IRONMAN LOUISVILLE 2011 - RACE REPORT
It has now been 6 days since I finished the race, and I have had plenty of time to digest what was accomplished and account for all of the feelings, emotions, and triumphs that occured last weekend. I hope you enjoy this somewhat winded account of my journey at Ironman Louisville.
My journey to this Ironman started long before we got in the car to drive the 900 miles to get to Louisville. It started, as it did for everyone participating in the event, many months ago. I trained harder, smarter, and more effectively for this event, than any other event I have done. I am now a believer in shorter much more intense training sessions, versus hours and hours of wasted miles with no real purpose. My biggest battle leading up to this race was keeping balance in my life. I will touch on this a bit later...
As Christie and I loaded up the car late Thursday night / Friday morning, we kissed the children good night, and headed out for the 14 hour drive. The drive was pretty uneventful, and Christie & I had some good conversation about life, the children, the race etc. We finally arrived in Louisville late Friday afternoon, in just enough time to check in to the hotel, unload the car and head to downtown for the Welcome Dinner. Once downtown, we headed to the dinner and were able to find my buddy Andrew, and Jillian and their families. Between the three of us, we have lost over 500 pounds and it was an honor to finally meet them in person, especially considering this was their first Ironman. They were both called up to the stage and were recognized for their great weight loss and were wished good luck by the thousands of people at the dinner. Afterwards, we left to head back to the room to get some sleep...
Saturday morning we woke up and grabbed some grub, then headed down to check-in. I felt awesome and slept REALLY good! After packet pick up, we headed back to the room and finished packing up my transition bags, and ensuring my bike was all dialed in. Everything was good to go so we headed back downtown to catch a quick swim with Andrew and then to check our bikes into transition. Everything went smooth, and before you know it, we were all checked in and now there was nothing left to do but drink a ton, eat a lot, and get plenty of sleep. So, Jillian and her husband Joel, along with Andrew and his wife Stephanie and his two boys, along with Christie and I , headed to The Old Spaghetti Factory for some AWESOME grub! After a wonderful meal and great convo, we drove the bike course. Ahhh yes, I remember this! UP, DOWN, UP, DOWN is the theme on the bike course. It NEVER lets up! It was great to see the familiar roads, but I was not concerned and was ready to attack this course with all I had on Sunday. After the drive, we stopped to grab some Pizza, and headed to the room, ate and fell asleep.
3am on Sunday, RACE MORNING, the alarm rings, and I start chugging Gatorade and getting in some calories. I slept really good and was ready to rock n roll. After double checking all my preperations, we loaded up and headed downtown. As I saw my bike sitting in transition, I looked at my Black Beauty, gave her the old nod & wink, and told her (my bike) we HAD to rip it up today, and I needed all she had! I checked everything on my bike, topped off the air pressure, loaded up my bottles, and called it "READY". Christie and I then headed out to walk the mile to get to the race start. Once over there, I got body marked and began to stand in line for the swim start. Louisville has a time trial start so there is no mass start and you jump in the water according to where you are in the incredibly long line. After finding my place in line, there is nothing but waiting until the cannon goes off...
At 6:50am the Pro's cannon went off and the race was officially under way. The line moved quick and then, after about 15 minutes came to hault for several minutes. I later found out that it was as a result of a man passing out and subsequently dying in the water just minutes after the start. More on this later... As the line picked up again, it moved quick, and before I knew it, I was running down the ramp to start my swim. I saw Christie and gave her a huge hug and smooch and told her I would see her in a bit. Down the ramp I went and I jumped in the warm water and began to immediately find a comfortable groove to settle in to. The swim was very uneventful, went by pretty quick, and I ended up setting a PR on the swim. Total swim time for the 2.4 miles was 1:09:44.
As I went into the transition tent, it finally struck me that, although I have always felt I am a decent swimmer, I was fully able to say that Cycling is now my strongest discipline in Triathlon. So, as I am gearing up for the ride, nothing but positivety was flowing through my mind, and I knew it was going to be a great day on the bike. The first 10-12 miles are pretty flat, and then the unrelenting hills begin. My plan of attack was to survive the uphills and attack the downhills as hard as I could so the momentum would help carry me up the next hill, which worked well. The bike leg went by fast and it was a HUUUUUGE lift to see my gorgeous wife waving at me as I passed through La Grange for the second time. After that, a little wind kicked up and I slowed a bit, but made it back in to transition with a total bike time of 5:49:59 which gave me a 19.2 mph Average for 112 miles and a HUUUUGE PR (almost 2.5mph avg faster than 2009). Garmin said we had just about 5,000' of elevation on the bike...
Back in to Transition to get ready to run, I WAS feeling pretty good, and my spirits were soaring after hittin 2 PR's on the first two disciplines. I get sun screen lathered on, turn my race belt around, and headed out. It took me a little bit to get going, but after I hit the bridge to go out and back on, I felt some energy kick in, and then I began running and felt like I was on cruise control. After about 11-12 miles of running, I start feeling like crud. My gut started turning and I became very queesy. I was reduced to a walk and then began dry heeving. This was going to be a death march! It goes to show you that you never know what the day is going to bring. It could have been too little sodium, swallowing some of the nasty Ohio River on the swim, or any other number of things... Either way, it was NOT good and I was struggling. After walking for a few miles, I noticed they started putting out Chicken brothe. I started chugging it, and very soon started feeling better. I picked it back up and was able to do a little better. Between mile 14 and 20 were the darkest miles and hours of my race. Here were my run splits, you can easily see where the worst of the struggles were:
RUN SPLIT 1: 3.39 mi 3.39 mi (38:24) 11:19/mi
RUN SPLIT 2: 8.2 mi 4.81 mi (55:38) 11:33/mi
RUN SPLIT 3: 13.1 mi 4.9 mi (58:42) 11:58/mi
RUN SPLIT 4: 15.33 mi 2.23 mi (29:55) 13:24/mi
RUN SPLIT 5: 20.1 mi 4.77 mi (1:15:16) 15:46/mi
RUN SPLIT 6: 25.04 mi 4.94 mi (1:05:27) 13:14/mi
RUN SPLIT 7: 26.2 mi 1.16 mi (14:10) 12:12/mi
TOTAL RUN 26.2 mi (5:37:32) 12:52/mi
As I look down at my watch and realize if I can throw a quick shuffle together until the finish, I can finish in under 13 hours. So, I gave it all I had, fought through some severe discomfort and turned the corner to 4th St. Just as I remembered, the atmosphere at the finish was ELECTRIC! THOUSANDS of people lining the street, music blaring, bright lights shinning, and after a very fun and challenging day, I realized this was it! I saw Christie in the crowd, ran like I stole something, and finished strong to the words "DAN BENINTENDI, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN". I look down at my watch and check the official results, 12:58:10!!! YESSSSSSS!!! In 2009, I finished in 14:14:13, so, even with a horrendous marathon I still improved my overall time from Ironman Arizona last year by over 30 minutes! I DID IT!
Ironman #3 in the books!!! Another sweet finisher's medal, many more incredible memories, and another race I can say that I improved dramatically for. In the past week I have contemplated what meant the most to me about the race. I have deduced, that it really was not the race at all, it was the life lessons learned in the process. I have been thinking about the guy who passed away just moments after the swim start. After reading a bit about this man, I found out he had never competed in a triathlon before, and he had been treating high blood pressure with medication, and suffered from an enlarged heart, which neither he or his family knew about. While it is tragic the way he died, there is glory in it. He died trying to fulfill a dream! I immediately thought back to a slogan I used as my monacur after I lost weight a couple of years ago... "What good is adding years to your life, unless you add life to your years". This man was the epitome of that very slogan and I consider it a honor to have toed the line with him.
The MOST incredible and meaningful thing about this race, to me, was the opportunity to spend several days with the love of my life, free from worries and the kids, as they were being cared for by my mother-in-law, Grace. We fell in love all over again this past weekend, and shared so many cool moments. Mostly laughing, holding hands, and having great conversations. I KNEW I had WON the race on the car ride home. As we got closer to home, I felt the need to ask Christie: "What can I do to be a better husband to you"? Her reply: "Nothing that I can think of". And she went on to mention all the things she appreciated about me. Anytime you can train for an Ironman, have a demanding carreer, teach 6 Spin Classes a week, attend your childrens practices and games, mow the lawn, etc, and have your wife tell you those words, in the grand scheme of things, an Ironman Finsher's Medal doesn't even come close.
The moral of the story? I think I have finally got it right. Focus on your faith, your family, your career, and let all the other things, INCLUDING Ironman fall in behind. When you train, train HARD, train SMART, and realize a 2 hour ride at near threshold is far more beneficial than 4 hours of wasted time not challenging yourself. When we fail at home, we fail at life. When we WIN at home, we WIN at life. THAT is the lesson I learned at Ironman Louisville.
I am so very blessed, beyond any words I have within me. Grateful for the opportuinity I have been given to get out and do these awesome events. Blessed with the most beautiful and wonderful children. And so undeserving of the greatest wife and mother the world has ever known... My Sweetheart Christie. This one was for my family. Because, now that I have my priorities in check, we ALL won this Ironman together.
SO that's it, a GREAT event, a great weekend, wonderful memories, and a deeper respect and grattitude for all the great things I have in my life. Now, on to the next great adventure! Thank you all for your continued support, encouragement, and love. These are the things that make me want to keep trying harder every day. Let's get out there and live!!!
My journey to this Ironman started long before we got in the car to drive the 900 miles to get to Louisville. It started, as it did for everyone participating in the event, many months ago. I trained harder, smarter, and more effectively for this event, than any other event I have done. I am now a believer in shorter much more intense training sessions, versus hours and hours of wasted miles with no real purpose. My biggest battle leading up to this race was keeping balance in my life. I will touch on this a bit later...
As Christie and I loaded up the car late Thursday night / Friday morning, we kissed the children good night, and headed out for the 14 hour drive. The drive was pretty uneventful, and Christie & I had some good conversation about life, the children, the race etc. We finally arrived in Louisville late Friday afternoon, in just enough time to check in to the hotel, unload the car and head to downtown for the Welcome Dinner. Once downtown, we headed to the dinner and were able to find my buddy Andrew, and Jillian and their families. Between the three of us, we have lost over 500 pounds and it was an honor to finally meet them in person, especially considering this was their first Ironman. They were both called up to the stage and were recognized for their great weight loss and were wished good luck by the thousands of people at the dinner. Afterwards, we left to head back to the room to get some sleep...
Saturday morning we woke up and grabbed some grub, then headed down to check-in. I felt awesome and slept REALLY good! After packet pick up, we headed back to the room and finished packing up my transition bags, and ensuring my bike was all dialed in. Everything was good to go so we headed back downtown to catch a quick swim with Andrew and then to check our bikes into transition. Everything went smooth, and before you know it, we were all checked in and now there was nothing left to do but drink a ton, eat a lot, and get plenty of sleep. So, Jillian and her husband Joel, along with Andrew and his wife Stephanie and his two boys, along with Christie and I , headed to The Old Spaghetti Factory for some AWESOME grub! After a wonderful meal and great convo, we drove the bike course. Ahhh yes, I remember this! UP, DOWN, UP, DOWN is the theme on the bike course. It NEVER lets up! It was great to see the familiar roads, but I was not concerned and was ready to attack this course with all I had on Sunday. After the drive, we stopped to grab some Pizza, and headed to the room, ate and fell asleep.
3am on Sunday, RACE MORNING, the alarm rings, and I start chugging Gatorade and getting in some calories. I slept really good and was ready to rock n roll. After double checking all my preperations, we loaded up and headed downtown. As I saw my bike sitting in transition, I looked at my Black Beauty, gave her the old nod & wink, and told her (my bike) we HAD to rip it up today, and I needed all she had! I checked everything on my bike, topped off the air pressure, loaded up my bottles, and called it "READY". Christie and I then headed out to walk the mile to get to the race start. Once over there, I got body marked and began to stand in line for the swim start. Louisville has a time trial start so there is no mass start and you jump in the water according to where you are in the incredibly long line. After finding my place in line, there is nothing but waiting until the cannon goes off...
At 6:50am the Pro's cannon went off and the race was officially under way. The line moved quick and then, after about 15 minutes came to hault for several minutes. I later found out that it was as a result of a man passing out and subsequently dying in the water just minutes after the start. More on this later... As the line picked up again, it moved quick, and before I knew it, I was running down the ramp to start my swim. I saw Christie and gave her a huge hug and smooch and told her I would see her in a bit. Down the ramp I went and I jumped in the warm water and began to immediately find a comfortable groove to settle in to. The swim was very uneventful, went by pretty quick, and I ended up setting a PR on the swim. Total swim time for the 2.4 miles was 1:09:44.
As I went into the transition tent, it finally struck me that, although I have always felt I am a decent swimmer, I was fully able to say that Cycling is now my strongest discipline in Triathlon. So, as I am gearing up for the ride, nothing but positivety was flowing through my mind, and I knew it was going to be a great day on the bike. The first 10-12 miles are pretty flat, and then the unrelenting hills begin. My plan of attack was to survive the uphills and attack the downhills as hard as I could so the momentum would help carry me up the next hill, which worked well. The bike leg went by fast and it was a HUUUUUGE lift to see my gorgeous wife waving at me as I passed through La Grange for the second time. After that, a little wind kicked up and I slowed a bit, but made it back in to transition with a total bike time of 5:49:59 which gave me a 19.2 mph Average for 112 miles and a HUUUUGE PR (almost 2.5mph avg faster than 2009). Garmin said we had just about 5,000' of elevation on the bike...
Back in to Transition to get ready to run, I WAS feeling pretty good, and my spirits were soaring after hittin 2 PR's on the first two disciplines. I get sun screen lathered on, turn my race belt around, and headed out. It took me a little bit to get going, but after I hit the bridge to go out and back on, I felt some energy kick in, and then I began running and felt like I was on cruise control. After about 11-12 miles of running, I start feeling like crud. My gut started turning and I became very queesy. I was reduced to a walk and then began dry heeving. This was going to be a death march! It goes to show you that you never know what the day is going to bring. It could have been too little sodium, swallowing some of the nasty Ohio River on the swim, or any other number of things... Either way, it was NOT good and I was struggling. After walking for a few miles, I noticed they started putting out Chicken brothe. I started chugging it, and very soon started feeling better. I picked it back up and was able to do a little better. Between mile 14 and 20 were the darkest miles and hours of my race. Here were my run splits, you can easily see where the worst of the struggles were:
RUN SPLIT 1: 3.39 mi 3.39 mi (38:24) 11:19/mi
RUN SPLIT 2: 8.2 mi 4.81 mi (55:38) 11:33/mi
RUN SPLIT 3: 13.1 mi 4.9 mi (58:42) 11:58/mi
RUN SPLIT 4: 15.33 mi 2.23 mi (29:55) 13:24/mi
RUN SPLIT 5: 20.1 mi 4.77 mi (1:15:16) 15:46/mi
RUN SPLIT 6: 25.04 mi 4.94 mi (1:05:27) 13:14/mi
RUN SPLIT 7: 26.2 mi 1.16 mi (14:10) 12:12/mi
TOTAL RUN 26.2 mi (5:37:32) 12:52/mi
As I look down at my watch and realize if I can throw a quick shuffle together until the finish, I can finish in under 13 hours. So, I gave it all I had, fought through some severe discomfort and turned the corner to 4th St. Just as I remembered, the atmosphere at the finish was ELECTRIC! THOUSANDS of people lining the street, music blaring, bright lights shinning, and after a very fun and challenging day, I realized this was it! I saw Christie in the crowd, ran like I stole something, and finished strong to the words "DAN BENINTENDI, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN". I look down at my watch and check the official results, 12:58:10!!! YESSSSSSS!!! In 2009, I finished in 14:14:13, so, even with a horrendous marathon I still improved my overall time from Ironman Arizona last year by over 30 minutes! I DID IT!
Ironman #3 in the books!!! Another sweet finisher's medal, many more incredible memories, and another race I can say that I improved dramatically for. In the past week I have contemplated what meant the most to me about the race. I have deduced, that it really was not the race at all, it was the life lessons learned in the process. I have been thinking about the guy who passed away just moments after the swim start. After reading a bit about this man, I found out he had never competed in a triathlon before, and he had been treating high blood pressure with medication, and suffered from an enlarged heart, which neither he or his family knew about. While it is tragic the way he died, there is glory in it. He died trying to fulfill a dream! I immediately thought back to a slogan I used as my monacur after I lost weight a couple of years ago... "What good is adding years to your life, unless you add life to your years". This man was the epitome of that very slogan and I consider it a honor to have toed the line with him.
The MOST incredible and meaningful thing about this race, to me, was the opportunity to spend several days with the love of my life, free from worries and the kids, as they were being cared for by my mother-in-law, Grace. We fell in love all over again this past weekend, and shared so many cool moments. Mostly laughing, holding hands, and having great conversations. I KNEW I had WON the race on the car ride home. As we got closer to home, I felt the need to ask Christie: "What can I do to be a better husband to you"? Her reply: "Nothing that I can think of". And she went on to mention all the things she appreciated about me. Anytime you can train for an Ironman, have a demanding carreer, teach 6 Spin Classes a week, attend your childrens practices and games, mow the lawn, etc, and have your wife tell you those words, in the grand scheme of things, an Ironman Finsher's Medal doesn't even come close.
The moral of the story? I think I have finally got it right. Focus on your faith, your family, your career, and let all the other things, INCLUDING Ironman fall in behind. When you train, train HARD, train SMART, and realize a 2 hour ride at near threshold is far more beneficial than 4 hours of wasted time not challenging yourself. When we fail at home, we fail at life. When we WIN at home, we WIN at life. THAT is the lesson I learned at Ironman Louisville.
I am so very blessed, beyond any words I have within me. Grateful for the opportuinity I have been given to get out and do these awesome events. Blessed with the most beautiful and wonderful children. And so undeserving of the greatest wife and mother the world has ever known... My Sweetheart Christie. This one was for my family. Because, now that I have my priorities in check, we ALL won this Ironman together.
SO that's it, a GREAT event, a great weekend, wonderful memories, and a deeper respect and grattitude for all the great things I have in my life. Now, on to the next great adventure! Thank you all for your continued support, encouragement, and love. These are the things that make me want to keep trying harder every day. Let's get out there and live!!!
Your Friend In Health & Sport,
Dan Benintendi - OH Support Group Leader
www.trimywill.com
www.swimfromobesity.com
www.trimywill.blogspot.com
Support Group: www.obesityhelp.com/group/Post_Op_PRs/
Dan Benintendi - OH Support Group Leader
www.trimywill.com
www.swimfromobesity.com
www.trimywill.blogspot.com
Support Group: www.obesityhelp.com/group/Post_Op_PRs/
Wow, what a wonderful and inspirational report. I really love the moral. I still don't know how you juggle all that. I'm still trying to figure out how to get it right and that's with one kid away in college and only one home who doesn't need me much anymore. And I only work part-time. But finding time for me, putting myself first so I can accomplish my goals is still something I struggle with daily. I'm doing it, but some days it's a struggle to get in that exercise when my family needs me.
Good luck in your next adventure. You are very blessed to have such a wonderful family.
Congratulations!
Jan
Good luck in your next adventure. You are very blessed to have such a wonderful family.
Congratulations!
Jan
Bay to Breakers 12K May 15, 2011 (1:54:40) First 5K 5/23/11 (41:22)
Half Marathons: Napa: 7/18/10 (4:11:21) 7/17/11 (3:30:58) 7/15/12 (3:13:11.5)
SJ Rock and Roll: 10/2/10 (3:58:22) Run Surf City: 2/6/11 (3:19:54)
Diva: 5/6/12 (3:35:00)
HW/SW/CW 349/326/176
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
Half Marathons: Napa: 7/18/10 (4:11:21) 7/17/11 (3:30:58) 7/15/12 (3:13:11.5)
SJ Rock and Roll: 10/2/10 (3:58:22) Run Surf City: 2/6/11 (3:19:54)
Diva: 5/6/12 (3:35:00)
HW/SW/CW 349/326/176
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
When I saw that you had posted your race report. I went to the kitchen to brew up a cup of hot tea and then back to chair to settle in with what I knew was going to be a great read. It was well worth the wait.!! Thanks so much for sharing, Dan. You are correct - you definitely won this Ironman and the victory is so much more than crossing the finish line.
KUDOS!!! and oh yeah - Congrats for kicking some boot-tay during the race as well!!! HUGE PR's!
KUDOS!!! and oh yeah - Congrats for kicking some boot-tay during the race as well!!! HUGE PR's!
I am creating my own revolution and PAMdemonium reigns!
RNY 11/16/2010
SW 270, CW 155, GW 135
1st 5k time 40:34 (Dec 2013)
Love the report Dan! Big congrats on going sub 13! Even if it was just a small part, I'm glad to have been part of the journey of your 3rd Ironman. It was awesome to finally meet you, and I hope to race with you again in the future.
Jillian
Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran, Army Wife, 3x Ironman Finisher
It's really beautiful that the top highlight of the weekend wasn't your AMAZING athletic performance. I'm so thrilled for you that your whole life seemed to come together for and at this event.
Congrats!!
Congrats!!
Read my blog, BARIATHLETE I run because I can.
First 5K race October 4, 2009 (34.59) PR 5/22/11 (27:26)
First 5 Mile: January 1, 2011 (50:30)
First 10K: July 4, 2010 (1:03.26) New PR 4/10/11 (1:01.14)
First 10 Mile: April 11, 2010 (1:46.15)
First 1/2 marathon: June 13, 2010 (2:22.21) PR: 5/1/11 (2:17.30)
First Marathon: October 16, 2011: 5:47:20
Goofy Challenge: January 7-8, 2012
If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you're right. - Mary Kay Ash
First 5K race October 4, 2009 (34.59) PR 5/22/11 (27:26)
First 5 Mile: January 1, 2011 (50:30)
First 10K: July 4, 2010 (1:03.26) New PR 4/10/11 (1:01.14)
First 10 Mile: April 11, 2010 (1:46.15)
First 1/2 marathon: June 13, 2010 (2:22.21) PR: 5/1/11 (2:17.30)
First Marathon: October 16, 2011: 5:47:20
Goofy Challenge: January 7-8, 2012
If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you're right. - Mary Kay Ash
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