Leadville Trail 100 MTB - Race Across the Sky

Leadville Trail 100 MTB - Race Across the Sky

The Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race ("LT100") is one of the oldest 100-mile marathon mountain bike races in the Country.  The first Leadville 100 MTB was run in 1994 with only 150 riders.  It is an outgrowth of the popular Leadville Trail 100 Run which began in 1983 and made household name by the book "Born to Run." Both races we founded by local Ken Chlouber as a way to bring money to the out of work mining town.

What makes the Leadville Trail 100 unique is that Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the U.S. with an elevation of the 10,200' above sea level and the race tops out on top of the Columbine Mine at 12,570'.  The race includes nearly 12,000' of elevation gain.

The Leadville Trail 100 MTB race became mainstream in 2009 when they created a documentary of the race titled "Race Across the Sky" featuring none other than Lance Armstrong's return to Leadville after coming in 2nd place in 2008.  This is significant as Lance credits the LT100 for inspiring his return to the Tour de France in 2009.  Weeks after a 6th place finish the le Tour, Lance returned to Leadville and won the race in record time finally dethroning six (6) time champion Dave Weins.

If you're in search of inspiration, you can watch the original "Race Across the Sky" on Youtube.  Life Time Fitness became the title sponsor of the race in 2010 and created "Race Across the Sky 2" which is more about the race than the rider, and can be purchased on Amazon Instant Video.

Please check out my previous blog posts to read about my journey to Leadville and the week leading up to the race. 

Race Day

Start

The start of the race is similar to that of a marathon in that you are placed in a starting corral based on your qualifying time.  We arrived Leadville as the corrals were opening at 5:00 AM to beat the crowds. I was placed in the Green corral with about 300 of my closest friends.  It was only 43 degrees but felt great outside due to the dry climate.

The race started on time promptly at 6:30 AM and I rolled across the start line at 6:32:38 AM.  The street was lined with spectators on both sides and we were riding elbow to elbow.  The pace heading out of town was said to be a "slow roll" but we were hammering at 26 - 28 MPH the entire way to St. Kevins (pronounced "Kee-vins"). 

St. Kevins (Mile 10)
St. Kevins is the first major climb of the race and gains 1,000 ft in about one (1) mile.  I climbed St. Kevins the Sunday morning after the Silver Rush 50 and had to get off and walk a couple sections, so I was a little skeptical nearing it on race day.    The words of advice are "you can't win the race on St. Kevins, but you sure can lose it."  Much to my surprise, I fell in line on St. Kevins and pedaled at a good pace straight to the top.  That was a HUGE boost in confidence.


From the top of St. Kevins, we followed a couple miles of single and double track to the Carter Summit Aid Station.  We jumped back out onto the paved highway for a speedy descent down Hwy 9 around Turquoise Lake in which I topped out at 42 MPH passing everyone I could.  After a small climb we turned off the pavement and onto a smooth gravel fire road up Sugarloaf Pass to the top of the infamous Powerline descent.

Powerline Descent (Mile 23)

The descent down Powerline is the most technical section of the entire course and is notorious for causing flat tires and crashes. Many riders are overly cautious on the descent, however, I tend to excel riding downhill and used this as an opportunity to make up time while navigating the ruts, rocks and other riders.

At the base of the Powerline we jump back out on the highway for the only long-flat section of the course.  The secret to this section is to ride in a pace line and not get strung out on your own.  I felt really good here, dropped down into the aero position (former triathlete) and did the majority of the pulling until we hit the dirt path headed to the Pipeline Aid Station.

The ride from Pipeline to Twin Lakes was pretty uneventful.  There was one section of single-track but mostly gravel roads where we could keep the pace high.



Twin Lakes Aid Station (Mile 40)

Pulling in to Twin Lakes, I knew I was well ahead of my pace yet I hadn't burned any matches so I felt amazingly well.  Twin Lakes is at the 40 mile mark outbound and I made it there in under 03:00:00 which had me on a sub 09:00:00 pace.  The Twin Lakes aid station is indescribable....tents and people lined both sides of the course for what seemed like a mile.  Cowbells, whistles, music, screaming, cheering, etc...it's got to be one of the most unique experiences in cycling.


I knew exactly where Kylie and my parents were so I was able to ride straight up to them.  I had given them written instructions assigning each of them with specific tasks upon my arrival (ie. replace water bottle, gel flask, fill CamelBak, feed me PB&J, etc...).  I also wrote out a list of questions for them to ask me to see what else I may need (ie. Tylenol? Chamois Buttr? Chain lube? etc...).  I also instructed them to not let me hang out and talk so they did their jobs and then my Dad gave me a push to get me moving again.  This pitstop outbound lasted less than 60 seconds which was perfect.

Columbine (Mile 50)
Next up was the famed 10 mile long climb up to the top of the Columbine Mine at 12,600' in which we gain over 3,000' in elevation, including four (4) miles above the treeline.  Knowing I made it to Twin Lakes well ahead of schedule, I was fearful of blowing up on the climb so I settled in and took my time on the climb.  I was tempted to push harder as I was being continually passed but all I wanted to do was make it to the top and I didn't care how long it took. I made it to the top in 05:05:07 which still had me on pace for a 10 hour-ish finish.

The descent down Columbine was some of the most fun I've ever had on a bike!  Of the 100 people that passed me on the way up, I probably passed 30 of them on the way down.  It's not often that you ride 10 miles without really having to pedal.  Don't get me wrong, I was pushing myself to the limit both mentally and physically....white knuckles, oh shits, etc...as I bombed the straight aways and then locked up the brakes heading into the corners.

To put this climb and descent into perspective, it took me 02:14:03 to climb the 10 miles from Twin Lakes to the top of Columbine and only 00:39:40 to make it back down!

Twin Lakes Aid Station (Mile 60)

I made it back to Twin Lakes at 05:44:47 which was right on my goal pace.  Kylie and my parents did awesome once again.  I wanted to tell them all about the ride up and down Columbine but they did exactly what I asked of them and pushed me back out on course.  The one thing I wished I would've asked for was some Tylenol as my right hand was hurting/cramping, but oh well.

The ride from Twin Lakes back to the Pipeline Aid Station was once again pretty uneventful.  I'll admit that I wasn't pushing nearly as hard as I could have.  I knew that I was well ahead of the 12:00:00 cut-off and the coveted belt buckle was well within reach.

Powerline Climb (Mile 84)
Nearing the base of the Powerline Climb, I passed Kylie and my parents parked on the side of the road.  I had a good pace going and didn't want to break it up so I rolled right by not bothering to stop.  This turned out to be a crucial mistake as my water bottles and Camelbak were nearly empty and there is no aid station for another 8 miles at the Carter Summit.

The Powerline Climb was arguably the hardest part of the race for me.  The base of Powerline is around mile 84 and is mentally defeating as you look up and see everyone walking their bikes up the steep slope.  Additionally, there are a handful of false summits as you near the top...you think that you just conquered the final climb only to crest it and see yet another.  The 5 mile climb up Powerline took me nearly 1.5 hours alone.  I rode where/when I could, but it was primarily hike-a-bike to the top.

On the backside of the Powerline is a good descent down Sugarloaf Pass before jumping back out onto the pavement.  At this point my fuel tank was empty as I had drank and eaten everything I had on me.  Nearing the bottom of Sugarloaf, I came upon a cooler on the side of the trail...I slammed on the brakes and opened it up to find a couple half drank water bottles.  I was beyond the point of despair and immediately began taking drinks from the bottles.  I cannot tell you what was in them or what they tasted like, all I know is that it was cold and wet...exactly what I needed!

At the base of Sugarloaf Pass, you jump back out onto the pavement for the smooth ride around Turquoise Lake.  Still running on fumes, I stopped at a car on the side of the road where a guy was about to put his cooler in the trunk.  I begged him for anything that he had.  A couple other riders pulled up begging for the same and he said he was empty so they rode off.  Just then, he opened the cooler and handed me the last can of Coca-Cola...this was truly a Godsend! 



Carter Summit Aid Station/St. Kevins Descent (Mile 92)
That one can of soda gave me enough energy to make it to the Carter Summit Aid Station which I treated like an all-you-can-ear buffet!  I took my time eating and drinking everything they had to offer.  With only 12 miles to go, I knew I had secured a sub-11 hour finish so I made extra certain my body was fueled for the final leg. 
A short section of single-track lead us back to the top of St. Kevins.  I once again made up time on the descent down St. Kevins passing everyone in sight.  This also served as a good recovery requiring minimal pedaling and allowed my body to digest all of the food and hydration I took in at the Carter Summit Aid Station.  At the bottom of St. Kevins, I pedaled smooth on the gravel all the way out to the pavement.



The Boulevard

The Leadville "100" is deceiving in that it's actually 104 miles long and they sneak in one final climb as you're riding back into town call "The Boulevard."  The 500' climb wasn't too bad but there was a long false flat once on top that was completely demoralizing...one last kick in the nuts before they let you finish! This was the hardest part of the course for me mentally...I knew I was going to finish in under 12:00:00 but I wanted nothing more to just be done and get off the bike, but it seemed like I was pedaling but not moving forward.  I eventually made it to the top and then made the turn by the high school onto 6th street.

The Finish

The ride up 6th street was surreal as you crest a small hill and see the finish line a half mile away.  On both of the Race Across the Sky movies, they kept the crowd behind railings on

both sides of the street so I envisioned riding up to my family, helping them over the railing and then riding across the finish line with them in tow.  Much to my surprise, as I approached the finish, there was a tunnel of people a 100 yards long lining both sides of the red carpet with barely enough room to ride down the middle.  This was one of the most exonerating experiences of my life!  As entered the tunnel, I looked up and saw Kylie standing at the end taking photos.  As I rode up, Avery and Kirby began running next to me while Kylie was running carrying Rigs....this was the moment I had been dreaming about.

While Kylie and my parents were busy chasing me around the course, we had help from one of our old neighbors from Byron who now lives in Denver, Jennifer Madai, who was kind enough to make the drive up to Leadville to babysit for the day.  My one regret from the Ironman was not sharing this experience with Avery and Kirby but this moment more than made up for it.  The sacrifices your family makes during training for an event such as this are indescribable, they are just a much a part of this as I am.

Every time I view this picture of me crossing the finish line it literally brings a tear to my eye.  You can see my mom and dad in the distance (mom in turquoise shirt/black pants and dad in blue shirt/khaki shorts), Kylie running with her camera while carrying Rigs, Avery r(orange) running beside me and unfortunately, Kirby (green) got cut off but she was right there with me. 

If you zoom in on Avery's face, the shear look of pride and astonishment is the reason I chose to do this race...this one photo that will last a lifetime.



I crossed the finish line in 10:39:03 almost exactly as I planned.  Sure, I may have a little envy for those who finished in under 9 hours and received the large belt buckle, but I earned this buckle and will wear it with pride and a smile!

Thank You

In the end, there are too many people to thank to list them all...Niner Bikes, Tailwind, Maxxis Tires, Performance Chiropractic and Sports Medicine and Competitive Cyclist for the rockin' black and pink kit!  Thank you to my employer, Skanska, who afforded me with the work/life balance necessary to put in the hours training.  I also want to thank my parents for once again serving as my pit crew on race day. 


This race turned out to be everything I wanted it to be and then some.  The documentaries are spot-on as the sensation and environment that is Leadville cannot be put into words.
Lastly, the greatest thanks goes out to my wife Kylie for allowing me to pursue this dream.  She encouraged me to register, tent camped with me at the Austin Rattler where I received my gold coin entry, and selflessly managed our family/life while I was training 15-20 hours/week.  My endurance lifestyle would not be possible if not for her.  When I'm down, she's always there to prop me back up and provide the confidence needed to continue on.  Thanks Babe!

**It's with a heavy heart that the 2015 Leadville Trail 100 MTB suffered its first ever fatality in its long history.  Scott Ellis, 55, of Johnstown, CO was racing in his 19th Leadville 100 MTB when he suffered a heart attack on the Powerline Climb.  Despite athletes' and officials' efforts, they were unable to revive him.  One can only hope to go out doing what they love. R.I.P. Scott

Leadville Race Week

Leadville Race Week

Our original plans were to leave after work on Monday August 10th, however, the anxiety got the best of me and I had us loaded up an on the road early Sunday afternoon!  My parents had just spent the previous week in Big Spring, TX where my dad was flying in the USHPA Hang Gliding National Championship, so we met them Sunday night in Amarillo for dinner.

My parents were exhausted from a long week so they stayed in Amarillo that night, while we pushed on another 3:00 hours to Raton, NM.  With three (3) kids in tow, its easier for us to drive at night while the kids sleep.

We were up early Monday morning and got on the road shortly after breakfast.  We made it to Buena Vista, CO in time for lunch and ate at Eddyline Brewing on South Main.  Buena Vista is located on the Arkansas River and is a hub for whitewater rafting and kayakers alike.  It was a very cool town and definitely one we hope to return to and spend more time.

 

We contacted the owner of our condo and he was kind enough to let us check in a day early so we forged on to Copper Mountain.  Being new to CO and the LT100, I must say that I couldn't imagine a more central location than Copper Mountain.  We were 5 minutes to Frisco, 15 minutes to Breckenridge, 20 minutes to Vail and 25 minutes to Leadville.  This allowed us to see as much of CO as we could during our stay.



We went to Breck on Tuesday to walk the streets, shop and ride the gondola up to Peak 8 where the kids got to play.  Breck was exactly what I imagined it to be.  The Breck Epic MTB race just finished the week prior and is a multi-day stage race which starts and finishes in Breck each day......hmmmmm.....sounds like something I may need to add to my list!

Wednesday we spent the day in Vail and all I can say is WOW!  Walking out of the parking garage at Vail Village it felt as though we walked onto a movie set...everything was perfectly manicured, the trees almost looked fake and it smelled like...money!

We walked the shops, had lunch, let the kids play and took a short mile hike up the mountain.  The irony of the day was that two (2) of my good friends from high school were also in Vail that day with their families, however, they were at Lionshead and despite a couple attempts, we were unable to meet up and see one another.

On Thursday, Kylie and my Mom went back to Breck to do some shopping while my Dad and I took the kids on the chair lift to the top of Copper Mountain and did a short hike and some bouldering.  Watching my girls in this setting was surreal as it literally took be back in time 25 years to when my Dad used to take me on his annual hang gliding trip to the mountains of Wyoming, Idaho and Utah.  On those trips, my Dad would always take one day off of flying and we would go hiking, climbing, bouldering, exploring, etc...which is when my affinity for mountains began. 


Single-track at Copper Mountain

In addition to Copper being centrally located, it also worked out as I was able to do my final taper rides right from the condo.  I took an easy ride to the top of Vail Pass on a paved bike path which parallels I-70 which gained 1,000' in elevation.  I also rode the MTB trails at Copper Mountain which put everything I've ridden in Texas to shame.

Friday was spent in Leadville for packet pickup and the pre-race meeting.  The most moving part of the meeting for me was when 4-time winner of the Leadville 100, Rebecca Rusch (aka Queen of Pain) gave a moving speech about "Purpose."  Sitting in the bleachers surrounded by my wife and parents with kids on my lap put my "purpose" into perspective. 

People often ask me why I do some of these crazy things and the reasons I list are many.  Selfishly, I want to see how hard and far I can push myself mentally and physically (ie. bend but don't break).  More importantly I do these things to try and inspire others to take chances and do things outside of their comfort zone.  I take a lot of pride in being a role model, not just for my kids, but also other members of my family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances and complete strangers I meet in passing.  If the story of my journey inspires just one person to get up off the couch then I accomplished my goal.  Additionally, I like to think that the training for these types of events help me become a better person as it forces me to deal with life challenges including time management, dedication, commitment, sacrifice, will power and temptation.

The pre-race meeting ran quite long as the race continues to grow every sponsor requires their 5 minutes of fame on stage.

After the meeting, we drove out to the Twin Lakes aid station to reserve the location where Kylie and my parents will set up my pit stop for the race.  Twin Lakes was already starting fill up so we picked a spot near the end of the line on the bend of a slight curve where I could easily spot them.

We then stopped back in Leadville to eat an early dinner at High Mountain Pies which I highly recommend.  We sat in the backyard which allowed the kids to run around and burn off some energy after a LONG day.  We beat much of the crowd and then devowered some pizza.

We made it back to Copper around 6:00 PM where we met one of my Mom's best friends, Jennifer, who now lives in Boulder and volunteered to watch the kids on Saturday.  What a Godsend to have people in your life willing to lend a hand as Kylie and my parents could not have handled all three (3) kids on race day in addition to catering to my needs.

As usual, I turned in early Friday night as I had a 4:00 AM wake up.  To this point, everything on our trip had gone as planned....all that was left to do was to ride my bike 104 miles and make my dreams come true!



My Journey to Leadville - Pursuit of the coveted buckle!

My Journey to Leadville - Pursuit of the coveted buckle!

I first learned of the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race several years ago when I watched the original Race Across the Sky movie on YouTube featuring Lance Armstrong from the 2009 race (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KCrsdQLv04).  My interest in the race reintroduced itself in early 2014 when I learned there was a sequel to the Race Across the Sky movie and I purchased it on Amazon Instant Video.  Upon watching it, I knew immediately that this was something I must do. 


 As race founder Ken Chlouber puts it, in order to finish the Leadville 100 you'll need to "dig deep into that inexaustable well of grits, guts and determination!"

After taking nearly a year long sebatical from endurance events in 2014, I figured 2015 would be the year of the Leadville 100!  Kylie was pregnant the first eight (8) months of 2014 and we welcomed our third child, Rigley Dean, into our life on August 15, 2014.  Ironically, the date for the 2015 version of the Leadville 100 would fall exactly on Rigs' first birthday!

Our 2014 was also consumed with Avery's first season on the Frisco Amatuer Summer Swim Team (FASST) as well as her first season in softball which I was an assistant coach.  I did fall back in love with CrossFit which helped get me back in shape and I did manage one (1) sprint triathlon (which nearly killed me), a Spartan Beast (which I thought was easy) and a 30 mile MTB race at Isle Du Bois ) which made me realize my handling is much better on a tri bike)!

There are only two (2) ways to receive entry into the famed Leadville 100:

1) entering into the lottery in the month of December with hopes of your name being randomly drawn; or

2) race one of the six (6) qualifying races where 50 entries are proportionally given to those who finish near the top of their age group and another 50 are given to those who throw your race bib number into a hat (literally) and are lucky enough to have your number drawn.

Austin Rattler 100k
Well, I entered the lottery unsuccessfully so I was forced to try and gain entry by racing the Austin Rattler 100k qualifying race in March.  The Rattler is worthy of it's own blogpost but I'll save that for another day.  In short, it was a four (4) lap course at Rocky Hill Ranch 30 minutes East of Austin near Bastrop, TX.  Kylie and I camped on top of the hill of the first climb where she set up and served as my crew all day.  I by no means finished well enough to qualify so my entry was left to fate.  I threw my race number bib into a cowboy hat and then we sat patiently as Dave Weins (6-time Leaville Champion) and Josh Colley (Leadville Race Director) pulled numbers from the hat and read them aloud. 

I sat patiently in the beginning as numbers were drawn and watched the reactions of those lucky enough to be drawn and receive their gold coin.  Kylie and I were making small talk with a couple from Minnesota who had plans of doing Leadville on a tandem.  When Josh mentioned they were down to the final 20, my anxiety began to grow. 

Josh was repeating a number and no one was claiming it so I shouted "78" and to my surprise, Josh paused, pointed at me and said "What number did you say?"  I replied "78"

Josh then started flipping over all of the race bib numbers on the ground that he had already called and then pulled up number 78 and said "I guess this is your lucky day since I called your number earlier, where were you? Come on up here and get your gold coin!"

I couldn't believe it...the blessing and curse of having a loud mouth finally paid off!  Had I not yelled out my own number, I would have never known.  And how Kylie and I BOTH didn't hear him call my number is beyond me.  All I know is that the stars aligned and it was meant to be!

After grabbing my coin, the first thing that popped into my head was "Shit...just...got...real!" 

For some reason, I thought that the training regimen for Leadville would be less demanding that that of an Ironman.  Well I couldn't have been more wrong!  In reality, the volume was nearly identical as IM training ranging from 10-16 hours/week, however, all of these hours were spent on the bike which felt a lot more demanding.

When training for the IM, I created my own training plan using a couple books and countless free sample training plans found online.  I wasn't so lucky with Leadville as there is little to no training information available online.  A coworker turned me on to TrainerRoad.com back in January which is an indoor cycling software that literally has hundreds of power (FTP) based workouts and training plans.  Considering that 4-5 of my rides/week would be done on my trainer, this turned out to be a lifesaver.  TrainerRoad is extremely addicting as it is almost like playing a video game while riding your bike.  TrainerRoad did eventually come out with a Cross Country MTB Plan which I used in combination with a plan I purchased from Coach Lynda Walenfels (http://lwcoaching.com/) to customize my own plan which met the demands of my work/family schedule.

Table Rock
I took my MTB with us on our annual trip to Table Rock Lake in Shell Knob, MO and found time to enjoy some of the most fun solo rides of my life.  I found a network of gravel roads just outside of town where I was able to get 8,500' of climbing in 50 miles.  The rides were completely covered with tree canopies and I them all to myself.  The weather was also much more forgiving than the 100 degree Texas heat.

Silver Rush 50
The weekend after the 4th, I made a solo trip to Leadville, CO to race in the Silver Rush 50 which is another Leadville Qualifier.  My intent was two (2) fold in that I wanted to see how my body acclimated to the elevation and I was hoping to improve my starting corral for the LT100.

This is another race worthy of it's own post, but I'll summarize it as follows....it was arguably the hardest, most pain enduring thing I have ever done!  The Silver Rush 50 is rumored to be more difficult than the Leadville 100 due to a similar amount of climbing in half the distance.  Like the LT100, this is an out-and-back course with 7,500' of climbing in which we hit 12,000' in elevation four (4) times.  I felt good in the beginning but the climbs and elevation eventually got the best of me.

The start of the SR50 is unique in that we begin at the bottom of the Dutch Henri Hill and have to run up the hill while carrying our bikes.  It doesn't look too intimidating, but add in pre-race anxiety plus 10,000' elevation and it was one rude awakening!

At the halfway point, I started doing the math in my head and got mentally defeated as I thought my goal time of 06:00:00 was out of reach.  This mental battle continued until I hit mile 40 with the clock at 05:25:00 and I knew the final 10 miles were all downhill.  I white knuckled the descent passing at least 30 people along the way, however, it wasn't quite enough to accomplish my goal as I crossed the line in 06:02:25.

Completely exhausted I rode to my truck and immediately broke down crying.  I was second guessing myself from the effort I just put forth, my training plan/execution and even began to contemplate whether or not I had it in me to finish the LT100 the following month.  I eventually gathered my thoughts and called Kylie to tell her I finished and I broke down crying again when she answered.

In hindsight, this race was the turning point my journey to Leadville.  One of my favorite commercials of all time is of Michael Jordan which ends with him saying "I've failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed."  I firmly believe that in order to truly succeed, you must experience failure along the way.  No great success was ever achieved without failure.  It may be one epic failure or a series of failures such as Edison's 10,000 attempts to create a light bulb or Dyson's 5,126 attempts to invent a bagless vacuum cleaner.  But whether we like it or not, failure is a necessary stepping stone to achieve our dreams.

Talimena Scenic Drive
I took a Friday off of work and drove up to Talihina, OK (3 hours) to ride my bike on the Talimena Scenic Drive.  This place was incredible...it was like I was transported from central Oklahoma to the middle of the Appalachains.  The highway was lined with tall pine trees and there were vistas nearly every mile.  There were several mile-long climbs including one 5-mile long climb which gained 1,500' topping out around 2,600'.  I road a 05:00:00 out and back that included over 8,500' of climbing....who'd a thougth that was possible in Oklahoma!

Riding solo probably wasn't the smartest thing I've done as I was physically and mentally smoked by about mile 40.  I ended up having to walk two (2) of the major climbs coming back and bonked bad because my fluids in my Camelbak and gel in my flask to too hot to even drink.  I contemplated waving down a vehicle to give me a ride back to the parking lot, but vehicles were few and far between...not to mention I kept hearing dueling banjos playing in my head!

Horseshoe Bay
Three (3) weeks out from the LT100, we went on a weekend vacation with a pair of neighbors to Horseshoe Bay on Lake LBJ near Marble Falls, TX.  Why is this significant?  Well, this was the last big training weekend with back-to-back six (6) hours rides scheduled for that Saturday and Sunday. Initially, I thought it would be a great idea to take my bike and sneak my rides in early since we were in the Texas Hill Country, but after much consideration, I decided to leave my bike at home and instead cherish this time relaxing with my family.  Doing so made me second guess my level of fitness, but in hindsight, my body needed the rest and recovery. 

I had been hard at it for five (5) months riding the bike 5-6 days/week so having nearly four (4) full days to recover was a godsend (I did sneak in a 2-hour ride Thursday morning before we left!).

It's now August and my anxiety is nearing an all-time high as the Leadville 100 is right around the corner!

You are an IRONMAN!!!

IRONMAN Arizona 2013 Race Recap

Nearly three (3) months have passed since IMAZ and I have finally found enough time to capture my thoughts and put them in writing.

In short, this was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, ranking up their with climbing the Grand Teton in 2008 and Mount Rainier in 2010.  The commitment required to achieve such a goal is unlike any other and looking back, I'm not quite sure how I did it.

The final six (6) weeks of training were very daunting and took a severe amount of emotional fortitude to complete.  When I began my taper, I woke early on Saturday morning to get ready for my ride and as I sat on the couch mentally preparing, I suddenly burst into tears envisioning myself crossing the finish line.  This wasn't just watery eyes...I literally balled my eyes out and I couldn't stop.  I knew my training was over and there was nothing else I could do.  The anxiety from the previous eleven (11) months finally became reality and was completely overwhelming.

The week before we left (don't ask how) but I dropped my phone in the toilet (completely sober) and I didn't receive a replacement until after the race.  Looking back, this was a blessing in disguise as it allowed me to free my mind of all things work and be undistracted while in AZ.  One forgets how pleasant life was pre-cell phones.  

Kylie and I flew to Phoenix on Thursday and headed straight to Ironman Village for packet pickup and to get my bike from @TriBikeTransport.  We then headed to check-in at the hotel and wait for my Mom and Dad to arrive.  We grabbed dinner that night at Casey Moore's Oyster House and went to bed early.

Friday morning we took a family jog to the Ironman Village to meet up with Kat and Sean (@averagetriguy) who got in that morning.  We attended the athlete briefing that afternoon at which time I realized I had forgotten my goggles (Yikes!).  A little panic set in as I really love my TYR Special Ops but I gingerly walked over to the Aqua Sphere tent and picked up a pair of Kaimans which I've used in the passed. So much for the whole "don't wear new goggles on race day!"  

That night, we went to dinner at Four Peaks Brewery which is one of the local favorites.  In addition to great beer, their food is exceptionally good as well.  Sean and I were about the only ones wearing athlete bracelets and indulging in the beer selection (ie. carb-loading).

Saturday morning Sean and I went for a short bike ride on the course and then made our way down to Tempe Town Lake for the practice swim at 9:00 AM.  The water was a little chilly at first but felt great after a couple strokes.  

Kylie, Kat and my parents went and hiked up the Cholla trail to the top of Camelback Mountain.  Kylie was talking a good game leading up to the hike, but I think she got a little more than she bargained for!  I was jealous as I love hiking and climbing, but I took advantage of the alone time to lay in the hotel bed and begin my mental preparation.  

We all met up for dinner around 4:30 PM at Oregano's Pizza Bistro.  We timed it perfectly with only about a 10 minute wait.  Come 5:00 PM the parking lot was full of people on the wait list.  This was one of the best pre-race dinners I have ever had.  The servings were enormous and the food was terrific.  

Race morning, Kylie was kind enough to wake up with me and drive me to Ironman Village so I didn't have the added anxiety of waiting on the shuttle.  I was probably in the first 100 people into transition.  I hate waiting in line and feeling rushed.

SWIM

Based on my research, my plan was to start the swim in the middle of the pack towards the outside (right).  I met up with Sean and Jason Weaver (@WEAVEstrong) in the corral and we entered the water together.  To our surprise, we swam unencumbered straight up the the front starting line maybe 15 meters from the inside buoy.  This was a little nerve wrecking, but I managed to tread water without hitting anyone so it wasn't as crowded as I imagined.  When the gun went off, my fight or flight instinct kicked in and it was a true test of survival of the fittest.  The first 1,000 meters or so was brutal with constant contact with others on every stroke...arms, legs, kicking, punching, etc... 

I maintained the inside line all the way out, but I took the second left turn way too wide and found myself swimming all by myself.  Things slow down considerably when you get out of the draft.  As I was nearing the finish, I took a heal to my left eye socket and wasn't sure if I would ever be able to remove my goggles as it felt like they were permanently suctioned to my face!  

I came out of the water in 01:13:09 at a 1:53/100 meter pace which was just ahead of where I wanted to be.  My Garmin 910XT showed the swim to be 2.6 miles so I may have finished a little sooner had I not drifted off course at the 2nd turn.

T1 
Exiting the water, my wetsuit was stripped by fellow DFW triathletes @BLuebTris and @HeidiRuns. I then ran and grabbed my transition bag, found a chair and began putting on my arm sleeves, shoes and helmet.  As I bent over to put on my shoes, my nose started dripping blood from one of the shots I had taken during the swim.  I then jumped into one of the port-a-johns but forgot to lock the door and to my surprise had another guy step in and join me which was a little awkward, but hey, we're all friends out here!  Time spent in T1 was 00:07:45.

BIKE

The bike course was three (3) out-and-back loops which were relatively flat with a slight up hill on the way out and downhill on the way back to town.  I found a good groove on the way out on the first lap.  

I kept my distance due to my fear of drafting penalties, but there were actual pelotons that looked like a Saturday group ride.  On my way back into town on the first lap, I was holding +30 MPH most the way back into town. 


The 2nd lap was rather uneventful although I did see Sean at special needs

around mile 60.  I was riding faster than I had planned, however, my heart rate was exactly where I needed it to be.  The wind progressively picked up throughout the ride and on the 3rd lap I could only maintain 24 MPH back down the hill into town.  Sean caught me around the century mark and we rode the rest of the way together.  I finished the bike in 05:23:10 at 20.79 MPH which was :28 minutes and over 1.5 MPH faster than I had planned.  I was thinking to myself that this was going to make for an interesting run!


T2
In T2, I took my time and learned from my training.  I sat in the tent, caught my breath, changed shoes, applied sunscreen, ate some Goldfish and sipped on some water.  I was by no means in a hurry to go run a marathon.  I threw on some bright green calf sleeves and headband so I would be easy to spot out on the course.  Time spent in T2 00:09:43 exactly as planned!

RUN
Surprisingly, I felt good when I stood up and began running out of T2.  I wasn't pushing it and just let my legs do the work with a quick turnover.  I caught Sean just after the first aid station around mile 1.5 as he was cramping in the beginning of the run.  I managed to run with him until mile 7 when I started to slow a bit.  My plan was to walk every aid station and Sean didn't take it quite as literally as I did.  I took a splash of water, Powerade and Coke at nearly every aid station.  I ran with a gel flask too and took a pull every 45-60 minutes.  I also ate a Bonk Breaker every hour or so.

The run was extremely spectator friendly as I was able to see Kylie, my parents and Kat eight (8) times on the run.  Now I wouldn't say it was easy for them as they had to scurry back and forth across the Mill Ave bridge a handful of times, but there are no words to express how it felt to see them.  Their strategy was to be spaced out so I didn't see them all at once.  I can honestly say that I teared up each and every time I ran past them.  As the daughter of a football coach, Kylie has a certain amount of conviction in her voice when cheering...there's a little bit of "good job honey :)" and a lot of "get you A$$ moving!"

As the run continued, the sun began to set and temperature began to drop.  To my surprise, I was able to maintain my composure throughout the run and avoid the emotional roller coaster you ofter read and hear about.  This run was like no other in that I was able to do just that....run!

Nearing mile 22 on the 2nd loop, I began running up what was the only "hill" on the entire course.  I was the only person running up the hill as all others were walking.  As I neared the top of the hill, I caught up to Jean who is a below the knee amputee running on her prosthetic.  I met Jean and her husband waiting in line for our rental cars and she too is a first timer.  I ran along side of her introducing myself as the guy from the rental car place.  I gave her some words of encouragement and told her she looked great.  Seeing her really put things into perspective.  Needless to say, Jean finished in an amazing 14:49:13.

It wasn't until I came down the hill at mile 23 and I saw my dad that it finally

set in.  My Dad yelled out "YOU GOT THIS!!!" and that was enough to set me over the edge.  I yelled out a couple expletives, burst into tears and gave him the biggest hug of my life!  I was 3 miles from achieving the goal that I had set exactly one (1) year ago to the day.  I then saw my Mom followed by Kylie and that kept the tears flowing.

As I ran the closing miles, I just kept repeating my mantra in my head..."you are an IRONMAN...you are an IRONMAN!"

On the final stretch up to the finishers chute, I had to pick up the pace to pass a girl in front of me so I could have the chute to myself and all but guarantee that Mike Reilly would announce my name.  Sure enough, my plan worked and as I neared the finish line I heard:

"Eric Bunner's our next winner...come on Eric...all for you buddy...from Prosper, TX...first timer...Eric...you are an IRONMAN!"  

To my surprise, I crossed the finish line and was able to remain upright.  I had envisioned myself crawling across the finish line at midnight, but instead I ran across the line finishing in 11:30:13 shattering my goal time by :52 minutes!

I finished the run in 04:36:26 at a 10:33 min/mile pace which I could never have predicted.  I figured my run split would've been well over 5:00 considering I've only ran one other marathon in 4:21 at the Dallas Marathon in December 2012.

It wasn't long after I crossed until I saw Kylie and my parents racing to come find me.  We all embraced in a tearful hug sharing our thoughts of the moment.  Being able to share that moment with Kylie and my parents was one that I will cherish forever.  The only thing that would've made it better were if Avery and Kirby were there to share in this moment as well, however, I'm glad we made the decision to leave them behind as this would've been way too overwhelming for them.

We eventually made our way over to find Kat and Sean who finished in 10:53:27 setting a new PR by :10 minutes.  After checking my bike back in to @TriBikeTransport and picking up my transition bags, we made our way down Mill Ave for some dinner and celebratory drinks.

In my previous blog, I mentioned my friend/coworker Taylor Shultz who was involved in a horrific accident back on September 13th when a blunt steel object flew through the windshield and hit Taylor in the head.  Taylor has undergone multiple surgeries and was just recently transferred from Houston back home to San Antonio and remains in a full-time rehab clinic.  Taylor ran cross-country in college and I often reached out to him to discuss the mental/physical challenges of long distance running.  Taylor once told me that running is the ultimate test in integrity as YOU are the only person that knows how hard you are pushing yourself.  When you go on solo bike rides and runs for 4-6 hours, you have a lot of time to think and reflect.  Often times, when things got hard or I wanted to quit I would think of Taylor and the fight that he has put forth.  I haven't told anyone this until now, but race morning, I wrote Taylor's initials "ZTS" on the inside of my forearm in permanent marker. I continually glanced at his initials throughout the day and I'm convinced that he is a big reason as to why I performed so well.  Thanks T!  

In the end, I'm just a guy who swam, rode and ran a long distance and in some ways not deserving of the title Ironman.  To me, Taylor is the true Ironman!  When placed in his situation, many of us would've given up and quit but Taylor is a pugilist who continues to fight to regain his life every single day.  As of this post, Taylor is doing amazing in his rehab and is able to spend more and more time with his wife and daughters.  He is a true miracle!

As I began to reflect on Monday morning, I kind of felt let down with how easy (relative term) the race was compared to what I had psyched myself out for it to be.  Honestly, I can say that completing IMAZ was easier than completing Wildflower (half Ironman) earlier that year in May.  Given, I aborted my nutrition/hydration plan and completely bonked causing me to walk nearly the entire run.  It is the lessons learned from our failures like Wildflower which ultimately lead to our successes!

I also learned to trust your training.  I struggled through the final long runs (16, 18, 20 milers) of my training often times doubting myself and second guessing my decision to attempt this whole Ironman thing.  It wasn't until I did my Big Day Training on October 11th when I took the day off of work to complete a 4,000 meter swim, followed by a 100 mile TT bike ride and a 10k run.  This day alone was the largest confidence booster and the moment I finally felt achieving my goal was possible.

The next day, my parents went to meet our Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Donna for lunch while we went bar hopping throughout Tempe.  

The week of Thanksgiving, I forever emblazoned my Ironman achievement with an M-dot tattoo on the back of my right calf thanks to Jon at Cat Tattoo in Addison.  Call it cliche if you want, but as the saying goes...pain is temporary, Ironman is forever!

Post-Ironman Depression
My plan was to take the two (2) weeks following IMAZ completely off to recover (ie. honeymoon).  With each passing week, I struggled to find motivation to do anything and the excuses are easier to come by.  My alarm still goes off every morning at 3:53 AM, but I hit snooze for an hour or just turn it off.  My eating habits have been that bad, but when you're not working out 15 hours/week the weight tends to stick which has me up 12 lbs above my race weight!  

I find myself sad, tired, easily agitated, etc...all at once and unfortunately, I'm not the only one who's noticed.  The problem is that I can't snap out of it.

Here I am almost three (3) months later and all I've managed to accomplish are a couple CrossFit WOD's, a couple masters swims, one (1) trainer ride and a single 3-mile run.

Yeah, yeah....poor me!

Conclusion
When I did my first sprint triathlon in August 2010, I never could've imagined ever finishing an Ironman.  In closing, I want to thank everyone for their support and encouragement along the way...friends, family, Skanska coworkers, neighbors, Frisco Masters, the Tri Shop, Richardson Bike Mart, Dr. Ron Tribendis at Performance Chiropractic and Sports Medicine and the list goes on.  

A special thank you goes out to my Mom and Dad for joining us in Tempe and cheering me on throughout the day.  For it was their upbringing that taught me about goal setting, hard work, dedication, will power, sacrifice, temptation, accountability, etc...of which all of these qualities were put to the test.  From high school sports to driving 2-4 hours every weekend to my college football games, my parents have always been there to cheer me on!

The BIGGEST thank you of all goes out to my wife Kylie, since without her none of this would've been possible.  She's the one who gave me the idea this was even possible.  She's the one that got me registered online for a race which sold out in :45 seconds.  She's the one that got the kids ready every single morning as I left the house at 4:30 AM.  She's the one who allowed her husband to train every Saturday and Sunday morning, sometimes well into the afternoon.  She's the one who reminded me to stay positive and gave me encouragement throughout my training. She's the one who put up with a grumpy, fatigued, absent, etc...husband/father.  

I saw a shirt once that read "Behind every IRONMAN is a woman of STEEL!" and this couldn't be more true.  Thanks babe!

I'm not exactly sure what the next chapter or challenge will be, but it will definitely be hard to top this.  My 2014 season will consist of a handful or more local sprints and Olympics.  I'd like to find a mid season half Ironman, but am having a hard time deciding.  I have the Form Follows Fitness 5k coming up February 22nd followed by the St. Patrick's Triathlon (sprint) on March 16th. Hopefully, these will get the taste back in my mouth.


Oh yeah, we are expecting our third child in late August which will definitely be a game changer!