OMG………9hr 11min Ironman Arizona!!!!!!
November 27, 2009
Incredible, nothing short! He came in 25th over all beating 10 professionals and 2nd in his age group earning his Kona badge all in his first ever Ironman. I try to provide equal press when reporting our tri member’s races but I must make an exception for a couple of reasons; historically I tend to suck up to SB Tri club presidents and more importantly, Kyle Visin 9:11:38, turned in an Ironman performance never seen since our club’s inception.
This all took place last Sunday, November 22 at the sixth running of the Ford Ironman in Tempe Arizona and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Just over 2500 athletes undertook the 2.4 mile counterclockwise lake swim, 112 mile 3-loop bike and 26.2 mile 3-loop run beginning before dawn on a slightly windy but sunny morning. Even though the weather at 5am was 50 degrees and the water was at 62 degrees the rest of the day was nearly ideal racing conditions setting the stage for men’s winner Jordan Rapp 8:13:35, and women’s champion Samantha McGlone 9:09:19 both to eclipse the previous course records. In attendance, along with the athletes representing all 50 states and 30 countries, was a crowd of 55,000 people and over 3000 volunteers packed into Tempe Beach Park. The loops in the course and the way it’s spread out makes Arizona IM the friendliest for observers and supporters. An estimated $4.2 million is brought into the Tempe City coffers of which some is ear-marked to help the Maricopa-Pima Indian’s diabetes program.
Next tri-clubber to become a first time Ironman was Karen Egerman Schultz 11:21:50, W30-34 19/122. I was very pleasantly surprised when Karen flew by me saying she was on her last run loop and I was on my second. I knew then she was having the race of her young life but what happened? I trained with Josh and Karen a number of times throughout the year and noticed she was usually behind on the bike and somewhat on the run. I know sandbagging is not a nice word but what is it when her small voice in training becomes a roar on race day? I surmise she enjoyed the feeling of flying past hubby Josh to finish with a 9 min lead. I would also predict a grudge Ironman is in their future. Josh Schultz 11:30:25 M30-34 86/237 turned in an excellent time having to start his first time Ironman with knee pains. Ventura County friends of the tri club Kim Hargrave 11:47:50 W35-39 25/119 and Norbert Hoehne 11:47:59 M40-44 109/454 flew on the course and accomplished their goals. Our own Sarah Mandes 12:15:30 W30-34 39/122 scored a PR on this Ironman after she thawed out from the swim. We met sister and mom Mandes the day before the race and immediately noticed the warm shiny bright smiles they all have in common. We met Kyle’s family (all young enough to be our kids) and of course the effervescent omnipresent Shannon who is the reason why our new president is a lucky guy. I know it has been said many times but I want to go on record to assure everyone that no one could do an Ironman without the support of our family, friends, cheering crowds and volunteers that commit to the same long hours.
Before I include Sarah’s fine race report I wanted to say a few words about my personal experience leading and including this Ironman. In April of this year I hired Liz Groom to coach me expressly for this Ironman. I got a sweet packaged deal that came with a training buddy of my generation. I would see Liz and Dave almost everyday either training or asking questions. Those of you that know me know that I tend to be a worrier. I think I could be the embodiment of a Special Needs Bag. Dave and Liz would work with me to build my strengths and to calm my nerves almost full time. Helen thought that me and Emmy were the Grooms shared custody children. Dave and I logged many early morning and weekend miles together not ever varying from Liz’s training plan except from the occasional better offers from home. When I crossed the Ironman finish line I gave my wonderful wife of 34 years a tearful kiss. However, I know Helen understands, when Dave came over to give me a big beaming congratulatory hug I got chills. The thrill of the finish line really requires the 1000 strokes/cycles/steps journey with a training buddy that has been there for you every moment. Thank you so much Dave, in my opinion, we both crossed the finish line together.
Here is Sarah Mandes race report:
Most people who have attempted an Ironman will tell you that you’ll experience the lowest lows and highest highs. My first Ironman was one big high, so I never understood those sentiments. I learned on Sunday!
For the entire week leading up to the race, I was giddy with excitement. That ended on Saturday morning when I did a practice swim in Tempe Town Lake. The water was cold, and the air was cold. I spent the rest of the day fearful of how cold race morning would be. My fears proved to not be unfounded.
The air temp at the start of the race was 46 degrees, and my guess is the water wasn’t much more than 60. Every time I started to warm up, I got cold again. It disappointed me because last time I loved the swim and wanted to love it again. I didn’t. The water was also crazy crowded, and even at the finish, I had to nearly doggie paddle through the pack to make it to the wall to get out.
My feet felt like blocks of ice as I ran to the transition tent. It took a long time to put on my gear for the bike, and I felt disoriented about what I needed to do. Thankfully, an angel next to me in the tent offered me a fleece. She saved my race.
Even with the fleece, I was freezing. My teeth chattered uncontrollably for the first hour. I wanted to quit SO BADLY. I kept telling myself that the sun would get warm soon, and I would regret it. Training for an Ironman tests your perseverance, and it’s a good thing because that’s what got me through.
Once it warmed up, the race became a lot of fun. The bike did get long towards the end. The third loop of the bike was really windy, and I just wanted to be done with it. There was a volunteer at the dismount line, and I told him, “Here, take it! I never want to see it again!” I saw my friends and family cheering, and I got a huge lift. I felt high as a kite as I raced through transition and on to the start of the marathon.
The first couple miles of the run were so much fun. I was screaming and singing out loud. After four or five miles, though, reality set in about how far I had to run. Suddenly all I wanted to do was lay down and go to sleep. I worked hard at mentally segmenting the distance to make it more manageable. Seeing my friends and family helped infinitely. Craig Adams had his bike and kept finding me in the deserted areas of the run. I can’t thank him enough! And Desa and Liz were such amazing cheerleaders the entire day! What a blast to have them out there. I also (finally) got to see some of my friends who were competing!
With ten miles to go, I got a new burst of energy and surged again. After a few miles of this, the buzz wore off, and I struggled again. I focused on the countdown to the finish. At a mile to go, I couldn’t stop smiling. As I neared the turn to the finish, I screamed to the crowd, “I’m going left! I’m going left!” (I previously had to continue straight for the second and third loops). Then, wow, the finish stretch. I surprised myself with how emotional I became. I couldn’t stop from crying and laughing at the same time. The more I cried, the louder the crowd cheered. I heard my family yelling for me, and it just brought more tears and a bigger smile! My sister quickly made her way to the finish area, and it was a joy to hug her. The tide of emotions kept on as the rest of my family and Desa joined me.
I can’t imagine anything more cathartic than an Ironman finish. This was even more so than the first time, knowing that I had come so close to quitting.
I am eternally thankful for my briends and family and the countless volunteers who got me through the day! I am very proud of everyone who competed in this race. They call it an Ironman for a reason!
Sarah…
Thank you Sarah for a great race report. Here is Kyle’s race report just in:
IM Arizona!!! I decided long ago that this single race would define my season. Every training block, every race, every workout, every hour spent swimming biking or running in the last 11 months was one way or another in preparation for this one day.
In the final 12 weeks leading up to the race I laid everything I had on the line. This crucial time in my training went as smoothly as one could have hoped. I was fortunate enough to have Fred Maggiore, who helped me construct an impeccable training plan which is what I believe was the key factor that allowed me to execute a successful race. I used this plan to push myself longer and harder than I ever thought possible. Week after week I put my physical and mental limits to the test and yet somehow I could feel myself getting progressively stronger.
As my taper led into race week the nerves were definitely there. When you dedicate so much or your life, so much of your time, effort, sweat and blood into one single day, one single event, I don’t think you can help but to be nervous (or at least that’s what I told myself)! My only saving grace was the fact that I was able to combat my nervousness with pure excitement for the event. Race day could not come soon enough and I couldn’t wait to toe that line!!!
I awoke race morning with some excitement yet I felt much calmer then I expected. I guess I knew that there was nothing more I could control except my attitude. Before I knew it I was giving Sandy a high five for good luck and into the water I went.
I positioned myself in the middle front which for whatever reason seemed to be much less crowded then the edges. The gun went off and I was officially racing. I managed to get into a good pack of swimmers and although we were setting a solid pace the swim seemed easy. This is exactly what I was hoping for!! Before I knew it I was Through T1 and on the bike.
For the first of three laps I really held back. I felt stronger on the bike then any time I could remember in the last 3 months so it was very mentally challenging to let so many people go. I just kept telling myself, “Respect the marathon…. Let them go now and they’ll come back to you later. You’ll get them on the run.” Instead of worrying about who was passing me I focused my fueling. I took in over 500 calories an hour on the bike which is on the higher end of what is recommended. I’m now convinced that is what allowed me to feel so good throughout the run. My preparation paid off. I constantly felt full during the bike but never had any stomach issues or cramping. The second lap I picked up the pace a bit but still felt really good. I couldn’t believe how fast the hours were flying by. By the third lap I could see people starting to fade a bit which gave me more confidence. With about 20 miles to go I realized that my front tire felt a little low. Yep… I had a slow leak. I figured at some point I was going to have to change it but I would nurse it as long as I could. Luckily the course was mostly straight and smooth but as I got closer to town the turns were getting a bit sketchy. Every time I hit a bump my rim was bottoming out. With 5 miles to go I was just praying it would get me back to transition and luckily for me it held just enough air to get me back to T2.
Once I was off the bike I was so ready to run. I felt as thought I had only ridden about 50 miles at a moderate pace and I was ready to take back some of those positions I had given up in the bike. For the first lap I just stuck my HR in high zone 2 low zone 3 and got into a solid rhythm. I was surprised at how good I felt and how much the people I was passing were suffering. Due to the nature of the course I got to see my family and Shannon about every 4-5 miles (twice each loop). They were able to tell me what position I was in (got to love the live updates online) each time I passed them. There constant cheering combined with fact that I knew I was moving up through the field got me even more motivated. After finishing the first lap in 58 minutes I was questioning whether I had gone out way to fast. My heart rate was exactly where I wanted it to be and I was still feeling great so I just kept plugging allong. When I finished my second lap in just under an hour I knew if I could hold it together I had a shot to reach the podium. At this point the magnitude of the race was staring to show and fatigue was really beginning to set in. I just told myself “These last 10 miles are what you trained for. This is where all the hours and hard work pay off. Just suck it up and run!”
With 4 miles to go I knew there was nothing stopping me. Running down the finishing shoot was somewhat of a surreal experience. I crossed the line without really being able to comprehend what had just taken place. All I wanted to do was see my family and give Shannon a big hug. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Shannon run so fast in my life. She grabbed me balling saying, “Oh my god you did so great, I can’t believe it, were going to Hawaii!!!” If you know Shannon she’s not one who often outwardly express such emotion. Seeing her like this I couldn’t help but get choked up too. I guess an Ironman brings out the emotions in everyone.
Thank you to all of my friends and everyone in the tri club for all the kind words after the race. I didn’t realize how many people were actually following us all on race day. A special thanks goes out to Fred for putting up with me this last year. I definitely could not have done this without your help and guidance. I also want to thank my family for being so supportive in every way no matter what it is I do. Most importantly I owe a special thanks to Shannon. She has been there day in day out and truly been my backbone this last year. She keeps me honest and always puts perspective in my life, but most importantly she is my biggest fan and allows me to do what I truly love. I could never have completed that race without her love and support and feel truly lucky to have her in my life. Kyle
Thank you Kyle for a very informative race report. The Voice of Ironman, Mike Rielly, shouted out when I past the finish line “Sandy Roberts, you are an Ironman!” I think he should add “now get a life!” Since returning home from Arizona I have been vegging on the couch with massive quantities of Thanksgiving spoils only stopping when all is scraped clean. What do you do with all this free time? I’m still riding a nice high from Ironman but like a junkie, I’m starting to crash. I guess it is time to ease back into off season training for fitness and return to family life. Next tri UCSB?
Sandy
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