Ironman Wisconsin

2012 Adventures in Pictures

OutForARunAdmin — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 01:53:00 +0000

January:

OK, so this is a post of the year in pictures, and when I started typing the word January, I realized I wasn’t even really sure January 2012 existed, because I honestly remember nothing from it and have no pictures. Then, I stumbled upon this gem: My best friends and I ringing in the New Year… see you later 2011.

A low key New Years Eve

February:

There’s Glenn finishing his first sub 3 Marathon.

March:

6 months pregnant, still running 3-7 miles regularly

April:

Glenn on the homestretch on Boylston Street at the Boston Marathon

Glenn after his first Boston Marathon

May:

Baby Shower for Marshall.

Everyone plays flippy cup at baby showers right?

36 weeks pregnant

June:

Let’s be honest, this was the year of Marshall.

I stayed very active through my pregnancy, running up until the day before he was born. I also went to a bachelorette party three days before he was born, danced on a boat and had a great time going out with my best friends. Call me maybe? Here’s the Music video.

Leaving for the hospital. Marshall arrived 3 hours later.

Day 2 of Marshall’s life.

The first 6 weeks of Marshall’s life were quite possibly the hardest of mine. I know any new mom can relate. While I was completely in love with this baby, I was a nervous wreck, couldn’t sleep and was battling some intense anxiety. I seriously didn’t think I’d ever sleep again. The best thing anyone could tell me was it gets better. So I kept my sites on hitting that 6 week mark, and what do you know… it got better.

July:

Ironman training in full swing!

Sleep deprivation also in full swing

Meghan and Josh’s wedding! It’s normal to be in a wedding three weeks after giving birth right?

August:

Celebrating 4 Year Anniversary and Marshall is 7 weeks.

Marshall’s second wedding at 8 weeks

Emily and Andy’s wedding

September:

Glenn with his biggest fans. 5AM heading out on the buses to complete 140.6.

The Ironman. Time: 10:54:46

October:

The 2nd Annual Back on My Feet 42K Relay. I went back to work at the end of September and project number one was the relay.

November:

This pictures are sub par because I stole them from the race picture website. For some reason, we forgot to take even one picture on race morning. Afterwards, I was so cold and felt terrible… pictures were certainly not on my mind.

December:

Rehoboth Beach Marathon. 1st negative split, 2nd fastest marathon.

First time running same marathon as sister.

Marshall’s turns 6 months- first Christmas together.

Lindsey Favorite Race: Rehoboth Beach Marathon

Glenn Favorite Race: Ironman Wisconsin

Favorite Life Moment: New Life -June, 26, 2012, 10:26am

Happy New Year Everyone!

What was your favorite race or experience in 2012?

Ironman Wisconsin Race Report

GlennHein — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 01:20:00 +0000

Summary:

Swim: 1:14:02
Bike: 6:04:25
Run: 3:23:27

Total: 10:54:46

197th Overall/ 24th in M25-29

Goal: Sub 11:00

In the year leading up to IMWI I had a lot of people telling to keep the internal pressure to a minimum and just get yourself to the finish line and that is a great accomplishment in itself…especially with Wisconsin being one of the more difficult courses on the Ironman Circuit.

While that is great and sound advice…I wanted to do well, at least for me and for an Ironman virgin, so I settled on going sub 11:00 a couple months before the race as something to target. It’s not close to Kona times or anything like that but 11:00 most likely would place me in the top 10% overall so that seemed like a good time to hang my hat on.

Pre-race

Sunday morning the alarm went off at 4:30am. Slept alright the night before but was not really worried about that as race day is fueled by adrenaline and I had a couple of good nights rest the previous days to bank on (I am eternally grateful to Lindsey as her sacrifice with the baby was amazing during my final build up to IMWI.) Thank you!

I went through my normal pre race morning: oatmeal, peanut butter, banana, coffee, and some bathroom time with a little Marshall time thrown in. Before I knew it, it was 5:15 and the train was ready to leave. We had planned to drive the Trailblazer down to the Alliant Energy Center and take the shuttle over to the Capitol. From a logistical standpoint it made the most sense with the bike and everything once the day was over.

The car trip and shuttle were pretty uneventful and worked out great with the baby. I remember Lindsey asking me how I felt and I actually felt surprisingly pretty calm. I was really curious to see how everything that lied ahead of me would unfold. I had some anxiety in the days leading up to leaving for Madison and on the Friday/Saturday before…I even tried telling Lindsey (she talked me out of it) that I thought I was getting sick on Friday. But, come race morning I was relatively calm and ready to rock & roll.

On the way to Monona Terrace, we dropped off my bike special needs bag (it contained two bottles of Skratch Lab Lemon Lime and Clif Bar) I was not using a run special needs bag as I had just planned on using what was on course.

Once to the Terrace it was a final stop by my bike to drop off my first two bottles of Skratch Lab, get body marked, and use the bathroom one more time. Before I knew I was putting on my wetsuit and heading down to the water with Lindsey. On the way to the water, we ran into Kevin and Ann said our goodbyes and on my way to the great unknown I stumbled upon my dad and sister Erica as well. Great send off.

Swim

I had planned on getting in the water fairly early to allow myself to warm up a little and get used to the water as the Swim Start can be hectic with how many people are getting into the water through a small start/finish chute. I probably got in around 6:45 or so. I settled on a spot in the front 1/3 of the pack towards the start buoy and just floated around until it was show time.

Before I knew it the cannon promptly went off at 7AM and I was off on my day. Going into the race, my thought had been that the first 1000M would be the most chaotic and to be honest it really was not that bad. I occasionally got grabbed or kicked but for the most part people really had a mutual interest to keep their own lines and stay out of trouble. Perhaps, it was more hectic at the front but I will never know.

At the first turn, I was feeling good and settled into my pace. I didn’t know what that pace was exactly as I don’t wear a watch in the water but focused on form and told myself just keep moving forward. The back of the swim course felt like it took forever! It was 1700M in a straight line to the third turn buoy. The water got a little choppy and I ate some of Lake Monona during that stretch. With the occasional spotting of the Terrace on my left and the turning of buoys from yellow to orange I knew I was making progress…even though sometimes it did not feel like it.

I finally made it to the third turn buoy. I was getting close. 200-300M to the next one and then 600M-800M in to the swim out and I am done. I was happy to get out of that back strectch for sure. As I made the last turn into shore I could start sensing seaweed and vegetation. I knew it was close. Just keep your head down and swim. As I got about 100M out I could see the swim clock. It said 1:13 something. I was ecstatic. I had estimated that my swim would be around 1:20 or so…so to be hitting the exit at 1:13/1:14 was awesome! Climb out the water. Lay down on the ground. Wetsuit stripped and I am off to the helix. Swim over.

Time: 1:14:02

T1
The Helix was awesome. I ran slowly enough to keep my heart rate down to really take in the faces of all the spectators that were lining one of the signature features of IMWI. I could not believe how many people lined the Helix up to transition. It was awesome!!!

Bike

Nutrition:

1 Granola Bar

1 EFS Liquid Shot Kona Mocha

1 Vanilla Honey Stinger Waffle

2 Bananas

4 Bottle of Skratch Lab Lemon Lime Exercise Blend

3 Bottles Ironman Perform

3 Bottles of Water

1.5 Flasks of Hammer Gel Espresso (each flask has 5 servings)

Down the helix and out to John Nolen I went. My plan was to ride ‘The Stick’ out and the first loop conservatively and then pick it up on the second loop and ‘The Stick’ into town. I knew going into the race that was easier said than done as it is easy to let the short term gains, race day excitement, etc. get the best of you and I was mentally prepared to not let that happen. The overall goal is 11:00 hrs not an awesome bike spilt, with a jog/walk marathon. I told myself I could have one, but not both as I started out on the bike.

The ride out to Verona was pretty uneventful. Lots of twists and turns, fellow bikers, and people all over the road. Thanks to my 1:14 swim that meant that I came out onto the road with a lot of people…all of varying degree of effective bike riding. I am by no means an expert bike handler but it really seemed like a lot of these people could do nothing except ride on a flat road with no wind….so given the days conditions that was going to be a problem. I did my best to stay alert and out of trouble and before I knew it I was making the right hand turn out of Verona, beginning the first loop. (Mile 16)

Shortly after that I dropped my chain. I thought, “well this is annoying…but no big deal.” Quickly put it back on and I was on my way. Probably lost two minutes between pulling over, fixing the chain, waiting for a spot to get back in line, and lost momentum on the climb.

After that, I just stuck to my plan of trying to take it “easy” on the first loop and focus on keeping my nutrition in line. Since I have no power meter or heart rate monitor all my judgment is based on perceived effort. Definitely not fool proof but it works for me.

The crowd support was awesome at some of the most random points on the course. Cross Plains was packed, the climb on Stagecoach was packed, Midtown Road was packed. All of this made it tough to keep myself in control…but staying focused on getting to mile 80 in good shape was the goal. At some point on one of the climbs I dropped my chain for a second time…another annoying occurrence but nothing major. Probably another 2 minutes.

Once back in Verona, with my first half of the bike course complete, I got to see my support crew and pick up my other two bottles of Skratch Lab. After leaving Special Needs, I told myself I could pick up the pace a little as I was feeling good at mile 53 but really keep it under control until mile 80 and focus on keeping my nutrition in check.

Even with this conservative approach entering the second loop I was flying by people like crazy…especially on the ride into Mt. Horeb. Before I knew it I was entering the town of Cross Plains again and riding past the mile 80 road sign…time to open it up a little more for the ride back to town.

By the time I hit mile 80, the race had thinned out but I was still able to pick people off one by one… which provided nice motivation as I hit Stagecoach and Midtown a second time. Oh and I dropped my chain a third time. Apparently I do not know how to shift gears on a bike. Before I knew it, I was back in Verona one last time to pick up some fluid and see my support crew.

The Stick back was uneventful. Another nice section of headwind and riding past tired riders. As I neared the 100 mile mark I began to take inventory of how I felt. Luckily I was feeling pretty good. The legs felt like they had some pop in them…and I was going to need it to get to 11:00.

I thought the way the bike course ended sucked. 2-ish miles slowly weaving through narrow bike paths, deserted parking lots and numerous tight 90 degree turns and a final ride into a headwind. But all in all I was glad to be riding up the Helix to T2 with a negative split.

Time: 6:04:25

T2
Just like with T1, the T2 volunteers were awesome! As you make the final turn up the helix they are there to catch you and your bike and get you on your way to the Changing Room. I had decided to walk from ‘The Dismount Line’ to the Changing Room because 1) I didn’t feel like running and 2) Those 30 seconds were not going to make or break my race. If I couldn’t make it up on the run…it was not meant to be anyway.

Grabbed my clothes and some water and sat down to change my shoes and put on my racing singlet. Lindsey affectionately calls it my “Skanky Tank”. The jersey has been with me for many years, training miles, and marathons. I have never been comfortable running in a Tri top so I had decided long ago that I was going to run in a racing singlet and my old faithful seemed like a great choice.

Grabbed some more water on my way out the door and made a quick stop to get some sunscreen and hit the Porta-Potty. I noticed while using the Porta-Potty that my pee looked a little dehydrated…so I made a mental note and made my way to the ‘Run Out’.

As I hit the run course start line I took notice of the race clock and it’s time saying 7:31:19. A quick mental math problem told me that I had 3:28:41 to run my marathon to break my 11:00:00 goal. As I turned away from the clock and faced the Capitol streets before I thought to myself “Time to do work.”

Run

Nutrition:

1-2 Cups of water at every aid station

½ Flask of Hammer Gel Espresso

8-10 Orange Slices (ate these on the 2^nd Half)

As I made my way onto the streets of Madison my legs and energy level felt strong but I wondered how long it would last as I had never ran a marathon after swimming 2.4 miles and then biking 112 miles.

The first couple of miles were spent settling into my pace and taking in more water than usual as I was a little dehydrated from the swim/bike. I didn’t feel in bad shape because of it but knew if I did not stay on top of it, it could become an issue later on in the race.

Based on how I felt, my heart rate and breathing pattern I decided that somewhere between 7:30-7:40 felt pretty good and that put me on track to go under the 3:28 that was needed to break 11:00. I started ticking off the miles, taking in water and sipping my Hammer gel. Nothing about Flat Coke, cookies, Perform, etc. sounded good during the run so I was keeping my nutrition simple to what I know.

Despite running 45 seconds to a minute slower than my open marathon pace I was amazed at how I just seemed to be running through the field. It was crazy and definitely provided extra motivation as I churned through the early part of the run and let the miles fall away.

During Mile 5 I hit the famed Observatory Rd. hill and while it was most certainly a hill it was nothing crazy compared to the hills I had been running weekly at Crown Hill in Indy or down in Bloomington (Griffy, N. Jordan extension, 17^th St, Hinkle Rd, 16^th from College up to Dunn, etc.). It was interesting because it had a false top and a second steeper climb…but was definitely doable. Shorten the stride and grind to the top.

I was the only person running up the hill when I hit it the first time…maybe these people were trying to keep their heart rate down or something…but I could not believe that no one was running it that early on in the marathon.

Before I knew it, I was up over the other side heading to State St. for the second time. (State St. is the main strip in downtown Madison- was lined with people the entire time & being that it was a two loop course and how the street is designed, we hit it 8 times)

I got to the first turnaround at the 10K mark and my support crew was there; it was a nice boost to see them…. Then it was back to clicking off miles.

By the time I neared the half way point back by the capitol my pace had slowed to a little to over 7:40 per mile. I hit the half marathon around 1:41:04.

As I turned to head back out for my second lap I was busy doing some math in my head. If I had done my math correctly, I had about 1:47 or so to run the 2^nd half. Could I do it? My energy felt good but I could feel my legs starting to tire. It was going to take some pushing to keep the pace up. I knew if I did not actively stay on top of it mentally I very easily could let myself slip into a more comfortable 8:10 pace and then before you knew you are cruising at 8:20 because it feels good. I wasn’t going to let that happen. As I turned onto State St. for the fourth time just before mile 14, I told myself “never go above 8:00 per mile”

The second lap was a lot more crowded then the first, as a majority of the field was on to the run by this point. It was hard telling who was on what lap but either way I knew I was moving up in the ranking as I continued to run through the field and that felt good. Whether it was someone on lap 1 or 2 it is always a nice boost to motor past someone and before I knew the miles began falling away again.

Mile 14, 15, Camp Randall, UW soccer field, gravel trail by the University, and back to Observatory Rd one last time. 2^nd time around the hill climb hurt a little more but I was able to push through and run up and over top, down to State St. That put me somewhere around mile 19…only 7 to go I was looking good on time. As I prepared to run up State St. for the turnaround Lindsey and my sisters appeared out of no where…screaming their heads off for me to push and that I was almost done. I didn’t think I would see them again until the end based on where they were stationed so that was a great mental refresher.

Hit the turn around and get to see Lindsey again. This time she jumps in with me (Yes…I am aware according to the WTC this is a no,no…but whatever). She probably runs with me for 200-300M, asking me how I feel and what not and gives me an encouraging “I love you” and “You’re going to do this.” Feeling refreshed, I hit the Lake Path again and head toward the mile 22 timing mat and turnaround. I keep checking my watch (OCD style) to make sure I am not going over 8:00 per mile. The 30K spilt and the mile 22 spilt were close but never over. Just keep pushing. It hurt. Not like an open marathon hurt. It was a weird hurt.

As I approached mile 23 to run down University Ave. back to Camp Randall and then into downtown something weird happened. I had someone run up beside me and start talking. I had not been passed all day so I was a little taken back. It was a 20 year old Air Force Academy student paranoid that I was in his age group. Once he realized I was not he asked me to run it in with him. At this point, I was hurting but comfortable in the fact that I had 11:00 in the bag after a couple “what if” time projection scenarios the last couple of miles. So I thought “why not” I’ll give it a go.

He had a really good clip going at this point…so we traded off taking the lead and started putting in about 7:30 miles. Mile 24 gone, Mile 25 getting close, my watch died…I didn’t care. I was getting close. I backed off the pace with about a half mile to go. I wanted to enjoy it. I made the final zig-zag turn on to State St. enjoying the crowd and taking it all in. One last run around the Capitol Square and it is all over. I ran past the special needs bags and make the final turn for the famed Ironman carpet and see my support crew one last time. They are all there!! I make my way over to them, say hi, and high five on my way to the line. One final push and I hit the line. It’s over. I am an Ironman.

Time: 3:23:27

Wrap Up:

Overall, what a great day! I am extremely satisfied with my finishing time. I had set out to break 11:00 and I was able to accomplish that with a little time to spare. I could second guess myself all day long about shaving time here and there…but there is no point in all that. It was a great day! It took a lot of sacrificing and dedication to get here and not by just me but most importantly Lindsey. I can only imagine the feelings she felt. She was incredible throughout this entire journey despite being pregnant and then having a newborn for the final 10 weeks. The activity of racing an Ironman is an extremely selfish endeavor and I will be forever grateful for the sacrifice that she made for me to pursue this crazy goal!!

THANK YOU TO MY SUPPORT CREW! Ann, Kevin, Lori, Lindsey, Marshall, Dad, Mom, Erica and Megan

Hopefully next week or so, I can post some thoughts on post Ironman activities and longer term goals. (Will I race an Ironman again?….only time will tell.)

-Glenn

Boston Marathon 2012 Race Report – The Year of the Deferral

OutForARunAdmin — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:11:00 +0000

I don’t know really know where to start with this blog. I could go a lot of different directions, the city, the weekend, the vacation but I think I’ll focus on the actual marathon. I am starting to get a little removed from the race but I will do my best to recount what happened.

Pre-Race:

Woke up about 5:15 or so and I know that sounds super early for a 10am gun time but with the race starting 26.2 miles away from the finish line in Hopkinton it takes a long time for the BAA to bus everyone out to the start. Lindsey decides to come with me to the bus pick up point and I am glad she did. We walked to get coffee and oatmeal and then over to the Common to get in line. It was like my first day of school with Lindsey snapping pics the whole time as I wait for the bus. On the bus at about 7 and off to the start I go.

I had been toying with idea of giving it a go in week and days leading up to Marathon Monday but as the race day forecast became clearer my decision was made for me. The heat was going to make attempting to race a very bad and very dangerous idea. My new plan was to try and enjoy myself as much as you can running a marathon in 85 degree heat and take it easy out there, not doing anything stupid.

It is one thing to run a marathon in high heat when your body is more acclimated to the climate but coming off of winter training there is no real way to have your body ready to correctly manage the heat when it is 85 in Boston in April! Either the early morning shade from downtown Boston hid the true temperature or it got a lot hotter in the hour or so I was on the bus because when I got off the bus in Hopkinton the heat hit me like a punch to the face.

Mile Splits:

1 – 7:06 I have been out to Hopkinton now two times before the race so I knew what the start was like but to actually run that downhill with thousands of people is pretty cool and to run it instead of drive makes the downhill more noticeable.

2 – 7:24 Downhill some more

3 – 7:19 more downhill…at this point I still trying to find my rhythm and decide what feels good today.

4 – 7:12 I got to enjoy a little bit of uphill here from what I remember.

5 – 7:25 I see my first causalities of the heat…I instantly think “oh shit”. Wave 1 runners at Boston do not start walking at mile 5 but then again I was like maybe they had a cramp or something. After I see a couple more it is pretty obvious that the heat has claimed their first victims.

6 – 7:23 At this point I snagged a small bottle of water from a spectator and decided to run with it for the majority of the rest of the race. This did not bother me as I am used to carrying a handle held bottle during my long runs. This decision I think would proved to be a real day saver for me as I needed water through out the course…not just at the official stops.

7 – 7:17 – Getting hotter

8 – 7:35 – HOT

9 – 7:23 – Still getting hotter

10 – 7:32 – Not having fun in the heat…no shade.

11 – 7:33 – The only thing memorable about this mile is it had some shade cover from the Pine trees leading toward Wellesley.

12 – 7:35 – Wellesley College, every runner always talks of the “Wall of Sound” that the girls from Wellesley makes…it was loud but at this point in the race I just found it annoying. Couple people around me enjoyed interacting with the co-eds but most guys kept far left away from the crowd.

13 – 7:55 – Half point is in the middle of downtown Wellesley. I distinctively remember the heat being oppressive at this point in the race. No shade at all.

14 – 7:45

15 – 7:45 The course goes dramatically back downhill at this point as we run into Lower Newton Falls. I remember noting course had dropped drastically and thought to myself…well you are going to have to climb out of it at some point.

16 – 7:45 – Grabbed a bag of ice from another spectator and remembering what I read about Heat training in Lava Magazine I kept the ice for a couple of miles and used it to cool my palms instead of instinctively just dumping it on my head. I really think it made a difference in how I felt…granted the next couple of miles where up hill but I think cooling my palms really helped control my body temp and allowed me to keep a nice pace for the “hilly” miles. I will be storing this mental nugget for Ironman Wisconsin…which I am currently planning on running in 100 degree heat based on how the weather has been thus far in 2012.

17 – 7:42

18 – 7:51 – From a hill standpoint this is the most challenging hill of the day to run up…at this point it was actually a nice change of pace from all the downhill running. Lots of walkers on this hill….I mean a lot of walkers. The heat was just too much for a lot of people.

19 – 7:47 Another hill. More walkers. I kept plowing ahead but I can feel the heat and the climbing taking a toll…my stride is shortening at this point.

20 – 8:10 3^rd successive hill is starting to take its toll. I am trying to push the hills like I know that I can but it is a delicate balance to keep a good pace and make sure my heart rate stays in a comfortable range…I’m not taking any chances in the heat with a day like today.

21 – 8:40 Heartbreak Hill…worst mile spilt of the day but not the hardest hill. In my opinion the toughest actual hill to run is the first hill in Newton. I think it is the one that goes over the interstate but that one is the first hill so I was freshest. I remember this hill kind of felt like it went on forever.

22 – 8:07 – Ah over the hills and downhill from here…for the most part…it took me a little bit to settle back down after all the hills.

23 – 8:18

24 – 8:22 – I skipped a water station at this point with it being two miles to the finish…that was a big mistake.

25 – 7:43 – By the time I hit this mile…my singlet was dry…I am not kidding it was dry and my mouth was screaming for some water. In the span of one mile all the water that had accumulated on my body from mile 1-24 had evaporated and I am talking about a lot of water.

26 – 7:52 – Turn on Boylston and start looking for Lindsey and my parents. They had staked out a nice place right by the mall so I knew where to look. Spotted her right where she said she was…got a high five…thought about stopping but decided I better drudge the last .2 to the finish line.

Finish: 3:24:53

Watch clocked in at 26.59 miles. Assume that is due to weaving on course to hit water/Gatorade/hoses/oranges…anything to try and keep cool.

Post Race:

At the end of the race the B.A.A keeps you moving through a long chute of activity… so I collect some food (which I wanted no part of at the moment), Gatorade, water, my medal, picked up my gear check bag. . It may have been annoying at the time to keep moving but it is absolutely the right thing to do after the race. The last thing you want to do after a long hot run like that is sit down and let everything sieze up on you. I do remember briefly sitting in a wheelchair, not for aid or anything, but to untie my shoes. I think during the run all the downhill pounding and heat my feet swelled a bit and felt like they were going to explode in my shoes…it was pure relief.

It probably took me a solid 35 minutes to walk the .5 miles back to Camp Hein on Bolytston. The amount of people on the street was overwhelming and I started to freak out a bit but luckily the crowd broke up a bit right before the mall and I was able to rejoin Lindsey and my parents.

Marathon over.

Highlights of the race:

The organization of the B.A.A…second to none with how they run this event…everything is first class.

Race Spectators…I thought Chicago was amazing but Boston is a whole another level. It was incredible. They really get into it and without the kindness of the spectators handing out water, ice packs, sprays from the hose, oranges I really think the causalities on a race day would have been a lot worse.

Fire House Water Spray stations

Boston College…blew Wellesley away.

Seeing Lindsey on Boylston.

I don’t know when we will go back. Lindsey has the deferment for 2013 and I already qualified again with my February race in Birmingham but I highly doubt it will be 2013 when we return. We will return I am sure…I’d like to run it two more times personally: Once with Lindsey since we were unable to do that this year. (Someone had to go and be seven months pregnant) and once I want to race the course. After running it this year…I really like the course and I think it provide a nice challenge to see what I could do on it.

One thing is for sure is I’ll keep chasing smoke to earn that BQ…because that is what it is all about to me. It is about earning that time and then enjoying the reward of being a Boston Marathon qualifier…regardless of whether or not you make the journey to Boston every year… but I will say it feels nice to have earned my Unicorn medal.