Linda Patch
13:51:22
Age Group 17th
Swim 14th
Bike 17th
Run 17th
Let me start by saying I never, ever in a hundred million years ever thought I could break 14 hours in an Ironman. No doubt my training with Endurance Nation (EN) is the numero uno reason why. I did the training by the book, and put my complete faith in it. You know what? If you train the EN way, and execute the EN way, not only do you take the EN Koolaid to the start line, you take flippin’ spiked Koolaid! This race is a personal best of 1 hour 35 minutes!
TAPER
It’s been a long year, and I was glad I listened to my body and took closer to a three week taper. I moved my race rehearsals a week earlier than my training plan indicated, and then slowly started taking it down three weeks before the race. Honestly, it took until Tuesday of race week for me to feel rested. On that day, I woke up and thought, "ahhh, there it is." I was good to go.
I had the worst case of taper crazies I ever remember. I think the physical fatigue started messing with my head. I had some serious work to do to get my mental state where it needed to be, as I was unraveling for several weeks. I twisted my ankle the Sunday before the race, and that was almost the last straw. I spent a good part of race week in Panama City Beach (PCB) working on my head space. I used some very simple, but powerful strategies to realign my energy and get inside what I call my “Ironmind.” I actually brought some of what I worked out to the start with me to read before the gun went off. I’m as proud of this accomplishment as anything physical I did in the race, and the mental work I did buoyed me all day. I called on it time and time again.
SWIM
Whereas the swim in ’06 was almost genteel with feet to draft the entire way, this swim was war. I have never been in a triathlon swim like it. I had to swallow a little panic in the first 30” or so. But after a few good strokes, I settled down completely. It also took a self-reminder of those sets of 10 x 150 I swam all summer! No way was I going to cop out now!
It was just a mob scene with every stroke until the final turn to shore. I lost the pack there, and sped up a little to catch it again to ride some feet. I was determined not to let that happen on the second loop, and I didn’t. I decided I would rather be in the mix and try to draft, that be out there in clear water. I love the swim!
Hit the mat in 1:24:02
T1
Coach Rich and Coach Patrick were at the race to support all us EN athletes. I was living in mortal fear of Rich in my transitions! He would never let me hear the end of it if I hung out like I did last time. I had that volunteer hoppin’!
The day before the race, I had my DH driving all over PCB looking for the Goodwill so I could get a cheap jacket to dump at an aid station. Found one for $4.90. Perfect. I threw it on in T1, and the zipper promptly broke off. Crap. I handed it to a spectator who wanted my number so I could get it back. Coach P said he was wondering why I’m talking to spectators when I should be racing! Coach Rich is screaming all drill-sargent like—“GET ON YOUR BIIIIKE!!!” I’m so rattled I almost fall over. Coach Patrick is laughing, and so am I. Ai yi yi, I had to get out of there. Most interesting transition I’ve ever had.
T1 8:03
BIKE
Long, somewhat dull and mostly uneventful. ! definitely rode my should bike split, as opposed to my could bike split. The "should" bike split sets up a good run. We have a saying in EN, "there is no such thing as a good bike followed by a bad run." You ride smart so you can run well. I just watched the watts, and did what I was supposed to do. I was definitely holding back and being conservative. I called on each member of my family to get me through each half hour. Keith, Ryan, Grant, Taylor, and Casey—over and over. OK, Grant, get me to 6 hours! Taylor brought me to the finish.
The wind was a factor in the first 50 miles, but nothing like in ’06. So I just kept my head down, and rode my watts. By mile 70, I thought a DVD player between my aerobars would have been a wonderful idea. I was bored. Then Mr. Hertz came into my life. Hertz and I must have passed each other 30 times in those last 40 miles. He kept me from going completely bonkers. (Saw him at the expo the next day and got a huge hug. He was nice.)
Keith, my rock, would pull up every 10 miles or so from about mile 60 on. He’d take a picture, turn up the radio to tease me, say hi, wave, and just move on. It was a nice distraction.
Nutritionally, I had that dialed right in:
- About 275+ calories/hour, mostly Infinit.
- Aerobottle filled with water, and a 4-hour Speedfill bottle.
- Two, small Infinit “slurry” bottles in the singlet pockets. At mile 50 I stopped, dumped the slurry into the Speedfill, added water and I was off—under a minute for sure.
- EFS bar early in the ride, but the stomach said nyet. Switched to Shot Blocks, and ate some mostly for something to do.
- One to two S-caps/hour (salt complex). At the first twinge of a cramp, or nausea, or just feeling “off,” I popped an S-cap. Those things settle things down amazingly for me. I’d be set up just right after taking one.
- Two Advil at mile 80, and one caffeine.
Perfect. With a few miles to go into the wind, I was so looking forward to the run. My legs felt fantastic, my stomach was good, and my mental energy was ready to roll! Let’s go running!
6:30:22
Rolling time 17.6 mph
Clock time 17.2 with a few pit stops
T2
Again, the ghost of Rich hovered over my every move. I was all business with the cute volunteer. Got in, got out.
5:48
RUN
By the end of the training, I was very confident in my running. I am so speed demon, but I was cranking out the miles really well all summer. My quads don’t much like marathons, but I had no reason to worry. There was no indication of pain on any long run. I was very much looking forward to the challenge of this marathon.
I started out very easy. The aid stations just kept coming quickly. At each station, I’d walk a little at the end, then pick it right up again. By mile 6 I was feeling like I could start to pick up the pace. OMG, it was going so well!
By mile 8, I felt that first glimmer of pain in my quads. Oh crap. By the turn around, it was stabbing pain. I felt like the brain-leg connection was already getting fried. The rest of me, however, was in a super place. I felt like an aerobic King Kong. The pace was easy, my breathing was perfect, I felt like I could go all day—but the legs were screaming. This led to the…
Compression short debacle!
I had compression shorts in my run "special needs" bag. Now where the hell to change???? I slipped into someone’s back yard. There I am, in someone’s yard, trying to wriggle my sweaty butt into these tight shorts before anyone looks out a window or comes outside! OMG, hurry up! I finally get them on, and hide my running shorts under their gas grill (which I handily retrieve the next day!).
Ahhhh, much better. I believe the shorts would have made a big, big difference if I would have worn them from the beginning. My quads, however, were already too far gone, but I believe they helped things from falling apart completely.
Nutrition was simple. Infinit in Fuel Belt until mile 5, where I dumped it. (Keith got it back.) Coke the rest of the way, with a water chaser. That was it.
By mile 18, my eyes are rolling in pain, but I keep on running absolutely as much as I can. The rest of me feels as strong as an ox. It was all there. All the training, all the taper, all the correct pacing on the bike. There is no doubt that I was ready to pull off a good marathon—if not for all this pain. Man, I was feeling good in every way but that.
Then I meet cute Luis from Mexico City. (He’s 28.) We start running together, walking a little if we have to. “Leenda,” he says, “if we keep up this pace, we can beat 14 hours.” He can do the math? I love this guy. Like Rich and Patrick describe, my Ironman racing "box "got really, really small. OK, Luis, let’s run to that lamp post. Can you keep going? We were like Rain Man out there. We did this kind of thing over, and over, and over. But we never, never let up. By mile 21, I’m telling you I would have paid $1,000 dollars for an iPod!
Hearing Mike Reilly and the crowd is like getting to the Emerald City. I was smiling from ear to ear—so happy! When I pulled up to the finish and saw 13:51, I was stunned. I could not believe it. Really, I couldn’t believe it. I thought sure I would do about an hour longer, and, truthfully, I would have been thrilled with that. EN friend Kathy G caught me, and it was nice to have an EN person right there. I saw Rich and Patrick right away, and Keith a few minutes after. It was done, and I was elated.
A few thoughts on the run…looking back I can see lots of places where I created too much friction, which ate up lots of time (shorts changing aside). I could have lopped off a bunch more time if I would have got out of my own way. Next time (planning on another Ironman in 2010), streamlining tasks during the run is the lesson from this race I’ll put into play.
THE END
So that’s the Linda Patch story of IMFL ’08. For me, race day is a journey of intention. The intention to honor my family’s support, my training, my coaches, my EN compatriots and friends, and most importantly, myself. My intention through Ironman is to wrestle the demons to discover deeper and more profound dimensions of myself that will make me a better wife, mother, friend, citizen. Through Ironman I touch a spirit and power in myself that moves me to my core. I know those of you who have done Ironman know what I mean.
Here is the race in pictures!
Gina, her friend Larry, and me just back from an easy ride.
My $4.90 Goodwill jacket I ran all around PCB to find! Not bad, heh? I had planned to wear it for the first 20 miles or so because it was chilly. The zipper promptly broke before I even got on my bike.
The EN coaches go to every North American Ironman race, and plan a team dinner. It was very fun to meet training buddies for the first time. Felt like meeting old friends.
Coach Patrich and Coach Rich do a pre-race talk at the Gatorade swim for their athletes and anyone else who wants to sit in the day before the race. It was terrific, and just what I needed to hear.
Here's some of the group at the talk. Gina, KathyG, Me, Jennie, Dave, Leigh, and our mascot Gus!
I put "Stay in Your Power" on my bike to remind me to not only ride my watts sensibly, but to stay connected to what I knew I had in me, and what I had to do. Don't get rattled, don't get thrown off my game.
"Flow" was to remind me to find the rhythm, get into the zone, and stay relaxed and easy. Just let it unfold.
DFU is the last thing Rich said to me as I left the restaurant the night before the race--Don't F%#@ It Up! Gotta love it!
I wanted to take my EN chickas with me through the race to draw on their strength and support. Gina, Colleen, Paula, Marianne, Nemo, Kris, Verna, Helen, Heidi, Michelle, Laura and Leigh. Thank you ladies for all your support, advice, encouragement, and friendship!
Me and Gina before the swim start.
Mass swim start. 2,200 athletes in the water at once! It was craaazy!
I kept it aero. Nice and low.
This is IMFL on the bike. Endless miles of the same scenery.
Me on the run. Feeling really good!
Finishing up a great day!
At the finish talking to my son!
Meeting Gina as she finishes!
We are both so happy!
I just finished an Ironman,and all I get is this lousy PBR!!! Sat in the bar with Coach Rich and Coach Patrick and Keith after the race. Perfect.
Is there anything like the day after an Ironman? No pressure,no workouts,a huge sense of accomplishment--it doesn't get any better than that.
Cooling off the legs in the Gulf before we say goodbye. Til next time!
