IMZ Race Report

Ironman Zurich Race Report

7AM start time.

A 2 lap swim with over 1,800 other athletes. I was standing third row back when the gun went off. A running start into the water was not safe as their were rocks and cobble of various sizes as soon as we left the sandy beach. A careful wade to thigh deep worked well and I was off. It was a very physical start. Like spawning salmon and a water polo match mixed together.

The sun was directly in my eyes so I took time before the start to line up the first distant corner buoy with a notch in the tree line on the distant hills. It worked. Many of the swimmers began fading off to the left as a large group of us stayed on course. It was damn crowded for the first mile and turning at the first 2 corner buoys involved a lot of physical contact. The field finally spread out and at the last corner buoy, I made a good sighting on the exit area as a group of swimmers in front of me began to split left and right as if to let me go through. I didn’t take the time to thank them as they began to fade a bit off course. I was on my own between 2 small groups of swimmers and was happy to be free of others swinging arms and kicking feet. I managed to pull slightly ahead of the wayward swimmers and noticed them beginning to close back together behind me (bi-lateral breathing gave me this advantageous view) as we neared the exit ramps. I stayed just far enough ahead of them to have the exit ramp all to myself as I scrambled into T1. Swim: 1:04.24.

T1 involved a quick strip and change into my bike kit. No changing tents and this event allowed nakedness in transition so I did as the Europeans do and mooned the spectators as I bent over to pull up my bike shorts.

The 3 lap bike course was fantastic. The first 20K was mostly flat or a slight downhill grade. I took my first drink early in the first 10K and immediately felt a slight pain in my stomach. WTF? That’s never happened before. Oh well, stick to the plan unless forced to change.

The first hill climb, The Beast, was 5K long with beautiful views of Lake Zurich and the country side. I heard cowbells further up the hill and that made me happy. As I neared the clanging, there were 2 cows grazing in a roadside pasture and each time they shook their heads to shoo flies away, the bells around their necks would clang beautifully. Note to self: cows clanging cowbells is way cool.
At the top of this long hill were a large crowd and 2 live bands. AWESOME! Then it was down a long grade and a well deserved recovery time. I took my next drinks and my stomach pain increased. DAMN IT! Another long uphill was next. Not difficult, just long. At the top of this long grade was one of the big aid stations with tons of spectators and more music.

Then came a long winding section of slightly rolling hills and country side and was a welcome time to evaluate what was going on in my gut. I’ve been taking my salt tablets as usual so that can’t be it. Maybe I’m hungry, I’ll try eating my PBJ…ouch, and my gut began to knot up. OK, back off my pace and settle down for a bit
Then came a screaming downhill section that I just loved. This section was ruled as “NO TRIATHLON STEARAGE” and a hand drawn sign at the top of this section showed a biker in aero position with a slash through it. If anyone was caught on their aero bars, it was a 6 minute penalty. I was coasting at 43 MPH and getting passed by a few Europeans who must have been going 50 plus.
Back down on the flats along Lake Zurich gave me more time to rethink my eating and drinking plan. I decided eating solids was too painful so I changed to gels and energy drink instead. That helped but my stomach still had a stitch in it. Oh well, I felt good otherwise so I cruised on past the crowds of people and neared Heartbreak Hill.

This is the coolest part of the bike course. It’s a very steep 1K climb and lined with people waving flags, playing music, clanging cowbells, yelling HOPP HOPP HOPP!, and cheering loudly. The road is narrow so the crowd is squeezed in and I felt as if I was in the Tour de France. It was fantastic!

Then another screaming downhill and along the lake past transition and the beginning of my second lap with my gut still annoying me. Passed the same 2 cows clanging their bells for me. I pulled off at the big aid station to grab my personal needs bag to switch out some food items. I had a small packed of a liquid vitamin concoction with lots of B12. I downed that. I 86'd my PBJs in the bag and took out a cliff bar, more gels and went on my way. I pulled off for a nature break and noticed very little volume and very dark colored. DEHYDRATION! I wasn’t getting enough liquids or I was sweating out more than what was going in. The vitamin shot helped my stomach a bunch and I was able to get more fluids down me during the second lap but it wasn’t enough. I felt some minor cramps in my legs after my third climb up Heartbreak Hill. Not a good sign but I finished the bike clean with no incidents. Bike: 6:19.59.

T2 was another complete change of clothing so I mooned the crowd once again as I changed into running shorts.

The 4 lap run course was next. Trotting out of T2 was a little sluggish but my legs seemed relieved to be off the bike. I made it about 2 miles when the first of many major cramps seized my legs and forced me to hobble peg-leg fashion for quite awhile before trotting again. This is bad, very bad. I may end up walking this whole effing marathon if this keeps up. Damn it! What do I do now? I can’t eat cuz my stomach is back in a knot. If I can just jog between aid stations and then walk while I drink something. That might work.
I hobbled to the next aid station and drank some chicken broth. That was yummy and salty and seemed to relieve my stomach knot a bit. I did the same thing at almost every aid station but my legs would not come around and the painful cramps were coming and going like seizers and labor pains. I walked the second and third laps of the run.

That’s right, I walked over half of the marathon. Just into my last lap of the run, I started drinking some of the Coke at the aid stations and began to feel the effects quickly. I’m not a caffeine drinker and sugar sodas are not part of my diet either but man did that Coke taste good. By this time I had caught up a bit on my hydration and salts and I was able to jog most of the last lap and through the finish chute. Run: 5:57.58. Not a pretty sight but I finished in 13:33.30.