IMC 2010 Race Report

Again, before getting into details regarding the race, I must thank my family and friends for their continued support this past year. Most importantly, my loving wife. And yes, I said wife!! As I wrote this race report on the plane as we flew out to Maui for our Honeymoon a week post IMC. It was quite an eventful year and throughout everything we faced, she continued to support me in my efforts. Love you baby, for heifer :) I also need to thank my father (pops). He was, in part, my inspiration for doing this specific race. He also doubled as my "coach" and advisor this past year. So it was fitting that the two of us loaded up the car and headed north on 97 to the lovely Okanogan Valley. I tried to keep the report short, but it is long...just like the race. Despite this, I hope you take the time to enjoy it. Thanks!!

Because we had such a sweet ride to head to Penticton in, we made great time and rolled into town Thursday around lunch. We were surprised to get caught in a powerful rain storm. Luckily we had the top on the car! Off to the house to relax. Going into the race, I had a few goals:

1) Beat my PR from last year (my only other Ironman) of a 10:53

2) Run a sub 4 hr marathon, last year I ran/walked to a 4:33 marathon

3) With a solid swim and bike, we felt like I could set myself up to go under 10 hours. This has been a Yates' family goal for a few decades, and I wanted it. BAD.

Check out the view below from my rental house!! The owners are amazing. It's called Giant Head Winery and Guest House. They are located in Summerland, just north of Penticton. Please look them up if you are heading up to Penticton. We stayed in the Panorama suite. It was great to stay within 15 minutes of the race start, but to not be anywhere close to the race start...you'll understand if you race Ironman :) Their link is http://www.giantheadwinery.com/

Ok onto the race. I got a good night's sleep despite causing a small panic when I started a little fire in the kitchen trying to bake my pizza! I will never forget pops yelling frantically, "FIRE!!" A little bit of overkill, but heck...it was a fire :) I woke up ready to race on Sunday. I took down a fair amount of calories including a bagel sandwich, a banana, and a granola bar and went to kiss Meg goodbye. My Dad and I were then quickly off to transition. Got body marked, which took almost 20 minutes so be prepared, and then was quickly standing beside my bike. Took me a few minutes to check everything over and get my tires inflated. Now it was time to take one final pit stop. I took a look at the length of the line to the porta potty and quickly started to think of alternatives. I used a nearby toilet that had a much shorter line and then went back to drop my stuff off with pops. Big hug had, in fact it was a very special and emotional moment for the two of us. This race, Ironman Canada, is his race...not mine. I was simply visiting his playground for a day. He looked me in the eyes and told me to go hard. I promised myself I would. Meg and the rest of my family were off trying to get a view of the swim start. I was sad that I couldn't find Meg right before the swim, but hell, there were 3,000 competitors...so people everywhere!!!

I got in the water after the pros were sent off and got a little warm up in. I felt fantastic. I could feel that I was going to have a solid swim. Back to the start line and I was somewhat able to hear the Canadian anthem. A couple high fives to the other athletes before the countdown was about to start; at this point everyone is super pumped. And then BOOM!! Cannon is off and so are we! I quickly distanced myself from those around me and made the first buoy in 2nd place. I eased into a more manageable pace and started swimming with a pack. I think I was around 10th place when we made the first turn (just before the half way mark). I got passed by another 5 to 10 athletes coming and and was starting to worry that I wasn't swimming well. Before I knew it the beach was in front of me and I was on land! It is hard to explain how loud the exit of an Ironman swim is, especially when you are towards the front of the race...freaking electric!! Up to the change tent and guess who is there to hand me my gear bag? My buddy Jer! In fact, it was a good thing he was there as I had told the volunteers the wrong bag #, but luckily Jer was paying attention and retrieved the correct bag for me. Love you dude!! Exit stage right to the change tent and there is this lady yelling my name like crazy; and she is within 10 feet of me?!? Who is that? I finally start to focus as I'm running into the tent and see it's my swim coach Gina!! Gina, you rock :)

Swim Time = 53:48 - 90 seconds faster than last year :)

That is me leading a small pack towards the finish of the swim.

Couple members of my "Army"

Off on the bike and I was feeling good. The first 40 miles or so down to Osoyoos are fairly flat and fast. I had an early mechanical where my chain got stuck beyond my hardest gear. This was a relatively quick fix, but costed me time for the repair and time in momentum. I had another issue about 45 minutes later where my chain slipped (think Andy Schleck in this year's tour). This fix was quick as well, but again, I lost valuable time and more importantly, momentum. I made the turn up to Richter and was feeling pretty good. I hadn't made the time down to Osoyoos that I thought I would, but was feeling ok. The climb was so-so. Basically I just didn't have my legs today. I was flat. Not sure why. Our only thought is that my larger muscles didn't fully recover from the ful I had a few weeks ago. Regardless, I spun up the hill as best I could. I got passed by a few riders that hurt me psychologically. I knew I was a better cyclist than these guys. I tried to keep remembering, it's a long day out there...stick with it.

So I did, but after the climb came the 7 bitches. My least favorite part of the bike ride. I lost more time to competitors. We finally came to the out and back section and I felt ok, but kept looking at the ever darkening skies above; this didn't look good. I grabbed my special needs bag which contained more carbo pro and a snickers bar. Neither were great, but both helped. And then it started to rain. At first it wasn't much, but soon it was like November in Oregon. It was fucking pouring. And windy. And I was already having a poor bike ride. We climbed up to Yellow Lake and I continued to struggle. We crested the summit after climbing through the largest and loudest bike aid station I have ever seen in triathlon (volunteers rock!!) and started the long descent into Penticton. By this point the temperature had fallen into the 40s and it was still very windy. I started to shiver. Violently. I had 20k left to go and didn't know if I was going to make it. The descent was white knuckle. I convinced myself that if I made it to transition I would have a vlunteer get me a cup of soup and a blanket and pull out of the race (I wasn't actually going to quit, but telling myself I would helped). I wasn't going to break 10 hours and was shaking so badly that I was worried for my safety on the bike.

As we entered Penticton, the weather finally started to improve. I finally made it into transition. Gina was still there and still screaming for me :) I was so miserable despite her encouragement. I sat down in the change tent and asked the nice volunteer to help me with my gear as I couldn't feel my hands or feet. After a few minutes of helping me, I was ready to go. He looked at me and said, "well now all you have to do is go for a little jog!" I laughed as this lifted my spirits. I ran out of transition while Gina continued to yell at me, "you got this Trevor, you got this!!"

Bike Split = 5:43:45 - Way slower than last year at IMAZ & about 30 minutes slower than goal.

Headed out onto the marathon

I shot out of transition with a renewed purpose. Screw this. I had worked too hard to allow myself to be discourage anymore. I was going to run a hell of a marathon and come in with a PR overall. I saw my family right away and waved at them. I was so happy to be off that f'ing bike. It was great to see Meg, my mom and my sis. My Dad ran alongside me during the first mile while we completed our first out and back.

Pops, "You ok bud?"

Me, "Close to hypothermic on the bike. It rained last 70 to 90 minutes. Can't feel my hands or feet."

Pops, "You going to be ok?"

Me, "Yes, in fact I'm going to run a helluva marathon!! And, as of now, my ashtma is cooperating."

Pops, "3:45 son. You look awesome. Stride looks great. Go get it."

I flew the first 10 miles. Most were run sub 8, some around 7:30. I remember getting into a rhythm and looking down at my Garmin to see pace much closer to 7min miles than 8 min miles. I quickly realized I needed to slow it down. I had expended a lot of energy out on the bike, especially with the cold and my shivering. That being said, I was convinced I could run sub 3:45 for the marathon portion. I didn't walk through a single aid station during the first 90 minutes. I was so happy with how I was running and feeling that I was smiling, for virtually the entire first 90 minutes :) There is a significant hill around 12 miles in. I walked it as planned. I then grabbed my special needs bag at the turn around and enjoyed another snickers bar. I walked while eating it and walked that same hill previously mentioned as I headed back towards town. I believe I eneded up giving up 5 to 7 minutes during this stretch. I will not repeat this again if I race here again. I was fit enough to run through this sections, but didn't trust myself, or my training. Actually, I think the plan was good, but mentally I decided it was ok to walk longer sections after walking these 3 "longer" sections.

The rest of the marathon was pretty uneventful. I struggled with the mental game a little between miles 18 and 22 and probably walked for a good 6-8 minutes. This really pisses me off and is something I will have to address if I want to make a serious bid at qualifying for Kona next year at IMCDA. At about mile 21 you start to head into town. I was energized the last 5 miles. I must have passed 15 to 20 people. Running down towards the out and back section before the finish, I heard another screaming fan. This time it was my friend Ava, who's husband was racing as well. I was so juiced!! I rounded the corner and saw my Dad again. I started crying as I was now running faster than I had all day while he ran beside me. We exchanged some words about what a tough day it was out there, etc. I asked him what the official running time was as I only had my marathon watch on. He told me it was around 10:30. I knew I was going to break 10:45, not bad after such a tough bike.

My buddy Glen

Pops handed me my Oregon hat and I gave him my stinky visor and took off for the finish line. The finish line at IMC is the best one I have been a part of, period. The chute goes forever. I passed a guy from my age group about 1/2 mile from the finish and put the pedal to the metal to ensure I had time to enjoy the finish by myself. I ran over to my family and high five'd everyone!! I was so happy to see them all again, especially Meghan. It's a long day out there, so seeing your loved ones is so great at the end of it. I kept going down the chute, high five'ing everyone that had their hands out. I was overcome with emotion. I knew I was going to PR. I knew I had run a quality marathon despite walking more than I should have. But most importantly, I hadn't quit and I was finishing healthy.

Total Time= 10:43 - A PR by 10 minutes!!

Marathon split = 3:57 - An Ironman marathon PR by over 35 minutes!!

As always, my otter half was there to great me at the finish line!!

This is what Ironman does to you :)

All smiles!!

Until Next Year...

Again, thank you to everyone for their continued support this past year. It was a challenging year to find the time and motivation to train properly to reach my goals. I got close, and reached some of them, just not all of them. But hell, how can I complain about this race? Once again, I learned a lot out there. Ironman is a continual learning experience. Next year we will make our run at a Kona slot at IMCDA. I will be taking some time off the next few weeks to relax and recharge the battery. Luckily I have two weeks in Maui with my new bride so this should be no problem! Thanks for reading and I'll post some more pictures and video when possible.

-T

Boise 70.3

"Trevor, what is your address?" I signed my address (with my hands). "Trevor, are you starting to feel better?" I looked at Michael, the paramedic treating me in the ambulance and nodded yes. I was starting to feel better, basically, I was able to breath a little bit. The neubilizer treatment of Duoneb had helped. Moments earlier I hadn't been able to breath too well. And when I say well, I mean it was tough to talk. Flashback to 15 minutes earlier right after I crossed the finish line at Boise 70.3, around 40 minutes later than I had anticipated. I looked at my Dad and said, "I will never do that again!" We both knew I was talking about racing while sick, not racing half Ironman. Hell I love this stuff. Back to the sick part...I contracted another sinus infection Monday of this past week. My Doc put me on antibiotics on Tuesday. My final dose was race morning. For those of you that don't follow my blog or know me too well, I'm a chronic asthmatic. I'm on daily inhaled steroids, albuterol, nasal spray, and everything else I can get my hands on!! So every time I get sick, could be the common cold or as severe as a sinus infection, my airway becomes inflamed.

Enough about post race, let's talk about the race. Here is how it developed age group position listed in parenthesis:

Pre Race:
I woke up feeling pretty good. I had managed to sleep 10 hours. Which actually kind of worried me. I was thinking, is my body telling me it isn't over this sinus infection and needs more rest? Well, I knew the answer to that. I was still sick. Oh well. Boise is a 2pm start which is unique for our sport. I dropped my run bag off at T2 in downtown and then we (Meg and my parents) headed out to Lucky Peak Reservoir. FYI, if you are doing this race and drive out to the reservoir, be prepared for a 10-15 minute hike uphill from the parking area to the reservoir on dirt road that you will want to carry your bike up.

Swim: 27:54 (4th)
My goal in the swim was to relax and not push hard. I was under strict orders to take it out easy for the swim and first part of the bike to not stress my airway. Boise does wave starts so we had to sit on the sweltering ashpalt as we waited for the pro waves to start. Then women 50-59 and men 40-49 or vice versa, can't remember. All I remember is I was sweating like a pig in my wetsuit and couldn't wait to hit the 60 degree water. BTW, the water was colder than 60. Not by much, but it wasn't quite 60. Anyways, I warmed up for a few minutes and was ready to go. My friend Evan immediately took off. We used to swim together in high school and I knew he was in better swim shape than I was. To follow him would have been suicide as he split a 25!! Nice job Evan. I finished the swim feeling strong and in control of my race. I ran up, got my wet suit stripped, and hopped on my bike.

Bike: 2:49 (Top 20, doesn't list it yet on results)
I was running a disc for this race which proved to be a terrible idea. We had woken up to no wind so I went with my disc. By the time we started the race the wind was blowing hard. Right after leaving transition there is a pretty significant downhill portion before turning left and climbing. I was getting blown all over with my disc heading down that descent. It was rather frightening. I sat up and let two people go past me. We made the turn left and started to climb. I quickly passed those two people and was told by a spectator that I was the 8th amateur to come by at that point. I was feeling ok, but was starting to get concerned about this wind.

The next 15 miles were a mix of rolling hills with one decent climb and descent as we headed out to 10 mile creek for our turnaround. The wind was, honest to god, sustained at 25 to 30mph. It was nuts. It was a cross or head for almost the entire way to the turn around. I had to ride a fairly significant portion of the first half in my drops instead of the aero position just to control my bike. I was honestly concerned about flipping my bike. Apparently I wasn't crazy, my folks actually saw someone flip on his disc. It was freaking brutal out there. The real problem for me?? I went into this race thinking I was going to split a 2:25 on the bike. With all this extra stress just controlling my damn bike I was wasting energy and I was aggravating my airway. I couldn't keep my heart rate down because even the flats and descents I was struggling to keep my bike steady.

The turnaround came and I knew I was still in decent position. Problem was I had exhausted too much energy fighting the wind. I really struggled on the way home. After you make it back to the reservoir you ride on a jogging path for a little while to get onto camp creek road to head back to Boise. Once I turned onto camp creek road I was riding into a straight headwind. Again, sustained at probably 20mph. It was demoralizing. As I pedaled into town I could tell my airway was shot. I was really struggling. Not from an energy standpoint, but from an asthma and motivational standpoint. I knew I wasn't going to be able to race the run because of the state of my airway.

Run: 1:57:21 (18th)
The run was miserable. In all honesty, I spent a few minutes on the bike towards the end of the ride debating whether to continue. I knew it was going to be a death march. But then I thought, well, give it a try and if it is terrible and the airway won't allow me to run, then I will just drop out. The run is a two loop affair around the Boise river just a few blocks from Downtown Boise. It was a great run course. Spectators throughout which is always helpful!! On the first lap, the women's leader, Julie Dibens, came up next to me. She was on her second lap. I could tell she was really struggling. Shortly after catching up to me she started walking. I shouted some words of encouragement at her. Not sure if they made any difference, but she did go on to win :)

I was unable to run. I had to basically jog. I found if I elevated my heart rate above about 155, I couldn't sustain it from an asthma standpoint. I was starting to get concerned, but thought back to my half marathon in Eugene and realized if I just settled into a pace that wasn't too taxing, my airway would allow me to continue. Ultimately, this is what I did. I saw Meg and my parents at the half way mark and just gave them a sarcastic type smile and a shrug of the shoulders. The second lap was a little better. I started to sustain a pace of about 8:15 or so and pass some people. I made the final turn towards the finish chute and checked behind me. As I entered the long finish chute in downtown Boise there was nobody behind me. I looked up at the clock and realized I was about 40 minutes below my expectation of a sub 4:40.

Overall: 151st overall (out of 1400 or so) and 18th in my age group.
I will be the first to admit, I was rather disappointed with my race performance. I came here to make top 5 in my age group, not top 20. I was ready and fit enough to go sub 4:40 on Saturday, but I just couldn't do it with the asthma, sinus infection and outside elements (wind, etc). I will take away a lot from this race and live to fit another day! My main race this season is yet to come...Ironman Canada in August. My doc and I have a solid plan to try and avoid illness for this race. I want to thank all of those that continue to support me in this crazy sport, mostly my fiance and family. You guys are the best!! Below are some pictures from the race. Enjoy, and as always, thanks for reading,

-T

Dad and I before the start at Lucky Peak

Meg and I before the start

Heading down to the lake with my wave

Warming up

And we are off!

One of my favorite pros, Chris Lieto getting out of the water.

4th out of the water!!

Damn, that bike is hot!!

Lieto and Crowie heading out on the run. Lieto would pull out a few miles later with an abductor issue.

First lap, hurting at this point!

Man that sucked. We started 13 min late, so finish time was 5:21. Way off of goal.

Lasted long enough to take a picture with Evan, then off to the ambulance.

Final Build

As Boise 70.3 nears, I have one final training block to get in before racing. This will include some heavy miles and some good intensity. I'm very much looking forward to pushing my body and ensuring that I enter into taper at peak fitness. I'll keep this post short as I've been extremely busy with work and life lately. On a side note, I would not recommend two glasses of wine prior to an evening run. The 5 miler tonight was brutal.

Some pictures from this past weekend...

My lady...aka "the cheese lady" winning some prizes at the Beaver's baseball game!!

Columbia Gorge at Crown Point looking west

Pops and I rode out to Multnomah Falls


Blurry camera picture of the bottom of the falls.

Had another great ride with my dad last weekend as you can see above. I'm blessed to be able to do these kind of things with my father. On top of that, Meg has been able to run more lately and we are getting in a decent amount of runs together again!! Life is good. More to come. Thanks for reading,

-T

Race Calendar 2010...

So I believe my race calendar for this season is finally complete...mostly. I might tweak it slightly as the season progresses, but as of now...it's good to go! I posted it to the right. I'm concentrating on developing run toughness early on with 3 road races this spring, leading up to what I hope is a fast race at Eugene for the Eugene 1/2 marathon. I've never run an open 1/2, just at the end of a tri so I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do with that. The other races prior are just for speed and again working on my "run toughness." Again, I've never run an open 10k, just at the end of a tri, so that should be fun too!

During the spring time I will continue to build my other disciplines and plan on peaking for my lone 1/2 Ironman of the season, Boise 70.3 in early June. I won't do a full taper for this race, but will take some rest and make the race a priority. It's an Ironman branded event so the competition will be good and appears to be a course that will play to my strengths. Plus it has an afternoon start which is awesome. Just a few weeks prior to this I plan on racing my first Olympic of the season in Eugene. After Boise I will take some time off to recover and get ready for my build for the big dance of the year...Ironman Canada!!

At this point my final push to Canada will include two Olympic distance triathlons that will help keep me sharp and continue to work on my speed and focus. For better or worse I didn't race enough this past season so this season I plan on incorporating racing into my training. I have Blue Lake targeted as my final race prior to taper for Ironman as it's a very fast course that I will race at the peak of my build and fitness...so basically it will be used as a big confidence booster heading into taper.

Ok, I guess that's it for now. Training is going pretty well although I haven't been hitting the pool at all. I've been riding frequently and getting in a few runs per week. The thought of getting out of bed this time of year and making it to the pool! But I made a commitment that I would after IMAZ so time to get it on! Thanks for reading,

-T

Ironman Arizona Race Report....

First off, I must thank everyone that helped get me to the start line. Most importantly, the love of my life who put up with my crazy training schedule. She is amazing and I owe this race to her love and support of me! This race would have never happened if I hadn’t decided to go for that run. It was 3 years ago Friday. I had eaten too much at Thanksgiving dinner the night before and decided I would go for a jog to burn off the calories…I made it less than ½ mile before I nearly collapsed. Here I was, a former elite level swimmer, 40 pounds overweight and unable to run half a mile. I decided then I would change my life. I slowly got into triathlon doing my first Olympic distance triathlon 7 months later.

Fast forward to Sunday morning: 5:55am Lake Tempe, AZ. Here I was in the bike transition area of Ironman Arizona getting body marked. I had spent the better part of the last 18 months preparing for this day. Last season I did my first half Iron and this season included a marathon in May. The rest of the summer had been spent building and preparing for the day that now was here. Surprisingly I was not nervous…I was ready. The volunteer writing my race number on me talked with me about the big Duck victory the night before (which of course I stayed up late to watch). I spent some time with Meghan and slowly put on my wetsuit. One final check of the watch…6:30, time to get ready to rock!! I made my way (slowly) to the lake.

I had 5 goals going into my first Ironman:

1)Finish

2)No medical tent

3)Break 11 hours and finish before it was dark (sunset was around 5:40 local time, but it didn’t really get dark until 6pm)

4)Smile as much as possible and enjoy the experience

5)Thank every volunteer I came across

Swim: 55:07

I sat there in the lake treading water watching the pros start…10 minutes to go until we (the age groupers) started. I am a good swimmer so I quickly got right to the front where the kayakers were holding a start line. We listened to the national anthem and I cried. I cried because I realized I was about to start the race I had been dreaming of completing for so long. I cried because I knew I was ready. I cried because of how far I had come in 3 years. And then…BOOM. The cannon went off to start Ironman Arizona!!

I sprinted out of my spot, instantly ditching most of those around me. The water was pretty murky so I had to sight to see anything happening in front of me. Luckily, there wasn’t much. One or two guys took right off, on a different day I would have gone with them, but this was my first Ironman and all I wanted to do was come in around 55 minutes for the swim portion. I easily made my way into a lead pack of 5 to 8. I sat near the back catching a nice draft, concentrating on my stroke. Before I knew it we were making the one turn at the half way mark. The sun was rising before me as I approached the turn buoy, it was awesome.

The way home on the swim went according to plan. The pace was easy and I thought about breaking away, but again, I knew it was a long day and I better pace myself. Plus, nobody was passing us, in fact we were passing some pros (who started 10 minutes before us) so I knew I was swimming well. Final turn at the end of the swim to make our way to the ladders to get out and before I knew it a very strong volunteer was lifting me out of the water.

T1: 3:41

I got my wetsuit stripped off quickly and ran towards my gear bag and the changing tent. The runway was filled with spectators, 3 to 4 deep at time. All going bananas and screaming wildly!! I had to purposely slow my run as to not get too excited. I sat in transition for a moment, put my race belt on, my sunglasses and was off to my bike.

Bike: 5:19:23

The bike at IMAZ is a 3 loop affair. Fairly flat with false front and minor elevation gain on the way out with a headwind was what everyone described. They were correct. Heading out on the first loop I was amazed at how windy it was out on BeeLine hwy despite being only 8:30am. At times I was slowed down to 14 mph. My main goal on the bike was to control my Heart Rate and hydrate. That first lap I let a lot of people go by that I would normally ride with, but my HR was right where I wanted it so no problem…have a great ride boys!

I made the turn to start the second loop and tried to spot my family. Instantly I spotted my dad out of the crowd. He had made me promise I would provide him with a hand signal to indicate how I was doing; thumbs down for terrible, flat hand for ok, thumbs up for good, and a fist pump for “I’m having a great day”. I gave him a fist pump. Despite the aero helmed I had on and the hundreds of spectators around me, I actually heard him yell, “All right!!” I started that second lap feeling great indeed.

The good feelings slowly left as the wind was still nasty. I was slowly making my way up to the turnaround when I got passed by a pace line. Yes you read that correct. A pace line is what you might see in the Tour de France, it is basically a line of people taking turns breaking the wind while those in back get a huge advantage by sitting in the draft zone. In Ironman (non draft triathlon events as a whole) this is illegal. I was so pissed. I couldn’t believe these people. What losers. They weren’t racing, they were cheating. Then I saw it, the motorcycle came up on my shoulder with the race official on it!! He slowly made his way up the pace line writing down the numbers of the cheaters! I saw about 15 of them in the penalty tent after I made my turn…I guess the world is fair after all. Of course, yours truly was completely legal and rode right by them laughing at how pathetic they are. Pathetic. You guys are a black eye on my beloved sport.

Ok, I digress, back to the race! The third lap was my strongest lap. Besides some back pain, I was feeling great and was well hydrated. My third lap was just a little slower than my first so I knew I was riding strong still. I started to pass people as they slowed. I knew I was going to come in around 5:20 for my bike split, right were I wanted it. I was so proud of myself for riding smart and not letting my HR creep up! Everything was coming together.

T2: 2:18

I was in and out of T2 so fast my family didn’t even have time to position themselves to see me run out. It just happened that my buddy Glen caught sight of me and yelled at me. I gave him the fist pump.

Run: 4:33:24

The run started well. I stopped at the first aid station to fill up two of my fuel belt bottles with water. I had decided that I would carry the two 8oz bottles with me and make sure I was hydrated. Actually, pops had insisted on it and you know…Dr’s orders and all. Despite stopping there and then again a mile later to use the bathroom (I was definitely doing a good job hydrating!) I was running right at 8 min miles. Just under actually. My secret goal going into the event was that I was going to run a sub 3:45 marathon. I was fit enough and was prepared.

About mile 4 my airway really tightened up on me. I’m a chronic asthmatic for those that aren’t aware and have had a bad history of my asthma reacting badly to endurance events (hence the goal to not end up in medical again). I used my inhaler for the umpteenth time of the day and tried to smile, “just 21 more miles to go Yates” I told myself. I saw Meg, Mom and Dad towards the end of that first loop and for the first time that day, I didn’t give a fist pump. Dad instantly ran with me and started talking to me.

“how you feeling?”

“airway is trashed”

“you going to be ok?”

“yes, it is just going to very painful”

He slapped me on the back and I took off. I was walking 2 miles later. The second lap was a blur. When I was running I was still holding 8:30s, but I was forced to walk a lot. My airway was a mess. I passed my family to enter the final loop (the run is 3 loops as well) and I guess I had “the look” on my face. “The look” is basically the total glazed over, expressionless, when will this fu*king race be over – look. And I had it. My family was worried.

I made it another .5 miles and then took to a walk. I was stumbling and had blurred vision. Damn, I hadn’t been drinking Gatorade or taking my gu’s to get calories in. Damn Yates, what are you doing? I couldn’t breathe. This was going downhill fast. And then suddenly, this guy I had met earlier on the run who had recognized the bike shop that sponsors me on my race top pulled up next to me and started walking with me. We walked together for probably a mile, maybe mile and a half. His name was Brian and he was from Eugene. He saved my race. We went through an aid station together and I hammered down some cookies and coke. Within 5 minutes I was feeling better. He was on his second loop and I was on my third and now itching to finish. I looked at Brian and told him I had made a promise to my fiancé that I would finish in daylight and so I better get to running again. I had 6.5 miles left. Brian, if you are reading this, you really did save my race and I hope to find you in Eugene to buy you lunch in the near future.

I was running again. The loop course is a figure eight and so I got to pass my family one more time before a final 5 miles or so. I was now feeling really strong. The calories had helped and my airway was slightly better. I swapped out my visor for my Duck hat with my mom (I had to wear a Duck hat across the finish line) and gave my Dad another fist pump. He ran with me and yelled in my ear, “Single Digits Bud, Single Digits!!!!!!!” We had discussed pre race that making it to single digits left to go in the run of the Ironman was so important mentally.

The next few miles were awesome. I knew I was going to make it. I knew I was going to be an Ironman shortly. I kept checking my watch. I knew I was also going to make it to the finish line in under 11 hours.

At mile 24 my friend Morgan came roaring by, running somewhere around 7 minute miles. He looked awesome!!! I made it over the final bridge I had to cross and descended. I now had the mile 25 marker in my sight. Glory was just over a mile away. I was running well and saw the turn for the finish line ahead. I made the turn left and took a peek behind me to see if I was going to have the finish chute to myself. No such luck, there were 5 to 6 people behind me. I picked up the pace and made the turn to the chute.

I started pumping my fist. Maybe both. I really don’t remember. I saw my family to the left of me. I gave them one last fist pump for good measure immediately before crossing the finish line…about the same time at which I heard the words I had been waiting so long to hear, “Trevor Yates, you are an Ironman!” I was having a tough time controlling the smile on my face as the volunteer “catcher” caught me after crossing the finish line.

I made it through the finish line area where they take your timing chip, your picture, give you your medal, hat and shirt and found my family. I gave Meghan the best hug in the world. Then my mom and then my Dad. I think in that order? My Dad kept asking me if I was ok, knowing that we had spent some quality time in medical tents together recently. I was crying (again, I know I’m such a weenie!) and looked at him. I gave him a huge smile and then a huge high five!! “Dad, I’m fine!!!” I had made a promise to him when I first told him that I was going to do Ironman that I would train and race smart, and would do it “right.” I had done this and he knew it.

Total Finish time: 10hr 53min

To recap the goals:

1)Finish - Done

2)No medical tent - Done

3)Break 11 hours and finish before it was dark (sunset was around 5:40 local time, but it didn’t really get dark until 6pm) - Done

4)Smile – Most of the race, besides “the look”

5)Thank every volunteer I came across - Done

I realize the race report is long and I apologize for it. There was much more I could have put in it, but the nuts and bolts are there. It was a very emotional day for me as well as for Meg and my family. I am thrilled and humbled to say I’m an Ironman. Over the next few weeks I will figure out how to address the asthma issues better (I already know a few mistakes I made a few weeks prior to the race that probably didn’t help) as well as start to formulate my schedule for next year. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy some time off from work and some much needed chill time with family and friends. It was a very long year, but was SO worth it. I will forever savior this day. Thank you to everyone that has been along for the ride. And as always…thanks for reading,

-T

The day has arrived...

So, the bike is racked, the bags are checked, everything is ready for tomorrow. The big day is finally here and I'm stoked to get it on in the morning. I'm headed back to the hotel to chill and catch a nap. Ducks are on at 5pm in a huge game tonight so I'll enjoy that with Meg and my parents and then off to bed for the early departure. Thanks to everyone that has continued to offer me such great support in this endeavor...most of all, my wife to be. Everyone has been awesome, but Meg especially has had to deal with a lot for me to make it to the start line tomorrow. I love you honey!!

Bib # is 394 for those that are interested in tracking on Ironman.com tomorrow. Thanks for reading,

-T

AZ, here I come...

Well, the day is almost here! Thursday Meg and I leave for Arizona. It is so nice to finally have this race in sight! Everything seems to be going according to plan at this point. My bike has been shipped, so hopefully it IS waiting for me next to transition when I get there Friday. The weather forecast is looking very nice, please keep your fingers crossed!! And I'm really feeling quite good. My asthma and overall health seems to be fine which is a relief. Physically, my legs are feeling great and my swim has been very smooth and strong the last few weeks.

I have everything packed at this point and am looking forward to getting another night of good sleep tonight. I'm so excited to just get to the start line. It will be a long day out there, but I'm very satisfied with the work I have put in and feel confident that I have done what I need to do to have a good race on Sunday. I have my nutrition and race plan nailed down which is good, because I have spent plenty of time stressing about that stuff in half Irons before!

For those interested, you can follow me online on race day at Ironman.com. My race number is 394. As always, thanks for reading.

-T

Last brick...

Well, the last decent length brick of the season is in the bags! It included about half what I would normally do on my Saturdays...50 mile bike and 2.5 mile run. All was done at limited intensity. I felt great!! I know I'm ready to race Ironman next week due to the fact I wanted more today. I wanted to pedal harder, run faster and go twice as long. My body and mind are totally ready for this race. Just 8 more days to go. With that, I'm off to the Duck game! Go Ducks! Thanks for reading,

-T

2 weeks...

Well, here we go. I woke up this morning after a good 10.5 hours of sleep. Taper has officially started. I woke up refreshed and excited that I'm two weeks away from the big dance. I slept great and look forward to the next two weeks. We have a solid taper program that works for me, all I have to do is execute it properly and make sure I get plenty of rest! So today is all about relaxing and doing nothing!

Yesterday was my last decent size training day. It originally was going to be more intense, but we were confident with where my fitness is so we backed it down some and focused more on rest. The weather man was forecasting some serious rain for Saturday so I woke up and set up the trainer. My day called for 4 hours on the bike and then a five mile tempo run at just faster than marathon pace. I got in the 4 hours just fine, felt pretty strong actually. I quickly changed into some warm clothes and headed out for the run. I'll be honest...I've run in some pretty poor conditions, but this was crazy!! I have a one mile loop I do and I had to constantly go up side streets to avoid enormous puddles! I ran for just under 4 miles and was soaked to the bone so I called it an early day. I was happy with how my legs felt; very light and quick. I was ticking up some 7 minute miles with ease.


So back to today...Meg is making some yummy soup, I'm catching up on some football and napping, and we have a ton of movies to watch and just hang out! The cat is happy to have us at home as you can see :) Thanks for reading,

-T

Weather Gods...

Just checked the 10 day forecast for Tempe. Wish I hadn't! Tomorrow's high is expected to be 92 degrees. Holy cow! I almost fell out of my chair!! Luckily, tomorrow appears to be an anomaly, as the rest of the week starts to cool and return to highs in the low 80s. Typically, race day (November 22nd) has a high in the upper 70s, sometimes low to mid 80s. I'm definitely helping the weather gods help me out with some 70s type weather in 2.5 weeks! I'm doing what I can to prepare, including training with extra layers of clothes on to simulate hotter conditions, but it's just really hard to simulate real heat.

So, if you have a rain dance...well, I guess I wouldn't want rain, but you get the point! Everything else is set up. I have my bike transport all scheduled, plane tickets, hotel arrangements, rental car, etc. The only thing left to do is execute the upcoming taper as best as I can. I've been told that I can be a little hard to be around come taper time, so let me apologize in advance :) The race is getting very close at this point. Luckily work has been very busy which has been a nice distraction. Yet, my mind still wanders back to what I'm about to attempt and what it's taken to get here. Soon this chapter of my life will be closing, or depending on how you look at it, beginning. And I can't wait for the conclusion. Thanks for reading,

-T

Ironman Canada...

So it's official! I am volunteer #1249853581 at Subaru Ironman Canada this year! Meghan is volunteering as well! Volunteering is basically the only way to ensure your entry into North America's most popular Ironman Race. Racing in Penticton at Ironman Canada has always been a dream of mine.

Well, more of a pipe dream I guess :) It all started over 2 decades ago. My dad raced Canada 5 times (he also did Kona twice). You see, I have great memories of being in Canada for what I believe is one of the most amazing sporting events in the world. I also thought it was absolutely crazy! I mean, here were 1500 people or so that would train for months on end to kill themselves for 9+ hours! WTF? Yet, we always had a great time! Especially as kids!! Fond memories of road tripping up in the Vanagon, maple syrup, cheering my dad on, etc.

The last year pops did Canada was either 91 or 92, can't remember for sure. He was 44 and training to break the Ironman World Masters record (40 years of age and older). Canada is known for having one of the most difficult bike courses on the circuit. Despite that, dad split 4:57 on the bike and went into T2 48th overall. This includes pros. He was on pace to smash the record he had been working for years to achieve. Unfortunately he experienced some serious heart issues on the run and had to walk in the final 10 to 12 miles. He still finished 10:35 overall and qualified for Kona, despite walking the second half of the marathon. I will never forget that day. It's not as if I knew way back then that I would someday do this race, remember I thought these guys were crazy!, but in hindsight...I believe I was destined to do this race. Anyways, I'm stoked for IMAZ in November as it will be my first Ironman...but I really can't wait to toe the line at Canada next year!!!

The icing on the cake...it turns out that Meg and I will be getting married next year during Labor Day weekend. Until we picked that date I was unsure of which Ironman I would do next year. Well, luckily Ironman Canada is the weekend before our wedding! So, I'll get to race in Canada...20+ years removed from those amazing memories, with my future life as the luckiest, soon to be, married man waiting at the finish line :) It will be a very emotional weekend...for many reasons.

-T