PRE-RACE

I check the tires on the bike, firm. Then I check the bag that has my helmet, bike shoes and sunglasses. My bag is missing! After ten minutes of looking, I realize that I am looking for the wrong number. This after the officials have written my race number on my arm. I take time to pray. People stare, but I'm use to that.

I get a hug from my coach, a kiss from my wife and I start my stretches.

The Swim-Me and 2,500 of my closest friends treading water until the horn that signals the start. Swimming that tightly together you are going to bang into each other, a lot. I had people trying to swim over me (Which feels like they are climbing over you). No worry, just swim through it. 100% visibility in this water. I see a Stingray, a Barracuda and several tropical fish below me. It was like swimming in an aquarium. The 2.4 miles of swim seems to go on forever, but I just keep my focus. Ever few strokes I poke my head out of the water and make sure that I am heading for the next buoy. I have been practicing this swim for months in a pool and in this water, it feels like just another practice...with 2,500 of my closest friends.

T-1 (Transition from swim to bike)

As I exit the water I gaze at my watch. I had hoped to be out of the water in 90 minutes. I'm worried that I won't make the bike cut off if I spend too long on the swim. I've only been in the water for 83 minutes. A personal best time for this distance. I grab the bag with my bike stuff, run into the changing tent and look for a seat. The place is a mad house, but I do not have time to take it all in.

Methodically I dress and hurry off to my bike.

The Bike- Three loops around an island that is shaped like an upside down pyramid. For the first 10 miles I am flying, reaching speeds of 18 miles an hour. Then I turn north and I start to lose momentum. Now I am going 13 miles an hour and that may be too slow to make the cut off. Did I peak too soon? Did I go too fast too soon? Will I make the cut off? I start to worry, but there is nothing to do but go on. There is intermittent wind, but that is not what slows me, because even with wind blowing in my face I start to pick up speed again. The ride north seems to go on forever. People are passing me, but I stay focused on drinking from my water bottles in the tropical sun. Finally I turn the corner and head West. The wind disappears and now I am going 20 miles an hour.

(On the second loop I realize that the course is not completely flat and that is why I was losing speed at certain points). As I head West I pass throngs of cheering crowds. I pass through town making the first loop at 16.2 miles an hour. On the second loop I'm averaging 15.4 miles per hour and it is looking like I am going to get off the bike in time to start the run. By the third loop I have been on the bike for over 5 hours and my brain is turning to mush. There is only so much of sandy beaches and coco nuts I can take, but if I can power through the pain in my legs I can make the cut off. Ok, I guess I can take it a little longer. By the time I start heading north I am talking to G-d on the bike. I turn West for the third time and I put everything I have into the bike. My average speed rises from 14.4 to 14.9 as I hit 18 miles an hour.

FEAR: Finishing the bike a minute after the cut off (10.5 hours) and being told that I am disqualified.

T-2 transition from bike to run: I get off the bike at 4 pm a full 90 minutes before the cut off. I now have 8 hours to finish a 26 mile marathon. Heck I can walk that!

(I will regret saying that.)

The Run- An 8.7 mile loop through town and all I have to do is three turns on it. I get out on the run course and there are cheering crowds ever inch of the course. there are voovoozella horns and live bands. It is like Mardi gras. I walk, I run, I walk a little more. I am feeling good about this. I am going to make it! Then at mile 6, I get a blister on my foot. So I walk. Soon it is a blister on each foot and I'm walking in pain. I expected to do some walking but not 20 mile worth. The only relief is at the aid stations (Each mile you can get food and drink). I am overheating, so when I get asked if I want ice, I don't take a cup of ice, I jam my hands into the bucket up to my elbows. This works for the first loop. In the second loop, the pain of the blisters gets worse. I am sunburned on the back of m knees and I am feeling it. I make friends with a man named Peter. Together we walk through the second loop, but on the third loop the blisters are worse than anything I have experienced. Every step is fire. I want to stop, I want to quit. Ok, so I stop for 30 seconds and catch my breathe. Then I continue on. on mile 25 I stop to catch my breathe. THe pain is dizzying. I limp along and at 11:14pm I hear, "DAVID ROHER, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN"

Cabo Loading - 7 Days to Go

The last week has to be done just right.

1. Carbo loading - 5 days before the race. Fuel up does not happen over night, it takes a few days of loading for a race of this distance. Pizza, pizza, pizza.

2. Pedicure-I get one before every major race. I do not have ticklish toes, so I get the stress rubbed out of my feet. It feel like I am walking on clouds when I leave the saloon. You have to make sure the nails are short. Trust me, you do not want to have your toe nails digging into each other. It HURTS!

3. Rest- It is important to stop training and let your muscles regain their full strength. For me that time is the 7 days before any triathlon. For this one, I decided to stop a full 10 days ahead. It is about knowing your body and I know to be 100% that is what I needed to do.

4. Packing-Like Santa I'm making my list ands I'm checking it twice:

1. Helmet

2. Bike shoes

3. Goggles

4. Race clothing

5. Race belt (to hold race number)

6. Sneakers

7. Sox

8. Sunglasses

9. Water bottles

and...oh yeah,

10. The Bike!

The Only Way to Know-15 Days to Go

My biggest fear is missing the cut off on the bike. 10.5 hours after the start of the race, you must have finished the bike section, or you are finished. You are disqualified and cannot start the run.

So I decided to see how long it would take me to ride 112 miles.

Answer: 8 hours 15 minutes.

(Is that good?)

Yes it is. I spent the day on the bike watching the sun cross the sky. It was a long day, but now I can make my prediction for the race:

90 minutes for the swim

10 minutes for transition (Gotta get changed)

8 hours 20 minutes for the bike

That will put me 30 minutes ahead of the cut off and leave me 7 hours to do the run.

Based on how I have been running, I predict that the 26.2 miles of the run will take 6 hours.

Stay tuned...

The Final Four-30 days to go

Four weeks to go and I have cracked the code on the knee problem.

There was the swimming

problem:

(Could I do the swim without a

wet suit?)

Solved that one.

There was the bike problem:

(Could I get fast enough to finish in time?)
Solved that one.

So what was the knee problem?

My knees hurt when I ran.

Solution: Plica (Scar tissue)

Ice, rub, Advil & stretch

I'm biking 100 miles on Sunday and swimming 2.5 miles (4,500 meters) on Monday, but I couldn't get rid of the knee pain...until I stretched out the tight muscles and got new sneakers. I stretch so often that my son joins in. I haven't stopped the Plica from throbbing, but it hasn't stopped me from running...and as per doctor's orders, I shouldn't.

Coming Down to the Wire-45 days to go

What do you do when you have done everything you can do to get ready?
You keep on doing that voodoo you do

(and hope that you do not get an injury)

85-100 mile weekly bike rides.

4,500 twice weekly swims

3-6 mile runs

(3 Mile runs? You have a marathon to prepare for)
If I keep it to 3-6 mile runs, then I will be fine for the race

(That defies all logic)
I still have Plica (scar tissue) that causes pain in the knees, so the plan is not to aggrivate it.

(What can you do to break it up?)
Stretch and ice
This plan worked for the Half Ironman and I finnished the run 10 minutes faster this year.

Over Trainning-60 Days to Go

How do you know if you are over training?
Things start to hurt
(Back in PT?)
Yup
(What is it this time?)
Scare tissue on the knees.
(Is that damaging?)
No it is the result of over training.
(What do you do for that?)
Rub, rub, rub, the scar tissue out.
(Scar tissue?)
Tendonistis
Add some electric sten.
(What is sten?)
Electrodes that massage the muscles
(How do you know if you are going to be ready?)
You don't, you just have to trust that you have done enough preparation
(In the past this approach has worked)

At this stage I would like to swim 2.4 miles 3 times a week, Bike 112 miles once a week and run 10 miles twice a week. I can do all of these things, but I will ache so badly afterwards that I will not be able to train for two weeks.
(So what do you do?)

At this stage it is more about maintaining and not injuring.
I swim 1-2 times a week
(45 to 90 minutes depending on how much time I have)

I bike every Sunday
(85-100 miles depending on how much time I have)

I run 3 miles
(Because more than that will aggrivate my tedonitis)


and I ice...a lot.

The Dress Rehearsal - 75 Days to Go

The Half Ironman

1.2 mile swim

56.5 mile bike

13.1 mile run

This was where I first began to think my dream of an Ironman could be a reality.

This 325 days ago was where I went from dreaming bigger to living bigger.

This was where I decided I might be able to complete an Ironman Race.

Now a year later, with the Ironman

closing in, like a car in my rear view mirror, I wanted to know if there was anything new to be learned?

Some races are just races and others teach you about yourself. This was a learning experience.

To see if my swim was ready, I swam without a wet suit (Since I will not be allowed to use one at the Ironman)

Wetsuits make you faster.

Well, I swam as fast as last year, but without the suit, so I have learned that I am faster this year

(So my swim is ready)

I biked almost as fast as last year, but fast enough for an Ironman

(So my bike is ready)

I ran more and walked less, with a quicker finishing time

(So my run is ready)