Flying
to Auckland to compete in Taupo’s Ironman New Zealand is a little like flying
somewhere (for a really long time) to see friends. The whole town is Ironman
crazy and this year I went back to see people that became friends last year
(Arthur and Ann, Linda and Wayne from Boulevard Waters to name a few) and to
show my wife Esra why I fell in love with Ironman NZ last year.
This
year I had a bit more baggage – I took 20 Bears for the Fireman Rob Foundation
to Starship Children’s Hospital, I had a Shiv that was “not safe to ride” (due
to Specialized Safety Notice) and on top of that I had a inguinal Hernia that
would be the deciding factor on the bike to setup the run.
The
days leading up the race were uneventful and slow paced – we swam across the
lake (4.2k) on Saturday (since I cramped on the swim, I found that I needed to
increase my magnesium supplementation during the next few days) and rode the
bike course on Sunday with our local guide Ann. The rest of the week was spend
on spending money at the expo / merchandise, getting the Shiv fixed by
Specialized NZ excellent onsite team, finding a solution for BTA hydration, as
the fix meant I could not use the ZIPP bracket anymore, getting ART (a first
for me), a great massage and various check-in activities.
I
also created my protein bites with local ingredients (they do charge $20 for a
small jar of Almond Butter – definitely will bring that from the US next year)
and while not as solid, they were amazing. The other staple was roasted
potatoes – a welcome change on the bike.
Swim
– 2.4 miles – 1:10:11 (PR)
What’s
not to like about the 2.4-mile swim in Taupo as long as the wind is calm and
today it was calm (for now). I found a nice group of swimmers and decided to
stick to their feet as long as they would have me. During the swim I had a
feeling today would be fast, which would set me up nicely for the rest of the
day.
T1
(16:50)
The
transitions are where I could easily shave time, as I currently re-dress
completely for the bike. I like to ride comfortably, but at some point I should
review comfort vs. time.
Bike
– 112 miles – 6:26:28 (PR)
The
bike course in Taupo is not easy – there are always up- or downhill sections –
just no real long flat roads and the wind can be blowing in all directions. On
the first loop I actually was faster on the return storming up on the mountains
than on the outbound (more downhill) direction. Speak about tailwinds ;-). On
the return leg of loop one my Hernia decided to chime in, which probably was a
little earlier than I would have wished for. At least it was predictable, as I
had burning sensations in my groin / hip area and it could be
managed by riding out of the aero bars and stretching the leg out. I even named
the little guy during the bike ride (Herman the Hernia), but because he is not
a good sport on the bike, he is getting evicted soon. As for nutrition, I
alternated between two servings of protein bites and one serving of potatoes
every 20 minutes, which worked well. The fix for the Shiv meant that I would
not run the BTA Bottle as planned, which “just” meant more time spend refilling
the bladder inside the Shiv frame. With pre-measured portion pack this turned
out to be not a hindrance. Overall I came of the bike feeling fresh and ready
to tackle the run.
T2
(11:40)
I
don’t think the medical staff was ready for a quick act of reducing the hernia
by me in the transition tent, but since I knew the hernia would not be an issue
on the run, I figured 3 minutes well spend.
Run
– 26.2 miles – 6:33:47 (PR)
I ran out of transition and immediately
was happy about form and posture – something that was a first for me. During
the first few miles I was hitting my splits head on and even had to slow myself
down a bit (it’s a marathon not a sprint ;-). During my strategy meeting in
Hawaii with Matt (Dixon) I asked for more resilience of the bike in order to
get my act together and get a solid run. Well, “Daddy knows best” and even
though I (might) have cursed him on some of the workouts, especially during the
last few weeks leading up the race, I got what I asked for. The first 13 miles
were more of less dead on what I wanted split wise and at mile 16 I started to
“run the numbers” in my head 10 miles to
go – 180 minutes before 15 hours … let’s not get over confident, but so far
right on schedule. For the first time I also did not carry a fuel belt, but
just a light race number holder with a pocket for pills and inhaler. So much
better – I did refill my hand held bottle very two aid stations (3 miles) and
snacked on protein bites, chips and later on Clif Blocks. I also added a
Magnesium tablet every second or third aid station just to make sure I do not
cramp up. Weather wise I think 2014 was a demo version (blue sky, no wind,
etc.) and this year Taupo wanted to make sure we see the range it had to offer.
I started with a bike singlet for the extra pockets, it started to rain and got
windy and I got cold. I added a plastic poncho from an aid station and got warm
– a little later I got too warm and the poncho came off. Once the sun started
to set I got cold and put on my sweater in special needs – as on cue it started
to rain again and I got cold. I again added the plastic poncho from an aid
station, which stayed with me until the finish line chute. Lesson learned –
next year I’ll have a light rainproof jacket in my bags, as the poncho is not
great for running.
Finish Line – 14:38:57 (68 minute PR)
When
I was asked for goals, I said Sub 15 would be great, Sub 15:47 would be a PR
and sub 17 would be a reason to celebrate, too. I feel that as long as I’m not
in Kona contention (which would need Sub 10), you might as well have fun with
the race, spectators and volunteers. I thanked all volunteers on the course,
entertained some of the spectators and had fun on the day. Throwing in a 68
minute PR – amazing. I love the journey my body has been on for the last years
and love racing Ironman, as it shows me what more is possible.
Final
Thoughts
Taupo did not disappoint – I made new
friends there, rekindled my love with the town and race and got to show my wife
why I think the ~18 hour trip is “worth it”. Granted, the “cost of admission”
to Ironman NZ is a winter of training in Boulder, CO where it can snow one day
and be 70F the next.
I want
to close this race report with a little thank you to Fireman Rob (aka Robert
Verhelst) – after the race I had the opportunity to deliver 20 little Bears to
Starship Children’s Hospital around various wards. What a great and gratifying
experience that was.