Ironman Wisconsin 2013

September 8, 2013

I had a great time volunteering & spectating at the 2013 Ironman Wisconsin. I volunteered at T1, took the free shuttle to the middle of the bike course, saw the bike finish and the run finish from dinner time to midnight.

Things I still remember from this trip:

Monona Terrace is an awesome place to have the expo. Its circular floors and walkways offer spectators amazing views of swim start & bike-in. I enjoyed easy access to clean bathrooms & indoors seating area on race day.

The lake swim is rough compared to IM Lake Placid. I swam both morning & afternoon and each time I noticed the current and waves.

Bike course is not too hilly but there are more turns than I would like to see. (I only drove through parts of the bike course).

Maddison is a cute small city. Lots of good dining options at all price ranges. Weather is great for an Ironman race.

The public bus system is ok. Can't complain when I paid $2 from airport to downtown.

Midnight party at the Ironman finish line was amazing!

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 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

TriRock Philly 2013 Race Report

Finally! I was able to string together a triathlon performance that I am proud of.

Swim Bike Run Final

00:27:33 01:12:27 00:41:23 02:26:30

173 out of 1333 overall finishers in the OLYMPIC distance.

22 out of 167 in Age Group M35-39.

Swim (0.9 miles) - Actual time = 27 minutes 33 seconds (goal = under 30 minutes)
I definitely benefited from the newly implemented time trial swim start. 10 at a time jumping off a dock off of St. Joe's boathouse. I had a lot of room to swim. I stuck with my strategy of taking it easy on the swim. I stayed slightly behind my training partner Steve Tarrant and even draft off of him and a few other swimmers. Water temp & condition were ideal for me. I was very happy to see a 26:xx on my watch as I exited the Schuylkill River.


Swim Data (GPS signal lost after 900 meters)



T1 swim/bike transition - Actual time = ? (goal = 2 minutes)
I ran into a wrong bike rack!!!! I made a point during transition set-up to learn where my bike was but in the post-swim rush, I lost my mind and lost about 20 seconds. Once I took my bike off the rack, I was fast running out of the transition area.

Bike (24.8 miles) - Actual time = 1 hour 12 minutes 27 seconds (goal = under 1 hour 15 minutes)
I was in Wave 9 out 15 so when I got on my bike, the road was full of slow riders from earlier waves. The bike course consisted of 2-loop, 12.4 mile per loop. There were mostly 3 or 4 riders constantly riding side-by-side. I found myself constantly passing other riders, and intermittently being passed at the same time.

I had pretty much an even split for each loop. I was in the small gear for every hill and went hard during flats. I stayed within my power zone (thanks to the coaches at @BreakawayBikes) so my heart rate never spiked too high.

Bike Data


T2 bike/run transition - Actual time = ? (Goal = 2 minutes)
No transition drama this time. I ran fast pushing my bike to my transition spot and quickly got out my running shoes.

Run (6.2 miles) -- Actual time = 41 minutes 23 seconds (Goal = under 42 minutes)
Wheeeeee! I knew I was on my way to a new personal best at the start of my run. My legs were strong. I started out fast and never slowed down. Only one fast runner past me during my run. The weather got hot during my run, which allowed me to pass even more pooped-out runners.

Run Data




Nutrition:
1 pack of Roctane GU before swim
1 pack of Roctane GU during first big hill on bike, first loop
2 salt pills while climbing Lemon Hill first time
1 pack of Roctane GU during first big hill during second loop
2 salt pills during last climbing Lemon Hill second time
Finished first bottle of Ironman Perform at start of second loop, and refilled it with 2nd bottle on bike frame between my legs
1 pack of Roctane GU at start of the run
Water or TYR electrolyte at almost every fluid stop during the run, even just to cool down my face.
2 cans of Michelob Ultra in the beer garden post-race :)

Post-race recovery meal: Pho 75 No. 1 special & iced coffee with condensed milk


The finisher's medal is also a beer bottle opener!

Rev3 Quassy Half Race Report 2013

Pre-race with Ryan & Steve, my training buddies


Happy to have a calm, uneventful swim in 74F water


My aero helmet got shifted after a steep descent. The bike course was full of hills and turns. I was never comfortable for 5 minutes on the bike.


Another strong run to finish a tough race

New Jersey Devilman Half Lite Race Report 2013

Piranha Sports' Devilman Half Lite was a cheap local race on Sunday May 5 to open my 2013 triathlon season. Its distances were exactly 1/3 of a full Ironman length: 

Half Lite 50™: 0.80 Mile Swim~40.3 Mile Bike~8.8 Mile Run

Race Plan
I trained hard in the off season, and I was ready to race. I wrote a race plan for myself:

Swim: 0.8 miles = 1408 yards. I plan to swim at my base interval of 1:45 minutes per 100 yards. 1408 yards will take me just under 25 minutes. Be aggressive.

Swim/Bike transition
Getting out of lake, taking off wetsuit, putting on socks & cycling cleats. Sunglasses. Helmet. Gloves. 3 minutes.

Bike 40.2 miles.
I will target 180-185 watts. This is my low zone 3 power.
Nutrition plan:
Gu at mile 0, 12, 24, 36.
Salt pills after first loop
Cycling plan: stay in aero position as often as possible. Be aggressive.
Target: 21 mph or 1 hour 55 minutes.

Bike/Run transition
Rack bike. Take off helmet & gloves. 1 minute.

Run (Wheee!)
Salt pills at start of run
Gu at half way
Strategy: run like hell
Target: 7 minutes per mile or 62 minutes total


What really happened:

Swim (0.8 mile) - Time = 0:28:06 (Goal = 25 minutes)

Cold and dirty lake water. I had a panic attack in the water at the start. I couldn't breathe. My body couldn't move the way my brain wanted to move. I had to take a few seconds in streamline position and a few breaststrokes to calm myself down. Slowly I gained composure and started swimming


T1 - Time = 0:04:22 (Goal = 2 minutes)
I was so happy getting out of the lake. I saw plenty of bikes still racked, so I was still in middle of the pac. My hands were frozen. I had a hard time taking off my wetsuit and putting on my bike gear. It was a quite a wreck and my heart rate spiked again.

Bike (40.3 miles) - Time = 02:07:29 (Goal = 1 hour 55 minutes)
Course was flat with few turns but there was some nasty wind. I did well keeping my cadence high but should have pushed a little harder. The 2-loop out-n-back bike course allowed me to see many of my teammates.






T2 - Time = 1:42 (Goal = 1 minute)
Not sure what happened as I needed almost a minute more than I expected.

Run (8.8 miles) - Time = 1:01:13 (Goal = 62 minutes)

The run was the only part that I met my goal time. By the time I started running, I realized that my Garmin 910xt GPS was not functioning. I should have turned it off / on to reset, but I didn't. I just ran like hell. The out-n-back course was flat. I passed a few people but not that many. The turnaround point came faster than I expected. On the way back, I sped up and passed a few more people on my way to a sprint finish.

Overall finish time = 3:42:54

Overall placement = 59 / 227

Age group placement = 12/29

I thought I could finish under 3:30 hours but apparently I was too optimistic. The race was a good reality check for me so I could re-calibrate my expectation for future races.

Ironman Lake Placid Training Update

Ironman Lake Placid training update: March was a fantastic month for my training. I completed all my workouts and felt like my body has adapted to the intensive training regimen. I haven't necessarily swam faster, but my swim endurance has increased. My 20-minute power test at Breakaway Bikes RPM has slowly but steadily improved. My runs have been solid, not as fast as my 2012 Philly marathon pace but not too far off.

Training stats for March 2013
Swim: 14 hours / 25 miles
Bike: 40 hours / 780 miles
Run: 23 hours / 170 miles

Rest day: 1 (March 6)
Days with 2 or more workouts: 25
Most training hours in one day: 5.5 hours

Ironman Lake Placid Training Update

I am fully immersed in the Ironman training regimen. For the month of February, here are my training statistics:
Swim: 20 miles / 10.5 hours
Bike: 487 miles / 29 hours
Run: 149 miles / 21.5 hours
Rest days: 2
I am having fun training, and I can see things coming together!

IMLP2013 24 Weeks Away

Tomorrow will mark the start of my 24-week training program for Ironman Lake Placid 2013.
Thus today was the conclusion of my 12-week base training. I have definitely put in the hours to build up my endurance.

By the numbers since my previous IMLP post:

Weight: 120
BMI: 20.3

Week of January 7th: 6 hours on bike; 11 hours total
Week of January 14th: 5 hours on bike; 10.5 hours total
Week of Jan 21st: 5 hours on bike; 13 hours total. Swim was my focus this week (4 practices; 13,000 yards)
Week of Jan 28th: 6 hours on bike; 14 hours total. My focus was on run & brick run (35 miles running).
Week of Feb 4th: 5 hours on bike; 10 hours total. I had planned a bike focused week but I got sick with a cold so I did what I could do.





I am half-way through my winter RPM class @BreakawayBikes. I am taking the Tuesday / Thursday morning class as well as the 2-hour Sunday class. I store my TT bike there for 12 weeks. I use my bike on a CompuTrainer during classes. I have already seen improvements in terms of my bike technique, posture, and how to manage my power for the duration of my bike.

Gear I have acquired for my upcoming triathlon season: Quarq Power Meter; SpeedPlay Zero pedals; Rudy Project Wingspan TT Helmet.

I'm 24 weeks away, and I will be ready!

Ironman Lake Placid 2013

http://instagram.com/p/So6VTjw1Bw/

A week after my Philly marathon, I  started my Ironman Lake Placid training. It will be my first full Iron distance triathlon, and I can't be more excited. I am approaching this as the most important project I ever had to complete.

The IMLP will be on Sunday, July 28. I have already mapped out my training schedule and races between now and July. I have full support from my partner. A few of my triathlon buddies will also do IMLP so I have people to talk to about my training routine all day.



Weight = 122 lbs
BMI = 20.8



Week of Nov 26 -- 3.5 hours total. Happy to be back in the pool & on a bike. Highlight was a 5-mile run with the Philly Front Runners. I was the first runner in after around 33 minutes.


Week of Dec 3 -- 9.0 hours total. 10k in the pool. Started weight lifting again after taking a few months off. Set up and started using my bike trainer for the first time in 2012.

Week of Dec 10 -- 10.4 hours total (6 hours on bike) including a Breakaway Bike Shop Ride.


Week of Dec 17 -- 9.5 hours total. Highlight was 30 miles running on rolling hills of Lancaster County.


Week of Dec 24 -- 9.3 hours total (7 hours on bike). Took 2 days off for Christmas but still met my all my workouts. Started using Rides DVD's for my bike trainer and went on two solo rides outside.


Week of Dec 31 -- 12.0 hours. 2 swim practices, 6 times a week on the bike, and 4 runs. Brick workouts have started. My best workout was a 8-mile tempo run under 1 hour.