Ironman Wisconsin 2005 Race Report

Introduction (from www.Ironmanlive.com)

The fourth running of the Ford Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon promises to be yet another amazing day of racing in this sports-crazy town that is known as one of the best spots to bike here in the United States, along with being the site of America’s premier “party college” in the form of the University of Wisconsin.

Those two attributes have a bit to do with why this race is so popular and so successful, but there is a lot more to the magic that makes this such a hugely successful event.

The community here gets behind this event in a huge way. The race is based here in Madison, but as you swim and bike and run through this beautiful mid-American city, you’d have a rough time believing you were in anything other than a rural triathlon paradise.

The race site in Madison is nothing short of spectacular. The expo and transition area are set up at Monona Terrace, a huge conference facility overlooking Lake Monona, where the competitors will swim. Just a few blocks up the street is the awesome State Capitol building, which offers a beautiful backdrop for all the pre-race festivities.

The hard, hilly, and not-very-fast bike course is the defining part of this course. While none of the climbs on the course is particularly long or difficult, the rolling hills are relentless. The competitors will be cheered on by more than 20,000 screaming spectators in the town of Verona, which is about 20 miles from the race start and finish in Madison.

The run course, which goes through the University of Wisconsin campus, also features some tough hills, the toughest of which come towards the end of each of the two-loops.

The run course has a bit of everything – city streets, the University campus, a lake-side trail, and huge crowds of cheering spectators. It all ends with that spectacular finishing backdrop, one of the most incredible in the sport – a downhill stretch to the line with the beautiful State Capitol building behind.

With about 2,000 competitors slated to start on Sunday morning, we’ll have lots to watch for in addition to the impressive professional field here in Madison. We’ll be bringing it all to you right here on Ironmanlive.com … thanks for joining us!

Ironman Wisconsin 2005

Ironman Wisconsin 2005 on September 11, 2005, was my first Ironman of my five year triathlon career. Though there were a few hiccups during training, I had completed 2 century (100 mile) bike rides, a long run of 16 miles, and was consistently swimming 4000 meters in the pool during swim workouts. I also had completed a number of “brick” workouts that consisted of 45-60 mile bike rides followed with 10 mile runs. My race calendar included 2 sprint distance triathlons, 2 international distance triathlons, and 2 half iron-distance triathlons. I felt I was fitter and more prepared entering this race than I had been at any other race I’ve trained for.

The upcoming day was predicted to be hot (weather in the upper 80’s thru low 90’s) and there were rumors of winds up to 15–20 miles per hour. Both of which were exceeded by Wisconsin’s weather.

On race morning, I woke up at 3:30am, ate breakfast, TCOB (took care of “business”), showered, dressed and was at the race site by 5:15am.

I dropped off my special needs bags and my water bottles and was ready to go by 6:00am. I found a quiet space to sit and review the race plan in my head.

My plan for the race was to swim and bike aggressively enough so that I could potentially walk a 9 hour marathon, if needed. Though I had to be conservative enough to ensure that I didn’t have physical issues that might sideline me during the event (e.g. cramps in legs, stomach issues from nutrition, or over/under-hydration). I still wanted to have legs for the marathon. Time given up on the swim or bike could be gained on the run, or so went the plan.

By 6:30am, officials were corralling athletes towards the swim start. The race began promptly at 7:00am and there were 2078 athletes bobbing in Lake Monona ready for the mass swim start.

At precisely 7am the cannon sounded and the race started. The swim for me (usually the most difficult of the three sports for me) was a pleasant surprise. The first 500 meters felt like I floated on the draft of swimmers ahead of me. There was the continual banging and jostling for position, (known as the “washing machine”), but I had been used to it from previous swims – it’s quite an experience with 2000 other athletes. My worst fear was that someone might hit me in the face, knock off my goggles and I would lose a contact – which would end the day for me. Luckily, all the “hitting” came from behind or my left side (I breath out of my right side) – so there was no issues. I was out of the 2.4 mile (3.86 km) swim in 1:18, a very good time for me and definitely one of the better swims I’ve had at any distance.

I exited the water and immediately unzipped my wetsuit and ran to the wetsuit “strippers” – volunteers are lined along the swim finish to help athletes get out of their wetsuits. First the top is pulled down, and then I was ordered to lie on the ground. Two volunteers “ripped” the wetsuit from my legs as if I was wearing jeans that were too tight. J

Athletes then run up the “Helix” – a circular parking ramp that winds for 4 stories. Into the transition area, volunteers yell racer numbers so that other volunteers can grab your gear bag. Once you get your gear bag, you’re directed to a “changing” room. In the changing room, I put on my socks, biking shoes, race belt (with race number), helmet, and sunglasses. I loaded my pockets with GU, Endurolytes (electrolytes), and bike pump with CO2 cartridges.

It was then off on the bike for the 112 mile (180 km) ride around the scenic Wisconsin countryside.

The ride for the first hour, as we headed west, felt great, and I was moving at a very comfortable pace and passing people along the way. The hills were soon to come and the weather was warming up. The ride was going well, and I knew it was hot so I made sure I took in liquids and stuck to my nutrition plan. Every 45 minutes I alternated between 2 Endurolytes and GU. I drank 24–36oz. of Gatorade every 10-15 miles. (I estimated 12-15 bottles of Gatorade for the bike ride alone).

At approximately mile 50, I headed for the second bike loop towards Mt. Horeb, up to Cross Plains, through Verona and back to Madison. I felt tired, but was mentally aware. Still, at about 70 miles into the ride I noticed I was starting to get small twitching cramps in my quads. I was driven on by the thousands of spectators lining the roads and the knowledge that I would become an Ironman. The second loop was brutal, wind gusts got up to 25mph and the temperature soared to 94 degrees.

The ride from Cross Plains to Verona is generally very slow and painful, the steepest hills are located around miles 45 and again at mile 80. Ironman veterans call the hills in this area “the bitches”. By the second lap, their names are well deserved. Going up those hills, the cramps were occurring with much more frequency, I found myself climbing them in my lowest gear possible and increasing the intake of Gatorade. I still had yet to urinate.

On the way into Madison, the wind, finally, was at our backs. I also found the time to stand up on my bike and “TCOB.” A quick rinse after the last water stop and I was good to go. (A lot of Ironman athletes only take in liquid nutrition during the event to ensure that all “waste” is in the form of liquid.) I was soon into transition, having exited the water in 1:18 and ridden for 6:20. It was now time to head out on the run, but my legs were still cramping. So I alternated between walking and jogging, maintaining a 12–13 minute per mile pace. Over the first ½ marathon this sequence would repeat, I kept to my plan as best I could.

The run goes through Madison’s well known State Street and through a portion of the University of Wisconsin. The crowds are incredible, they line State Street and sit on their porches and sidewalk to cheer you on. Each athlete’s race number has their names on it and spectators are able to call you by name. Even if you’re walking the spectators are great encouragement. Athletes also get to run around the field of Camp Randall stadium.

I was taking in more Gatorade at each water stop, eating pretzels and taking “potty” breaks every 4-5 miles. Water and ice was going on top of my head to stay cool. I finally got the cramps under control and was able to jog further. However, by the second lap of the marathon, my feet were soaking wet from all the water I was pouring on top of my head and I could feel my large toes pressing up against the end of my shoes. I continued my walk/jog as best I could, making sure the cramps would not return, and ran the last mile to finish Ironman Wisconsin in 13:16:24. Not my fastest run but overall a very satisfying result.

I was very satisfied with the day. I stuck to my plan and dealt with what the day handed me. It was a truly remarkable experience. My first Ironman completed on a day where the professionals finished in one of the slowest times of Ironman events in history. There was also a 20% DNF (did not finish) rate that may have resulted in the highest DNF rate in the 20 year history of Ironman events. Typical DNF rates range from 8-10%. Of the 2078 athletes that started the swim, all 2078 finished the swim (the last one coming 1 second under the 2:20 cutoff). At least 250 athletes missed the 5:30pm cutoff and 398 DNF‘d in total.

I am so lucky to have the opportunity to participate in this sport. I’ve got great friends and my family was there to see me cross the finish line. On top of that, I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face and remained walking/standing afterwards.

Ironman is an incredible endeavor. It teaches pushes us to our limits and teaches us what we can endure.