Hearing “Ryan Marsh, you are an IRONMAN!” is something I will never forget. Just as I crossed the line of my first Ironman race this past weekend in Panama City, Florida, I recalled everything it took to get me to that finish line. 3.5 years ago, friendly nudges from DBT teammate, Glenn Alex, and my college buddy, Billy Harllee, was all I needed to try my first TRI. I have the knowledge base to put together a smart training plan due to my education from UGA…I have 2 degrees in Exercise Physiology. So, all I needed was a goal. Finishing that first TRI in October 2006 was a good feeling, but it was just a tip of the iceberg. I immediately put myself on a 3 year plan to Ironman. Year 1: Olympic distance TRI, Year 2: 1/2 Ironman and a Marathon, Year 3: Full Ironman. With smart training, I knew that these goals would be tough, but also manageable with great support. That brings me to mention my wife, Bree. Many times people have asked what my keys to success are, and I have come up with answers like: listening to my body during training, eating clean, frequent meals, giving my body recovery days, and continuing resistance training during triathlon training. But, I have realized that my #1 key to success is my wife. She has been such a positive influence on me since day 1. She has never made me feel guilty about my long training days. On days when I am not feeling up to swimming, biking or running, she has been that positive push out the door. Sometimes all you need to do is get out the door and you will have a great workout. Also, Bree is a registered dietitian…can you think of someone you would rather have buying your groceries? We don’t have any garbage in the house to eat, so that forces me to eat clean, and she makes a nutritious, yummy dinner almost every night. Eating habits, family time, and work are huge barriers for most people’s training schedules, but not mine because of Bree.

Now on to race weekend! Bree and I left Wednesday after a half day of work and made it down to Santa Rosa Beach Wednesday night. Our friends Stuart and Beth McLean arranged for us to stay there Wednesday and Sunday nights…thanks guys! We ate dinner at Stinky’s, then went to sleep early. Thursday morning Bree and I got up and did a 1 hour bike ride and I did a quick, 15min run after. We had a quick lunch in Santa Rosa, then headed 30 miles east to Panama City. I checked in at the Ironman expo, then we checked into our condo that was 2 miles down the road from the race venue. The condo was amazing! A three bedroom luxurious condo on the top floor of a 17 floor building…right on the beach! My parents arrived just after we did. i was very happy that my parents were able to make it down to Florida to witness me achieve my ultimate goal. Bree and I then went back to the race venue for an athlete banquet. Good food, but not what you would expect to feed 2500 super fit athletes. Shortly after the banquet there was an athlete’s meeting, which seemed to take as long as the Ironman itself. The next morning, I was up early. Bree went for a run while my parents went with me to the race venue so I could do a practice swim. Immediately after, all of us went to a pancake breakfast for the athletes and their families. Later on that day, I got all of my gear bags together and dropped them off at the race venue, along with my bike. I hung out at the condo the rest of day to stay out of the crazy atmosphere of Ironman and to stay off my feet. I slept surprisingly well that night and I woke up early the next morning feeling refreshed on race day!

On race day morning, I ate 2 waffles with peanut butter and syrup on them, had a plate full of strawberries, 1 banana, a cup of coffee and 24 oz sportsdrink.  Bree and I got to the race venue at 5:30 am for a 7:00am start time.  I got my body marked, put my nutrition on my bike, and pumped up my tires.  By this time it was 5:45 with nothing left to do but put on my wetsuit and start the race.  I sat around for roughly 45minutes and I felt nervous for the first time.  This is a good feeling, because it means that the event was very important to me.  I took a gel and drank some water 20min before the start, then made my way to the start line.  The pro race started at 6:50 and the countdown began.  I positioned myself in the front of the pack of 2500 athletes…slightly to the right.  The cannon went off and I ran in the water.  I was amazed at how little contact I got in the first 5 minutes of the swim.  With the water being crystal clear, we were able to see a pack of stingrays scurry off as we swam over.  As I approached the first turn buoy at 800meters, everyone started coming together, and there was a lot of contact with other swimmers.  Thankfully everyone I came in contact with was a strong swimmer, so we were able to make space for each other without things becomming too aggressive.  The water was a lot rougher than it was the morning before, but this didn’t slow me down too much.  I finished the two loop course in 1hour 2minutes.  Just as I had predicted.  The day could not have started any better.  I got out of the water, ran over to the wetsuit peelers and 5 seconds later I had already been laying on my back, had my wetsuit yanked off, helped up, and was off towards the changing room.  I grabbed my bike gear bag on my way to the changing room.  I took my time in transition…what is the rush?  I had all day to exercise.  Once on my bike, I immediately settled into a comfortable pace and effort level.  Since I had already been working hard for over 1 hour, I wanted to get some calories and hydration in soon.  I took some electrolytes and drank 1 bottle of gatorade roughly 5 minutes into the bike.  After that, I started my nutrition plan of consuming 100 calories every 15minutes and drink a bottle of fluid every 45-50minutes.  Combining this with electrolytes every hour gave me adequate energy and hydration…I only had to stop once on the bike to use the restroom.  The first 50 miles of the bike faced us with a strong headwind of about 15mph.  I stayed committed to keeping my heart rate and effort level low during the first half of the bike, so lots of athletes passed me on the bike.  After 60 miles, I picked up the pace and was able to pass a lot of the same athletes that passed me earlier in the ride.  Once I hit the 75mile mark, the miles started flying by.  Before I knew it, I was on the last 10 mile stretch of the bike that paralleled the coast.  We had a lot of headwind to deal with here, but I made sure that I took it easy all of the way into transition.  I finished the bike in 5hr17minutes (21.3mph)  I was very happy with this.  The bike to run transition was better than expected.  I had gotten up many times during the bike to stretch, so I wasn’t as stiff as I had expected to be.  The first few miles felt easy, and I actually had to back off a bit…my first mile was 7:15, way too fast if I wanted to be able to run the whole time.  I made sure that I walked for at least 15seconds at each aid station to ensure I could get all of the hydration in I needed.  Once I got into the middle of the run, my 15second walk periods turned into 1minute walk periods.  The hardest part of the whole day was between miles 6 and 20 during the run.  Just imagine you have already been running for 90 minutes and realize you probably have 2 and 1/2 hours to go and you are quite exhausted!  When I got to the 22 mile mark, the sun was setting, so I decided it was time to finish.  I didn’t walk through any more of the aid stations.  I put my head down and powered to the end.  The final 1/10th of a mile was awesome!  The energy was amazing!  It was a euphoric moment.  I went from the pitch black into the bright lights in front of hundreds of spectators to hear the mc say: “Ryan Marsh, you are an IRONMAN!”  I made my way through the crowd to find Bree, Bill, and my Mom and Dad.  It was so great to hug and kiss Bree afterwards…she seemed as happy as I was that I finished.  I sat down for a few minutes and poked at some post race food, but for some reason I was a little nauseous.  I decided that a warm shower at the condo, a beer, and a plateful of pasta was calling my name.  After unwinding at the condo for a while, Bree and I went back out to the finish line to collect my gear, watch some more finishers and grab some more food.  Mexican food was on the agenda, so I ate my bodyweight in chips, salsa, cheese dip,and  enchiladas, and had some more beer.  I slept pretty sound that night, but surprisingly woke up early (6am) the next morning.  Bree and I went to the race venue one last time to get some merchandise at the Ironman store  and view my race day photos.  We then made our way back to Santa Rosa and hung out on the beach for a while.  Another good meal at Stinky’s followed by watching a “chick flick” on dvd concluded our Florida trip.  We packed up and left Monday morning to head back to reality (Athens, Ga).  Thanks to everyone who has supported me in my quest to become an Ironman.  Co-workers and clients at APF, friends and family, guys at Georgia Cyclesport, and my teammates on DreamBelieveTri all helped me achieve my goal!  By the way, this Ironman thing is addicting…I am going to sign up for another one for next year.  This was a great season, and an experience I will never forget!

This past weekend, I competed in the first annual Madison Fitness Tri. I wanted to do this race because the majority of my teammates from DreamBelieveTri were going to be there racing, as well as a few other Athens triathletes. Since my first Ironman race is less than 3 weeks away, I knew that racing in the Madison Triathlon would be a low pressure, fun day. What I wasn’t expecting was the freezing cold temperatures that we were greeted with that morning. The swim was different from any other I have ever done before since it took place in a pool. We started one at a time and zig-zagged our way up and down each lane until we completed 16 laps, or 400yards. Since it was too cold for me to warm-up outside, I took it easy during the swim and used it as my warm-up. Next was the trickiest part of the race…running out in the 45degree air and putting on arm warmers, socks, a cold weather hat, and a windbreaker in an attempt to stay warm while on the 17mile bike ride. The bike was really chilly, and by the time I returned to transition to start the run, my quads and feet were solid blocks of ice. The highlight of the ride was seeing our team’s manager, pro cyclist Nick Reistad, fly by me at mile 10. I tried to stay with him for a couple of minutes, but that is a lot easier said than done. He is pretty impressive. Starting the run, it felt as if I was running on nubs…I had no feeling in my feet, a very weird sensation. I enjoyed the run after my feet and legs thawed out. I finished the race 4th overall, and 1st in my age group. I am not sure I will compete in many more cold weather events, but I did have a good time. Congrats to all of DreamBelieveTri for a great season! I think my Ironman race in Florida is the last race of the season for our team. My Ironman training is going well. I just finished a few weeks of monstrous training, and I have officially started my taper. The next 2 weeks will be easy training with just a few hard efforts sprinkled in. There is nothing more I can do to prepare myself any better for my race. At this point the only thing I can do is hurt myself by doing too much. So don’t call me lazy if you call me and you wake me up from a nap.

This past weekend I competed in the Ironman Augusta70.3 with 3,000 of my closest friends. I was using this race as a marker for my ironman fitness. My Ironman is coming quickly…in just 6 weeks! I liked the venue, and all of the support that was out on the run course was amazing. My race did not as well as hoped, but what would be the fun in that? I like a little adversity from time to time. The swim went well, as I came out of the water with the leaders of my age group. The bike started great for me, my effort was controlled and my speed was fast, but halfway through I started to cramp in my quads. Seems like a nutrition thing…I’ll figure it out. A strong headwind greeted us on the last 10miles of the bike coming into transition, so I tried to stay low, and just make my way back into town. I knew that the run was going to be a struggle after that bike. I was fighting cramps for the 1st mile, settled down into an ok pace for 10miles, then fought off some leg-locking cramps during the last 2 miles. I finished in 4:51:05 in 36th place in my division out of 366. My results could have been a lot better, but they could have been a lot worse also. Every race offers a great experience, and something to learn from. Perfect practice makes perfect, so from here on out, I will make sure that every stroke swam, every peddle stroke on my bike, and every running stride will be perfect until November 7th. Congrats to everyone who completed the race, and thanks to everyone that came out to support us!

Last Friday Bree and I traveled to Tuscaloosa, Al so I could compete in the Age Group Nationals for the Olympic Distance Triathlon. I had wanted to do this race last year, but it was located in Portland, Or…a little to far and expensive to make the trip. So when USAT announced that the nationals were going to be in Alabama, I jumped on the opportunity to compete. This race is one that you had to qualify for by placing in the top 1/3 of your age group in a regional championship race, so I knew that the competition would be stiff. I think I learned my lesson in preparation for this race. I have been ramping up my mileage in training for my upcoming half Ironman in Augusta and my season ending Ironman in Florida, so my legs weren’t quite as fresh as I would like them to be heading into a National Championship. When I compete in this event next year, I will make sure I am fully rested and ready to race fast. The race was set up at a nice venue, and USAT treated us great…the best goodies I have ever received from a race. University of Alabama was nicer than I had expected, but it is no comparison to UGA.
Now on to the race. Everything went smoothly in my morning preparations for the event, and I even got a great night sleep…odd for race day. The swim was located in the Black Warrior River and we were supposed to have a currentless swim, but 1 hour before the race the damn was opened due to huge amounts of rainwater from the previous two days. This created a huge current which was very evident as soon as I got into the water. We started by holding onto a dock before the start, and I was wearing out my arm just holding on to the dock because of the current. The first 200meters of the race was with the current…simple. The next 100meters was perpendicular to the current…a little harder. The next 1100meters was against the current…not fun at all. I was working really hard to go slow…oh well, it was the same for everyone. The last 100meters was perpendicular to the current again, and I was one of the lucky ones…alot of people ended up getting pushed downstream and missed the swim finish. I zig-zagged my way to the finish and put my feet on the shore. I looked at my swim time and it was 12-14 minutes slower than I had anticipated…rough start. I was anxious for the bike after that swim, but I was toasted from the swim. It took a good 10 minutes to settle into a good pace on the bike, and then my bike ride was decent. Slower than expected, but nothing to complain about. Starting the run, I felt okay…my legs were feeling springy, but soon enough my side cramped up. I am not one to do any walking during a race, but this side cramp almost brought me to my knees and I was forced to walk on 3 separate occasions. I fought the cramp for the first 3 miles, then I could settle into a decent pace. I was able to finish fast and strong which I was happy about considering my tough day of racing.
I am glad I competed in this event, and I am anxious to do it again next year to redeem myself…who knows, maybe I will qualify for worlds and make a special trip for that race. I am very proud of everyone from Athens who competed…some had rough days, but everyone finished and had a smile on their face post-race. No matter what happens, triathlon is always a fun experience, and competitors always leave wanted to do another one. Next on the agenda…Augusta 70.3 (my tune-up race before my Ironman).

The weekend started at 8:30am Saturday morning when my good friend/client James came over to my place to do our pre-race workouts. We did an easy bike with some harder efforts, followed immediately by a short run with some faster bursts. This race in Chattanooga was James’ first olympic distance triathlon, so I was happy to be able to help him every step of the way. We left Athens at 11am, stopped at Ted’s Montana Grill for lunch, then continued to Chattanooga. We immediately went to the expo to sign in, get our packet, and went to the beginner’s race meeting. The race meeting was a good idea because it answered just about any question a beginner would have for this race. After the meeting, James and I drove around Chattanooga to see the sights, and we were impressed. It seems like a great town to visit for another long weekend. We had a great dinner at a new, trendy restaurant, and saw some of our friends there, which made dinner another fun experience. When race morning came, we ate my typical race day breakfast that consists of 1 clif bar, 1 banana, 1 cup of coffee, and 24oz of sportsdrink. We set up our transition areas, got in a short run with some bursts, then got on a bus to the swim start. The staging area for the swim start is a huge field, so we were able to hang out with all of our Athens friends before the start. Having so many people that I knew at the race made it a lot more fun and exciting. Before the start of the race the announcer calls out the Pro/elite field, and she called out my name…so I rushed over to the start to get ready. I had requested to be in the elite start, but I never got a confirmation that I was in. When I checked in, I got an age-group number, so I never expected to be called out for the elite start. I asked the announcer what the deal was, and she asked me if I had ever won a race overall. Since I have only won age group and not overall titles, she suggested that I race in my age group. This was fine, since that is what I had prepared myself for. When the race started, my goal was to find a fast set of feet to chase so I could get some drafting benefit. After fishing through some slower swimmers, I found some fast feet. I stayed on this swimmer’s feet for about 2/3 of the course until a thrashing swimmer knocked a huge wave over me when I was breathing. I sucked in a lot of water and was choking for roughly 30 seconds. The worst part about it was that I lost my fast feet. Oh well, I zig-zagged myself through the crowds and came in with a very respectable swim time. (21:10, 7th out of 115) I was pleased. The bike was strong for me on this day. I suffered a little on a long climb that was @ 4 miles into the course, but I was flying by people like they were standing still, this was encouraging. When the rode leveled off, I was quick to pick my speed up and get into a good rhythm in my aero position. Although I rode the bike hard, I never felt like I was toasting my legs. i wanted to leave a lot of energy for the run, knowing the difficulty of the run course. (1hr 8 min, 22.9mph average, 5th out of 115) I had a great transition into the run, and took it easy up a long climb to start the course. The run was a hilly out and back course. Being an out and back course, I was able to see all of my friends run by. This helps a lot, because you don’t want your friends to see you slack off! I was suffering during the run, but I kept telling myself that there was no place I would rather be at that moment. I did not run as fast I would have liked, but that is okay. i will just have to focus on my run for the next couple of weeks. (45:05, 7:15/mile avg, 10th out of 115). Overall, I placed 5th in my age group, which I was happy about. I enjoyed seeing all of my friends finish and seeing their reactions after a hard race. My buddy James finished strong and really enjoyed his experience. He is looking forward to racing in Augusta 70.3. My next race is Age Group Nationals in Tuscaloosa, Al on August 25th. This week my focus is now changing to getting myself ready for my Ironman in November. My season has gone well so far, i will try to maintain my smart training, so I can finish the season with a bang!

Over the weekend my wife, Bree competed in her first triathlon. This was the Irongirl Triathlon at Lake Lanier Islands. The swim was 1/3 mile, the bike was 18 miles, and the run was 3 miles. She did great! She had confidence going into the race that she was going to do well because she had smart training. She ended up finishing 5th in her age group…out of 144! Pretty impressive for a first timer! She exceeded her expectations, and I think she even impressed herself with how quickly she improved. Her hard work is inspiring to me and will help me with the rest of my season. I am really excited that she has gotten to share in the exhilaration of finishing a triathlon…now she knows why I am so hooked on the sport. I will be excited to compete in a race with her someday..maybe later this season? My next race is Chattanooga Olympic distance triathlon in 2 weeks. I am looking forward to this as a lot of great triathletes from Athens will be there.

The other day I was talking to one of my personal training clients and she asked me if I ever thought I would be able to bike 100 miles as I have done a few times. This got me thinking about 3 years ago when I decided to train for and compete in my first triathlon. In June of 2006, 2 good friends of mine, Glenn Alex and Billy Harllee, encouraged me to compete in a triathlon. It had been 10 years since I had competed in anything athletic. Since high school, all I had done was strength training. I told myself that since I was previously a competitive swimmer, I played soccer for 14 years, and I was aggressive with mountain biking for a while, I had the skills needed for a triathlon. Before I ever got serious with a game plan to compete in the triathlon, I set up a timeline for myself to help me reach my ultimate goal of completing an Ironman triathlon. During the last 6 months of 2006, I wanted to transform my previous unaerobic self into an endurance athlete. I set up many small goals in 2006: complete a 5k running race, a 10k running race, a sprint triathlon, and a half marathon. I completed these races, but now I wanted more. I wanted to really compete and extend my distances in 2007. An olympic distance triathlon, and a full marathon were on the agenda. I checked those distances off my list and moved into 2008 with a main goal of completing an Ironman 70.3 (a half-ironman), and completing a 100 mile bike ride. next I wanted to perform well in a half ironman, which I feel like I did in September in South Carolina. Ok, heading into 2009, I had checked off everything on my list except for completing a marathon without having to walk…accomplished in Arizona in January, and finishing an Ironman. I WILL complete my ultimate goal this November 7th in Panama City, FL in the Ironman Florida.
So to answer my clients original question of whether I ever thought I would be able to complete 100 mile bike rides…the answer is a definite YES! I have accomplished all of my fitness goals by setting short term goals for myself, with the long term goal always in mind. I think having goals in life is a necessity for every realm of life. All you need is great support from family, friends, and co-workers (which I have), and the discipline and patience to keep moving towards your goals even when it seems so far out of reach. Training smart, being positive, and eliminating or ignoring the negative influences are keys I have used in achieving my goals. Oh yeah, and marrying a dedicated figure athlete helps keep the junk food out of the house! Thanks Bree! Eliminate Limits!

Last year I did a couple of events in Greenwood, SC and really enjoyed the venue and had good performances. That is why I wanted to do this race. Set Up Events does a good job with their races, and there is always fast competition in South Carolina. Bree, myself, and my friend Dan left Saturday afternoon with Dan’s airstream trailor to camp out at the race venue Saturday night. We got to the venue, set up camp, then Bree and I went for a swim. Bree has her first triathlon in 3 weeks, so I am glad she got to do another open water swim. When we got back to the campsite, I went for a short bike ride and run. Then, I ate a lot of food, drank plenty of fluids, played some Yatzee, watched Office Space and went to bed. I got a good night’s sleep, then first thing in the morning I ate my typical pre-race breakfast, set up my transition area and went for my pre-race warm-up routine. Everything felt good, so I was excited for the day.
The swim went well…i did a good job sighting, and I was pleased to have improved on my last year’s swim time. My game plan for the bike was to ride hard, but always leave a “buffer zone” between my effort and my redline. I feel good about my bike, as I didn’t kill myself and still improved on last year’s time by over 2 minutes. Getting off the bike, my running legs felt great. The only issue I had was a side stitch for the first mile. I didn’t let that slow me down, I gritted my teeth and pushed as hard as I could and finished the race strong. I was able to improve on last year’s run time by 2 1/2 minutes. Overall I finished over 5 minutes faster this year than last. Smart, hard training is definitely paying off!
Bree checked the results and found out that I had finished 1st in my age group. We were both really excited about this. 30 minutes later the officials posted more results and we found out that I got hit with a penalty. I have never been given a penalty and I shouldn’t have received this one. It was an overtaken penalty, which means I didn’t drop out of the “drafting zone” soon enough after being passed. I pride myself on training hard and racing fairly, so this penalty embarrasses me and frustrates me. My 1st place finish was short-lived as the penalty dropped me to 3rd in my age group. Oh well, I will try not to let this little mishap ruin my great weekend. On another note, I was able adequately refuel after the race because they offered the competitors quite a spread of food. I stuck to my post-race routine by eating some of everything they had to offer! I even indulged in some Bruster’s Ice Cream. Next race is in Chattanooga in July! Should be fun!

Yesterday I competed in the Clemson Sprint Triathlon, and it was another great experience…that’s why I love this sport. I rode to the race with Glenn, Arlene and Harry Alex in the morning, and with all of the rain, it proved to take a little longer than thought, so we got to the race site later than I typically like getting there. I put my transition together quickly and went for a short run to get the blood flowing. I then grabbed my wetsuit and headed down to the swim start for a short swim to loosen up my arms and to practice siting the buoys. The 750m swim started great, and I immediately got into a good rhythm. I feel like I did a good job staying on course, so I came out of the water feeling good about my first swim of the year (the swim was canceled at St. Anthony’s). My swim to bike transition was OK, except that I had a hard time getting one of my feet in my shoes that were attached to my bike. The bike course was short (11 miles) but a lot harder than I had anticipated. My legs felt tired from my hard week of training and I had a tough time keeping my speed up during all of the hills. With 3 miles to go in the bike, I finally got comfortable, and finished the bike strong. I came out of transition for the 3.1 mile run with some spring in my legs and I knew it was going to be a solid run for me. I rarely race 5K’s, but I have never broken 20 minutes in a 5K. Well, I can’t say this any longer, because my run split yesterday was 19:48. I finished 1st in my age group and 24th overall in a field of roughly 600. I am pleased with my results, but not satisfied…there is always room for improvement.
I really enjoyed having such a good crew from Athens there at the race. Most everyone seemed to have good performances and everyone definitely seemed to enjoy themselves after the race. We checked out Clemson’s stadium and the downtown scene before leaving town. Clemson seems like a cool town, but it doesn’t come close to our Athens, GA!
My next race is the Festival of Flowers Olympic Tri in Greenwood, SC in 3 weeks. I can’t wait!

Since St.Anthony’s biathlon, I have had some great workouts. It has been great getting back into my routine. Tuesday I feel like I had my best workout this season so far, but Wednesday I woke up feeling a bit under the weather. I had scheduled a long, easy bike for Wednesday afternoon, but I laid down for an afternoon nap and didn’t wake up for 3 hours. So much for the bike ride. I guess my body needed some rest. It is hard for a very motivated person like myself to back off the training, but it is definitely the smartest thing to do. I have to tell myself over and over again that getting some rest will prevent a small cold from turning into a sickness. If I was giving advise to someone else, I would tell them it is hard to loose fitness in a couple of days, so resting is the best option. I need to listen to my own advise and not train hard until I feel 100%. Right now I will live vicariously through my teammates and my wife, who just started her triathlon training. I can’t wait for this weekend, because I know I will feel great, and will get some solid training in with friends! Clemson triathlon is next weekend, and I am anxious to show off my fitness!