Kona 2014 - Race Recap: the overwhelming feeling of gratefulness sums up my 2014 Kona experience. I havent stopped thinking about that circus since it abruptly ended last week and I crash-landed back into the real world. As Ive looked back, more than anything, I am grateful for the opportunity to be participating in these amazing events, grateful be able to share the experiences with my friends and family, grateful for TriBike Transports and Team TBTs support and grateful to have an amazingly supportive wife who was as excited to see me finish IMLP in 11+ hours as she was seeing me cross the finish line in Kona! It was with this deep sense of appreciation that I navigated 2014s IM World Championships, which by all accounts was a weird swim, very windy ride and hot-humid run. The cool thing about this race is that, while the course is always the same, the conditions are so variable that it makes each year uniquely challenging. Last time I was here (12) was also a relatively slower year, but this year the crosswinds came earlier on the Queen K where it actually made you lean into the wind to stay upright - something that usually occurs 20 miles later on the climb to Hawi. Wind is not something I encountered a lot in training since most of my riding was indoors, but when you dont get outside as much as you used to, even a windy 112 has you giddy. Believe it or not, there were a few times where I was just smiling or laughing out loud because it was so fun. Also, I think Ive grown to appreciate the harder days more because I feel that its a far better test of toughness and, this year, I am very happy with how I battled through. In the end, I went 9:33 which was good enough for 34th in the M35-39 AG, 156th overall (27th American) - a huge improvement from 2012 (9:50, 65th in AG and 265th overall). Basically, Im moving in the right direction and there is so much more room for improvement. Fyi, the training plan called for an average of 10 hrs per week starting in mid-June and about 13 per week during the final month. Not just high intensity, but trying to find the right balance between hard, aerobic and recovery efforts. I no doubt did a few panic sessions towards the end as well - happens to all of us. When asked if I was ready, I confidently felt that I was as ready as possible. Between family, work and training, there was no pocket of time in any day that I was wasting (at all). Pre race: okay yes, I was a little spoiled in the week before... Four days probably is not enough to get fully acclimated to the heat (which just weighs on you when you get off the plane), but I was able to get fully rested and focused. I was more relaxed for this race than Ive ever been - partly due to no distractions and also due to experience, something that helped me deal with a few hiccups on the day. Both Kim and I got to experience some of the pre-race excitement in a way we could not in 2012 and it was amazing. Imagine being a part of the super bowl of anything, thats how I think it feels (not that Ive played in a SB yet). Swim (1:02, 56th in division): a little disappointing, but considering how I had to allocate most of my training time to the bike/run, not all that bad. Plus Ive read swim times were a little slower across the board this year. I rolled the dice and lined up on the inside line along the pier. I think this was a good call, but there was a current with us going out, so there was very little separation among good/bad swimmers all the way out - lots of contact and opportunity for panic if you werent prepared for it. Coming back, I believe we were going into the current and the crowds thinned up a bit. I was relatively comfortable at this point and the blueseventy PZ3TX speed suit was money (though the advantage was minimized by everyone else choosing a BlueSeventy)! Into T1 was uneventful and I had an empty transition bag as everything was on the bike so I was able to move quickly (w the exception of my arm coolers - slow was not smooth and smooth was not fast). Bike (5:09, 66th in AG coming off the bike): all things considered, very happy with this. In addition to the wind, couple of notables... 1) Two pedal strokes in after mounting my bike, chain pops off... This never happens! On this day, in Kailua Kona, it did. Hop off, pull to the side, get chain back on and off we go. Not an ideal start, but kept cool and lost about a minute. 2) Early on, the drafting marshals would corral an entire group (like 20 at a time), which was good to see them trying to set the tone. 3) Throughout the ride on flat sections, with the wind, sometimes 230 watts = 28mph, most of the time it = 17mph... Just had to stay on top of it and roll with the punches. On one amazing 5-8 mile flat section past Waikoloa, on the way back, 200 watts = 35+mph... Amazing... But just before I started re-adjusting my split estimate, it turned against me and we were back to head/crosswinds most of the way back into town. 4) the Rudy Project Wingspan helmet works really well for hot races: at each aid station, I was able to put an entire bottle over my head thru the vents to help keep my core body temp down - key to getting thru the bike course. 5) My special needs bag had my last 2 hours of calories in it and some potato chips to give me a salty treat to look forward to if needed. After what seemed like a lifetime of calling my number out while getting passed by packs of athletes, my special needs bag was nowhere to be found - this is a problem. I had to keep it moving though. As I bombed down the hill from Hawi, I took stock of how many calories I had on the bike and came up with a game plan, which unfortunately meant some gels (which I generally avoid in large quantities) from the aid stations and cola/perform to wash them down. Maybe in the past this situation would leave a mark on my overall day, but I didnt overthink it... I just adapted the fueling strategy and moved on - again, just being happy to be there helped keep it in perspective. Coming down this hill is where I got Ohnod, as in Apollo passed me. Yes, he is a highly decorated Olympian with the ability to generate some serious power, but I wasnt exactly thrilled so see him flailing away on his bike by me. But, as you can see by his overall time and splits, he came ready to play. I gave him props when he got Tootelld on the run and talked to him after the race and he seemed genuinely all-in for the day. Run (3:14, got me into 34th in the division): bottom line, my plan going into the race was to give the run everything and take some risks. I think I have a peer-leading time in me, but perhaps the sub-optimal nutrition issue and the heat could have warranted an adjustment to my initial plan. I went for it anyway and paid for it in the Natural Energy Lab as I had a mini-meltdown around mile 18. For the first time, I was reduced to a walk in between aid stations. Usually, these moments are irreversible, but I kept thinking about Kim waiting for me and I just wanted to show something for all the effort we put out to be in Kona. I found some humor in thinking who from home was watching and who was texting I told you he went out too fast! I had enough red bull in me that I was thinking clearly enough and I knew that if I could limit the damage, we were talking about 4-5 minutes of lost time. That gave me ~2 miles to recover, which was enough to get me back on the Queen K with about 10k to go. The final march would have been more pleasant had broth/soup been available, but that was not ready yet (dont really understand the rationale there). The rest was painful, but amazing - quiet, but the sounds of working my way thru the aid stations deafening (Water! Gel? No! Cola! Ice! Soup?! Sponge! Thank you!). I was able to really enjoy the run down Palani and back thru town, completely satisfied even though I really didnt know where my time was shaking out. At that point, I just knew that I did all I could do and, to me, that meant I delivered and accomplished my primary goals, which is deeply satisfying after about of year of prep (for TX and then today). I made a point to look into the crowds on Alii and in the finishing chute, I tried to marinate in those words: from Hoboken, NJ!!! Jared Tootell!!! Your are an.... Never gets old when its your turn:) One final note, I did Tribike Transports valet service for the first time - really good call. They basically go and get your bags and bike later in the night for you so you can enjoy the post-race festivities. Considering our time on the Big Island was limited, this was a no-brainer. Boom! And that was Kona 2014. I hope to be back, if for no other reason, than to make sure Cruz is aware of this little pocket of life out there where you get to watch some dreams come true up close and where hard work and perseverance is not only the common thread, it is celebrated. Mahalo!
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:03:47 +0000
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