Even after the DNF at Vineman, I knew I was trained and ready to take on the beast that is Ironman. Just a year ago I remember doubting if I'd ever attempt an Ironman. Then in Nov last year, a mental switch flipped and with my wife's consent, I signed up for Vineman. I was all set to finish my first iron-distance triathlon, but the alignment of the stars was not in my favor. You know the story. As I was discussing this with my wife after Vineman, she said, "Is there another Ironman soon? I mean you are already in shape, so it'd be a shame to let all the training go waste." I had been secretly searching for possible races, so I was happy to realize that my wife won't need any convincing as she was already thinking along those lines. After a lot of back and forth with Kevin and Dean about IM Louisville, I finally signed up.
My goal was to have fun, take it easy and finish and so I did. I had a BLAST at IM Louisville. I have no idea why there is so much negativity about this race or why it doesn't sell out as fast as other IMs. Maybe people are scared of the heat and humidity, but that's not unique to this IM.
Pre-race
I picked up the race packet from the race expo at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville. Forecast showed a high of 91 F on race day, but I was trying not to get too nervous about that. Having my bike shipped through TBT saved me a lot of headache, disassembling and assembling the bike and transporting it. The bike was ready at the expo on Friday and I dropped it off just outside the transition area after the race. Bike and transition gear drop-off happened on Saturday. I did a short practice swim in the river on Saturday morning which was great as I got a feel of how the water was going to be. We drove part of the bike course on Saturday afternoon and then chilled at the hotel room for the rest of the day. I had rice, falafel and veggies for an early dinner and hit the sack at 9 PM.
Race morning
I couldn't really fall asleep until 11 PM. Something woke me up at 2 and I was tossing and turning in the bed until the alarm went off at 3:30 AM. I had fruit & nut granola and Greek yogurt for breakfast totaling ~400 cals. We drove to the transition area at 5:30 to do a final check. The swim start was roughly a mile away from transition, so my wife drove me there. Being a time-trial swim start (unlike mass swim starts for other IMs), the line was a mile long. I am not a Black Friday camp-out kinda person, and I was OK starting at the back of the line. Walking a mile to get into the line and then walking that mile back after the gun went off was a bit annoying and somewhat taxing on the legs. It felt like walking 2 miles in a shopping mall. However the line moved quickly after 7 AM and I was in the water by ~7:30 AM. It was going to be a long day!
Swim (TP link)
I thoroughly enjoyed the swim. It is a single loop in the Ohio river with the outbound route going through a narrow channel on one side of an island against the current, and the inbound through the wide open stretch of the river with the current. The water temp was ~82 F, too warm for a wetsuit, so I decided to sport a AquaSphere Energize Compression speed suit. This is the cheapest WTC legal option on the market. The outbound was pretty rough with a lot of swimmers crammed in the narrow channel and it definitely slowed me down trying to maneuver my way through the slow ones. I was taking it super easy throughout the swim and was pleasantly surprised to see a time of 1:02, a minute faster than Full Vineman which was a wetsuit swim and where I went ~20% harder than Louisville.
T1
I took my own sweet time in T1. As I walked into the transition area, a volunteer called out my bib#, a second volunteer escorted me to where my transition bags were placed. Spent several minutes in the changing tents getting into the bike gear. It was the most leisurely transition I have ever done, but it helped me get into the mental state of steady pacing that I was to follow for the rest of the day. day.
Bike (TP link)
I started real easy, focusing just on my HR and cadence. I was barely even looking at elapsed time and power fields on my Edge 500. The first 10-15 miles were a breeze with flat terrain and mild tailwind. The temp was also reasonable, in the mid 70s, but was supposed to rise quickly later during the day. I had two bottles with me at all times - IM Perform in one bottle and cold water in the other. I did not have any per-hour/per-aidstation hydration goals, but was constantly monitoring how I felt and drinking to thirst. It has taken me a LOT of practice and trial and error and even a DNF to figure out my hydration, but I think I have finally nailed it. For those who are curious, I peed 3 times during the bike leg. My nutrition comprised of 3 GU gels, half banana and 3/4 bottle of Perform every hour. I had planned only for 3 GU gels/hr, with bananas, Perform or occasional chomps (for variety) to take it to ~360 cals that I need per hour. Additionally, I was popping 3 Saltstick tabs per hour. It was getting harder to keep HR <140 during the last 30-40 miles, probably because of the heat. The temp was hovering ~90F but felt much hotter due to the humidity. The course was challenging with lots of rolling hills and some slightly longer inclines. Dousing myself with cold water every now and then helped to keep the core cool. As soon as I'd start feeling a bit tired, I'd douse, and like magic, I'd feel strong again! The key was to keep at it through the last mile of the ride and not slack off toward the end. Ditto for nutrition and hydration. Overall enjoyed the bike a LOT. Louisville countryside is full of lush green pastures, farms, stables. Some parts of the course are well shaded and provided the much needed respite from the heat. Was definitely feeling it in the legs by the end of the ride, but was happy I could stay low and aero the whole time, and did not experience any cramping, weird back pains, hip pains or anything like that.
T2
Again, took my own sweet time in T2. I had fresh running shorts in my run gear, but decided to continue with the bike clothes since there was no chafing. The Pearl Izumi In R Cool bike shorts worked like a charm (with ample Chamois cream)!
Run (TP link)
My first 14+ miles run and my first ever marathon in 5:38, I'll take it! Other than the insane amount of pain I was going through, the run was fun :) The run started well and I was trying to hold ~11 min/mi. My plan was simple - run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute. It was soaring 88 F when the run started and was projected to stay 80+ F during the entire run! I made the first half of the marathon in 2:30, on track for a 5 hr finish. I was feeling good with the 4:1 strategy until my IT band decided to flare up at ~ mile 14, strangely at the same distance as my longest run thus far. I asked an EMS volunteer for something with which I can support my IT band. He didn't know what an IT band is (!!!), but produced a cotton gauze from his bag asking if that'd work! "Smart boy, Robert, " I said in my mind, and thanked him. It took some trial and error for the "duct tape" solution to slip into the right position. It helped a bit, but not enough to be able to run at the intended pace. I had now downgraded to a 2:2 strategy instead of 4:1. I was mentally projecting my finish time every few minutes, but then decided to stop and instead soak in the fun atmosphere. At mile 18, I basically knew that I will now finish even if I walked the rest of way. The pain was getting worse, but the gauze strap was holding up, allowing me to keep moving with the 2:2 strategy. Of course my legs were overall pretty sore and tired by now, and I wouldn't have been able to go much faster even if my IT band was fine and dandy. I had a total of only 3 gels and munched on chips and oranges at the aid stations when I felt like it. A few sips of coke, ice water in the bottle, and sponges in the jersey was my aid station ritual. I was still popping 2-3 salt tabs per hour through out the run.
I was running alongside a paraplegic athlete in his wheelchair during the last few miles. How someone can paddle with their hands for 112 miles and then propel a wheelchair for 26 miles is beyond me. It must take immense upper body strength and endurance and even more mental resolve. I was even more inspired when I saw him grind to a halt due to fatigue but again muster the strength to keep going toward that finish line. I wondered what it meant for him to cross that line. The coveted IM finish line symbolizes something unique for each and everyone who crosses it - fighting for a loved one, overcoming something in their past, pushing their limits, . For me, it wasn't anything life altering, or for a cause. It has become a lifestyle choice for me.
Even after sunset, the temp was hovering around 81 F. I was dousing myself with ice water even through the last miles, and that was definitely helping. The last stretch to the finish line was unforgettable. The atmosphere at 4th Street LIVE was electrifying! The spectators were banging on the fences into the finish chute and cheering on like mad men. I ran through the last 50 meters highfive-ing spectators and absorbing as much of the experience as possible. It was a once in a lifetime experience to cross that finish line. I pumped my arms up as I crossed the finish line and the commentator announced, "Chaitanya, you are an Ironman."
There were some post-race logistics since we had to take a shuttle to the transition to pick up our transition gear and bike, and then head to the hotel. I first had 3 slices of pizza, changed into fresh clothes from my morning clothes bag and then took to shuttle to the transition. Dropping off the bike TBT just outside transition was a huge relief. My wife picked me up from transition and we went back to our hotel.
For those who are doubtful about Louisville, I'd like to say that it is an AWESOME race! I also liked Louisville a lot, at least the downtown and the countryside. Some parts of Louisville are sketchy, but you never experience that part of the town as an Ironman participant. I was comfortable racing in the heat and humidity, probably because I was mentally prepared and respected the harsh conditions. Also, luckily for me, even though it became very hot later during the day, the bike started off with cool temps in mid 70s.
Post Analysis
I re-ran the race through my mind several times after trying to think of things I did wrong and where and how I can improve.
- First obvious place to improve is the run. I think of myself as a decent runner at medium distances up to 10K and half marathon. I need more marathon specific prep to get faster and stronger at that distance. First and foremost, I need to fix my IT band issue once and for all.
- Next weak link is bike. I feel like I have plateaued my bike performance, but am sure there's much room for improvement. Getting bike time down to 6:15 would be a good goal, though a hard one to achieve.
- Nutrition-wise I think I nailed it. However, as I make improvements on the bike and run, I will need to tweak my nutrition. But overall, a combination of water, Perform, and GU gel works for me. I throw in chomps or Honey Stingers for taste and I like that variety.
- Dousing myself with cold water helped a LOT especially since it was hot.
In terms of mistakes, nothing really comes to mind. I could have trained better for the marathon, but I wouldn't call it a mistake, but lack of prep. However, I think I was well prepared to cross that finish line, just not faster. Overall I think I nailed the race execution, or in other words, I planned my race and raced my plan. For me, the finish line of a triathlon has never been the end goal, but a stepping stone to a faster and a fitter me. I never thought I'd feel like that when I'd cross the Ironman finish line for the first time. I thought I'd feel like I reached the summit. But I was wrong. Strangely, upon crossing that finish line, the first picture that popped in my head was that of me crossing that line again in the future. When that will happen, is to be seen :)
