Here's a photo of Michael Jr. finishing 2nd place in his class in the 0.5 mile Adam's race, just minutes after being the youngest finisher in the 2.5 mile Prinsburg Freedom Run. I was pretty proud! He did great! (although he was disappointed he didn't win, even though none of the other kids ran the 2.5 mile run right before it!)
2008 Season Recap
Well, it's been far too long since I've updated you all on my race season. It has been an interesting year. Not my best season for racing, but not my worst either. And there is more to come (Dallas White Rock Marathon in December).
Due to a job change in July and a lot of work with Join the Race, I didn't do as many races this year as I have in years past. My race year consisted of just 3 running race and 3 triathlons. Typically, I'll do double that. The highlight of the year was the Boston Marathon, where I finished sub-3 and had the privilege of running a mile with Lance Armstrong (he was on the side of the road stretching at Mile 11, and as I ran by I told him he was one of my heroes; as I was thinking how cool it was to have ran by Lance, I looked over and he was running with me! We ran from 11 - 12 together at a 6:28 pace. Rather than trying to be a hero and finish with "the Man", I decided to run my race and watch the yellow jersey pull away). God really blessed this race, as I had no intentions of breaking 3 at the start of the race, and really hadn't trained to do that well. So, it was encouraging to feel God's presence and blessing throughout the race, and I again give him all the glory for that day.
Here are my race results:
I also had the privilege of meeting Dick and Rick Hoyt following the race. They were running their 26th Boston Marathon. It was pretty cool to see them. Here is a picture of us:
Coming in a close second to Boston was the Prinsburg 4th of July Run. Now, I know that seems a far cry from Boston, but it is always one of my most special races, and this year was even more special as my whole family ran in the race! This is a 2.4 mile jaunt around Prinsburg. The first time I ran it was in 2004. I was training for my first Ironman at the time - Ironman Wisconsin. The Prinsburg race was called a "fun run" in those days, and attracted maybe 50 - 80 runners. I was feeling pretty good and decided to go for a win. At the start of the race, three of us took off - myself and two high school boys. Soon one of them dropped back and it was just two of us - me and Adam Mikelson, an athletic young man with a smooth effortless stride. We were running a pretty fast clip, so I dropped back about 50 feet from Adam, thinking that there was no way this 15-year old kid would keep that pace. I figured I'd let him get some breathing room, and then slowly reel him in with a mile to go as he would certainly fade. As we got 1.4 miles into the race, with just one more mile to go, I decided it was time to make my move. However, much to my chagrin, the gap never seemed to lessen between me and Adam. In fact, it seemed to increase. The harder I ran, the farther the gap. Adam went on to win the race, and I came in second. I never forgot it. Lesson learned: if you're going to go for a win, never give 50 feet to a runner who is equally determined to win!
After the race, I decided to find out who this young speedster was, as I didn't really know him. Well, Adam and I became pretty good friends after that, and I was helping him train for some triathlons in the spring of 2006 when his life tragically ended in a car accident on March 23, just a couple months from his high school graduation. This incident changed my life forever, and I still have vivid memories of that young athlete striding to the finish of the Prinsburg fun run in first place. After his death in 2006, we restructured the race to include a kid's race called Adam's Run. Adam was very involved with the elementary kids at Central Minnesota Christian School, and we felt it was appropriate and fitting to have a kid's race. So, Prinsburg State Bank has sponsored this race, providing shirts and goodies for all kids ages pre-K to 6th grade, to compete within their age groups on a half-mile run course. All finishers get a shirt, and the top two in each age group get medals. The 2.4 mile "fun run" has also changed to the Freedom Run, and now attracts over 200 racers.
This year was very special to me, as my son, Michael, age 9, decided to run the 2.4 mile Freedom Run, as well as Adam's Race! Rather than trying to defend my title from last year, I decided to run it with the family. My wife Heather ran, as well as Michael Jr., and I pushed my daughter Maddie in the Burley stroller. Now, Michael hadn't been training much. In fact, the farthest he had ever ran was 2 miles, and that was the year before. Heather had been training for the race, and was up to running 3 miles, at around a 10 minute/mile pace. I was convinced that Michael would start off fast, and fade by a mile, needing to either walk or go in the stroller for the remainder of the run. I tried to pace him. We finished the first mile in about 9:15. I thought that was too fast and encouraged him to slow down. But he said he was feeling good, so we kept running. With boundless energy, Michael ran up on the curb, then down on the street, then jumped up to hit some leaves in a low-hanging tree, then run up on the curb again, with his Air Jordan basketball shoes just loosely tied. I kept waiting for him to crash. We completed our second mile in 9:30. To my amazement, we finished the race together in under 23 minutes, averaging around 9:30/mile! Heather seemed more tired than Michael at the end! Then, to cap it off, Michael decided to run Adam's Race and finished that half mile race 2nd in his age group. Needless to say, I was a proud Dad, and still am amazed at his endurance and determination in that race. It was definitely a highlight for me.
Here is a picture of us finishing the 2.5 mile race together, as well as a picture of Michael crossing the line in Adam's race following our 2.5 mile run.
The only other running race I did was earlier in the year - the Frozen 5K in Spicer, MN. It was 18 below zero that day, so the race name fit the conditions! 96 of us braved the conditions that day. I came in 4th with a relatively pedestrian time of 19:17 (6:13 pace), but the highlights came after the finish, as my nose was frozen solid! The medics gave some attention to me, and slowly thawed out the white freezer-burned flesh. The swelling went down a few days later, and I fortunately didn't do any long-term damage. Nonetheless, it was scary for a bit. A few minutes into the race, I was struggling breathing with my face-mask, so I took it off. Seemed like a good idea at the time. But, I guess exposed skin and 18 below zero aren't a good combination, even for a short 19 minutes. Lesson learned.
As far as triathlons go, it was a fair season. Certainly not my best, but OK. I did just 3 triathlons: Ironman Coeur d'Alene in June, the Whirlpool Steelhead Half Ironman on August 4, and the Green Lake Olympic triathlon the following week on August 11. Coeur d'Alene was a tough race. Last year I finished in 11:03. This year, I was hoping to just have a good time and finish. I was more relaxed than I've ever been before an Ironman. We had a great home stay with a wonderful Christian couple (Thanks Ryan and Jamie Barton!!). Heather and I had a wonderful time. Race day came, and I didn't feel it from the beginning. For some reason, I just felt it was going to be a bad day. The swim started off OK. The water was cold (58 degrees), but it actually felt pretty good. The swim was uneventful, and I finished in 1:19. I was pleased with that considering my lack of swimming this year. However, I started to cramp quite a bit on the second lap, and that was concerning. On to the bike... I felt great on the bike... for the first 10 miles! After that, I started to feel nauseous again. I can't figure out what happened. My heart rate was relatively low, but I just started to get real sick. I tried to drink and eat a bit throughout the first lap, but it became quite evident that it wasn't going to happen. I quit drinking and eating by mile 35 or 40, and just hoped to slug through the finish. By mile 70, I was hurting pretty bad, and was feeling the effects of no food or water. At that point, I seriously was contemplating dropping out. However, I decided to keep fighting to the end of the bike, and thought I'd drop out at that time. It was very humbling to get passed by so many people on those last 40 miles. By the time I got to T2, I was convinced I was done. However, I decided to spend some time in the changing tent and see if I wanted to walk the marathon or not. So, I rested for 17 minutes in T2, looking at my shoes, then looking at the ground. Shoes, ground. Shoes, ground. I really didn't want to put on those running shoes! I finally made up my mind to lace up the shoes and walk the marathon. I figured I'd finish in 15 or 16 hours. However, once I got out on the course, I had a terrible time walking! I wanted to run so bad. So, I started running. I got to mile 2.5, and found Heather. I told her I was incredibly nauseous and that I would be walking most of the marathon, and may drop out. I was concerned about my heart, and really didn't want to do any harm to myself. At mile 3, I forced myself to throw up to try to ease my stomach. I didn't help much, as I mostly had dry heaves since I had no food or liquids in my stomach. I still felt quite nauseous. I started walking with a guy who was just smiling ear to ear. He was so happy to be walking, and knew he'd be finishing his first Ironman. We walked from 4 to 7 together, and I had the wonderful opportunity to tell him why I race (Join the Race and other charities). It was pretty cool. At the 7.5 mile turnaround, I told him I was going to run down the hill we just walked up. He started to run with me, but told me to go ahead. I told him I'd see him at the bottom. However, I got to the bottom, and decided to keep running. I ran all the way to mile 18! At 18, I was pretty much done. At that moment, I was perfectly content walking the rest of the way home, as I was still very sick and hurting. Jeff Bond passed me at mile 19, and I encouraged him and wished him luck. He looked great in his first Ironman! At mile 21, something was stirring in my soul that just didn't feel comfortable walking. I felt that I had to leave everything I had on the course, and if there was any possible way to run, I had to run. So, I said to God, "What do you say we run it home and get in under 13 hours?" I seemed to feel God's encouragement, so I put one foot in front of the other and started running. I ran from one aid station to the next, dousing myself with water and drinking cola at each station. I got to mile 23 and caught Jeff. He was shocked to see me, and said he'd been praying for me ever since he passed me! He was then struggling a bit, and I told him to stick by me and we'd finish sub-13. I kept feeling better as we ran, and we ran shoulder to shoulder to the finish! We finished in 12:51, my 2nd slowest Ironman. However, I finished proud, knowing that I gave it all I had and left it all on the course. A couple hours later we got to watch Derek Cruze finish his first Ironman.
The Whirlpool Steelhead Triathlon was my next quest. It, too, was a disappointing race. Race morning brought strong winds, and as we were walking 1.2 miles up the beach to the start at 6:30 a.m., they announced that they were cancelling the swim due to the strong winds and waves. They substituted a 2.1 mile run for the swim, making it a duathlon - 2.1 mile run, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run. Unfortunately, the delay caused some problems for me. By the time my wave started the run, we were 2 hours past schedule, and I was already feeling hungry and dehydrated. It wasn't a good start. I felt OK on the run and the bike, but didn't eat or drink enough (200 calories total) to sustain me on the run. I again felt nauseous on the run, and limped to my 2nd slowest half ironman run time (1:45). It would have been even slower, but my friend Webb passed me on mile 11 and I decided to try to run him down. He started 3 minutes ahead of me, so I had some cushion. However, for some reason I decided to chase after him. I caught him on mile 12.2, and we ran the last mile together. However, we both were pushing hard, and I was greatly feeling the effects. We finished shoulder to shoulder, and I ended up in the medical tent with an IV in my arm! Again, severely dehydrated. Not my best day.
The next week we travelled to Spicer for the Olympic distance triathlon. I had a decent swim, coming out of the water in 16th place out of 100 or so athletes. The bike was going OK - nothing real great, but hanging around 22 - 23 mph - until the 2nd lap. I got to mile 14 on the second lap and one of the sprint triathletes swerved in front of me. I reacted quickly to pull around her, and swerved right into a cone! I went down at 25 mph, which obviously didn't feel too good! My chain came off the bike, and I had a good crack in my helmet and knob on my head, as well as some road rash. After contemplating what to do and regaining my senses, I decided to put the chain back on the bike, straighten out the derailleur and brakes, and finish the race. I rode the rest of the bike course rather shaken up, and then limped to the finish on the 10K run. To my amazement, I ended up finishing 12th overall, and still won my age group. The day capped off when Maddie ran into a trailer on the beach as I was looking for ice for my head, and we had to make a trip to the emergency room for her to get 3 stitches in her forehead. "Not a good day for the Pluimer family!", as Maddie would later exclaim. Heather and I had to hold Maddie down while the doctor administered the Novocain into her forehead. She screamed louder than I had ever heard, and it took 4 shots to numb the wound for stitches. Michael finished the day off by getting nauseous while looking at Maddie's bleeding forehead.
So, the race season thus far has been a disappointment, other than the Boston Marathon and Adam's Race. However, that's how it goes! I've been feeling better, although my heart rate is still elevated. My blood pressure seems slightly better, and the chest pains have subsided. That said, I'm still planning a trip to Mayo Clinic to have my Wolff-Parkinson's-White Syndrome further investigated by the expert doctors on staff. We are considering the possibility of surgery to correct this condition, but will leave that to the experts at Mayo to decide. We appreciate your prayers in this matter.
Boston Marathon day greeted us with great weather! The morning was in the low 40's, so it was a bit chilly, but looking to be a nice day. Heather drove me to Hopkinton, where we navigated the stand-still traffic until we got within a mile or so of the athlete's village, where she dropped me off and drove back to our host home, where she would later be picked up by Jodi Koeman to drive to Boston for spectating. She dropped me off around 7:15 a.m., but the race wouldn't start until 10:00 a.m. I spent a couple hours in athlete's village, trying to keep warm and stretch my tight hamstring. I drank some coffee and tried to relax.
Around 9:20, I started to make my way to the start line. I dropped off my warm clothes at the bus, which they would drive to the finish for us to gather. I made a last-minute stop at the porta-potty, and felt a bit better afterwards. I was chilly in my shorts and "Do Something" shirt, but was hopeful it would warm up and I would warm up. I was bib number 2042, out of over 27,000 registered racers, meaning I had the 2042nd fastest qualifying time, meaning I would be staged in the 2nd corral from the front, out of 28 corrals. I felt good being that far up, but also didn't feel ready to run another sub-3 marathon like I did to qualify!
The gun went off at 10:00 a.m. and we were off. It took me about 51 seconds to get to the start line, and my timing chip crossed the mat, and I was running my first Boston Marathon! The weather was shaping up nicely. The first mile went by rather fast, and I hit my split to reveal a 6:53 mile. I needed to average 6:52's to break 3 hours. It was a far shot, but I thought I'd just run and see how I felt. Well, the miles clicked by, and I found myself seeing more splits in the 6:30 - 6:40 range each mile. My first 5K was in 20:30, as was the 2nd 5K, for a 10K split of 41:00. I kept up this 6:35 average through 10 miles, when I decided to back off to a 6:40 pace. That lasted until mile 11, when I ran into Lance Armstrong! He was on the side of the road, and I shouted out to him, "Hey Lance - you're one of my heros!", and reached out my hand to wave. He reached out to slap mine, taking me by surprise. As I was thinking how cool it was to see Lance Armstrong, and wondering if I should have stopped to see why he was stopped, I realized he was running behind me. He had a group of runners around him, and I joined in the run. We ran from 11 to 12 together. When I hit my split at 12, I saw I was at 6:28 for that mile. Not good! So, I decided to back off a bit and run my race, as I still had a great shot to break 3 hours, but didn't want to totally blow up before hand. I ran the first half of the race in 1:26, a little faster than I should have.
Through mile 16, I was still averaging a 6:37 pace. I knew this was too fast, and was starting to feel it. My stomach was also starting to feel a bit nauseous. I saw Heather and Jodi here, and that picked me up! By mile 17, I was starting to question whether I'd get in under 3 hours, because my stomach was hurting and I feel like drinking much anymore. I hit the Newton hills starting at 17. Normally, I like climbing hills, and these weren't that steep, but I was starting to feel the effects of my 6:37 pace.
At mile 18, I was doing the math to see what I needed to get in under 3 hours. The last 8.2 miles were tough. Heartbreak hill came at 21, and I can see why they call it so! My splits slowed on the hills, with the slowest mile coming at 7:30 pace. However, after 22 miles, I realized I had 4 to go. Part of me was happy settling for a 3:15 at this point (afterall, that was my primary goal). However, part of me wanted to get under 3 hours really bad. I played it mile by mile, and kept doing the math. When I came to Mile 24, I knew it was "do or die". I was wearing my "Do Something" shirt. As I ran by one guy, he hollered, "Do Something? You are doing something!! You're running a $%*@& marathon!". That picked me up a bit. I realized I needed to run sub-7's to get in, and pushed. I crossed the finish line with a chip time of 2:59:06 (the clock time read 2:59:57), 1103 out of the 27,000+ registered runners. I definitely left it all out on the course, and didn't leave much to spare. However, it felt so good to cross the line in under 3 hours. Leading up to this race, I would have never guessed a sub-3 marathon at Boston was in store for me. But, for some reason, the Lord chose to bless me on this day, and I felt great. My hamstring? Hardly noticed it from mile 2 on! My chest pains? None. My HR? A little elevated (averaged 171 bpm for the race), but tolerable. I am so grateful that God allowed me to have a good race at the Boston Marathon, and give him all glory and honor for the race.
Heather and Jodi met me about an hour after the race. It was difficult managing their way around 27,000 runners and hundreds of thousands of fans, but they found me! By that time, I was feeling a bit sore. My stomach was still nauseous, and my quads were feeling the pains of the downhills. We hobbled our way to the car.
But our day wasn't over yet. On the way, we walked by a restaurant and noticed Dick and Rick Hoyt through the window. We didn't want to bother them, but decided to walk inside and meet them. Dick was extremely kind and gracious, and allowed us a picture with them. I told them that they were an inspiration to me and many others, and that I've used their video in dozens of talks around Minnesota. Heather gave them a Join the Race card and brochure, and gave Ricky a hug. It was really cool!
The Boston Marathon exceeded our expectations and goals. Between running with Lance, breaking 3 hours, and meeting the Hoyts, it was an awesome experience. Again, Praise the Lord!
Here is a table of my splits for the marathon:
When we got to Boston, we were blessed to be placed in the wonderful home of Dave and Debbie Thomas. Jodi Koeman, from New England Chapel, had made these arrangements for us. We were to speak at NEC on Sunday, and requested a home stay for the marathon. The Thomas's obliged, and we were most grateful.
The Thomas's lived about an hour southwest of Boston. They were only 20 minutes from Hopkinton, the start of the Boston Marathon, so that was good.
We ate dinner out and got to the Thomas house around 9:00 p.m. They were wonderful hosts! They also had Dave's brother, Jim, as a guest.
God's hand was in this placement as well. It turns out that Dave Thomas is a materials engineer and the head of R&D at Bose, with around 450 engineers in his group. What a blessing to spend some time with him. He confirmed many of my philosophies on management of engineers, which gave me encouragement with the direction I was leading our group at Nova-Tech. Furthermore, his brother Jim had a PhD in Industrial Psychology and works at a large consulting firm in New York (DDI), helping companies measure and determine employee engagement, identifying and equipping leaders in organizations, and providing tools for leaders and executives. It was another blessing by God at this stage of my life to be placed in this home!
We had a wonderful stay at the Thomas house and felt blessed with their hospitality.
Off to Boston! Heather and I were rather excited to be going away for the weekend alone! We were tired, though, in making the final details to depart. Also, we were so grateful for our wonderful babysitters - Grandma Gail (Heather's mom), and Papa Denny and Grandma Sheri (my mom and dad). They are awesome!
I had some mixed feelings going to Boston. I wasn't feeling that great physically, and I was a bit anxious as to whether God would bless our efforts to encourage others to Join the Race. The people in Boston didn't know me, so why would they get excited about this ministry? I was hopeful they would, but we just didn't know.
Our flight left at 1:00 p.m. It was a full flight, and had Heather and I seated in an aisle and a middle seat, with another gentleman in the window seat. We slept for part of the flight. As we approached Boston, Heather nudged me and said "I think that guy might be a Christian", referring to the gentleman sitting next to her. She noted that he was reading a book that I liked very much, The Language of God, by Francis Collins, head of the human genome project, and a Christian who presents a case for the creation of mankind through a God-guided evolutionary process.
As we got to talking, I asked him how he liked the book. He stated that he agreed with much of it, but also had some disagreements with Dr. Collins. He went on to say that he has sat on some panels with Dr. Collins, leading me to ask him his field of study. I inquired whether he was in the medical field, and he informed me he was. When I asked him his name, Heather nearly fell off her chair! "Richard Swenson," he replied. "The" Dr. Richard Swenson, one of my favorite authors and speakers?!!! Richard Swenson had shaped much of my thought with his ground-breaking books "Margin" and "Overload Syndrome", inspiring me to use his materials in many talks in churches and schools and young adult groups, and also reshape the way I live my life, trying to carve more "margin" into the busyness of life. He also wrote "More than Meets the Eye", another book I've used extensively in my creation talks. And here he was on his way to Boston, sitting next to us! I cherished the next 30 minutes as we talked about my career, frustrations with the current "system", my thoughts on consulting and speaking, his wisdom and advice, our Join the Race efforts, kids, etc - whatever we could cram into 30 minutes! It was great.
As our plane landed, we knew we were off to a great start to Boston. Heather and I got our picture taken with Dr. Swenson, and gave him a Join the Race shirt. I hope he signs up!
If the rest of the trip is anything like our flight to Boston, we were in for a treat.
Well, the weeks leading up to the Boston Marathon were met with a bit of frustration. Three weeks prior to the race, I was feeling fantastic. My heart rate was feeling better, and the chest pains I had been experiencing (possibly from WPW), were minimized. I had a few great training runs during this timeframe, including a 20-miler at the YMCA track (indoors) at around a 7:01 pace, and another 20-miler around Green Lake at a 7:18 pace. I was feeling somewhat prepared, although my miles were much less than I would have liked. I peaked at about 53 miles in one week, but most of my other training weeks were under 35 miles, with several in the 20's. Not what I'd like for Boston, but I was taking it easy given my past months of issues with my heart.
Well, like I said, 3 weeks before the race I was feeling really good, and had some good training runs. However, in the next couple of weeks, I was starting to feel some more chest pains and difficulty breathing. Plus, the week before the race, my right hamstring was really causing some pain and problems. It was extremely tight, and painful to run. I wasn't sure what to expect going into the marathon.
I set 3 time goals, and one overall goal.
Time Goals: My "dream" goal was to run a sub-3-hour marathon at Boston. I had run a PR 2:55 at Dallas in December 2006, but Boston is a more difficult course and I didn't have a real good training base due to my heart concerns over the past several months. So, while sub-3 was a dream goal, it wasn't a primary goal - it was more a goal that was achievable only if God really chose to bless me that day for whatever reason. My primary goal was to run 3:15 or less. This is about a 7:28/mile pace, and I felt that was achievable on a good day. A 3:15 or less would qualify me for Boston again, so that would be cool. My "C" goal was to finish in under 3:30, which was in case my hamstring was hurting and my heart was acting up. Realistically, I would be in the 3:15 - 3:20 area, having to push to get in with my primary goal of 3:15.
Overall Goal: The main goal of the Boston trip was to give glory to God, and to testify to the gospel of his grace (Acts 20:24) by spreading the word about our "Join the Race" campaign to raise $500,000 for the CRWRC's efforts to fight AIDS/HIV in Africa. Ultimately, my time goals meant nothing if I wasn't able to do that.
I was blessed to have my wonderful wife, Heather, accompany me to Boston. See the next page for the report of the days leading up to the race.
First off, the best news: We raised over $175,600 for CMCS and CCS, giving us 2nd place in the Janus Charity Challenge Competition and $8,000 additional bonus for the schools. Praise the Lord!! First place went to a gentlemen who raised over $500,000 for a non-profit organization called Rotoplast that helps people in third world countries with plastic surgery for various birth defects.
Regarding the race, it went quite well - especially considering the rough conditions. Temperature was perfect - in the 40's in the morning, warming up into the 50's and 60's on the bike, and topping off in the 70's for the run. Perfect. However, the wind was pretty tough. In the morning, the waves were so choppy and the conditions on the lake so rough that they gave the option for athletes to skip the swim and turn the race into a duathlon if they wanted. Few athletes took the option, but about 100 didn't finish or start the swim. The wind was coming right into our faces, and we had 3-4' waves to deal with. It was the roughest swim I've ever done.
Also, here is one other note on the swim that really demonstrates the Ironman spirit and what the race is really about. About 200 yards into the swim, it was sheer chaos as usual. Over 2000 athletes all starting at once - it is pretty rough with just all the bodies together, not to mention the big waves swallowing all of us. They told us in the beginning that if we were struggling, we should take off our swim cap and wave it in the air and a kayaker will come and get you. Well, about 200 yards in, I saw a swimmer waving his cap in the air, in a rather panicked state. I noticed that two other swimmers had already stopped their race to help out, and felt I needed to as well. So I swam over to the struggling swimmer and the three of us held him up while we called for help. We kept shouting for a kayak, but they couldn't see us in the midst of all the bodies and waves. I spotted a kayak on the other side of the mass of swimmers and started swimming across the swimmers to get the kayak. About half way there, another kayaker spotted the swimmer. I swam back and we made sure the swimmer was taken care of before continuing on. We probably lost 4 minutes off our time, but I think it really shows what Ironman is all about. When any of us sees another competitor struggling, we put aside our own personal goals and do the right thing. What other sport can you say that about? I was so grateful for the two that were already helping the man and glad I could be part of it as well.
Considering the rough conditions and the time and energy lost to help the drowning swimmer, I was pleased with my swim time of 1:19, in 883rd place. I'm typically placed mid-pack on the swim, so this was my best ranking so far in the swim - in the top third - even though my time was slower than usual. Incidentally, I talked with several people afterwards and all said this was the toughest swim they've ever had. One guy I met said he typically swims this course in around an hour and it took him an extra 20 minutes in these conditions. Many of us got blown off course because it was tough to spot the buoys with all the waves.
On to the bike... The bike course was different than past years. Much hillier! It was my toughest bike course yet. Although Lake Placid (2006 Ironman) hills were higher than this course, they were much more gradual and had longer climbs folllowed by longer downhills. This course had unending rolling hills on the back 40 miles of each loop. Up and down all the time. Most of the climbs were less than half a mile, but some were a little longer. As soon as we'd get to the top, we'd go back down and there would be another hill to climb. I made the first lap of the bike in 2:50, but slowed on my second lap to 3:04, coming in in 5:54 total, around a 19 mph average. I was happy to break 6 hours on the 112 mile course considering the wind and the hills. I also managed to pick up a few places in the race, moving up from 883rd after the swim to 447th after the bike. I was pleased with the bike, although my legs and stomach were starting to feel it pretty good in the last 30 miles, especially as we headed back into town for the last 21 miles into the wind.
I transitioned from the bike to the run in under 3 minutes and was off. Surprisingly, I felt great on the run. Since I hadn't eaten anything for the last 30 miles on the bike, I started getting in some calories on the run, drinking a couple sips of cola at nearly every mile aid station. I ran the first half marathon in 1:40, and felt great. But by mile 17 I was hurting and knew I wouldn't hold the same pace for the rest of the race. I had developed blisters in both feet and my right show was soaked in blood by that time. I decided to slow my pace a bit and finish strong, as I did not want to have to walk any of the marathon. The strategy worked, as I kept running and ended up with a 3:40 marathon, picking up another 200 places in the race and finishing 240th overall out of 2200 athletes in 11:03:53. It was my best finish yet, so I was pleased, especially considering the conditions on the swim and bike. Perhaps if I wouldn't have stopped to help the drowning swimmer in the beginning I could have cracked 11 hours, but I think I did the right thing :-)
The best part of the race was my amazing fan support which included my wonderful wife, Heather, as well as both of our kids - Michael and Maddie! My mom and dad were also there, as was Tenae Zondervan, our kids' favorite babysitter who came along to help out. Also, Roger and Bud Bonnema rode their motorcycles out and even volunteered at an aid station on the bike! I was SO grateful to all of the fan support! Maddie even got to run with me through the finish line.
Thanks to everyone who supported the schools through this effort. We were so blessed by your generous donations to both schools. Your gifts will change lives by allowing many kids to receive a Christ-centered education.
Thanks again to everyone who supported us in prayer and supported the schools. As always, this race is about God and giving Him the glory. I am just happy that he allowed me the strength to finish this race strong, and am so blessed to be able to compete in these events. As my jersey states on the back in the picture, "To God be the Glory!".
Mike
Race results available at http://www.ironmancda.com I was number 667.
Here is a picture of Maddie running through the finish with me.
A half ironman triathlon isn't typically recommended just 2 weeks away from an "A" race Ironman. I like to do a half 4-5 weeks out, but 2 weeks is pretty close. However, my good friend Webb was racing the Liberty Half in Independence, MN, as was Jon DeGroot from Sioux Falls, SD. So, I wanted to race as well. Also, I raced it last year and enjoyed it, and wanted to get the feel for racing again before Coeur d'Alene on June 24, so I decided to go for it, but treat it like a long training day.
The conditions were pretty good. Temps got up to mid-80's by the afternoon, but overall it was nice. It was breezy on the hilly bike course, which slowed some times a bit.
Webb and I started in the first wave - 35 - 39 men. Per USAT rules, since I turn 35 this year, I race in the 35 - 39 age group. Jon DeGroot started 2 waves or 10 minutes back, as a young 26-year old!
I exited the water just a half minute ahead of Webb, but he beat me out of the transition, as I couldn't get out of my wetsuit! We passed each other a bit in the first 10 miles, and then I slowly pulled away. My new Felt B2 felt great, but I was going fairly easy as it was just a long training day for me. 42 miles into my race, I was passed by Jon DeGroot, even though he started 10 minutes back! He ended up out-splitting me on the bike by around 11 minutes or so, but paid for it on the run. My bike average was 20.2 mph, around 2 minutes faster than last year inspite of the wind and my training pace. I was OK with that. Jon averaged just over 21 mph, and Webb around 19.
On to the run. I felt pretty good on the run, inspite of the fact that I had slipped a disc in my lower back earlier that week. Just 2 days before the race I could hardly run at all. Praise the Lord for the good feeling on race day! Thanks also to Jon DeGroot for the public prayer at the swim start :-)
I passed Jon in the first mile of the run. He was hurting a bit, and the temps were climbing, making for a tough run. I felt pretty good and ran the first half in around 44 minutes. However, I slowed a bit after mile 9, and ended up with a 1:32 run split, or 7:04/mile pace. I finished 18th overall out of 225, in 4:58. It felt good to break 5 hours, and I felt ready for Coeur d'Alene. Jon and Webb both struggled on the run, but finished in one piece around a half hour later.
Praise be to God for my back and overall health. It felt good to break 5 hours before Coeur d'Alene, and I'm looking forward to the big day!
Results at http://onlineraceresults.com/race/view_race.php?race_id=4812
 Visit the Janus Charity Challenge Official Website  June 24, 2007 - Coeur d'Alene, Idaho |
Watch and Listen to Full Video at januscharitychallenge.com |
 Very few people would question the fact that Ironman triathlon is one of the most grueling events in the world of sport. The commitment, discipline and ambition necessary to become an Ironman are nothing short of inspirational. Now Janus is capturing that inspiration in a powerful way.
The Janus Charity Challenge is an innovative fundraising program that helps add more depth and meaning to the athlete’s Ironman experience. Participants can choose to raise funds for the charity he or she is most passionate about. Last year, the Coeur d'Alene race set the record for the Janus Charity Challenge topping $1,000,000! It is Janus’ hope that Ironman athletes will recognize this incredible opportunity to make a significant difference through the sport they love. Since its inception in 2001, the program has raised more than $18 million for deserving nonprofits throughout the nation. As you consider supporting the Janus Charity Challenge, know that you will be joining the ranks of a prestigious group of individuals who are showing the world that triathlon is not a selfish sport. Rather it is a sport filled with compassionate and committed men and women who are demonstrating, in true Ironman fashion, that anything is possible. We invite you to take the Challenge! [Excerpt from januscharitychallenge.com] | |
