2008 Longhorn Ironman Race Report, Part II- Karl

The swim was as rough as expected. With some 300 men in the water at the same time, it got a bit physical. While I had hoped to get to the left side and hug the inside for a "shorter" swim (the shortest line between two points is a straight one), I moved to the outside for smoother water. After about 500 meters, I started seeing swim cap colors from competitors from two of the previous waves to ours. This was a good sign that I was making good time. At the first turn, I got a little closer to the inside on our way to the second turn. As we rounded the second and last buoy, I took a quick peek to see that the shoreline was diagonal to my location. I was farther out than I had planned, so I began to turn a bit to the left and pick up my kick to move closer to the inside once again. After another look to the shoreline, I noticed it was now a straight line to shore. Once again, I kicked a little harder knowing "home" was close. As we neared the shoreline, I was swimming through a kelp forest or whatever the fresh water equivalent to that would be (or is kelp found in fresh water?). I swam until my hands touched earth and then I stood up for the long transition run to the bike. Up the hill I went as I took a quick look at my watch. 29 minutes! Sweet! My previous best for 1.2 miles was closer to 40 minutes. Already 11 minutes ahead of goal pace. My race day is off to a good start.
As I got to the bike, Mark was already there and putting on his last shoe before heading off to the bike course. Knowing that Mark's swim is strong, I felt good to be that close. As he headed off, he said, "See you in a few minutes." I took off my swim suit, put on my socks, bike shoes, and traded my swim cap and goggles for a bike helmet and sunglasses. I took my bike off the rack and jogged my way to the mount line.
As I clipped in, I immediately took a sip of my Perpetuem drink and took out a Balance bar. After about three miles, I had my Balance bar down and I was ready to get in my aero bars and start picking up speed. I'm not sure at what mile I next saw Mark, but we said hi and he wished me well. His plan was to hold a Zone 1-2 heart rate, so as I passed him with my heart rate already in Zone 3-4, I wondered if that would come back to bite me. Even with that thought in my head, I felt good and I figured that as my last A race of the year, I might as well leave it all out there today.
Every five miles or so, there was a refreshment station with volunteers handing water bottles and Gatorade bottles to the riders. The "snatch and grab" was a bit tricky, and I saw at least one rider who ran into a volunteer and went down hard. Because I still had plenty of electrolyte and gels, I took advantage of the free water whenever possible. I would grab a water bottle, guzzle about half of it, and then throw away the rest. It felt great as we rounded a curb and a volunteer said, "Just around the corner and you're half way there!"
Finally, my heart rate was coming back down into the 140's while my average speed was nearing 19 mph. I was right where I wanted to be and I remember thinking to myself, "Man, this is a great sport and this is a great day!" Little did I know then how opposite of that I would come to feel later in the day.
As we neared the home stretch into T2, I had finished two of my three bottles and had only one gel left. My nutrition plan had been followed to a tee. I grabbed another water or two before the last two hill climbs coming into the run transition. I dismounted the bike and ran it back to the rack. As I took off my helmet and bike shoes to switch into my running shoes and running visor, my son was telling me something I couldn't make out. It was then I noticed that the reason I couldn't hear him was because my breathing was too loud. Those hills coming into the transition got the best of me. I wondered what this would to me on the run. As I ran out of transition on to the run course, Mark's wife asked if I'd passed him on the bike. I answered, "Yes, but he'll probably catch me on the run."
I remember the article I read that recommended to breathe in and out of your nose coming out of transition. This would ensure you kept your pace slower and your heart rate down. I knew if I didn't start out slow, my race would end soon. I certainly felt that if my heart rate and breathing didn't come down soon, I wasn't going to make it. I grabbed a gel and a water and took my time getting my legs back under me. As Mark and I passed each other at about mile 3, I was starting to feel like a new man. It always takes me about three miles to warm up. Going into the back side of the run, I passed by the transition area again. My family was there and their cheers gave me an extra boost that I sorely needed for what was ahead of me. The road ended into a trail run that went straight down hill for what seemed like a 1/3 of a mile. While it was nice to have some extra speed and a bit of a respite with the downhill, I knew that what goes down, must more than likely go back up at some point. It wasn't long before I rounded the curve to find "Quadzilla" ahead of me. This was a straight uphill that lasted at least 1/3 of a mile. When I reached the summit of that monster, I knew where I'd been. It was probably two miles later that we passed the halfway point. You can imagine the misery and disappointment as we passed the finish chute to the right only to have to turn left and finish the last 6.55 miles.
The back side was brutal. My stomach was cramping, the thought of another gel made me sick, and every hill was taking more and more life out of me. I decided to begin walking the uphills in order to save some energy and have enough left to finish. From the looks of the many others walking the hills, the strategy was a popular one. While I had jogged the entire "Quadzilla" on the way out, I walked it in its entirety on the way in. We reached the top and I tried telling myself that the finish line was only two miles away. No matter what I said or how I tried to trick my body, my legs did not want to cooperate. It was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other, even at a shuffle pace. I ran/walked for another mile but when I heard the announcer's voice getting closer and closer, I knew home was close and that it was time to give it all I had left. I dug deep and found just enough to pick up my pace for a faster shuffle into the finish line. I can still hear the announcer saying, "Karl Miller, Round Rock, TX." I held my hands over my head and pumped them in victory. I had finished a half Ironman and I was still standing. I rounded the corner of the finish chute to find my Mom, my wife, and my kids waiting to congratulate me and give me a hug. With my finisher's medal around my neck and a finisher's water bottle filled with cold water in my hands, I walked with a feeling of great accomplishment and pride on shaky legs. And while I tried to forget the pain I endured over the last 6 miles, I still thought to myself, "This is a great sport, and this is a great day!"
Here is the tale of the tape:
1.2 mile swim: 29:44
56 mile bike: 2:59:56 (18.7 mph pace)
13.1 mile run: 2:20:55 (10:45 min/mile pace)
5:44:45
877/1929 total competitors
679/1315 male competitors
159/306 in male age group
The winners of the race were Richie Cunningham in 3:49:45 and Lisa Bentley in 4:20:15.
The winner of our age group was Carlos Sandoval in 4:18:02.