2011 IMCDA race report

2011 IMCDA race report

It’s taken me some time to get my head wrapped around writing this dam thing. I guess it’s now or never.
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is quite a bit different than Austin, TX. The big difference is the weather. Holy shit it’s nice up there compare to what we have going on down here. The grass is green, the flowers bloom and you may even need a jacket at night. It’s a resort/ touristy little town of about 44,000 people. The locals love the event since we pump a ton of money into the local economy and we’re all usually gone by Tues.
I stayed in a house with Natasha and Steve from http://www.triteamtransport.com/ and the famous Capt. Jim and Capt. Jim’s wife (Michelle). We had great local!!! Nice little 3 bedroom with a lawn and back deck. We were about a 10 min walk to the race site which was PRIMO!
The first 2 days we were there was the basics: Pre race swims, rides and runs, driving the bike course, pack pick ups, bike check ins and hanging with Hills at Recovery Pump . http://www.recoverypump.com
What was the most interesting thing about the pre race was the water we were swimming in. Holy crap was it cold. About 55 degrees with a nice steady wind to make the waves just so much fun. The swim on Friday was interesting. Capt. Jim, Michelle, Natasha and I all went down on Friday morning to swim the course a bit and when we got there we kinda all thought about coming back the next day. The water was just brutal with white caps all over the place. We all ended up getting for a bit but what felt like 30 minutes was more like 11 minutes. Not turning back now so we sucked it up.
Race Day:
Early to bed. Early to rise. Fish like hell and make up lies.
Ooops…..wrong event!
Race morning went as planned. Bike check, bags check and bathroom time. Nothing out of the normal there. It took a long time to get down to the water. Not enough room for athletes and too many spectators in the damn way. Once down to the water I realized I had my J&A’s wool cap on and my Oakley’s. Shit!!!!! I didn’t want to lose them and I couldn’t find Capt. Jim (not racing). So I prayed to the lost and found gods to help my stuff get back to me. So I tucked them in a corner and hoped. Once I made it to the water I jumped in real quick after they said not to to get a little used to the cold temps of the water. Chatted with some folks I didn’t know and then BANG!!!!! The cannon goes off. Of course I lined up incorrectly and end up in the washing machine that is most IM swims. It’s just nuts. Add that to the cold waters temps and it totally sucked. I had to stop about 2 minutes in because I was hyperventilating. I treaded water for about a minute and caught my breath, convinced myself that I wasn’t going to die and off I went again. The swim of an IM event is like none other. You get hit from all angles and there isn’t a ton you can do about it until it thins out or you go way off course. This being a 2 loop swim made the moshpit feeling last that much longer. Because once you jump back in you’re back at it with getting knocked around. Oh well…..this ain’t my first rodeo.
Swim time: 2.4 miles in 1:15:48. Exactly where I thought I would finish.
T1: 6:43 -Nothing to eventful here except the guy who flipped out when I dropped my bike stuff on the ground next to his. He got all worked up that we were going to mix stuff together. Listen guy…..if you were trying to an AG spot to Kona you would have been out of the water a long time ago. Asshat.
Bike: 112 miles
I did this course in 2009 and had a pretty good idea of what to do and what not to do. 2 years ago I came out like Lance Armstrong and dies at about mi 70. This year I took my time to get into the swing of things and not crush the first loop. Nice and steady on the flats and controlled on the hills. I felt pretty good one the first loop of 2 loops and that carried into the 2nd loop. But as usual my back started to really bother me @ mile 90. Wow did it hurt like hell. Thank the lord that my friend from San Diego, Brittany came up next to me with some words to say (she was talking shit) that helped me make it through the remainder of the ride.
** The Frito incident: I love Fritos any time anywhere. I eat them while I train and I had some with me for the race. I out a bunch of them in my bento box (a little box that goes on your top tube that has a Velcro cover on it so nothing flies out) so I could snack away all I wanted to. At mile 60 I stopped to fuel up on some Gatorade. I didn’t get off the bike I just stopped and straddled the bike. I realized I had to pee so I just went right there. This is come practice in triathlon so it’s not biggie. Once done I start riding again and its Frito time! I reach in and grabbed a Fritos and then I realize what I did. I pee’d all over my damn Fritos.  This sucked! Oh well…..shit/ pee happens and I had a race to finish.
Bike time: 5:53:59. About 19 mph
T2: This is where the wheels came off for a moment. I got off my bike and I could barely stand because my back was totally F’ed. I struggled through changing into my running shoes and then while getting sunscreen applied I dropped. I couldn’t even stand up anymore. I was helped over to the ART guys in T2 and they worked on stretching my back out for about 10 minutes. They did what they could and sent me on my way. This marathon is going to hurt.
T2 time: 13:31
Run: 26.2 miles
Once onto the run course I was happy just to be able to move but the way I felt I knew that if I did one quick move I would be done for the day. So I just stayed straight and made as little turning as possible. The first ½ of the marathon was solid. I average about 9:10 per mile and that was just where I wanted to be. I felt good and my legs were in the right place. Once through the ½ point I started to mentally crumble a bit. I just didn’t want to run anymore. It happens…the tough part is starting back up again. So I did about 3 miles or so of walk/ run. It sucked and I could see everything kinda slipping away. Time to rally but I need some motivation. Where do you find motivation? You find it in the form off a 5 foot 1 inch tall red head with freckles and like to talk shit. Yes…Brittany was now on my radar. I saw her on the first lap and she was 8 minutes ahead of me. The second time I saw here she was 4 minutes up. I was gaining and this got me moving. I had 6.7 miles to the finish and I was determined to hunt her down. So I hit an aid station, grabbed some fuel and said to myself, “Fuck it dude….lock and load.” The next 6.7 miles were all or nothing to me. I was going to run as hard as I could for the remainder of the race and I didn’t care how much it hurt.
Now when people say that an Ironman is mostly mental they aren’t kidding. You gotta have your head right and in the game or you’re toast. The 6.7 miles started on an uphill that a ton of people were walking. So I ran it with the hopes that I could. I got the top and ran down the back side of it. Feeling ok here. My feet were on fire but this is something that I can deal with. Next was the Vancouver Canucks fan that I needed to pass. On my way by I reminded him that his goalie sucks and the bruins are the greatest. Next up was the little hill that I hate so much because it goes on forever in my mind. Again, people walking so Logan runs it. By this time I can’t see Brit and I know there is only 3 or so miles left. Where in the hell is she? I keep pushing and I make it to the neighborhood that kicks ass. Tons of people, music and support. I would have loved to enjoy it all but I was on a mission, so I put my head down and kept pushing. Come Brit you little pain in my ass….where are you? I finally forgo my damn watch and ask someone what time it is. Someone yells out 6:40 p.m.. Math time! I have 2 miles left and I need to get there by 7 because I want to break 12 hours (we started at 7:00 a.m.). I know at the current pace that I was running that I could run 2 miles in 20 mins but I also knew that the next 1.5 miles were mostly uphill. Keep running Logan……you got this! I continue to run up the hills and I take a moment to cheer on a guy who’s 72 and doing the race. Way to go young man.
With a ½ mile left to go you take a turn onto Sherman Ave and it’s all downhill to the finish. This is one of the best finishlines in the IM world. Straight, slight downhill and there are a million people the entire way cheering you on to finish. By this time I realize 2 things…….Brittany has beat me and I am finishing under 12 hours. That’s all good in my book. I run down Sherman Ave with only one guy around me and this guy wants to race to the finish. Sorry folks but this is a totally shit ass thing to do to someone. If you have enough gas in the tank to finish the race going all out then you cheated yourself during the event by mot pushing it. If you do this then you are a tool and a few choice other words. I let the d-bag just go one by. I soon hear Mike Reilly calling my name and I’m finally in the finishers shoot with about 50 m to go. I give a few high 5’s to the crowd and take a second to think about the things that are important to me. Once at the finishline I cross my arms like I safe in baseball and call it a day.
Run time: 4:26:19….last 6.7 miles were at a 9:20 pace
Total time: 11:55:57
Found Brit in the massage tent after the race and she has beaten me by 3 mins. I guess she had the opposite in mind when she saw me last. “Jesus don’t let Logan chase me down!” I’ll get you one of these days Brit.

Overall:
Great race for me and the event. Besides pissing on my Fritos and my back issues the race was awesome. With that being said I don’t plan on doing any IM’s for at least the next 10 years or so. I just can’t swing the commitment and my back really likes ½ IM’s better. Going back to trail running which is what I do best. Gonna give the Bandera 100k (yes that’s 62 miles) a try and then go for the big dog and find a 100 miler to try.

The next day:
We went down to the race expo the morning after the event to check things out and see Hills at Recovery Pump. While making our way to hills I noticed a lost and found area. I was pretty sure my glasses and skull cap were gone. But I thought I would at least look. Well holy shit! My J&A’s skull cap was there. This thing is a collectors item! Glasses were gone but I just didn’t care. Getting my cap back was the highlight of the day.


Thanks-
As always thanks to my mom and family. You guys keep me going. Thanks to Megan and Cassidy for listen to my meltdown a few days before the race. My coach Zane. Thanks to Pain for all the mental coaching a guy could ask for….you are the greatest! Thanks to Molly and Seba for not being normal and keeping me laughing all the time. Thanks to Capt. Jim and Capt. Jim’s wife for dealing with me for 5 days. To Natasha and Steve for shipping my bike. To Jack and Adam’s for all the mechanical and nutritional support……oh and free parking! Thanks to everyone that sent kind words before and after race day. Thanks to Hillary Hanson for saving my life after the race with food and water.

And thanks to Fitzhugh Road. You’re a piece of shit and I really do f’ing hate you.