Ironman Kona 2015 race report

Finishing chute.

Words. They aren't coming to me as I sit here and try to write a race report. But it was the race of a life time and I want to share it with you. Kona. It's what so many dream of doing and yet I had the privilege of participating. I qualified at my sixth Ironman last year in Wisconsin. A year of training later, here I am in Kona. Competing. Against the world's best triathletes. Alongside so many inspirational stories. It was truly a humbling experience. I arrived in Kona Monday night and decided to go for a run to begin acclimating to the heat, it felt good. The next four days I spent most of my time outside in the shade and my family was kind enough to keep the air conditioning off in the hotel so I could continue to acclimate through the evening and into the night. They are the true unknown heroes and I do not give them enough recognition. 

Race morning: 

Race morning started at 3:15 with breakfast. The norm, apple sauce mixed with a banana and protein powder with Gatorade to wash it down. Then the walk to the start. We stayed about 1.5 miles from transition which allowed me to fully appreciate what I was about to do. There is a lot of mental discipline that goes into competing and this was my last chance to focus that energy. We arrived at the race start where I was corralled through body marking and into transition to pump my bike tires. I was able to see my family momentarily before the start. They were all smiles!! It was game time for me. 

Female swim start.

2.4 mile swim: (Split- 1:09:02)

The women started at 7:10 with a cannon and then chaos. I was really looking forward to the swim because of the clarity and beauty of the water. That did not happen. There were bubbles all around from other athletes, the entire swim. This was new for me as typically I am out in front of the pack, but since all the athletes were elite, the pack was faster. The swim was over before I knew it and it was time to get ready for the bike. 

T1: (Split- 3:25)
After stripping my skin suit off, I rinsed off in the hoses and ran to the tent. The changing tents were not very big which made it a bit crowded. I threw my shoes on and ran to my bike where I would spend the bulk of the race.


112 mile bike: (Split- 6:02:34)

Getting ready to transition to the run.

My coach told me to go easy on the bike. Easy?!! It's a race!! That's not the case. An Ironman is all about the run. If you can't run, you can't compete. I followed my race plan and took it easy on the bike, for the most part. The heat was intense and the lava fields didn't help mask it. Honestly, I didn't feel the heat as much as I though I would during the bike though. Close to the turn around it started sprinkling and before long it started raining super hard the next five miles. It was a welcomed relief from the sun before I headed back to Kona where the sun and over 120 degree road temperatures were in full effect. 30 miles out from transition the wind picked up. I embraced this since I was racing Kona and that's what the venue is known for. I actually said a prayer thanking God for allowing me to experience every aspect the race had to offer. I'm being serious when I say I smiled when the wind started blowing harder. I rode more aggressive than I should have the last thirty miles because I felt strong. My coach did a solid job of preparing me for the bike as he had me do numerous 90-100 mile rides and two 120 mile rides in training. I finished the bike with a smile of relief, even though I enjoyed it. The race was ready to begin. 

T2: (Split- 3:13)

I left my shoes on the bike, so this transition was really quick. In the tent I put on socks, shoes, a hat, and race number and flew out of there as quickly as I could. 

26.2 mile run: (Split- 4:21:30)

Side cramps. My nightmare. This never happens! I got the worst side stitch of my life and it stayed with me the entire run. I went too hard on the bike. Or maybe it was hotter than I gave it credit for. Either way, I was hurting. The first ten miles were in town with people cheering all around. It was easy to push the pain aside, except for the looming Queen K highway ahead of me. In a marathon, 20 miles is mentally half way, I was in trouble. I saw my family a few times in the first ten miles. Seeing them is always a relief, it's helpful for me to connect with them and exchange a smile as their presence reminds me to dig deep. On the way out of town, the course took us up a big hill, I walked. It hurt so I ran. At that moment I remembered what a marathon felt like. I went into my memories and felt the pain of my second and hardest marathon. It hurt just as much to walk as run, so I might as well run. I did. I pushed through the marathon. With the cramps I was not able to eat so I took in liquid at every aid station. My coach came out and gave me some words of encouragement at mile 22 which helped me put the race in perspective. He reminded me how challenging Kona is and that I'm doing it. Then, suddenly, out of no where my dad appeared! He had been following my progress online so he knew I was hurting. For at least a mile, my dad stayed with me while I slowly made my way to the finish line. He didn't get to see me finish in person, but him being out on the course with me was more important, trust me. (Thank you for sacrificing that, dad.) I finally made my way to the finish line. My family was all there cheering me on, taking pictures, and crying (maybe?) as I ran past them. It was an experience of a lifetime. Even though my run was not what I had hoped for, my end time was respectable and the experience will be with me forever. 

My dad and I at the finish.

Summary: (Total time- 11:39:44)

Kona was an incredible experience. I can't say it enough or even begin to describe it. I want to thank everyone who was part of the process for me making it to Kona. Thank you mom, for coming to every Ironman I have done so far and always supporting me with your endless love. Thank you dad, for giving me the endurance to race such a challenging course and always being game for training with me. Thank you to my brother Eric and sister in law Lindsay for spending her 30th birthday spectating and always bragging on me (you both always make me feel like a star). Thank you to my sister Kelsey and her husband Jake for never questioning why I do what I do and instead make me smile and laugh, even when we are not together.  Thank you to my cousins, Kevin and Jeff, for getting me into the sport of Ironman and following through with your promise of coming to Kona if I ever made it, to Jeff's wife Raelene for her patience and love of spectating for such a long day, and a very special thank you to Kevin for all the pictures. Thank you to my coach, Chris for pushing me harder than I thought possible and believing in me. I also want to thank my many friends who came to Kona on race day as well as everyone who followed along online and in spirit. 

Bike is racked and ready to race.

Thank you sponsors and local supporters:

CBRC #mycbrc

Highlands Health Food

Rudy Project
Newton Running
Tri Chiropractic 

Chris Bagg Coaching #cbcg










Additional pictures:

My mom, Lindsay, and brother with me at the finish.

My cousin Jeff and me.

My cousin, Kevin, who took all the pictures!

My beautiful momma!

My brother and me at the bike turn around.

My cousin Jeff and Raelene

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