Just in case you didn’t know, I did it. I am an Ironman. LOL. Yes, I know…I’ve worn it into the ground. Jen is already tired of hearing me talk about it but for those that have accomplished any huge goal, know how good it feels to talk about it.
Lead In
IMTX was an incredible learning experience so for IMFL, I was much more prepared both physically and mentally. After all, I had a great base built so once I finally made the decision to do IMFL, this confidence was expected since I had 3 more months of intense training. Now it was about overcoming my mistakes from Texas and improving my time where possible.
I had a strategy which I discussed with Coach Karen as she agreed and was on board. My run is the weakest of the 3 so I knew I needed as much time as possible for the marathon portion in order to make the 17 hour cut off. I wanted to improve my swim by 10 minutes, cut my transition times by a total of 10 minutes and improve my bike by at least 30 minutes. This would allow me the time necessary to finish if all things were equal to IMTX. Now it was a matter of putting in the time to execute this strategy.
During training, I focused on swimming and my bike and attended quit a few spin classes making my legs much stronger for the bike which improved my running as well. This improvement obviously helped me mentally but it was at lunch with Raul after one of our swim workouts that brought me back to reality. He said, “I don’t want to put any pressure on you but you know, you’ve had one DNF, you can’t have another.” He was right but not exactly what I wanted to hear since I was feeling so good mentally but it’s what he said to me next that stuck with me the most, especially about mile 11 during the marathon. He said, “you’re going to be in pain and it’s going to hurt, but it will hurt much more the next day if you don’t finish.”
Check In
After our team breakfast, I go back to the condo to gather my bags and bike. I want to get this done early so there’s plenty of time to hydrate and relax with the family which is something I didn’t do the day before IMTX. IMFL is such a great venue with the finish line, hotels, and transition area all so close together, unlike IMTX. This made it so much quicker so I was in and out in probably 20 minutes. I didn’t spend any time talking to others. I was focused and made mental notes on specific locations of my bike and bags. I had a low bib number, 699, I’m guessing from going with Endurance Sports Travel. Just another benefit.
As you can see, I used the same neon green duct tape on my bags. I like the look but changed how I put it on since the last time resulted in a DNF. Yes, I’m known to be a little superstitious.
2015 Ironman Florida Race Day
I woke up at my usual 4 AM but snoozed for 10 minutes basically laying there taking it in. I slept much better this time around than last but it’s still tough to get a good nights rest. I had my Ultragen chocolate milk drink and bagel with peanut butter for breakfast. Since I wasn’t sure if this was going to be wetsuit legal, I had my morning bag packed with my Roka swimskin but my wetsuit in the stroller which Jen would have for the boys. I was able to put my own air pump in there too which was nice because it’s much easier using your own equipment since you’re more familiar. The night before, I spent quite a bit of time reading various reviews on whether one should wear cycling shorts under a swimskin. Like I said in previous post, I spent the last few weeks training in my Roka wetsuit with my cycling shorts underneath just to get a feel so knew that’s what I would do during the race. However, I remember how wet my swimsuit was under the swimskin at IMTX so wasn’t sure how the saltwater and sand may play into it and sandpaper was the last thing I wanted to feel during 112 mile bike ride. I even sent Josh a text asking what he did but he rides in tri shorts so obviously isn’t worried about comfort to begin with. Ha. For me it’s all about comfort so I wear DeSoto 400 mile cycling bib shorts. Regardless, I made my decision. I needed to cut time from my transition so would wear my cycling bib under my swimskin if unable to wear wetsuit.
Jen gets the boys ready while I finish my morning routine double checking everything when finally we’re ready to leave. On the short walk over, the boys were very excited but everyone else was very quiet. They were probably all listening to the wind and ocean waves just like I was. Fortunately, the boys once again distracted me from any negative thoughts since they wanted to race so I was too busy telling them to watch out for others. We got to Transition about 5:30 and it’s crowded with more spectators than athletes it seems. I head over to my bike when I see Sarah and she tells me it’s non wetsuit legal. Some disappointment but relief since the decision was made. No way was I going to wear a wetsuit and take a 10 minute penalty. I put my bottles on my bike, air up my tires, turn on my Edge 520 and MyAthlete tracker before I go back to Jen and boys. Jen takes my special needs bags (minus the cooler with a turkey sandwich this time) to drop off area while I stay with boys, change and squeeze into my swimskin. I make sure the bib is pulled up high enough but the straps down as I pull up the skin. The sun starts to rise so we walk to the swim start. I notice the wind isn’t blowing as hard but the waves are still rolling in. Maybe it’s the sound of the waves or having Jen and the boys there but I am much more relaxed and focused. I hang out with them on the beach as long as possible, a little too long actually because when I go to get in my time slot, I’m in the back near 2 hr position so try to push my way through the crowd to get as close to the 1:20 time as possible. I look around for the family one last time but didn’t see them.
Swim = 1:33
I go under the arch and hit start on my watch as I quickly look at the digital clock in the sand as it reads 6:17, I think. This is my first beach entry start so was looking at the waves taking deep breaths trying to calm my HR. The start was interesting but slow wading through the waves. As you know by now, I have read quite a bit on the sport so know that swimming is faster than walking so decide to dive in and begin passing up those still wading. I try to swim hard to get out to smoother water but see people walking again thanks to a sandbar. My arms aren’t touching bottom so I keep swimming ducking into the waves when they get close. Finally after about 150 yards, the water smoothes out. I feel really good. I’m passing a few people but also getting passed by some as well. I make the first turn then not long made the second headed back to shore. It was then I began swimming extra yardage. The current kept pushing me inside the buoys so was constantly fighting to stay on track. Eventually I made it back to the beach and stood up and immediately my right hamstring started cramping. All I could think was oh no, not again. I stood and stretched it out while rubbing then grabbed some water before heading back out. I had my First Endurance EFS Pro that morning and hydrated well leading up to so wasn’t all that worried but made note to take salt tab in T1. The second loop seemed faster but as it turned out was actually slower. Nonetheless, I made it. I exit the water to soft sand and this time no cramps. I hear my name so excited to look over and see Jen and the boys. It amazes me that she’s able to spot me all the time but after seeing videos, it’s pretty easy considering I am one of the biggest guys out there. I give them a quick thumbs up then begin to jog up the path to wash area before going down the sidewalk to pick up bike bag.
T1 = 11:26
IMFL changing tent was actually inside the hotel so nicer since no mud to deal with and cooler than Texas. I quickly find a chair and start doing my thing. It was so nice to take off the swimskin and just have HR strap and cycling jersey to put on. I lubed up then slipped on shoes and was out the door grabbing a water to help with my salt tabs. I was 7 minutes faster this time around but it still felt too long. I see Jen and boys again waving at me and know that will be the last time I see them for a while.
Bike = 7:03
I felt good so just ease into it spinning trying to warm up my legs. It’s early so it’s hectic with me passing up some but getting passed by more. I guess the extra buoyancy helps me out on the swim. Ha. We all head out and really couldn’t feel much wind so I try to take advantage when I can and started to push harder gears. My HR immediately went up so I slowed down but couldn’t really get it to come down any so decided to ease back and just push when I should. I had a good avg pace for me but knew it was going to be a long day. This course was different than Texas but not as flat as one might expect. It has false flats where it’s hard to tell until you look at your speed and realize you’re pushing a little harder than speed may show. I only saw a few crashes but the one difference from Texas was the number of people in the penalty tents. Every PT I passed had at least one person in it. The first tent had probably 10 people there waiting. I couldn’t help but think to myself that the rule is pretty simple. There were some funny signs posted along the way but it was all pretty monotonous probably since I had never been on the course. We finally get to a major intersection and make a turn when I see some ORR people. Sarah spots me and yells, “Lets go Randy. YOU GOT THIS!”. It was only about mile 42 but this was exactly the pick up I needed. It’s hard to explain but I felt a conviction in her voice which gave me a huge mental boost so immediately felt rejuvenated. Thanks Sarah!
I finally get to halfway point to the bike special needs station. I see a ton of people stopped but think back to my IMTX mistake and Eric telling me how he stopped for nothing. Since I only packed extra tubes in my bag and fortunately didn’t need those, I kept going. I look at my time and see I’m ahead of schedule but know I’m always slower the second half. I began doing the math in my head of expected bike finish and couldn’t help but get excited. I churned on and did something I never practiced or thought I’d do…POB. Most know what that is and if you don’t, well I’m sure you will figure it out at some point. My nutrition plan seems to be working and I pick up extra water and Gatorade at a few of the aid stations to refill my BTA bottle. I have my First Enduarnace EFS Pro in both water bottles on my saddle and in my new Speedfil mounted on my bike. The only adjustment I made was my intake of salt tabs. Luckily I packed extra since it was much warmer and more humid than I was expecting. About mile 74, I’m finally getting near another major intersection which is nice because of the crowd support. Not long thereafter, my stomach got that familiar queezy feeling. Some say it’s because I take in too much salt but if I don’t, I get cramps. Nonetheless, after a few minutes of panic, I know I have to work through it so I reach into another pocket and pull out 2 of my Pepto chewable tabs. I see an aid station on the other side of the road so I look at my computer and make a note so I’ll know how far to go after the turnaround just in case. Once back to that point, I slowed down to stop but realized my stomach was better so decided to roll on. My plan was to push harder that final stretch after about mile 90 and I did but riding into the headwind held me back some. The wind had definitely picked up but nothing compared to IMTX. I’m finally back to familiar territory since we did initial route ride on Thursday but it seemed to take much longer this time around. I was excited to get back and even more so once I saw Jen and the boys. I made it and beat my IMTX time by 55 minutes.
T2 = 13:44
I quickly grab my bag and move into the changing tent. I find a spot to sit and start changing. Again, I’m about comfort and didn’t want to wear cycling bib and jersey so did a complete change. Although I know my bike was much better, I wanted a quick transition so I could get out as close to 3:17 PM as possible I wanted to allow myself an 8 hr marathon. I take more salt and water then head out.
Run = 7:34
Not long after I start the run, I see Jen and the boys again. I know it doesn’t look like it but I’m super excited to see them. I saw them when I came out of transition so not sure how they got in front of me again but here they are, cheering and yelling, “Go Daddy, GO!” Both Jen and I knew I was ahead of schedule but didn’t say anything about it. Seeing them and hearing others yell “Go Team Burkland” as Talon started running with me was a pretty emotional moment for me. He was so excited and actually ran so far with me that I had to stop with him and made him sit and wait for Jen. He was upset and almost started to cry saying, “I want to run with you Daddy.” It was an awesome feeling but knew if he went much further, it may be tough for Jen to find us. Not to mention, the sidewalk ended as it turned into a more residential area so he was actually on the street with me which is against the rules.
I began my slow jog and just took it all in. It’s hot and humid but cloudy so could’ve been much worse. My jog doesn’t last long before I decide to walk. I then see Michelle and she asks how I’m feeling. At that point I felt OK all things considered. I liked the run course because it was an out and back so you saw other athletes running opposite your direction. I saw quite a few ORR athletes so tried to encourage them as much as possible. I see Josh and we exchange a few words and he tells me he has one more lap. Not long and I see Raul and know he’s almost done. He encourages me to keep moving.
It gets dark early since DST ended the week before. I enter the state park and it’s even darker. Needless to say, Josh was right when he told me at breakfast the day before to stay in the center of the road through the park because the road was bad. There was definitely a chance of twisting an ankle. I try to walk/jog but my hamstrings tighten every time I begin to jog so start taking in more salt and lots of it. I’m so nervous because of IMTX and I’ve seen others stop or fall out. I see the mile 19 marker and look at my watch to see how long it took for me to get there so I’d have a benchmark on my way back. The cut off time was mile 19 by 9:50 and since I missed that time before, I was anxious to beat it this time. I made it to the turnaround so was excited since I was a quarter done. They had mobile lights set up but was still very dark. I see this man walking sideways toward me. It looked like he was about to fall over as he was headed to the lights to hold himself up and stretch. I asked him if he was ok and he said yes but he didn’t look too good. I remember being told at one of the ORR clinics I attended that if you start walking crooked, that’s a good sign you need more salt. I asked him if he had been taking salt and he said yes but didn’t have anymore. Since we’re in the middle of no where with the nearest aid station about 1.5 miles away, I gave him 3 salt pills of mine but there was no water around so not sure if he took or finished the race for that matter but I needed to get going. Since it’s so dark, it seems much later than it actually is. I eventually got to the halfway point but my Garmin 920 didn’t since it died on me about mile 12. I had no idea about my pace, time of day or anything for that matter. All I knew, I was dragging and had no energy. Once I saw Jen and the boys, it certainly helped me mentally but I needed energy. I started to get nervous because I had no concept of time and Jen said I was doing great but I had to pick it up. I saw Sarah and Raul in the distance and notice he’s all changed. I couldn’t help but think how nice that would be right now but instead told them how I was feeling. Raul told me to take a Gu every 2 miles and start drinking cola. It was all perfect timing to see them since I was approaching the run special needs area and I had packed a First Endurance liquid shot flask in my bag so called out my number and kept moving. The family was waiting for me after the turnaround. They walked with me for about 2 miles as I drank cola and sipped on my vanilla gel flask. I’m approaching the dark areas again so know they should turn back as much as I don’t want them to. I talk to some interesting people along the way and every time asking them, “what time is it?” The aid station around mile 16 was a life saver. A girl approached me asking if I wanted a Pedialyte popsicle. I was pretty excited because this was exactly what I needed. I savored every bite as I began my journey into the dark park. I was relieved to finally make it to mile 19 under the deadline. That was an enormous relief and my spirit picked up and this is when I start getting a little weird. I say weird because at times I would just burst out with, “Clear eyes, full hearts, CAN’T LOSE!” Throughout the day, I received many comments and compliments about my shirt with most knowing my mantra is from the TV show Friday Night Lights. It’s nice when out of no where you hear, Texas Forever (another line from the show). I had one man ask me what my shirt meant. I’m not sure if I was out of it or taken aback but probably both since my response was, “just what it says.” I think it’s self explanatory but probably not so the last portion of the marathon, I spent my time thinking about how I should’ve explained it to him. I was trying to think of anything other than time and distance. Every time I saw a mile marker I thought to myself, I’m going to start jogging again when I get to mile 21. Once I got there, I started a minute jog with a minute walk. At mile 22, I saw an ambulance in the middle of the road and a guy that was tense sitting in a chair. It was like his whole body just locked up so that made me nervous so I started walking again. The lunch conversation with Raul kept coming back up in my head, “it’s going to hurt but if you don’t finish, it’s going to hurt more.” I must’ve said that to myself about 20 times throughout the day but even more the second half of the marathon. It would be a very long drive back to Texas if I didn’t finish so I would start my slow jog every time I had that thought since my watch had died and I had no idea about time. I crossed one of the main streets I knew for the last time and had probably about 2 more miles left. Once I crossed, it looked like Josh was walking toward me and I thought have I lost my mind. As we got closer, he asked how I was feeling. I couldn’t help but think how he was doing. After all, I don’t remember him passing me but he finished in the 12th hour and came back to check on me. It’s still hard to believe that he finished his Ironman hours earlier and now walked probably an additional 6 miles to come check on me. What an amazing person. Like I said in previous post, a testament to the type of person he is…one who cares enough to sacrifice his enjoyment and time to relax and instead concerned enough about others, me, to help me accomplish my goal. Fortunately, his watch was still working and assured me I was going to make it. My knee was very sore at this point and I was out of ibuprofen, my hands were extremely swollen and I could feel a blister on my left foot so this made my walk even slower but luckily he was OK with our pace. It was great to have him walk with me. He kept me distracted and gave me tips along the way. As we approached the finish line, he said I was on my own now and enjoy it. With that, I remember jogging in and seeing Jen on the side. I wish I would’ve stopped and hugged her but got caught up in the moment I guess. I heard Dave say, “Representing Team Burkland, Randy Burkland, YOU are an Ironman!”
Time: 16:35
What an amazing day since I was able to accomplish my goal of crossing the finish line and becoming an Ironman. As I’ve said before, none of it would have been possible without the support of Outrival Racing coaches and fellow athletes, coach Karen, friends, family and especially Jen. The greatest part of crossing the finish line wasn’t about hearing my name or knowing that I did it. It was seeing the faces of Jen, Talon and Hudson and feeling how proud they were of me. Normally, the boys are all about their mom but this time, I was the light in their eyes. Although for Hudson, it was short lived since he had to be woken up to see me cross the finish line but feeling Talon’s excitement was amazing. He was elated when I put the finisher’s medal around his neck and didn’t want to leave my side. He had to go with me to pick up my bike and bags and just kept repeating, “you are an Ironman” as he was doing his best impersonation of Ironman announcer Dave.
Except for the blister on my foot, I felt pretty good the next day. We made a stop at the Ironman Expo store to purchase Finisher gear before leaving town and I think Jen was more excited than me with the different options. Fortunately I didn’t have to worry about THAT feeling the next day of not finishing because I was an Ironman which made the 10+ hour trip home very enjoyable.
Once we got home, I was just as excited as I was 24 hrs. earlier since I pulled into the driveway to a decorated garage door and porch. What amazing friends we have.
Looking back, there were so many things that went right for me during IMFL. For example, it was very sunny, hot and humid the days leading up to the race but on the actual race day, while still hot and humid it was cloudy. Then the lady out of no where with a Pedialyte Popsicle. When I went back by that same rest stop later and asked for another Popsicle, they didn’t know what I was talking about and acted like I was crazy asking for one. Also, eating breakfast the day before with Josh and his girlfriend and the tips they gave me about the course but especially when the two of them walked the final 2 miles with me. I wish I had taken a picture with Jen and the boys at the finish line and also with Josh and his girlfriend since they too were instrumental on helping me cross that line. Then I start thinking of all the people that helped me during this journey and well, it would be a very big photo. I had so much support from so many people. Thank you all but especially Jen.
