After being unable to compete in the Door County 1/2 ironman (because of the hit and run bike crash in July), I decided to sign up for Pigman. I had never done this race before, but knew that it had a reputation for having trying weather conditions in past years. This year was no different.... it was hot enough for a pig roast! Oink. Oink.
We got to the race with plenty of time to set up in transition and get organized. We headed down to the beach, only to be informed that the race was going to be delayed due to fog. We hung out in the very warm (likely not wetsuit legal--but everyone was told that they could wear wetsuits anyway) water for a while. After a 45 minute delay, we were off. I was in the first wave, and we were standing knee-deep in the water. (Defining knee-deep seemed a bit subjective to me...my knee deep or the guy next to me who is 6'4'' knee-deep??). They had just finished the National Anthem, and luckily I had my goggles on, because all of a sudden I heard someone say, "Ok. Go!" Everyone took off, and I stood there stunned. I watched everyone else moving around me and my first thought was to try to start my watch! I messed around with it for a bit before thinking to myself, "What am I doing?" and taking off. As a result I got off to a late start and ended up getting stuck in a pack of swimmers. I had to stop several times to avoid getting hit in the congestion. It felt like a mosh pit in the water. Finally I came out and onto the beach. I looked at my watch to find that it hadn't started anyway. Oh well...
I ran into T1 and headed out on to the bike course uneventfully. My goal for the bike was to try out my new powermeter and attempt to ride at my goal ironman pace. I got passed a fair amount on the bike, but this was not really anything different from usual :) The bike course had some nice rollers on it, but was great for testing out the powermeter as there weren't any real severe downhills where I coasted. I started my nutrition about 30 minutes into the bike. I took in 5 salt stick tablets, 1 20 oz. water bottle of EFS, 5 liquid shots, and a couple of small sips of Heed and water. On a side note, this was my 3rd 1/2 ironman this year (Triple T, High Cliff, Pigman), and my 3rd bicycle this year. I had my pink Planet X at Triple T, my black exocet Planet X at High Cliff (which got smacked by a car 3 weeks later), and now my black Planet X (replacement for crashed bike) at Pigman.
I came into T2 feeling pretty fresh. I messed up my transition somewhat as I ran around the rack and racked my bike on the other side. (Maybe some day I'll get the hang of these things....). Overall though, not too bad of a transition for me.
I headed out on to the run course. I had a goal of trying to PR my 1/2 marathon time, but it did not happen. I ran well for the first 9-10 miles, averaging around 7:00 for the first 3 miles, then falling off a little to around 7:30-7:40 for the next 6 miles. Around mile 10 there was a big hill to climb. The heat was taking its toll. (It was in the low to mid 90's and the course was totally exposed-no shade, no wind, etc.) I started to fall off my pace and dropped back to 8:30ish miles. I also started to have some GI distress those last few miles and had a mild version of my infamous stomach pain. I was very happy to see the finish line. I did not take much nutrition on the run; just some occasional sips of water and Heed provided on the course. I grabbed something at every aid station--usually Heed, 1-2 cups of water, and 1-2 cups of ice, and poured the water and ice over my head and down my shirt to try to cool my body down.
After the race I continued to have an upset stomach with some GI issues. I drank a few sodas, but was unable to eat anything solid for a few hours. It did not totally resolve until about 8 or 9pm that night.
Other things to note:
Breakfast:
2 Lara bars
2 Ibuprofen
2 Salt stick tablets (also had 2 before bed the night before)
~ 18 oz of Pre-race mixed with EFS
**When we started the race I was slightly hungry--probably as a result of the 45 minute delay.**
Things to remember for next time:
1. Be better prepared for the start of the swim and when they tell you to go, don't hang out forever fiddling with your watch!!!
2. Ibuprofen seems to help the stomach issue--maybe consider taking 1 on the bike?
3. Consider not taking Mirilax the night before the race to see if this relieves the GI issues? (The GI doctor had put me on this in July thinking that colon spasms and constipation may be responsible for my abdominal pain when running.)
4. Consider racing with a visor vs. a hat on hot days.
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