IMLP 2013 Race Report

Anh Dang
M35-39 AG
11:58:22
1st Iron Distance triathlon







I set my Ironman Lake Placid goal time by using my best result for a half distance times two plus 30 minutes for expected slow down due to the longer duration of the race. That goal time would be 12 hours for me.

I wrote about my Ironman path & my Lake Placid memories in other posts.

Swim 2.4 miles (1:20:58 vs goal of under 1:30 hours); AG: 188th; OA: 1,390th

First Loop: 39:37
Second Loop: 41:21

The lake water was 72 degrees F, and the weather was cloudy at swim start. I wore a sleeveless wetsuit.

I definitely benefited from the new rolling, self-seeded swim start. Fast age-groupers entered water at 6:30 am, while I started at 6:40 am. I aimed right for the cable line under the lake, and never lost sight of it. I expected physical contacts but it wasn't as bad as I had feared. Nevertheless, I got kicked, punched, and worst of all, my wetsuit zipper cord got pulled.

I managed to keep moving forward along the cable line, and the first turn appeared quicker than I had expected. The 2nd turn was just about 25 meters from the first turn, so naturally there were big flocks of swimmers stopping to sight. On the way back, I found more open space along the cable line so I picked up some speed.

There were less physical contacts, as fast swimmers were already ahead of me. I found myself passing many swimmers who must have slowed down a lot. I still stuck to the cable line and passed on the left, just like during cycling. As I finished the swim portion, I knew I had the best open water swim of my life.

Swim/Bike Transition (9:12 vs goal of under 10 minutes); AG: 147th; OA: 936th

I got my first wetsuit stripper, and it was amazing! I actually practiced barefoot running so it was a breeze. I had no problem finding my bike gear bag and ran into the male tent. I sat on the grass to put on my shoes, unwrapped a PP&J, put on my helmet and ran out to my bike.

Bike 112 miles (6:17:45 vs goal of under 6:30 hours)

First Loop: 3:01:48
Second Loop: 3:17:57

Once I got on the bike, I realized that it was lightly raining. I still had memories of a bike crash in similar conditions 2 years ago so I adjusted my plan to slow down. I had ridden this bike course 5 times prior to the race, so I was very aware of what gear I needed to ride at every point. I was on the little ring  during the climb out of town, the climb on 86, and pretty much the entire last 12 miles from Wilmington back to town.

I was slightly below my target power range of 150-155 watts (vs. my FTP of 220) during the first loop, and I was amazed to see that my bike time at midpoint was 3:02. The roads tried up by now, so I could have easily completed the second loop in 3:00.  However, I started second guessing myself and decided that I needed to slow down even more to save my legs for the run.

I kept a high cadence of 90 RMP, found an easy gear to allow my average normalized power to drop down. I was having fun. The only scary moment was when a dropped bottle rolled right in front of me. I thought I was going to crash but luckily, the bottle rolled & my bike avoided contacts.

Bike/Run Transition (3:36 vs goal of under 5 minutes)

Volunteers greeted me as soon as I came in. My bike was picked up, and my run gear bag was ready for me.

Run 26.2 miles (4:06:51 vs goal of under 3:45 hours); AG = 104th, OA: 617th

Split 1  3 miles (26:04) 8:41/mile
Split 2  5.2 mi (46:16) 8:53/mile
Split 3  3.8 mi (35.48) 9:25/mile
Split 4  4.1 mi (37:55) 9:14/mi
Split 5  5.2 mi (51.28) 9:53/mi
Split 6  3.8 mi (40:03) 10:32/mi
Split 7  1.1 mi (9:17) 8:26/mi
Total 26.2 mi (4:06:51) 9.25/mi

Running is my strongest part of the triathlon. Since my best stand-alone marathon time was under 3:10 and I ran well coming into this race, I thought I would have no problem running a 3:40 or 3:45 marathon at IMLP. I was wrong. I din't move as well as I thought I could. Even during the first loop of the run, I wasn't able to hold a 9:00 minute pace. Although I passed many runners, the distance between me and my faster Breakaway Racing teammates kept getting bigger & bigger.

I momentarily fell apart. The potential finish time of 11:30 hours was longer possible. My next goal was to keep my marathon time under 4 hours. That was no longer possible 18 miles into the run. I didn't walk at all but I barely moved at running pace. Numbers kept running in my head, and I decided that my next goal was to finish the race under 12 hours. To achieve this goal with 8 miles left, I needed to keep running under 10 min / mile pace until the end. With this more achievable goal in mind, I started to relax a little.  When it was time to eat my pack of gel, I ate a bag of Peanut M&M's that I stashed away in my pocket. These treats helped me to run up the last hill, passing Lisa G & Subway.

The cheering crowd definitely helped me to keep moving along into the finish area. I heard Mike Reilly announcing "Anh Dang, from Philadelphia. You're an Ironman!" I was chasing after the sub-12 hour finish, so I kept my focus and game face until I crossed the finish line.

I was happy with my overall result, finishing under 12 hours. I had the best open water swim of my life. I didn't overcook my bike portion. My run wasn't as fast as I expected but it was not a bad run.

I came away from the race with pride of what I have accomplished. I had amazing support from my family, friends, colleagues, Breakaway Racing teammates & coaches. I could not have asked for a better experience for my first Ironman.



Before the swim start


Swim start




End of 1st loop

Ironman Week in Lake Placid

Before I recap my race result, I am looking back at all the amazing things about Ironman Lake Placid.

Let's talk about Mirror Lake. Is there any other lake that is this beautiful?


Practice swim could be any time





The entire town seemed to embrace the race. Everyone was aware that this was Ironman week.



The volunteers made the check-in process a breeze, and seeing my friend Mary at athlete check-in was a nice bonus.
 

117 lbs with shoes




Got our bibs!


Crowd Support

My Path to Become an Ironman

Solving calculus equations was a hobby of mine, while swimming, cycling, and running were not. As I get ready for my Ironman race tomorrow, I find myself looking back at my journey.



I was not an athletic type growing up. I played the mandolin. I took classes for drawing, painting, cooking, floral arrangement, knitting & sewing. I couldn't run a mile in high school. In college, my brother got my to start going to the gym. We did some weightlifting and a little running to warmup.

Post-college, I was looking for ways to meet new people besides and decided to join the Philadelphia Falcons, a co-ed gay and lesbian soccer club in Philadelphia. The Falcons provided both athletic and social outlets for members of all ages and skill levels. I was far from being a good player, but I felt accepted as part of the group as we traveled to compete at the local as well as regional LGBT tournaments. I enjoyed hanging out with teammates as well as players from other teams.

I was looking to improve my soccer game after playing for a few years, and decided that I needed to work on my running for speed & endurance. I gave myself one or two running workouts each week between soccer practices.

At the age of 30, with encouragement of my work colleagues, I ran my first 5k and almost died! I thew up, my legs cramped, and needed help to get back home. I kept on running and ran my first marathon later in the same year with encouragement from one of the most wonderful people I met while running, Betsy, who started running marathons AFTER she turned 50 years old.

It took about 8 years for me to go from a 5:00 marathon to a Boston Marathon qualified finish time time of 3:08. I documented my marathon progress in this blog post.







Two years into my running career, I met some runners who were also swimmers & bicyclists. They were training for the  Philadelphia Triathlon! I came out to watch the race (and the tan, lean, hard bodies). I decided at the race that I wanted to do the Philadelphia Triathlon the following year, and started to set a plan to get there.

I got on Craig's List and bought an old road bike for $100. I knew how to ride a bike, so I wasn't worried about this discipline. I worried about swimming. I took some swimming lessons but never really swam outside of those classes. I was ok with breaststroke but had trouble with the front crawl (freestyle). Luckily, I knew the head coach of the Philadelphia Fins Aquatics Club at the time, and he encouraged me to join the Fins.



Learning to swim was not easy for me. I was ok with 25 yards from one end of the pool to the other. I had to take about 30 seconds before swimming back. I blogged about my early days with the Fins.

It was a big accomplishment for me to complete the Philadelphia Triathlon Olympic distance the following year as my parents and cousin Ro were there to cheer me on.

Between 2007 & 2011, I continued to participate in triathlon races. I never worried about my time as I was happy to finish. I brought a triathlon bike but was afraid to use it after a minor crash.



During this time, I met many Fins swimmers who were training and completing Ironman triathlon races. I was fascinated with their training regimen but never thought that the Ironman distance would be something I could do myself. My perspective changed when I met a new Fins swimmer named Ryan Tarrant. Ryan joined the Fins to training for his second attempt at Ironman Lake Placid. His first attempt the previous year ended in an ambulance trip during the bike course. As I talked to Ryan, I got more excited about triathlon again. Ryan went on to complete his Ironman in his 2nd attempt at Lake Placid. I trained for the 2012 triathlon season and started to be more aware of when I finished vs. guys in my age group.





On Saturday May 19, 2012, I had a new goal: to complete an Ironman race before turning 40. I told my partner Dan of my goal, and he was very supportive.

On Monday July 23, 2013, I signed up for Ironman Lake Placid 2013 online.

I started taking spinning classes and regularly joined the weekly Shop Ride sponsored by my local bike shop, Breakaway Bikes.

I completed my first half distance triathlon in September. I swam ok, I biked well, but I struggled in the last 6 miles of the run.

My goal in the offseason was to condition myself so that I would run strong off the bike. I kept on running, focusing on many running drills. I read a few books on triathlon training. I started taking RPM classes offered by Breakaway Bikes. I followed a strict training schedule from December 1, 2012 leading up to Ironman Lake Placid on July 28, 2013.





Training for the Ironman was easy since I decided that it was my most important goal. Out were the happy hours and the weekend brunches. In were twice daily workouts during the week & day-long workouts on weekends. My boss at work was supportive of my Ironman training so I was able to have some flexible work to fit in all my workouts. Dan had dinner by himself 5 days a week while I was out swimming, cycling, or running.



Ryan also signed up for Ironman Lake Placid 2013, so did his brother Steven. The three of us had the same racing schedule leading up to #IMLP. Steven joined the Fins and soon Steven & I became training buddies. Ryan connected me to the Breakaway Racing Team, a Philadelphia based triathlon club. I joined Breakaway and met many similar-minded athletes, many of whom regularly won age-group awards. I also became friendly with many members of Philadelphia's other triathlon club, T3, since we shared some connections with either the Fins or Breakaway. I enjoyed being in this competitive & supportive environment which helped me to stay on course with my intense workouts.



At work, one of my colleagues is also training for his first Ironman, and it's also #IMLP. Frank & I discussed our workouts during coffee breaks and helped each other to focus on the race.





And then then was Adam Heiser @ADHinTheLab. I briefly met him during the Poconos Marathon in May 2012. I ran with him for about a mile then couldn't hold my pace. Adam went on to quality for Boston Marathon, while I felt apart in that race. I found his race report through a retweet, felt moved by his story, and congratulated him via Twitter. Adam was also training for his first Ironman. We kept in touch during my Philly Marathon training & race.

We compared our training workouts, our progress and our struggle. My friendship with Adam grew stronger when he came to Philly for a business trip, and we met up for some workouts & breakfast. On my road to become an Ironman, Adam is my biggest cheerleader outside of my family & my Breakaway teammates. I am grateful for his support, and I hope to keep a lifelong friendship with him.



My training is done. I'm ready for my race. I have a goal time in mind and have trained well to reach that goal. No matter what happens tomorrow, I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to train for this race. It has been fun and challenging. I have pushed my limits. I struggled and I pushed through. I have learned many lessons for racing and for life. I have met many wonderful people whom I will think of during my race.

Ironman Lake Placid Training June highlights

Swim: 11.5 hours / 20 miles
Bike: 41.5 hours / 690 miles
Run: 21.5 hours / 156 miles
Rest Day: none

Highlights: my first 3 century bike rides, first look at Lake Placid during my triathlon training weekend with Breakaway Bikes crew, Quassy Half Iron, personal best at Philly Tri Olympic, track workouts at Temple Univesity, steady run workouts, focusing on hills during run & bike

Lowlights: temporary mental exhaustion after the Lake Placid trip

Ironman Lake Placid Training Stats

Training stats for April 2013

Swim: 12.5 hours / 24 miles

Bike: 38 hours / 602 miles

Run: 23.5 hours / 160 miles

Rest Day = 0

Training stats for May 2013

Swim: 11.5 hours / 20.5 miles

Bike: 43.5 hours / 720 miles

Run: 20 hours / 143 miles

Rest Day = 1