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| 2012 Featured Athlete Colin Martin |
We start with Colin Martin (age 26 - it was his Birthday this weekend so HAPPY BIRTHDAY!) from Wappingers Falls. He's young to the sport but has already had success both at the 70.3 and 140.6 levels. Moving forward he will be a great resource for athletes interested in long course triathlons.
Below is his race report from Ironman Florida, which was his first attempt at that distance.
Enjoy!
FORD FLORIDA IRONMAN – RACE RECAP:
20 months ago it became my new year’s resolution to complete an Ironman Triathlon. 674 days later, I am here, at the starting line on Panama Beach, in the Gulf of Mexico waiting for the gun to go off, where 3,000 contestants will start a 140.6 mile journey. Today is the day that I have been waiting for --a day where my mind and body separate from one another and argue to continue or collapse.
People say that you should not start a race without defining your goal. This was my first Ironman. I went into it not knowing what to expect but had in the back of my mind that anything is possible. I set my goal as, “Float, Hammer, and Survive.”
SWIM: Water Temp – 70* _
The gun goes off and 3,000 of us rush into the water. I am not a super- fast swimmer, but for some reason I found my way to the front of the pack, thinking that I would get out ahead of everyone and find a small group to draft. This was not a good idea. 200 yards into the swim I was elbowed in the face which knocked off my goggles. Now, instead of focusing on breaking out of the pack, I was forced into survival mode as I was trampled over by other swimmers. Not being able to see a thing, people started rushing over me like someone yelled fire in a theatre. After getting dunked at least 2 times, I got my goggles back on and tried to make up for lost time.
The swim course was two rectangular loops. By the time I made it back to the beach I was able to get on the feet of some faster swimmers and break into more open water. Lap 2 became much easier as I was able to get into a rhythm and take nice long efficient strokes, although my arms started to tire.
I had a pretty smooth transition. I quickly drank coconut water and squeezed down a Gu pack to replenish my body from that hour workout I had already endured.
SWIM SPLIT 1: 1.2 mi
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1.2 mi (30:47)
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1:35/100m
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SWIM SPLIT 2: 2.4 mi
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1.2 mi (33:32)
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1:44/100m
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TOTAL SWIM
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2.4 mi (1:04:19)
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3:19/100m
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BIKE: 8am Temp - 45* , 2pm Temp – 75* _
Now off on the bike leg, a long out and back which would make up the majority of my race. I would consider this my strongest sport of the three. This is probably the most important leg of the day as it will determine your run. If you go too fast there is a good chance you will crap out on the run. Even 10 mins faster on the bike could make a difference of 20, 30, 40 mins on the run. You’re better off staying conservative, keeping a steady pace, with level breathing and heart rate.
I did not have my Garmin watch on so I had to calculate my speed every 10 miles. When I got to mile 10 I was at 27 mins and knew I was going too fast already. When I got to mile 20 I was at 55 mins and felt great. Still too early to tell so I kept the legs moving at the same pace.
Miles 30, 40, 50 go by and I am continuing to feel good. Caught a headwind from 30-50 which slowed me up a bit. I continued to fuel with Perpetum and Power Bars. Before I knew it I hit mile 56, the turnaround point. I came in at 2:34, which is 21.31 mph avg. This is very close to my average half ironman bike split. I wasn’t sure if it was sustainable and thought that I should really start to take it easy or else I’m going to be in for it when I get on my feet. I decided to start listening to my body and stop looking at my watch. I figured that I would start eating when I felt the need to and ease up on the bike if I started to feel even the slightest bit of fatigue. I told myself that once I hit the 100 mile mark then I would really slow it down, keep stretching my legs out (by standing up on the bike and putting my weight into my heels) and fuel at 105 which would give me a few minutes to digest the food so I have energy for the first few miles of the run.
The next 40 miles flew by and before I knew it I couldn’t see anyone in front of or behind me. The pack had become very thin. Finally, the 100 mile mark… It was time to ease up and mentally prepare myself for the toughest leg of the race. I up-shifted a gear which sped up my cadence but kept the same speed. I needed to loosen up as much as possible. I think I averaged about 18 mph for the last 10.
BIKE SPLIT 1: 55 mi
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55 mi (2:34:50)
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21.31 mi/h
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BIKE SPLIT 2: 95 mi
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40 mi (1:38:34)
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24.35 mi/h
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BIKE SPLIT 3: 112 mi
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17 mi (45:52)
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22.24 mi/h
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TOTAL BIKE
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112 mi (4:59:16)
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22.45 mi/h
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Now I’m into transition and off the bike. A volunteer quickly grabbed my bike and a woman with a microphone called out my number for someone to grab my T2 bag. I was identified by another volunteer who followed me into the transition room and dumped out the bag on the floor in front of the chair I sat in. Shoes off, helmet off, race belt off, run belt on (with Accel Gel attached) then run shoes on, and I was off…
Please check back next week for Part 2 -- The RUN!
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