Let’s start off with a general introduction and give
you guys a little insight about me. I am
a 42 year old, 43 in Triathlon years, father of two beautiful children, ages 5
and 8. I am married to the most
beautiful woman in the world, both inside and out. I have a full time job and usually the one responsible
for getting the kids to their extracurricular activities, i.e. gymnastics,
violin, swim, after school. I am on call
24 hours a day for work. Yet, despite
all that I managed to train 15-20 hours a week.
I can’t say it was easy and that it didn’t take a toll on my personal
life. Through it all, my wife was a
trooper. She understood the commitment
required due to her being a multi-marathoner.
I also can’t say that training went smoothly either. There were times where I knew she was
frustrated and just wanted this to “be done”.
So for those moments, I would like to tell her Thank You. Words cannot express the gratitude I have for
my wife being as supportive as she was.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.
I Love You Very Much.
For those of you new to Endurance Sports, an Ironman
consists of a 2.4 Mile Swim, followed by a 112 Mile Bike and ending with a 26.2
Mile Run, for a grand Total of 140.6 Miles.
All of this has to be completed in 17 hours or less. So if you are driving around and see one of
those oval stickers that have “140.6” printed on it, you now know what that
means.
“The
Journey is the Reward” is an ancient proverb which many
refer to during Ironman Training, and race day is a celebration of that
journey. I have to say that I agree
whole heartedly. For me, the journey
started back in May 2011, the inaugural year of Ironman Texas. My wife volunteered at the event. Her excitement got me thinking that maybe I
would like to give it a try. But there
was a problem, I hadn’t swam since my younger surfer days, I did not own a road
or tri bike and had only recently started running again. I mentioned to my wife that I wanted to start
doing triathlons and possibly do Ironman.
She kind of chuckled and gave me the “Yeah Right” look. Despite her doubts, I was determined to make
it happen, well at the time at least do a triathlon. I sought coaching and found the most awesome
training group, again recommended by my wife, Outrival Racing. I signed up for a training program which
would have me possibly completing an Olympic Distance Triathlon by
September. However, my swim struggles
only allowed me to participate in two sprint distance races that year. I was registered for a third but a bike crash
and several stitches kept me from participating in my last race of the season. I had originally planned to do these races on
my Mountain Bike, since I had not yet owned a road or tri bike, but as luck
would have it, I found a used Titanium framed Quintana Roo Santo at my LBS
(Local Bike Shop). The price was too
good to pass up so I pulled the trigger and bought the bike for $400.00. I rode this bad boy, which I named the
Ti-Terminator, for the season.
In 2012, my plan was to do a few Sprints and finish
the season with a Half Ironman. I
started the season with a Sprint in Kemah, a Sprint in Cypress and ended the
season with a Half Ironman in Conroe. In
May 2012, I volunteered at all day at Ironman Texas. My day ended by being a “Catcher” at the
finish line. Seeing the athletes finish
and being there for some of my teammates was really moving. You see all kinds of emotions and are one of
the first persons to congratulate the athlete for their accomplishment. When registration finally opened for Ironman
Texas 2013, I immediately signed up.
So now, here it is June 2012, I am officially
registered for Ironman Texas. Let the
suffer fest begin.During the months of preparation, I really learned a lot about myself. I learned that I was stronger mentally that I thought I was, and that my body could take a seven day a week training regimen and still function normally. I also learned, for the most part, I did have an iron gut but there were some products out there that would have me racing for the nearest bathroom, if you know what I mean. I experimented with products from EFS, Hammer Nutrition, Gu, Powerade but finally settled with Cytomax as my primary source of calories, Honey Stinger Waffles and Gels as a secondary source of calories and Energy Lab Electrosalt for sodium supplementation. This is what I trained with, this is what I will race with.
I also encountered some mental bumps along the road
to Ironman. I had gotten a stomach bug
during the high volume weeks of training, call outs for work cut into training,
but the most tasking obstacle for me was the loss of a good friend. On Saturday, April 27, 2013, three weeks til
race day, I received notification that my friend, and co-worker Larry, had been
killed in a tragic vehicle accident along I-10 near Kerrville, TX. Another friend had been seriously injured in
the same accident and was listed in critical condition at a San Antonio
Hospital. They had witnessed a vehicle
accident and had stopped to render aid to the injured. As they exited their vehicle, they were
struck by an 18 wheeler. On that
morning, I had planned to do the practice swim at Lake Woodlands and then do a
6 ½ hour bike ride. Well, needless to
say my plans changed. I still did my
ride but have to say it was one of the most miserable, mentally tasking things
I have had ever had to do. My thoughts
were with my friend throughout the ride.
At that moment, I knew I would do something in my race to memorialize
him, kind of my own personal tribute.
My department classified the death as “In the Line
of Duty” since Larry had stopped to render aid, acting as a first
responder. When an officer is killed in
the line of duty, memorial bracelets are usually made. I had decided I would carry the bracelet with
me throughout the race to remind me of his “Never Give Up” spirit. Larry was a Marine who had been in Force
Recon. Quitting was never an option with
Larry. One of his favorite sayings, was
“Never above you. Never below you. Always beside you.” I knew Larry’s spirit would be beside me
throughout race day.
So let’s get down to the part you guys have been
waiting to read, my Race Day Report.
Race
Morning:
I woke up bright and early, well I say I woke but
was not really able to sleep, and ate what I normally do before I race. My race day breakfast consisted for a Pop
Tart, strawberry frosted of course, and a banana. I started chugging water and electrolytes
because I knew it was going to be a scorcher.
The forecast for the day was partly sunny with a high of 91 degrees and
south winds 10-20 mph. It’s funny,
because the previous week, low temperatures were in the 40’s, highs in the 70’s
and calm winds. Why couldn’t the race
have been last week? Something else in
the forecast could pose a challenge for the day. Every year, farmers in southern Mexico clear
their fields by burring the leftover vegetation. Usually doesn’t pose a problem but for the entire
week, we have had sustained south winds which blew that smoke into the
area. A Smoke Warning was in effect and
air quality was predicted to be “Unhealthy”.
Great, on top of heat and wind, and swimming, biking and running 140.6
miles, we will have to contend with unhealthy air.. Oh well, H.T.F.U., its Ironman.
After breakfast, the wife and I walked to the
transition area where I inflated my tires to proper pressure and secured all of
my nutrition for the first half of the bike on to the Ti-Terminator. We walked to the Swim Start for body marking
and to meet up with other members of Outrival for last minute tips and a
prayer.
 |
| Before the race... |
People had been reporting the
water temperature all week, I guess hoping for it to fall below 76.1 degrees,
WTC’s cutoff for a wetsuit legal race.
Water temperature for race day fell at 77 degrees making this a “Wetsuit
Optional” race. I opted to wear my
wetsuit for two reasons. The first, and
probably biggest reason, the wetsuit wave, starting 10 minutes later than the
non-wetsuit wave, would be smaller. I
don’t know if you have ever witnessed, or participated in an Ironman Swim
Start, but needless to say, the fewer people around you the better. The second reason for opting to wear a
wetsuit was for the added buoyancy. I had
a swim skin and knew I could cover the 2.4 miles without the wetsuit, but
having the added lift in your hips makes a world of difference in swim
efficiency and energy expenditure. I
knew I wasn’t in contention for a podium spot so I wanted to race as comfortable
as possible. I am racing to finish not to win.
After the team prayer, I headed for some isolation time. As my wife knows, I am not the type of person
who likes to talk out my concerns. I am
the type of person who likes to sort things out in my head. I was nervous but excited. A few minutes of alone time and last minute
prayers, I walked to the swim entrance to wait for the wave to start.
 |
| Isolation time |
THE SWIM
The Pros were off at 6:50 a.m., the non-wetsuit wave
started promptly at 7:00 a.m. It was now
time to enter the water. I said my final
good byes, that sounds kind of funny, and entered the water. My normal routine had been to get in a
practice swim before the start of the race to loosen up but do to the size of
the race it was impossible. I swam a
short distance to a floating dock, along with several others, and held on
waiting for the horn to signal us to start.
The wetsuit wave was indeed smaller but consisted of several hundred
people. When then ten second mark was
reached, I let go of the dock and started swimming towards the start line. I timed it perfectly, so I thought, and was
right in the middle of everything when the horn sounded. When I say “right in the middle of
everything” it’s nothing short of a description of a fight in the water. You
get punched, kicked, pulled and pushed at the start, well, for the first
500-700 meters. This start was nothing
like I had ever experienced in all of my previous triathlons. You would swim in
someone’s draft and then feel someone touching your feet. Sometimes those who were drafting you would
grab you and pull you back.
After about
700 meters, I finally got clean water and was able to get into my groove. The first turn came and the “fight” started
all over again. The way the turn was set
up, they funneled the swimmers into an area that was probably about 50 meters
wide. The second turn was about 100
meters from the first. After you round
the second turn it opens back up and clean water is available again. This leg takes you back towards North Shore
Park, the swim start area, and to turn three.
The sun was breaking the clouds making for nice scenery for the second
part of the swim.
About midway through
this leg, my left eye was really beginning to hurt. Well not the eyeball itself, but the area
around the eye. My goggles were sucked
tightly to my face and the pressure was causing the pain. I stopped for a moment and broke the seal of
my goggles, Mistake. Once I started
swimming again, my goggles immediately filled with water. I stopped again and drained the water. This time, I pushed the goggles tightly on my
face again to ensure a good seal. It
worked, however, the pain in the eye started again. Reaching turn three, I noticed some athletes
standing close to the shore. I decided to
take this opportunity to give my eye a break.
I swam towards the shore and once I could touch, I removed my goggles
for a few minutes. This made a world of
difference. I put my goggles back on,
made the third turn and headed through the canal portion of the swim.
This leg was probably the most mental tasking
of the swim, well at least for me. The
perception of almost being done provides a false sense of security because this
portion of the swim is longer that you realize.
This portion is over a half of mile long. However mentally tasking, it is great to hear
people cheering you on and Mike Reilly’s voice in the distance. The last turn buoy can be seen in the
distance and a few feet beyond that is the Swim Exit. I rounded the last turn and saw an outstretched
hand. I took hold of the hand, thanked
the volunteer, climbed the stairs, got my wetsuit stripped and headed into
T1.
As I headed down the walkway, I saw
my wife, my sister, my nephews and my good friend Matt. The all cheered and congratulated me as I
hugged and high-fived each. I continued
on and called out my bib number so they would have my Bike Bag ready. As I rounded the corner, I heard someone else
screaming my name. I looked up and saw
my former coach, Ana. I walked over to
her and gave her hug. I could see the
look of pride on her face. After a few
words of encouragement, I was back on my way.
I grabbed my Bike Bag and entered the changing tent. After getting on my bike gear, I exited the
tent only to be cheered on by my wife and family again. I found my bike and headed out to the Bike
Out.
 |
| swim done, about to head out on the bike... |
Total
Swim Time: 1:44:18
Swim
to Bike Transition: 9:28
My
Projected Swim Time:
1:30-1:45
THE BIKE
I got to the mount line and headed on my way. My goal pace was to do the bike at a 16 -16.5
miles per hour which would have me completing the bike in a little over 6 hours
45 minutes to 7 hours. I know that
anything can happen on race day and I have to prepare for the worst.
Having ridden the course on several occasions, I
knew that it would be tempting to go out hard on the first half of the bike and
take advantage of the tailwind. I also
knew what lie ahead, and that the last 56 mile would be primarily into a
headwind. This is southeast Texas. As the day progresses, the winds tend to get
stronger. I knew this would be a
challenge coming back in so my strategy was to take it easy and conserve energy
for the last half of the bike.
The first 10-12 miles of the bike were pretty
uneventful. You spend most of that distance getting out of the Woodlands. Once out of the Woodlands, the route takes
you through Conroe, to Montgomery, down 149 towards Richards. To me, this is one of the most scenic
portions of the course. 149 takes you
through the Sam Houston National Forest and is the only part of the course that
is shaded. There are rolling hills along
this portion of the course which can sometimes pose, depending on your
conditioning, a challenge. The down hills
are great. I saw speeds of 28-29 miles
per hour. I kept a steady pace throughout
this portion of the course and was at my target speed going into special needs
area. I took in my calories like
clockwork. I had an audible timer set on
my Garmin to remind me when to intake calories.
The timer was set for 15 minutes.
I had done this so often in training, that I had developed a Pavlovian
response to the chime. I would find
myself immediately reaching for water bottle as soon as the chime sounded. It was funny to see. So, in the bottle was 2 scoops of Cytomax, 96
calories per scoop, mixed with water.
The entire bottle, which would be consumed in an hours’ time, contained
approximately 192 calories. Every forty
five minutes, I would either consume an energy gel, usually Honey Stinger Gold,
120 calories, or a Honey Stinger Waffle, 160 calories, for a grand total of
310-350 calories per hour. During
training, I would normally drink one aero bottle filled with water every two
hours. Be mindful, most of my training
rides were done in temperatures less than 70 degrees. During the race, I would collect two water
hand ups per aid station and have both consumed by the next aid station,
approximately every 10 miles. So in
essence, due to the heat, I was drinking 32 oz. of water per hour. Also consumed on the hour were two
Electrosalt tablets.
The bike was brutally hot. As much as I drank, one would expect to have
to stop at every port can between start to finish, however, no stops were
made. I made it to Richards and headed
out on the Anderson loop. This was the
start of the second portion of the bike.
Things were going smooth, however, I found myself behind a few people
traveling at a slower pace that I had planned.
In case you did not know, the bike course is considered an “Open”
course. This means vehicle traffic is
permitted. The shoulders on some of the
roads along the route were nonexistent so passing proved difficult at
times. There were long stretches where I
found myself behind a person going 14 miles per hour. Eventually I was able to pass but would
frequently get caught behind some slower riders. This was causing my average pace to drop
dramatically. I was falling behind my
desired pace.
The first bike cutoff was at 1:40 p.m. Each athlete needed to reach mile 60 by the
cutoff time. I looked down at my Garmin
and immediately knew I was not in danger of missing the cutoff even if I were
to refuel at the Bike Special Needs area.
I got to the Bike Special Needs area, mixed a few bottles of Cytomax,
restocked on gels, grabbed a Kind Bar and was back on my way. I looked down at the Kind Bar and realized
the Texas heat had taken its toll.
Speaking of the heat taking its toll, at every aid station past Special
Needs, I saw many athletes dropping out and waiting for the SAG vehicle. At mile 80, at least ten athletes had come
in, dropped their bikes and asked to be withdrawn. I got through this aid station as quickly as
possible because seeing people drop out can sometimes be contagious. I had decided long ago that I would not drop
out voluntarily. If I fell over and
passed out and was pulled from the race, then so be it. Quitting was not an option.
I pressed on and enjoyed the “downhill” portion of
the course. When I reached aid station
9, approximately 93 miles into the race, I learned that they had run out of water. Thankfully, I still had half of a bottle left
and my aero bottle was almost full. I pressed on and saw the turn to take us
back into The Woodlands..Almost Home.
The last aid station had plenty of water so I filled back up and began
taking in as much fluid and as many calories as I could in preparation for the
run. I switched to a higher gear and
began spinning at a higher cadence in order to flush the lactic acid which may
have built up. During the last few miles, I accidentally launched
a bottle from a cage behind my seat. I
decided to leave it knowing I was in the home stretch and the nutrition it
contained would not be needed. I made the turn down Six Pines and then towards
transition. I removed my shoes thinking
it would make for a faster transition.
When I dismounted, I ran, well I say ran..lol, towards the changing tent and the running bag
area. When I hit the sidewalk leading
into the changing tent, I realized that I should have kept my shoes. The sidewalk was hot. I had was wearing socks but still felt as if
my feet were being scorched. I grabbed
my running gear bag and entered the tent.
 |
| Coming in on the bike |
Total
Bike Time: 7:33:56
Total
Transition Time: 11:57
My
Projected Bike Time: 6:45-7:15
Average
HR: 153
THE RUN
26.2 Miles is foreign to me. I have run Half Marathons, 13.1 Miles, and
during training, had run 18 miles but never a full marathon. I had trained myself to take walk breaks
every mile to simulate walking the aid stations during race day. This was my Plan A but like most people now, I
always have a Plan B.
I exited the changing tent to set out on my
run. I saw my wife and kids as I passed
the Run Out. Said my hellos, gave hugs,
kisses and high fives then set out on my way for the three loop run
course. I had run the route many times
in training and I knew the terrain well.
However I had not anticipated my legs to feel as if they had stopped
working. I was able to shake them out
and settle in at a pace which would keep my Heart Rate in mid to high Zone 2.
The advice of my coach kept ringing in my head, “Do not go Anaerobic. You will ruin your race.” I know heat and hydration play a major factor
on HR so I knew my HR would be a little high.
As I got to the first mile, I saw my former Coach Ana again. She and her daughter came up to me and
started running alongside. I cannot tell
you how uplifting that gesture really was.
She gave me a few words of encouragement and said, “Don’t give up. You got this Joe.” Yes I Do.
I Got This. As I ran on, I passed some signs which my wife had made and
placed strategically along the course.
The signs were funny and a good mental motivator. Thank You Babe.
 |
| Loop 1 |
As I pressed on, I tried to take in a gel at the 45
minute mark. For some reason, I could
not take in the gel comfortably. I did
not vomit, but it was very hard to swallow.
This was early into the run and I thought to myself, “I need to take in
calories.” Again I tried to force down
another but soon realized that if I kept this up, it could very well cause an
issue that could end my day. I decided
to forgo the gels and start taking in calories with whatever was available at
the aid stations. So for calories, I ate
chips, pretzels, orange slices, grapes and Watermelon. The Watermelon was the best treat and tasted
soooo good. I also took in chicken
broth, water and Electrosalt. I tried cola at one stop but had to throw it
out. For some reason, it was the worst
tasting thing ever. Early into the run,
something strange happened. I reached
for a bottle on my fuel belt and tried to raise it to my mouth to take a
drink. My hands were so weak. I could barely squeeze my bottle. This continued for the majority of the
run. I still don’t know the cause but
have to assume it was a lack of calories.
I did a combination of run walking East Shore and
finally made it to the waterway on my first lap. I was looking forward to this portion because
I knew the crowd support was going to be awesome. Awesome it was. As soon as hit the waterway, I felt energized
and was able to run for a good portion of this part of the course. I saw my Support Crew across the canal in
front of the Marriott. I waved and knew I
would see them soon. I made it around
the canal and headed back for lap 2. I
passed my family just past mile 8. They
had a cool set up. A pop up tent,
chairs, a cooler filled with adult beverages, and Pizza. Oh how I wish I could have partook but I had
a job to do. I high fived, hugged,
kissed and thanked them for being out, at least I think I did.
 |
| Headed to the tunnel of butt-slapping cheerleaders! |
Lap 2 was pretty much identical as the first. A combination of running and walking, keeping
my HR in check and eating oranges, grapes chips and pretzels. On this lap, I got to see a few of my wife’s
friends. They gave me some words of
encouragement and some words of advice and I was back on my way. The first run cutoff was mile 17. All athletes had to be passed Mile 17 by 9:40
p.m. I passed the Mile 17 marker with
over an hour to spare. Gave the mile
marker sign the “finger” and thought to myself, “Take That.” Just past the 17 mile marker, I came up to my
Support Crew area again. Gave my hugs,
high fives, kisses, but this time, my wife asked me, “What mile are you
on?” Huh? I knew I just passed the Mile 17 Marker but
for some reason, I could not think straight.
She then said, “Well look at your watch.” So I did, staring blankly at it. She realized what was happening, grabbed my
wrist and began checking the data herself.
That was when I caught my snap and said, “Oh yeah, between 17 and
18.” She laughed and decided to run with
me for a short distance. I told her that
I would be back in about two hours and that I would see her at the finish line.
 |
| Saying hi to the adoring fans! |
The third lap was excruciating. I had developed blisters on both heels and
balls of both feet. The pavement had
taken its toll. I was tired, my feet
hurt and it was painful to run. I pretty
much walked the whole third lap. I
stopped at every aid station eating my usual oranges, pretzels and chips. During the last lap I recalled a tidbit of
knowledge given to me by my coach a few days before race day. She said not to be surprised if my Heart Rate
were to drop. She said that my body
would be tired and so would my heart.
“Don’t be alarmed. This is
normal.” I happened to look down at my
Heart Rate Monitor at around mile 15. My
Heart rate had gone from 146, top of Zone 2, to 124, the top of Zone 1. I found this odd but paid it no mind. I felt good, well as good as I can feel after
the day I had endured thus far.
I made it to the final stretch, the out and back
which takes you past Landry’s, and everyone was high-fiving each other as they
passed. You could feel the
excitement. The finish was near. I made the loop at Landry’s and was now in
the final stretch. I was finally
directed towards the finishers chute.
Right at the finishers chute entrance, I ran into my coach, Karen, and
her husband Guillermo. Courtney and
another teammate was also there. They
all congratulated me on my finish. I
entered the finishers chute and all the pain disappeared. I made my way through
the chute, running and high-fiving random spectators. The feeling was electrifying. I rounded the last corner and the finish line
was in view. Mike Reilly could be heard
announcing the finishers. I continued on
my way stopped to say hello to Kelly, Jennifer and company, and then I saw my
Support Crew. I stopped said gave my
thanks, high fives, hugs and kisses to my wonderful wife. I proceeded towards the finish and then
crossed that line. “You are an
Ironman”.. Wow…That’s all I can say is
Wow.. There is nothing that can describe
that feeling. You have to experience it
to know what I am talking about. I
crossed the line and met with my “Catcher”.
Funny, I was that person last year.
He escorted me to the people handing out medals, walked me to the area
where I picked up my finishers shirt and hat and then to take a finishers
photo.
 |
| Whew, almost done!!! |
I had done it.
I had swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran 26.2 miles. I earned the right to be called an Ironman.
Finish Time: 15:58:53
My Projected Finish Time: 15:00:00 – 16:00:00
 |
| Mission Accomplished! |
Afterward:
This experience has taught me a few things about
myself, the sport of triathlon and triathletes.
I know this is going to sound cliché’ but I learned
that anything is possible. You just have
to decide to do it and have the discipline to focus on the goal and do whatever
it takes to achieve your goal. Three years
ago I was sitting on the sofa drinking beer when I decided to run a half
marathon. No look at me. I am an Ironman.
Being a police officer and a triathlete, I quickly
learned that they share a similar passion.
Both cops and triathletes are gear fixated. The both have to have all the latest gadgets
not matter the need. I fell into that
mindset early on into my police career but learned much later the K.I.S.S. concept. Keep It Simple Stupid. I carried this into my triathlon training and
equipment. I did not have a $5000.00
bike, aero helmet, race wheels, high dollar GPS watch, power meter,
computrainer or any other of the things that are cool. I wore a standard helmet, rode a bike with a
tubular frame, however it was titanium but got a really good deal, had standard
aluminum wheels, a Garmin 305, not waterproof, and a plain digital watch. The most expensive piece of equipment I
bought for my bike was the saddle. A
Cobb V Max Pro. But the most important
thing I did for my bike was to have it expertly fit by Tad Hughes. I am a firm believer that it is not the bike,
it is the engine.
People ask what was going through my mind during the
race. Well, a lot of math. I spent a lot of time calculating calories,
sodium intake and pace. I also spent
time singing songs in my head and repeating a few sayings. “Not me. Not today”
whenever I would see someone seek medical attention or drop out. But I found
myself mostly repeating, “I can do all things though Christ who strengthens me”. I believe my faith paid a big part of my
success in the race.
People also ask how it feels to have completing such
a daunting task. It feels awesome. It has been a few weeks since the race and I
am still on Cloud 9. I am a much
stronger person mentally. Would I do it
again? In a heartbeat. What’s next?
Well that is probably the toughest question to answer. Next race up is
the Goofy Challenge. After that, maybe
an Xterra or an Ultra Marathon, not sure.
Two things are on the agenda for sure; spend a lot of time with my
family and let my wife train for an Ironman in 2015.
 |
| Just a few pics of the support crew! |
