IRONMAN Chattanooga, TN. September 26, 2021
I’m not ready, I’m anxious and to be honest, a little terrified going into this race. One year ago to the month I woke up in the most excruciating pain of my life! It was so painful I thought I was dying, no joke. After thinking I had some terminal diseases I later found out I herniated my L5 disc and it was pinching my S1 nerve. This is called Sciatica. So needless to say I was having a hard time training and I was not fully prepared for this race. Hence my mental stress.
For months I could barely walk. The entire right side of my lower body was shut down! Till this day my right foot is still numb. It’s the sense of constant pins and needles. It took me until spring time to be able to run a 5K without being sore for a week. With all the restrictions in NYC, I couldn’t use the pool to swim until late May and cycling was the only thing that didn’t entirely cause me major discomfort. Needless to say I was under trained and not sure how my body would hold up. This is my second Ironman so I know the type of training I put into last time. I was nowhere near the same level of physical fitness as before but I did have the experience and that counts for a lot.
This time around I only complete one of my three training milestones leading up to Ironman Chattanooga. I knocked out my 2.4 mile swim but I was only able to get in a 70 mile bike ride(5hr) and a 15 mile run (2:20). Typically I would hit my century ride (100 miles) and at least an 18-20 mile run but injuries and Life got in the way. Not to mention I didn’t swim for 3 weeks prior to race morning (Thats a different story). I’m not making any excuses here. I knew coming back from a severe injury would be hard and I made a commitment to competing in this race and I was going to start it no matter what! So here we go!
Race Gear:
Swim: 2XU Wetsuit, Roka Goggles, ROKA TRISUIT
Bike: Cervelo P5 Disc, Zipp 404 wheels
Run: Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% Flyknit shoes, ROKA Sunglasses, rnnr Hat
Fuel: Sfuels (water bottle) on the bike/run, Super Fat nut butter, Rickaroons, Epic Bar.
Supplements: Onnit (Alpha Brain Black, Shroomtech, Total Nitric Oxide, Creatine), Kion Aminos, Thorne (Beta Alanine), Floyds of Leadville CBD gummies
With all the cancelations and race rescheduling from 2020 I could tell there was a difference in the overall energy and excitement at this event. I believe less than 2000 athletes actually competed when typically it's closer to 3k. As a result there were less vendors and people in the Ironman village. The race gear was very limited and the typical Ironman souvenirs were not available this time. I never got my coffee mug!
Accommodations:
I lost track of time with all that has been going on in my life that I waited a little too long to book a room. This is very common with Ironman events, hotels fill up quickly so always book way in advance. We found a great hotel downtown called The Chattanooga Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, only a 20 min walk to the main event. This was also where the T1 & T2 and the finish line were located. This made it convenient the whole weekend.
I prefer to cook my own meals and keep my nutrition dialed in. This place did not have a kitchen but it had great restaurants that offered up great food with plenty of healthy options. We found a Whole Foods only 5 miles away too, so I was able to buy plenty of snacks and my morning meal.
Race morning
*To note, I’m a low carb endurance athlete. I’m powered by FAT! Yes, FAT! I use all fat based food to power me the entire race. Hence the nut butter, coconut bars, and pork :) I can hardly use any of the on course nutrition as it will severely mess up my gut. No sugar, gatorade, red bull, coke, gels or goos. There are several advantages to this style of training but for me it’s the consistent energy levels and energy efficiency.
I mediate first thing in the morning. Then I have a coffee with MCT powder and Collagen, eat some hard boiled eggs, avocado, and a pork stick (my version of bacon and eggs). Chill out for a bit and use the bathroom before heading out. Do this. The toilet lines are long!
I take my supplements, my new Alpha Brain Black, listen to my Binaural Beats “focus” audio by Cory Allen + Aubrey Marcus to get myself in the ultimate flow state! Ok, I’m ready to challenge myself! Let’s get it done!
The Swim
The swim takes place in the famous Tennessee River. A shuttle took all the athletes from the Ironman village up to the swim start. You start based on your estimated finish time. So I lined up in the 1:10-1:20 section since that was my average pool swim time. Little did I know that the current was going to help out today. This was great for me because I haven't swam in nearly three weeks and never got to do a test swim either.
I’m ready, goggles on and I jump off the dock, feet first. As I surface I start my swim and everything seems fine. The water is warm, apx 75deg, not too crowded and then I get tired, my breathing gets heavy. I’m only about 1 min in! WTF! Am I going to DNF 60 seconds in? NO! I refocus, I tell myself, I can swim 6 miles if needed, this shit is easy, I prepared for this. I calm my breathing, hit my rhythm and start passing people. It’s a straight shot down the river, so no double loop which is awesome. The sun is rising as I glance over to the beautiful river houses perched upon the cliffs to my left. I’m cruising now and next thing I know I see the big red buoy which means it’s time to turn left to the finish line and up the ladder.
I’m out after only 57:34, I’m surprised when I look at my watch. I run up the hill to T1, grab my bike gear bag and change out of my wetsuit! Swim DONE!
T1:
There are changing tents where you have to grab your BIKE GEAR bag which holds all your helmet, shoes, gloves, etc…They have chairs to make it easy as you put on all your bike gear and head out the tent for the long run to your bike. Un-rack your bike and run it over to the mount line. Even at your fastest this will take almost 3 minutes. It took me a little over 7 minutes and I lost my right glove as I handed my gear bag over to the volunteers. I moved on and ended up riding the whole bike course with only one glove, like Michael Jackson! Hee Hee!
The BIKE
This is a hilly course, very misleading but does have over 4800ft of elevation gain. There's one other major thing different about this bike course. The standard Ironman distance is 140.6 miles and 112 of those miles are on the bike. Not this course! Nope, this course is 4 miles longer. A total of 116 on the bike. Making this the longest Ironman at 144.6 miles in total! Ok, I like a challenge and why not make my comeback a little better? I know it doesn’t sound like much but everything adds up in an Ironman, so 4 extra miles is a lot. Challenge accepted.
My goal was to keep it nice and steady the whole time. Take advantage of the declines and rest my legs. Then stay in the aero position as long as possible. Hydrate and Fuel on the bike so I don’t bonk on the run. This is a two loop course which has it’s pros and cons. One pro is you know the course and all it’s ups and downs the second time around. So you know when to push and when to rest. You also know of all the road hazards which there were many. One woman crashed and broke her shoulder and hit face first on the pavement, ripping her nose from her lip. She posted a pic of the reconstructive surgery she had to repair it! The course was rough and by that I mean it was probably the worst road conditions I’ve ever raced in. Many potholes and bumpy spots. Train tracks, open traffic and plenty of rumble strips which is what took out a few riders.
I finished the first loop at about a 20 mph average. So I was feeling pretty good. The second loop was about the same and I was set to finish in under 6hrs but those extra 4 miles pushed me just over. Those last 4 miles mess you mentally just a bit. I made it out without issue, one glove and all and into transition 2.
I finished with a time of 6:05:22. Not my best performance but I was saving my energy for the run.
T2:
This year the volunteers rack your bike for you. Then I strip off my shoes, grab my Run Gear bag and run back to the changing tent. This holds your running shoes, hat, sunglasses, belt, etc…You change, then go out to start your run. I stopped to use the bathroom, my only time during the race which I’m proud of. Time in transition was just over 6 min.
The RUN
At this point, the heat and sun was at its peak. This is what will make or break your Ironman. Many people take longer to run 26.2 miles than they do to ride 112 or 116 miles(in this case) on a bike. Since this was my second Ironman I knew what to expect. Except that this course was very hilly, with over 1,100 ft of elevation gain. As a result I spent my last month focusing on my running and training specifically in NYC Central Park which is very hilly.
The course starts off by taking you on the highway facing oncoming traffic (this sux). Then into a park, over a bridge and up a steep hill, into a fancy neighborhood, back up another steep hill, over a second bridge composed of wood planks then you get to do it all over again! Those hills were tough but I ran up them the whole time. To be honest, the descent down was harder on my body.
My goal was to run at least a half marathon, 13.1 miles without walking. I ended up doing 15 miles straight without rest, then only walked at the aid stations where I would grab water, ice and more water as I continued walking throughout. Then boom, right back to running. I only walked less than a minute at each aid station. I was able to maintain a pretty solid 9-9:30/mile avg the whole time.
My old coach gave me some advice prior to the race. She said, resist the urge to stop and rest. I did exactly that!
During the run a lot of different things flow in and out of your mind, I’m thinking about the large Steak and Chattanooga Whiskey I’m going to enjoy after. Seeing my wife cheer me as I cross the finish line. Telling my story to friends and Family. Overcoming obstacles and accomplishing a goal. I tell myself the last mile doesn’t count because I try to soak it all in and that last mile is for me. All the emotions and feelings come up and I start to tear up out of joy and happiness. The pain fades away and my pace always picks up. The 40% rule is real and I try to prove it everyday. It’s getting a little dark but I still have my sunglasses on as I approach the final stretch and I’m all alone on the Ironman red carpet. I see my wife with my big head. She's screaming and cheering me on! My Ironmate! This was a year in the making and I did it. All for the that moment when the announcer says what I’ve been waiting for “…from New York, Greg Pawlisa, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!” We did it, 2 down, 8 to go!
Run finish time 4:17:28
Final time, 11:34:22, Top 50 in my age group!
Post Mortem:
I was very anxious going into this race because I know I wasn’t fully prepared. Most of that was out of my control but what I could control was my state of mind. I knew I could do this and knew I was never going to quit so the anxiety I had was for nothing which is always what happens in life when you worry, it’s never as bad as what actually happens. My body held up just fine. I need to work on my mindset more, its a daily practice. I kept one quote in mind then whole time and it’s from David Goggins. “I don’t stop when I’m tired, I stop when I’m done!” Good advice for everything you do in life.
-Get stronger on the bike.
-Build up my legs in the offseason
-Continue rehab on my back
-Better hip mobility and flexibility
What’s Next?
IRONMAN St. George, Alaska and Maryland for 2022.
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