Blown Away: Ironman World Championship a Race Report

When I raced in New York City, mid August, I had it in my mind that should I qualify for the Ironman World Championship I would not take my spot and let someone else go by grabbing the roll down slot. But Qualifying for Kona is no easy task and after seeing my name listed above the line, declaring that I had indeed received the golden ticket, all I could say to my wife upon getting back to our hotel room was, “I did a bad thing.” She thought that I had left early simply to retrieve my bike and gear only to find I returned with an obligation to take another trip to Hawaii… She wasn’t too disappointed.

When we arrived on the Big Island I noticed immediately the tell signs that the race which, defines all other races had unofficially started. The Queen K already had streams of cyclists going north and south, Ali’i Drive was spotted with tan-skinned runners donning new shoes and the pier had an unusual amount of adult swimmers returning from great distances. Yep, it’s time for Ironman!

After we finished our shopping and settled into our Keauhou condo for the week we enjoyed our first dinner of fresh sashimi and local, wild greens. We then realized our bodies were letting us know the three-hour time change had not gone unnoticed on us and though the clock said 7pm we were ready for bed which only means we’d be up early the next morning… I was making coffee at 4:15am.

Tuesday, I began to follow instructions from Coach Brian to get in an hour swim at the pier and a 2 hour ride on the QK. After the bike was assembled I noticed my front tire was flat. Uh oh! Since I hadn’t completely deflated my tires for travel that meant there was a slow leak. Looking I notice the possibility of a small thorn in the new tire so I pumped it up and took the bike out as planned which later confirmed my fear… it was loosing air. Normally, this is no big deal. You just pull off the tire and replace the tube but these are my ENVE race wheels which have tubular tires that are glued on and to replace it requires an expensive fix.

Wednesday… Started with another swim in the clear, Kailua Bay where the underwater sea life makes it worth jumping in the perfectly warm, 80-degree water. Swim done, Joy and I walked over to the King K Beach Hotel for registration. Honestly, this is one of my favorite moments of race week. After countless race registrations over an eleven-year triathlon career, I am still amazed at how wonderful this experience is compared to the others. Not just because there are no lines and the volunteers are knowledgeable but because they go to great lengths to make you know, “There’s no place like Kona!” After breezing through registration we went to the expo and had a new tire mounted on the front rim, went back to the condo and repaired the old tire, then pulled on my shoes and set out on Ali’i for a sweat producing 6 mile run. That night we again went out for sushi and were back in bed by what seemed like only minutes after the sun set.

Thursday… time to pull it all together; test the new tire, try out the new goggles (TYR gave us all a pair of their multicolored Custom Goggles – oh yeah… I like!), get through the expo one last time… speak at the Ironprayer service, go to the welcome banquet/athlete meeting. Friday… it’s final checks on all the gear, nutrition plan, bike set up, etc. When dropping off your bike and gear bags you again get a personal escort to assist you through transition. I had Bob, a good ol boy who was eager to tell you everything he knew about the sport and treat each participant like a triathlon all-star! So, that was it! The only thing left to do now is show up in the morning. Getting back to the condo the rest of the afternoon was about rest. We closed up to blinds and turned on the A/C which seems a little counter intuitive when in Hawaii but there will be plenty of time tomorrow to be outside in the sun. Just before dinner I had a pre-race “pep-talk” from Coach Brian who encouraged me to put out 100% of what I could give at any given time during the race. Then it was time for, what has become my typical, pre-race dinner; grilled salmon, brown rice, mixed greens and plenty of water. Which brings up one of the most difficult parts of the entire week. Drinking enough water in a hot and humid location prior to an Ironman cannot be overstated! However, always carrying a bottle of water no matter where you go or what you do isn’t easy but what’s worse is you’re always going to the bathroom… ALWAYS! But the alternative is worse. Good hydration assures comfort on race day and especially after the race. For me finishing without proper pre-race hydration is a guarantee for getting the chills and having uncontrollable shakes for about an hour.

Setting the clock… 3:50am, A/C off and all the windows open, it’s 8:10 and people are outside on their decks. Music is playing, people erupt in spontaneous laughter and I can clearly hear the waves crashing against the lava less than a football field away. The past two days there had been a huge northwesterly swell now promised to be much calmer in the morning. The weather report promised some strong wind and possible rain in Kona in the afternoon. It’s been very hot, humid and voggy lately (volcanic ash/steam coming from Kilauea from the south) so the hope of a cooler race day is on everyone’s mind but this is Kona… fahgedabawdit brah!

RACE DAY

The alarm went off on time but I was already awake. The night provided some pretty decent sleep. Coffee was quickly made, bananas, granola, bagel and POG provided the break of my nighttime fast. Joy and I loaded into the truck and took the high road into Kailua. Finding parking that would allow us to return after the race requires planning and it was good we knew this from being here before. As we walked to the KBH parking lot for body-marking bodies began to converge and the mood held the expected solemn respect every prerace deserves. Walking into body marking I was immediately escorted to two volunteers who readily told me they were “raunchy” and proved it by telling me things I can’t repeat here and made me blush at the time. Okay… on to transition. Joy walked with me as far as she could and we kissed goodbye and I was soon putting air in my tires, rearranging my gear and off to wait and wait and wait. The sun was coming up to reveal a near clear sky. The water was rolling in and out and my nerves apparent with the turning of my stomach. Hearing the canon go off for the pro men became my sign to get up and start toward the beach. As 1500+ athletes bottlenecked at the stairs I felt a pat on my back … it was Scott Jones. A wink and a wordless handshake said it all. Next Lee Gruenfield asked to snap a photo and with a well wish from him I was down the stairs and in the water headed toward the middle point of the front line of athletes treading water about 100 meters or so away.

Swim: Mike Reilly, the race announcer, tries to keep the athletes motivated and controlled at the same time. After the national anthem the countdown begins and Mike was telling us to have a day to remember… waiting for the canon, which we were told, “Don’t go until you hear the canon!” at the prerace meeting saying, “Don’t be confused and go at any other sound… you will feel the canon!” but now Mike is yelling into the PA, “Go, go, go, go!” and everyone started swimming! Joy told me the canon did go off 10 seconds later.

The first 300 meters it’s all about adjustments and claustrophobia. The water seemed pretty choppy and someone was clearly drafting off me thinking nothing of constantly tapping my feet. I did my best to ignore it finally having enough of it I moved to the right and squeezed behind another pair of feet and lost my pest. At the second boat turnaround I pulled up to look at the time. My watch read 38 minutes… pretty slow for the effort but I’m thinking there’s a current so let’s see where we are upon return… the swim going back spreads out and for me a constant look into the sun as I breath on the right side. Swimming up to the pier, I could hear the crowd and see a swimmer in a red speedsuit matching me stroke for stroke on my right side. I pushed ahead to be certain I still had snap in my competitiveness. Standing up I saw 1:12+ on my watch and was pleased knowing the swim had a good amount of chop. Total Swim time: 1:13:12

Bike: Transition is a flutter, you rinse off, grab your bag, a volunteer runs with you and asks if there’s anything you need. I say, “Sunscreen!” A guys runs up to me, opens the bottle in his hand and starts pounding it into his other… the bottle is empty. REALLY? I wait, he keeps trying to squeeze the bottle, I make a comment about turnips; he doesn’t get it. Another guy runs up and starts fumbling with another bottle… uh, sorry guys I’m off. Luckily, there’s a group of volunteers on the run around the pier with handfuls of sunscreen. Now grabbing my bike, I’m rolling up toward “hot corner.” It’s already pretty warm and the combo of sweat and seawater is streaming from my pores. As I go around the industrial park I notice a familiar name go by traced on the skinsuit… Jalabert. Cool. Now up Kuakini Hwy and heading back the pace if fast and my grip is slipping. I tell myself it’s gonna be a long ride and just settle in. The Queen K is evenly paced and I find myself moving quickly through slower riders. Things are pretty calm as expected out to the airport and once up to the cemetery you’ll know if the winds will factor, as this is where it starts to swirl. Sure enough coming down the hill gusts of wind come from different sides; front, back, left, right. Through the resorts I notice mile markers are laying flat along the road and the wind is kicking up even stronger. At the turn toward Kawaihae there’s about a mile and a half decent now with a strong tailwind! Not pedaling I’m flying at 48 mph! Two women in front of me are blocking the road. I brake to get around safely but now the bike goes into a high-speed wobble! The bike is out of control and I’m afraid I’m about to hit the pavement at 45 mph! I place my knees against the top tube to absorb some of the vibration, slowly the road turns flat at the right-hand turn and the bike stabilizes. Now its 15 miles up to Hawi, a steady stair-stepped climb of rollers and the wind is really blowing hard! Now five mile to the turnaround the trees are bent over and bikes start darting across the road in the direction they’re pointing. I’ve never felt wind like this remain so sustained. “CRAZY!” I think. I know coming back will be another cross tailwind going downhill. Will my bike go out of control again? I’m taking it easy and checking my legs thinking it’s probably better to conserve energy here imagining it’s going to be a windy return home. Downhill now, the bike is handling perfectly but I’m not gunning it. My ENVE 8.9 wheels are amazing and give me confidence. The climb back to the QK doesn’t feel as hot as times past but the wind is blowing. Now with 35 miles to go, I settle into as aero position as possible and fight the wind… and fight I did. It never let up, even at the airport, it just howled.  Coming into T2 I check my legs one last time for tightness and muscle fatigue and things are good. “Alright” I think, “I’m ready to run!” Total bike time: 5:51:43

Run: Tossing my bike to a volunteer, I see my friend Chad, also volunteering as a bike catcher, cheering me on … I needed that. Smiling, I run around the pier into the change tent. Shoes, new socks and visor now on I head out with a new lathering of sunscreen and off I go! Legs feel good and I get up to the turn and settle into a rhythm. At the first mile I see I’m running at 7:35 pace! Whoa Nelly! Slow down, water at the next aid station… where’s the GU? Oh shoot missed it… next mile, water, salt tab… where’s the GU?? Oh, darn missed it again! Yup… I’m not thinking straight. Mile 3 I’m walking the aid station I’m not missing another chance to fuel. Ah, there it is.  I let that paste slide down my throat and hit it water and my stomach cramps immediately. Ooh. Not good. Next mile my biggest fear for the day begins to realize. My right knee is flaring up. All year I’ve been having knee problems. Some races it’s been fine and some… not so good. No need to make an effort to slow down now; pain does the job just fine. Approaching the turnaround on Ali’i, I know I’ll get to see Joy who’s volunteering at the aid station. As I run up I hear her say, “Here he comes!” The entire aid station erupts with cheers (awesome!) I stop, kiss my wife and keep going… that’s a first! Now back toward town I just do my best to manage the discomfort but now the blister on my left foot begins and I know this puts a funny gate to my run… Stomach, right knee, left foot! Oh, gosh. I’m pathetic! At Palani my pace has significantly dropped and I’m walking up the hill, another first! The pace along the Queen K is slow and I know it. I’m now walking aid stations regularly and even a couple times in-between simply because my issues just are driving me crazy… “Mental… it’s all mental” I start telling myself. At Costco, I realize it’s more than mental when I finally get some stomach relief when I toot a horn that could be heard in Maui! Woof, that felt good. But it’s not full relief. Now down into the Energy Lab I’m looking at the position of the sun and time on my watch and realize… it’s probably going to be dark when I finish… another first. At the special needs stop I get my bag and ask the volunteers (mostly high school girls) “Do you know what I have in here?” Enthusiastically they answer back “No!” I pull out a small package, “Gummy Bears!” They giggle and one yells, “I LOVE gummy bears!” I invite her to run with me telling her she can have the rest of the bag but she stays put. Ironically, the gummy bears don’t settle well with my stomach and thinking that was a mistake at the top of the road, back on the QK I burp them all up and FINALLY! I have relief! My stomach feels normal and I start running a bit more comfortably but the knee and foot assures no blazing pace but I’m finally happy and the next 6 miles allow me to watch the setting sun and take in the volunteers energy! I start passing people… something I hadn’t done much this day and running down Palani there’s still a glimmer of daylight off on the horizon. I can tell the crowds are thinning. I run Kuakini, turn on Hualalai and make it back to Ali’i. At the turn I feel the emotion kick in. This is where I point to the sky and dedicate my race to Tom (see post Life is a Race). Now looking forward the next 500 meters is a celebration: a time to soak in the accomplishment, not of just this day but the whole year! I slap all the extended hands I see… At Pancho and Lefty’s I hear my name being yelled out like crazy! I look up, it’s the entire Rosser family cheering from the balcony! I yell back! I enter the finish shoot and look around to see I have the finish line all to myself, so I take it in. I slow down and work up the crowd, high-fiving to the left and right. Finally, it’s over.  Total run time: 4:21:07

Post Race: Here, instead of handing you a medal and tee-shirt they place a lei around your neck. The volunteer added a big ol kiss on my right cheek. If she only knew how gross… wait. I think she knew. These volunteers are brave! I am escorted back and get the tee-shirt, medal, ice cream, post race food (Thanks Carrie for bringing me the pizza!) massage, bike, gear and oh, yeah… WIFE! So happy to see her.

All in all it was a memorable day. Not an epic performance but one I will remember for a long time. Our couple days of recovery were perfect and filled with sand, surf, food and an overdue Anniversary dinner at Roy’s. I love my wife, the Big Island, Kona, the Ironman and all of those who support me throughout the year… especially those of you who read this race report and thank me for taking the time to write it. I think of all of you while I’m out there and you motivate me more than you know!

Total Race Time 11:35:12