Beagle269’s BodyBlog

Ok, so if your reading this report, start with the blog a few before this one, and read your way from bottom to top, so you can read the details in order.  hummm, kinda confusing, sorry about that lol. (My pre race report, then my swim report, then my bike report, then my run report. make sense?  And if its too long, don’t feel bad, because only the addicted triathlete might kind of enjoy the reading.
OK, so so far feeling good about my race, my Bike split was as expected, but a little faster than projected because I planned on saving more energy for my run.  But ok, feeling motivated, and having the time of my life.  Finished the 2.4 mile swim, the 112 mi bike, and now it’s time to go running for the brisk 26.2 miles. lol

Stats so far 1:26:37 Swim, 4:14 T1, 6:17:22 Bike, 5:00 T2

Head out onto the run course, the run is way spectator friendly in my opinion.  The first 2 miles is a route along the beach and sideways from downtown, then it heads out into downtown and out into the countryside.  I remember feeling good, talking to those around me, asking how they were feeling.  A few of them, in fact many, didn’t seem to be doing to good, all the while boosting me because I felt good, errr, something like that, ok I suppose. I complimented them and told them we had this race pretty much in the bag,   then they responded like uhhhh, not really heheh. so funny.

My race strategy, it’s only 4 10k’s right, just do one at a time and no big deal.  So, along the back, and through downtown.  The first 10k done, without even walking once.  My pace is slow, feeling slower then my hopeful 10 minute mile pace, but then again I forgot my watch.  first 10k done, I’ll walk a short distance, so I relax my heartrate and body by walking about 100m, then running again, after another 3 miles, my body is burning, by bowels, my lungs.  Amazing that it can hurt so bad when you are running so slow, I’m feeling famished,

The chicken soup and oranges seem to hit the spot at the aid stations, but still on my way.

Forgot to add what else I’ve had for nutrution.  So, Total today so far, not counting breakfast, 2x Gu at T1, During the bike 5x Gu (120 calorie packs) packets during the bike, 2 water bottles of 3x concentrate Accelerate, 450 calories each water bottle (a high carb/energy/proetein drink),  2 banannas, (in halfs at hand offs) a half of a clif bar, a full pack of Ritz crackers, (in one crackers at a time portions to aid with water) Then in T2 another Gu packet and a handful of pretzels
The whole run I ate as much as I could without my stomach feeling 100% miserable, it was 60% miserable without the complication of food at all.

So, mile 9 is about where I started breaking down, the walking at the aid stations turned worse from here, the sponges and water over my head, oranges, banannas, pretzels and chicken soup as possible.  The last few miles before and after the turnaround had some rolling hills, and at this point my body aching with agony, screamed to stop.  The hills before the turnaround I had a goal to run up and down them, and I did just that.  The mile before and after the run turnaround was in another small town, the crowd cheering for me. yay!

After the turnaround, I remember feeling famished.  wondering how it was possible, the mental up and downs during something like this are amazing, you can feel great in an instant, then the crowd was cheering me on, then a minute later be feeling at the bottom of the bottom.  I walked portions of the hills on the second half of my marathon.  Then coming down a long stretch of road, at the bottom of a hill, there was my dad.  Cheering me on, I think he could tell I was struggling.  The many I had passed during the first 9 miles of the run, were now passing me slowly, one by one.  But seeing my dad was very motivating and refreshing.  the next 6 miles were very difficult, long and enduring, my body felt like a worn out Oldsmobile, rattling and rambling down the road.  At one point I climbed a small hill next to the run, and laid down, rolling down to try and make someone next to me laugh.  Hardly a smile hahah.  There was one yard with a sprinkler on, and I got up close, inches away from the sprinkler and let the water spray high pressure into my mouth and face, it felt so good.  Drinking and eating what I could.  I ran next to many friends, but you couldn’t really become friends, just support for each other.  I remember seeing the ambulances going up and down the road, picking people up who had stopped and laid down on the side of the road.  several of them were in stretchers with IV’s hooked up all crazy.  dang, this is crazy, and fun, and so risky.  The "Sag wagons"  picking up quitters, for whatever reason, both legit and not so much.
ok, onto the finish, this race is sounding terrible, but it’s really not, the last 6 miles of my run went good.  All the while much slower pace than I had hoped, I chugged along, the miles going away, becoming completed one by one.  Tried to pick up the pace for the last 10k, but that lasted only about 400m before I realized it was too soon to try and pick up the pace, then at the 23 mile marker I decided to try and pick it up.  What felt like an 8 minute mile was actually a 10 minute mile, but none the less, I was feeling better, who cares about my upset stomach, or my aches and pains, this one is supposed to hurt, and not just a little either.  On to the finish, my last 2 miles went good, picking up the pace, then my last mile, picking up the pace,  I think I passed 4 people in the last mile, they weren’t looking good.  And across the finish line!  Holy cowzers, 13:15:46  with a run time of 5:22:35, pace of 12:19. My slowest marathon ever, yet my largest accomplishment ever.

I feel like this is my second hardest race ever, both mentally and physically.  A touch harder than my first 50k trail run at the Mackenzie river trail in Oregon, and a bit easier than my first 70.3 half Ironman, in Lake Stevens Washington,

So much fun, into the massage tent, another hour and a half before I could even find my dad.  Pizza and cookies.  Drop off my bike at tri bike transport, so convienient.
Remember finishing the race, and 2 people behind me, simply couldn’t even walk, to the medical tent, they were carried over to it. The volenteer holding my arm at the finish line was impressed my me, walking tall and strong, he held my arm firmly to make sure I had my footing.

What am I going to do different next time?  I canceled out my intensity training workouts to focus soley on endurance about a month and a half before my race. I think the intensity couldv’e helped me a lot.  I think also going to run less junk miles.  Read some others’ blogs about their junk miles, and I run a lot lot lot of them.  I.E. running without purpose, just running to run.  It would be so much smarter to always run structured and specific workouts, while the long, 12,18,22 mile runs are necessary, I needed a lot more structure.

Something else I would do different for my next Ironman, is get to know more triathletes.  New to the San Antonio area, I haven’t yet had the chance to meet close friends.  While I have a lot of training friends, I think some close ones are very important.  By the end of Ironman, I realized I had put my personal life on complete hold in training for Ironman, my friends sort of became less of friends, my girlfriends, thought I was crazy and would come, and mostly go.  heheh  so,  The Texans here in San Antonio, are mostly lazy, and enjoy watching TV and being indoors, people at work and church mostly think I am crazy.  It’s the select few, and also the ones I meet when I’m out riding, at a local triathlon, or a tri/cycle training group that allow me to feel accepted.  Hummm,  I felt a lot more accepted in the Seattle area, but maybe because those were friend I had built from time also.

Anyways, whats next?  Gonna do it again, for sure, Ironman Brazil maybe, maybe Florida as I have some friends signing up for that one, maybe Australia, or Switzerland.  would be fun to travel.  A few sprint tris, and Olympic distance stuff this fall, one 70.3 called the long horn, but might save expenses and not do it.  I want to get a new tri bike, need to do more homework and buy when the time is right. I think the 70.3 distance I am better at, but gonna have to do a few more fulls too.
Need to change up my training regime, my peak of triathlon is done,  more intensity, structured training, gonna do crossfit this fall and winter.  Gotta help motivate some around me to swim and bike more often, Very interested in Cyclocross mud riding this fall and winter, but no one here in Texas even has ever heard of it, so….  not to mention, very infrequent mud.
What an awesome job to all the volenteers and staff, racers and spectators.  The race and coordination couldn’t have gone any better.

And a special thanks to my dad, couldn’t have done it without you, the camping for an Ironman made it extra special, and made me feel like even more of an ironman!  You helped me acheive the accomplishment of a lifetime, and it’ll always be ours.
Special memory to Walter Wiwchar 66 years old of Canada, who died during the swim portion of the Ironman Canada, while he didn’t drowned, last report read they think it may have been heart related.
anyways, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed

-Travis Stecker

Opps forgot to put my stats in the last blog,

Swim time  1:26:37, 2:17 100m pace, 99/107 age group, 2094/2600 overall

transision 1 time 4:14
So, over to the bike mount area.  I click in my right pedal, and crank myself into place and onto the bike course in one fluid motion.  Someone next to me did a hop on their bike while running and crashed, all the while the crowd was cheering madly and even gasped when the guy did a mini crash. At this point, I’m feeling really good.  I beat my goal of 1:30 on the bike swim, with a fast T1 transition. I also feel good because I am a bit of a weak swimmer, the fact that the transition area was so busy is a motivation boost to me, I’m usually one of the slower swimmers, and usually when I grab my bike, most of the bikes are gone, but not the case today, tons of people still in transiton, a lot of bikes still awaiting their owners!

The first 6 miles of the bike are amazing.  My father, happened to be a volenteer, was at about the 2 or 3rd mile. and his duty was to keep spectators off the course!  Absoloutely impossible, the first 6 miles were totally tour de france style, with crowds on both sides cheering, and people kinda half in the road, and getting out of the way just before you passed by.  Like each person wants to get closer in the road so they could see you coming!  Awesome, so much energy radiating.  My legs and body feel fresh still, awesome, right on schedule.  They race course boasted, and I verified while driving, a hill at about mile 20, but I didn’t really notice the hill, I do remember passing a few people while climbing, but I was still focused on trying to regulate my heart rate and energy output.  I remember passing a lot of people with uber nice tri bikes, (I ride a Specialized tarmac road bike, clip on aero bars)  Someone had crashed at the sharp left turn right before the hill, they were hoping on their bike, but I did notice the blood on his shoulder as I passed. The first like 50 miles I averages a way fast pace. A slight tailwind, and mostly rolling down hill the first half of this race. So fast, I think at this point I had averaged (someone next to me said 32 km/h avg)  I had forgotten my gps watch in Texas, so the whole day was riding and running without.  Then a sharp right turn, and time to climb.  First, up Richter Pass, a 2k foot climb, but once your half way up, there is rolling downs and ups. But it’s ok, I’m a climber, and I felt great, I peaked my heartrate a few times on this climb, but I must’ve passed more than 100 people. I remember wondering why they had chosen such a low gear. Grab a high gear, and keep the rpms cranking, and when I peaked, I felt like Lance Armstrong, dancing on my pedals, I really boost my conficience when I get out of my saddle and crank it out.  Soooo much fun.  Over the top of Richter Pass again it was crowds, watching us climb, watching me pass people the whole way up and cheering, cheering.  yay, The next 30 or 40 miles were difficult, into the headwind, and the wind had picked up a bit, I rode next to a girl who told me a joke about the next 40 miles. Something funny but I can’t remember it and I didn’t hear the complete joke anyways, It referred to the next 40 miles as including the 7 bitches. referring to the 7 mini climbs in between the 2 large climbs, and the headwind seemed to complicate the climbs, it was difficult to maintain momentum into the next climb, while I still had better climbing capacity than those around me, and grabbed a better gear, the wind seemed to damper my downhill and into the uphill momentum.

ohh, should mention diet, by this time at mile 50-60 I had consumed a full bagel, 3x Gu gel packs, a bottle and a half of 3x concentrate Accelerade, and lots of water.  I also ate of lot of Ritz crackers by this time as it helps me digest a lot of water.

So, somewhere around mile 70 was the special needs drop off, I had another bagel and ritz crackers in my bag and decided to grab just the ritz crackers. Then onto the climb up to yellow lake.  What a beautiful ride, hard to notice when your racing, but still very noticable.  This climb was difficult, at about mile 85 the climb steepened, my mojo was dimishing, my legs felt heavy, and my bowels seemed to churn, I didn’t notice passing many on this climb, but I did still enjoy the crowd.  Once again like the Tour de France style, crowds on both sides, and traffic blocked and stopped.  (One lane closure much of the course, so people just parked their cars while waiting, and got out and cheered!) Also remember noticing several people in the penalty tent.  There was 4 penalty tents, and apparently, with the head wind, some had been penalized for drafting into the headwind.  The whole course had tons of race support, motorcycle officials passing nearly every 10 minutes in charge of rules and safety. Ambulences frequently, many of them picking up cyclists, or using a shovel to clean the bike remains from a crash, hehe, and also who can forget the bike tech support vehicles, (bicycle repairs)  I remember enjoying passing so many with flat tires, or broken bicycle parts, so many of whom had bikes whose value is 3 times my own.
Over the top of Yellow lake, and it was time to find a bathroom.  the aid station at the top had about 4 bathrooms, all full, hand off more water and bananna, and kept going, about 4 more miles and it was perfect.  Not even sure why that port a pottee was there, it wasn’t an aid station, hummm, parked my bike next to it, and taking my crap took all of 10 seconds, sat down and whoooshhh, heheh, felt so much better already,  before hoping on my bike, I loosened my shoes, pulled my socks up, stretched for about one minute.  Feeling so much better.  Onto my bike for the finale.

Then next and last 15 miles of the bike were a lot of downhill racing.  Passed my dad once more coming down a stretch of road at about 40 mph,  what a boost of motivation he provided.

The last 6 miles of the course again, riding into town, lined with people on both sides, cheering, amazing. At the bike dropoff I hand off my bike to a volenteer and head over to grab my running shoes. My bike dismount was perfect, unclip right, unclip left, right leg over, and jump down while still goind 5-10 mph and run my bike across the bike dismount line. yay

Bike time was 6:17:22, avg speed 17.8, 75/107 age group, 1258/2600 overall.
I notice a once again one or two people in the penalty tent.

I head into the changing tent, I’m ready for a change, literally.  shorts off, running shorts on, shirt off, running shirt on, decided with a different jersey than I told my dad about, glad I decided not to go with cotton, Running shoes on as fast as can be, and an extra amount of vaseline on the good ol nipples.

5:00 minute T2 time
Out of transition and onto the run course.  see next blog as applicable

So, humm, where to start.

I guess we’ll start wherever.   So, After a busy summer long of training, back healing, and dealing with other time constraints and (heat related) weather constraints.  Here I was, ready to head up to Canada.  Used Tri Bike Transport, who picked up my bike about 1.5 weeks before the race to take it up, very nice and convienient.  Rented a set of 50mm Aero Blackwell race wheels from the local tri store.  Then I was headed up there.  A few weeks before the race.

Flew up to Seattle, to deal with some home rental stuff, hang out with my Father, then drove up with my father.  Decided not to do the crazy diet things that I have read about, simply because I haven’t really ever tried it.  Read about some people, cutting out fiber a week or two before an Ironman, and also cutting out carbs a week before, to help their body not get sluggish.  However I decided to keep it simple, my normal diet, with a good short 1.5 week taper, all the while keeping my fitness going as to not get carbo loaded and slugged up.  However the real carb loading came a full day and a half before my race.  Breads, pastas, breads, more pasta, some lean chicken and some more pasta.  Just ask my dad, must have had 6 huge plates, and was eating all day long.

After enjoying some time in canada, race meetings, setting up transition area, going over it time and time again in my head.  My father and I had bike ridden the marathon course, and driven the bike course.  Enjoyed swimming in the lake, and looking out to the distant bouys, of which you could barely see the turnarounds they were so far away..

Race Morning, ok, up at about 4am, Oatmeal, brown sugar, honey, bagel with peanut butter, Accelerade beverage x3 thickness.  Most of my things are already in transition.  But arrived at transition, and needed to only get my out of the swim, and before swim gear ready.  Also pumped up my tires to 140 psi, checked my bike gears, exchanged my Accelerage water bottles, etc etc, and ohh yeah, good ol’ Body Glide, and Deeez Nutz.  hehee  Off to the beach.

Watching the professional field leave, was enjoyable, with energy and anticipation, they looked so professional, about 20 or 30 athletes in the pro field took of 10 minutes before everyone else. they looked majestic in the beautiful lake, so natural, so inspirational.  I knew my field would not look the same.

In the water and ready for swim start, 5 minutes to start, 2 minutes, one minute, and 10, 9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 Go.  (No more cannon, as the traditional Canada start, not sure why, just a horn)  And we were off.  I decided to start mid pack in the swim, but the swim was a complete mass start, about 4oo meters wide, and packed 100 deep.  I started about center right, with about 20 people in front of me, as I don’t mind to much the water bashing.

However, in the start of the swim, and throughout, it was more brutal than I would have expected.  not in a bad way, I was able to start swimming right on time, but throughout the first 600m, never imagined anything like it!  After the 400M mark I finally found some swimming privacy, and was able to pace a few people, getting into my swim groove, Rocking my body, reaching and pulling the water, so fluid and complete.  We were supposed to stay to the left of the buoys, but not until about 3/4 of the complete swim was I even able to get to the left of the buoys, (except the turnarounds of course)  Then past the 1400 meter turn, it was about a 60 degree right hand turn, again, so packed, people swimming on top of people, bashing me with arms in my back, kicking me in the shoulders and chest and head, grabbing my legs.  Then I see something unusual.  I see a few bodies at the bottom of the lake laying flat.  It scared the crap out of me for a split second, I had heard about the scuba divers startling people on the swim, but I didn’t expect them to be laying on the ground, watching from below!  A sigh of releif and further onto the swim.  At this turn, the 1400 meter turn, is where I had some goggle peoples, someone kicked my goggles off, and they filled with water,  after I repositioned them, they seemed to be leaking water until I repositioned them a few more times.  Further onto the swim, another turn at about the 2100 meter I think, and this turn was about a 120 degree turn.  Again, the bashing and absoloutely crazy in the water.  I specifically remember one guy, swimming at this turn about a dozen full swim strokes behind me, where I could feel both of his arms and hands brush past both of my ears!  Wow.  And onto the home stretch, the last leg of the swim, can’t remember the distance is was, but it was to complete the 2.4 mile swim.

Overall my swim was awesome, after 400 m I got into a groove, so smooth and fluid, maximum swim capicity, with minimal swim energy output.  efficiency. I really enjoyed the swim because I expected it to be crazy deep, but about 1/2 the swim I could see the bottom, so clear of water, it gave me something interesting to do, watching the bottom, the rocks and weeds, as I swam, an enjoyable guage that tells you you are actually moving forward, (hard to guage on such a long distance swim because you are out in the middle of the lake for what seems forever.)

So, out of the water, removed the upper portion of my wetsuit as I was exiting, feel the burst of energy coming from the crowd, and the announcer.  Travis Stecker, from San Antonio Texas, yay!

Into transition, wetsuit removal people.  My wetsuit is one of my favorite things, it fits so good, so tight, an extra body skin, form fitting, with my suit even half off already, it’s very difficult to get off, even with  good ol Body glide. So I sit down, and 3 people, grab my suit, and yank it right off!  amazing, never done it that way before, Then I head over, grab my cycling gear back, the changing tent is packed full of people, so I simply put on my shoes, my helmet, suck down 2x gu gel packs, and head out.  Grab my bike and onto the bike loading zone. See next blog for more on the Bike portion

So, I finished my summer long training peak race this last weekend, not to mention my 4 year in my sights up and coming wanna do goal.

Raced and completed my first full distance Ironman, in Penticton Canada August 30 2009.  Here is my full and extensive race report and review/blog, errrr, here is the pre-race report, and summer training report, Triathlon report to follow
4 years into triathlon, with something in common with those around me, always wanting to do better, go faster, longer and harder.  Well, last year I signed up, a year in advance for something I’ve been dreaming up for quite some time.  The Ironman distance triathlon

My summer of 2009 was a bit hectic, I think it affected my training a little more than I would have liked.  Here is the story on that.
I had a pretty bad crash on my mountain bike in May of 2009, while mountian biking in Mukilteo Washington, I was about 30 minutes downhill riding to the car, when, after a steep downhill section of trail, then a hard banked left hand turn, I jumped over a washed out creekbed, the washout was about 18 inchs wide, and a foot deep.  I jumped my front tire over no prob, but what followed with my back tire would be terrible. My back tire, jaunted into the hole, then bottoming out, and blasting me upwards on the way out of the crevice. The rear of my bike sent me flying over the handlebars.  (ok, so pretty normal right, for all those mountain bikers) The only problem, was, right there in front of me, and in the flash of my eyes, was a giant fir tree 2 feet in diameter.  I went completely over the handlebars and butt planted, full speed into the dead center of the tree.

First impression, I think I may have passed out for a short period.  Because once I opened my eyes, my friend was there, and I knew he had been quite a ways behind me as he wasn’t nearly as aggressive. I know the air got knocked out of me bad, but I remember distinctly the deep pain. And first check, to see if I could wiggle my toes and feet. And yes, I could.  thank goodness.

After nearly a 2 hour limp down the mountain, I couldn’t get my bike into the car, or even sit down in the car. Would’ve had my friend drive me home, but then I would have to still get in the driver seat once I dropped him off.  plus ohh  yeah, I’m tough.

So I get in the driver seat, with my seat back nearly all the way down, and am unable to put any weight on my butt.  I drop my friend off, and limp into the house.  The neighbors noticed me getting out of my car and come to help, (it took 20 minutes to get out of car!)  Limp into the house and crash on the couch, laying on my right side body only, shoes and muddy clothes still on.  I lay there for like a day and a half before I even take my shoes off.  Of course I have my phone, so I call for medical advice. Finally a long story short, after several x-rays, a chiropractic opinon, and a full body Cat Scan, (another term for the more inclusive one)  The doctors find I have a compound fractured L5 bottom vertebre, and cracked tailbone  The doctors are worried about bone splinters pinching the nerves.  The only type of surgery is where they inject something similar to rubber cement into the bone, but this has long term uncomfort type side effects.  hummm, the Cat scan turns out that surgery is not required.  I rest and begin to collect disability from my work.  No lifting or exercising of any type for 6-8 weeks.  And that was very difficult, but the pain pretty much kept me from doing that stuff anyways.. ohh yeah, and the bruise on my backside, went from my theighs, to my mid back, behind my stomach area!  Dang, wish I had a picture to post.
ok, what else caused my difficulty in my training for Ironman 2009 was moving to Texas.  Since I claimed disability, I decided I was ready for a change in my life, I took some travel time while getting paid disability and applied for work in Portland Oregon, Eugene Oregon, and San Antonio Texas.  After much effort and prayer, I decided I would move to San Antonio Texas.  Since I have moved here, a few factors have affected my training very strongly.  One being the weather, it’s very hard to get long hours training time for an Ironman when the daylight summer hours in Texas are normally above 100, with high humidity.  Not to mention my time schedule. Starting a new job once I arrived, (my 8 weeks was up, and I was considered mostly healed, just no heavy lifting and limited running) so my new job was a whole new time demanding resource.  Working extra hours to put in the extra initiative and make up for lost finances.  Then balancing time with my kids, who also live in San Antonio, whereas in Washington, I was didnt have the opprotunity to spend time with them on a regular basis.  What a blessing it was to be close to them though, since I have moved here my relationship with them has grown.

humm, ok, onto Ironman Canada,  see next blog page