2024 Ironman Arizona Race Report
Matt's first Ironman!
I literally cannot believe that we just did an Ironman.
Not that we actually did the race, but that the entire experience even happened.
It seems so surreal, like we just signed up last month.
Time truly does fly by when you’re having fun, and it was so much fun training together for Matt’s first Ironman.
If you’re a regular reader, you know that I’m not a big fan of traditional race reports.
(I mean do you really want to hear all about me, me, me?)
Instead, I do things a bit differently. I’ll give you an account of the race (this time from the perspective of two athletes!) and highlight some key lessons learned, what worked, and what didn’t, so hopefully these insights can help you at your next race.
Pre-race Preparations
Because this race was on a Sunday, we decided to fly from Florida to Arizona on Wednesday. It’s always good to have an extra day for an Ironman, because of the logistics involved. This is especially true if you’re flying with your bike.
Matt and I use Bike Box Alan Aero Fit cases when flying with our bikes. They’re hard-sized (never use a soft case…) and have wheels so they roll easily. Also, they count as a checked bag for Delta, so it costs us nothing.
The only adjustments we make include: removing the pedals, removing the rear bottle cage, removing the wheels, and removing the derailleur. Matt is tall, so we also lower his cockpit.
We also put an Apple tag inside the bento box so we can see when they get loaded on the plane! (Matt named my bike Felty McFelt Face) Also, be sure to remove any CO2 cartridges because those can’t go on the plane.
I’ll share a video in the coming weeks showing exactly how to pack a bike for travel, so subscribe to the newsletter and stay tuned.
In the days leading up to the race, we did a few swim, bike, run workouts as well as all the typical Ironman must-dos like athlete check-in and buying goodies at the expo. On Saturday, we did an open water swim practice, which was an experience.
We knew it was going to be cold, but I love cold swims. We swim in Blue Springs here in Florida all the time, but it’s about 68F. This was 60F. That doesn’t seem like much, but it’s a big difference, especially when the air temperature is 45F. I’ve never done a wetsuit mandatory swim before, so it was an interesting experience.
TIPS: For cold swims wear double swim caps and use silicone ear plugs. Some people use neoprene swim caps or booties, but we don’t.
After the swim, we decided to add a few things to our T1 transition bags. We both planned to change out of a swimsuit into bike gear so we could start with dry clothes. I added arm warmers, gloves, shoe covers, and toe warming pads, and am so glad that I did.
Ironman race mornings are always early, and this one was 4:15 am, enough time to stretch, get dressed, eat breakfast, and head down to transition to put bottles on bikes, pump up tires, drop off special needs bags, and get into our wetsuits before the 7:00 am race start.
We always line up at towards the front, and since I did the IMFL swim in just over an hour, we started with the 1:25 group. We always have a carb bottle and a gel to sip on before the race start, and then it’s time to go!
The Swim- “wetsuit mandatory, no we’re not kidding.”
Brittany: When we jumped in, the water was cold but it didn’t bother me too much. I kept an eye on Matt to see how he was doing, because he’s had issues during race starts in the past. I wanted to stay with him until he felt comfortable, so we started, stopped, and tread water for about 5 minutes until I went on my own.
I love swimming in cold water and the 1-mile out, 1-mile back course in Tempe Town Lake ensured there wasn’t too much traffic to deal with. However, it seemed like an awful long way to the turnaround buoy, perhaps because IM FL had a rectangle and Aussie exit to break it up.
I don’t know how many people they pulled out of the swim, but there were a lot of ambulances with flashing lights on the shore, so that was a bit scary. I wore my new ROKA Maverick X3, which is amazing. Stay tuned for a full review next week.
My hands and feet felt cold, but not too bad. My chest started feeling a bit tight the last 500 yards, so I was glad to get out of the water. Although my hands, feet, and face were frozen, I was fine until the wetsuit strippers pulled off my wetsuit. That was a bad idea…
Matt: I initially hit the really cold water and popped back up. I tried to control my breathing and swim slowly, but unfortunately I had to stop and reset several times. Brittany stayed with me to make sure that I got going.
I never really felt very comfortable at the first half of the swim and alternated between backstroke and freestyle. I even swam over to a kayak, held on, and took a second to breathe. After that I was able to get into a good swimming rhythm.
Finally, I made it out of the water, and my hands were frozen into a claw shape! I was freezing while running into the changing tent.
T1- Everything is frozen and this is stupid.
Brittany: Inside the changing tent, there were so many women wrapped in mylar blankets shivering uncontrollably. Everyone needed help, so I tried to change on my own.
But I literally couldn’t use my fingers to pull on clothes or fasten zippers. My hands were completely numb, my toes were purple, and my teeth were chattering. A very kind volunteer literally dressed me in my cycling gear.
TIP: A friend who’s done Norseman gave me a great tip for cold races. Cut a piece of a mylar blanket and stick it inside your jersey to block the wind and help warm you up. I also use these toe-warmer stickers that are a must-have.
Matt: By the time I got to the changing tent, it was standing room only. There were no chairs and people were everywhere. I got my trisuit on, but couldn’t get the zipper fastened with frozen fingers. The ground was muddy, so I had to wipe my feet off with a small towel we’d packed before I could put my socks and cycling shoes on.
I also put on arm warmers and used hand warmers inside cycling gloves. I’m very glad that I did, because it felt a lot colder than 45°, likely because I'd been in the water for so long.
The Bike
Brittany: Once we started riding out of town, the road was in really bad shape. I saw so many people changing flat tires. The road was cracked and bumpy, so you had to stay out of your bars just to stay upright.
I saw two bad accidents with athletes on stretchers being put in ambulances, so that was kind of scary. (A member of our tri club was involved in a bad accident at IM FL just a few weeks prior, so that was in the back of my mind.)
Although both IM FL and IM AZ have roughly the same elevation (2,500-ish) it felt different. This 3-lap course had a 10-mile climb and a 10-mile descent. It never got very steep until the end right before the turnaround.
This was actually my favorite part because of the Star Wars aid station! There were volunteers dressed like Jedis, they had a giant inflatable Boba Fett, and tiny Yoda signs that said things like, “Do or do not. There is a tri.”
There was also a giant soccer net by the dumpster complete with a dangling pinata that you could try to hit as you tossed your empty bottles. Lots of fun.
Once we got back to the turnaround in town, the announcer called out your name, which was pretty cool. Matt caught me on the first lap, and it was so nice to see him every out and back.
We carry our own nutrition for an Ironman, because it’s what we train with. So I start with 3 carb bottles on my bike. Then, I pick up 3 more bottles at special needs around mile 60. If we need any additional water, we can get that on course, and I carry two gels and a few Tums in a small plastic bag. We also keep an extra tube and chamois cream in special needs, just in case.
We rode into the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community against a backdrop of massive Saguaro cacti and giant red rock formations. I saw a sign that said Watch For Horses- next 10 miles. I envisioned wild mustangs galloping across the bike course (didn’t happen).
At every Ironman event, I see people doing bizarre things on the bike course.
People passing on the right instead of the left…
A guy riding his bike with no hands while mixing a water bottle…
A guy doing single leg pedal drills…
A lady taking a selfie…
One interesting thing I noticed is that there was no drafting, like none. Maybe the compressed course with out and back sections allowed the referees to cover more ground.
The hardest part of this course was the last lap. The “Valley of the PR” wind cooperated for the first two laps and then it was obvious on the last climb that the wind had shifted… I didn’t think a “downhill” section could be that miserable, but the wind was absolutely brutal.
I was literally going 14 mph, and I just wanted off the bike.
Matt: I wanted to do the first half of the bike very conservative and set my target power lower than what I’d done in training.
I had a more concentrated first bottle that was about 80 carbs, and I drank it over the first 1:20. I also had a gel starting at 1:30, and took another every hour. I made it through my 3 carb bottles by special needs and I replaced those with 3 more bottles.
The bike course was rougher than expected with a lot of bumps. I was very glad that I packed some chamois cream in my special needs bag.
I must’ve been very well hydrated, because I stopped twice to go to the bathroom. I finished off the course averaging just under 20 mph.
T2-to the Run
Brittany: I changed into running shorts, a shirt, and put on my Naked Run Band (best invention ever). In that belt I carry a 20 oz. carb bottle, two extra carb bags, two gels, a few Tums, and break-in-case-of-emergency anti-nausea meds (from past experience…)
I ran past the super aggressive sunscreen people who practically chased you wanting to slather on SPF and started the run.
My plan for this marathon was a bit different than IM FL last year. At that race, I did 4 minute run with a 30 second walk, as well as walking aid stations. But for this run, I wanted to be a bit more flexible and ran until I felt like I wanted to walk- up a small hill, through an aid station, ect.
TIP: Don’t view walk breaks as a failure to run. Instead, view them as re-set breaks that help you keep running. If someone tells you that you shouldn’t walk during an Ironman marathon, they’re giving you bad advice. My friends who WIN these races still walk at some point during the marathon.
Riding a century doesn’t take a lot out of my legs, and I traditionally run well off the bike. My main challenge is always keeping my stomach happy…. (foreshadowing, dear reader)
Around mile 6, I felt exhausted, which was very odd. I assumed it was the last stretch in the horrible headwind on the bike that took a lot out of me.
Then, I took a sip of my bottle and lost everything. I vomited for a few minutes. Thanks to the kind athletes and even a cyclist who stopped to check on me.
Once that was over, I felt much better. But I wanted to play it safe, so at the next few aid stations I took small sips of water and chewed on ice chips. I saw Matt and he told me to take the anti-nausea meds to see if my stomach would calm back down so I could start taking in nutrition again.
Sadly, that wasn't in the cards.
Around mile 9, I tried a little Coke and a bit of a gel and vomited again. It quickly became clear that I wasn't going to be able to take in anymore nutrition.
At this point, I had to make a decision.
I never give up. It’s not in my nature. Still, I wasn’t sure I could get through 20 miles eating only ice chips.
On one hand, I really just wanted to go take a shower and come back to cheer on Matt. But I realized that I couldn’t stop. That would make it all about me, and this race was for Matt. It was his first Ironman, and I wanted it to be an amazing experience.
So I finished for him. That’s the only reason.
As it turns out, you can fuel a marathon with nothing but water and chicken broth.
Matt: I knew I needed to run the first half of the marathon conservatively, but that didn't stop me from going out too fast. So I slowed down and walked the aid stations as planned.
I took 4 gels and water during the first half marathon. I made it through the first loop and was feeling pretty good. For some reason, special needs was around mile 8.5, which was too soon for me, so I planned to catch it around 12.5. Then, I picked up another flask with four more gels inside and a caffeine gel.
By the end of the second loop, I really starting feeling fatigued, so I took a few walk breaks. By mile 19, I got nauseous so I took an anti-nausea med and walked a bit to let my stomach settle.
I caught up to Brittany when she was on her second lap and I was on my third. We walked together for seven minutes, which may have been my favorite part of the race.
I took my caffeine gel and felt a lot better. I ran the last 5K very strong and felt good crossing the line. I rang the first time finishers bell and ran “quickly” down the red carpet.
The Finish
Brittany: Whether it’s an Ironman, or a 70.3, never take any finish for granted, because it’s not guaranteed. For anyone.
I executed my pacing and nutrition plan pretty well, but sometimes your body just says today is not the day. Then you have to decide how you’re going to respond.
For me, on this day, that just meant I had to walk for 2:58:37 of the marathon. It was fun, let me tell you… So much respect for those still out there on the course when it gets really dark, because it’s tough.
If you plan to do a 70.3 or an Ironman, or even a stand alone marathon, know this.
The training we do doesn’t prevent the race from getting hard. It helps you to endure when the race gets hard. Because it will. I can promise you that.
It gets hard in varying degrees and in different ways for different people, but prepare for the moment when you don’t think you can, or don’t want to keep going.
Despite what happened on the run, I tried to focus on the good. One time, as I walked through a chute holding my side in pain, people started clapping, then cheering, and the entire chute was going crazy. Almost made me cry.
The spectator support on this course was incredible (including the DJ, inflatable hippo, and light-up unicorn.) I got to chat with several athletes and everyone I talked to was doing their first Ironman.
Out there in the dark, we commiserated together. Troubleshooted together. And kept going, together.
In life, rarely is anything all good or all bad. There’s shades to it all. I had a pretty great swim and hung around the top 20 until I got off the bike. Then, we had some issues on the run.
But I’m so proud of how hard Matt has worked getting ready for this race. He’s a doctor and sees 13-18 patients a day. Even if he’s exhausted, sore, or burned out, he still has to show up. He has to be on every minute of every day, because lives are at stake.
But this was something he got to do for himself. To push his limits. To prove he has the mental strength to keep going when things get tough. To go the distance and come out on the other side feeling proud of what he’s accomplished.
I’m so proud of him too.
*After he finished, he and Mom walked our bikes back to the hotel, washed bottles, started laundry, and brought me back a shirt to wear on the last lap of the run when it got really cold.
Matt: I got some post-race snacks and headed out on the course to find Brittany and give her some encouragement for the last lap.
Overall, I was pleased with my race. I lived out my pretty standard triathlon experience of overcoming adversity early in the race and trying to finish strong.
Given that my longest run up to this point was 18 miles, I was in uncharted territory for the marathon. While my pace slowed a bit from miles 19-23, I was still able to reserve some energy for the finish.
Now, a few days after the race, I can look back on the experience a bit more fondly. Although, I can't remember thinking to myself, ‘this is fun’.
Whew! That was a lot. Kudos if you read this far.
But it’s an Ironman, so it deserves an Ironman-worthy race report. Not sorry.
Scroll below to check out more amazing photos from our adventures in Arizona. The day after the race, we headed to the Grand Canyon to do some hiking with friends and had a lot of fun.
If you’re new here, remember to sign up for the Triple Threat Life Club. It’s just $5 a month and includes:
Exclusive product discounts (adding another nutrition partner next week!)
Bonus, members-only content
Post voiceover (listen to just like a podcast)
Monthly Zoom chat with me, Matt, and our guest speakers.
The next Zoom chat will be the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for date/time. Because we have so many new subscribers, we’re not doing a guest speaker this time. Instead it will be an Ask Us Anything Session and everyone is invited!
We’ll talk briefly about how we both got started in the sport and then you can ask us anything.
Have questions about doing your first 70.3 or Ironman? Bring it on.
Want to know more about Ironman Arizona? We can tell you stories.
Want tips about cultivating mental strength, recovering from injury, planning a race schedule, or even product recommendations? We’re here for you.
See you all then!
“I ran past the super aggressive sunscreen people…” 😄 What is that? Is that an Ironman thing, people putting sunscreen on you?
Also, do you mind sharing what kind of anti-nausea meds you use? I haven’t had much luck with ginger chews or even actual ginger.
Great race report and an amazing experience for both of you, congratulations!