Ironman CDA 2009 has come and gone, and well over 25 Endurance Nation athletes successfully having reached the finish line. As reports from the venue suggested, the weather played a significant role on race day. It was very windy with temps dropping from the low 60s to mid-50s as rain moved in towards the end of the day. Athletes forced to slow down on the run faced the double challenge of being wet and running into stiff winds off the lake. What follows here is a general review of Team performance; specifics will come to light over the next few days as the race reports trickle in. Note: You can view results here, pictures here, and read athlete race reports here.
View this video online here.
The Swim: With water temps reaching the low- to mid-60′s, a solid 5 degrees warmer than in 2008, specific fears about handling the cold water were somewhat reduced. Instead the solid morning winds led to some serious chop, slowing the average athlete by 3-5 minutes.
View this video online here.
The Bike: Cloudy and windy conditions ensured that everyone was pretty chilly for the first one to two hours on the day. While adrenaline carried most of the competitors through the short out/back section along the lake without noticing the winds, this was not to be the case in the second lap.
Everyone enjoyed a screaming tailwind out of town. Unfortunately this turned to a pretty challenging cross/tail/head combination during the hilly loop outside of town. As always the return trip was punctuated by a solid headwind. Early fears of rain and slick roads were unfounded, as the weather held until about 5pm. Reports from the racecourse described athletes hammering early on and crushing the hills while TeamEN folks used the Four Keys Ironman Execution protocol to pace properly.
From the sidelines, it was clear that while many athletes were ready for the cold, the wind came as a surprise. The value of warm weather gear is definitely reduced when said gear is big, baggy, and hinders your ability to actually ride. In the future, folks would do well consider a quality cycling vest with arm warmers. Gloves and toe caps optional.
With the wind whipping the hills, athletes had to pedal throughout the course. In 2008, lighter winds meant cyclists could coast down most hills; the winds of ’09 meant moderate effort was needed to maintain decent speeds. In other words, this meant more work for a time similar to 2008, or just slower times overall. I estimate that, on average, athletes rode five to fifteen minutes slower than in 2008.
All of this extra work meant that by mile 65, a large portion of the MOP and BOP athletes were sitting up, hands on the hood, unable to stay down and reap the benefits of being aero. This meant more time on the bike and more work, requires more nutrition and meant folks would be out there longer for their overall day. You can’t underestimate the ability to stay aero for the full 112 miles!
View this video online here.
The Run: Athletes ran in the same cool and cloudy conditions that pervaded the bike leg, with anyone finishing after the 5pm mark forced to deal with some rain. The crowds were out to cheer despite the rain, but the water and wind proved a hard combination for many. In particular, the exposed portion of the run along the lake meant serious winds and temperature fluctuations.
For many Team EN athletes, this was the first time they were able to run the whole marathon (or close to it), with several setting 20+ minute PRs on the day despite not biking or swimming to their time potential given the windy conditions. In all, most folks had a solid day despite the weather and terrain, but few reported that they felt they had “left time” on the course. It was truly a day that demanded 110%.
From the Pointy End: On the pro / Kona qualification side, the fast folks were still…just plain fast. Athletes looking to qualify faced some of the fastest age group times in recent IMCDA memory. Despite the wind on the bike, many of these top athletes were able to run fast times thanks to the cooler, more forgiving temperatures. As a sample of one (n=1), a 10:04 in 2008 netted 7th place AG but in 2009 only got 16th place. The message is clear: if you are looking to qualify, you need to have your A game on regardless of race day conditions.
Congratulations to all the finishers. You have earned some well-deserved downtime…and some dry clothes! Happy recovery and see you on the roads.
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