Ironman Louisville - Race Weekend
Race weekend has finally arrived. I have been preparing for this weekend for the past nine months. I normally work night shifts in the emergency department but the week leading up to the race I was able to switch my shifts so that I was working day shifts. I wanted to give my body a full week to feel like a day person. I finished the day shift on Thursday and spent the rest of the day nervously packing for the weekend. I did do a short swim today as well. We ended up staying out later than planned and didn't get to bed until approximately midnight. We got up early on Friday morning, packed the car, and headed off to Louisville for the weekend.
On arrival to Louisville we went straight to registration at the Galt House Hotel. At check in I was weighed and measured and I was told I have 8.5% body fat with 60% water. The check in process was very easy and straightforward. I received my race number and instructions for the weekend. The check in area is right next to the expo so I wandered into the expo to have a look around. It is amazing and somewhat intimidating to be surrounded by so many extremely fit athletes. I started to have a little self doubt but then I thought about how much effort I have put in in the past 38 weeks and I realized that this exactly where I belonged. The rest of the day was spent unpacking at our hotel, the downtown Mariott, learning the lay of the land, and planning the rest of the weekend. We ended the evening at a steak house for dinner and I had a very tasty filet, it was just perfect.
Saturday morning I went for a practice swim at the swim exit area. I only swam for about 10-15 minutes. It was just enough time to get used to the water temperature and the current in the Ohio river. People were commenting that because of the rain the past 2 days the current was 2-3 times stronger than it was just a few days earlier. It doesn't really matter to me, I just have to deal with whatever conditions I am put in to. Speaking of conditions, the temperature is unseasonably cool with a high of around 80 on Saturday and a predicted high of 75 on race day. It looks like race day is going to be perfect! Later in the morning I took my bike to the bike mechanic at the expo because I had noticed that the rear derailer was skipping a bit during my last few rides. They were able to adjust it very quickly for me free of charge. I went back to the room and packed my special needs bags and my transition bags. I found this process to be very nerve racking. I was sure that I was going to forget something. After several checks and rechecks, and some reassurance from Leah, I was ready to take the bike and bags to the transition area for the mandatory check in. Leah and my mom decided to drive down to the transition area with the bags. I decided to ride my bike down just to double check the derailer. I was glad I decided to ride down. In 9 months of training I never had my chain fall off, it happened 3 times in 5 minutes today. Back to the mechanic I went. It turns out that the only problem was "cross chaining." This happens when in the big gear up front and the big gear in back, it creates an angle that is too sharp for the chain to go onto the gears. When pedaling forward there is no problem, but when spinning backward the tension is taken off the chain and it falls off. I am glad that I discovered this today so that hopefully it does not happen in the race.
The check in was very smooth and easy, there were plenty of volunteers to help. I placed my bike in the designated spot and located the area for my bags very easily. As I was exciting the transition area I overheard one of the other competitors arguing with the race officials about water temperature and wetsuits. He was very angry that they were not going to allow wetsuits. I don't understand why he was so upset, we are all in the same situation. After leaving the transition area we decided to take a drive into the Louisville countryside to check out the bike course. The drive along the Ohio river is beautiful. The course is described as "rolling hills." I guess rolling hills in Michigan are much different than rolling hills in Kentucky. These were not rolling hills that I was driving, they were flat out big steady hills, and one right after another!! I am so glad that we drove the course, at least I knew what I was in for.
We had a nice dinner with family and a few friends that were here for the race as well. My plan was to be in bed by 9:00 pm. I did get to bed early and I think I was asleep by 9:30. The problem is that I woke up at 10:30 and could not get back to sleep. I tossed and turned for what seemed like forever. I kept going over the race in my head and trying to remember what was in my transition bags. Did I forget anything? I finally convinced myself that everything was okay and I was able to fall asleep again thinking about my family and waterskiing at the cottage.
The alarm was set for 4:00 am. It wasn't needed, I was up for good at 3:30. I tried to squeeze in a little more sleep but it was no use. We were all up and out the door by 4:45. We reached the transition area just after 5:00 am to check the bikes, pump up the tires, and fill up the water bottles. We then dropped off the special needs bags and headed up river to the start area. The area was crowded with people and there was already a very long line for the start. The time went by quickly and before I knew it it was close to starting time. They played the National Anthem and then the pros were off with a BANG.
The race officially started at 7:00 am. We were back a bit in the line and I was in the water at about 7:15. I felt amazing in the water! I managed to stay controlled at the beginning and I felt like I was swimming with great form. I was hitting people and getting hit almost the entire swim. I took an elbow to the nose once that made my teeth clang together. I also was kicked pretty hard in the stomach once, that did not feel good at all. After the first 1/3 or so we did get more spaced out but I was still running into people the whole way. I only strayed off course one time. Right after the turn around area I sighted the wrong set of buoys and swam quite a bit off cousre to the left. I managed to stay focused and I felt like I had good form and a good pull the entire swim. I was hoping for 1:15 to 1:20 for the swim. I ended up getting out of the water in 1:14:56, right were I wanted to be.
The transition was great! There was so much energy. I was able to see my family cheering for me as I ran with my bike out of the transition area. The bike portion got off to a great start. After seeing all of the hills yesterday I backed off a bit on the speed and really focused on keeping my heart rate around 140. I felt very strong on the bike, even on the "rolling hills." I passed a ton of people. I pedaled all of the downhills as well. On the steepest downhill I hit 42 mph, it felt great. My family was waiting for me right were they said they would be, at mile 38. It was great to see them, it really gave me a boost. I saw my brother again at around mile 56. He ran 4 miles to get to that area and then he ran back. I passed my crew again on the second loop at about mile 68. I was taking in fluids and nutrition just as I had planned. Everything seemed to be going just perfect. I was just approaching the 80 mile marker when all of a sudden there was a noise coming from my bike, Whack, Whack, Whack, Whack, Whack. What in the world could that be? As quickly as it started it suddenly went away, only to be followed by a worse sound, Psssssssssssssssst. The bike started to shimmy and I realized I had a flat on the rear tire. In 9 months of training I never had a flat. Amazingly I didn't feel upset or angry at all. I had seen a few other racers on the side of the road fixing their tires. I thought it was just my turn. At first I tried to use the can of fix-a-flat. This did not work because I did not see the carpenter tack in the tire until after I used up the can. I had to resort to solution #2, remove the wheel and repalce the tube. This went along fairly well but it felt like it was taking forever. I was watching as what seemed like hundreds of bikers went by. One kind soul did yell out, "Don't let it ruin your day!" That was much appreciated. I did hit the lap button on my watch after I got off the bike. Altlhough it seemed like forever, in reality it only took me 11 minutes to get back on the road. It did take a bit to get back up to speed but then the last 10 miles I felt great. I hammered the pedals the last 10 miles and finished just under 19.5 mph ave. I was hoping for 20 mph ave., but given the 11 minute pit stop that put me right on pace.
I saw the whole chase crew again at the transition. This one took a little longer. I had planned on changing into dry socks and when I leaned over to put them on my abs went into complete spasm. I danced around in the changing tent pushing on my stomach and trying to breathe. After a few minutes the spasms released and I was able to get going. I also decided to stop at the porta-potty to clear out the bladder on the dway out of the transition area. All in all it took about 7:30 to get through it.
The marathon run started off great. I was flying high for the first 3 miles. I was averaging 7:14 but I noticed my heart rate was getting too high. I was now up to 158-163 and I wanted to stay under 150. I steadily slowed down trying to control my heart rate. I was down to 9 min miles by #8 but the heart rate was still to high and I flet like my race would soon be coming to a screeching halt. Something had to change or I was in danger on walknig the rest of the way. I started to walk through the aid stations and started taking in a lot more fluids, especially gatorade and coke. By mile 13 I had my heart rate back down to about 140 and then I saw my trusty chase crew. Just the sight of them seemed to energize me. I really think that they saved my race. I was trying to calculate what my time would be if I walked the rest of the way but when I saw them I knew that was not an option. I started running again with a fairly good pace and walked the rest of the aid stations. This strategy worked well for me. The miles ticked off and before I knew it I was at number 24. That's when the spasms moved into my calves. For the last 2.2 miles I had spasms about every 4th stride. I knew that the finish line was near and I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. I could feel the crowd"s energy as I got closer to the city. As I made that last left hand turn and then right onto 4th street I knew that I had made it. I heard my brother screaming at me as I made my way down the last 1/4 mile. Then I heard the announcement, "Here comes #1672, from Clarkston, MI, IRONMAN Steve McLean!!" What a feeling! I crossed the line in 11 hours and 14 minutes and my marathon time was exactly 4 hours.
On arrival to Louisville we went straight to registration at the Galt House Hotel. At check in I was weighed and measured and I was told I have 8.5% body fat with 60% water. The check in process was very easy and straightforward. I received my race number and instructions for the weekend. The check in area is right next to the expo so I wandered into the expo to have a look around. It is amazing and somewhat intimidating to be surrounded by so many extremely fit athletes. I started to have a little self doubt but then I thought about how much effort I have put in in the past 38 weeks and I realized that this exactly where I belonged. The rest of the day was spent unpacking at our hotel, the downtown Mariott, learning the lay of the land, and planning the rest of the weekend. We ended the evening at a steak house for dinner and I had a very tasty filet, it was just perfect.
Saturday morning I went for a practice swim at the swim exit area. I only swam for about 10-15 minutes. It was just enough time to get used to the water temperature and the current in the Ohio river. People were commenting that because of the rain the past 2 days the current was 2-3 times stronger than it was just a few days earlier. It doesn't really matter to me, I just have to deal with whatever conditions I am put in to. Speaking of conditions, the temperature is unseasonably cool with a high of around 80 on Saturday and a predicted high of 75 on race day. It looks like race day is going to be perfect! Later in the morning I took my bike to the bike mechanic at the expo because I had noticed that the rear derailer was skipping a bit during my last few rides. They were able to adjust it very quickly for me free of charge. I went back to the room and packed my special needs bags and my transition bags. I found this process to be very nerve racking. I was sure that I was going to forget something. After several checks and rechecks, and some reassurance from Leah, I was ready to take the bike and bags to the transition area for the mandatory check in. Leah and my mom decided to drive down to the transition area with the bags. I decided to ride my bike down just to double check the derailer. I was glad I decided to ride down. In 9 months of training I never had my chain fall off, it happened 3 times in 5 minutes today. Back to the mechanic I went. It turns out that the only problem was "cross chaining." This happens when in the big gear up front and the big gear in back, it creates an angle that is too sharp for the chain to go onto the gears. When pedaling forward there is no problem, but when spinning backward the tension is taken off the chain and it falls off. I am glad that I discovered this today so that hopefully it does not happen in the race.
The check in was very smooth and easy, there were plenty of volunteers to help. I placed my bike in the designated spot and located the area for my bags very easily. As I was exciting the transition area I overheard one of the other competitors arguing with the race officials about water temperature and wetsuits. He was very angry that they were not going to allow wetsuits. I don't understand why he was so upset, we are all in the same situation. After leaving the transition area we decided to take a drive into the Louisville countryside to check out the bike course. The drive along the Ohio river is beautiful. The course is described as "rolling hills." I guess rolling hills in Michigan are much different than rolling hills in Kentucky. These were not rolling hills that I was driving, they were flat out big steady hills, and one right after another!! I am so glad that we drove the course, at least I knew what I was in for.
We had a nice dinner with family and a few friends that were here for the race as well. My plan was to be in bed by 9:00 pm. I did get to bed early and I think I was asleep by 9:30. The problem is that I woke up at 10:30 and could not get back to sleep. I tossed and turned for what seemed like forever. I kept going over the race in my head and trying to remember what was in my transition bags. Did I forget anything? I finally convinced myself that everything was okay and I was able to fall asleep again thinking about my family and waterskiing at the cottage.
The alarm was set for 4:00 am. It wasn't needed, I was up for good at 3:30. I tried to squeeze in a little more sleep but it was no use. We were all up and out the door by 4:45. We reached the transition area just after 5:00 am to check the bikes, pump up the tires, and fill up the water bottles. We then dropped off the special needs bags and headed up river to the start area. The area was crowded with people and there was already a very long line for the start. The time went by quickly and before I knew it it was close to starting time. They played the National Anthem and then the pros were off with a BANG.
The race officially started at 7:00 am. We were back a bit in the line and I was in the water at about 7:15. I felt amazing in the water! I managed to stay controlled at the beginning and I felt like I was swimming with great form. I was hitting people and getting hit almost the entire swim. I took an elbow to the nose once that made my teeth clang together. I also was kicked pretty hard in the stomach once, that did not feel good at all. After the first 1/3 or so we did get more spaced out but I was still running into people the whole way. I only strayed off course one time. Right after the turn around area I sighted the wrong set of buoys and swam quite a bit off cousre to the left. I managed to stay focused and I felt like I had good form and a good pull the entire swim. I was hoping for 1:15 to 1:20 for the swim. I ended up getting out of the water in 1:14:56, right were I wanted to be.
The transition was great! There was so much energy. I was able to see my family cheering for me as I ran with my bike out of the transition area. The bike portion got off to a great start. After seeing all of the hills yesterday I backed off a bit on the speed and really focused on keeping my heart rate around 140. I felt very strong on the bike, even on the "rolling hills." I passed a ton of people. I pedaled all of the downhills as well. On the steepest downhill I hit 42 mph, it felt great. My family was waiting for me right were they said they would be, at mile 38. It was great to see them, it really gave me a boost. I saw my brother again at around mile 56. He ran 4 miles to get to that area and then he ran back. I passed my crew again on the second loop at about mile 68. I was taking in fluids and nutrition just as I had planned. Everything seemed to be going just perfect. I was just approaching the 80 mile marker when all of a sudden there was a noise coming from my bike, Whack, Whack, Whack, Whack, Whack. What in the world could that be? As quickly as it started it suddenly went away, only to be followed by a worse sound, Psssssssssssssssst. The bike started to shimmy and I realized I had a flat on the rear tire. In 9 months of training I never had a flat. Amazingly I didn't feel upset or angry at all. I had seen a few other racers on the side of the road fixing their tires. I thought it was just my turn. At first I tried to use the can of fix-a-flat. This did not work because I did not see the carpenter tack in the tire until after I used up the can. I had to resort to solution #2, remove the wheel and repalce the tube. This went along fairly well but it felt like it was taking forever. I was watching as what seemed like hundreds of bikers went by. One kind soul did yell out, "Don't let it ruin your day!" That was much appreciated. I did hit the lap button on my watch after I got off the bike. Altlhough it seemed like forever, in reality it only took me 11 minutes to get back on the road. It did take a bit to get back up to speed but then the last 10 miles I felt great. I hammered the pedals the last 10 miles and finished just under 19.5 mph ave. I was hoping for 20 mph ave., but given the 11 minute pit stop that put me right on pace.
I saw the whole chase crew again at the transition. This one took a little longer. I had planned on changing into dry socks and when I leaned over to put them on my abs went into complete spasm. I danced around in the changing tent pushing on my stomach and trying to breathe. After a few minutes the spasms released and I was able to get going. I also decided to stop at the porta-potty to clear out the bladder on the dway out of the transition area. All in all it took about 7:30 to get through it.
The marathon run started off great. I was flying high for the first 3 miles. I was averaging 7:14 but I noticed my heart rate was getting too high. I was now up to 158-163 and I wanted to stay under 150. I steadily slowed down trying to control my heart rate. I was down to 9 min miles by #8 but the heart rate was still to high and I flet like my race would soon be coming to a screeching halt. Something had to change or I was in danger on walknig the rest of the way. I started to walk through the aid stations and started taking in a lot more fluids, especially gatorade and coke. By mile 13 I had my heart rate back down to about 140 and then I saw my trusty chase crew. Just the sight of them seemed to energize me. I really think that they saved my race. I was trying to calculate what my time would be if I walked the rest of the way but when I saw them I knew that was not an option. I started running again with a fairly good pace and walked the rest of the aid stations. This strategy worked well for me. The miles ticked off and before I knew it I was at number 24. That's when the spasms moved into my calves. For the last 2.2 miles I had spasms about every 4th stride. I knew that the finish line was near and I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. I could feel the crowd"s energy as I got closer to the city. As I made that last left hand turn and then right onto 4th street I knew that I had made it. I heard my brother screaming at me as I made my way down the last 1/4 mile. Then I heard the announcement, "Here comes #1672, from Clarkston, MI, IRONMAN Steve McLean!!" What a feeling! I crossed the line in 11 hours and 14 minutes and my marathon time was exactly 4 hours.
Comment
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Comment by Steven T. McLean on September 6, 2009 at 11:39am - By the way, I just totaled up the mileage for the season: 146.5 miles swimming, just over 4000 miles riding, and 820 miles running for a grand total of just over 5000 miles!!
© 2009 Created by Mike Llerandi
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