2016 Ironman Arizona Race Report

                                             

It is rare in life that one can walk away with all objectives accomplished. This will be no exception. I hold no regrets as the journey getting to this level has made me a better person in every way. At 45, I am of the view that the science of aging and athlete performance has not yet caught up with the trend in sports. I also want to be upfront and candid, sub 10 hour Ironman on Arizona course on 11/20/2016 is a good time, one to be content with, but by no means represents an exceptional level. The day was near perfect conditions.
Since Soma 2011 race, I have had my eyes on this race. I am attracted to desert. I am always in awe looking at rock, sand, brush and cactus. Why? Have no idea, just brings the happiness in me.

Few words about the race itself. It may serve as a guide to those that are contemplating racing it. It is arguably the most popular North American race, known for it's fast course, stacked fields of competitors and beginners alike. Phoenix is very accessible with reasonable airfares and plenty of flight options. Hotels in and around Tempe area are numerous. No lack of choices either.
The venue is well put together with transition and course layout. I will not discuss personal preferences on loop courses and such matters. I take the courses as they are. This is very easy logistically to handle and clearly remains as one of the easiest  races to complete the admin and prep on the race day. Volunteers are in abundance and no lines were noted at any point during check in. I did complete the race admin on Thursday as opposed to Friday, expecting the lesser crowd.

The Prep Summary

We all know what it takes to prepare for Ironman. I will not spend much time discussing that. I only want to point out that after 3 years of traditional long course training with QT2 Systems, I am significantly dropping times across long course events, putting in the work that is necessary. Yes, that means repeated 20hr weeks. Braking through many years of plateaus where I experimented with high intensity training and various advertised shortcuts.......Ultimately, there are no shortcuts in Ironman training. Let's close that argument. You will either do the time with poise and quality, reaching your potential or repeated failure will become a norm.
More importantly, this time, more than ever, the infrastructure of support has been developed to a whole another level. During my years at NetJets, I have come to know an Iranian sedan service driver Reza. He was a first generation immigrant, much like myself. He would be chosen by my company to shuffle us between airports in Denver. During one of our pleasant talks about life and things, he once said:
"Aleks, build it, they will come."
That sentence rings so true in many ways. I am blessed that I am surrounded by people in life who understand who I am and know what makes me tick. It is clearly my wife and her relentless support that drives my success. It is my children who give unwavering commitment to their sport, that makes me get up and go out the door. It is looking them in the eyes and being credible that picks me up at some of the lowest points during races. I have athlete friends whose support makes me accountable to them. Those that I coach, deserve a credible coach who walks the walk. Choosing a coaching service and a methodology behind it, along with health professionals in the field of sports PT and massage are key to have. Yes, I have that all behind me in my pursuit.
It is that infrastructure that makes this possible. It cannot be emphasized enough.

The Race Week

                                                    Testing out Normatec at the Expo

Coaching staff of QT2 Systems prepares the race plan and delivers it for review prior to race day. The Nutritionists on staff have prepared  the race week nutrition guidelines as well as race day fueling. I am no stranger to either, have executed them before.
The pacing plans are well anchored in the training data we collected over the season. I felt very confident that I was at the level appropriate to execute the plan. The power and pace will be just a brief summary below, along with their projected times.

The Race Pacing Plan

Swim:
Go out moderate, no sprinting, not needed, than settle in the steady aerobic pace, find fast feet and sit tight.
Time estimate: 59-1:02

Bike: Hold back first 20min, allow HR to settle, spool up after to the mid range of power target, after 2.5 hrs, if feeling well, push power to upper range of target and hold.
Time estimate: 5:01-5:06

Run: Come out of T2 at pace on the upper end of range, settle in, allow HR to dictate where will that fall....maintain and expect to dial back by use of RPE, slow down will happen and it will be predictable how much, walk aid stations when needed to down fluids/calories......
Time estimate: 3:30-3:38

Total time estimate with T1/T2: 9:36-9:51

I was confident and believed in this plan with my whole heart. I put the work in and I have consistently seen numbers in training that were well above this.
The race week was excellent in many ways and I was feeling rested. No more difficulties walking up the stairs......no more soreness. I was sleeping well. Having Sladja with me got my mind of the race in a healthy way. I had all the good signs lining up. Taper was working as intended. Yes, an occasionally doubt would pop here and there but I was able to calm myself down quickly.
The weather was checked, equipment choices were made and there was nothing significant that would impact the race.
There are mistakes made that will clearly come back to impact the race day and hunt me. I will list them in order:

1. Left hip area injury that I believe was contained and under control, was not. I was seeing a specialist for Active Release Therapy and Graston for 8 weeks as I was nursing this nagging pelvis area pain. It was diagnosed as Psoas Strain. I was having immediate relief after treatments and it was not stopping me. It would be painful after long runs.......

2. I followed nutrition guidelines to the T in the days leading to the race. I did so with little regard for the feedback I was getting from my stomach the day before. The day before was nearly 4000cal for me and I never got to empty my stomach properly before the race.

3. I did not sodium load this time. I was fooled by moderate weather forecast and it never really crossed my mind. My honest belief is that this had the most significant impact along with hip issue.
Excessive consumption of water+Nuun likely lead to diluting the concentration of sodium leading into the race. Done that to myself many years ago, just forgot about it.

The Race

The entire pre race routine was accomplished per plan and flawlessly. Felt still significant pressure from food waste in my lower abdomen. Could not clear. Oh well, I thought. Gonna be fun at some point, I am sure. Indeed it was. Later.
I was relieved to opt for sleeveless wetsuit top. No sleeved suit ever felt good as it would restrict. I put it on, kissed Sladja and went to line up at sub 60min swim corral.
Sladja's words kept ringing, "Race Happy", I stuck with that. I honestly felt grateful for being able to do this. How amazing to be lined up with 2500 other athletes, at dawn, ready to rip another Ironman.

The Swim

Gun went off, metered entry by the fence, than down the stairs, final look at my trusty 920XT, start button hit, jump in the 65F water, off we go.
Numerous contact from all sides did not deter me from settling in and going for that moderate effort at start. I never sprint at these. How silly is to watch some people do that, it baffles me every time. If you are one of those, sit and think. It's a long day. You can sure loose it on the swim.
 It always thins out quickly for sub 60 swimmers, so it was no different this time. Clear line was not hard to find. What was exceptionally hard, was sighting and eventually joining up on the buoy line. Very murky water, cloud cover, chop in the water, all made me literally use my instinct as to where the line would be. Did not let that unsettle my rhythm.  Maintained a very solid stroke rate coupled with crisp body rotation and I enjoyed it. No hard breathing, no gasping. Caught a pair feet to my side that looked moving about my speed, hopped on and drafted for a bit. Seeing feet in that water was impossible, so more by feel is what I relied on.
We swung it around for return trip, caught the tailwind and cruised home. No fatigue was felt and nice steady stroke rate, occasional sighting, locating columns of Mill Street bridge. I remember being forced by kayaker twice to angle to the right to stay on course.
The Garmin file shows dramatic decrease in pace in the last 1000. It even includes two interruptions to GPS signal shown as me stopping during the swim. There was no stopping at any point and no slowdown.
Approaching stairs, last 200, I kicked a bit to wake the legs up. Grabbed the railing to pull myself and immediately took two cramps, one to left quad and one to right hamstring. Of how much fun that was. Could not walk myself up the stairs at first. Managed somehow the top of stairs, seeing strippers realized I was not ready with the suit for them to pull.......
I moved gingerly through T1 trying to prevent the onset of cramps again. Legs were twinging on the verge entire time.
Rest of T1 uneventful. Mounted the bike past the mount line and was happy the swim was over.

1:00:36- within the window and no overexertion. 7th AG out off the water.

2016 IMAZ Swim File

                                        Out but not prepared to take the suit off by strippers.
The Bike No Drama

Initial thoughts while leaving T1 were , oh going to be a long day with these early cramps, but I quickly talked myself out of negativity and remained positive. This was my day and I was not going to let it derail. Instead, I began addressing the problem.
I drank early and I drank a lot. I knew that additional intake of salt will help. My above knee left quad was sore from cramping, so was the right hamstring. I was cautious to hold the power back early and let things settle.

I stuck to the plan and executed it per plan. Early on I hung in 215-220w range, allowing the HR to settle back into mid zone. It was all coming nicely. Wind was noticeable but made no difference, I rode with power holding horses back. I was being past left and right. Patience and wisdom.
Each one of three loops I rode was higher in power and gradually built. I rode up to Beeline first loop at 220W, subsequent loops at 224W and 228W. I stayed on the power coming down and first two loops brought a lot of guys back. I drank ahead of schedule and peed 5 times during the ride. Stop to special needs was made. IMAZ does an awesome job preparing the bags with minimal time loss switching bottles. I really enjoyed the ride ad while it felt like work it was by far the easiest long ride of the year. Third loop coming down, I still had to hold back and control myself. It was still easy producing 240-250W. I would see it on display and reel myself back down to target. Glad to be done and dismount uneventful. I was interested to see what my legs have left. Surprisingly no cramps at all on the bike, not a trace. I was optimistic that I would deal with it effectively.

                                               Cactus everywhere out on the Beeline. Loved it.

5:05:06-  per plan. 13th AG, rolled back 6 spots.....I am no slouch on the bike, I wanted to think that I was riding smart and getting ready to take time back out of AG during the run.

2016 IMAZ Bike File   (Ignore IF and TSS, I did not reset my true FTP prior to race, FTP estimate would be around 295W.

The Run Drama

I was relatively efficient running through T2 but felt that legs were not responsive and a tad heavy. Usually takes a few miles for my legs to come back so I was in no panic, stayed focused and positive.
The first mistake was made here. I forgot my Clif blocks in the run bag and went on the course. No harm, the course served them too, so I was going to live off the course in addition to my two flasks tucked in my Zoot shorts.
First two miles are gently rolling climbing up and down the levy. I was not forcing the effort and letting my legs turn at their will. The plan called for spooling up to 7:40 or HR target and staying there early on. First decision came quick, 7:40 was not happening and I was not going to force it. I was heading downwind too and was really maintaining easy effort. Caught up to one of the locals, my AG competition. I came behind, checked on watch for pace, he was running my clip. I tucked in and was conserving. As we approached any crowds, they all knew him. His name was Dan and he was quite a star. It was great witnessing that kind of support for one of the locals. At two miles we turned back towards transition and into the wind. I tucked in even closer and stayed put. We were clipping 8:05s-7:55s and I was content. I was fueling per schedule and at this point waiting for mile 6 to start working. Passing mi 4 Dan was struggling so I came around and offered to pull. We struck up a conversation. He was a 4x KQer. I thought I was in good company and that he would eventually pull through, mile 5 and 6 I held steady 8:00s and began to pull away.

Took my first gel at min 45 of the race. The regimen was quite simple, Cliff blocks alternate every other mile with gatorade. Gel every 45min. I took additional Base salt every other mile, 1-2 licks. Began to notice my stomach unsettling. It was not classical bloating but more a building bulge in lower abdomen from leftover food from yesterday......I knew I will be dealing with porta putty again much like last year at CDA. This time, the weather was near ideal with cloud cover. Pace was holding up, first hill on the course cleared but knew that porta putty stop was coming. Came down flying downhill past mile 9 and head straight into Johny. It was fast, I was right out and back at it. I lost some time, not sure how much was not dwelling on it. Running gradual uphill in the next mile I noticed twinging in hamstrings. I took additional salt and pressed on. Running half way, glanced at split and was running a 3:31 marathon. It was very doable as long as I could fend off cramping.

             Cliff Blocks in my mouth all the time. Sladja's advice worked perfect fending off the thirst                  and providing a flow of carbs.


 I was heading downwind and allowing the wind to push. The undulating part of the course was causing serious cramping in my right hamstring, I was pushing through, gritting teeth and backing off only if I felt it coming on. Pace was slowing and it was a low point. I took more gels, more blocks and more salt. There was constant lingering of hip soreness that was traveling into groin, much like in training. I learned to ignore it. Miles 15-16 into the wind and more stomach unsettling, another trip to Johny, fairly fast again and bit more concerned if I could keep taking fuel. I had to back off to give stomach  a chance to process it. I was rarely looking at HR or pace. HR was low, no concern. Into mile 16 my left hip pain dramatically escalated to the point that every attempt to drive the knee forward was met with breath zapping sharp pain, I was fumbling forward, limping and just thought keep moving forward. It was that first time where I was genuinely worried if I can continue and complete this race. Limping for 10 miles and not taking fuel was really hard to cope with. Than, thoughts of having to sit at the table explaining to my son that I quit for whatever reason just was not an option. Yes, at that moment Marko was the only thing that mattered. He rises at 4am to go swimming, he is relentless, he never backs down. I am a father of a child that is like that, I cannot be any different. Amazing moment. I decided to limp until the leg let me push it. Saw Sladja at that critical moment. Her look gave away determination, there was no weakness there, she knows she sacrificed. I know she did. I owed it to her, I owed turning inside out to get this done. I put my head down, began to drive that knee regardless of pain and worked my breath to relax. I was moving again, moving decently fast too, 8:30s-8:20s-8:10s. I ran it right up to pace that would produce cramping and just slightly back off. That was the game. I maintained the fueling schedule with walking aid stations and taking additional salt and gatorade. It was only temporary relief. At 9mi to go, I was counting time to go under 10 hours. That is what I came here for and I was going to fight for it. I had 9min miles and no slower to make it. 8 to go came, clipped it at 8:35, padded 25sec....7 to go 8:40, padded another 20sec, so every mile I was making a cushion knowing that cramps could bring me to a halt.

                                      Cleared the last "climb" on a rather flattish course. Lots of false flats.

At mile 23 uphill, both of my legs seized up, the pain was unbearable. I was squealing and limping forward, than stopping and trying to position legs on curb for cramps to release, next I walked, than easy jog and I was moving again. Clock was ticking. At 2 miles to go, I went for more fluids and more salt trying to salvage further slowing down from cramps. That additional liquid caused side stitch. Great,, I thought, what else can I deal with. By this time, pace has slowed into 8:45, quads were screaming, hip was too, but I ignored it. Last mile I was collecting myself and cold chills began. I was getting weaker, could not pick it up not even a bit. I knew I was packing in a sub 10 and was only in damage control mode. I could not afford to walk off another cramp.
Last right turn on Rio Salado, then left, the finishing shute came. Relief. Mike Riley was calling my name for the 3rd time in my career, I was an Ironman! :)
I crossed the line, was holding up until volunteers approached, than my legs just buckled, I had no legs under me. They held me, I was aware and told them no legs to stand on. They carried me to the chair, set me down. I could barely hold on. I saw Sladja and joy overtook. Wanted to hug her and hold her, wanted to tell her what I just lived through. Somehow, shortage of words at first. She greeted me with "Sub 10, 9:57:18 she said" All smiles and laughter, crazy how I pulled this off.  By all accounts, I almost wrote it off at mile 16.

3:43:34- under-performed clearly but extremely proud for overcoming with grit and strength, remained 13th on the run

2016 IMAZ Run File

9:57:18- 13th M45-49, 143rd OA, no KQ and no remorse

There have been a few times where I gave it my all. Never have I had this long battle within myself. My mental strength came through. We all have those low points and we all go digging finding reasons to endure. I am grateful I found it that day. This run will go down as one of the hardest I endured, right up there with 2012 70.3 Champs. This time, I found inner strength staying positive and upbeat to the very end. I raced happy. I managed to race happy even when things were not going my way, I did not get down on myself, I did not criticize, I just focused on moving forward and dealing with issues at hand.
When feeling great, hold back, when feeling down, patience, act to change it and it will change, Ironman is a long day.

I will be back chasing the dream again. Never back down.
Cheers.

2015 Ironman Coeur d'Lene Race Report

                                Lake Coeur d'Alene view from the CDA Lake shore Drive



It is absolutely amazing what human mind and body can do. On 06/28/2015 in Coeur d'Lene, 1331 athletes have risen to the challenge that Mother Nature brought. It was an unusual, very hot day. The official temperature in the shade recorded was 105F. Temperatures measured over black top asphalt on the bike and run course peaked at 109-112F. Not your ideal temp for running a marathon.
I have finally produced a breakthrough performance that I have been looking for since 2010. I came to race my heart out, stay strong and long shot would be KQ. I knew I would be on the bubble and needed really one flawless day. KQ would come up often in conversation. I really shied away from talking too much and would downplay it. I really needed a solid race and would be happy on the day with anything due to weather conditions.

Preparation Notes

 Last year's, 2014 race showed a glimpse of potential however I fell short in performance. I ended sustaining two injuries leading to the race and another after the race, so it really stopped me in the tracks. The years of neglecting my body finally took the toll. I have undergone the process of reconstruction by PT that included range of motion and strength work with hips and gluteus. I have been issued custom orthotics and QT2 Systems program had me in the gym all of the training blocks. I started from scratch in August of 2014.
The key changes arrived through advice of my wife Sladja, who herself had been with QT2 Systems for the last three marathons. Focus on recovery techniques, regain of mental strength and liberating myself from chasing numbers during workouts were some of the key points she made. I listened. I knew she was correct and that going forward I would really have to start changing my ways. I learned a lot from her through our many morning coffee chats. For that, I am eternally grateful. She offered me the good old effort based approach to training and I happily took it.
The summary of changes:
1. Understanding and support of my wife, kids, friends, coworkers and bosses had been  key this time around. I enjoyed tremendous amount of encouragement by my wife who not just provided the kind words but also took enormous load on herself in driving the household while I was training.
2. I chose QT2 Systems to guide me through the prep. It is a very traditional Ironman based training that suits me well.
3. I stopped obsessing with training metrics and focused on one workout at a time, making it the best possible.
4. I became very good at making recovery workouts truly guilt provoking easy.
5. I fueled before, during and after each workout during the entire Build and Peak phases.
6. I stretched and rolled every morning, frequently several times per day.
7. My sleep has been very regular, 7-8hrs per night, critical for my recovery. This is no empty statement here.

The Race Week

                                                            Bike ready for check in

                                                      Kin tearing down some crepes.

This was a family vacation as much as my race week period. I truly missed the presence of my pride and joy, my son Marko, who is chasing his swimming dream. As much as I missed him, I also fully understood the meaning of commitment to sport he made and dream he had . I was filled with joy knowing he was out there tearing down the boundaries as much I was doing it. I had Nina and Sladja along, my endless inspiration. I also had my very close friends, Kin and Kristi Lam with their family. I was extremely humbled when they expressed desire to be there and witness the race. I consider myself fortunate having such a great company. We left behind in KC one huge crowd of our friends who tirelessly cheered all season and were awaiting the most important day.
Training, resting, fueling and recovering were going as planned. There was a significant difference in my mental state. I had no jitters, no doubts, I never questioned, I only believed that this is my race and even my weather. Yes, I wanted to own that 105F course.
I consulted with my friend Bently on couple of occasions and exchanged thoughts on how I was going to change my approach to racing in extreme heat. We are a great team and bounce thoughts and ideas between. These are the changes made:

1. Swim in sleeveless Desoto suit that I borrowed from him. Water was 74F, going into a very hot day. I sacrificed a bit time for additional cooling. Body core temp control was key.
2. Respect HR metrics late in the bike, when extreme heat was going to become a factor.
3. Stay ahead with nutrition, specifically fluid/ electrolyte intake.
4. Adjust and slow down the opening pace on the run and allow HR to rise and settle in the heat.
5. Use of arm coolers and Zoot hat on the run, keeping each wet and iced.
6. Holding ice in both hands whenever possible.
7. Pack additional salt tabs.
I had a plan and I was going to stick to it. The coaching and nutrition staff prepared my fueling and race pacing plans to address the extreme conditions. Everything was now in place to handle the conditions and I felt very comfortable.
My nutrition was very regimented leading to the race. I followed the multi day carbo-load and sodium/ electrolyte pre-loading protocols. I was off the caffeine which I finally tolerated in the final week, however struggled mightily prior. I was passing out a few times at my desk the week prior, in the middle of the work day.

                                                Bike check in, the day before the race

The Race Morning

The story of this race goes to tireless volunteers. This town has been so welcoming to athletes and their volunteering effort was amazing. I had genuine concern for very young kids and heat that was about clamp down and soak us all. Huge smiles everywhere.
My pre-race breakfast was down quick:
1. Orgain Whey Protein shake   240cal
2. Banana 100cal
3. 4 apple sauces 200cal
4. 1 bottle of OSMO Preload, 100cal/ 4000mg sodium

                                                         On the way to race venue

                                                 

The special needs bags were dropped off. The adjustment was made to run special needs. It contained a pair of running shoes, socks and duct tape in addition to extra salt tabs and gels. If my feet got very wet from water spray and blisters were an issue, duct tape was to be used on top of blisters, followed by dry socks and shoes.

T1/2 set up was routine. I took in another Powerbar 75min before, chased with water, 240cal. Wetsuit came on at 0520, gel with water shortly after. At 0530 Sladja and I hugged. She asked me to be smart. I high fived with Kin and off I went to line up in sub 60min swim group.

                                                     Precious moment with my love

The Swim

                                                          Just before the sunrise

Lined up, the gun went off. Went out pretty hard, I knew I could and would get away with it. Got clean water and buoy line and went for it. Few contacts here and there as some folks miss-seeded.

 Mostly on my own, paced well, surged and jumped a few times from feet to feet. Found that hip area is a nice place to be, draft is live and well also. Navigation was ok, not perfect. I am going to give a secret out about open water swimming. The more often you sight, that many times you drop your hips, you slow down, you strain your back......instead, learning to swim symmetrically pays off. And as Coach Bob of CDA Crocs puts it, sighting every 30-40 strokes is key, not 8-10 as advertised by many. I clearly subscribe to Coach's Bob approach. Gives me uninterrupted segments of great rhythm and relaxation, decently high stroke rate.
Half way peek at the watch showed 28:30, bit fast, however I felt great. When you feel great, exercise restraint, so I did. I pulled it back a bit and cruised the rest of the swim. Very routine finish and exit out, kicked hard last 300 or so to wake the legs up.

58:28 (3min PR on the course), 15th AG, 79 OA
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/820101765/1

                                        About to run on IMCDA course on the way home

                                   Here is my 3x Boston Qualifier, no easy footsteps to follow

T1
This was another not rushed, deliberate, calculated transition. Went for the bike bag, changing tent and to the bike. Bike out and mount were very decent.

3:24

Bike

I executed entirely per plan with all targets observed in a way that allowed adjustments for rising heat. HR was key on the day. I got ahead on the fluids and my first bottle was empty by mi 15. Power was on target and HR was settling down. I had to restrain myself and keep the power in 220W range. It was going to allow for a very gradual rise in body core temp. Reaching into my rear cage for the second bottle I came up empty handed. It fell out somewhere, back. This was going to prove to be likely the defining moment of this race. The decision was simple, press on. Two adjustments:
1. I can no longer place anything into the rear cage, so I decided to use the front of my suit in chest area to store the 3rd bottle.
2. I had to revert to on course nutrition, simple sugar based Gatorade Endurance. That was a game changer. Lots and lots of simple sugar usually create bloating. I did not train with it. Oh well.....
I also had to make up now the calorie and sodium deficit until next aid station. Did my math, took sodium in and kept focusing on the next 10min window.

                                          My loyal crowd that made my day by cheering!!!

                            Enjoying the CDA Lake Shore Drive and pass by my cheering crowd

I really managed to only focus on task and through additional aid stations slow downs made sure I take in all the fueling needed. I had additional salt tabs in my bento box that were needed to bridge the gap between 1500mg/hr that I needed and 600mg/hr that Gatorade offered.
I kept legal distance from bikes ahead, I refrained from accelerating to pass in the first loop and played smart following the power guidelines. I do flatten the course, meaning, I do not allow much pf power variation between flat/climb/ descent, keeping things pretty even. It is riding with low VI.
At approximately 60mi, I stopped for special needs and long awaited own nutrition, mix of CarboPro and OSMO, more gels......

Second loop rewarded my patience. While I was simply adhering to my power/ HR and fueling, I was catching up and dropping 5-6 female PRO athletes, I was riding through some front of the pack AGers including at mile 80 what will be eventual M40-44 winner from Team Timex. I had no clue as age numbers were not visible and I did not give it too much.
I kept my emotions very even and thought only about current moment and what I controlled. In the second loop, my complete rear cage broke off and fell behind. I was not allowed to have a flat now. :)

At 20mi to go I checked my math. It was showing a very fast 5:17 bike split. Final descent got me to no pass zone behind a few slower athletes and I knew the work was over. It was time to relax and prepare for the marathon. It is at that time that I noticed first signs of bloating and gas building in my stomach. I was in self assess mode and debating whether the porta-potty stop is needed. I knew I would be risking it.

Fluid/ calories/ sodium per hour: 48oz/ 420cal/ 1500mg
Peed 4 times. That showed proper level of hydration. Oh, I do those on the go, no stopping. :)

5:18:33 7th AG, 63rd OA   (12min PR)
IF and TSS will be incorrect below as I never changed my FTP setting in GC, it came out to be based on FTP 303W, IF of .73 and TSS 280.
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/820101765/3


T2
I dismounted and handed the bike to a wonderful volunteer, ran for the run bag and porta-potty. There was not a chance to start the run with stomach like that. This really snuck up on me. I did not notice the developing condition and that purely falls on me. Obviously my stomach was not prepared to take such extreme amounts of Gatorade and fluids.
Collected all of my gear, belt...shoes and out on the run.

4:32

The Run

I was settling in and holding back, feeling very strong. The discomfort in the stomach was noticable but manageable. I reflected back on the view in T2 and knew there was something special in the making. There were very few bikes there. I was also accompanied by 2-3 female PROs now running almost shoulder to shoulder. That was unusual. They are far better runners but they were suffering in heat. It was very visible. We all followed the same regimen through the aid stations, water/ice, gatorade.....walking through, making sure we are covering all the basis to keep cool.
First 5mi went well with controlling the pace and keeping easy enough allowing stomach to function.
I was getting stomach cramps and bloating was also visible too, big bulge at the bottom was putting pressure. I knew I had to fuel and keep taking food, however I was taking additional salt tabs and getting relief from that, to only turn around to add Cliff Blocks.....I did talk myself out of being hot and was almost surprised how athletes looked around me. Pretty beat up I thought. Was it hot? I was not noticing it, I only worried about my stomach and keeping pace.
We started the hilly section and the girls have dropped me now. No worries there, HR strap decides to quit. I moved to running by feel and pace.
At the top of 6% hill, there was my trusty crowd, screaming, cheering and showing some great posters. Sladja, Kristi, Kin and all the kids were screaming at the top of the lungs. Goran Lozo would get a kick out of this one, the poster had a big "Suck it up Nancy"!!! Nina was cheering with that slogan so much that I was told a lady nearby approached them and asked them if my name was really Nancy.

                                                  "Nancy" sucking it up for sure here
                                                 

                           No, it was not hot, I kept telling myself, it is only 105F in the shade. Whatever 
                           you choose to believe on the day, the brain is amazing when it works with body


Miles 5-8 were hilly and got through ok. I could only run as fast as the stomach would let me. I was keeping focus on fueling schedule.
Each aid station, ice in the hat, water on arm coolers, ice in hands. I was controlling body core temp.
The pace was fluctuating, when stomach let me I pushed, when it cramped I backed off. Mile 12-13 brought a very severe side stitch. It brought tears. I jabbed myself with two fingers and was breathing to match the steps, I had to walk for a moment or two, the pain was brutal. There was no stopping, I moved forward. I did skip the special needs bag in that agony. That was a mistake.
Mile 17, I was off the pace and in so much stomach distress that I rushed for porta-potty once again.
It is at that time where I likely lost most of my placing and rolled back in AG standings. Prior to that I was passed by very few athletes and mostly younger crowd.
I came out, felt no relief. I was battling now a full blown diarrhea. I was not backing down. My legs were not tired as it was my stomach dictating the pace. By that time, the mistake of no run special needs was two fold, I was running out of sodium and my feet were soaking wet from using sponges and houses on course, my toes have been hitting the front of my shoes causing pain in the toe nails.
Hamstrings were on the verge of cramping. I was running very gingerly trying to avoid any movement that would cause the cramps. Came off the hilly sections where my crowd carried me again. Final 3mi were tough. I was not noticing heat anymore. Somehow, those last winding miles through the town are always a blur. I came on top of Sherman, I was clearly hearing Mike Riley, look down at the watch, it was a PR handily. I was controlling emotions at this point, after all I battled for the last 4 hours just to stay in this, I earned it today I thought. Nina was awaiting there, on top of the finishing stretch, she ran the sidewalk and screamed, brought a huge smile on my face, that girl!!!!! Crossed the finish line and was glad it was over. A soon as I stopped so did jostling in the stomach end, even though bloated I was walking around ok, watching not to make a step that would trigger the cramp. Shortly after big hug from Kristi, than Sladja, Nina and everybody else, what a joy.

                                        Running down Sherman, bringing it home, what a joy
4:02:38   13th AG, 77 OA (added 8min compared to 2014)
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/820101765/5

Finish Time : 10:27:35    13th AG, 77 OA (6min PR)



I am very happy and will carry this race in my heart for a very long time. Persevering through this race was special in every way. No race is ever perfect and each has a defining moment. In order to be Kona material, I need to grow more and dial in nutrition closer. It takes time to mature enough to cover all the basis. It is not only physical fitness, but mental capacity to endure and manage the process. Nutrition is a key element of one's ability to race Ironman. I got the long needed break-through, I have the drive to continue, I am certain that I will return stronger and smarter.
Deepest thank you to my wife and kids for allowing me to pursue the dream. I am grateful to all my friends that have been so understanding and extended help.
Huge thanks to Coach Vinny and Coach Spinney of QT2 Systems for tireless work in supporting the plan. In 9 years in the sport along with another 4 years of coaching swimming, I have rarely witnessed such eloquent and sound advice. More importantly, caring about athletes shined through. Well done.
Shout out goes to Brandon for cheering so hard on FB, that I could almost hear it. Cannells, DunLevys and Albirellis.......my buddy V2 from Toronto, all followed. Finally, my crowd from work, my dear friends Jeff and Chris......It was very humbling.
I would like to end this with a message to my son, never never give up. The hard work always comes through, just on it's own timetable, not always on the timetable you want. Be patient, you will claim your breakthrough! Love.

2012 Redman Triathlon

Final race of the season is always exciting. Sometimes we are glad to see the closing of one chapter, other times we want to see a successful chapter lasting longer, riding that high just for a bit longer. Even though I am excited to close 2012 season it is neither a success nor disappointment. Another plateau-ish year at best.

Redman Triathlon is a wonderful race, so well put together and conducted that makes most athletes must do list. Oklahoma City bursts with hospitality and that is what makes this race special. It is not the scenery, it is not the worst road conditions that you will ever encounter in a race, it is the tireless work of volunteers, community and City officials that want this race in their town. This year was no exception.
I was here in 2009, racing the same race as M35-39. It was my third half ironman distance race that ended with success 4:39:25, 6th AG, 28th OA. This time, I truly missed the presence of my two friends Aaron and Rocky, who made for a great company that year.
My usual, loyal crowd was with me once again, making the last early wake up of 2012. They were glad for the season to be over. Nina was excited, no more 4am wake ups.

It has only been two weeks since the 70.3 Championship race. I am not fully recovered. Workouts in peak week confirm that. While I had no trouble putting out the power and pace, any length of race effort made me tired quickly. I opted for a short swim AM, short bike+run brick/ mini race simulation every other day, with a day of complete rest in between. I wanted to stimulate the system with short race efforts, but also take extra rest along during the race week. It was a good balance. Felt very good.

No goals for this race. Just some form metrics estimates+ power/pace/HR numbers:

1. Swim, full suit, pace 1:35/100m, good for 30min 1.2mi swim, realistic as I have put this out so many times
    with ease
2. Bike FTP estimate 265W, on the downslope from Vegas, NP 220-225W, IF .85, TSS 172 based on
    time
3. Run VDOT 51 and declining, rough goal pace 7:30-7:20min/mi, times 1:37:00-1:35:00

I was going with whatever the day gave, no goals, just good time and delaying the agony for as long as I could. I was not ready to suffer again.

Course:

Swim: low water level version, counter clockwise triangle, miss-measured and made longer by about 160-180m, murky water in the middle of lake. Water temp 71F.

T1/T2: long run from middle of lake up the dry bed, wetsuit strippers

Bike: flat to wavy course, cannot even call it rolling, deceptive though as I recorded just over 1600ft of climbing, still flat but appears more climbing than Racine and Soma, I was looking for faster times, but that may explain, still very fast course with terrible roads, rough and littered with potholes big enough to swallow entire bike.

Run: Two loops along the lake, flat as pancake, as flat as you will ever see during the race. We can call it Lala flat, my Coach will appreciate this.

Weather: race start 61F, wind ESE@5-7mph, race end 85F, wind NNE@12-15mph

Up at 0400. Usual pre race breakfast,  no oatmeal this time, no microwave. No salt preloading in the days before, took my 2 salt tabs+calcium with the meal, hydrated well and coffee. I had no sleep overnight. No explanation, however it is not the first time I am racing after no sleep. The night before was solid rest and sleep, I was not worried.
Arrived to T1/2 on time, calm and collected, set up all my gear. After all, this is my half ironman number 11 and number 4 this year alone. The routine is down, no distractions.

Race result: 4:42:09, 7th M40-44, 27th OA

Pre swim nutrition: 1 honey stinger gel, 2 salt tabs chased with water

Swim:   33:27        910XT data shows avg pace calculated 1:33/100m, corrected to 1.2mi comes to 29:30
                             my typical wetsuit swim, this was way longer....
                             GC file:  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/225892521
Positioned well again, shortest line, clean water, good start. As always, no different this time. I rode on feet almost all the way but last 600m as the swimmer ahead was beginning to wonder around. I held the effort here pretty steady, Z3, breathing rate in check. There was no contact along the way. Very nice and measured swim. Looked at the time across the mat, shrugged my shoulders and went on. I was not worried, no time to chase.

T1:  2:06      one of the better and faster times in AG
 Used strippers, long run up to bike racks. Smooth and collected.

Bike: 2:26:30, AP/NP  218W/222W, 3.15 W/kg, IF .84, TSS 177, avg HR 152, avg cad 96
         GC File: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/226785549

Started the ride with a solid flying mount, shortly after, feet inside shoes and I was turning pedals, look down at my STUPIDOMETER- Garmin 500 with Quarq power, said I was spot on was not being stupid at the moment, 215W and gradually rising with HR being relatively high, 168, normal coming off the swim.  I was producing power in cooler weather and had to hold back not to overshoot. Also first 20-30min of restraint goes long ways in allowing the body and HR to settle. I was executing now with focus and discipline. 15min into it began to drink, HR check, was coming down, 20min power check was at 220W NP and feeling very good with no focus required to produce output, but rather to hold back. Tailwind was evident as avg speed was going over 24mph. Several athletes went by in a train, yep, blatant drafting, but no worries, I do not cave in. It is way early to race it. I usually get them back in the last quarter of the bike as fading sets in. Those that have done this enough know that major placing climb usually occurs in the last 14mi of the bike course, as wisdom prevails. I was drinking on schedule and using my usual doses of 300cal/hr however dialed back the sodium levels 1360mg/hr, 1-1.5 bottles of fluid/hr.
HR was higher than I wanted to see, but I felt in check. After 30min NP was at 225W and I intended to keep it there as it felt good. I kept even NP entire time 225W, HR had downslope trend but remained at the bottom of Z4 for me most of the race. RPE was correct. Again, cooler weather, flat run course, allows for wider range of effort levels. The ride consisted of dodging huge potholes, kept me busy but could not keep my head low enough and it was straining my neck. I ride with 15cm drop in front and my head loves being low and eyes down just ahead of my front wheel, my neck relaxes like that. At one point, hitting a rough patch on the road, I lost a water bottle from my hand while drinking, yep, that rough, shook me a bit and woke me up.
Half way, clock indicated a sub 2:24 ride, but winds were no longer a friend. Same power was now producing 22.3-22.4mph and I was not going to push over. I brought back two riders from the train by mi 50. I knew I was close to the front, no excitement, controlling emotions. After all, I was not sure how far will I go before Las Vegas fatigue would catch up. Last 6mi were all about relaxing, stretching and spinning at a lower effort. After return for final 3mi around the lake, I got caught by two riders, dropped to legal distance and kept their pace, allowed power and HR to drop significantly. Entire ride NP drop occurred in that section from NP 225W to NP 222W, HR was 138 and going lower. I did like that as I was preparing to run. Flying dismount went routine, I was running with the bike to the rack.

T2:     :49      one of the faster times, Sladja still does not know, she would have been proud. In the past I caught a lot of flack over that. I also caught her by surprise being back, I never disclose bike times to her, if I miss it, makes them worry, don't want to do that.

Run: 1:39:19  avg HR 161   GC file: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/225892534
        hydration/ fuel: flask total 360cal, taken at mi 2, mi 6 and mi 9
        sodium:  total 2490mg, taken at same intervals as above
        coke: miles 10 and 11
        hydration: water at every other aid station

Quick glance at my 910XT exiting T2 showed 3:01:xx for the total elapsed time, math said 1:37 run was required for a PR, about 7:27min/mi, I thought not bad let's see what I can do. No stress once again, just a mental note. I decided to skip the usual strategy of miles 1-3 of somewhat easier pace. I parked it at 7:24min/mi or so and wanted to see how it feels. Self check, felt ok, very easy and doable, HR was into 148-152, I thought, this feels "easy enough", let's see how far will it take me. I got nothing to lose. PR would have been nice, but was not going to happen at all cost, plus it was way early into the run and likely to cause blowing a lid. I had a nice quick stride, toeing off was effortless, was looking around and enjoying. the scenery. I was in "no man's land", the lead group was ahead and untouchable for me, some 40-44 athletes were in it, including the winner to be Dave Slavinski from NJ. He was flying on that run. Miles 1-5 were uneventful, had a look at overall and AG placing and was happy, counting 6th with nobody in reach, I sure was looking for excuses not having to push. Behind nobody too. First loop was topped off seeing the Rock Star Coach Ken Welsh, he was looking strong, we cheered each other passing by, than saw my friend and athlete I coach, Brandon Simpson, also known as Swimson. That dude can swim. Was known for his famous Kansas State 100 Backstroke record. He looked calm and in the zone, despite not having an easy day. His swim split was 6th overall at the race. Cheered each other too and went on. It is always great seeing people you know.
Turnaround came, 6.55mi, Nina was running next to me for a brief period. She was cheering me on, was great having my little girl shouting for me. At this point, I was working now. HR file shows rather abrupt and steep climb in HR. First, heat was rising now, wind was picking up too. It was by no means Vegas hot, it was warm, 84F, I don't dare calling hot anymore after being in desert 2 weeks ago.
I was no longer smooth and had to focus to turn my legs. HR was going into 164-166, my zone Z4-5a, I always know that sand clock begins to tick when I see that, implosion is not that distant anymore and I have to watch. All the fueling was on schedule, I was now pouring water on myself at every aid station.

At mi 9, wheels began to come off, I did hold the HR, but pace was slipping, mi 10 huge hamstring cramp brought me to a squeal and halt, had to stretch, kept walking and limping until it let go, went running as soon as I could, pace was slipping to 8:05, HR was over in Z5a 166-169 and I was giving all I had to move. I knew my PR dream was over, I was at piece with it. Got passed in the last mi by an athlete from M40-44 and I had nothing more to put up fight. Zipped up my MTC jersey and got ready for the chute.

Sladja and Nina were there, big hugs and kisses, huge relief and immediate deflating. Season was over.
In summary, very decently executed race, swim/bike perfect, run could have been more restrained early but have no regrets at all. I was shooting from the hip with no surgical precision. Key being, bike pacing was one of the best I had,, that produced an ok run. Piled up fatigue and lack of adequate endurance are key in slowing this run down.
Time to sit down reflect back, examine logs, document good, bad and ugly, learn from it and go forward. It is time I break the plateau.

2012 Ironman 70.3 World Championships

Here comes the race report of my most anticipated race of the season. Little background in qualification for this Championship race. It is long for sure.
In September of 2011, I raced Ironman 70.3 Branson, M 40-44 age group, placing 5th and earning a slot in a rolldown process.
Branson is a tough race with the bike course unrivaled on the Ironman 70.3 circuit. The run is what separates these two venues, Vegas being hilly, though not extreme at all in terms of topography but desert heat, combined with blacktop asphalt, makes for a very difficult run. My thought process was, if you can do Branson, you can do Vegas. Little did I know, but more on this further down.
Few words about the goals for this wonderful race. Some of us are very goal driven, I am in that camp. I did struggle to define goals for this race as it was my first time racing at this level. I entered it with very loose and fuzzy understanding as to what I wanted to do here. First, I wanted to execute well. Race day is all about execution, many of us frequently fail at that, I am no different. Defining the placement goal, for me, largely went, placing mid pack in my M40-44 would be success. The numbers/ metrics for pacing and racing are a little different matter and serve us as tool in achieving the goals defined above. Executing a Long Course race is all about discipline and managing the current moment, managing what you have control over.
My Coach did provide the plan to execute. It was me who had to believe in it and carry it out. Predicting times on a race course in triathlon is a dicey proposition, but some loose estimating is required to understand TSS or stress induced during each as well as creating the overall  fueling/ hydration strategy. Anticipated numbers were:
FTP estimate 265-270W      VDOT 51     weight 155lbs
Swim: 31-33min, non wetsuit, I do not wear any speedsuits either
Bike: goal NP 227W, not sure on IF, however, this was 5-7% higher than all my Half Ironman races this year , I also added the HR range of 145-150, mid to top of Z3 for me
Run: early pace of 7:40, mi 1-3, than take it up to 7:30-7:20 pace, HR 152-158 early than into 160+ range, obviously HR dictates a lot on hilly and hot courses and becomes the lead metric. The pace metric was intended for a flat course with moderate weather and it was up to me to adjust for desert heat and hills.

                                     Friday 09/07/2012 Bike gear check in, T1 Lake Las Vegas

Sunday morning 09/09/2012, wake up came at 0320 local time, usual morning routine, feeling very good, however noticing that my legs/quads felt heavy/ sluggish. Thought to myself, oh well, I will shake it off as I am setting up my T1 and waiting for the swim wave.
Pre race breakfast:
* cup of coffee
* 1 Honey Stinger waffle 160cal
* 1 serving of Oatmeal     200cal
* 1 small banana              150cal
* 1 small bagel+ Apricot spread   250cal
* 1 small block of dark organic chocolate, 70% coco    100cal
* Dose of calcium supplement as well as 2 salt tabs with water

I packed a bottle of 300cal Infinit, gels, salt tabs and water to maintain hydartion+ calorie intake during pre race time, while waiting for my wave to start.
From above, it is noticeable, absence of any protein sources. Over the last 5 years, I have been refining my pre race breakfast in terms of amount and content. My stomach is more sensitive than most and I have found that any amount protein causes pre race GI distress. I tend to stick with simple to complex carbs for the most part, trying to allow for fast release type as well as slow release, minimum to no fiber and closely watching the volume of food intake. Latest nutrition reports coming from experts at PBN (Personal Best Nutrition, consultants to many PRO athletes, including 2012 Ironman Texas and Ironman New York winner Jordan Rapp) indicate the importance of the ratio of calories vs. volume of the intake as a factor to consider. It is a very personal experiment to find that proper ratio where food volume in GI tract is not causing bloating and other discomfort, yet calorie needs are met.
Exited condo on the strip at 0440 local time for a 30min ride to Lake Las Vegas. It always brakes my heart to wake up my kids and wife this early. They are my loyal support crowd, the crowd from which I draw all my motivation to keep going. This time around, I can admit freely, at the crucial moment in this race, it was them that brought me up.

                           My love, my best friend, my training partner, my inspiration, my voice of reason

                                                      My little tough crowd, joy and pride
This time, I was accompanied by my friend and training partner Bently who calmly drove our way into Lake Las Vegas. First glance at the backed up traffic was no cause for concern, than lack of movement of this endless river of cars was enough to wake my type A personality up, did not take very long. As the approach to parking lot dragged out, we agreed that Benlty and I would have to exit the car to run down to T1 before it closed. Sladja would drive the van. What a way to start your race morning. It did not shake me up, I was surprisingly calm about it, on alert though.
T1 set up went very smooth and quick. Athletes were crawling all over T1, usual business. My set up was calm, deliberate and collected. Maintaining the routine is critical. I was quickly in and out, ready to enjoy the scenery. Found a spot in shade, away from the crowd, close to bike mount line. What a learning experience that was, watching PROs mount. All sorts of stuff, great and not so great.
It was time to stroll down to the start. I hugged and kissed my wife and kids. Always love doing that before my race. Marko even let me do that, he was looking around making sure no teenage girls were watching the scene. :)

Race day weather came out as a very hot day. Temperatures reported in the shade were upwards of 95-97F, widespread recorded temps on asphalt were reaching 102-105F. Winds were from the East at 6-8mph. Water temperature 83-85F. Pretty extreme for my taste. I was uneasy about it. I feared that it would take an incredible amount of suffering. The day will prove me correct.

SWIM:     33:34, 97th AG, 696 OA,      GC file:    http://connect.garmin.com/activity/220979576
Positioned to the right, next to buoys, clean shot, love figuring that out. Good start, solid effort first 500m than long stroke/ cruise mode, effort down. Found feet, hung on and dialed further back. Key here, for me was not how fast I can swim this, it was how can I keep my body core temp low and not incur too much time deficit. I was at a very low end of the effort scale, conserving, knowing that there is a very hot day ahead. Rest of the swim was uneventful. The lake was awful, muddy, brown.......hard comparing after Racine and Lake Michigan.

                                                        Swim exit and a long run up to T1

T1:          4:06
Long run around to T1, very routine, decently fast and smooth. Another long run out with the bike. Flying mount and off I was gone.

Bike:     2:55:49, no idea on ranking of the split but at the end it got me into 126th AG, 853 OA
             GC file, powermeter went dead soon at about mi 8-10:  
             http://connect.garmin.com/activity/220981670
             Powermeter shows numerous drop outs, all indication of the failure as I do not coast unless I spin out. So data unusable.
            Hydartion/ fueling summary:
            Infinit 300cal/hr, 1800mg sodium/hr, 24oz fluid/ hr
            The climb out of T1 started as usual, high HR from the swim, felt good and was producing the planned power, no issues. Turn on Lake Mead Pkwy was downhill and used to recover the Heart Rate (HR), soft pedal, brought power down to goal level, another climb after turnaround and now HR was going higher very easy, knew that was not good, power still in check but RPE was beginning to tell that it is true that this effort is costing more. Started hydration/ calories. The rock around was radiating heat no doubt, temps indicated over 90 early on the bike.

                         Unreal scenery and the world of hurt, alone battling myself, deep in my memory
                                               What makes you tick when things get tough?

Powermeter was gone early, no drama, reverted to observing HR only and was very good at ignoring it. I knew it was very high 152-155, during climbs touching 158-160, I was well on the way of blowing up. It is amazing how you find various excuses to ignore your STUPIDOMETER, it was telling me I was stupid but I thought, it is a championship race, time to throw numbers out and race your heart. I could have not been wrong more. Passed mid point mile 28 and further to mi 40, passed numerous M40-44 athletes to know I was in deep trouble climbing back on Lake Mead Pkwy toward Lake Las Vegas, both of my quads were locking up. I thought nice, have not had this in long time, being a veteran of cramping from 2010, it was a great reminder that you also have to be tough, grit your teeth and suffer quietly so nobody can see. Mentally, I was in a world of hurt. The feeling of heavy legs never went away, I just pushed and pushed, the dull pain was now constant, twitching of hamstrings and quads was moderate. I was taking additional salt tabs but it was not enough. Strategic mistake was made in the amount of fluid required. I was thirsty most of the time, never had to pee, very salty residue on my suit, all signs of a person in serious distress under relentless heat.
Completely underestimated the dry hot desert.

I was now in a full blown survival mode, being dropped left and right by male and female cyclist, great feeling, not so. Looking down, observing average speed dropping and dropping. At this point I was no longer sure that I can continue past T2, several times thought about turning my chip in at T2. One thing was clear, early to mid point distress revealed my huge mental weakness and a lack of readiness to fight it. I was in shock how early I crumbled. Took a while to grasp that.
My Edge was showing 102F above asphalt coming into T2, yep same place where I was about to run a half marathon.

                                                          Did I mention that it was hot!

T2:       1:50     It felt like eternity, I really did not want to leave the tent, wanted to lay down, felt weak

Run:      2:02:46    118th AG, 849th OA    http://connect.garmin.com/activity/220979583

I was out on the course in disbelief. I was certain that there was no way I will ever finish this. My body felt pain everywhere, neck, shoulders......general weakness as if you are ill, I was running, do not know how, but I was.  I come to learn about piecing the course, so I thought next aid station.
Henderson run course consists in general terms, 2mi uphill, 2mi downhill, unprotected, no shade, blacktop asphalt.

                           I was about to find out how far am I willing to go when mind says enough, when quads  
                               are seizing up and relentless heat is overwhelming, how deep will I have to dig  
Mile 1 came and the first aid station, I began to walk, take calories, water, salt tabs, ok, time to run uphill. Forced myself to run uphill, it was tolerable for the moment, many around me were already walking, struggling. I knew I was not alone. I was tunnel-visioned and looked only few feet ahead, managing movement in the current moment. I really had no idea where is the movement of my legs coming from, I was seizing up not long ago. I was present enough that I knew I had to drink and take calories, never lost focus there. It was a matter of survival. I now developed a routine walking every aid station and taking all the ice, liquids, calories from my flask. Closed the first loop, about 4mi and was now in some strange world of only hearing noises around me. Heat was unbearable. Than saw Sladja, Marko and Nina. I remember hearing Marko yell "GO ALEKS" and Sladja looked at me straight in the eyes, she was saying something.....The look was the moment that I will not forget, it instantly brought me back, I woke up, looked down the road, it was time to work. No, the pace did not change much, I was not looking at my watch, just ran, climbing back up, loop 2, I started bringing back some runners, one of them was last year's Branson M40-44 winner.

                                     Critical moment during the run, mi 8, I managed to pull away from
                                     an athlete, winner of M40-44 at 2011 IM 70.3 Branson, race where I
                                     lost to him, but managed to qualify for this suffer fest
                                                       
 Yes, I caught up with him, I thought wow, I am not the only one falling apart in this heat. Said hi to him, he looked at me, told him how I knew who he was, we instantly became friends, I dragged him up the hill, talked to him and helped him get through his "rough patch", I was a little worried as his breathing was out of control. I kept him company for 3/4 of the loop and kept us both running, no walking. I was feeling better and more capable of running faster or at least I thought, so I made sure he was ok and wished him luck, picked it up and left. I was now running decent given that it has been over 5hrs in that heat.
Final mile came, I do not know how, all is a big blur, I just remember now wanting that finishers shirt. I thought for the first time that I have earned it. Ran down final mile at 7:05 pace, where that came from, no idea. Through the chute and it was over........DUN!!!!!!!!!!! I was at piece.

I will never be able to express enough gratitude to my wife and kids who have spent numerous Saturdays and Sundays, eating breakfast without me while I was training. I do not know how many evenings have I fallen asleep exhausted without saying good night. No social life so to speak, no time for friends and movies and anything that normal people do. It is a heavy price to pay. I am also one of those fortunate whose spouse gives unconditional approval in this quest and pursuit of athletic achievement. After all it defines who I am.
Thank you my love.