2012 Ironman US Championship

Ironman US Championship

NJ / NYC

August 11, 2011

After doing my best to decompress from my first Ironman, Ironman US Championships, I figured I was ready to sit down and write my race report. Well, here it is…

My Iron day started when my alarm went off at 2:30 AM. Two cups of in-room, hotel coffee, a quick shower to wake up and then I put on my clothes which had been meticulously laid out the night before.  A quick kiss from a very sleepy Lauren and my Ironman day was off to a good start! I grabbed my bags and headed downstairs to the lobby where I was greeted my fifty or so athletes. We boarded the first bus at 3:00 AM and headed to the ferry terminal. The ferry terminal was already full of similar, type-A athletes, like myself who HAVE to be the first ones anywhere! What was ahead of me? Another cup of coffee, a Gatorade and a 45-minute wait! I boarded the first ferry bound for transition at Ross Dock in New Jersey. I made small talk with a very friendly group of athletes, which included the well known, 62 year old, Father Dan Callahan, also known as the “Iron Friar”, who was competing in his 15^th Ironman! The Iron Friar preaches the “Work Hard, Pray Hard, Play Hard” motto. Father Dan Callahan will be using the Ironman US Championship as a warm up for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. The ferry pulled into Ross Dock on the Jersey side of the Hudson, where the athletes were greeted by hundreds of excited volunteers. I dropped off my Special Needs bags, loaded my bike up with the nutrition I would need for my day on the bike and confirmed that the tire pressure was just right in my tires. I put on my I Will tri top and then put on my Zoot Z Force WetZoot as the swim start grew closer!

Swim:

2.4 miles, 50:54

Average Time 51:00

After a massive “chlorinated raw sewage leak” less than 2 days prior to the race, the Swim portion of the race was in question. The day before the race, participants were notified that the Hudson was “clean enough to swim”. All systems GO. The IM US Championship is unique in that it is a Time Trial start. I was on the first ferry leaving transition and in the water within 2 minutes of the start, right where I wanted to be. Let me stress that this was a very fast swim due to the helping current of the Hudson. I did my best to put my head down and have an easy swim 2.4 miles south in the Hudson, sighting off of one of the towers of the George Washington Bridge. The water was cleaner than I expected and to date, I have not seen any abnormalities in my health from exposure to the Hudson.

A view of transition. Ross Dock, NJ

Time Trial Swim Start

2.4 Mile Swim in the Hudson River

Bike:

112 miles, 5:40:00

Average Time 6:31:00

After an uneventful transition, I was out on the road on my bike. A long climb out of transition at Ross Dock led to the Palisades Parkway. The Parkway was shut down for the first time ever. My goal was to keep my HR in the 135 range. Going out too hard on the bike would shred my legs and cause my run to suffer. I felt really good on the ride and found the road surface to be better than everyone talked about. I consumed ALL my nutrition as I had planned and utilized all aide stations but one. I ate some Bonk Breakers, drank numerous bottles of Perform and ate a few packs of GU Chomps. The only thing that didn’t go as planned on the bike, was when I got stuck in the small chain ring, thereby slowing my last 20 miles. Might have been a blessing in disguise because it slowed me up and helped save my legs. The view on the course was the same the entire ride and there was little to no spectator support…my only complaints.

Coming into T2 after 112 miles on the Palisade Parkway

Run:

26.2 Miles, 4:47:00

Average Time: 5:17:00

After another uneventful transition, I set out on the run course, which started out with an out-and-back 4 miler, which was completed twice, before climbing to the George Washington Bridge. The out-and-back was very hilly, both up AND down resulting in numerous lost toenails. Crossing the G.W. Bridge was cool with the New York skyline in the distance. Miles 19-23 was along the Hudson, with some good barbeques going on. Not sure what these NYC residents were thinking with all the spandex-clad runners making their way towards Riverside Park. There were some good signs offering encouragement during this stretch.

My favorite sign on the run course

The finish line was amazing. I was lucky enough to see my Dad and brother prior to entering the finisher chute, giving them both high fives! I looked to the stands and saw my Ironmate, Lauren cheering with my Mom. I thought I saw my IronKids, but I was informed that evening that I must have been dreaming.  It was amazing to hear the famous voice of Mike Reilly say, “Caldwell Clarke, Leesburg, Virginia. YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!”

DONE!

I had the chute to myself!

The view from the stands

Katie and Will

IronBrother, Ironman and IronDad

Final Stats:

140.6 Miles, 11:33:19

440^th out of 2,739

My good friend, Larry Parker, FDNY Fireman and THE ORIGINAL FiremanIronman, advised me to make an effort to take an IV bag in the medical tent post race. After losing 15+ lbs over the course of the day, I convinced a doctor to give me an IV bag. Thanks, Larry. Great advice!

I met up with the rest of the family and then made our way back to the hotel for drinks, dinner and a shower…. Not necessarily in that order. I had plans to go back to the finish for midnight, and then this happened:

Stick a fork in me. I'm DONE

And then this happened: