MCM+Superstorm Sandy+Ironman Florida = Ironman #2

Completing my first Ironman in Louisville was a challenge-filled day of Ohio River water, biking up and down rolling hills, and a dehydration and cramp-plagued run.   Of course I decided to take another Ironman challenge!  Wanting something a bit flatter, I went online to register for Ironman Florida.  I knew that Ironman races sold out quickly, but I didn’t expect the race to sell out in five minutes.  I did grab a slot, and the quest for my next Ironman finish began.

Flash forward to two weeks before the race. A number of my friends from the DC Triathlon Club decided to sign up for the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM).  For many, this would be their first full marathon so I decided to sign up in support. MCM2009 was my first long distance race, and I thought it would be fun to do the race again with everyone. Of course, I mixed up the dates when I registered – completely missing that the marathon was six days before IM Florida.  The smart move would have been to drop the MCM race, but I opted to do both. To me, Ironman is all about pushing limits then seeing how much further I can go, so doing a marathon the week before seemed like a great way to push myself. 

Preparing for the race was a little tricky.  A week before the race, meteorologists started to warn D.C. residents about Superstorm Sandy, a major hurricane set to combine with a cold front dropping down from the west to create one of the deadliest storms seen in our lifetime.  No one was certain when it would arrive or exactly where it would make landfall.  I was starting to feel a little paranoid.  During IM Louisville, an earthquake hit Washington D.C.  As I prepared for IM Florida, a hurricane was headed the same way.

The MoCo Mafia After MCM2012

The week leading up to MCM2012 was very warm for late October – in the upper 70’s.  I did a brief 3-mile training run but otherwise limited training for the week.  Race morning had cooled a bit, but the day was by no means cold.  The outer bands of the coming storm offered a light drizzle and some headwinds but held off for the race.  The cloud cover actually made perfect running weather.  I finished a smooth race with a time of 03:42:54.  Not my best marathon time, but I didn’t want to kill myself trying for a PR just before IM Florida.  I just enjoyed the run.

Waiting out the storm on the first floor

Superstorm Sandy hit the coast north of D.C. on Monday, so we had no damage or even loss of power even with the rain.  We did sleep on the ground floor in case the wind was too strong for our trees.  By Tuesday, the worst of the storm had passed and it was time to pack for Florida. 

My wife and I left the house at 3:30 a.m. on Thursday for the flight to Panama City Beach, FL.  My aunt and uncle met us at the airport, let us stay in their waterfront condo, and lent us a car.  Their help and support was invaluable!  Although the early part of the week had been stressful, everything in Florida moved smoothly.  My dad, who lives in a different part of the state, drove up to cheer me on for the race. 

Athletes had to check in no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday; we headed straight to the expo after dropping our stuff at the condo.  Dinner came next followed by the mandatory athlete briefing.  On Friday, I rode my bike roughly 7 miles to the expo to rack the bike and drop my transition bags.  I noticed some problems with my brakes on the ride, so I dropped the bike at the Ironman maintenance area where they got things working perfectly.  I also managed a practice swim near Swim Start.  The buoys weren’t set up, but I was able to test the waters – the chop seemed rough but manageable.  A quick run to the grocery netted spaghetti, salad, and key lime pie to carb-load at dinner plus race day nutrition.  After dinner, we popped in the 2011 IM Kona DVD for some last minute inspiration then went to bed.  

While I was nowhere close to how nervous I had been prior to IM Louisville, sleep was elusive.  I don’t think I slept soundly at all Friday night.  Transition opened at 4:30 a.m. but I was awake to make eggs and toast at 3 a.m.  Having access to a kitchen while on the road for a race is very nice.  We gathered my swim gear and special needs bags before heading to Wal-Mart to pick up the shuttle over to transition.

Arriving at transition race morning

I dropped my bags and checked my bike, then headed down to the beach.  We found a quiet area to sit for the hour until race start.  With the waves crashing in the background and the dark sky overhead, I dozed off a bit while we waited.  Twenty minutes out, I slurped a peanut butter Gu pack and donned my wetsuit.  After handing off my morning gear to my wife, we headed over to watch the pro men start at 6:30 a.m. and the pro women start at 6:45 a.m.

Mass start with over 2500 Age Groupers

The swim course was a two-loop rectangle heading straight out to sea.  With the current moving right to left and a mass beach start of more than 2,500 age groupers, my plan was to start in the back of the pack towards the right to avoid being pushed into the buoys during the swim out.  The National Anthem played, the cannon sounded, and we were off.  I had done a mass start before for an ocean swim in Hawaii during the Honu 70.3 race.  This was harder.  The waves were big and constant, and people were everywhere.  Every time I tried to establish a rhythm, I would hit someone’s feet, someone would grab my feet, or I’d be sideswiped by another swimmer.  The mass of bodies did create some drafting opportunities and provided a path to follow when sighting was difficult from the waves. 

The first 15 minutes were stressful.  More than once, I was fighting back thoughts of “F@#^ this, I’m not dealing with this for 2.4 miles.”  About that time, I saw the first turn buoy and decided to finish the first loop.  A foot grazing my face skewed my goggles as I turned into the sun.  I was wearing heavily tinted goggles, and this was the shortest leg of the swim, so I was fine after I stopped to straighten my eyewear.  By the time I reached the second turn buoy, I was feeling more confident about finishing the swim.

1st loop done

The beach leg of the rectangle was shallow and allowed athletes to walk through the surf.  Just as I put my foot down, a wave broke over me from behind.  My right foot was stuck in the sand, painfully pulling my hamstring.  I walked it out and managed to continue.  It was nice to take my goggle off and clear the taste of salt water from my mouth during the jog through the surf.  My time after the first loop was 0:55, so I knew I could make the cutoff barring any major incidents.  I aimed wide as I started the second loop to stay out of the buoys.  The crowds had thinned, but plenty of swimmers remained.  This loop was fairly uneventful, although I felt seasick from the chop.  I think the feeling was more intense than in previous swims because the wetsuit on the salt water made me a float like a buoy. 

My final swim time was 01:55:55.  My goal was under two hours, and I was able to accomplish it under the toughest swim conditions I’ve faced to date.  I feel more confident in my swimming and hope it will cause me less stress in future races.  Wetsuit strippers met us at the water’s edge.  This was my first race with the luxury of strippers – I have to say it was nice not fighting my way out of the suit alone.

Heading to T1

I headed through the freshwater showers then headed to T1.  I was a bit tired after the swim, and I took my time in T1.  I had worn a swimsuit under my wetsuit and switched to bike shorts for the 112-mile bike ride ahead.  A stop by the baby pool of sunscreen and the port-a-john and I picked up my bike from the volunteer before getting underway.

While the IM Florida bike course is flat compared to IM Louisville and the temperatures were not as hot, the high was still in the low 80’s with high humidity and clear skies.  The combination out-n-back and one-loop course offered minimal shade.  For IM Louisville, I had trained in heat up to the week of the race.  With IM Florida so late in the season, I was out of practice with the heat.  I did make sure to have plenty of salt tabs on hand as well as a nutrition plan that met my needs.  As stated in earlier race reports, I don’t do well with Gu and gel packs.  I switched to Stinger bars and mini Nutter Butters which work well for me.

On the second half of the bike course.

The bike course is extremely flat with one significant hill crossing a bridge early in the out-n-back (so I got to ride it twice).  The worst part of the course was the last 3-4 miles of the out-n-back.  The pavement was old and riddled with cracks.  The ride was so bumpy that the road was littered with water bottles, CO2 cartridges, and even spare tubes. 

When I reached the special needs tent, I desperately needed the contents.  Thanks to a tip from my friend Dave, I had purchased a little $5 cooler at Wal-Mart to keep my Coke, Gatorade, and Kit-Kat bars cold.  It worked perfectly.  After refilling my Gatorade bottle, I ate the rest for a nice burst of energy. 

Back on the second half of the bike course, I was feeling strong.  My only real issue was the pain from my new shoe clips.  I had broken the old clips on a recent Century ride.  I tested the new ones on a short 30-mile ride without problems, but the longer distance hurt.  My wife and dad were waiting to cheer for me at mile 90.  One of the best parts of this bike course was the number of people cheering along the bike course.

snazzy new USA compression socks.

My final bike time was 06:40:09 when I headed back into T2 mid-afternoon.  My original goal was to complete the bike course in less than 6 hours, but heat and painful feet slowed me down.  Still, I was pretty happy with the ride and ready to face the run without the cramping that plagued me in Louisville.  I took my time in T2, adding snazzy new USA compression socks to my running outfit.  I didn’t overeat or drink, something that had contributed to my cramps in Louisville.  Another stop at the port-a-john and I started the two-loop out-n-back run course.  The course was mostly flat with a slight hill in the state park portion.

My uncle & dad cheering me on.

The run course had lots of people cheering, including my wife, dad, aunt, and uncle.  They were stationed on mile 6 which meant they saw me 4 times as I ran past.  After running the first 3-4 miles, I switched to a 2-mile run/1-mile walk strategy because my feet and legs were feeling a bit tired.  Still no cramps.  By the end of first loop, the sun was setting.  Fortunately, I planned ahead with a headlamp in my special needs bag.  On the final 6 miles of the course, my feet and legs were spent.  I had slowed to a 1-mile run/1-mile walk ratio.  As I approached the final mile, I mustered my final burst of energy for the finish line. 

The energy at IM Florida was different from the energy at IM Louisville.  The energy at Louisville’s finish line was unbelievable, while Florida’s energy was concentrated on the actual course. At one point along the run there was a tent with a guy in an actual Iron Man comic character costume cheering you on which was cool.  My wife even commented that the energy in the chute was lower in Florida.  Nevertheless, I crossed the finish line to lots of cheers and with a sense of accomplishment as the announcer once again proclaimed “Jay Cochran, you are an Ironman!”

Crossing the Finish Line!

My run time was 05:37:05 for a total time of 14:43:38.  If I hadn’t run a marathon the week before, my run probably would have been stronger but I don’t regret doing both.  Florida was a PR after Louisville; more importantly, I had no major issues during the race.  My swim was strong under trying conditions, and I was able to avoid cramping during the bike and run.  I will need to figure out what’s wrong with my clips and probably won’t run a marathon before IM Lake Placid next year.  The biggest win this season?  My confidence for these long distance races has grown significantly.

Sweet bag given to athletes doing Ironman races in 2012.

Need another reason to run an Ironman?  The swag given to the athletes this year has been great.  Bravo to them for providing us with something so useful and nice. 

Special thanks to following:

All my friends who cheered me on via cyberspace and those who helped me train over the course of the summer. Especially Dave and Sara for doing all those long century rides with me so late in the season.

Jeff Halper: For letting me borrow his race wheels for this race. They performed well even though when the wind blows through them it sounds like I have a cricket riding along with me :)

My Aunt and Uncle Pam & Bob: For providing us a place to stay race weekend and a car to get around with. Not to mention cheering me on during the 14+ hour day.

My Dad: For driving 7+ hours  to come cheer me on and providing me support.

And most importantly My wife Kara: For not just coming and providing race crew support but also putting up with all the long weeks of training and the foot rubs afterwards that helped me get through it all.  Without her I would not be an Ironman.

Love you honey!!!