Ironman Louisville 2010 Race Report

I decided to post an unabridged race report for a couple of reasons; (1) For my own reflection, so that when the memories of the mental & physical trials of race day begin to fade I might have something of a stick to keep me honest, and (2) As a resource for other athletes living with atrial fibrillation. Such testimonials can be difficult to find.

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Pre-Race
Race day started with a 3:30 am wake-up call. I drank water and a cup of coffee while applying a layer of sun block and body glide. Breakfast consisted of 1-1/2 Odwalla Protein Monster shakes and a banana. My buddy Ryan and I made our way to transition by 5 am. We dropped off our special needs bags, checked over / stocked our bikes and headed to get in line at the swim start.

We were amazed at the length of the swim line. If transition opened at 5 am, how was it possible for us to be so far toward the back of the line? We heard while waiting that many athletes staged family members in line through the night. Lesson learned. We hit the ground and relaxed in the pre-race darkness.

Swim
The pro race gun sounded at 6:50 am. I popped an energy gel and chased it with some water. The line moved quickly after the age group race start of 7:00 am. Filing down to the boat docks and crossing the starting mat was a unique way to start the day’s adventure. I jumped in the water at about 7:25 am.

I didn’t feel particularly smooth during the swim. I could sense my feet dragging a bit low and tried to focus on body position. Starting so far back there wasn’t much smooth water; Still a lot of swimmers out there. I generally maintained a three stroke count and thought of it as a slow waltz, 1 – 2 – 3 – breathe – 1 – 2 – 3 – breathe, etc. I’d sight on each 3rd or 6th stroke depending on the confidence of my line. The final 400 meters was pretty congested as swimmers started pinching together. Somebody knocked my left calf pretty hard about 200 meters from the finish and I got a Charlie horse. I guess I wasn’t as relaxed as I had wanted! I was obliged to stop and resolve that problem. My official swim time was 1:16:00. A little disappointing given my goal of 1:05:00, but not a heart breaker either (I suppose pool time trials with flip turns weren’t a great testing protocol). The day was young.

T1
T1 took over 8 minutes primarily because I took a long potty break. I was plenty well hydrated early in the day. The spectators lining transition were numerous and loud. I had forgotten how exciting it is to participate in an Ironman.

Bike
I knew from my race rehearsals that the key to a strong, appropriately paced bike was to ride exceptionally easy during the first couple of hours. My brain was programmed to let the hammerheads go during the early climbs on SR42 and the out and back sections. My power targets were 177 watts overall with a first hour target of 168 watts. Having occasional atrial fibrillation and asthma it was also essential for me to closely monitor heart rate, particularly on a hot day.

I repeated the word “cheesy” as I tried to settle my heart rate on the River Road flats out of Louisville. Despite holding a low power output I had my first flare up 10 minutes into the ride. I felt the tell tale “can of worms” feeling in my chest and looked down to see a heart rate of 190+BPM. It was a brief episode. It was followed by a similar occurrence at about the 30 minute mark. At 40 minutes I had five short episodes in quick succession. I adjusted by simply keeping my watts low and focusing on my breathing. On the out and back section I pedaled over the tops of hills and then coasted down in an effort to suppress heart rate. It generally worked. As I left the out and back behind I felt reasonably confident that I had squelched major afib issues and was heading for a strong ride. By the 30 mile mark I managed an 18.4 mph average on only 140 average watts (150 normalized).

Unfortunately the combination of race day nerves and heat proved more than I could prepare for in training. The episodes of rapid heart beat became more frequent and lasted longer, so I stayed at the low watts and focused on hydration and staying as cool as possible. When my heart would reset from afib into a normal rhythm it would settle into an expected rate. My breathing and perceived exertion felt fine the entire time.

The mental game was tough. Overall I was able to detach and remain fairly unemotional about the situation. I determined to “stand down” at special needs (mile 65). I dismounted, waited in line at a porta-potty and locked myself in there for a couple of minutes to do my business out of the sunlight. I downed a water bottle, poured more over my head, popped a couple of Endurolytes, and recalibrated my power meter. Six minutes later I was back on my bike with a low heart rate and feeling quite refreshed. I was going to finish this race!

A mere 15 minutes later my heart was up to its old tricks with several short but frequent flare ups – a 15 minute episode in total. Fifteen’s were wild as I was able to get it settled for another 15 minutes of consistent riding. At the 80 mile mark it shot up again and generally stayed there until the SR42 descent to the flats at mile 100. My goal at that point was simply to get back to Louisville and assess my condition for continuing in T2.

Thankfully the descent got my heart settled down for good. I pedaled consistently into T2 with a bike clock time of 6:03:54 and a saddle time of 5:57:xx. My goal time for the bike was 5:59:xx so, needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised with my time given the struggle. I was relieved to reach T2.

Even with my issues and long special needs stand down I was able to negative split that ride from hell. Eliminating the rapid heart rate from my profile it’s clear that I had no cardiac drift, as my normal rate was actually slightly lower at the end of the ride than the beginning.

For power junkies I finished with an IF of slightly less than 0.59 and a LOW TSS of 208. Considering my heart issues, the amount of blocking happening on the downhill sections, and the constant shifting required of this course, I am really pleased with a VI of 1.07. My smoothed out power profile is almost dead flat, with the strongest hour from 4:22 to 5:22. I don’t think I could’ve executed any better given the weather and my physical condition.

My nutrition consisted of 1375 Calories of Infinit, one bottle of Powerbar Perform, one Clif Bar (250 Calories), six Endurolyte tabs, two FRS chews (to help me focus late), and as much water as I could possibly consume without bloating.

T2
I found a seat in the men’s changing tent and deliberately slipped into my running shoes and tri top. Not wanting the pasty sun block they provided outside the tent, I coated my shoulders, face, arms, and neck with my own SPF50. After two preventive puffs on my asthma inhaler I pulled out the water bottle tucked into my cycling jersey and took a long draw of what remained. Then I retreated into a proverbial monk’s closet by burying my face into my hands. Time for a few deep breaths and a prayer.

Run
Next up, a marathon in 90+ degree sunny weather. I decided to “run” based on heart rate instead of pace. If it reached 160+ BPM I would slow to a walk until it dropped to 150 or below. I would walk the aid stations (spaced approximately one mile apart from each other) and run in between.

It’s just amazing how strong you can feel early on an Ironman run. My target pace for ideal conditions was 9:15/mile for the first six, then 8:45/mile if I could bear it afterward. Mile #1 was 9:15 on the button. Just like Lake Placid in 2007, where I was able to put together a 4:02:59 marathon, my heart rate was occasionally creeping up to the 160 mark. So it went. Jog for a few minutes, hear my monitor start beeping, then walk for a bit. Jog, beep, walk, jog, beep, walk, etc. Continual forward motion!

I alternated nutrition at the aid stations; water + ice at one, then sports drink + ice at the next. I carried Endurolyte tabs and took them at 45 minute intervals. I pushed as much water as I felt I could take. My stomach got pretty sloshy a couple of times.

My pace gradually deteriorated, which wasn’t a surprise in this heat. It rose to a 10+ minute/mile average, then 11+. My walk breaks got longer. As cheesy as it sounds, I found strength in saying “Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever.” I also kept telling myself this was only one day… Give me one day! Both were easily recite-able and rang true. The crowds in town gave me strength as I was able to temporarily lift my pace a bit as I headed out on lap#2. Incredibly, my atrial fibrillation issues were gone.

I don’t remember much between leaving downtown on lap #2 and mile 18. I do remember becoming short of breath and needing a hit from my rescue inhaler.

Patrick McCrann was waiting at mile 18 and my memory picks back up from there. He told me I looked strong. I told him about my heart struggles. I had trouble putting it behind me. He encouraged me to keep pushing.

I was dizzy and pretty nauseated. My throat was constricting. I could tell my core temperature was soaring. I reduced my pace to a steady walk. I walked for what felt like an eternity trying to find some strength. I pushed water, ice, and chicken broth. I tried a few test jogs but just couldn’t pick up the pace without feeling like I’d drop.

Around mile 22 I remember thinking about my 12 year old son’s recent issues with asthma and an irregular heart beat. “Damn these genes!” crossed my mind. Soon afterward the athlete with one prosthetic leg approached in the other direction. Inspired I held out my hand. Our palms met and he gave me a strong look in the eyes... and suddenly my issues felt insignificant.

At mile 23 I mustered the strength to jog again. I jogged with a couple of other athletes who were obviously deep into their own private zones. No words were spoken. We just gained strength by being together.

Prior to reaching the center of town I decided to take one last, short aid station walk before attempting to push it to the end. I gained strength by hearing the festivities ahead and was able to run well to the finish. I slowed near the finish line to allow the elated athletes in front of me have their private finish line moments, and then I passed through to have my own. The 4th Street Live finish line was absolutely electric! Though so very far from how I hoped the day would unfold, I certainly feel satisfied with my effort. And that’s all that really matters, right? :)

Brief Reflections
How is it possible that my last mile was the strongest of the day? Did my mind always have the strength to overcome my physical issues, or did my walking and recuperating allow that final mile to happen? Did my early afib issues take too costly a mental and physical toll or was my recovery as complete as it seemed?

I don’t know the answers to those questions. But I do know that I won’t be competing in any more Ironman races until I have a successful pulmonary vein ablation procedure on my heart. I can’t continue to play both sides of that fence. This was the only way to get a crystal clear answer to that question.

I need to bring this report to a close, but I want to relate that I drew inspiration through observing the strong performances of my training pal Ryan Brubaker, several of my Endurance Nation team mates and how Coach P conducted himself race week / day. There are simply too many stories to tell. I tip my cap in admiration to all who were able to thrive during that hot marathon.