2009 Ironman Wisconsin: Race Report Part V – Thoughts

It is my opinion that events such as Ironman Wisconsin serves to teach us more in what we did NOT accomplish rather than what we accomplish. This is true, I think, for most things in life. If we truly strive to better ourselves in any discipline it is important to focus on correcting the missteps we have taken in the past.

I should note that I am not disappointed in myself or my accomplishment of becoming an Ironman. With these things in mind, I thought it important to go through and make some objective notes on what I will do differently in the future, and some things that I thought I got right this time.

Swim

• I felt like I took the swim out just right for about the first 500 meters. For the next 1000 or so meters I probably could have been a little more aggressive. I say this because I always hit a stride at somewhere between the 1500~1800 meter mark. If I push myself earlier, knowing that the easiest is yet to come, then I wouldn’t have so much ground to make up once I am in my zone. My pace of 1:26/100 meters during the race is 6 seconds slower than my pool workout pace.  When I do it again, after letting the crowd thin in the first 500 meters, I will push my pace a bit until I hit my zone, and then I will push to just below my lactate threshold.

First Transition

• Not thinking, I put my cycling shoes on while in the transition room and had to run to my bike while wearing them. At that point, more than anything, my feet probably needed to be stretched out some more and being in only socks would have helped out with that.
• I would like to have in my transition bag, a checklist to run down to make sure I have everything. It would have taken a few extra seconds, but let’s face it, in an Ironman that I am probably not going to win, is it worth more to be certain you have everything and that it’s in it’s proper place, or to save a few seconds?

Bike

• Due to my experience with my flat, in the future, I will be the only one to get near my drive train. Again, I do not blame the bike technician that came to lend a hand, but were I the one to bump something out of whack, I would most likely notice and would better know how to address the issue.
• Again regarding the flat, I am actually very pleased with the speed in which I changed the tube. I had the tire pumped and ready to go back on the bike in about four minutes. Considering I was changing a Zipp 1080 which I had ZERO experience with before, I think I did a great job.
• I should have taken my time in fixing my derailleur. Rather than having to stop four or five times to wrestle with it as well as dealing with the mental/emotional stress of being frustrated, I should have take the time all at once, to make sure everything was in proper, working order.
• The bike is where I made the most mistakes with nutrition that affected the rest of my day. I noticed that it did not seem like six and a half hours on the bike. This is in some way, not good. I was so focused on the course that I didn’t pay attention to the fact that my body was ceasing to sweat. In the future, I would likely set my Garmin 305 to sound an alarm at certain mile markers. At those mile markers, I would take in the needed electrolytes or other nutrition.
• I should have asked more of the aid stations. The volunteers for Ironman Wisconsin were amazing (more on that later) and whenever a racer needed something, they were there with the request. I am certain that, had I asked an aid station for salt or electrolyte tablets, they would have done everything they could have to help me.
• As disgusting as it will sound, I learned a trick from another Ironman on Twitter the other day. When I looked at my jersey at about halfway through the bike and beyond, I looked like a human salt lick. His advice was to take my fingers and to wipe the salt up and lick it off. Yes, this is gross, but it would have helped to replenish the salt that I lost.

Second Transition

• By the time I got to the second transition I knew I was in trouble. So, I took my time. I sat still, relaxed and let my body recover for a few minutes. I also had a Pedialyte. This was the only Pedialyte I used during the race, even though I had more ready. As an overall theme, I think that in the future I will try to get my electrolytes and calories in tablet form. I had worked with Pedialyte before, but by the time I got into the run, even water made me want to vomit.
• As I was unpacking last week, I came across the bags that I had at each transition and special needs area. They contained chewable Pepto Bismol and three pills of beta-alanine. The beta-alanine was for muscle fatigue and recovery and the Pepto was for the stomach problems that can plague many Ironman competitors (miraculously, I was unaffected). Aside from the bag from the bike special needs, none of the beta-alanine was taken. I believe that this contributed to my inability to recover from some of the mistakes I made on the bike.
• As I neglected to take my beta-alanine, I also forgot about my chia. I know that some who may read this do not use chia or may not know its properties, but one of the things chia is known for is retaining water and thus keeping an individual hydrated for longer. at the end of the race, I had two full chia shots that had never been opened.

Run

• It is difficult for me to say what I would do differently during the run because my body was so far gone my that point that I think I mostly did what I had to do to keep making forward progress. That said, I think I should have immediately began a run a mile walk a mile pattern rather than the run six miles and then collapse method I went with.
• One word: GATORADE. Now I know that not everyone is a fan of Gatorade, however, it is fine with me. Once I joined up with J at mile 14, he issued the proclamation that we were both, beginning immediately, going to force down as much Gatorade as we could at every aid station. This was so helpful and re-hydrated me better than anything. Knowing that, I would begin that much sooner. I also found out that I had indeed re-hydrated myself a great deal when, at mile 23 or so, when I began to run again, I began to sweat again, a lot. Had I know that earlier, I would have asked more of my body/feet toward the end of the run.
• On the note of my feet; they were in excruciating pain. Not from cramps or anything of that sort, but simply because when your electrolytes and salt have been depleted, your feet is one of the first things to go. That said, when I ran and asked my feet to work is when they felt the best. This again, points back to the run/walk pattern that I should have adopted.

I have referenced the volunteers from Ironman Wisconsin several times and said “more on that later”. Well, now is later. I cannot possibly say enough about the amazing job done by the people staffing the course and the rest of the event. Not only were they incredibly efficient and knowledgeable, but they were so amazingly kind. When I was breaking down and getting into my own head emotionally, I met a woman on the course named Karen. Karen was a volunteer at one of the turns whose job it was to point the way. Karen is in a wheelchair. At a moment when my body was telling me know and my mind was issuing the same proclamation, Karen was there smiling ear to ear. She was telling me that I looked great and that I looked strong. She read my bib and said to me, “Brandon, you better come here and give me a high-five!”. I was overjoyed to oblige. Later when I passed her again with only about four miles left, I did the same.

The next morning, I went by the lost and found to check for my pump which I lost on the bike course (no dice). Karen was there, having been on the course until the last racer passed and probably well after. Her smile was just as bright, and her demeanor just as kind as ever. I told her thank you for being there the night before when I really needed it the most. To Karen, and to all the volunteers of the 2009 Ironman Wisconsin, thank you. You are all amazing.

Once again, I am not disappointed in myself, I am merely a student. I will be back to Wisconsin to defeat that course one day, and I will smile the whole time. Ironman Wisconsin will always be where I became an Ironman.