Ironman Chattanooga 2014

They say the 4th or 5th year of triathlon is when big gains typically are made and my fourth year was indeed a year of big gains (broke 2:30 at the Olympic/International distance and 5 hours at the half-ironman distance).  I don't use a coach, and have bought training plans in the past, but this year I went pretty much on my own and came up with training plans on a week-to-week (sometimes day-to-day) basis with some modest reference to my old plans from Spinervals and my wife, Leigh Ann's, training plan from Dave Scott coaching.

My goal coming into Ironman Chattanooga -- where the bike course would be 116 miles rather than the typical 112 -- was to have a "complete race" without walking anything but aid stations on the run.  That didn't happen at either Ironman Mont Tremblant 2013 (12:44) or Challenge Atlantic City 2014 (12:31), where I loved both races but haven't been too excited about my results give the electrolyte deficiency sicknesses at both that left me walking a big chunk of the marathons.  If  all things worked out well, and I could have a complete race like I wanted, perhaps I would best my personal best time at Ironman Wisconsin 2012 (11:52).

Ironman Chattanooga 2014...expectations and goals vastly exceeded!!!

FeXY 'NOOGA TRAINING CAMP
Leigh Ann and I took a long weekend training trip to Chattanooga with our triathlon team, Team FeXY ("Fe" being the periodic symbol for Iron, "XY" being the sex-determining chromosomes for "man"...thus, FeXY = Ironman).  We did a 5 mile run on Thursday, a 1-hour swim in the Tennessee River followed by a ride of the entire (at the time) 114 mile bike course before a 3 mile run on Friday, another 70 mile ride on the course and 1hour swim on Saturday, and a Sunday morning preview of the first 16 miles of the run course.  The bike rides on this training trip was HOT and HUMID and SUNNY (mid-to-high 90s) -- the 114 bike ride was brutal (gastro issues all week didn't help) and the 6:20 and equivalent pace on the 70 miler was OK under the circumstances -- and the runs were HOT and HUMID and WET and my pace was right where it needed to be.  Thanks again to FeXY Coaching coaches Michelle McKenna, Scott Baldwin, and Kim Baumgartner for putting together a great training camp, and Scott "Slake" Lake and Christine Wooten for spectacular support, and uber-mechanic Mark Baldwin for getting and keeping our bikes in great working condition and teaching me a lot about bike maintenance on that trip and in the weeks after (skills I would put to use when I helped our new friend and Crossfit Addict owner and head coach Trey McFerren fix one of his wheels on the Friday before the race).

The lesson taken from this trip was that I needed to get in a number of of long, hard bike rides...which Leigh Ann and I did with three 80-mile, 4000 feet-of-climing rides at Quantico Marine Corps Base (including one in POURING rain...because it could rain on race day like it did for our good friend Dan Hallenbeck at Ironman Lake Placid), and two 100-milers (with over 5000 feet-of-climbing) at Quantico....as well as a LOT of long hill running on the George Washington Parkway trail alongside the Potomac River.

IRONMAN CHATTANOOGA
Pre-Race
Leigh Ann and I arrived on Wednesday evening, after a 10-hour drive following a 30 minute swim in Virginia, and did a nice 5-mile run to shake out our legs.  On Thursday morning we were the 2nd and 3rd people in line for checkin and to buy our race gear (hats, shirts, mug, pint glass), and were then wandering around the expo at Ironman Village down by the Tennessee Riverwalk when Dan Kennedy of the local NBC station asked if he could interview us...we didn't expect that we would become the focus of both an article and the entire television news story (which focused on the now-projected rain for Sunday's race day...glad we did that bike training in the rain at Quantico!).  Wearing matching FeXY Coaching shirts probably helped draw attention.  We did our usual pre-race ride and run that afternoon following lunch with Leigh Ann's parents Don and Orla Ann Turvey, who made the trip from Oklahoma to spectate Leigh Ann in a race for the first time ever...and an Ironman race to boot.

On Thurdsay night we also had a fun barbecue dinner with our FeXY teammates (see below), before hitting the town for a couple of beers with our good friends Steve and Tina Coren (we hit the hay around 11:30 p.m., which is a lot later than usual for Leigh Ann and me on any given night much less 3 nights before an Ironman).

On Friday, we did a 10-mile training ride on the course and then drove through the historic Battle of Chickamauga battlefield with Leigh Ann's parents before attending the Ironman pre-race dinner, which was hosted by the iconic "Voice of Ironman" Mike Reilly, who tells virtually everyone crossing an Ironman finish line "YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!" The dinner featured great presentations by the McKee CEO that own title sponsor Little Debbie -- there was wide commentary about the seeming absurdity of Little Debbie sponsoring an Ironman, but they are a local area family-friendly company that fosters and encourages physical fitness (and isn't an crazier as a sponsor than Bud Light or other companies that sponsor Ironman races) -- and an inspirational story of first-time Ironman competitor and local firefighter Jason Greer who was inspired to race and raise money and awareness for children's cancer by a son who is battling neuroblastoma.

Saturday was a day of finalizing our gear bags -- making sure we have everything we will need or want with us for the swim, bike, and run and putting it in bags for us to grab as we transition between elements -- doing a short swim in the Tennessee river and 20 minute bike on the course, and racking our bikes.

That night we had one of the truly best meals I've ever had in my life at Alleia near the Chattanooga Choo Choo -- bacon-wrapped dates, grilled salad, braised short ribs and sweet potato risotto for me, pappardelle with braised short ribs for Leigh Ann, the best cinnamon gellato ever! -- and went back to our room to get our liquid nutrition ready for the race the next day and otherwise get some rest (I watched part of the Notre Dame football game before going to sleep at 10 p.m. -- thankfully they were winning and the win seemed all-but guaranteed).

RACE DAY!
Leigh Ann and I woke up at 4 a.m. and ate breakfast (350cal Ensure Plus, PB&Banana sandwich) before getting dressed and ready for the swim -- I made the final decision to keep the goatee to help put me into my "tough guy, kick butt" mindset (with Eminem Lose Yourself and Eye of the Tiger playing in my earbuds) -- grabbed our water bottles and nutrition bottles and food for the race, met her parents downstairs in the lobby, and headed down to the transition area to get everything ready for the race.  We double-checked our bikes, put our water bottles and nutrition on our bikes and in our bags, and figured out exactly what we needed for the swim (no wetsuit, so grabbed my speed suit, goggles, and swim cap...ready to go!).  We got to the swim start around 5:15 and had to sit and wait for over two hours until the race started...7:20 for the pros, 7:30 for the rest of us.  Drank a fair amount of electrolyte-loaded water so that, hopefully, there wouldn't be a problem during the race (lots of "bathroom" trips before the swim convinced me I was well-hydrated).

The 2.4 Mile Swim In The Tennessee River

We had heard at the pre-race briefing that the swim was going to be fast -- someone allegedly floated down the river on their back in 1h 30 mins -- but I really couldn't grasp how much the current would help until I was in the water.  I jumped in off the dock and by the time I popped up, I was 15-20 feet away from the dock without a single stroke...I knew then it was going to be a fast swim.

The race was set up with the buoys about 200 feet from the shoreline, and we were told to keep them on our left, which allowed me to go far to the right into the middle of the river to not only get the biggest current assist that I could but to take the straightest line possible while swimming smoothly and as easily as possible since my shoulder had been hurting for the past 2 weeks...nice!

I have my Garmin 910XT triathlon watch set up to vibrate and make noise every 30 minutes on the swim, and when it went off the first time I looked up and could see that I was already past the halfway marker...wow!  As I got closer to the turn to the swim exit, I tried to remember if my watch had beeped/buzzed a second time and was pretty sure it hadn't...confirmed when I got out of the water and saw that my swim time was 53 minutes and 49 seconds...20 minutes faster than my fastest time ever (which was with a wetsuit but without a big assist from a current).

I peeled off my swim cap, goggles, and speed suit as I put in a good run over the 0.2 miles to the transition tent, grabbed my bike gear bag, started my bike computer (which I didn't put on my bike b/c it would've timed out during the swim), put on my shoes and socks and helmet and sunglasses, and got a quick spray of sunblock...and I was off.  Transition time 6 minutes 19 seconds...meaning I was on the bike at roughly the 1 hour mark...a helpful point of reference for me the rest of the day...amazing!

The 116 Mile Bike From Chattanooga to Chickamauga, Georgia And Back
As I mentioned earlier, this bike course was made longer by 4 miles over the standard 112 miles to accommodate some local churches on a Sunday morning race and to make the route a little safer for riders (it already had been longer at 114 in August but was made even longer after training camp).  This didn't present a concern for me -- some of my friends were concerned about the additional miles making it harder for them to make the bike cutoff -- and the slightly modified course looked to be a little bit faster with much better roads, so how could I really complain.

The weather was truly perfect -- low 70s, cloudy, little wind on the first loop -- and I felt great and could tell early that it was going to be a fast ride.  I made it over the 5 or so train tracks in the first 3-4 miles and out of town (also last 3-4 miles into town) without any trouble but saw that many people had lost bottles and bottle holders...that could be trouble for them later in the day.  I use a Speedfil mounted to my bike cage to keep 36 oz or so of water (with 2 Nuun electrolyte tabs) on the bike that I drink through a long straw, and use a 20 oz bottle with 700 calories of Infinit liquid nutrition between the aerobars on my handlebar.  Copying what I tried for the first time at Challenge AC, I put my second nutrition bottle with 700 calories of powder on my back cage (held in place by rubber bands) so that I wouldn't need to stop at special needs unless I had a flat and needed another tube -- some local people put tacks and oil on the road and that created flats and problems for other people but thankfully not me -- and also carried 3 Rx bars in my bento.  I made it through 33 miles without needing to stop for a water bottle, grabbed one at mile 33 and topped off the Speedil, and kept plugging away.

I grabbed another bottle of water around mile 45 (where I saw a biker laid out in the road seemingly unconscious with a bloody face...thankfully he wasn't hurt too badly!).  The Team FeXY crew was in historic Chickamauga and were cheering me on as I skipped special needs at mile 52 and I made it through the first 56 miles in under 2 hours and 45 minutes (which could lead to a 5h 30m bike on a typical 112 course).

I realized I could have a really great bike ride -- much better than I would've expected after the training rides in the hot, humid, and sunny days in August -- so long as I didn't blow up or have any problems on the second half loop and return into town.  I reminded myself of the great advice that I got years ago from my great friends and 8-time Ironman Mindy Soranno (race your own race and pace yourself) and 4-time Ironman Don Soranno (go one gear easier on the first loop) -- founding members of BLTCE (Best Little Tri Club Ever) -- and the mantra I learned from Spinervals Coach Troy Jacobson (smart pacing on the bike will allow for a stronger and faster marathon run)...and stuck to my "keep the cadence between 88 and 100" strategy.  I also thought about my great BLTCE friends Brian Simpson (5-time Ironman finisher and fellow IronSpartan) and Tobias Fehlhaber (8-time Ironman finisher), with/against whom I had raced several times this year, as well as Spinervals good friend Mark Cowderoy, all of whom had fantastic bike splits at Ironman Maryland the weekend before my race...and I wanted to hold on and have a similarly strong ride in Chattanooga.

I did a complete stop at the 77 mile water stop to add water to my second Infinit bottle and top off the Speedfil again (adding another 2 more Nuun tabs, and saw 25-year-old FeXY teammate Kevin Wright  who went on to win his AG at 9h 22m and qualify for Kona!) and plugged along for another 20 or smiles without seeing another person (there had been A LOT of illegal drafting and peletons so it was a little surprising to have so much alone time).  I was passed intermittently on the last 12 miles back to transition (got bunched up in the last 2 miles as people got ready for the run) and checked my time as I went over mile 112 (5h 29m 37s...wow!).  I stopped my bike computer at the dismount line and carried it with me into transition and saw that my total time was just over 5h 42m for 116 miles.

Official bike time: 5 hours 42 minutes 4 seconds (avg pace: 20.35 mph).

The Marathon (A Nice 26.2 Mile Run To Finish The Day)
I did one of my fastest bike-to-run transitions at an Ironman race (3m 44s, including downing a 12-oz can of chicken noodle soup...thanks Brian Simpson!) and passed the time clock to see that it said my total race time was under 6 hours and 45 minutes...holy smokes!  I quickly did the math and knew that if I could run faster than a 4 hour 15 minute marathon -- which I thought was realistic given the weather conditions, so long as I didn't get sick like I did at Mont Tremblant and Challenge AC -- then I would break 11 hours.  Under 11 hours!?!?!?!

(Note here...I have a great BLTCE friend, John Havill -- a United pilot who I nicknamed IronEagle -- who finished Ironman Florida last year in 10h 39m and I was truly in awe and didn't think that was realistic for me anytime soon.  And here it was looking possible that I could go under 11 hours myself if things went well on the run.  John also had told Leigh Ann before the race that he would smile forever if she beat me at this race, so I kept that in mind when I looked at the clock and got motivated to go after John's sub-11 time!  And a sub-11 time would put to rest, for at least some time hopefully, the "I'm coming after your PR" talk from our good BLTCE friend Deb Hopkins. ;-))

The run started out great as I headed up the short, steep hill we get right out of transition...I saw the FeXY coaches and cheer section (Scott Baldwin, Michelle McKenna, Scott Lake, John Schaller and Laura Cortina...sorry if I forgot someone!), and they gave me a good energy boost as I headed out for the flat 4 miles on the river walk.

The river walk was flat and fast and, after the turn onto the highway, I was maintaining an 8m 15s pace through 8 miles (which is about where I was at when things fell apart at Mont Tremblant and Challenge AC).  I knew this wouldn't last through the whole run but it gave me a good cushion for a good marathon and a sub-11 time.  Around mile 9 there's a long, slow climb and I was running with one of the male pros as I reached the FeXY crew again...more great cheering before I turned to head over the bridge to the north side of Chattanooga...where the "fun" would really begin.

The north side of Chattanooga is VERY hilly, and there are two long, slow, steep climbs and 2 long, slow, shallow climbs that make the last 3 miles of each loop a real slog and potential sufferfest.  I was feeling great and undeterred so I ran every inch of those hills on the first loop.  My run time through the first half marathon was roughly 1hour 52 minutes, and (after I grabbed my second 12-oz can of chicken noodle soup...thanks again Brian!) passed the FeXY crew heading out on the second loop. I realized that sub-11 was looking more and more likely and the sub-4 marathon was looking like a real possibility (I so wanted to tell the FeXY crew that I was going after sub-11 but didn't want to jinx it).

The second loop of the run is, obviously, the same as the first, but as the miles plugged on my legs started getting more and more tired.  I started taking in some extra calories (2 caffeinated Gu every 2 miles while conning Ironman Perform at every aid station) and knew that if I was going to break 4 hours on the run...it...was...going...to...hurt...some.

I passed John Schaller (who took this photo) and a couple other FeXY folks, caught up with Zoya Schaller on her first loop, and continued the run up the big hill on Barton Ave. toward the north side of Chattanooga.  Those last three hilly miles were hard, but I didn't walk any of it because I wanted that sub-4 marathon.  As I headed down the hill on Barton Ave. past mile 24 I was looking for Leigh Ann (never saw her), passed mile 25 and started over the Walnut Street bridge, and could hear Mike Reilly calling people in...and knew I had to push it a little bit harder.

As I hit the turn to go back down the hill toward the finish, a woman passed me but then didn't hold her pace as she started down the hill, and said "Go for it!" as I passed her back in starting my hard push to the finish line.  As I like to do when I'm having a good race, I really picked up the pace in the last 1/4 mile and ran pretty fast across the finish line...where I heard Mike Reilly announce "Christian Schultz...he's a husband, a father, AN IRONMAN!"

Marathon time: 3 hours 58 minutes 41 seconds

TOTAL TIME: 10 hours 44 minutes 37 seconds

(clock says 10:55 because we started roughly 10 minutes after the male pros)

Every year I have grand thoughts of doing a fancy finish (Blazeman roll, jump in the air, cartwheel) but then I remember what Dave Scott once said "It's a race...finish it hard!" and always opt for running as fast as I can to the finish line and raising my hands in triumph.  

I always strike the pose in the finish line photos. 

Leigh Ann told me to bite the medal at Eagleman and Challenge AC and it's just too fun not to.  Tastes delicious! 

One of our Ironman Chattanooga Facebook cohorts created this image with the Walnut street bridge in the background...very cool.