IM Texas 2024 - You get what you deserve!
IM Texas 2024
I am sitting on plan home from Houston after another great trip to Ironman Texas 2024. The race was the first Ironman distance race as part of the new Pro Series. Unlike the other 4 times I have done this race there was a huge pro field which really changed the nature of the race. Super exciting and so much energy.
Over the last couple of years I have been deliberately doing one Ironman a year very early in the season to allow me to be able to have no big burden of training in the Summer and let me focus on golf. This strategy has worked for golf because my handicap is down from 13.5 to 10.5 which is pleasing!
It’s the hamstring!
The impact of this, however, is that my running has got slower and slower. So after 2023 IM Texas I decided to train for the Marine Corps Marathon in DC in late October. In the last few weeks of training I injured, what I thought was my hip, at the end of a 17 mile run. Thinking it was a muscle injury I rested and then tried again but with a similar pain starting at 13 miles. A few weeks later, I went ahead and started the marathon but had to quit at 13 miles . Very disappointing
After some time trying to figure out the root cause of issue I eventually worked out it was a high hip tendonopathy - a hamstring injury. I connected with Jonathon Pierce in San Diego, a really great therapist I have worked with before and started my journey to healing. Lots of strength work and exercises later I finally got the go ahead to start running again in Mid March, six weeks out of Ironman Texas. Even then the first 3 weeks was simply uphill strides no longer than 200m repeats. The week before the race I completed a 10 mile run. Good progress but not good enough to do 26 miles after 112 miles on a bike.
The plan….
Jonathon advised me to do the bike and the swim but only do 1 loop of the run.. about 8 miles. I did not like the idea but I wanted to go to Houston and at least I would have fun swimming and biking! The most important outcome was to not go backwards in my recovery from the hamstring injury.
On a side note it took me until January to figure out what exactly the problem was and find the right person to help fix it…nearly 3 months. I should have worked this out faster than I did
Lead up to race
Ana and I traveled to the Woodlands, just outside Houston on Wednesday afternoon/early evening. I came in from Dallas where I had been on business for the week and Ana traveled from New York. We had signed up for Ironman XC so we had dinner with the support crew and athletes. Always a great crowd and the XC staff are amazing. Andy and Edyta our friends from Chicago also joined us. Andy and I have done multiple Ironman together so I was great to catch up and spend time with them both.
Thursday morning we got up early and had the opportunity to meet up and do a short run with Tim O’Donnell. He and his wife, Miranda Carfree, have started a training company called Salty bears. He had a number of athletes in the race hence why he was in the Woodlands. Interestingly, like me, he is going to be doing the SOS triathlon later this year.
We then had breakfast together and the pro Matt Hansen came and spoke to us about his experiences with the race. Again, a great athlete and very nice person. He inspired me to get my new Quintana Roo tri bike at the end of last year.
The rest of Thursday and Friday were spent relaxing, preparing and doing short practice swim, bike and runs. The weather on race day was expected to be windy, up to 25mph winds, and the water was warm meaning that it may be no a no wetsuit swim.
Actually the first time I had done Ironman Texas in 2013 it was my first no wetsuit swim race. On race day I was so nervous about this swim I nearly pulled out. Ana had to whip me into shape and basically throw me in the water but that’s a story for another day! Having overcome the mental block I was no longer worried about using a swim skin. Whatever will be will be…
Race Day
After my usual restless night before a race the 4am alarm got me out of bed. I had cold porridge that Ana had prepared from home and brought with her, long with a banana and lots of coffee! Having got my toilet needs sorted out I left the room at 5am and met Andy in the hotel lobby. We walked to transition which is about 10 minutes from the finish line, final set up and then on to the start.
Swim
The swim is in 3 parts. It starts with an out and back in the lake next to Woodlands. It’s murky but quite pleasant to swim and the route is relatively straight and wide swim for the out and back. Apart from the turnaround you can find space to swim without too much churn from fellow swimmers. After returning back to where you start there is right hand turn down the canal that leads into the Woodlands center. The canal is narrow and the pack starts to bunch up making it a harder. swim for the last 800-1000 meters. For those of you who count buoys - 9 out, 9 back and 7 down the canal.
Bike
Short run to transition and out on the bike. The bike is a simple route - 20 miles out to the Hardy Toll Road and then 2 loops of 21 miles up the highway and back. Then a 7 mile ride into the finish. The ride up highway is generally into a strong wind, yesterday it was blustering to about 25mph which made it very tough. However, when you turn around you get the benefit of a very strong tail wind! It’s not an interesting ride, not much to look at, but at least you know exactly what you’re getting! There are very few supporters on the ride so all you have is your fellow competitors and your thoughts for company. The road is closed on one side of the highway so there is 3 lanes marked with cones - one up, one back and one for emergency vehicles.
I had a good ride except for a collision with one of the cones on the road on the second loop up to the turn around. Totally my fault, did not pay attention, ran into a cone and went over the handlebars. Fortunately I landed on my hip and my bike landed on me. I was more concerned about scratches on my bike rather than me! Took me a few minutes to recover but got back on my bike and carried on.
Other than feeling tired on the last 7 miles back to town I felt good on the bike. My nutrition was dialled in. I think I may have missed my last feed before the finish which caused me to be more tired than I should have been.
Run
And so on to the run…I got off the bike feeling sore from my fall. I hurt my left hip and my knee so I took my time going through transition. I started the run and then I quickly realised how unfit I was for the run. The months of no running took its toll! So I ended up run/walking the 8 miles I said I would do.
One thing I have learnt about Ironman unless you are unlucky you get what you deserve…..I had a good day, enjoyed myself, I will be back to fight another day.
Next race is one from my bucket list the SOS Triathlon in September. Here’s hoping my hamstring is back to full strength by then!
