So much of the race has to do with mental strength and nutrition, and those are things I knew I could control. I had a plan that's worked in the past, and I was going to stick with it for this race too!
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| TRUTH! |
I kept going between feeling a little anxious and being totally calm about the impending race. Part of me felt like it wasn't such a big deal and would be fun, while the other part reminded me of the need to respect the race distance and be prepared mentally. Sure, this was not a full distance Ironman, but a half Ironman is still a big race and can be a long day!
After getting to the hotel and settling in, I started going through the pre-race rituals: unpacking everything, separating everything by sport, getting rid of the extras and only packing the essentials in my transition bag. My plan was to keep transitions as simple as possible: KISS-Keep It Simple Stupid.
Once everything was packed and ready to go, I ate my dinner of ground turkey and roasted sweet potatoes and had plenty of time to relax.
Race Morning:
The alarm went off at 4:00 a.m. and I started getting things ready for the day. I got to the transition area around 5:00 to get body markings and set up my transition area. All looked good with the bike and setup was quick and easy. I met up with Kimberly, and we headed to the buses to be shuttled to the swim start. My boyfriend was there to spectate and came along with us too, so we got some good pics before the gun went off :)
It was a long wait at the swim start area. We got there around 5:45 and the pro men weren't set to start until 7:00. The good thing about getting there early was that we got a decent place in line and got in the water about 20 mins after the gun went off for the age group start. Once people started getting in the water, the line started to move fast and you could feel the excited and nervous energy all around.
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| Here I goooo! |
I have a history of having little panic attacks occasionally when wearing a wetsuit during a race. I never know when or if it's going to happen, and it makes me nervous. I prepared myself pretty well mentally prior to jumping in the water and was determined to just swim my own pace and avoid stressful swim situations when possible. I am proud to say that I did not panic once! Not even when I had people on both sides merge into me at the same time smooshing me! Not even when a fast swimmer came up behind me, groped my butt and legs and grabbed and pulled my foot! While the grabbing and pulling of my foot was NOT OK, at least I did not let it stress me out too much. Small victories! Yay!
I am the first to admit that I am not the best at sighting while swimming. There were a few times when I looked up from swimming and thought "what the hell is that buoy doing way over there?!", which probably explains why my Garmin says I swam 1.45 miles instead of the planned 1.2 miles :) Oh well! I did it and made it out of the water in about 42 mins.
I have never used a wetsuit stripper before, but decided this was the time to do it! I laid on the ground, held onto my tri shorts, and she peeled that wetsuit off me so fast!
Then I was on to T1 to get my bike!
The Bike-56 miles:
I made myself eat a GU gel in transition before grabbing my bike. I know that I typically am caught up in the crowds in the first 20-30 mins and like to concentrate on passing and getting out of the clusters as soon as possible, and the last thing on my mind is trying to eat something during all that. This race was no exception. It was very congested in the beginning and there were also several sections with railroad tracks and big bumps in the road which required both hands on the bike.
It was an overcast day and ended up raining on me for a good portion of the bike ride. Despite the rain, I was able to keep my speed up and felt like the wet conditions were safe enough to keep the race pace. I couldn't believe I was able to keep 18+ mph pace for the entire 56 miles and continued to ask myself how I was feeling and if I thought I was pushing it too hard. I felt GREAT and STRONG on the bike. There were a few tough hills to climb but the rest of the course was more gentle rolling hills and I really got into a zone. I kind of think that the rainy conditions forced me to concentrate more. Normally I would be looking around taking in the scenery as I rode, but since I couldn't see much, I was 100% focused on the road and my riding.
This year Ironman changed the drafting rule to be 5 bike lengths apart, and I was worried about being able to keep that distance. The course WAS really crowded in some areas, but I was able to keep the necessary space and avoid drafting (and avoid drafting penalties!). There were a few people who passed me rather recklessly and some fast packs of cyclists passing every now and then clinging to the wheel in front of them. And there were also the usual suspects who pass you, move over in front of you too soon, and then slow down for no apparent reason, which makes you have to slow down before passing them back. Pretty much the same stuff in every race :) and I was reminded, once again, that I LOVE the bike so much :)
My total time for the bike was 3:02 and my average moving pace was 18.7 mph. Not too bad!
Run--13.1 miles:
I walked rather clumsily in my bike shoes to my transition area and racked my bike. My feet were soaking wet, so I dried them a bit and put liquid body glide on them before putting on my socks. I am so glad I took time to do that step because my feet stayed wet the entire race, and I didn't have a single blister at the end!
Sooooo the run...or should I say jog....or walk? yeahhhhh
It was no longer raining, and actually I don't think it rained at all in the downtown Chattanooga area that day. But it was humid and the temperature reached 80. I could tell I was overheating as soon as I got off the bike and my #1 priority was to cool down my core temperature and try to manage it for the rest of the run. At aid station #1 they had ice cold sponges, and I am pretty sure I let out a loud "ahhhhhhhh" when I squeezed it over my head. Amazing! I just kept pouring cold water over my head and filling my bra with ice at every aid station. Those aid stations were definitely the highlight of the run. It was also great that the volunteers were dressed up as different themes--one of the aid stations were all dressed as minions...it was so cute! :)
The run course was a lot hillier than I was expecting. It seemed like a lot of people around me were trudging through it just taking one step at a time to get it done. Within the first few miles of the run my nagging injuries were starting to yell at me. My left glut was cramping up and pulling on my hamstring and my right foot was hurting me (I had sprained my ankle a few months back and was still suffering inner ankle and arch pain).
Just 6.5 miles to go! I ran what I could and walked when I couldn't run, but I kept going. Well, I kept going except when I stopped a few times to put vaseline under my arms and on my inner thighs to prevent further chafing...then I kept going :)
I'm not gonna lie, it was a painful run for me. My right foot was hurting a lot and my left butt cheek was tingling with pain from my dysfunctional glut, which was causing my hip flexors to overcompensate and they were screaming at me too! I had to acknowledge them like little kids and let them know that I hear them and I care, but mama's a little busy and we can talk later...preferably with a foam roller and some form of alcoholic beverage.
The last 1/2 mile to the finish line I held my head up high and I RAN the whole way through that finisher's chute. I sucked up all the pain and forced my legs to move and did not stop. The thought crossed my mind that I could very well pass out at any given moment, but I pushed ahead anyway and just prayed for the best!
I heard the cheers and saw my boyfriend and friends on the sidelines and just kept running! Woohoo! My 4th Half Iron Distance race was completed!!!
My final race time was 6:42 something. Although it was definitely not my fastest time for a 70.3, I am content because, just like every race, it was a learning experience and taught me more things about myself...my strengths, weakness, how far I can push through pain, that I can still ride fast in the rain, and so much more.
*******Nutrition Notes********
Breakfast pre-race
2 gluten free waffles with almond butter
Coffee
Coconut water
Nuun
Snacks
Kind bar 1 hr prior to race
Gu gel 15 mins prior to race
Bike
3 Gu gels (including the 1 eaten in T1) (100 calories each)
2 salted margarita shot bloks packs (180 calories each)
2 bottles water
Run
4 salt tabs
water
2 single serving packs of Gu chomps (90 calories each)
2 orange wedges
