day. With my attitude properly in place, I ate a solid breakfast and began hydrating. When I left the hotel to go to the race, I noticed that it had rained all night, as had been forecast. While the ground was wet, the sky was clear and the wind was blowing. It appeared that it would be a dry, cool, and sunny day. I was a little concerned that the wind would create a mess on the lake as it had in 2007, but once we got down to the lake, we saw a glassy and calm surface – nice and inviting for a fast swim.
Throughout the morning’s preparations, I was feeling great – loose, excited, and just ready to go. By the time I was in the water warming up, my confidence was high and I was ready to get the party started.
Swim – 1:04:28, 178th place
As I seeded myself right down in the front, I took a moment to share some laughs and handshakes with the guys arou
nd me. I like doing this, for it’s a statement that says, “Let’s all be at our best today.” And that’s one of the things I like most about the Ironman; it’s a day long celebration of the human spirit and capability. We are all pushing against our limits and getting a good look at what we are deep inside. With my attitude in the right place, the gun went off and I began the swim.My focus for the swim was on long, easy, efficient strokes. I was able to find clear water without much hassle, and even benefited from some nice drafts all the way out to the turnaround. With a smooth, solid effort, I completed the first loop in just less than 32 minutes. As I ran up on the beach to start the second lap, the crowd was roaring, and I got pumped up to finish the swim strongly. My second lap was again nice and steady. I had some good feet to follow most of th
e way, and I took advantage of the draft to keep my effort under control. As I got out of the water for the last time, my watch read 1:04. “Right on the money,” I thought with a small fist pump.I had a quick transition (one of the enormous benefits of a quick swim is a much emptier transition tent), and found my bike quickly. As I clipped in to begin the 112 miles, I heard some friends cheering for me – what a lift.
Bike – 5:54:14, 18.97 mph, 333rd place
As I began the ride through the streets of Coeur D’Alene, I heard my heart rate monitor beeping. “Crap,” I thought. “I am already above my target zones.” Instead, when looked down, my heart rate was actually under the zone I wanted it. This was a great moment – I had kept the effort in the right spot throughout my swim and now I was ready and able to get after it on the bike.
My trip out to Higgins Point was swift, and I felt very strong. The pedals were turning over easily, and I thought of Lance’s old joke: “I am having a mechanical problem – there’s no chain on this bike!” Of course, it
was very early in a long day, but I was buoyed with confidence and kept riding strong as I came back to the large crowds in Cd’A.Turning up to Hayden, I felt the wind at my back, and I was able to maintain 23-25 mph without much effort. I was really turning the pedals easily, and while I kept reminding myself to keep the effort down, it was truly smooth sailing at that point. As I reached the hills of the upper loop, I was full of energy and the climbs went well. I was able to ride these hills solidly with my heart rate under control. I reached the top of the course timing mat on Ohio Match Road (mile 34) in 1:41:39, just over 20 mph. As I turned back south to Cd’A, however, I faced the headwind for the first sustained stretch. The wind was stronger than last year, and it required strong, smart cycling. I was determined to stay tucked and aero as much as possible and ride solidly, but these 10 miles, which I had pegged as easy in my planning, were a definite challenge.
I was happy to come back through town ahead of my schedule, feeling great, and ready to tackle the second lap. Scotty Galati, the Ironman Superfan, gave me a huge fist pump and shout as I passed him on my way out to Higgins Point again.
I used the out and back to Higgins Point to reconsider my race strategy based on the conditions I found on the first lap, with the key adjustment being that I would relax and rest on the way up to Hayden with the wind at my bike and conserve some energy to ride the return trip into the wind harder than I originally planned. So, after an easy trip up to Hayden with the
wind, I hit the hills at about mile 80 and thought, “Here we go; the race is really beginning.”My second trip through the hills went very well. I was definitely working hard and riding strongly. I had the energy and effort to ride hard and smart. I kept my cadence, power, and heart rate at the right levels and just continued to feel strong and solid.
As I crested the last hill of the upper section and turned down Rimrock Road at about mile 96, I felt motivated to finish the job well and ride strongly back down to Cd’A. I tucked in, kept good form, and finished the job solidly.
As I slid into the transition area, I was even able to pull of a graceful flying dismount, where I jumped over my rolling bike, landed on my feet, handed the bike to the great volunteer bike catcher, and ran into the transition area. Thankfully, nobody was harmed in this exercise.
Run – 4:22:58, 390th place
As I started the run, I was ready for some pain and a slow start, but I continued to feel great. My back was loose, my stride was solid, and my legs were ready to knock this marathon out. As I started the run, I received lots of encouragement from the large crowds and several friends who cheered loudly and appropriately raucously.
The first out and back along the lake went smoothly and I was able to run up through the town at a solid pace. The cro
wds were tremendous, as there was constant encouragement and cheerful support. The race organizers are smart enough to print your name on your race bib, so the spectators can personalize each cheer. I tried to answer each cheer of “Go John” and “Looking good John” with a nod and a thumbs up.As I made my way out to the long stretch of the Centennial Trail along the lake, my heart rate was still solidly in the right zone, my effort felt under control, and my splits were just right. I tried to avoid looking ahead, but the promise of finishing this race well was very strong.
After reaching the turnaround at the far end of the course, I started the downhill section back towards Cd’A when I heard a loud, happy scream: “John!!” It was my friend Jessi, who I ran with for much of the marathon in this race last year. She was watching this year (mostly because she has been busy winning sprint and Olympic distance races all year), and she ran up, gave me a happy high five, and ran along with me for a while. Her happy attitude and cheerful spirit were a great lift. I told her about how I was having a great day, and she encouraged me to finish the job. I moved on and finished the first lap strongly in about 2:05.
It’s funny sometimes how poorly your brain works during a race, but it is heartening how strong you sometimes find your desire. At the halfway point of my marathon, I suffered from both some stupidity and a lot of desire – I became determined to negative split the marathon (run the second half faster than the first). In hindsight, this was a wildly overambitious goal. But it was born from determination and kept me moving.
After a change of socks at special needs, I started moving up the hill through Cd’A with purpose. But what my mind was asking, my body couldn’t deliver. 130 miles into my 140.6 mile day, I was starting to fade, and I lacked any kick when I tried to push the pace. I continued on, but my heart rate was dropping below the zones I wanted (a sign of fatigue) and I couldn’t deliver a faster pace. To manage my growing fatigue, I took on more fuel and tried to stay steady. I knew at this point that I would finish the race well but that I would be unable to kick it up a notch. The lack of extra kick or strength was a little disappointing, so I tried to move mentally beyond this feeling and focus on running as well as I could.
As I steadily made my way through the last ten miles, I stayed positive, soaked up the excitement from the crowd, thanked as many volunteers as I could, and tried to support the other racers. It was great to see Jessi again out by the turnaround, and she laughed when I told her that I felt like I was fading and tired – “Well, you should be, you’re at mile 20 of the marathon!” This simple answer helped me turn my head around and focus on what I was doing and what was ahead.
On my way back through town, I ran past a group of supporters who had a big dog with them. This dog was looking tired, sprawled on his side and deeply asleep despite the noise and action around him. I commented to another racer, “That dog looks like how I feel.” She laughed and asked if I was on first or second lap of the run. When I replied that I was on my second lap, she said, “lucky you.” In a brief bit of wisdom, I replied, “We are all lucky.” And I meant that. It was a great day to be out there competing, pushing our limits, and celebrating our health.
Coming up to the finish and turn at Sherman Avenue, I was ready to e
njoy the great finish line atmosphere. I took off my visor and sunglasses, and, immediately, some guys on the side laughed and yelled, “Yeah, get nice and pretty for the finish photo!” I gave them some high fives and turned down Sherman Avenue. Quite simply, it was an overwhelming site: 8 city blocks lined deeply on each side by cheering crowds, dotted at the end by the arch of the Ironman finish line and sounds of celebration. I raised my arms and ran happily down the street.As I reached the top of the finish chute, I heard a number of cheers from friends. And then I spotted the clock. It read 11:29 and I knew I would make it in under my 11:30 goal if I didn’t waste too much time giving out high fives and shouts down the grandstands! As I crossed the line, I was elated with my effort and result.
Total – 11:29:14
After the finish, I spent some time in the medical pen, just using the chairs there to relax, hydrate, and drink some chicken broth. I chatted with some other finishers, and we compared notes on the day. A couple people teased us about looking so relaxed while we reclined in a row – “you look like you’re sunbathing!” – but it was a nice time to unwind.
After a bit, I was back to, relatively, normal, and I was able to deal with my gear and get cleaned up to enjoy the finish line party. It’s simply wonderful to be there and watch so many athletes capture their dreams.
After some reflection, I am thrilled with my race. It was a new personal best and an 80 minute improvement over last year. My preparation was fully rewarded and all of the increased efforts were worth it ten times over.
However, it’s interesting and worthwhile to think about the things that didn’t go quite as I’d planed. When I’d hoped to have some extra kick and speed up my run, I instead found fatigue and a slower pace. This could have been the result of too much effort spent on the bike leg or swim leg. Or it could have been a nutritional failure. Or perhaps I failed to pace the first half of the run properly.
The only certainty is that this puzzle is part of the allure and magic of triathlon and endurance racing. It’s so difficult and demanding that we must constantly seek improvement and question how to best go about things. This constant process keeps us coming back for more and makes the next race more enticing and exciting – the promise of what’s ahead. I’ll move on from my race in Coeur D’Alene satisfied with my progress and eager with anticipation for improvements I can make in the future.
