Injury Bug

Well, after two years of near injury free training, it finally caught up to me and over the past two months I've been trying to fix myself. A funny thing goes through most athletes' heads in ignoring the inevitable for fear of losing time and training, but if I would have listened to my coach, my body, or just common sense, I wouldn't be in as deep a situation as I got into. I wouldn't have an educational blog posting either, so lets at least stay with the positive!

After Kona I took two weeks off from really most anything except light spin classes. Another week on top of that and I started light running, just for something to do. Three weeks out, going crazy in my own head, I decided it was time to go long again. Stupid! Not only that, but I looked up the Strava segments for my routes ahead of time thinking to go crush them, not smart (Note: I think Strava is awesome, but you need to control yourself on run segments and keep with your workout goals). This attitude went on for a few weeks until a sharp pain started appearing when I'd push hard on the track. Figured I'd take a week off as this was a slight issue between Canada and Kona, and it would go away pretty easily. I'd gone over the edge already and the damage was already done. A week later I finally realized a lump had formed on the back of my heel that was probably causing the pain from the insertion of my Achilles.

Good Heel:

Bad Heel - Note bump at Achilles insertion

After a month of no running, and feeling really ornery, I was off to Presidio Sports Medicine to get checked out to make sure there wasn't anything seriously wrong with me.  I tried to self diagnose ahead of time, thinking it was bursitis in my heel, and hoping a quick shot of cortisone would be a cure-all, but unfortunately, and fortunately, my new buddy Tyler diagnosed it as tendinosis, an evil cousin of tendonitis, but more of a thickening of the achilles and luckily less painful.

Some of the causes we came up with were:
#1 Overuse - Really, three IM's in a year does that to you?
#2 Poor form - Running on tired legs leads to poor form and that puts strain on all sorts of parts that are not used to it.
#3 Heel Striking - Having changed to a short, mid-foot strike two years ago this really surprised me, but as a result of the above two, a heel strike on my left foot developed in my stride.

"Tendinosis is a diffuse thickening of the tendon without histologic evidence of inflammation caused by intertendinous degeneration. This condition is common in persons older than 35 years and may gradually develop as a result of ongoing microtrauma, aging, vascular compromise, or a combination of these factors.12 Pure tendinosis may produce no clinical symptoms or present as a painless, palpable nodule on the Achilles tendon.

The tendinosis cycle begins with an increased demand on the Achilles tendon. Factors such as vascular compromise and aging result in inadequate repair of the tendon matrix and tenocyte death.6 The cycle leads to further impairment of matrix production, causing increased predisposition to injury and microtears within the tendon.2 The cycle ultimately results in collagen degeneration, fibrosis, and calcification within the tendon. The diagnosis of tendinosis is made on physical examination when a thick unilateral or bilateral nodular cord is present. Treatment of tendinosis is the same as that for tendonitis." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222702/?tool=pubmed

Now I'm saddled with "fun" rehab exercises such as heel drops, stretching, band walking, and other pilates like hamstring strengthening movements.  Tyler said my hamstrings and glutes were weak, go figure, I'm a triathlete.

Another aspect to speed the recovery, and get rid of this lump, is "scraping" (which doesn't hurt so much as other parts of the body since there isn't much soft tissue around the heel), ultrasound, and ART (Active Release Techniques).  Going in for weekly treatments, but I've read from the above article that they think 2 a week could be better.  Not sure I have the time for that.

To keep my "run" legs going, and try to maintain at least 20 miles a week I'm utilizing the Alter-G at M2 Revolution.  This past weekend, second week back running, I managed to run pain free at 90% body weight and perform a "Yasso" workout with 3:00 800's.  Amazing how time flies when you can incorporate a detailed workout, instead of slogging through miles on a treadmill. After running, even without pain, its still a good idea to ice the heel as I do notice some inflammation.  It gets under control quickly though after 15-20 minutes of icing.

Hoping to go another week reducing the weight again to gain confidence in my heel and make sure by body performs a proper mid-foot strike.  The biggest part is making sure my stride is proper so I don't re-injure the heel or other things from favoring my left side.  There is definitely a mental block that is causing me to favor my left foot strike in anticipation of the dagger feeling I experience.  With luck, the Alter-G will help kick that thought out of my head.  Here's a video from M2 featuring another athlete from the studio recovering from knee surgery.



Starting to let myself get excited for the season now as once I'm running outside I can start setting goals.  Oceanside and Wildflower are targets of mine and I would love to improve upon last years times.

Not quite so Fat and Happy Time!

Christmas and New Years have come and gone, but I have a bit to share about a new tradition my Mom sprung on me this Christmas Dinner, an oil-less turkey fryer.  This was nearly pure blasphemy when she bought it without consulting the head turkey fryer in the family, and who's primary job is cooking the bird, but since it seems it may be healthier, less expensive, and less of a hassle, we'd give it a shot.  Heck, at least I don't have to worry about my Dad "properly" disposing of the oil after I leave.

Just a quick rundown of what's involved:
Char-Broil's "The Big Easy" Infrared Turkey Fryer - $90-130


Compared to:
Masterbuilt Propane Turkey Fryer - $50-80

Peanut oil purchase - $30-40

Total Oil Frying price - $80-120

Now onto prepping the new process.

Seasoning the bird is really the same.  Mix up all the spices you want, I go with Seasoned Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Chili Powder, Cayenne Pepper, and a plethora of others available.

The Big Easy cooker comes with a basket as pictured.  I just gently placed the turkey in, legs down, as opposed the legs up with an oil fryer.  Depending on where you look, people say either way, but a blog I found figured out the hard way they you make a bulls-eye on the breast with the bottom of the basket if you put the turkey in upside-down.

Now, I've had the cooker on for about 10 minutes and it is already piping hot!  I can see a jet stream in the shadow of the cooker so I guess its ready.  Dropping the bird in the cooker is not satisfying at all compared to dropping into a fryer.  No serious sizzle or roar of the oil, just a few snaps as some drippings hit the bottom of the cooker.

This is what I live for when doing this:

Timing is not as important as making sure you are reading the temperature of the bird.  Using oil, its pretty much been dead on 4 minutes per pound on the turkey, but for the infrared oil-less cooker, I read various ranges, and many people not wanting to even give an estimate.  The biggest point was to make sure the breast got to the appropriate temperature, 180 degrees.  It did take around 130 minutes to cook the 16 pound bird we had prepared.  Other people noted at most 10 minutes per pound max, so 9-10 minutes seems a fair estimate.

There was a sense of loss as I didn't have to hover over the roiling pot of oil for an hour, just leaving the Char Broil alone for nearly two hours didn't reward with the same sense of accomplishment.  The one thing to do was to put the mesh top to the Char Broil on for the last 15-20 minutes to let it brown.  Supposedly it reflects back more of the infra-red to give that last bit of sizzle to it.  The instructions warn you not to leave it on or the turkey will come out black!

And there it is!  The skin still tasted good, still no comparison to the oil fryer skin, and the meat was very juicy and delicious.  The end product was a suitable replacement for the reduction of effort involved.  Just the process, and "fun" of using the full blown fryer was missing.


An added benefit too is that you can capture the juices from the bird while it cooks, enabling you to make real gravy!

Guess the new tradition is here to stay.

Winter Racing Budget Time!

Its that time of year again, time to clean house and earn back some of that well spent dough on old equipment.  Well, the first set of stuff was snagged from my parent's house after my Dad upgraded to Di2.  Lucky bastard.

SRAM Red Controls - Bid on ebay here!

Great condition with minimal wear and tear.

Here's the cheapest I could find online, so any lower on ebay is a steal:
SRAM RED DOUBLE TAP Shifter Lever Brake Pair 10 Speed X 2 Carbon

December M2 Playlist

The holidays are upon us and that means its time to blow some money on iTunes from the gift cards I've received for presents!  This playlist was sponsored by my girlfriend's sister Allyson, thanks!

Approximately 90 minutes, House mix but pretty accessible for all listeners. Great for a grinding trainer session.

Darth&Vader vs FTampa - LukeSkyTampa (Original Mix)

Tiesto - Ten Seconds Before Sunrise (First State Remix)

Fatboy Slim - Weapon of Choice

deadmau5 - Sofi Needs a Ladder (MosDam Remix)

Junior Senior - Move Your Feet

Paul Oakenfold - Faster Kill Pussycat (feat Brittany Murphy)

Hard Rock Sofa & St. Brothers - Blow Up (Hook N Sling Goodwill Remix)

Linnea Schossow - Someone Like You (Alex M.O.R.P.H.'s Darth Morph Radio Edit)

Nikjam & The Meena - Goodride Feat MC Freeflow

DJ Dan - Rock the the Rhythm (Starkillers Remix)

Paul Oakenfold - Sex 'n' Money (feat Parrell Williams)

Cicada - The Things You Say (Bpm Radio Edit)

Wolfgang Gartner - Space Junk (I hate it when the music I like gets picked up by the Shore)

Wolfgang Gartner - Front to Back (Album is 'Hot for Teacher' go figure)
Not available on Amazon, but iTunes has it

Paul Oakenfold - Sleep (Marcus Schossow Perfecto Mix) [feat. Tamra]

Duck Sauce - Barbara Streisand

Fat and Happy Time!

My days are definitely much different right now compared to two months ago.  Trying to get back into the swing of things training wise, but no deadlines, or target workouts which has been great.  Cooking has been a distraction as well, but this adds to the waistline.  All experts say to put on a few pounds in the "off season", but I may have overdone it.

Adding to that, Thanksgiving and Christmas are around the corner!  One thing I love about this time of year, is our annual Thanksgiving luncheon at work.  When we fist started it, nobody wanted to cook the turkey, because, well, its hard!  Adding to the fact that it would have to be cooked overnight for a lunch, it was nearly a no-go.  Then when I researched it a bit, we realized we could fry it in the morning before lunch.  I have to say that fried turkey is incredible.  The fact that it takes an hour to cook, erases pretty much any negative there is about frying since a normal turkey takes 5-6 hours when you add in everything involved.  All I do to fry it, is clean it, dump some seasoning, heat up the oil and drop it in.  When it comes to enjoying your Thanksgiving, taking away the stresses is an easy thing to do.  The big stress of day is cooking the bird, so with that out of the way, everyone is happier.  My Mom found out I could do this and she hasn't cooked a turkey since.

I do warn you though, the first time, all in, its over $100.
- $50-80 on the fryer
- $20 for the oil
- $10-30 for the turkey, given size and quality

I'll also share this as a public service announcement and some amusement for everyone who may try this:


Here is the burner I use:


Here's a price point for 4 gallons of oil, I only use 3 for a 14 pound bird:


Disappointingly, I can't try to pawn off a link to buy a turkey from Amazon, 
So, what all is involved.

#1 Buying the equipment

Most hardware stores have one or two models to choose from.  I've used three different types and none of them have any great benefit over the other, so just go with the least expensive.  One cool feature is the idiot cutoff switch they started building into the units.  This has a timer and a button attached to the fuel line.  Every 15 minutes it turns off the burner unless you are there to hit the button.  Good for distracted people, or those with kids that are urgently pulled away from the blowtorch.

When buying the fryer, it is the best time to buy the oil.  They should have 3 gallon jugs like the Crisco one in the pic right.  this is nearly the most expensive portion of the project.

#2 Buying your turkey.

Depending on how many people to cook for, I always end up getting a 13-15 pound turkey.  A lot of sources say going over 15 pounds is not safe because it may not cook properly.  At the same time, I don't think a turkey any bigger than 15 pounds fits in the standard pots that come with the fryers.  The first time we fried at the office, my co-worker was in charge of getting the turkey and she got a 25 pounder.  We had to run out the day before and try to find a smaller one, which luckily we did.  Some fun was hacking up the bigger bird in half and then frying it as well though.

It is up to your preference for "Free Range" or Organic turkeys, but the flavor and juiciness comes from the oil and seasonings when frying, so just buy the least expensive, quality brand.  I think it mirrors using really expensive liquor in a mixed drink, don't waste your money.

#3 Prepping

I had never cooked a turkey before frying one so for everyone in the same boat, get the pack with giblets and the neck out.  They will hide it in the body cavity or other places, but it is there.  Not much else to do, just make sure you have plenty of time to thaw.  This morning my turkey was still not thawed enough, so I had to pour hot water into the cavity to get some ice out.  Yes there was a block in there keeping it frozen.  Once I did that it thawed fairly quickly.  Also, the turkey must be dry.  Water or ice heated quickly to 350 degrees nearly explodes which causes most of the injuries when frying a turkey.  Once dry, sprinkle or rub in any assortment of seasonings.  I usually use garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, chili powder, and this year I added one of those Starbucks Via's to the mix as a recommendation from my local Barista. 

#4 Cooking

I usually need a refresher for cooking, directions here, but it can take anywhere from 3-5 minutes per pound to cook.  You need to try to keep the oil around 350 degrees, but once you drop the turkey in, it drops 50 degrees immediately and you are trying to catch back up.  All the kits come with a thermometer, so along with the time, you have to check the temperature of the breast and thigh to make sure its cooked (180 degrees). Once done, wrap it up in foil and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.  Its is a little hard to get the turkey off the basket, so make sure you handle with care.  Mine has screws to remove the bottom brace which is handy.

Here's a quick peak at what happens when you drop the turkey into the oil for the first time.  It roils the oil, but as long as you didn't over fill the bucket, everything should be cool.  Most buckets come with a "Fill Line", so if you overfill it with oil, you've got other problems.

#5 Safety

Make sure to read the directions in the fryer box.  As a reminder, cook at least 10 feet away from the house.  Do not cook under any type of ceiling.  Never leave the fryer unattended.  Very bad things happen when oil boils over on top of a flame thrower.  Keep a fire extinguisher handy.

Once its cooled a bit, its ready to cut and serve like any other turkey and I don't care how bad it sounds, but the skin is amazing.

Enjoy your holidays and don't worry about the few pounds you may put on right now.  There is plenty of time to take them off later.  This is the time of year to enjoy life and have a bit of fun.

October Playlist

Now that I'm back to some normalcy, its back to putting together some new music for class and keep it interesting through a grinding off-season for all.  Around 75 minutes.

Young the Giant - My Body

The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger

Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent

Blink-182 - The Party Song

SnoopDogg & Wiz Khalifa - Young Wild & Free

The Vines - Outtathaway

Dan Black - Pump My Pumps

The Fratellis - Creepin' Up the Backstairs

Downsyde - Master MC

Justice - D.A.N.C.E.

Daft Punk - Technologic

Fatboy Slim - Renegade Master

Fukkk Offf - Rock, Paper Scissors

The Vines - Ride

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give it Away

LMFAO - Sexy and I Know It

No Doubt - Excuse Me Mr.

Justice - Genesis

Queens of the Stone Age - No One Knows

Hot Hot Heat - No, Not Now

Ironman World Championship 2011

 Kona has come and gone and I couldn't be happier.  Thanks to my family, friends and coaches, this experience was incredible for my first attempt at racing on the Big Island.  Just getting to Hawaii safe looked bleak just  a few weeks ago as a friend and I were hit by a car, then I broke a spoke in the middle of nowhere.  All in all, this year took a lot out of me racing Texas, Canada and now Kona, and while it was a fantastic ride, some down time is in order.  As I've said before, I appreciate how everyone has supported me over this year and I don't think I could ever repay enough for how great that felt before and during the race.

Before even getting on the plane things were off to a ridiculous start.  Mark Allen was sitting 20 feet away in the terminal!  Trying not to stare, of course I get caught a few times.  Boarding the plane, and I see him in his seat, I look at my ticket, HOLY $HIT, he's sitting next to me!  Holding back the urge to scream like a school girl, or like my brother when he saw Dudley Moore in Aspen, I calmly get to my seat and try to coolly let him know I won't bug him "too much".  It was a great flight and we actually didn't talk too much about tri's.  He loves to surf and has a son who is just going to college.  Mark Allen is definitely enjoying living a normal life down in Santa Cruz which is great to see.

Arriving in Kona last Sunday, I was the first of the family.  Thirteen of us were coming to town for Team Iron Kitty, and I was excited to see my brother and sister's families with all the nieces and nephews.  The week was full of fun experiences, and mellow workouts to keep my body tuned up.  Of course some trips to Dig-Me Beach, and the Underpants Run were in order.  Thanks god I don't get sea-sick either.  Some boat trips to pass the time were great, but there was a big swell in the waters that left quite a few queasy.  Wednesday a romantic sunset cruise with Whitney and then a snorkeling trip with the family.  Here's a quick run-down in pictures of the week.

 
Race Day!

3:00 am wake up, almost on my own.  Slept surprisingly well, about 6 hours!  Normal process, make coffee, bagel with peanut butter, honey, yogurt and granola.  Relax, try to check on how the pre-race IM Live feed and got WAY too excited and shut it off.  Dad got up to hang out with me and drive to the start.  Whitney got up a bit later as well and we were ready to head to Dig-Me beach.  The place is just buzzing with excitement and trying to keep my cool was hard.  Seeing some SF friends there volunteering, Abby and Doug,  was a welcome sight. and helped me calm down a bit.  Around the hotel and to body marking, still holding it together and chatting a bit with anyone that wasn't locked into their "Ironman Stare".  

Marked, stretched, suited up and all my "business" done I head for the water with about 15 minutes left before the cannon goes off.  nerves are still under control, but I'm anxious to get going.  Walking down the steps of Dig-Me beach and reality and immenseness of this event is finally coming to me.  I stand knee deep in the water, just looking around at something I'd worked for over the past 5 years.  It was an honor to race this course, and whatever result came of today I'd be happy, but I wished it would be a great day none the less.  So many other great athletes coming into the water, it was hard not to feel inferior at times.  Just remembering M2 and Tom telling me to race my race and not get caught up in moment, have faith in your training and stay patient and the race will come to you. I decided the best avenue for goals today would just be to break it into three races.  That way if one event goes to shit, I can still concentrate on the next and take home the experience.

Goals:

Swim - 1:05 to 1:10

Bike - 5:05 to 5:15

Run - 3:15 to 3:25

Wading out in the water, rear the floating Ford, it was much calmer than I expected.  Not much energy to keep afloat, I mulled around and had to move back a few times as the currents pushed everyone forward quite a bit.  The swells were still coming in from the week and there was 3-4 foot waves out on the course.  Its going to be a "fun" swim, especially since I've already documented, swimming is not my strong suit.  I put a great effort in over the past month to improve my swim, so lets go see how this works out.

I hear "1 Minute" over the loudspeaker and get lined up about 10 deep on the start.  Last minute fiddling with watch, goggles, then BOOM!  Holy crap, I didn't hear a countdown!  The race was going with or without me.  Head down and into a good stroke, "this isn't so bad".  Not freaking out, not getting crushed, This is AWESOME!  I was amazed with the civility of everyone.  You'd run into someone, but the both parties would back away.  No wrestling, just cruising along.  Big problem developed at about 10 minutes.  My goggles were leaking.  I tried them out the day before, but yes, fiery salt water coming in.  Had to stop every 5 minutes to get it out.  The swim in itself is great.  The waves and currents were causing some issues for everyone.  Every few breaths would bring a wave and a gulp of saltwater if you weren't paying attention.  Passing the boat and turn buoy, I glance down and see cameras which was fairly amusing.  The water was really clear out there and on a nice day it would be great to float around.  Heading back to the pier because a bit arduous.  The TYR speed suit started tearing into me, and the salt water burned!  No draft I could find for long and my calf muscles were cramping, so not much kick.  Seeing the pier was all I could hope for, and when I finally got there, my first Kona swim was behind me!  Thank God!  From the race pic I figured out that my cap had slid under my goggles, causing the leak.  Damn-it, no more mask for me.

Swim 1:17:04 1259th place - HA! No goal here today as usual.

Off to my favorite part, passing people on the bike!  Not quite as anxious as in Texas since I didn't have to "make up time" for a Kona spot, but still pressing.  Quite dangerous over the first 20 miles anyways with the massive crowds around town and out and backs.  Such a sight though and my family and girlfriend had a fantastic spot at Hot Corner to cheer me on.  Holding a cautious effort, and just wanting to get out on the Queen K was my goal.  My Dad disappeared on us for a while at this point last year and had us worried.  He flatted, so surviving was my only thought.

The climb up Palani was great.  Crowds lining the street, almost like a Tour climb.  I could hear "Go Kitty" all the time which was amusing for me at least.  Cresting the climb and passing my Iron Kitty cheer squad for the last time, I was ready for the long grind out of town to Hawi.

The Queen K was a line of bikes for as long as you could see.  Normally this might be demoralizing, but I was competing against the best in the world, so all I could do is swallow my pride, put my head down, and chase them down.  Had to yell "On your left" a few times, but for the most part, everyone rode correctly.  Definitely some drafting going on in the field, but the ref's were out in force and plenty of red slashes were dished out.  I settled in with a few guys doing about the same as me, and we would pass, and re-pass, and cheer each other on.  No real winds yet, so the trip out was really uneventful except for the first bottle exchange.  Looked like a war zone with bottles everywhere across the road.  Had to be careful and pick the right line. 

This is just a beautiful ride, and I don't think I could even come close to doing is justice describing it.  Rolling through the lava fields, the volcano on one side, and the ocean on the other, I have to go back to take it all in on a relaxed ride.  Making the turn towards Hawi, off the Queen K, there was another big crowd cheering everyone on.  My Dad and I came this way earlier in the week, and the winds were crazy!  20-30 mph side winds the whole time, so it was the only part that worried me.  As we approached Hawi though, purely a headwind.  It was a great sign, but we had to climb a hill, into a stiff headwind which is not what I like to do.  That climb was a grind.  Tucked deep into aero, and pushing 300 watts, I passed quite a few lightweights!  A few wobbles when the wind changed direction a little, but no real surprises.  Making the turn at Hawi and cruising into special needs, my frozen brick water bottles worked great this time!  I had slushie Perpetuum and Gatorade!  Yelled to the girl there was a PayDay in the bag for her, and I was off, ready to crush the downhill with a tailwind!

Before the downhill, the one thing I feel bad about happened when a girl stopped in the road in front of me the the left of the white line.  I was putting a bottle back, and luckily looked up enough to see her and got my bike out of the way, but got a bit of shoulder into her in the process.  Sorry!

Once on the downhill I could see people bracing themselves for the crosswinds.  They never came and I was in full aero, spun out of gears and still accelerating up to 40 mph, WAHOOOOO!  This was my favorite part of the race, and I couldn't believe the winds settled in to the benefit of everyone. Cruising back to the Queen K, the heat was starting to build.  Popping salt like candy, dowsing my body with water and taking in my cool slushies was a treat.  Back on the Queen K it was desolate for a few minutes without many people around.  All the sudden I crest the hill at Hapuna Beach and the amazing line of bikes can be see again for as far as I could see, WOW.  Still had to keep it in my head to ride my own race, or I'd be walking a marathon.  Still an hour and a half left, feet and butt starting to hurt, legs still good though!  The Queen K's winds started to pick up now though and riding into the moderate headwind was going to make my head spin.  Keeping a keen eye on my watts, I pass the airport and it was time to gear down a little in preparation for the run.  Making the last few turns to Hot Corner was a joy as all I wanted to do was get off that bike and RUN!  Fantastic ride at the same time, thanks M2!

 Bike Time - 5:07:20 - 405th split - 609th place, passed over 600 people on the bike!
Watts - 251 Avg

Strava Ride Link

A few things usually go wrong in an Ironman and I nearly forgot my Garmin on my bike in T2.  Luckily, my bike catcher was a fast one, and was half way down the pier, on his was to racking it, so I didn't backtrack too much to go get it off my bike.  Grabbed my run bag, sat down, no cramping (extra salt works! 8 total), shirt and socks changed, visor on, and Iron Kitty is ready to take on a marathon!

Racing uphill and through Hot Corner again, it was hard to contain myself like my coach Tom said would happen.  Looking at my watch, and I had better try because running sub 7 minute pace would either be a ridiculous PR, or a certain flame out by mile 6.  Getting down to Ali'i Drive I settle into a comfortable pace, bouncing between 7-7:30 pace.  People are going nuts for the Hello Kitty shirt, and I am all smiles as a result giving some high fives especially at Lava Java where the crowd is immense.  Flowing down Ali'i, I'm picking off quite a few walkers and slow joggers who probably blew themselves up on the bike.  I knew my buddy Stefan had a good lead on me already, but that was who I was hunting for.

My real highlight was at mile 3 where my family's house is.  I was wondering what was in store for me there and they didn't disappoint:)

I was feeling great throughout Ali'i.  Saw Stefan and gave a good cheer for him.  He had a good 10-15 minutes on me, so catching him was going to be hard unless he died on the Queen K.  Coming back into town and the crowds were bigger as the pro men had come in and the women were soon to follow.  Climbing up Palani, I tried to conserve as much energy as possible for my next Queen K grind of the day.

This course is really two different races.  Once you pass Palani, its another world along the Queen K.  Desolate, lonely, and HOT.  Aside for the awesome aid stations, with music pumping, and crazy people staffing them, you are on your own to deal with everything in your head at this point.  On the way out on the Queen K, I kept it together.  Some fatigue was setting in, but still passing people and keeping a good pace.  Run by my buddy Ken Glah who gives me a "Looking Strong!"  Brought a good smile to my while I was pushing into my pain cave.  Making the turn into the infamous Energy Lab I see my buddy Ryan who is crushing it and I started to wonder how it was all going to unfold for me.  My pace was telling me I might be able to pull off a 3:15, but who knows how my body was going to react again when the heat turned up like in Texas.

Trying to talk to people at this point was amusing.  You figure I could at least get a smile wearing a Hello Kitty kit, but no luck.  A few word interchanged every once and a while was all I could pull.  I see Stefan again, give a big cheer for him as he is holding his gap and I am set to hold onto my race as it is.  The aid station and special needs area has one of the most boisterous people working it.  They know the pain we are in, and it seems if they could pick us up and carry us for a bit, they would.  Trying not to burn my legs out climbing out of the Energy Lab, a few running mates I actually got to talk came back to me and cheered me to the top of the hill.

From the top of the Energy Lab its 6 miles to the finish.  Knowing you have less than an hour left is such a relief, but at the same time, knowing you have nearly 9 hours into your legs is not.  Still two long grinding hills left to conquer, including Mark and Dave Hill.  The first hill puts a hurting on my legs, but I'm still moving enough to keep pace with everyone.  Trying to stretch my stride to take advantage of the downhill and not much is happening.  I'd either bonked or the heat was getting me, but I knew this was the dark place for my race and I'd have to get out of it or the final three miles would be ugly.  Shorten the stride, take time in the next aid station, ice, water and try to get my head straight.  Climbing the last hill was the worst feeling of the day.

Tired, feet, shoulders, everything hurting, then I see my Dad at the top screaming for me and it goes away.  "Time to go Brett!" and its on.  I start down Palani, but halfway down, my right hamstring seizes up!  Stopping and stretching it out, it releases, and I take it easy for a minute to make sure it doesn't come back.  All that's left now is a downhill, then a turn to the finish on Ali'i.  Concentrating on my breathing, stretching my stride and finishing strong.  Tried to enjoy the finish, but worried spending any more time on course would leave my legs cramping.  My family was waiting at the turn, and while I felt I was running fast, they asked if I was cruising it it, ha ha.

The finish is just a blur.  So many other races have great crowd and energy around the finish line, but this just lifted you up and I couldn't fee anything.  All I could think about is my Dad crossing the line last year and what a journey its been.  Crossing the finish, a weight was lifted, a few tears came down, and I was happy to have put in my best effort for my first Ironman World Championship.

Run Time - 3:21:14 - 276th split - 389th final place
Strava Run Site
Total Time - 9:53:40

Being whisked away into the athlete's area behind the King K, the legs were wobbly, and I was getting a bit chilly.  Dehydrated and body in a ravaged state, Ivy finds me, and she is just way too much of a bundle of energy at this point, lol.  The family and girlfriend find me and I can hardly put down a piece of pizza. 

My friends, family and coaches have been more than supportive over this journey and I can't thank you all enough for that.  Having met my long terms goals from years ago is really a credit to them as well.  Nobody can do this alone and having the support team to help me along was my greatest asset.