My Ironman Cozumel Race Report
It al started some time after finishing Lake Placid our second Ironman at just a month apart. We seemed to be riding on such a high. Doug said lets do Ironman Cozumel. I felt reluctant and not too sure but I think I almost never say no to a race.
We checked out the details and then went to work on getting booked. We tried getting a few people on board with us but no takers.
Then one day at work the email came – congratulations you are entered into Cozumel. Ok that’s it.
It seemed less and less a good idea as the end of the season came and everyone was done except us. Open water swimming ended way to early and it was pool swimming and trying to get the long ones in there. I was very lucky to get in the last two long rides before going with such great weather.
So finally the time came and we were off.
We flew out on the day before Thanksgiving. Crazy travel day but we got there smooth enough without any delays or problems. It was Wednesday afternoon when we got there and we couldn’t check in or anything for the race. It all started on Thursday. So we got settled in to our place. It was the Park Royal Hotel. This place was very cool it was an all inclusive hotel with a buffet style restaurant and Mexican and Italian and a bunch of bars. We really would recommend this place since it was centrally located and the all inclusive is great.
Thursday came and we had to get registered so we did a little swim from the hotel walked in to town and got registered. The beach from our hotel had red flags up and you could not even get in to the ocean there so we went to the pool and swam around the bar a bunch of times and then headed to breakfast.
The expo in this race left a lot to be desired. They have next to nothing. The cool thing was that part of the race package was a jacket that says Cozumel Ironman on it. That was really awesome! So we get through that and then on to tri bike transport and pick up our bikes. That went very smooth and we headed off to the hotel. We had to get a bike ride and a little run in so we got ready and off we went. By the time that was done we had dinner and off to bed.
Friday am we headed down to the preswim. We rode our bikes down to the preswim about 3 miles and they had all the racks up for people to put your bikes and go swim. Pretty nice set up really although Doug was very nervous about our bikes. We get in the water and wow it was so warm and so clear!!! But the wind was whipping and there were waves coming over my head. We swam out to the first buoy and did a little triangle and back. I made it ok enough but was very nervous about making it for the long haul in these conditions. The place where you swim is a park and they have swimming with the dolphins there. Doug and I were at the fence in the water watching the dolphins right in front of us doing tricks and taking people for rides. Pretty awesome!!!! Anyway we finish up and hop on our bikes to head back. I stopped to get a picture down the road looking back at the swim course. While I was standing there a guy rode up to me on his bike and it was our friend CC that we know from St Croix!! How awesome was that!!! After a little visit we head back to the hotel. And walk to the English version of the pre-race meeting. Then it was time for the pre-race dinner. That turned out to be less than inspiring and I would not recommend it. They were separate which I liked because you didn’t have to sit there until 9pm for the meeting. The food was good enough but there was no motivational speech or video. Just a bunch of videos on travel in Mexico.
Saturday was an ugly day with dark clouds and a lot of howling wind. It was a great day for hanging out and resting. I wanted to go try the swim again but Doug thought it was a bad idea. Later we found out that it was much worse than Friday. Just as well we did not go. We headed down and dropped off our bikes. That went well and we got out of there quick.
Saturday night I went to bed and could hear that wind howling outside and I worried a lot about how wild the swim might be in the morning.
Sunday morning came and it was up and off to the race.
We took the shuttle bus from the hotel and that all went quite well and smooth. We got there nice and early. Got our bikes set and bags dropped off – no problem.
The porta – pots were really something there was a lack of toilet paper. It was clear that people who had done this before knew the drill and were running around with rolls of it in there hands. Lucky we met someone who gave Doug and I and Roger Little ( who we had finally met up with there) some of hers.
Then was the long walk out on to the pier. Its pretty narrow and the line went on and on. At first we just walked along thinking no problem but then it seemed time was ticking away. Finally Doug said Im jumping off over here. So he did. I was not jumping off from way up there. I kept walking until I could walk down the steps and then jump in a small jump. Once I got there and found my spot they were yelling to get in to the water so in I went. From there I swam under the higher pier and then out toward the swim start. The funny thing is that I never did find the swim start. I swam along and stopped a few times asking where it was but no one seemed to speak English and no one answered me. I finally got into a group that seemed to be a line and I heard a gun go off so I hit my watch and off I went.
The swim went crazy from the start and I seemed to be right in the middle of it. I was getting hit and pushed all around. I tried to look to see if I could move out of the pack and over to the right where I wanted to be but it seemed hopeless so I just put my head down and kept swimming. It was so choppy and so clear. I could see the bottom so easy and it just felt so nice. Seems so much easier to handle the craziness when the water just feels so nice. I finally hit the turn to the left away from the shore and then somehow the next left which I am not even sure how I made that turn but the next thing I knew I was flying right along to the next turn which was back past the start. Along the way I got tied up with one of the buoys slightly to the left and then there was a paddle boat yelling to us to get over. I was about under it as I got back to the right of it and the boat bumped my arm. I was pretty much in the pack but alone at times and as I made the final turn I tried to get back in to the pack because I realized how much better it felt to be there. That’s where I started feeling all the cold water rushing around me. It was weird and I started thinking they could have measured the water temp there and it would have been wetsuit legal. I got stung a bunch of times by the jellyfish. Weird little stings that came and went quickly. I started hearing whistles and seeing boats and I guess they were trying to keep us away from the shore. So I stayed out and finally came to the pier again and got out. I looked at my watch and saw 1:39 something. I was happy with that considering I did 1:37 in Kona and this was a much more difficult swim. Little did I know just how difficult it was for so many. Almost 300 people did not make the cut off due to those currents that hit after the last turn. That was the area where I felt all that cold water rushing in.
So a quick run across the pier and through a little shower hose area and then grab your bag run into the tent and then off to the bikes. This transition area was huge with all kinds of little alleys all lines of individual with some rows. Doug and I were in an area of rows and cool enough we were right next to each other. It made things so much better for the morning routine of airing our tires and bag drops and even bike drop the day before as it was all on a time schedule. Anyway a bit of a run out to the bike mount and off I went. Only problem was that I never found the suntan lotion and so I made a very big mistake of heading out without it. Oh ya one other tidbit about this race is that when you dropped your bike off the day before you got your numbers put on. You had a choice of the tatoo’s or the marker. So yes it was bad that I didn’t put the lotion on before leaving the room in the am. I did put some on my face but not anywhere else. Today was the first day we have had a full sunny day too. There were almost no clouds.
The bike starts out of the lot to the right and you head around to the tip of the island and then around and at some point you cross back. You do this 3 times. Heading out is supposed to be the tail wind followed by head wind around the tip where you get very close to the ocean. You basically put your head down get in the bars and never look up again. Unless of course you want to see the ocean. I did look around a bit the first time around but after that it was head down. The wind seemed to be mostly from the sides and there seemed to be a gradual uphill all along the other side. So you started fast and then the speed dropped! Then later it picked back up again and boom you were back in town. The town was alive with crowds of people and there were a few tight turns before heading back out of town toward the swim start and start of lap 2 and 3. On the 3rd time you stopped in town and there was another transition area where you headed out to run. 2nd time around was the special needs I didn’t have any special needs so I kept to the left and kept going. The winds picked up each lap especially from 1-2. I was working harder which seemed fine. I didn’t get myself going until lap 2 and then the next two I was cruising. Bike split 5:42. I was not entirely happy with that as I expected a faster bike but it was what it was. The bike was a little long I think my garmin said 112.8.
So a quick transition in to the run. I grabbed my bad and ran in to the tent. A girl was very helpful for me dumping out my bag figuring out what I needed and then she took my bag and off she went. I got some suntan lotion on my arms while I was putting my shoes on.
Out to the run. I immediately felt bad. My lower back was in a spasm and my hip flexors were in pain shooting in to my quads. I continued along feeling that I know it takes a mile or so to get things loose and I should feel better. 2 -3 miles come along and the back just is not relaxing. A guy ran up to me around this point and wanted to know what my pace was. I told him 8:40 and slowing quickly. He had left his garmin on the bike. As he was asking me he pushed in to me and I pushed him away and told him to watch it. He said he wanted to run that pace and wanted me to pace him. I told him I was dying and that he should go on. He went ahead for about 2 minutes and then I caught him. So I said hey just run with me this might work. It seemed to feel better running with him. So we ran along together for a bit and started hitting some faster miles. One of which was 8:31 and when I announced that he disappeared. I managed to keep moving and trying to get in fluids. At one point I grabbed a Gatorade which tasted like it was watered down with tap water and I immediately decided this was a bad idea. They handed out bags of water which I found difficult to drink out of. I guess I need some practice with that. You bite the corner of the bag to open it and then squeeze it in your mouth or over your head or whatever you need. I was using it more to cool me than to drink. I got some ice down my top and back and under my hat. The run starts in town and then runs along the city street with shops on your right and the water on your left. Its really beautiful. The only problem in this area is the surface is concrete with bird designs cut out in to it. Its smooth and when it got wet with the water from the water stop it got slick. But this was only about a mile each way. You then head out along a bunch of resorts. Lots of people everywhere screaming with music playing, bands. Its pretty neat. Then you finally get to a sign that says welcome overhead and then a little later a turn around. Then all the way back to almost the finish line- the crowd was crazy there the people surrounded you like you were topping one of the climbs in the Tour de France!!
This was 3 times out and back. It was good because I got to see Doug 3 times, but bad because I was heading out on my 3rd lap when he was finishing. I saw our friend CC and he looked like he was having a great time out there. He usually does!!! Then I saw Roger Little our 73 year old friend and he was just cruising along!!! He is amazing!!! By the 3rd lap the people get tired of cheering and handing out water. You start needing to help yourself.
At some point around 13 miles I started leaning a bit to the side and forward. It took me a little bit to realize what was going on. Some time after a few miles I knew I was really leaning and almost falling over my feet. I was talking to myself “what is happening to me?”. I could not straighten up and it seemed to take so much energy to try to. I just kept telling myself to slow down so my feet could keep up with my body but yet when I hit the miles I knew I was slowing down. I was really struggling. I kept moving but it was getting bad. Finally at just before mile 25 I walked a little and tried to straighten up and stretch. Then I decided I just needed to finish this thing. I vowed that I would walk the finishing stretch and enjoy it. I started running and almost immediately was leaning. This mile went on forever. I came up to the turnaround and there were people on either side of me waving those blow up clapping things that lit up it was like running under a line of swords. So awesome but I just could not enjoy it. I finally came up under the finish and put my hands up. I was tipping so bad I started falling over and there was an edge to the board. I quickly stepped to the right to avoid going right off of it. Then there was the medal to go around my neck. As I leaned to get that I started falling face first and the two kids on either side grabbed me. The next thing I knew there was a wheeling geri chair under me and they shot me straight off to the medical tent. I was a mess. I could not calm down and I was dizzy. Run time 3:56. I didn’t know and was a bit surprised since I knew I was slowing down and suffering so.
The doctor in the med tent was so nice. He was trying to get me to calm down and breathe. I finally did. They took my blood pressure and decided to give me an IV. I got the IV and then some medication later to stop the dizziness. Then my blood pressure was still not up enough so they gave me another bag. Doug at one point came to find me but they would not let him in. They were all around me. There was some woman holding my head and then a nurse. They took off my clothes and put me in to these boxers and a t-shirt. That was the best because lying there in those sweaty clothes is the worst! I guess I was in there 2 hours before I finally could get out.
Then I met up with Doug and got some food. Dropped our bikes to tri bike transport and then a quick cab ride back to the hotel.
Just as a note we did tri bike transport. For this race I would not go any other way. First its super easy you pick it up do your preride and rack it. After the race you grab your bike and walk over to tribike hand it off and your done. Trying to get the bikes through customs is not easy and can be a pain. You have to claim your luggage at your first US stop on your way home and then recheck it. This would be a huge pain with the bikes.
Our hotel kept the buffet open most of the night for the finishers. When we got back we had a quick drink at the hotel lobby bar and then headed up to shower. Then we went back down to the buffet and ate. Its perfect!!!! We thought about going down to the finish but it was not much of a big finishers chute from what I could remember and we decided it was just nice to hang out at the hotel lobby bar where we sat outside in the chairs under the tree near the pool.
The next day was the roll down and awards. Not a great event by any means. There are virtually no roll downs. One slot came back to the women’s because a 65-69 year old didn’t finish. That went to 40-44. Then we went to the awards not knowing if they went 5 deep or not. I ended up 5th. The other 2 ironmans we did this year did go 5 deep but not this one. But our friend Roger was 1st in his age group and the only one who actually made it through the race. So he got an award and a Kona slot!!! We were very happy to be there for him to cheer him on!!!!!
Did I mention that he is amazing!!!! The food there was not great and you had to pay for your own. Finishers clothing was not much either. There was some at the finish line and then at the expo which we never went back to. That was a little disappointing.
Anyway the next day we rented a scooter and headed out to the bike course and had a chance to see the beaches and go to a couple of the beach bars. One called coconuts which had reminded me that someone on the run course told me go coconuts!!!! Ha ha ha!!! Anyway we recommend doing this. It was a lot of fun and the scooter was really cool!!!!
Our opinion is that this is not a great first ironman for a couple of reasons. One is that the motivational speech and video that they do at the pre race dinner in ironman is really, really nice and for a first it just inspires you. Which this race did not have. The swim with a risk like that….unless you’re a really good swimmer and confident you would not get cut. There were a lot of people that dropped on the bike and run too. A higher than normal average of dnf’s. It might have just been the year but that would be a huge disappointment to get there and not finish the race.
Overall Doug and I loved Cozumel and we loved the race!!! We will go back again!!!