Ironman Boulder 2016 – it’s a family affair

Before you start reading this, cue the Rocky Theme (RockyTheme).  In the weeks leading up to race day, Esra and I joked on who would reign supreme at Ironman Boulder this year and in my mind I needed at least one hour on her leaving T2 in order to have a fighting chance. Given that I was the stronger swimmer and stronger biker I thought I had an opening.

On race morning we got up really early and made our way to Boulder to check in special needs and board one of the many school buses provided to get to the Boulder Reservoir. As I had GI / cramping issues in previous years, I was really careful with nutrition & hydration over the last 24 hours before race start. Here is what did the trick for me: light dinner (yogurt, banana and granola) and easy breakfast (sourdough bread with cream cheese & jam), paired with a salty focaccia slice with hazelnut butter about 45 minutes before race start and then another slice of salty goodness in T1.  

With the warm up done Esra and I headed to the swim start and said our goodbyes for the day. I got out of the water in 1:17:39 (Swim) and into T1. In order to win valuable time, I wore my new tri suit and was on the bike after 0:09:43 (T1). 

Starting out strong, I figured this would be where I get my hour, only to get my hopes crushed about 10 miles into  the bike – ahead of me on Lookout I saw a white Shiv with the rider carrying green bottles – well, I might have had a good swim and strong initial bike, but Esra must have had the day of her life so far. Well, the hour was out of question, but it was more a sign for the things to come, too. With a good bike and more importantly no stomach / GI issues, I got to the Boulder High School in 6:21:02 (Bike) and after some logistical issues – remember to prepare your compression socks and roll them up, as it is a nightmare you put them on in T2 otherwise – I exited the track in 0:15:10 (T2) – clearly room for improvement here for Ironman New Zealand next year J.

Esra was slightly ahead of me and between seeing her and our friends on the course (David Smith, Mark Plaatjes, Mark Loehr, Jen Boxhorn, Steve Richárd and so many others) I was really enjoying my day. I might not have been running as often and for as long durations as planned, but I was making good progress towards the finish.

When I reached the Confluence on the second run loop on my return from the Baseline leg, word got to me that Esra was not doing well and wasn’t keeping fluids or food down (she always has a hard time with this side of long course racing and I’ve seen it in Wisconsin on her first Ironman). She was in medical and refusing to quit. I probably would have thrown the towel, but she is a trooper.

Once I got there, we quickly talked, analyzed what the final ~ 8 miles would be like and a plan was forged – simple in nature, but hard in execution (for her): she would keep walking forward and I would keep track of time to make sure we finish under 17 hours. So we set off as a couple – step for step towards the finish line.

By now the Rocky Theme should have stopped playing (in your head or otherwise), so here is the next song Every Step You Take.

I knew that 30 min/mile pace would do the trick and we started out with a strong 18 min/mile pace, but with her situation not improving, I figured we bank as much as we can early. Actually we never got worse that 23 min/mile on the Boulder Creek Path for a decent split, given the circumstances of  07:54:39 – Run.

There were so many people we recognized and they walked a few (or more) steps with us, so Esra never faltered and we made our way to that finish line hand in hand coming though as the “Ironman Couple” as Mike Reilly would call us for a total time of 15:58:13 and I’m so proud of Esra doing it with me and even getting it done under 16 hours.

So Ironman Boulder became a “family affair” where splits did not matter anymore and the whole mattered so much more than it’s individual parts.

As our “Ironman family” is quite large – here a just a few thank you notes:  David for being on course and for relaying information about Esra, Mark for being there and keeping Esra company in the paramedic tent at the confluence – I’m sure they would have pulled her form the race if she would have been there on her own.  The whole “extended Ironman family” – Dave Christen, Dave Downey, Mel Downey for putting on such a spectacular hometown race.

A special thanks to Bill Garrels for being out there, volunteering at the swim, on the course and then again volunteering at the finish line (it feels like there is more than one of him as often as you see him on race day) and also for that bear hug at the swim start.  

Last but not least – thank you Esra for being my training partner, my best friend and love of my life – I couldn’t have thought of a better way of spending my evening with you.

Ironman New Zealand 2016 – A Race Story

Typically after a race I write a lot of details about the Swim, Bike & Run, but this time there is not much to tell in that department. It was a great swim (1:10:47) , a sub average bike (7:12:49) with severe pain in my right lower abdominal area, which then was finally matched nicely by a sub average 26.2 mile walk (7:16:15) (due to the pain – which subsided around 20 miles in to the marathon, but at that time my legs were done already) to the finish line, where I arrived after a long day in 16:02:23 for 140.6 miles.

What was more interesting this time is the things that happen around you during race preparation that make you carry on on a difficult day.

As many of you know – I’m friends with Fireman Rob (http://www.firemanrob.com / http://www.firemanrobfoundation.com) and last year Esra and I delivered 20 bears on a #BearASMILE mission to Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland.

 This  year Rob went overboard and shipped 36 little bears to my home. I traveled to Auckland with a whole duffle bag filled to capacity with soft and cuddly Gund Bears and was able to provide them to nearly every child in two different wards and even have a few left guys for some of Starship’s outpatients. It’s amazing when you hear the stories of the children and what they and their families have go through.

When we do an Ironman it seems like a grueling event, but it’s something we pick and choose to do – the children at Starship did not “pick” to have Cystic Fibrosis or receive a heart transplant, but they battle day by day with their families and do not give up.

Yes – it was a hard day and I was more then once ready to call it quits. However – having this experience under my belt – it did not seem right to just quit. We struggle – yes – but at the end of the day we are done – it’ll probably hurt for a few more days and then we are looking forward to a new chapter in our stories.

Well, this chapter is in the books and I’m ready to move forward with new lessons learned, revising my bike fit, trying out (for me new) Hoka One One shoes and rediscovering the fun in my training.

However this report would not be complete (even though it had a different format) without a few thanks (and I’m sorry if I forgot someone):

Jan Tate at Starship Children’s Hospital for organizing my visit – as you can tell – the Bear Mission ’16 was very important on race day. Mark and the team from Top Gear Cycles in Taupo – great customer service up and beyond the call of duty to make sure I have a saddle to ride on. Ann, Arthur, Felicity and Scott for entertaining me and being out there on race day making sure I don’t get lost. Last but not least – my love of my life – Esra – I know it was hard watching me train all winter with purpose and following the race from afar instead of being on the course with me, but I love you for the company on long bikes and runs, the “gopher duties” like bottle refills and fan adjustments (and for so many other reasons – too many to even list or count)