The first of two alarms went off at 2:00 AM race morning and I awoke from a dead sleep. I glanced over to the alarm clock, with Ensure (high calorie nutrition drink) in hand I downed 1000 calories within a matter of minutes. I rolled back over, closed my eyes and fell fast asleep. When the second alarm went off, it was 4:00 AM and time to get up for the big day. I got a quick shower which always seems to wake me up and then proceeded to eat another 500 calories. With breakfast long gone it was time to get into the zone.

(Jen and I before the swim)

As we entered the water, rain began to fall but I figured that it wouldn’t last very long. The forecast the night before called for scattered showers through out the day and I thought nothing of it. If anything, I thought sporadic showers would help cool me off. So when the gun went off, there was mass chaos as most, if not all Ironman swim starts exhibit. 2,345 bodies all at once began to thrash and move forward. You have to be aggressive in the swim start of an Ironman.

(Aerial picture of the Ironman Swim Start)

If you wait up for a path to clear, it’ll only slow you down...and will probably never happen.
(2,345 bodies swim through Mirror Lake)

I propelled my body forward, arms moving as fast as they could go, heart rate maxing out at 175 looking for that clear lane. I finally found some open space about five minutes into the swim and it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. I found a pack of guys that were swimming the same pace as me, hung back and drafted off of their feet. I had the occasional bump and grab, but nothing out of the ordinary. The 2.4 mile swim course is made up of two 1.2 mile loops. When athletes finish the first loop, they exit the water onto the beach run about a tenth of a mile and head out on lap number two.
(Aerial image of participants swimming the mile course)

When I exited the water I glanced down at my watch and it read slightly over 28 minutes. Perfect! This is right where I wanted to be. I jumped back into the water and started the second lap. I felt really strong on the second lap, but went slightly off course and had a little trouble finding the group that I had drafted off of. Regardless, I continued to go hard and exited the water in 59:44. This was the first time I went sub 60 in the Ironman swim. This year I had logged endless miles in the pool thanks to Coach Kevin, and I was glad to see the hard work pay off. The transition area requires a long run down to the Olympic speed skating oval.

(Olympic Oval and transition area)

Once I made it to the Oval I put on my bike shoes and helmet and was off my bike. The total time I spent in transition was 4:35. By now it was raining cats and dogs. No worries, but I thought that if this keeps up it’s going to make for a very long day and boy was I right. The bike course winds its way out of Lake Placid. Two miles out of town I began to remove my PowerBar Gels that I had taped to my bike frame and right as I took off the tape the gels slipped out of my hand and onto the ground. With the gels being 400+ vital calories needed for the ride I had no other choice but to turn around, stop and pick them up. I had figured that I lost around 20-30 seconds total, but in a ten hour race I wasn’t too concerned. I regained my bearings and proceeded on with the 112 mile bike race. Once outside of Lake Placid, the bike course winds it way past the famous Olympic ski jumps and through the Adirondack Mountains.
(Olympic Ski Jumps)

The course should have been simply breathtaking with a picturesque drop back, but not today. Ten miles into the bike course a challenging and extremely technical six mile decent arrives. As I started down hill the rain pelting off of my face, I could hardly see let alone try to handle an ultra aerodynamic carbon fiber race bike with slick tires. Doing roughly 45 miles per hour down the mountain I held on for dear life just praying that my wheels stayed under me. The next 10 miles of the course are flat and you can really lay down the hammer. I was averaging 26-27 mph on the flats and was feeling great. At about mile 25 the fun begins with a three mile climb and some rollers that will make even the best mountain climbers feel the burn.

(Determined to fly up Whiteface Mountain)

I was riding well just as I had planned averaging around 23 mph and then trouble began. The rain was coming down so hard that puddles began to build and it was as if I was riding through a small swimming pool. Then I started to get an all but too familiar squeaking noise. This was the same noise that I had right before my pedal bearings ceased up several months ago. I began to scream various four letter words only suitable for an “R” rated film and thought about how my race would be over if this pedal locked up again. I had no plan B. It’s not as if the mechanic car would have an extra pedal. Having only biked 40 or so miles, I still had 70+ to go. Regardless, I pushed on and prayed that it would last the duration. I was at the point where the mere thought of a drop out was making me sick to my stomach. I was feeling great and a mechanical failure was the last thing I wanted to happen. After worrying about it I told myself ‘it is what it is’ and tried to focus back onto the race. The course is rolling for the next 10 miles and then takes a hard left turn back to Lake Placid via Whiteface Mountain. The hills heading back into town are similar to some of the big climbs around Pittsburgh, but if not ridden smart can really ruin your day. Having still over 56 miles to go I switched to a high rpm gear and spun my way up the mountain at around 100 rpm’s. Once back in town I thought do I stop and try to find help. That’s right 10 miles later this pedal thing was still killing me. Although it quit making noise, I was still worried. I decided to keep moving forward and started the second 56 mile loop. At mile 70 bike support finally drove past me. I waived my arms and pulled up next to the car. I told them that my pedal was starting to cease up but they said that even if they sprayed some lube in it, the rain would wash it out just as fast as it went in. I took their advice for what it was worth and pushed on. My legs felt really good all the way until I hit Whiteface for the second time. There were some guys riding past me with ease, but I thought to myself this race doesn’t begin until the Marathon and I had to be smart about it. I spun my way back into town and couldn’t have been happier to dismount.
(Pushing a big gear on the flats)

It had rained non-stop the entire bike ride. When I came into transition I had been out on the bike for 5:27:12 and averaged 20.54 miles per hour. I really wanted to bike around a 5:20, but given the weather I was happy with my time. I saw my brother as I headed out of transition and he said that I was in 12th place in my age group. I couldn’t believe that I was down that far after a solid swim and bike. None the less I knew that I was going to have to have the best run of my life for a chance at a Kona spot.
(Feeling very good on the run)

I clinched my teeth and ran hard the first half marathon in 1:36:37 (7:22 / mile). Where is everyone? I was running a 3:12 marathon pace and I hadn’t passed a single guy in my age group.

(Staying focused - Almost Home)

As I hit mile 15 my goal of Kona began to slip away and shifted to a new goal; finishing this thing in sub 10 hours. My pace began to slip between miles 15-20 but I was still maintaining around an 8:00 minute per mile pace. With four miles remaining I did the math, and knew this was going to be close. With two miles to go you have to run a ½ mile uphill into town and then finish with an out and back run on Mirror Lake Drive. I had to dig deep if I were going to make it. I sucked it up and with 200 yards to go and less than a minute remaining I gave it everything I had and began to sprint for the line.
(Sprinting to the line. Pain is temporary, pride is forever)

As I turned the last corner I could see the clock. 10 seconds to run 50 yards. I put my head down and ran though all the pain through the finishing chute.
(Crossing my sixth Ironman finish line)

As I crossed the finish line, arms held high, I had done it! The clock read 9 hours, 59 minutes, and 57 seconds. Three seconds to spare!

(Sub 10 hours)

I finished 11th in my age group out of 127, and finished the race 48th place overall (including the pro's) out of 2,345 competitors. It was one of those years that brought the best athletes in the world to Lake Placid and unfortunately I fell short of a Kona repeat. Regardless, I improved my time from last year by over 17 minutes and have nothing to hold my head down about.

Jennifer too had a fantastic race given the terrible weather. I can now say that I’m married to an Ironman (or Irongirl)! She crossed the line in 12 hours and 50 minutes and 36 seconds. Way to go Jennifer.

I’d like to again thank all of my friends and family for understanding the commitment and the drive it takes to do what we do. The endless workouts week in and week out tend to have strain on family and relationships; you all have been so supportive during our Ironman journey. I’d also like to thank Coach Kevin for making a sub 10 hour Ironman a reality for me. I couldn’t have been happier seeing that “9” as the first number on the overhead board. I know with hard work I will one day make it back to Kona. Things just weren’t meant to be this year.