Race Coverage

Visible Fish, Chainsaw Starts & Thank Yous...

Thursday, 26 October 2023 00:10

By Maggie Swanson

IRONMAN Kona race report –I just had the honor of competing at the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, on October 14th. I qualified for Kona in September of 2022 at IRONMAN Madison in Wisconsin, and continued training for 2023. My first race this year was at IRONMAN Chattanooga 70.3 in May, and I tore my Achilles tendon on mile 10 of the run. It looked like my season and my dream of racing Kona was over!  ...

I had surgery to repair my Achilles tear on June 2nd and started my rehab. Thanks to a great surgeon (Dr. Mike Anderson at Summit Orthopedics) and PT (Dr. Andrew Moran at Odom), my Achilles healed faster than expected. In August, I was cleared to resume full training, and my coach mapped out a plan to get me ready for Kona without reinjuring my Achilles. Two weeks before the race, we made the decision to go to Kona and compete!

My family and I arrived on the Big Island a week before the race. I swam the course, did a couple of 3-hour rides on the bike course, and ran in the Energy Lab to get ready. I adjusted to swimming in the ocean (you can see the fish!), got a flat tire when I ran over a piece of lava rock on one of my training rides (avoid those on race day!), and knew the run was going to be hot (the Energy Lab is no joke!). The week of training in Kona was needed, and I was ready for race day.

SWIM – Time: 1:04
As someone who doesn’t love open-water swimming or mass starts, I was most nervous about this leg. I was thrilled (and relieved) the first time I stuck my face in the ocean to see how COOL it was! The water was so clear, and I grew to love swimming in the ocean.

Race day was different than the practice swims. All the fish vacated the area. IRONMAN implements a rolling “chainsaw” start at Kona. At any time, three heats are in the water and gradually move to the starting line. That necessitates treading water as you wait to begin. Horizontal paddleboards hold the athletes back. When the race official blows the horn, the paddleboards rotate vertically and the athletes take off. As one heat begins, the next three move up a spot.

One expects the water to clear out early in a typical mass start. My age group was the second-to-last to enter the water. Beginning the swim was a dog fight, and there were 1,700 women on the course in front of me. I bumped into people the whole way. I remember thinking about 2 miles into the 2.4-mile swim, “I am really ready to be done with this.” Thankfully, the exit pier was in sight, and I made it safely to the swim exit.

TRANSITION 1
The Kona transitions are on a pier, and my age group was at the back. I took off my skin suit (Kona is a non-wetsuit race) showered off the salt water, applied sunscreen, and ran my bike to the swim start.

BIKE – Time: 05:18
Kona’s total elevation gain is 5,814 feet, but the course is notorious for the heat and trade winds. Nearly 80 of the 112 miles are through lava fields surrounding the Queen Ka’ahumanu (Queen K) highway, and the course borders the ocean. I experienced one gusty trade wind that knocked me off balance, but I felt fast and averaged 21.2 mph on the bike. I was moving up in my age group, my nutrition plan was working (19 gels mixed with sodium and water for the bike….yummy!!), and I felt good going to the run. Hydrating and keeping your heart rate down are the keys during this portion of the race. Aid stations are approximately every 11 miles. I took my time at the aid stations, making sure to refill my torpedo and pour water on my head and back to cool down.

TRANSITION 2
I racked my bike on the pier after the 112-mile ride, grateful for no flats or mechanical issues. This transition felt more like a typical triathlon, and I headed out on the run course.

RUN – Time: 3:36
Before the race my coach, Steve Brandes, told me the run is where the race begins. He was right! We divided the run course into quarters. The first quarter is through town on Ali’i Drive. Being off the bike energizes you. That part also has the most spectators. I had to hold back those first 7 miles of the run. I’d heard the stories of athletes walking on the Queen K and I didn’t want that to happen to me. I settled into a pace just a little over an 8-minute mile.

A 7-mile stretch on the Queen K takes you to the infamous Natural Energy Lab. The State of Hawaii conducts science experiments in the Energy Lab due to the extreme heat. The Energy Lab falls between miles 15 and 19. At that point in the race, you’re tired, the heat is oppressive, and there are very few spectators. Once I got through the Energy Lab, it was back to the Queen K and on to the finish line.

FINISH – Total Time: 10:09
After mile 25 on the run, I re-entered the town of Kona to finish. The end of the race is electrifying! Spectators lined the finisher’s chute, and the announcer classically sealed my race experience with “Maggie Swanson, you are an IRONMAN!” I finished 12th in the 25-29 age group, and #100 overall.

All I have left to say is “thank you!” Thank you to God, my medical team, coach, family, the IRONMAN volunteers, and everyone who supported me. Kona was an unforgettable, once-in-a lifetime experience, that I would love to do again someday!!