Kona 2013 Video

I was completely blown away by the support I received for this race. I offer a HUGE thanks to everyone that sent me messages and/or followed me on race day. Unbeknownst to me my siblings gathered good luck videos from family and friends and put them together into a pre-race inspirational video. Here is a link to that collective as well as some race day pictures and video. Enjoy!

YouTube Link Here

Special shout out to Dave Anderson and Tom Mills for the B-Nuts jersey.

Kona Race Report

Pre-race Rundown

I arrived on the Big Island last Saturday and spent the week acclimating. I’m pretty sure my workout activity level this week was lower than 98% of the other competitors. But I take the term “taper” pretty seriously. Leading up to the race it didn’t seem as hot as I remember it being in 2010, but maybe that’s because I was more acclimated in my preparation before leaving Michigan. This included running in long underwear, a winter hat and a rain jacket, as well as humid and 85 degree trainer sessions at the secret Groom Lake training facility. It was nice to have the whole immediate family in town and my buddy Jason even found an excuse to bail on work and come to Hawaii.

I was significantly less anxious (i.e. grumpy) leading up to this race, which I think is just a function of experience and knowing pretty much exactly what kind of shenanigans I was getting myself into. I still don’t like to get caught up in the “Ironman Testosterone Show” hubbub, but it was cool getting some free swag at the expo, getting my picture with Chrissie Wellington and spotting other pros out on the Queen K and around town. I checked my bike in on Friday and was escorted by Reebnut who, along with the rest of the family, was volunteering for the afternoon. During this time I learned that my sarcastic quips frequently did not register with other athletes. This was due to the language barrier for I know no smart remarks in German or Spanish. But I wasn’t going to let these limitations keep me from trying.

We retreated back to the condo and had homemade pizza for dinner. I was then surprised by an amazing Reebnut production which incorporated videos submitted by friends and family, all wishing me good luck in various degrees of humor and seriousness. I’m not going to lie; I felt slightly overwhelmed inside at the support I was receiving. After that I was off to bed.

October 12^th-Race Day   

Course Map

The family was volunteering for body marking so they were up at 3am, which meant that I was mostly awake at this time. I officially got out of bed around 4:15 and began my standard morning routine. My stomach was not feeling very receptive of food, which for me is about as rare an occurrence as a solar eclipse. I choked down a bottle of Ensure Plus and about three quarters of one pop tart. Jason drove me into town.

Security was a little tighter in light of Boston, which was comforting as well as annoying. I was body marked by my siblings while the parents photographed and hugs/good lucks were distributed. For being an elite group of Ironman racers it dumbfounds me how slow some of them walk and/or how oblivious some are to their surroundings. I finally made it through the cattle chute and to my bike, got set up and got out of there.

Pre-race my friend Russ Brandt had organized a group of guys to start together that all wanted to swim around an hour. This was fantastic. I don’t enjoy swimming anyway, which is compounded by the washing machine, smacked and clawed in the face swim start. We all met up and chilled out for a while, before pushing our way through the heard of slow moving people to get in the water. After a short warm up out to the start line, we lined up to the far left in the front row.

The crowd noise, drum beats and Mike Reilly’s demanding voice grew in intensity. We had to tread water for 10-ish minutes. My feelings were in stark contrast to the nervousness and tension I felt in 2010. Now my impatience was growing by the minute as I just wanted to get this show on the road. Finally the cannon went boom and we were on our way.

The swim was uneventful as far as Ironman swims go. I think I swam mostly straight, got some okay drafts, didn’t go into oxygen debt nor lose my goggles. I got knocked around more on the return leg than I was expecting. I exited the water in 64 minutes, a bit slower than I had hoped, but a 3 minute improvement from 2010. The T1 tent was THE place to be, that is if you enjoy a soaking wet mess of mostly naked dudes. I calmly got my jersey and shoes on and quickly exited the tent, while looking for some bottles of sunscreen on a table. Alas there were none, only a lady with gloves on smearing it on athletes. Now I’m not really a germaphobe, but I did know about 600 people ran by before me. After all I HAD applied “water resistant” SPF 30 prior to the swim. These factors, compounded with the hurried nature of this being a race, I decided to skip the sunscreen station. T1 was three minutes and I was on to the “more fun” stuff.

I was experienced enough to know not to get caught up in the hype/adrenaline/testosterone for the early part of the bike. Going through town is a mess as there are about 800 people all getting on their bikes within 10 minutes of each other. My goal wattage was around 215 so I tried to stay right there as many people blasted by me in the early miles.

I knew it was a long day and just settled in, but there was an unexpected tail wind and everyone was flying. I took on some calories and my stomach still felt kinda crappy. But I knew I needed calories so I just had to push through it. I came up on Russ a ways out on the Queen K and he reminded me to save it for the return trip, which was a good ego check reminder. We ended up riding in the same vicinity and pacing each other for the rest of the bike ride.

There were a noticeable number of packs on the bike. It is just the nature of having that many people on the course capable of swimming an hour and biking around five. I would highly doubt any AGer who said they were legal the whole time. Not that it was blatant “hey I’m cheating” drafting, but keeping 7m spacing with that many people is practically impossible, without wasting massive amounts of energy. This is exacerbated from trying to ride at a steady power effort when other athletes are surging and slowing down. I did my best to avoid the packs and targeted my pace.

I just ground it out on the climb up to Hawi, keeping a steady 215 watts. Despite my less than receptive stomach I had knocked down my first 900 calorie bottle and picked up my second bottle at the turn around. The descent was completely tame wind wise, compared to what I remembered in 2010, when I felt there were times I was hanging on for my dear life. I noticed things starting to heat up on the climbs back toward Kawaihae and especially on the gradual climb back up to the Queen K. My Joule GPS read 88 degrees, the sun was out in full force and the head wind was starting to pick up. I didn’t need to pee yet and figured I needed to up my water intake. 

I wasn’t feeling super strong at this point and realized Russ was a bit up the road. I made a conscience decision to push back up to him for the mental boost. At this point it was pretty hot and pretty windy, but my steady effort was paying off as I was passing a fair number of athletes at this point. At mile 80ish I was doing the math, invigorated after calculating a low 4:50s bike if this pace held. Then I would look down and be going 16mph, uphill, into the wind and wishing the bike ride was over.  My stomach was still unhappy but this is what the Iron Stomach training was for. I switched to some on course Gu and kept pushing down the calories, which seemed to help.

I finished off the bike course strong, coming into town feeling ready for a solid run performance. I topped off the calorie tank while putting down a bottle of water in the final miles. I dismounted having biked a 4:54. I calmly put on my calf sleeves, socks and shoes and exited the tent while asking and looking for sunscreen. But again none was to be found in my hurried nature. I was destined to fry.

Exiting T2 the race clock was at 6:05.  I saw my family cheering and my dad yelled I was something in the neighborhood of 16 minutes down to 5^th and 20+ some guys back. Any small chance at my goal required a sub 3 hour dream, but considering what I pulled out at Placid I was going for it. I set off with 6:45 pace in my sights, while staying relaxed. I was diligent to take an extra few seconds at the aid stations to keep cool. By some miracle the clouds came in for the run, so it was hot but, “Not Africa hot, just warm.” Around mile 3 for the first time ever I shamefully peed my pants while running. Don’t worry I rinsed off at the next aid station.

I consistently moved up the field along Ali’i drive, keeping close to my goal pace and staying relaxed. I was methodically steady up Palani hill, knowing the most mentally taxing part of the run was coming up. I came up on another guy in my age group, Scott from Canada. We paced each other and BS’ed for a bit. The pro guys were coming back which I’m thinking (well the word “thinking” indicates logical brain function but…), “Wow that’s X he’s like a famous triathletes guy I’ve seen in magazines and stuff.” Those thoughts followed by, “Wait those guys are way faster than me, and they started a half hour before me... So I have a long way to go… (♪ And a short time to get there…♪)” But I just kept that diesel chugging along. 

 

Up ahead I saw an athlete struggling to get his one piece suit off his shoulders as he ran off the road toward some large boulders. I’m thinking, “Oh. No. NO! Yep. Oh… He’s going to poop right by the side of the road.” He leaned back right up against a rock and that’s what happened. I made an offhanded comment, to which he had a miserable reply. I tried to lift his spirits and remind him, “Ya but you’re now a Queen K Legend!” Like he was the first person to do that…

At some point there was a sign that said “No Spectators Beyond This Point.” Not sure who decided this rule but it was a bit disheartening, because now there were no pick me ups in the loneliest part of the course. Just shuffling along, trying to turn all but the most necessary parts of my brain off. My 13 mile split was 1:31 and change; close to goal pace.

“How long do I keep hurting myself? How far into that pain cave am I willing to venture?” I’ve been in pretty deep before, but today I wasn’t prepared to go any deeper. Rarely is there a single factor contributing to race performance but today was a factor I hadn’t experienced before. I’ve bonked before. I’ve been too hot, cramped up, GI issues, trashed quads/calves and mentally checked out all before. Today the overwhelming factor was that my feet, ankles and hips just hurt! Not like the muscles were tired hurt, but down to the bones, tired of pounding on the pavement hurt. Today the incentive wasn’t close enough to go any deeper and the last thing I wanted was to injure myself.  

Still running with Scott our pace slowly slipped to 7:30s. He took a pit stop heading into the Energy Lab. An age group girl passed me on the downhill, which stung my pride a bit, but only a little as I had already conceded that the “racing” was over. I soldiered on and dropped to 8 (and change) minute miles, now distracting myself by making amusing/sarcastic comments, but also offering words of encouragement to fellow racers. I asked the aid station workers if they had any beer or shots, but none were to be procured. Spectators were of no help in that department but assured me there were both at the finish line. Mark and Dave Hill was actually a relief for the painful feet, and running down Palani meant that I was almost done.

As I turned onto Ali’i drive I was content on soaking in the finishing chute, something that I hadn’t really taken the time to do in previous races. Kids wanted high fives, which made me feel like a really cool guy and I obliged. I saw my family cheering and acknowledged them as I walked up to the finishing arch, pausing long to get a good B-Nuts promo finish picture; official finish time 9:21:03. 

Post Finish

I collected myself and hobbled over to try and put down some food. After about 15 minutes of nibbling I had managed to eat a half slice of pizza and 1/3 of a chocolate milk. Most atypical for Ben’s stomach except after an Ironman. They had free (or $800 depending on your perspective) massages, so I figured I should get my moneys worth. I showered off with a hose and went to stand in line. As I was waiting and despite it being 85 degrees out, I started shivering and asked a volunteer for a blanket. She brought a mylar blanket and I was back to my Lake Placid-esque Hot Pocket. At the front of the line a concerned volunteer asked me, “As a medical doctor would you like me to take a look at you?” I responded, “No thanks. I just took a cold shower over there and I have no body fat. I’ll be fine.” She then directed me to the massage table. The next 10 minutes of lying down were the best I felt all day.

I located my family and we made a mad rush (I mean hobble) to get out of there and back to our condo. I managed to shower, saw I had the most amazing tan lines ever and then promptly felt like I was going to throw up. So for the next hour or so I sat on the bed with a cooking pot, nibbled on a plate of various breads and sipped on water. I finally managed to put down a bacon cheeseburger before crawling into bed like a beat up old man.

We stayed in Kona for a few more days, mostly just sitting on my butt.  We flew back to Detroit on Wednesday; a typical Michigan October day, cloudy and 50. I promptly put on my winter hat.

Reflections: 

Quality Post Race Burn/Tan Lines

Ironman races are not like your cross country or track race from college. The time frame for preparation is so long and exaggerated. So much more effort and emotion gets placed on a one day performance and more time is given to reflect and analyze that performance. It’s not like there is another race to look forward to next week; quickly another opportunity at continued improvement or redemption from falling short. This is one factor that I find makes this form of racing so rewarding, challenging and yet frustrating at the same time.

I suspect there are few under 30 that feel like a truly “seasoned” Ironman racer. Part of overcoming the adversities in racing is having seen and experienced those many factors before and adjusting training and racing strategies appropriately as to be able to execute them on race day. The extra environmental factors of Kona make this even more challenging. I applaud the athletes that excelled in those conditions and had amazing performances. I’m sure this factor has a small play into the fact that those who win Kona, pros or AGers, have usually been there multiple times.

Looking at myself, it is amazing the changes I’ve made since my first Ironman race in the physical side and equally so on the mental side, even when comparing Kona of 2010 to 2013. This includes race day factors like patience and pacing, focus and diligence on nutrition and cooling as well as simply having a better handle on the way I train. So even though I felt I had the above factors accounted for, there was that unexpected factor that came up out on the run. But that’s Ironman racing for you. That experience now gets filed away to be considered for future tweaks to training and racing. For now I’m going to spend a month to completely recover and de-tune and decide what path to venture down for next season. I think I need a break from the Ironman distance and time to have a different focus.  

Data: (Searchable Results)

Finish Time: 9:21:03 (148^th OA, 18^th AG)

Swim-1:04:24

T1-2:56

Bike: 4:54:22 (AP-206, NP-216, IF-.72)

T2-3:21

Run-3:16:00

Sightseeing on the Big Island

I started off the morning heading down for a short swim. The smell of testosterone and men's skin care products wafted in the sun drenched pier. I did a 20min swim and retreated back to the condo quickly. That was my only "workout" for the day. I really think most people put in too much work during the taper period. On the other hand I would prefer to be slightly over rested.

Weasel is a masterful snorkeler.

The rest of the day was an interesting adventure for the 3/5ths of the McMurray Family currently on the Island. We headed south for a scenic drive and also a snorkel. Our first stop was a Macadamia Nut farm, which was most intriguing for me considering my trail mix business. Apparently the trees produce all year round. They fall to the ground, then are picked up, cracked and dehydrated. It is much simpler than I thought. Interestingly enough a fresh nut tastes much different from what comes from the store. They are almost juicy and have a coconut like taste.

From there we continued to Honaunau Bay near a National Historical Park of the same name. The guide book talked about a cool hike that ended up at a lava tube, which you could then walk through and it ended with a 15' jump into the ocean. Of course that was right up my alley. However thanks to our Government folks, the park was closed. Despite this the snorkeling in the bay was fantastic. I brought the GoPro and whipped up a quick video. Direct Link

 

Next we headed to check out a Greenwell Kona Coffee Farm. Our tour was lead by a very informative man named Daniel. We learned how the coffee was grown, picked, processed, dried and roasted. We also saw Avacado, Banana and Orange trees and were shown where Carl the Chameleon hangs out. Finally we headed back to the car. Only then did I discover that I locked the keys inside our Dodge Caravan. There they are sitting right on the console, so close but so far away. Go Ben.

Carl the Chameleon

Our first plan of attack was to pry open the back window in an attempt to reach the unlock button near the rear door. Despite being able to reach my scrawny arms inside, I couldn't quite reach the button. Daniel came over, assessed the situation and then speed off in his golf cart to find another guy who, "was really good at getting into cars."


The back window was a no go, do we resorted to the old wedge in the front door frame and use a clothes hanger, bent with 13 minute angle changes to hook the handle and open the door. Turns out Mara (aka Weasel) had the finest dexterity to perform this task. After about an hour of looking like fools we were in, having saved lots of money from calling a "professional" as well as being entertained. However that savings was short lived when we realized we left some sunglasses on the top of the car as we were driving home. Despite our best efforts in retracing our steps they were no where to be found. Just another adventure in the life of the McMurrays. What's going to happen once Reebnut and Pop get here?

Bike Course Pictures and Video

Yesterday I rode the HWY 270 up to Hawi and back. This section has the most elevation change and is also where the crosswinds tend to be the strongest. It was a balmy 82 degrees and windy, but not gale force. It was almost pleasant. I took my GoPro to try and give everyone an idea of what the infamous descent from Hawi is like. It's not the most interesting of videos, but you may find some interest. Or at least have a 12 minute video for some intervals on the trainer. Link below or here.

Youtube Link

On the drive back I got a few pictures of the  ugly/beautiful lavascape on the side of the Queen K.

The expectation that Hawaii is green, lush and tropical is so different from the landscape on this part of the island. The drive along the Queen K is highlighted by three or four shades of lava rock interspersed with brown grasses. (A'a is the Hawaiian word for sharp lava rock) . It seems very otherworldly to me. Then again we don't have too many igneous rock formations in Michigan.

I also got a short swim in. Here is a picture with Mom near the pier.

#2008's Kona Goals

Now that I'm settled into our accommodations I thought it be a good time to promo my new race kit, provide race number and tracking info and also give a run down of my goals for this Saturday. So to start off I have to give props to Dave Anderson his buddy Tom of Tom Mills Design, who put together a B-Nuts jersey. Dave said if I was going to Kona then I better properly represent my business. I think they look pretty sharp. I also got the Great Lakes Proud logo from my buddy Austin. So I can represent for the Michiganders.

So my race number is 2008. By my count there are 98 men in the 25-29 age group. When race day comes around you can find all the athlete tracking information here. If you're interested in watching a streaming broadcast you can find that link here. The cannon goes off at 7am Hawaii Time, which is 6 hours behind EST.

My first shot at this race back in 2010 I finished in 9:52:45, 360th overall and 14th in my 19-24 Age Group. I swam 1:07, biked 5:08 and ran a 3:29. If you're interested in that race report it starts here.

This go around I have high expectations for myself. I would be ecstatic if I managed to podium in my age group (Top 5). Based on past times I would have to be right around 9 hrs flat, however times are highly dependent on weather conditions. Given my current fitness this is a tall task. However throwing down a 9:25 at Lake Placid, highlighted with a 3:01 marathon was a huge confidence booster. Now LP and Kona are two very different courses, but I think knowing what to expect for this course is invaluable.

I know I am capable of swimming in the 62 minute range, biking a 5:00 or just under. My biggest concern from my past experience here is toughing out the heat for the marathon. If I effectively manage the heat I am in a great position to have a solid marathon. I made a few changes to my training while back in Michigan to try to stimulate the heat of Hawaii. I'm also approaching my prep here on the island slightly different. Hopefully all those little things pay off come Saturday.

Airplanes and Rental Cars

Besides all the hard work, qualifying, etc, there's the logistics the traveling to physically get to Kona that are a challenge. I think most will agree that airline travel is always an enjoyable experience! So here's list of amusing challenges/occurrences/observations between leaving Petoskey and falling asleep at the condo in Hawaii.

1) Trying to pack. Extra whatever for any possible situation (tires, tubes, chains, clothes, B-Nuts etc.)

2) Being paranoid that TSA will not like those extra things I packed.

3) It was 30 degrees warmer in Detroit than Petoskey. I was sweating in my winter hat.

4) Sister #1 (Reeb-Nut) takes unflattering pictures while I was sleeping on her floor.

5) I realize that while I packed all those extra "things" I didn't bring extra contacts. Which are important to, you know, see.

6) Flight #1 DTW-PHX 3.5 hrs. A man just behind me started snoring before leaving the gate. Pretty much didn't stop until we landed. Combined feelings of irritation and being impressed.

7) Sister #2 (Weasel) takes another unflattering picture of me sleeping in airport.

8) Flight to Kona is delayed because of maintenance. (I think airplanes are on time less often than I am).

9) It is easier to heard a troop of monkeys through an elementary school full of children, than to load people on an airplane. Second in difficulty only to Politicians agreeing on a budget.

10) It is not "illegal" to put your luggage in the first class overhead bin, if there is no room in your regular seat overhead bin. Weasel asked first. Many laughed with her. 

11) Flight #2 PHX-KOA 6hrs. A couple just in front of us has a baby. This baby likes to cry and doesn't breastfeed. Thus it continues to cry. Amen for headphones.

11) Computer check ins for rental cars are not faster than waiting in line for a real person. However mini vans are super fly.

12) We made it! Priority #1 make sure my bike is in one piece. Priority #2 Food!!

"Unpacked"

13) We found $8 for 64oz orange juice at the grocery store. Passed on that, but spent some time deciphering the billions of coffee options.

14) 6:00 Hawaii time is really midnight in Michigan. And my bed time was two hours ago.

15) My bike is in one piece. Amen.

"In one piece."

Boyne City Triathlon

This first year event happened over a month ago, but now that I finally have some time to kill I thought I'd do some catching up. The Boyne City Triathlon was a superb event and I was super impressed with how well it went off for being the first year doing it. Besides being a great course, and only a 15 minute drive from my house I knew the significant prize purse would draw some super fast guys. Turns out I was right (Full Results Here). Between the Olympic and the sprint there were at least 6 guys with their Elite Licenses.

Having come off Lake Placid a month earlier I had about two weeks of "getting back in the groove" training but felt confident I could put down a decent showing for this race. Pre-race was unremarkable and as the gun went off I quickly figured out that these guys must be ex-swimmers. Way faster than me that is. About a quarter of the way through the swim I made a tactical error and let one guy gap me, missing the draft and thus swimming most of the swim solo. I came out of the water in fifth (23xx) and played catch up from then on.

If I had any shot at being in the podium I had to get into contact on the bike. I held 280w for a while and tried to get some splits to guys up the road. Two guys were way ahead and another about a minute, but I couldn't seem to close them down, despite the very familiar rolling course suiting my strengths. Making little progress on closing the gap I faded a bit toward the end of the bike. (1:01; 279 NP).


I started the run and settled into my default olympic run pace. It seems I've turned myself into a diesel and have one running speed. I got a split that I was about two minutes down to third place. The run course was a two loop, with a significant climb from mile 1.5-2.25 and downhill to 3.1. On the second loop I got word I was closing on third and that he was "really struggling". I dug a little deeper on the uphill section and finally made visual contact with third. He wasn't having fun and looked over his shoulder several times. I was closing the gap until the course started downhill. After that there was no more closing to be done and that was that. (36:48)

I finished fourth in a 2:02xx. In my experience, fourth is the most disappointing place to be in. I was satisfied that I left it out on the course, but less than pleased with the result. But that is racing, and considering all the circumstances I didn't dwell on it. Looking at the results and seeing that my bike and run splits were comparable to the top guys was reassuring I'm doing a lot of things right and it comes down to what distance one prefers to race. I know if I choose to focus on some shorter races next year, I will need to improve my swimming.

The cool thing about this race is it was organized by my friend Rob as a benefit for his new non-profit, raising money for Neurological Research. It's just getting going but you can check out his FB page or this short news article. At the end of the day when there's a well organized race, with competition that pushes you AND it benefits a good cause, it will be on my "must do" list for next year.

Photo Credits: Freshwater Photography. Check out her FB Page!