Ironman Louisville

Ironman Louisville – the sequel. It’s been a nostalgic summer; riding and running the same routes in preparation for the same course where I did my first and only Ironman 3 years ago. I have a certain comfort level with this race that stems from a lot of different things: First of all, I know the course very well as this was my 4th trip there in a row, either as a participant or a spectator; second, it’s a hot race and I actually “like” the heat – I tend to race better in August than I do in April; Finally, I have a great support group in Louisville. One of my best friends since childhood (Tom) married a Louisville girl (Ashley) and they have lived in Louisville for years. They are great, and it’s always good to come back and see them and enjoy their hospitality. All that said, I was feeling pretty good about the race, and looking forward to improving on my 11:12 performance from 3 years ago.


I got to Tom’s late Wednesday night and was really able to relax and take it easy for the few days leading up to the race. It’s so nice to not be in a hotel. You don’t realize how much running around you do when you live out of a hotel for days at the time. This time I was “at home” so I did “at home” things, like sit on the couch and watch tv, sleep in and enjoy home cooked meals.

My Long Time Nemesis - The Mighty Ohio

Tom's soon to be famous "Couscous Salad"

The day before the race was a breeze. Tom lives about 10 minutes from the transition area so everything was easy. I zipped down to the river in the morning for the practice swim, came back and laid on the couch for a few hours, then zipped back down to the river for bike check in.

Bike Check-In 

Race morning arrived and as usual, my pre-game jitters were out of control. I dread those race morning feelings of anxiety and nervousness so much, but I guess it’s all part of it - plus it makes getting to the finish line that much more special.

I actually quite enjoy the National Anthem - I'm just scared to death

Finally it was time to go so I jumped off the dock and started my day. It was more congested than I remember and the first 400 or so was crowded and hectic. Swallowed half the river but eventually found some clean water and got into a good rhythm. After that it was a pretty uneventful swim and I exited the water in 1:10. I am not the best swimmer so I was certainly pleased with that. After a decent transition I hit the bike course feeling pretty good.

Starting the bike was the first time I really noticed the weather; it was nice. Some cloud cover early really made the first 30-40 miles comfortable, and when the sun did come out it really wasn’t bad. It was a bit windy which slowed us down some, but that was a fair tradeoff as temps were in the mid 80s instead of low 90s which is more typical. I didn’t really have any problems staying hydrated or fueled and the legs felt “ok”.

Mile 40

After a 5:15 bike, I made my way through T2 and started doing the math as I hit the run course. I needed to run 3:26 to break 10 hours and I knew it was going to be close. I was in the midst of contemplating the shear silliness of running 26 miles after swimming 2.4 and biking 112 when I saw something very strange in the distance. Is that what I think it is? Yes, it’s a hot dog!! Steph had donned her famous hot dog costume to provide me with some much needed encouragement. I nearly laughed myself into a side stitch but it was worth it.

Me and the Hot Dog on the 2nd St Bridge

After the hot dog episode, I settled in at about 7:40 pace and stayed there til mile 18 or so. At that point, it got REAL hard, but this time I found a way to keep running, whereas in 2008 I started to walk. If I only remember one thing about the race it will be that – you can always keep running.

The pace started to slip a little so I started looking at my watch a little more often. Am I going to make it? From miles 20-23 I really wasn’t sure, but when I hit 24 at 9:41 I was pretty sure I was going to get there. As I made the turn on to 4th Street, I was about as satisfied with a race as I have ever been. It’s such a great finish line and I couldn’t have been happier to get there. 9:58.

Good Job! Um, the medical tent is that way

I am extremely proud of this result. I feel like I executed well, didn’t make any big mistakes, and fought as hard as I could when things went from “really hard” to “unbearable”. Going into this race I had 2 goals: break 10 hours and grab a Kona slot. Typically, at Ironman Louisville those two things are one in the same; break 10 and you are in. In fact, in the previous 4 years, no one in the 35-39 age group had ever broken 10 and failed to qualify, and that includes 2009 (the cool year). But this year things were different. Guys are just getting stronger, faster and smarter nowadays and if you want a slot, you really have to up your game. My 9:58 was only good enough for 15th Sunday. Maybe next year I will make another run in 40-44, but for now, time to rest……. And eat. How about these super nachos?

Thanks to Steph as always for putting up with all of this, to super-hosts, Tom and Ashley for all the hospitality and to PowerBar, Brooks, Xterra and my good friends at J&A Racing for all the support. I couldn’t do this without you guys and I appreciate it.