Joe Hafner's IMCDA 2009 Report

It would be disingenuous to wax poetic about the resilience, stamina, and dedication required to complete the Ironman distance, without first giving a big shout-out THANK YOU to all of the people who had the resilience, stamina, and dedication to support me. Your prayers, encouragements, and well-wishes made my day worth every sacrifice. The IronPrayer verses and the individual prayer requests got me through the miles. And for those who call me "coach" (you know who you are) - I love you guys and hope to emulate you in more areas than you emulate me.

If you've ever read a race report, you know it usually starts with the swim and runs chronologically through the entire 140.6 mile journey, sometimes in true HighDef detail. This report will break that pattern, instead focusing on the highlights, lessons learned (aka "areas of greatest potential" as Coach Swedberg likes to say) and a few of the noteworthy people on (and off) the course.

Highlights:

Arrived at the starting line healthy - what can I say? So many people get to the event with an injury. My only physical complaint was a dodgy IT band the day before the race, but some intense massage did the trick and worked out the kinks.
No blisters, falls, crashes - My feet looked pretty much the same after the race as they did before, as did my clavicles, elbows, shoulders, hips, etc. It helped that the rain held off during the bike segment, keeping the roads much safer.
No intestinal issues on the bike - Last year my GI felt like a bomb went off as I rode from aid station to aid station with a persistent lower gut ache. Might have been something about "Don't try anything new during the race". I heeded that advice this year, despite all the "good ideas" and "breakthrough products" bandied about in the Ironman village on Friday and Saturday. Note to others "don't try something new on race day - even if Michael Lovato says it helped him win last year".
Well hydrated throughout - I did the unthinkable and listened to my body! I drank when I felt thirsty, and used a fairly diluted solution of Nuun in water. The electrolyte content in Nuun probably wasn't that significant, but it helped make the water more yummy. I also learned a really cool trick to stay in the aero position, get the tablets out of the Nuun container and into the water bottle with one hand, without spilling them all over the place. Ask me some time and I'll show you.
No bike mechanical defects - Despite all of my nicer-bike envy going into the event, I have to admit that my bike has been super-reliable, even though my maintenance skills leave a bit to be desired. I also lucked out and found a local shop with a set of race wheels to rent for significantly less than the Seattle area shops. Those wheels made a difference, especially considering the windy conditions.
Pre-race nutrition was spot on - I'm not a particularly picky eater. However, after eating the exact same portion of steel cut oats with coconut oil, raisins, walnuts and honey with a banana chaser every single day for the last 4 months, I was ready for a change. But I waited until the day after the event. MMMmmm, PopTarts!
Pre-race routine (including porta-potty timing) was good - I have a thing about my race day morning routine. My goal is to get the bike tires pumped up, hit the john, get the wetsuit on and down to the swim start without ever feeling rushed. Check.

Lessons Learned:

Weather matters - the weather forecast changed hourly in the days leading up to the race. I didn't know if I should pack for 74deg high temps, or a hurricane. For the conditions, I was comfortably dressed on the bike (with my newly acquired arm warmers: dollar store women's trouser socks in stylish grey...), over-dressed at the beginning of the run and a little under-dressed at the end of the run. Those temp swings can wreak havok on the heart rate.
Gear matters - okay, to all those who've found unique and interesting ways to tease me about my extended transition times (no, I didn't pack a sleeping bag, thank you very much) here's the thing: on my long rides leading up to the race I was getting progressively less comfortable riding in my tri shorts. The shammy on the RTB bike shorts is pretty thick, so it's cushy, but not great for swimming or running in. So I changed from jammers during the swim, to the RTB bike shorts for the bike, then into my Oomph! tri shorts for the run. All that taking off and putting on added time. Unfortunately, either the bike shorts or my bike saddle still weren't perfect. Beginning at mile 40 and every 20 miles thereafter I had to stop and call out for Vaseline and a latex glove. I will leave the details to your imagination... All that to say that I'm in the market for a better saddle and open to suggestions for better tri shorts.
Pacing matters - "negative split, negative split, negative split" Since every leg of IMCDA is a two-loop affair, my mantra and goal in life was a negative split. As it turned out, I was 7 minutes slower on the second loop of the swim, 20 minutes slower on the second loop of the bike, and uhh, I have no idea what I did on the run because I left the Garmin on the bike. I'm not sure how much more conservative I could have been, but with all those smart and fast athletes claiming a negative split as the holy grail of endurance events, I'm sure they must know something I don't.
Love matters - not the way you'd think, though. My time was 13:02. I spent about 3 minutes chatting with my wife at the aid station she was volunteering at. Hmmm, sub 13 sacrificed for love? On the other hand, I had the special privilege of seeing and hearing lots of friends cheering for me, which definitely provides a psychological boost.

With better preparation and no change in fitness (in other words, faster transitions and no Vaseline stops) I could easily have taken another 15 minutes off my time. That means I really only need to find another 47 minutes of fitness improvement before next years race to go sub 12.

People of note:

Polka dot arm-warmer guy - This guy had the most, uh, noticeable arm warmers. He was fun to have nearby on the run course because he got lots of attention from the spectators.
Weird toe-shoes guy - This guy had shoes shaped like his feet, with little toes and everything. I don't really think you could even call them shoes. They were pretty much like non-slip gloves for your feet. I passed that guy, thank goodness. Not sure I could have looked at myself in the mirror if I hadn't...
Bob - Bob passed me on the bike with a very polite "I think I'll get ahead of you for a little bit". Bob was probably in his 50's, wearing running shorts and a cotton t-shirt and riding a bike that had the aerodynamic qualities of a mountain bike. In fact it may have been a mountain bike. I never saw Bob again...
Heckler party guy - There was a section on the run where the spectators were flaunting their inebriated state with a full blown karaoke system run by a guy with a pretty good sense of humor. I was passing by on one of the loops as he announced to another athlete, "Hey man, bad news is that you are getting your [butt] kicked by a girl. Good news is that you've got the best seat in the house." Classy.
Ironbarbie - RTBs very own PK has earned the Ironbarbie moniker. Always smiling, hair in place, looking just as moist and dewey as if she'd just stepped out of the pages of a triathlon magazine.
Smooth Bill - every time I saw Bill Swedberg he looked calm, cool and collected. Running with his smooth-as-butta stride and tossing milk chocolaty encouragement to me as we pass each other. What a guy!
Super Jerry - picture Jerry coming up over a rise with his space blanket flapping behind him like a cape...
The Intimidator - Craig and I went for an easy ride on Friday before the race. He was next to me, so I didn't spend too much time looking at him. But on the race course, seeing Craig on the bike he looked focused and in-charge. His poker-face visage belied the hurt he was putting on the riders around him. As we passed each other on one of the out and back sections of the bike, I heard another cyclist ask if that was the bodily incarnation of Dale Earnhardt Sr...
The All-American - I remember seeing Brad Williams come through the transition tent last year when I was a volunteer at IMCDA. He came through T1 so early and so fast that he utterly intimidated me. I actually stayed on Brad's feet during the first part of the swim this year. Well, if the first 100yds count... Brad really knows this race and I learned a lot from him.
The Battle-Hammer - Kelvin and I met last year when we went out to volunteer. If you aren't friends with Kelvin, its because you haven't met him. What an awesome guy.
The three amigos - My friends Brian, Jon and Casey came out to support and sign up for next year (well 2 out of 3, right Brian?). They made the race so much fun for me because they kept popping up in unexpected places. It was like a Where's Waldo of three yelling dudes, totally cheering me on. Even after they thought I got lost in the transition tent, they didn't give up on me.
Camo-skirt gal - This race report would not be complete without an honorable(?) mention of Camo-skirt and top gal. I happened to catch sight of Camo-skirt and top gal at about mile 18 of the run - she was about 200 yards ahead of me. I was "motivated" to follow her for the next 3-odd miles at a pace that would have been entirely unsustainable. Her, um, tempo was mesmerizing, and I appreciated her great, er, running form.

I dropped an hour and 17 minutes from my Canada time last August. My preparation for Canada was questionable at best. Leading up to Cd'A, my training was consistent, if not necessarily of tremendous volume. In fact, seldom did I exceed 12 hours in training, including a long 3-5 hour bike ride on Saturdays. I focused on quality workouts and adequate recovery, and feel that this is a workout routine that I can live with and still keep balance in my family and personal life.

The most overwhelming feeling I had as I ran through the chute at Cd'A was one of validation.

Thanks to everyone who helped me get here. And a special thank you to Patty Swedberg. Validation as an athlete, as a triathlete, as an Ironman. Validation for the hard work, and sometimes difficult decisions that had to be made. Validation as a father who models a balanced, healthy lifestyle for my kids. Validation as a person who can set a goal and achieve it. The only other person in the world who can really understand the depth of this victory is my awesome, loving and supportive wife.