There is too much to write about for this blog, so there may be a couple which ultimately make the recap of the Rev 3 Cedar Point Full Rev 2011 race. I will try and keep this to a simple race recap. This will be made more difficult with Anna interupting.
Friday: As I had said when I last left the blog, I had picked up the girls from their sitter that afternoon and decided to take them with me to registration and spend the evening at Cedar Point. Morgan and Zoe were much more patient than I ever would have been at their age through the process, but to the Rev’s Staff’s credit they made them as much part of it as possible - giving them Rev and American Flag tattoos and allowing them to take a race picture with me.
While standing in the weigh-in line, we did have the pleasure of standing next to Tamera Kozulina, a female pro, who was nice enough to humor the girls as they played around her and her beautiful Timex-sponsored bike.
Saturday: A busy day from the outset. I wanted to get a practice swim in before the race, so I needed to be at Cedar Point between 7-10 am. When I woke to torrential downpour, thunder and lightning, I was fairly certain my plans would change, but I got the bike and other gear together, as I needed to rack my bike this day.
I arrived at CP at 9:30, where the rain had stopped, but the lake had a serious chop going. I got a good practice swim and reviewed the course for the next morning. My nerves had started to kick in a little, but overall I felt good.
I had to hang out until noon, because I wanted to catch the first offered mandatory race meeting, which was uneventful, but keyed me into a few USAT rules that I really was not familiar with.
I got my bike racked shortly after the meeting and covered for the weather. Then I drove the first 50 miles of the bike course. I returned for grocery shopping, so I could put together linguine with pesto and sun-dried tomatoe grilled chicken as my pre-race dinner.
Sunday Wake: My alarm went off at 3:15 and needless to say I was ready to go. It was time to puy my plan into action. First on the list was to get about a 750 -1000 calorie breakfast in my stomach about 3 hours before the swim start. A chocolate brownie walnut Cliff Bar, 2 jars banana baby food, a banana and bottle of fruit punch Excelerade and I had about met my quota. I did a last minute check over my transition bags and then it was off to the race at about 4:15.
Anna: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......
After getting to CP, the remaining set up for the race went smoothly and my nerves were relatively in check. I made my way down to the water before the sun was even up to check on the conditions of the lake where I found out that it was glass - and I mean absolutely still - without really even much of ripple. Seeing that made me totally psyched. One of the biggest factors of the swim was going to be a non-factor.
Swim: About 20 minutes before the race, I made my way down and was able to get a practice swim in before the Full Distance Mass Start, which totally help calm the nerves and stretch me out the last little bit. Just before the race start, my friend and training partner Phil found me and gave me some words of encouragement, which also helped to calm me down. I owe him huge for being on the beach that morning.
The swim went great. After the initial maylay of getting kicked and grabbed, I was able to find some clear water and get to the first buoy. When I rounded the first buoy and headed down the back straight I noticed the sun had come through the clouds and the predicted poor weather looked to be clearing into a beautiful day. Now I am not much for signs, but this was good one.
Overall I had good swim and exited the water at 1:15 on my watch and the timing pad in transition at 1:16. It was a good swim and right in the time I had planned, maybe even a little ahead. Transition went smooth and the volunteers were awesome stripping my wetsuit and helping get my bike shoes on.
Anna: 7:30 AM Girls and I are up and running. Pancakes for everyone! Since Scott didn’t know that I had invited everybody I have ever met to come watch him, I spent the majority of the morning gathering all the things that up to this point had been an abstract list on a post-it note.
As I grabbed the big cooler for water and pop, I noticed duct tape. Never a bad idea to have duct tape. Which made me think about other things it’s never a bad idea to have, which in turn became an entire bag of stuff that had never made it to my post-it list.
8:50 AM On our way. Have to stop at my mom and dad’s because my mom felt it necessary to wash the brand new shirts I gave her that I had painstakingly ironed on a Team MoZo logo and the decals came off.
Bike: The first 5 to 10 miles on the bike I was trying to find my rhythm for the day and begin executing my nutrition. My nutrition plan was to gel after 10 miles then 20,40,60, 80 and 100 miles. I also wanted to have taken in at least two bottles of sports drink and two of water over the course of the ride. I was able to get into a good rhythm on the bike and keep a good pace of 19-20 mph heading through the first 30 miles.
Side Note #1: At mile 40 something was the first time I saw Team Mozo and support, which was a good pick me up and a good thing to race back to for my second loop. Although, I believe they missed me on the second loop because of some Aid Station area chaos.
Anna:9:45 AM Arrive at the Wooly Bear as the first biker passes and meet up with the Casey’s who are even MORE prepared for spectating because they brought their tent! Once Jason has finished supervising that set up he feels useless and goes down to get involved in the volunteer action.10:30 AM Scott passes us and Team MoZo gets to cheer for a whole ten seconds before the girls go back to coloring and watching the movie Soul Surfer on the laptop about a girl that loses her arm in a shark attack and then goes back to surfing competitively. Why not?
A lot goes on between the first time we see him and when we should have seen him the second time. So much that I wrote a whole separate blog about it here.Side Note #2: The town of Milan is on the route twice and very fun town on the route as it is small town with streets lined with people for the bike. Plus, there is steep quick climb coming into town where families chalk messages on the street, which is just a cool feeling. Anyways, I have to take a second to apologize to a volunteer I almost decapitated with a half-full Gatorade bottle. This volunteer had set up a baby pool with a big target backboard for pitching empties at after the aid station, so after refilling my sports drink bottle I gave my bottle a hurl and let’s just say it took off on me and nearly scalped the volunteer who decided to walk in front of the flight path.
Side Note #3: Gravel sealed roads for 25 miles will rattle fillings loose on a carbon fiber bike, if you are wondering.
Overall: The bike went well; I managed a 19.87mph average for just over 5.5 hour bike, which was exactly where I had wanted to be after the bike.
Anna:1:00 PM Decide it is time to pack it in and head to Sandusky. I am praying that we missed him in all the confusion. Because if we didn’t, he’s either blown a tire or gone off the reservation (in which I think he would have a found a way to call) or has been in an accident (in which someone would have called me, because he wears a RoadID with my number on it).
1:45 PM Yell out “Go Dad!” as we drive past him in on Route 6. He’s just making his way back to transition, but this means we really did miss him and he is definitely on track.Run: I planned to take it easy in T2 and just concentrate on a smooth transition to the run. Once again, my volunteer was great as he unpacked my bag and sorted my shoes, visor and race number, and he packed all my bike gear and helped with my shoes.
Coming off the bike I felt good, but a little dizzy and in hindsight I may have been drinking too much water to close out the bike. Plus, I could feel mind starting to wander a little bit, which for me I have learned is sign that I am starting to hit little walls.
Anna:2:00 PM Set up camp in a closed auto repair parking lot in a questionable part of Sandusky. I say questionable, because a car stopped at the corner and yelled out to me, “What the hell is going on here?” She wanted to go one block left, but the race made it one way and she could only go right. I tried to explain that all she had to do was go around a couple blocks and come back up, but apparently this was a day of unreasonable people and all I got was, “Well, this is just fucking crazy.”
“Kids are you noticing all this plight? Roll ‘em up!” – Clark W. Griswald.
I took off out of transition with stop at the bathroom. My plan in the first 5k was to hold back and not over run the course. The plan did not go as planned as I went off and ran the first mile in 8:00 minutes and I knew I needed to dial it down. After the first mile, I had a little water and GU packet. However, I had hit my limit and my stomach would not stand for much more GU.
Side Note 1: I ran into Team Mozo and all supporters at about this point, which was a definite pick me up, even if I did not quite look like it was. It was really awesome to see everyone that turned out and all the work Anna had put into the bringing support to the race.
Anna:By this time the Williams, Rocky (an old family friend), and Scott’s parents have arrived, followed closely by my parents and Aunt Charlie. In time to see him on Mile 3 of his run. Not looking particularly happy, but it’s early in the run and I know that it will take him a while to loosen up from the long bike, so not worried.
3:00PM Zoe has to pee and can NOT wait. We set her up in a patch of low weeds between two cars in the parking lot…not my proudest moment as a mom, but she was able to go, which surprised me.
Not much later, Morgan has to go, and she’s all about peeing outside, so my mom and I help her out and I tell her to go ahead and pee, to which she replies, “No, I have to poop!” YIKES! “You can’t POOP in someone’s parking lot!” Nana and Papa take the girls to find a restroom in the car.
3:45ish PM Scott passes on Mile 11, looking much better than before.
I continued to try settle into to a fairly good rhythm for the first 6 miles, but my legs were starting to feel the days toll. I made it through the first half marathon in decent shape having only walked a few aid stations, but my goal time was slowly slipping away as I got more sick on the course and my legs would not respond.
Side Note 2: At the Special Needs Station( Station where volunteers have a bagged I packed gear such as Pepto, Bazooka, Gu, socks and baby powder) at mile marker 13.1. At this point, my socks and shoes were soaked with sweat and I wanted to avoid blisters as long as I could, so I powdered my feet and threw on a second pair of socks. During the stop, I could feel my stomach was starting to get pretty upset from the liquid diet, it was really just wondering which escape hatch it was going use in my body that caused me some concern.
Anyways I was off for the second half-marathon and left once again still at run/jog. At mile 14.5 I started to dry heave and then at mile 15 I lost it and yakked all over the side of the run course. Looking back at the race, I believe this is because I came off my nutrition plan on the run and definitely took too much water in on the first part of the run, which was a regrettable decision. At this point, my Ironman got much more difficult with 11 miles to go.
About a 1.5 miles later I ran into Team Mozo, at which point I freaked Anna out when I told her I had vomited at mile 15, but I was going crazy and I had tell someone. I was able run most of the next two miles after mile 15, but at mile 17 my wall was hitting me directly in the face and I was forced to walk a large portion of next 4 miles.
Anna:5:30ishPM Kerbers have arrived by now and our Team MoZo group looks AWESOME! Getting ready for Scott to pass again. I take the girls across the street to give him high fives as a concession to Morgan who is upset she is not going to see the end of the race. (Have to go see world-famous Itzhak Perlman play the violin at Oberlin College.) He heads over to the curb, gives each of the girls a kiss and whispers in my ear, “I threw up at mile 15.”
Okay….yes, that is gross.
6:00PM The Kerbers head out to another spot on the run. Scott’s parents, Zoe, and I head in to the park where my Aunt Cheryl and Uncle John have arrived. I start to get nervous and call Phil to find out just why he chose to tell me that particular bit of information. Was it code for “please call an ambulance”? Phil assures me everything is okay it was probably just a mental thing.
I’m sad for Scott that he is not going to make his goal and I hope that knowledge isn’t making the run harder than it already is.
Side Note 3: During the walking portion I last mentioned, I ran into Phil, Michelle, Paige, Sloane and others, who gave me a huge boost. Especially, thank you to Phil who gave me a little pep talk and let me vent for couple hundred feet as he walked with me.
After seeing them, I was able pick up a jog again and my stomach began to turn the corner. I also began to sense that I was going to make it to the finish. Although, my goal time had passed, I was going to finish, which was the ultimate goal.
For the last 5k, I was able to pick up a run and a female athlete coming over the causeway with me exchanged the same words as we looked up and said “there it is…I can see the finish”.
Anna: 7:00PM Even though I have talked to Phil again and know that Scott is still doing okay and he is not even due in at this pace, I am starting to get anxious for his return. But when he rounds the corner he is actually jogging so I know things are good, even if they aren't great.Crossing mile 26 of marathon, I ran into Anna, Zoe and my parents and I was told Zoe wanted to run the finish with me. So in mad scramble I had Zoe join me at the top of the finish chute and for the last 250 feet Zoe and I ran the finish together and crossed the line in 12 hours and 29 minutes to end my Ironman.
Anna:Now is the time I am expecting a collapse, but he suddenly looks perfectly fine, like he didn’t just completely wreck his body.
When we get the results I look to see what place he would have come in if he had met his goal of 11 hours. 4th place in his age group! 4th place! Only Scott would choose that goal for himself in his first ironman. But it’s over now and all I can say is, next year...we are tail gating!
Thank you again to everyone that came out and supported Team MoZo: Mom and Dad, Anna's Mom and Dad, the Casey's, Rocky, the William's, Anna's Aunt Charlie, The Kerbers, and the Kirschner's. We can't thank you enough or begin to express how much your showing up meant to us.
First Loop of Bike
Action Shot courtsey of Rocky
Waiting for me to make a loop. What a great crew.
The Big Screen with Girls
Post Race Shot
Finish Pics
