In the weeks 8 weeks that led up to Lake Placid Ironman, if you had pulled me aside and asked me face to face how ready I was, you may have gotten a bit of hesitation from me. Going into that final stretch of build was a difficult one for sure. Right after Mooseman, a trainer that I was training hard with and set to run the race with decided she had had enough of long distance stuff. The last 4-6 weeks prior to the taper were 20+ hour workout weeks with 6-7 hour long rides on Saturdays followed by an hour long run and 12-20 mile runs on Sunday that took another 2-3 hours. There is no complaining at all, just hard to do by yourself after having someone right there with you. You race alone, so train alone is what a few people said. You race without music, so train without music. Wow some of these people are really hard core.
I made it to race day with no issues, I had great family around me, I was staying a great place and I had great wordsof encouragement from my coach about all the hard work coming together. Race day was simple, follow the plan.
For me if I have a plan, then amazing things can get done, short of a well written plan and I am all over the place. I woke at 3 am and felt great. I had called it a night sometime around 8pm the night before. At 3 am I started eating pre race food and the goal was to get about 2000 calories in me to fill up the tanks. I drink perpetum, eat hammer bars and a bagel or two with some orange juice.
Bags for the race are all packed, bike was dropped off along with bike gear bag and run gear bag the day before. No transition bag needed for Ironman races as each T has its own plastic bag with all of your needs in it hanging there in transition. I did have to bring my race number and stick it in the bag on race day morning.
I put on my tri shorts and shirt and then some warm dry clothes to hang out in until race time, after a cup of coffee, Kimberly and I head down to town in the hotel shuttle. We got there way to early so we headed back to the hotel, grabbed the truck and drove ourselves down so they would have a car to keep stuff at near the course. We got the second to last space and just in time.
Numbering was quick and easy, good thing I had Kimberly with me as when I was asked my number, I gave the wrong one and quickly got corrected. Now its time to just sit and relax and let the crowds start to form. Maybe next time we wont go so early.
At 630 ish I head to the water entry, luckily I see the rest of my family and get to say hello and give the kids kisses before I start. I am in a zone at this point and trying to stay focused on one theing and one thingone,
the first big buoy in the water. That is where I
amswimming to and nothing else matters. Iwas going to let the race start and hold back for a minute or two to let the 3000 plus swimmers clear out a bit, but the adrenelin kicked into full speed and off I went about 50 yards back from the start line.
Swimming for that first buoy that was ½ mile out was like getting in line for the train at penn station, only there was a lot more water. I got kicked in the eye, punched in the side, kicked in the side and had my feet grabbed. The worst is when I was coming up for a breath at the
Swimming for that first buoy that was ½ mile out was like getting in line for the train at penn station, only there was a lot more water. I got kicked in the eye, punched in the side, kicked in the side and had my feet grabbed. The worst is when I was coming up for a breath at the
end of a stroke and someone right next to me is starting his stroke with his arm hooked on my head and shoving it back under the water. Goodtimes for sure. I did not panic, ya can’t stop or you get run over and I decided I was just going to swim my race, stroke at my pace and go where I needed to go. The first 1,2 mile lap was faster than I expected, coming out of the water to run the beach at about 35 minutes. I felt confident and was very confortable with what was going on around me. Now back into the water and do it one more time. Second lap was a bit slower than the first, but I came out of the water around 1:15, got my wetsuit pulled off and was off and running to transition. I saw Rob pointing to where everyone was and I waved in that direction. I did not see anyone however and was just hoping they saw me. They all traveled a long way and I wanted to give them a good show.
T1 was not rushed at all, I relaxed and made sure I had everything I needed for the long 112 mile ride ahead of me. I was told they get your bike for you, but I came out of the water and T1 with a big pack and had to get it myself. Loaded with nutrition, gloves on, helmet on, shoes on and bike ready to go. Off we went to the familiar bike course and everything felt awesome. I had a plan to ride to a power number for each lap of the race. 190 for the fist 56 miles and 200 watts for the second and I am quite sure I came very close to those numbers. Maybe when I get a new power cord and usb devise fro my garmin, I will know just how well I did. My fors
T1 was not rushed at all, I relaxed and made sure I had everything I needed for the long 112 mile ride ahead of me. I was told they get your bike for you, but I came out of the water and T1 with a big pack and had to get it myself. Loaded with nutrition, gloves on, helmet on, shoes on and bike ready to go. Off we went to the familiar bike course and everything felt awesome. I had a plan to ride to a power number for each lap of the race. 190 for the fist 56 miles and 200 watts for the second and I am quite sure I came very close to those numbers. Maybe when I get a new power cord and usb devise fro my garmin, I will know just how well I did. My fors
t bike split was fast, felt great, but I knew I had to back it off a bit to save some leggs for the marathon. The 9 mile climb back into placid was comfortable and not too taxing for the first loop and i was starting to realize that I was realy going to get this done today. Just under three hours for the forst loop and I pulled into town, I stopped quickly to give kisses to my family as that always gives me an extra boost and off I went into the second loop.
The most common question in the past week or so has been what is was the toughest part and it realy came around hour 4.5 ish on the bike, you pass a sign that says mile 90 and quickly do the math that there are only 22 miles left, but most of them are up hill. It was all I could do to just keep peddeling, know ing that when I got back to the corner of (N and 86 to make that right hand turn there was nothing but climbing infront of me and the reward for each climb is another. I stopped, used the bathroom, ate some food and re-filled all my bottles and was quickly off and ready to get it done.
Climbing the last 11 miles back into town was more just a long slow ride than hard work, I didn’t want to stand and grind it out, I wanted to save my leggs for whatever they could give me on the run. It took me 6 hours and 20 minutes to finish the ride and I came off the bike with some solid leggs that seemed to be much better than I expected them to be.
The run started out faster than I was comfortable with, after getting past the downhill out of town, my legs were firing fast and it was all I could do to get them to slow, sadly I could not get them to fire fast again after I slowed them. The plan was to run 10:30 and I was not sure that I was going to be able to run the whole thing. I had convinced myself that I would run as long as I could and if 13 miles were covered it would not ne the worst thing to walk the rest.
My coach had given me a solid plan and it had done me well so far, so I just stuck to it and gave it a go. I settled into a 10:30 pace and decided I would walk all the steep hills and all the aid stations. In between each aid station was a mile marker so it seemed that every ½ mile I was getting a reward and that kept me going.
I got passed by these uber athletic types and or young hot and very fast girls who in turn created an opportunity to pick up the pace to enjoy the show a bit longer. I kept my legs moving in a run the entire time aside from the stations and hills and felt strong the entire way as I looked every volunteer in the eyes and thanked them for all their great work today, high fived every little kid that had his hand held out and smiled at everyone. The energy of the crowd was inspiring and great fuel, those cowbells really keep you going.
At mile 24 is the nasty hill climb back into town, heartbreak hill in Boston has nothing on this climb and I for sure walked every inch of the steepness, as soon as I started running again I saw my family for the last turn before the out and back, I was going to finish this race and I was going to do it right at the numbers I thought. The smile on my face was reduced to some tears, the legs were just doing their job of firing right, left, right left and it was less than one mile to go and it was so amazing hearing the crowd cheer. Coming down the last hill and turning into the finish areana was over the top and awe inspiring, I caught sight of my family and then turned to see the finish line, holy crap the clock say less than 13 hours and in 20 yards, 10 yards, 10 feet right now, Kris Kaplan form Lexington, Mass……… You are an Ironman.
The most common question in the past week or so has been what is was the toughest part and it realy came around hour 4.5 ish on the bike, you pass a sign that says mile 90 and quickly do the math that there are only 22 miles left, but most of them are up hill. It was all I could do to just keep peddeling, know ing that when I got back to the corner of (N and 86 to make that right hand turn there was nothing but climbing infront of me and the reward for each climb is another. I stopped, used the bathroom, ate some food and re-filled all my bottles and was quickly off and ready to get it done.
Climbing the last 11 miles back into town was more just a long slow ride than hard work, I didn’t want to stand and grind it out, I wanted to save my leggs for whatever they could give me on the run. It took me 6 hours and 20 minutes to finish the ride and I came off the bike with some solid leggs that seemed to be much better than I expected them to be.
The run started out faster than I was comfortable with, after getting past the downhill out of town, my legs were firing fast and it was all I could do to get them to slow, sadly I could not get them to fire fast again after I slowed them. The plan was to run 10:30 and I was not sure that I was going to be able to run the whole thing. I had convinced myself that I would run as long as I could and if 13 miles were covered it would not ne the worst thing to walk the rest.
My coach had given me a solid plan and it had done me well so far, so I just stuck to it and gave it a go. I settled into a 10:30 pace and decided I would walk all the steep hills and all the aid stations. In between each aid station was a mile marker so it seemed that every ½ mile I was getting a reward and that kept me going.
I got passed by these uber athletic types and or young hot and very fast girls who in turn created an opportunity to pick up the pace to enjoy the show a bit longer. I kept my legs moving in a run the entire time aside from the stations and hills and felt strong the entire way as I looked every volunteer in the eyes and thanked them for all their great work today, high fived every little kid that had his hand held out and smiled at everyone. The energy of the crowd was inspiring and great fuel, those cowbells really keep you going.
At mile 24 is the nasty hill climb back into town, heartbreak hill in Boston has nothing on this climb and I for sure walked every inch of the steepness, as soon as I started running again I saw my family for the last turn before the out and back, I was going to finish this race and I was going to do it right at the numbers I thought. The smile on my face was reduced to some tears, the legs were just doing their job of firing right, left, right left and it was less than one mile to go and it was so amazing hearing the crowd cheer. Coming down the last hill and turning into the finish areana was over the top and awe inspiring, I caught sight of my family and then turned to see the finish line, holy crap the clock say less than 13 hours and in 20 yards, 10 yards, 10 feet right now, Kris Kaplan form Lexington, Mass……… You are an Ironman.
When is the next one?????
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