Ironman Florida 2002
By Doug Rice
Well it all started July 28th, after completing Ironman USA and thinking it would be nice to do a flat course. So I somehow called everyone I knew and made persistent calls and somehow got into a second Ironman event for the year.
The race was a few months away and I realized that I did not feel that bad after USA so I did not really take a break. Two days after the event I was biking and the following week, right into training again. Well that caught up to me about 2 weeks before the Nov 9th Florida race. My heart rate was very high at rest and also while training. I finally figured out that I was getting sick and had to do completely nothing for almost 2 weeks prior to the event, I had a fever. Not the best tapering plan, but at least I would be rested. On Tuesday before the Saturday event I actually started to feel like I could run a few miles.
Finally, Thursday came and we were off in the car to the airport, 4:15 am. John B picked me up, then to Cliff’s house to get him. We were on our way. Cliff and I had decided to take along a growler ( ½ gallon bottle) of UBU, the famous Lake Placid Brewery beer that we have talked about for a long time. It would be a great way to celebrate our finish in the event and the season. We both took one bottle in our carry on bag. We got to the airport around 5:45 and proceeded to the security checkpoint. While standing on line, we looked down and saw several puddles of what looked like coke. We all commented on how some people are just slobs and didn’t clean up after their kids. Then I looked as the puddle began to grow and follow my bag, which was close to the floor. I said, " Uh Oh, I think it may be me?" Then I opened my bad and the bottle of UBU was fizzing all over the place. The cap must have loosened up with the constant shaking. My bag was soaked with UBU and dripping all over the security area and we were next on line. I placed my bag in the tray, we were cracking up. After going through the x-ray machine, it came out with a huge puddle in the tray. I grabbed my bag, and made a beeline for the bathroom. I then took everything out of my bag and had to wash the dark brown colored beer out of everything, bike shoes, running shoes, and all my race clothing. One guy explained later that he thought I was a homeless person, doing my laundry.
Everyone we told the story to said they had smelled the alcohol in the security area and wondered what it was. The place reeked and my bag was soaked in a real strong dark beer. The UBU BOO BOO.
After a layover in Atlanta, we arrived in Panama City only to find that my bag had not made it. I had to fill out a form, there was at least 15 people on line doing that already. Finally, we went outside to find a taxi, no taxi, no one out there except one security guard who made a code 6 out of a small piece of concrete that had broken in the parking area.
Finally to the hotel and race registration and finding a good place to eat in Panama City Beach is next to impossible. We went to a place, which had Pasta, Pasta, Pasta on the sign out front, but not one past dish on the menu, not even the special menu of the day.
Anyway, on to race day. The water was flat as a pancake on Friday, but Saturday looked a tiny bit rougher, not bad, until you got out there. I started as I did 2 years ago all the way to the outside, to avoid the masses of people. You had to run into the water and across a sand bar before getting to some water that was deep enough to swim.
Then the swells began. There were swells in the water making navigation difficult. No idea it was as rough as it was. Wasn’t that bad but after the first loop looking at my split (29:00) I knew it would be slow for everyone. I also looked at my heart rate, 174, whoops a little hard. While heading back into the water to my second loop, I heard them say, here comes Paula Newby-Fraser. She was right next to me. I said something to her and proceeded to walk in the water through the sand bar again. It was too hard to run. I decided to take it easy for a bit and let my heart rate settle down. I had a good second loop, finishing in 1:01. On to transition and within 5minutes out on the bike. The bike was nice roads, flat as can be, only a few up grades and one bridge. Some real long straight stretches made it a bit boring but easier that Lake Placid. I set my watch to go off every 30 minutes for food reminder as I had in training and that helped me maintain my strength and nutrition. At 50 miles was the special needs pickup area. I stopped, got my stuff then started back on my bike, then saw Rob, I yelled to him "Way to go". Then back on the bike for another 62 miles. At about 60, Rob rode up next to me, his back was bothering him, possibly from the constant aero position, but then he rode off in the distance. At around 70 miles, there was a turn around, and I looked for Cliff and John, about 12 and 14 minutes back when I saw them and yelled something at them. Shortly after, the rain started. For the last 25 miles, it was pouring rain, some drafting or at least close riding was going on during the later stages of the race. Not huge packs but some single file stuff. It was hard in the rain. Finally the last turn towards home, 4-5 miles to go. I was going to be around 5:30 bike, right at my goal. My heart rate was exactly at target, 148, which made me real happy since 2 weeks before I couldn’t ride 18 mph at 160.
Into the transition tent, a Hansens to revive me, new clothes and off at 6:46. I had time to spare.
The out and back run course, like Lake Placid was nice because you can see your friends several times. The sun started to break out, but since it was closing in on sunset (4:50) it didn’t get too hot. My second mile was around 9 minutes. I was determined to not stop at the water stops for as long as I could as to not waste time like I did in LP. I did that through about 11 miles, then it was Coke time. Time to start relying on coke to bring you through. At the 1st run turn around I saw Rob first, about 1.5 miles ahead of me, then Cliff, about 4 minutes back and John, only about a minute behind Cliff, then Brian , then Moira. That is fun to see your friends out there and give and receive inspiration. Closing in on the halfway point I thought, no way am I going make it another 13 miles.
But at the run special needs bag I had another Hansens, and a few electrolyte tabs. Two miles later I felt good and decided to pick it up. I was actually running, not the usual shuffle but a full off your feet run! What had gotten into me. My heart rate was still 155 and I felt I could keep that up until the turn around, 6.5 to go. I thought that I could put some time in the bank with my pursuers behind me, maybe even gain on Rob. I thought, no way are those guys running as hard as I am. I never ran this hard in an Ironman and I was passing people like crazy. Anyway at the turnaround, looking down at my watch to see how far I was, I couldn’t believe it. Cliff was like 100 yards back, and then there was John, 100 yards behind him. I had been running my ass off to get away from them, Cliff was running his ass off to get away from John and John was trying to catch Cliff and we all couldn’t believe the others were running that fast.
Anyway, without those guys pushing me, my run would have been much slower.
Cliff and I ran together for about a mile, then I couldn’t stay with him. A mile or so later John caught me at a water stop, which now were real stops, walking through them and trying to run from one to the next. I got chatty, pissed John off and he told me to get out of there and run ahead, so I did. We all finished within minutes of each other, pr’s for all three of us,
the UBU BOO BOO trio. 11:17, 11:25 AND 11:26.
Great job guys and thanks for the push.
For me, straight to the pizza table, five pieces later and a good massage and I was ready for the UBU. John and Cliff were investigating the medical tent, seeing what it would be like to recover quicker with IV, and I think it worked. Someone said it’s a good way to recover and feel better. Just go into the medical tent and fall down, they’ll give it to you, for me, pizza is the best. A few hours later back to the finish to cheer on the last finishers for one of the best times and parties you’ll ever have. They throw out watches, t-shirts, bags, swim masks, you name it. And talk about a revved up crowd. After the last finisher came in, back to the hotel and yes, again, more pizza.
A great time, great race, great friends but happy to come home to my family.