IM Wisconsin Race Report 2014

Flowers from my brother. 

              2014 Ironman Wisconsin Race Report

This is the third time I have done Ironman Wisconsin.  It is one of my favorite Ironmans because of all the fans and the course is absolutely beautiful.  To date, this was the best race I have had yet!  I ended up finishing 4th in my age group which earned me a ticket to Kona!  For those of you who do not know what Kona is, it is the world championship of Ironman, kind of a big deal..  I am super pumped!!  Let me tell you about my race..

Before the race

My bike had major problems..  The derailer hanger on my bike was bent during transit..  This would not allow for me to shift during the race and would put me out of the competitive field if I was not able to get it fixed.  THANK GOODNESS FOR MY BROTHER!!  After numerous phone calls and two days of searching, a shop in Milwaukee got ahold of the BMC dealership who took a hanger off one of their bikes and overnighted it to the hotel.  My brother put the new derailer on and made sure my bike was good to go.  He is literally the best bike mechanic that I know and I am convinced that without him at my race it would have been a different result.  Thank you so much, Eric!!  You have to come to all my races from now on! 

Race start. 

Race start. 

 2.4 mile swim (1:05:32) finished 7th in age group (1 loop)

The swim was one of the more physical swims that I have done.  People were all over me.  Typically during the swim you get hit and then people move over but that was not the case for this swim.  I felt like I was getting hit on all sides at least two or three times by the same person!  Totally nuts.  I was really disappointed in my swim, but I ended up with a respectful time.  The conditions for the swim were great with comfortable water temperatures and no wind or waves.  

Half way through the run.  

T1 (5:48)

The transition for this race takes you up to the third floor of a parking garage where you are forced to run through a matrix in the building.  It is a long transition and my time is competitive even though it looks like I took a nap and had some coffee..  Nothing exciting about this transition other than I could not get my wetsuit off!!  I saw my family at the exit of transition and tried my hardest not to show them my disappointment from the swim.  Turns out, the clock was wrong and my swim was better than I thought..  

Finish line with the capitol in the background.  

112 mile bike (5:46:04) finished 4th in age group (2 loops)

The bike was better than I remember it being.  This being the third time I have done this race, I have some experience with the course.  It seems that historically the roads on the bike course were kind of rough but that was not the case this year!  The roads were great and I was happy.  I was able to stay in aero position nearly the entire ride and only got out of my saddle to climb hills or stretch.  The course is full of rolling hills with a few punchy uphills but mostly a solid ride.  Wisconsin is unique in the beautiful landscape and amazing support fans that come out in full force on the more challenging hills.  I saw my family half way through the ride and was relieved to see them.  Having the support they give me is encouraging to me and keeps me focused on the goal at hand.  I finished the ride feeling good and ready to run.   

T2 (2:13)

A quick transition.  I put my socks, shoes, and hat on and ran out of there with the hope my marathon will go well.  

An incredible race, what a feeling!  

Finish line with my cousins.  

 26.2 mile run (3:52:17) finished 4th in age group (2 loops)

What an amazing run!!  This was my first time breaking 4 hours for a marathon during an Ironman, so of course I was super excited!  It was also the first time during the run portion of a race that I was able to hold my position in my age group!  As expected, the crowds were amazing on the run course and I saw my family numerous times!  Again, seeing them always puts a smile on my face!  That is actually my secret weapon..  smiling..  but I will save that for another blog post.  I followed my race plan on the run which was my heart rate.  I have an incredible coach who has taken me from a 12+ hour Ironman to two sub 11 Ironmans in one year!  The hardest point in the marathon was around mile 10.  I was really disappointed in how my legs felt, they were acting like it was mile 20 of the race..!  If you have ever ran a marathon, you know how discouraging that can be.  A marathon is won and lost in your head, so I put that thought out of my mind and dug deep.  The rest of the run was great.  I focused on my training, my family, and what the finish would feel like.  It worked.

Finish line with my brother.  

Race start with my dad.  

Awards ceremony with my brother and ma.  

My Kona ticket.  

Finish 10:51:54

The finishing line was incredible!  My family was there to bring me in and I knew that I  had just completed the best race to date.  I followed my race plan and used my strengths to take me to the finish.  This race would never have happened if my family did not support me to the extent that they did.  My brother, cousin, and his wife all came out from California and my parents came with me from Washington.  I truly am blessed to have such a strong support base.  Thank you all so much!!  Finishing 4th in my age group gave me the opportunity to go to the Kona roll down where I secured my spot for the 2015 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii!  

Thank you all for your support!  I am looking forward to this next year of training and racing!  

Please support me in raising money for Kona and this years training by following and sharing this link.. 

www.gofundme.com/shadle