Ironman 70.3 Augusta Race Report

 Elizabeth Gaylor, you are now a Half Ironman!  Wahooo, I did it!  :) 

 My Official Time--> 5:53:55!!!

Now that that's off my chest...

I don't really even know where to begin with this race report.  I feel like there is so much to say and so many details I want to document.  When I began this journey over 4 months ago, I never imagined I would do so well and enjoy the actual race so much.  At the time when I clicked "Register", I was 30 pounds heavier than I am now, I was in lots of pain from headaches, neck aches, hip and glut problems, and running seemed to be my enemy.  And so I have to give credit where credit is due: Hiring a nutrition coach was one of the best decisions I have ever made; she is AWESOME, and I seriously would not have been able to do what I did without her.  She also introduced me to a sports chiropractor who helped me TREMENDOUSLY with various issues throughout all my training.  Dani and Missy, thank you both SO SO much!

Getting there and the pre-race jitters

Kimberly (my training buddy) and I drove up to Augusta Saturday with my car loaded with so much stuff that you'd think we were moving there.   Everyone had to check-in the day before and rack their bikes in transition by 7p.m.  The whole drive up I was feeling a mixture of things which ranged from "Yay, I'm going on an adventure" to "Oh. my. gosh. I'm doing a freaking Half Ironman tomorrow!!!".  For the most part I felt calm, and it wasn't until we racked our bikes and started visualizing race transitions that my stomach began to get knotted up.

Goodnight bike...

We then ran into some familiar faces, which definitely helped lighten the mood :)

Swim Bike Mom, Swim Bike Dad, and their friend

Then we met up with our parents near the swim start to make a race day spectating plan for them.  We tried to explain as much as we could about the race and decide upon meeting spots and cheering locations for them.  The stress was beginning to set in as we realized just how HUGE this race was (with 3400 athletes!!).

I can't even see the swim exit buoy from here!  EEK!

We checked into our hotel rooms about 15 mins away, and began race day preparations.  I ate my gluten free dinner of corn pasta with ground turkey, olive oil, sea salt and half an avocado.  Drank my coconut water, NUUN and regular water to stay plenty hydrated and was in bed around 9:15.  I am quite the night owl, so it was excellent that I was able to sleep then. 

Race Morning

4:30 a.m.--my alarm went off and I was a little confused, then got nervous, then got excited because I got to eat my gluten free waffles for breakfast.  It's the little things in life, right?  :) 

5:45 a.m.--Kimberly's mom was a saint and drove us to the transition area.  We got there around 6, got body marked and began setting up our areas.  The race was set to start at 7:30 for the pros, but our waves didn't start til around 9, so we weren't in so much of a rush.

This is the part where I always am the most nervous.  You can feel the nervous energy from everyone around you, and there is so much to think about as you carefully count out your gels to take on the bike and set out what you need for the run.  Just as I was in the middle of this process, the woman who is supposed to be next to me arrives and does not see her bike there.  She begins asking "Have you seen my bike?  It was right here yesterday, I put it here, where is it?".  I checked her race number on her armband to make sure it coincided with the place next to me (it did).  She got race officials involved, her friends and husband were all around us, and it was somewhat chaotic.  

At that moment I was getting more nervous and had to take a step back and some deep breaths. I told myself  "There is nothing you can do for this person.  The race officials are getting it under control, just focus on your race plan."  Sure enough her bike was found...she racked it in the wrong place the night before and was in tears from humiliation.  Poor girl.  As soon as I was done with setting up my things I just wanted to get out of there and head to the swim start.  Too many people were voicing their concerns and worries and I didn't want it to get to my head.  

7:00 a.m.-- Kimberly and I head to the swim start on the shuttle and promptly get in a long line for the porta-potties. 

My parents happened to arrive and found us in line.  It was so nice to have them there and to be able to goof off and lighten the mood.  

My dad found the whole putting-on-of-wetsuit process hilarious and waited for the most awkward moments to take pictures.

 

And before I knew it, it was 15 mins til swim time for me, and I needed to book it down to the dock where the other purple caps were already waiting in line! But first, one last model shot:

The Swim-1.2 miles in the Savannah River WITH the current :)

By the time all of us purple caps got down to the river, the race announcer said less than a minute til start time.  My heart skipped a beat or two.  Yikes!  Goggles on, slide into the river, pee one last time (come on, everyone does it! :P) and find a place between the start buoys.

I consider myself an average swimmer, so I definitely do not like to be at the front of the pack when the horn goes off. However, when I start further back, I tend to get stuck behind the slow people who swim with their heads up in the beginning.  Once I maneuvered around some people, I found a good pace in an open spot.  I felt good until around the halfway point when my left hand began to go numb.  It has happened before in open water swim practices, so I did not panic or freak out and just kept going.  Raising my head to sight and the added pressure of the wetsuit around my neck most likely was causing some nerve issues.  I knew it would be ok once I got out of the water, so I pushed onward.   

Things I most notably remember about the swim:

1) Swimming through river weeds and plant-life, some of which got caught in my fingers and wrapped around my foot at one point.
2) Trying to pass a backstroker who kept veering over in my direction and hitting me every time I came close to passing her

Things I’m glad I didn’t know before the swim:

1) An alligator was removed from the river near the swim start on race morning

2) There are bull sharks in the Savannah River (true story which I heard someone mention but I laughed thinking they were joking at the time)

Transition 1:

I call this the transition time warp.  What the hell was I doing for 5 minutes in transition?  In my defense, I DID have to go all the way to the other end before I could mount my bike.

There is not a whole lot I remember from transition, except for the following:

1) Coming out of the swim, I was running on the carpeted areas and could still feel rocks under my bare  feet. 

2) I had tons of grass all over my feet, which I attempted to rinse off with a water bottle before putting on my bike shoes…this was pretty much a failed attempt and waste of time. 

3) We had to wear our race number on the bike and I was having an issue with fastening my race belt. I put it on and noticed it was twisted, so I took the time to fix it

4) In the process of running with my bike I had a few snafus.  For example, there was some netting under the grass and my shoe cleats got caught up in it (of course!), and I almost dropped my bike. 

The Bike—56 mile loop from Georgia to South Carolina and back to Georgia

The bike course was pretty congested in the beginning.  After I was passed by the super-fast aero helmet wearing triathletes on tri bikes, my legs were warmed up enough and I decided it was my turn to start passing people. 

 

My legs felt good and strong on the bike, so I just let them lead the way.  I wasn’t sure where Kimberly was since she began the swim a few waves after me.  Around mile 17, I came upon my friend, Mere (Swim bike mom), and she informed me that Kimberly came out of the water before us because she is THAT fast, and she zoomed by her around mile 11 on the bike.  I replied with, “Shoooooot!  I NEED to catch Kimberlyyyy!”, and off I went.  Kimberly is a little faster than me on the bike, so I doubted I would actually catch her…but it was good to have a rabbit to chase!  And it turns out that she thought she was trying to catch ME the whole time!  Hehehehe…We aren’t competitive AT ALL  ;)  

There were a few things I was worried about on the bike:    

1) drafting, getting a yellow card and having to go to the penalty tent
2) being able to grab water bottles from the volunteers while on the bike.

It was almost impossible to keep 4 bike lengths between people on this crowded course and luckily it seemed like the race officials weren’t being too picky about it, as long as you were trying to keep some distance.  I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to grab water bottles on the move without a problem.  They chose great locations on hills so that we were already slowed down enough to make successful hand-offs.   

I was also surprised by how many people were out on the bike course cheering for us in their driveways.  There were military personnel standing throughout the course as well.  At one spot, an army guy was doing pushups as a group of us ladies rode by, and we started hooting and hollering and I even let out a little whistle to show my appreciation ;)  Oh…and I passed this guy (below) in Superman briefs.  He most definitely had to be a man of steel to ride 56 miles without any padding between him and the bike saddle. 

 

My nutrition plan for the bike was this:   

Consume water and at least 3 bottles of GU Brew 2X sodium (200 calories each bottle) and consume only gels OR 2 gels plus a larabar.  My nutrition coach told me to decide if I was going to eat the larabar by mile 30 on the bike, otherwise it would be too late for it to digest properly before the run.  Thanks to throwing up a little in my mouth early in the bike, that decision was made for me way before the 30 mile mark!  So, I consumed 4 gels, spread about 40 minutes apart, and I felt good!  

One of the signs my parents were holding :)

Overall, the bike was REALLY fun and went by much faster than I had anticipated.  I had told my parents that I would probably be done in about 3:30, and I came off the bike in 2:57!  I was super excited to come in sub-3 hrs. 

Transition 2: “Lost in Transition”

Perhaps I was a bit TOO excited because I ran right passed my transition area…twice!  Ooooops!  It is a lot more difficult to find your area when your bike isn’t there!

Take off helmet, sunglasses, bike shoes.  Put on socks, running shoes, hat, camelback, cooling towel.  I remembered to put on MORE bodyglide (Lifesaver!), and then I was off on the run! 

The Run—13.1 miles 2 loop course through downtown Augusta

I found my legs quicker than I thought I would and ran a sub-10 min mile pace for the first 3 miles.  It was so bizarre and strange for me to be feeling that good and to look down at my Garmin and see my pace.  I kept asking myself “Howwww is this happening?  Am I going too fast? Should I slow down?  How do I feel?”.  Then I passed my parents cheering for me and holding up signs and I tried to wave and smile and tell them I was good.  

It was so great to run through the downtown area with all the cheering sections and people just so excited.  I noticed my pace picking up a little more from the adrenaline of it all, but caught myself and backed off again.  The last thing I needed was to burn out too soon!   

The weather was perfect…an overcast day with a chance of rain.  If the sun had been shining, it would have been beating down on us for the entire 13.1 miles.  Thank you God for the clouds!  I tend to overheat easily, hence the reason I wore a cooling towel, and I was starting to burn up even in the cooler overcast weather on race day!  

I'm in the background with the camelbak, cooling towel, hat and the whole shebang :)  I know what I need and what works for me, even though it may look silly to some.  Sidenote:  I like this picture because it looks like my run form is actually good and both feet are off the ground!

Somewhere between miles 6 and 7 I began to feel a little light headed and I saw a few bright spots floating around.  Then I remembered I needed to take a gel!  Oops!  I had been sipping on more GU Brew electrolyte mix in my camelback, but there was no way to know how much I had consumed at that point.  My hamstring was also starting to get tight and crampy feeling, so I made it a point to drink more water at every aid station since that could be a sign of dehydration.  Also, I hadn’t peed at all and didn’t have the urge to in the least bit, so I figured I needed more water.  A gel and a couple cups of water later, I was feeling much better…and on mile 8!!!   

Around mile 10 I saw my parents again and yelled out “Only 3 more miles!!!”.  They told me they would see me at the finish line… and then it clicked in my head… “You are really doing this!  You are REALLY doing this!! Keep going, keep going!”.  I looked at the overall race time on my watch and realized at that moment that I could finish this entire race in under 6 hrs!  “Holyyyyy Coooowwww!  Can I do that?  Am I really going to do that?  You bet your ass I am!  Keep going keep going!”

 Another sign my parents were holding up :) 

Soon after, I finally saw Kimberly for the first time.  She was coming towards me on the other side, and I yelled out “Gooooo Kimberlyyyyyy!  Home stretch!!!!!”.  I was so thrilled to see her doing so well too.  We were doing this!   

That last mile I dug down deep and was determined to keep going and finish strong.  The entire race I was nice to people, smiling and encouraging...

See? This is me smiling and being nice :)

 ....BUT when there was only about ½ a mile left, I came across a narrow part of the road where 3 women were spread out walking and chatting side by side.  I said “Excuse me, sorry, coming through” and they failed to move, so as I got up on them I said loudly “Coming through please!” and they moved a little as I squeezed through them.  I’m guessing they were on their first loop, but I was determined to keep my strong pace no matter what!  Sorry ladies!     

Then, oh my goodness, I could hear the cheers, I could hear the announcer, I knew my family was waiting for me, I knew I was coming in under 6 hours for my FIRST HALF IRONMAN and I was just so overjoyed!  

 “Elizabeth Gaylor, from Atlanta Georgia….”

 YEAHHHHHHH!  I did it, I did it, I did it!  :D

 GREAT job Kimberly!!!!

GREAT job and congratulations everyone!  See you at the next finish line!  

My Official Results:

Race Report: Revolution 3 Knoxville Olympic Distance Triathlon—May 6, 2012

"If you never try you can never succeed. If you try and do the best you can, you will never fail." –Jim Rodgers

In my attempt to gradually work up to the bigger races, both in popularity and distance, I decided to start off my second official triathlon season with a bang.  Prior to this, I had only done local races in Georgia that were about half this size.  Last year I participated in Tri the Parks Race Series--2 sprints, 1 aquabike, and my first Olympic, and I had a really great experience.  I’ve heard many many good things about Rev3 races and thought “Why not?”.   

I read through the course description and it sounded doable:  Swim 0.9 miles in a river (ok, I can do that), bike a hilly 25 mile course (Sure, I can do that), and run a relatively flat 10k course (niiiice, yes, please).  I even convinced my good friend/training buddy/teammate Kimberly to sign up with me!

Getting there and pre-race events:

The race was on Sunday and we drove up Saturday, getting there a little before noon to do race check-in, bike check-in, and a practice swim session in the river.  On the way down to the swim we passed Matty Reed and were star struck.  I smiled big and said “HI!” in a much higher pitch than my normal voice, and he gave a head nod.  We ran into him again later and got a picture.

The swim practice was where we would be exiting the swim during the race.  We donned our wetsuits and hopped in—Holy Moly it was cold…66 degrees to be exact!  We swam up river for a bit and the current wasn’t strong at all.  Getting out of the river required us to hoist ourselves up out of the water like you do when exiting the pool (only in deep water).  When I realized this, I started to get a little nervous, wondering if I would be able to do it during the race or if a volunteer would have to help me, and if the volunteer could hold my weight, etc.  You know, all the typical fears a ‘woman of substance’ (not skinny) has running through her head.   Luckily at the practice I was able to get out on my own—not so graceful—but I found a technique that worked.  You know how penguins shoot out of the water and slide on their belly?  Yeah, well that was my approach, except in slow motion and *slightly* bigger than a penguin ;) 

With check-in and swim practice out of the way, we hung around the expo a bit and then grabbed dinner.  Pre-race jitters were starting to set in and I had a hard time settling down to go to sleep.  I fell asleep around 10 and woke up at 4:00 a.m. to start the day! 

Race day!

Walking into transition that morning was intimidating, exciting and nerve-wracking!  First off, you walk by all the pro bikes, then enter the big transition area and it all sets in that you are really doing this.  Transition was set up in a parking deck, which was nice because our bikes stayed dry and it was well lit.  They didn’t have the typical metal bike rack, but rather wooden boxes with thin spaces for your rear tire to sit in.  Everyone had their assigned spot and designated space and this allowed for bikes to be crammed together in a much more organized way.  I was on the last row, which was also near the bike in and out, so I was able to find my area easily (sigh of relief!).   

The pro race started at 7:00 a.m. followed by the Half Ironman distance race at 7:30 and the Olympic Distance at 8:00.  Transition closed at 7:00 and we began our barefoot walk down to the start a little before then so we could watch some of the pro race. 

SWIM:

After watching all of the other waves start, it was our turn to hop in the cold river.  Some people were sitting on the deck and sliding in, but I just jumped in—going under completely and getting over the initial shock of it all.  I was awake and alive and ready to get this race started! 

I started near the back of the pack and tried to stay out of the washing machine of flailing arms and power kicks.  Thankfully I did manage to avoid getting hit or kicked and after about 10 strokes with my head up, I put my face down and got into an actual rhythm.  Little by little I started passing people.  The sun was directly in our eyes before the turn around buoy and it was very difficult to see.  I also sighted a lot more than I usually would throughout the swim because people would suddenly stop and rest and I didn’t want to run into them. 

It is so bizarre for me to say this…but I actually found myself enjoying the swim!  I was never much of a swimmer until I began triathlon 2 years ago, and I still need to improve more, but I have come a long way.  Also shocking was the fact that I was wearing a wetsuit and didn’t mind it so much.  My only other experience racing in a wetsuit was horrible and involved a minor panic attack.  Because of that, I made sure to get out and practice open water swims in the weeks leading up to the race, and it apparently helped me a lot!   I think that I also was more grateful for the wetsuit because of how freezing cold the water was, and it forced me to finally embrace our friendship. 

Some people get a song stuck in their head for the entirety of a race, but one thing about me is that I carry on a dialogue in my head during races…it’s just what I do, I talk to myself (silently).  At one point in the swim I said to myself:  “Heyyyy, look at you!  You’re swimming in a wetsuit and you’re not panicking!”  My negative self then chimed in “What? Did you say the word panic? Oh no, maybe I should be panicking!”  But I quickly shut up Ms. Negative and continued with “No, no, not you…you don’t do that any more.  Look at you, you’re fine.  And you’re swimming in a RIVER…a beautiful scenic river!  Who gets to do that?  YOU do!  You are doing this and you’re enjoying it!”

Maybe carrying on a dialogue in my head is a sign of insanity, but isn’t doing triathlon also a sign of the same?  

I needed that dialogue to keep my outlook positive because the swim seemed like it was taking a LONG time.   Near the end someone came up from behind and started brushing along my side and leg with her arm.  The first time I let it slide, but the second time my reaction was to give her a frog kick…oops, I hope I didn’t hurt her because she really dropped off.  Shortly after that my calf muscles began cramping up—big time Charlie horses.  I tried my best to kick them out, and soon enough I was approaching the exit deck and visualizing my penguin plan.  Volunteers were standing around in case we needed help, but I put on my determined face (tongue out, eyes crossed) and lifted myself out onto my belly.  I believe I let out a laugh because I knew I must look ridiculous, but I quickly stood up and was on my way!  T1 here I come! 

This is how the pros do it!

BIKE:

“Join us on a dynamic bike ride which begins adjacent to Neyland Stadium.  Athletes will make their way through downtown Knoxville as they journey out onto the rural country roads of Knoxville. Enjoy challenging ascents, rapid descents and picturesque scenery before making your way back in to town.”

Perhaps I should have asked what their definition of “dynamic” was in advance.  I knew that the course was going to be hilly, I mean check out the elevation chart below.  I just didn’t quite understand HOW hilly.  I also wasn’t sure what the rectangle shaded in grey meant…until I was at that exact same spot on my bike and found my legs quivering. 

I never dismount mid-climb (except once on a big hill at Stone Mountain that I wasn’t prepared for), but this one kicked my butt!  Half way up, I saw 2 guys who had gotten off their bikes and started walking, I tried to hang on as long as possible, but once my legs were shaking and I felt like I was going to tip over, I clipped out and began the long walk to the top.  I felt like I was seconds away from bonking so took the opportunity to suck down a honey stinger gel and drink some of my HEED mix.  I immediately started to feel a little better and when I got back on the bike my legs felt good after stretching out with the walk. 

The rest of the bike ride was much more enjoyable.  I zoomed on the downhills and caught up to some of the people who passed me on the hard climb and then made a bike buddy, Laura.  We passed each other back and forth and had an ongoing conversation.  She nicknamed me Downhill Elizabeth (hopefully because of my downhill speed and not because I make everything goes to sh** when I’m around :P) and we encouraged each other on the second big climb.  That climb was long and winding through a tree-lined road, and I was surprised that I actually enjoyed it!  There is something priceless about the feeling you have after conquering a long climb—it’s just really rewarding!  And having others around encouraging you along was an added bonus!  

The course was beautiful and scenic; I have to hand it to them for choosing a great race spot.  Some areas of the roads were pretty bad and bumpy, but for the most part the Rev3 reps had gone out and marked hazardous potholes and bumps. The only complaint I really have is that there were no mile markers, and since I don’t have a Garmin I was pretty much clueless as to how far along I was on the course.  All I could do was just keep riding and pushing myself. 

(I normally would put a picture of me on the bike here, but there's no way 

I'm sharing those photos ;) So here's a pic of the pro bikes. 

Check out how high up Matty Reed's bike saddle has to be since he's so tall!)

We finally rode into the downtown area, meaning that there were just a few miles left, and BAM another steep gear grinder.  It was short at least, but man, on already tired legs it took all I had to get to the top. I seriously was saying “circles, circles, smooth circles” to myself, trying to concentrate on using all my leg muscles.  I still haven’t learned how to do the standing hill climbs…one more thing to add to my list! 

Bike Buddy Laura and I stuck together to the end of the bike, both dismounted without any problems and headed to T2.

RUN:

Laura and I headed out on the run together, and we were in sync…until I had to drop back and walk after only less than a mile running.  I tried to push through but something was up and I wasn’t feeling right.  I usually experience some signs of overheating and dehydration near the end of the run portion, but it was all happening so soon!  I got chills and goosebumps despite the fact that I was burning up and the sun was HOT. My stomach was also not feeling so great and I had some cramps going on.  At the first aid station I asked for ice and stuffed some under my hat and down my bra.  It was just what I needed.  I walked about a mile just trying to cool down and get the weirdness under control.  I passed Kimberly (my training buddy) around mile 2 and she was on the home stretch.  She finished about 35 minutes before me—Yay Kimberly!!

At that point the course had turned into a nice path through some shaded areas and was flat, so I started run/walking.  I would run until the chills came back, then walk a bit.  During the month prior to the race I also had been experiencing a flare up of hip/glute/IT Band pain that I unfortunately was not able to get under control in time for the race.  Even the Active Release I had done Saturday didn’t help, so with each step there was a sharp pain in my hip.  I honestly was prepared to run through the hip pain, but the chills and symptoms of heat exhaustion scared me and I wanted to be wise about how much I pushed.

 And then just as I was debating how much I should push myself, I made a run buddy.  At the turn around point I met Kathryn.  She is a Team in Training member and told me “Let’s run the rest of the way!  What do you say?”  and I agreed.  After a little bit we amended it to “Let’s walk through the aid stations, but run the rest of the way.”  We did pretty well until we hit the long hill with a little less than 2 miles left to go.  I ran up as much as possible, walked a little, but kept moving as fast as I could. 

Something Kathryn said really hit home with me.  I was telling her how I was hoping to be able to run the whole course and was disappointed in how my body was feeling and she said  “But you know what?  You’re doing it and only 1% of the population does this…. “    Dang, Kathryn, you’re so right.  I think that was just her nice way of saying “suck it up, be proud of yourself for even being out here and just keep moving!!!”. 

And I did keep moving up the last long hill.  I ran some and walked some, then when it finally flattened out for the finish I started running with whatever energy I had left and flashed a double thumbs up for the cameras!  

  Side note: That's NOT my time since we started 

over an hour after the clock started ;)

I was so overcome with a mixture of relief, joy, pain, feeling sick and disappointed with myself, that I actually started to cry.  I had been holding back tears from the very beginning of the run and now that it was over and I finished I just had to let them go.  It was hands down the most physically challenging thing I have ever done in my life.  The initial feelings of disappointment quickly turned to pride as I sat and watched others cross the finish line.   I had finished this race and conquered this challenging course.  What an honor and privilege to be able to race! 

"In the beginning it’s hard to understand that the race is not against others, but against that little voice in your head that tells you when to quit." –Charles Brenke

Total Race Time:       3:44:46

Swim (0.9 miles): 33:42

Bike (25 miles): 1:41:42  

Run (10K): 1:19:48

T1:  6:19  --It was a long jog/walk to the transition area, then walked bike out due to slick concrete and bike cleats not going well together :P 

T2:   3:14 –running in my bike shoes on slick concrete turned into a walk

Race Report: Publix Georgia Half Marathon

 Copyright Hyperbole and a Half

This report is WAAAAY overdue (see above image for explanation), but here it is! :)

Location:  Atlanta, GA

Date: March 18th, 2012

Importance:  My FIRST half marathon!  

After finishing my first Olympic distance triathlon in August 2011 and actually enjoying it, a little voice began nagging inside my head “You did it, you liked it, your body didn’t fall apart…so what’s next lady?  How about a half Ironman? Come on, you can do it!”  I quickly told 'the voice',  “Are you crazy? Wait…don’t answer that.  I can’t run 13.1 miles!”. 

You see, I’m not a ‘runner’; running just has never been easy for me.  It usually results in various injuries or pains of some sort or another.  So I decided that if I ever seriously wanted to consider doing a 70.3, then I had to first prove to myself that I could run 13.1 miles.  I and a friend decided to pursue this together and both signed up for the Publix Georgia Half Marathon. 

One thing I did not think through before registering for this race is that it is a TOUGH and HILLY course.  If I had read the reviews and previewed the course before registering, I most likely would have told that crazy voice “Hell to the NO, find me something flat ASAP!”.  But it is what it is and I was in it! 

I live in a very hilly neighborhood, so it was perfect for training…unfortunately it was also perfect for aggravating my Achilles. I recognized the symptoms before they developed into anything too serious and backed off running for a week to focus on doctoring my legs.  I then made sure to run on mostly flat roads, especially for the longer distance training runs.  Before I knew it, I was running 8 miles, then 10!   

 First 8 mile run!

The first time I set out for an 8 mile run I was nervous.  Having read Swim Bike Mom's post about the infamous 8 miles, I was expecting the worst.  To my pleasant surprise, my first 8 was ok.  I’m not saying it was great because there was some pain involved and mental toughness to just keep going, but it was alright!  A lot of things factored in to making it a good run, including the weather.  I tend to run my best in cooler weather.  As soon as things started to heat up, I started to feel like I was struggling more and not enjoying my runs as much.  Hold up….did I just imply that I enjoy running?  Progress! 

The Race

Race day morning I was a little nervous, but mostly excited to get it over with and prove to myself that I could do it!  My training plan only had me running 10 miles at the most and I was a little worried that the last 3.1 would kill me.  Ever since doing triathlons, I don’t get near as nervous as I used to for running races.  It takes off so much pressure when you don’t have set up your transition area and think about 3 events all in the same morning! 

 Waiting for the race to start!

This race was HUGE.  There were something like 15,000 people registered for the half and full marathons.  I and my friend made our way to corral L and waited for the start.  The 64 degree morning air was already slightly humid and we knew it was going to get warmer as the sun came up.  My primary concern was trying not to overheat and to stay hydrated.  I took my fuel belt with me and attached 2 honey stinger gels to it.  My plan was to take salt tabs, drink water, take the gels every hour and drink the Gatorade on the course as needed.  I learned quickly (at the first hydration station) that it was so smart carrying my own water.  The first few stations were packed and overcrowded and they couldn’t keep the cups filled fast enough.  I just kept running and drank my own until about mile 4 when I made a point to stop at every one and walk while I drank Gatorade and water.   

I felt pretty good up to mile 7 or 8.  We had already hit several hills, but I knew the really tough hills were all near the end starting at about mile 9.  It.Was.Tough.  I walked up most of those hills at the end and the heat was really getting to me.  I began to feel "chills" around mile 10 and just kept telling myself "You only have to run a 5k, just a 5k!".  Those last 3 miles went by so incredibly slowly!!  When I had about 2 miles left, the lead marathon runner sprinted by us with a police escort.  We all cheered loudly for him and I was only slightly embarrassed that he completed an entire marathon faster than my half. :)  

I had set a goal in my head to finish in 2 hours 30 minutes.  I knew I was cutting it close, but also knew that it was completely attainable as long as I kept moving at a decent pace.  The last mile went on and on forever ...but then I turned the curve and there was the finish!!  I finished in 2:30:something, hitting my goal time pretty much right on the nose!   

I definitely pushed my mind and body in this race and discovered just how far I could go.  I was a little dizzy afterward and confused with all the people wandering around, but I managed to meet up with my training buddy and find another Ironheart teammate.  Great race ladies!!

You might be wondering, will I do another?  YES, of course...but the next 13.1 will most likely be after swimming 1.2 miles and biking 56 miles ;) 

     

Race Report: John Tanner Park Sprint Tri--September 10, 2011

This race season I've been participating in Tri the Parks Race Series and did a total of 4 races.  It's very well organized and everyone is so friendly and helpful--but I find that triathletes are generally that way :)  The series begins and ends with a race on this same race course, which makes it ideal for tracking progress. If you recall, the first race in April didn't go so smoothly, so I was hoping with all my heart to improve my time in all 3 areas (plus the transitions).

Basic rundown:

Start time: 8:00 a.m.
Weather: Low 60's at start (water temp 76) and in the 70's by the finish
Swim: 600 meters (650 yds) in 14:19 minutes
Bike: 13.8 miles in 45:58 minutes
Run:  5K (3.1 miles) in 33:20 minutes
T1: 1:24  and  T2: 1:28
Total race time: 1:36:25 (Personal Best!  Woohoo!)


Pre-race (rituals, getting there and thoughts running through my head)

This was the first race I've gone to all on my own without my training buddy. I seemed fine most of the week, but Friday at work I began getting more and more nervous.  I really wanted to do well and beat my previous times.  Knowing that the most difficult challenges in the April race proved to be mental, I prepped my mind with positive thoughts and dialogue.  Maybe this seems silly to the average person, but I'm pretty sure that anyone who has pushed themselves in any sort of race or competition understands that this is completely necessary. 

I got to the park just a little after 6 a.m., picked up my race packet and got marked, then headed to transition to set up my area.  I was on the very last rack near the "swim in" and "run out", which basically is one of the worst spots to be in, because I had to run with my bike (and with bike shoes on) through the entire transition area to get to the other end for the "bike out" and then run back through it all with my bike before heading for the run.   Since the racks are assigned, there was nothing I could do about it, so I just acknowledged that it would take a little longer and I'd have to be extra speedy in the other areas like putting shoes on, etc.  I made sure I took time to visualize my transitions after I had my area set up.  This consisted of me standing there with my hands on my hips staring at my towel with transition items on it and repeating in my head "come up from swim, put helmet on while I wipe feet, slip shoes on, grab bike, go!" and "socks, running shoes, race number belt, hat, go!"

An announcement was made that the lake water was a lovely 76 degrees, and it was wetsuit legal...but I totally didn't bring my wetsuit with me because I thought there was NO way it would be that cold.  Many others were in the same boat as me...but 76 honestly isn't THAT cold.  I would rather swim in 76 degree water than the warm bathwater that was typical for the summer races.  I got in before the race start to warm up my neck and shoulder, and it actually felt warmer in the water than standing around in the cold air.

As the clock was ticking down to the start, everyone was anxiously standing on the beach listening to announcements.  They played our national anthem, said a prayer, and had a moment of silence for the victims of 9/11 and their families.  That really put things into perspective and made my worries and fears seem so trivial.

The Swim

I was in the third wave, wearing a pink cap as usual.  We started 6 minutes after the 1st wave of men.  I've been trying out different swim start strategies this season to see if I can find one that suits me best.  The first race I started in the second row and got kicked and swam on, which resulted in labored breathing and a stressful swim.  The following 2 races I started at the very back, waiting a few seconds after the "go", but that plan backfired on me because then I was stuck behind slower swimmers.  This time my plan was to start on the outer right in the front row.  It actually seemed to work!  Granted, I did feel people's hands touching my legs and feet, but I just kept swimming.

I was having a hard time seeing the buoys because of the fog on the water, but seemed to be ok with swimming in the right direction :P  One lady kept swimming off to the right too far, then would realize she was going off course and make a bee-line back, cutting in front of me and kicking my hands.  She did this THREE times--no joke!  I would lose sight of her and think I managed to pass her, would turn to the right to breathe and see her off course, would breathe to the left a few times, and then WHAM, there she was zigzagging in front of me again! 

The second half of the swim had the sun shining in our eyes if we looked to the left.  I had tinted goggles on, but it was still too bright, so I tried to breathe to the right more frequently.  During this last half I also kept swimming through all kinds of "lake stuff".  Branches, weeds, seaweed type stuff...my hands felt like they were getting caught in fishing nets and the thoughts in my head went something like this:

"Ewww, what IS that?! Eww, get it off me, get it off mee! Ahh it's stuck in my fingerrrsss!  Get away! Get away! WHAT IS HAPPENING!?" 

Between the zig-zag swimmer and the "lake stuff", I had NO IDEA how I was doing in the swim.  I felt like I might have been too slow, so I picked up the pace for the last 200.  When I got out of the water I made sure to smile at the camera man--although, I've recently come to realize that when I try to smile during a race it comes out looking like I'm in pain, so we'll see how that one turns out!  :)

As I was running up the hill to transition, I looked back and still saw lots of pink caps in the water and people were telling me "good job", so I thought I must have been fast.  In the transition area a lot of the bikes were still on the racks and I got a little excited.  My time was pretty much the same as the 1st race though, and while I WAS the 2nd out of the water in my age group, it seemed to have been a slower group of swimmers. 

The Bike

It is really hard to transition from swimming to biking, especially when you have to run uphill from the lake and the air is cold.  But adrenaline takes over and you do it... and when you hear someone gasping for air and breathing heavy, you may not immediately realize that that someone is actually YOU. 

As I got going on the bike I felt like I was dying, but then I remembered my positive dialogue and told myself "Nope, not you, you're not dying--you're RACING!  Look at you go! Go! Go!"

I passed some people in the first stretch, made sure to smile at the camera again, and then kept pushing onward.  This course was "rolling hills" and was actually kind of fun.  I managed to stay with a group of riders for pretty much the entire ride.  We would pass each other back and forth and I tried to make positive/friendly comments, but no one seemed interested in talking during this race. I don't expect full on conversations and becoming best friends during a race, but I mean, people weren't even saying "Good job!" to each other.  It was a quiet race.  

I remember during the bike portion in April there were areas of uphill where I felt so out of breath and was on my lowest gear wishing I had more options for gearing.  This time I NEVER felt that way!  I mean, of course I felt out of breath at times, but my legs are stronger, by golly!  :)  And somehow a minor miracle happened-- I cut my bike time by 6 minutes!  Yippeee!

The Run

Of course my legs felt like Jello and I was a bit shaky running with my bike to transition, but I made it, put on my running shoes, grabbed my run stuff and headed out.  Shortly after beginning the run, I felt like there was something in my shoe...a lump under my last three toes on my left foot.  I stopped briefly and took off my shoe...nope, nothing.  I started going again and felt the same thing, so I stopped briefly again, took out my orthotics insole...hmmm...everything seems fine.  Then I felt my toes and realized they were just FROZEN from the chilly sockless bike ride with wet feet!  Apparently they were starting to thaw out :P  Oh ok, everything makes sense...one minute wasted on something completely silly..now GO!  Run!

This run course was HILLY.  I knew that going into it.  I also knew the first mile was basically flat and made myself keep running/shuffling/jogging for the entire first mile.  I only stopped to walk up the biggest hill and then for small parts of 2 others, but overall really pushed myself to the point of "chills".  As I mentioned in the bike course, the run course was also really quiet.  It was a bit odd to me...but yet strangely peaceful at the same time.  There we all were running quietly with our own thoughts, goals and ambitions, pressing towards the finish-line. 

And then there I was approaching the finish!  What? So soon?  Compared to the Olympic I did last month, this run seemed short--and never would I have ever imagined thinking that!  The finish line is on a hill...so it's tough.  But I pushed up the hill, smiled at the camera (THAT pic should be "good") and crossed the line feeling like I gave it my best! 

One of my goals for the season was to get my sprint time under 1:40 AND I DID IT!  Not only did I do it, but I did it by about 4 minutes!  :)

It was a great race day for me.  Sure I still have plenty of room for improvements, but I set a personal best and can now end the triathlon season on a high note!

After the race I spent the day with my niece making heart-shaped cookies (at HER request).

How could I say no to such a cute little girl...after all, she is the reason I Tri

My niece and her beautiful scars--3 years old, 5 open heart surgeries, and a contagious love for life