Journey to Kona Day 240: IM #6 Ironman Boulder, Altitude and Heat and Rest

With nine days to Kona, I continue to look back on all the Ironman's that I've done to bring me to this point. Today I reflect on the second race of 2014.  I'd finished Ironman New Zealand in March, and next up was the first Ironman ever held in Boulder, Colorado, a triathlon mecca.  I had lived in Colorado for 18 years, but they didn't have an Ironman during that time.  I wasn't going to let this opportunity pass me by.  Plus, after they cancelled St. George, I wanted to start a new "streak" with an inaugural Ironman.

I came off my race in New Zealand feeling pretty good, and really focused on my training in the subsequent couple of months.  As I read my blog, I'd forgotten that I had truly immersed myself in Ironman training in 2014, though as I look back, I never dove in as deeply as I have for my trip to Kona.  Nevertheless, my focus and my efforts in 2014 definitely paid off, with improving results with each successive race.

The main story from the 2014 Ironman Boulder was the heat.  It was hot on the bike and hotter on the run. I'll always remember the carnage that was the run.  With over 2000 people in the race, less than 100 completed the marathon in under 4 hours! I ran the marathon in 4:55.  I started the run in 818th place overall, and finished the race in 580th. I moved up a few places on the run in my age group, which was a first for me, and finished 15th in the 55-59 year old age group.  This was an improvement from New Zealand, and my best placement in an Ironman. I nailed each transition and was really getting into the swing of doing an Ironman.  My full race report is here: http://wassdoc.blogspot.com/2014/08/ironman-boulder-race-report.html

As I look ahead to Kona, a few things stand out from my race in Boulder.  First, I tolerated the heat better than most, albeit Boulder heat is a dry heat, not the humidity of Kona.  Second, I did a ton of visualization going into the race, which will be one of my goals over the next week.  I'm familiar enough with the course in Kona, but I will fill in the blanks over my first few days there.

I've also noticed that I typically develop back tightness during most of my Ironman races.  I realize that my back has been doing better since I got my new triathlon bike this spring.  While my previous bike was fast, I'm now not sure if my position on the bike was doing me any favors on the run.  I've been training with my new bike for over five months, so I'll really have an opportunity to see if this holds up.

Finally, rest.  That is the most important thing to learn in this journey.  The week before Ironman Boulder I was diligent about staying off my feet. My coach has already warned me about not getting too caught up in the Kona excitement.  I'll take this to heart and be judicious in how I spend my time on my feet.  Rest and recovery is still the key to having my best rest at this point in time.  There's no more training to be done that will make a difference!