IM article in the Compass

A nice article on my recent Ironman was in the Cayman Compass today:

As a relatively recent convert to triathlon, local athlete Jasper Mikkelsen recently underwent what for many is a rite of passage – his first Ironman–distance triathlon.

Yet his results belie the fact that this was his first stab at the distance, as Mikkelsen ripped up the course to finish eighth overall in the Great Floridian Triathlon, held in Clermont on 25 October.

Although he might have made it look easy, Mikkelsen is quick to point out that it was a long hard slog.

“People must understand that it’s a long day,” says Mikkelsen, whose time of 10 hours 17 minutes and 43 seconds meant that he spent a lot less time out on the course than those who were merely aiming to finish the event under the 17 hour event time limit.

The win was taken by Vladimir Figari from Peru who blazed through the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run in 9:19:25.

Mikkelsen’s good showing in the Florida half–Ironman earlier this year had given him some hope for the distance.

Months of training had gone into the event, including training with some of the best proponents of each of the sports that make up the triathlon.

Yet all the preparation on earth cannot prepare for the challenges that race day may come up with.

Even though Mikkelsen positioned himself close to the front of the field for the swim start, he still managed to get kicked in the face, which dislodged his swimming goggles.

Fortunately he managed to grab his goggles and get them back in place and was able to continue his swim without further incident. The swim included a quick run around a marker on the beach before a second swim lap, but Mikkelsen took the run in his stride, having done a number of such training sessions in Cayman.

Once he exited the water for the last time, Mikkelsen took it easy through the transition, preferring to put on cycling shorts and a cycling shirt rather than cycle in his trisuit.

Although this cost him some time in transition, the additional comfort certainly paid dividends on the bike.

The bike leg did not start off quite as smoothly as Mikkelsen would have liked, with a sudden sharp climb catching him off guard just as he left the transition area. Caught in too heavy a gear, Mikkelsen had no choice but to jump off the bike and run to the top of the little hill before remounting and getting his bike off to a proper start.

The bike ride was much hillier than the 36–year–old Dane had expected, and since hills are not something one can train for in Cayman he was somewhat concerned. However, all the training paid off as he settled into a comfortable pace.

“Although it was tough to eat, I religiously ate my Powerbars and gels by the clock, making sure I had around 300 calories per hour. I felt fairly well energized all the way through,” says Mikkelsen.

“On the bike I was pretty much alone most of the time. I was all by myself the last 80km.

“The mind can wander – you’ve got to keep the pace. It was beautiful countryside though and although I was cycling hard I did actually take a look around.”

The bike leg represented Mikkelsen’s strongest discipline but far from attacking it with all his might he aimed to keep something in reserve for the final leg of the triathlon, an energy–zapping full marathon run of 26.2 miles.

Although it was not as hot and humid as Mikkelsen had become used to training in Cayman, he took a cup of ice at each aid station and poured it down his trisuit in order to stay cooler, which helped him through the marathon.

“I thought the run went really well in retrospect. At the time it was really tough, but in retrospect it went a lot better than I had anticipated. I was thinking around four hours, and ended up 3:43, which is really great,” says the economist.

However, never content with good enough, he believes that he has a 3:30 Ironman marathon in him, which he hopes to unleash during his next Ironman race.

Even though the pain of his first race has not quite subsided yet, Mikkelsen has already entered for his next Ironman race, Ironman Louisville, which is set for 30 August 2009.

It is an official Ironman race, with slots available for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. This remains Mikkelsen’s long–term goal and one for which he is more than ready to sacrifice another year to the sport.

So is Mikkelsen planning to take some time off from training?

“Of course I will be taking time off. Just not yet,” he laughs.

With the Turtle Tri and the Cayman Marathon on the horizon there is still much to accomplish before Mikkelsen can get his well–deserved rest.

The article was written by Eugene Bonthuys, an accomplished triathlete in his own right with two IM's under his belt and lots of very interesting IM experience to share.