SubscribePulling out of IMPanama was probably one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. So much training, sweat and pain, time and money went into getting me here and racing, I really wanted to push through anything, leave it all on the course, and win a slot for Las Vegas for the 70.3 Worlds.
My swim was great: 27 minutes by my watch. I was 10th on the bike at 2:55 by my watch. But when I got 20 minutes into the run, my stomach became terribly upset (read: vomiting), I became disoriented and after sitting at an aide station for 5 minutes drinking water, soaking myself down, and not feeling any better I decided to call it a day. I was gutted, but it was really the only choice. I got a sag wagon to the med tent, sat under a fan with ice packs and drank water until I felt hungry. Unfortunately the food choices at the athlete’s lounge and Ironman village were… well terrible: cookies, cinnamon buns, bananas, pizza, pretzels, and white-bread finger sandwiches. Really?! Come on now.
Let me say at the point, I’m not discouraged. In fact, quite the opposite: I was doing so well, in this heat, that being taken out of the race by a medical is just a tease. I’m hungry. I want to find another 70.3 soon. Continue building my fitness and leverage today’s lesson into tomorrow’s win.
Looking back on the day. The only thing that I can think of is that in order to manage the pain from my shin splint I tried a protocol of Advil and Aleve, and while the pain killers did a great job on my shin (in fact it’s still not hurting :P) I think they destroyed my stomach. My stomach was a bit upset on the bike, but when I started the run my shin was hurting so I took a couple of Aleve. Soon thereafter, my shin started feeling better but my stomach worse. 🙁
I broke my #1 rule: “Don’t change anything on race day”. Now the shin splint pain kind of put me into a “stuck between a rock and hard place” situation and I wasn’t going to not race because of my shin and needed to do something for pain management. So I dunno… maybe there was something different I could have done?
Ah well… next race? New Orleans? Would be sweet vacation for Kim and I if we can afford it. Syracuse, NY in June? Nice and close.. maybe… but wish it was sooner.
For now… a few days of continued vacation in Panama: Some indiscriminate eating, some active recovery, and then back to the great white north.
by Jeff Irvin, on February 12 2012 @ 6:56 pm
Sucks Rick, enjoy the recovery on the beaches and then get back to it!
Also, this was the first time I ever saw the word “Terrible” in the same sentence as “cookies” and “cinnamon buns”!!
by Heather Morgan, on February 12 2012 @ 9:15 pm
That sucks Rick but you do have a great attitude about it. I hope you and Kim can make a vacation out of the next one. Find a cold one and sit in the sad and enjoy the weather, the cold white north is waiting to welcome you back.
by Matt, on February 13 2012 @ 8:59 am
Sorry to read about your problems, Rick, after all the training.
Do you think compression sleeves on your shins would help alleviate that problem?
by Rick, on February 13 2012 @ 9:30 am
was wearing compression. Got some tendonitis in the last training block before coming to Panama. Just bad luck but compounded by poisoning myself with pain killers, which undid me on the day. Oh well. Live and learn. Looking for the next challenge now. Want another 70.3 and soon. New Orleans would be nice, but Syracuse is more likely.
by Tom, on February 13 2012 @ 12:38 pm
Sorry to hear about the result but you’ve got the right perspective. My brother (not Joe) is doing Wildflower in May. It’s a qualifier for Worlds too. If you really want to have stomach problems, come hang out with the McDonalds the night before the race! 😉