Chattahoochee Challenge Half Iron Race Report (Columbus, GA)

Going into this race, I had a few goals in mind and a tentative plan to reach them.  I realize that every race course is different and presents its own set of challenges.  For example, my first half iron race last September had pretty perfect conditions on race day and resulted in a fast time for me.  I knew that my swim would not be as fast in this race since we would be swimming against the current for some of it, but I REALLY wanted to try my best to come in under 6 hours.  So assuming my swim was 10 minutes slower, I would need to make my transitions super fast and try to make up time wherever I could.

This was the plan BEFORE I realized that the temperature was going to be 42 degrees at race start and would be maybe 46 degrees by the time I hopped on the bike WET after the swim.  This meant that I needed to take time in transition to put on an extra layer.  So, plan A flew out the window, and I decided I would have to just be as fast as I could given the situations I was presented and play it by ear. 

The funny thing is that as I was packing to leave Friday I emptied out ALL of my cold weather gear and decided to leave it behind.  I was thinking "Why would I need arm warmers?  They take too long to put on! I want super fast transitions!". Thank goodness for the TJ Max near the hotel!

 Race Morning

I was wide awake at 4:20 a.m. and was ready to begin my pre-race routine.   Ate breakfast, got dressed, loaded the car, and left the hotel by 5:30.  We like to arrive early to transition to ease the nerves.  I'm glad we arrived when we did, because it turned out we could choose our own transition spots to set up.  Kimberly and I both were able to snag some end spots, which are highly coveted :) 

 A nice candid photo of us at 5:45 a.m. with huge smiles in 42 degree weather.

I'm on the right, Kimberly on the left.

It didn't take long to setup my area.  I had goosebumps all over from standing around in the cold, and I already couldn't feel my toes or fingers.  It was so cold that I succumbed to this fashion faux pas in the image below.
 

We walked around in an attempt to warm up and get a feel for where we would be running in and out.  I then recited my transition list a few times:

T1: towel dry, jacket, socks, shoes, glasses, helmet, GO!
T2: socks, shoes, race belt, gu belt, grab hat and handheld, GO!

Before the race begins I always seem to enter into a calm dream-like state.  I am feeling normal and happy, but occasionally I look around at everyone in wetsuits and swimcaps and snap out of it "What the hell am I doing?  I'm about to jump in a river?".  The swim start always sneaks up on me...and on this day I stepped onto the dock in my dreamlike state, having watched a few other waves jump in before me, and felt a mix of nerves and calm.  I put on my goggles just in time to hear our start signal.  Here I gooooo....

The Swim: 1.2 miles in the Chattahoochee River

We started the swim by jumping into the river from a small floating dock, which moved A LOT every time someone jumped off.  This was somewhat concerning to me, but in times like this, you just have to take the plunge and not hesitate.  In I went and off I swam.  This was actually one of the most gentle swim starts I've had.  There were not as many of us and we all kept our distance pretty well.

The first 3/4 of the swim was down river with the current.  I couldn't tell if there was much of a current at all, until the turnaround.  That last 1/4 of the swim was against the current, and it felt as if I was going nowhere.  My arms, which were feeling great previously, soon began to get tired and then my left hand went numb/tingling like I suspected would happen.  I really think it took me the same amount of time to swim that last 1/4 as it did to swim the first 3/4!!!  It was tough, but I just kept going.  Plus, I didn't want to stop and rest in the water because I was afraid the current would carry me back...so I had to just keep moving forward no matter what.

I tried going closer to the shore line to see if there was less current, but then my hands scraped some rocks.  It was way too shallow to comfortably swim there, so I moved back over closer to the swim buoys.  It really seemed like the swim finish would never be in sight, but sure enough, there it was! 

I am scared to see that photo of me coming out of the water because I know I did not look good.  I was tired and dizzy and the run was uphill all the way to transition.

Ohhh looky there, I am actually smiling!  I couldn't feel my face so I didn't even realize it! :)

T1:

It was nice having people cheering all the way to T1.  They were so encouraging!

I took off my wetsuit with no problem and followed through with my plan.  My socks were giving me an issue, so I sat down briefly to put them on, but other than that all went well and I was on my way.

The Bike:  56 miles-- out and back course

The bike turned out to be the most challenging part of the race for me, and normally I LOVE the bike!  I  started out with a good pace and my legs felt strong.  We rode along a narrow mixed use pedestrian path for the first 5 miles or so.  There was some debris in the path due to the storms the night before and you had to be cautious to navigate through in case pedestrians were there.  Some signs were placed with arrows pointing which way to go, but there were times when I was wondering if I was going the right way because I could not see any other riders.  Volunteers and police were stationed at major turn points and intersections and that was REALLY good.  I made a point to thank them when I passed because they are so important to races like this.   

After a little while we ended up on Fort Benning.  The road was seamed...and the seams were wider than they should be in some spots, meaning super bumpy and mixed with potholes.  I stayed out of my aero bars for that portion until the road smoothed out and became more aero friendly.  Then I started enjoying it more and was feeling good. 

We then came upon some hills, and some more hills, and more hills than I was led to believe were going to be on the course...but I had trained on hills, so I knew I was capable of doing it.  Most of the problems came from the windy conditions.  When it is windy it is hard to do everything on the bike.  It is harder to eat because you need to keep control of the bike, it is harder to stay in aero and results in more tension in the neck and shoulders.  My arms were actually getting tired and hands were stiff and puffy from holding on to the bike too tightly. 

When I climbed the big hills and started doubting myself, I thought about fellow triathletes Dani Grabol and Kacie Darden (check out their blog and support their RAAM training) who recently won a 517 mile nonstop race which included mountain climbs.  It suddenly made my climb seem so attainable.  My hill was not a mountain.  I could see the top of my hill, and as long as I relaxed and kept doing "circles circles perfect circles" as I recited in my head, then I would make it to the top.

One hill was especially rough near the end, and I struggled on already tired legs to make it to the top.  I got there...only to be greeted by a strong headwind on the recovery.  My mind started saying "It's not fair!  I need to recover my legs but it feels like I am still climbing a hill!".  Ok, actually I was cursing like a sailor declaring revenge on the wind :P  But I soon changed my thoughts to more positive things.  As I was fighting the winds on what should have been fast and flat roads, I thought about my friend Dani as she  rode 422 miles across Florida breaking the existing record.  She encountered such strong winds that she ended up with tendonitis from holding onto her aero bars so tightly.  I thought to myself "You are not riding 422 miles trying to beat a record, you only have 12 miles to go so stop complaining and get it done!"

 I cannot stress enough how much Mental Strength is required in Triathlon.  You WILL have negative thoughts cross your mind at some point in a race of this distance, and you MUST be prepared to turn those thoughts positive as soon as possible.

T2:

It is always hard to run on asphalt when wearing bike shoes and I ere on the side of caution when running my bike to transition after dismounting :)  After arriving safely to my spot, I racked the bike, took off my jacket, changed socks and shoes, grabbed my belts, hat and water bottle and took off.   All went smoothly, I just wish I could be a little faster :)


The Run:  13.1 miles--2 loop course through downtown Columbus

I found my running legs much much quicker than I thought I would, especially given just how tiring that bike leg was.  I saw familiar faces cheering me on and that gave me a boost of energy.  I then saw Kimberly for the first time shortly after and she was looking good.  She was about 3 miles ahead of me on the run.  Her swim and bike times were fast and strong!

They said the run would be flat, but I (and Kimberly and my cramping glutes) beg to differ. After going up two little hills in the first mile, I said to myself "Alright, they lied about the course description. Get over it and move on.  You trained on bigger hills than these, you are fine!"

I tried to keep a smile on my face!

I actually liked the run course because part of it was along the river and the other part was downtown and full of spectators.  It was also good to pass the same people multiple times and form some sort of camaraderie whether it be head nods, smiles, encouraging words or waves.  It is important for me to connect with people on the course and receive as much positive energy as possible because I still find running difficult and there were times when it was really hard to keep going.

When my legs got super tired and I started to overheat near the end, I channeled none other than Chrissie Wellington (pictured above).  I have images of her running her last Kona Ironman (2011) in my head because she is so inspiring.  She did that race with injuries, and you could tell she was struggling during the end of the run, but she just kept going...and she WON!

Channeling my inner Chrissie Wellington and smiling was really what kept me going at a consistent pace near the end of the run.  I was so excited the last mile and a half...and I also remember feeling SO HUNGRY!  I think I even mentioned that to one of the volunteers as he directed me to the finish line "Yay!  I'm so hungryyyy!" and he laughed :)  The finish was at the bottom of a hill which helped me forget about my tired legs, and I sprinted across the finishline with a huge smile on my face! 

 Ooopsie!  

This might explain why I felt like I was overheating near the end of the run :P  

I did put on sunblock in the morning, but did not reapply before the run.  

Lesson learned!

With all that being said, though it was a challenging course and I mentioned many of my struggles above, it was also a GREAT race to say I completed! I feel like I did the best I could and my nutrition was great as well.  No GI distress, no major complaints, and I learned a lot from these experiences.  I also made a point to be friendly and smile. :)  I feel like every race is a different fun adventure in which I learn more about who I am and what I can do, and that's very empowering!  

 Post race celebrating!  Cheers to a successful 2nd Half Iron distance race!  

Thank you to all of the volunteers for making this a successful and SAFE race!  

Congratulations to all finishers!

Official Race Results:

Overall Time:  6:27:19

Swim: 43:21 (included the run up to transition)

T1:     3:06

Bike:  3:23:06

T2:     2:26

Run:   2:15:22

Nutrition Notes: 

I always like to document my race day nutrition for my own sake and in case anyone else is interested.  The important thing is finding out what works for YOU and tweaking it along the way depending on weather, race conditions, how you are feeling that day, etc. 

Pre-race: 

Upon waking, 2 gluten free waffles with 2 TBS almond butter and half a banana. Nuun and water to drink.

Banana an hour before swim start

1 Gu Gel 15 mins before swim start

Bike:  

4 gu gels, 1 pack GU chomps, 3 1/2 servings GU brew (1 gu gel at 15 mins on the bike, then spaced according to 100 calories either gel or chomps every 30 mins and sipping and monitoring gu brew intake throughout ride) Aimed for 250- 300 calories an hour.  Took in about 900 calories total on the ride. Felt good considering the tough course.

Run: 

2 gels, 3 salt tabs, lots of water.  I think I took the gels at 40 mins on the run and at 1:30.  I don’t remember exactly, but typically it is harder for me to eat on the run portion.  I was starting to feel hungry though and I did not plan on drinking the electrolyte mix provided on the course.  I made myself stick with my plan of gels and water only and salt tabs if I felt it was necessary (which it was since I was sweating a lot as the temperature rose).  In hind sight, I could have taken another gel on the bike since it took me longer to complete and I was really hungry at the end of the race. 

'Tis the Season!

Hello world! It's been awhile, and I know you've missed me dearly.  Please don't fret; go on and dry your tears.  All is well, and I have not forgotten about you.  You see, sometimes it's good to have a little space for us all to do our things and live our lives.  It makes reunions such as this so much more meaningful, no?  All that matters is that I'm here now :)

Shortly after completing my first half Ironman on September 30th, 2012, I found myself registering for another half iron distance race, which is 6 days from today!  This will be my first race of the season, and I have mixed feelings going into it.  Training started the first week of January, and I am following the same training plan as before.  Thankfully our winter was pretty mild, and I was able to do most of my long rides outside. Some of the rides were really chilly though, requiring a lot more layers...and ended with frozen numb toes.

BUT I have put in the distance with both cycling and running, and I know I can do this race!  My primary concern for this race is actually the swim...I hate going into it with the mentality of "survive the swim", but I just haven't put in as much training in the pool as I should have due to some nagging neck and shoulder issues.  My amazing chiropractor really helps me TONS, and I enjoy all of the weekly body art and comments from strangers on the street after my appointments with her.

This week a little girl in Target asked me if I had the chicken pox :)  I prefer to say I got hugged by a giant octopus.

Spring is in full swing here in Georgia and that means a few things.  First, I have been working on my cycling tan and already have some sweet tan lines going on ;)  Second, everything turns yellow with a thick layer of pollen.  I typically get allergy symptoms, but have been doing well keeping them at bay...until today.  I guess there is no avoiding a reaction when you swim a mile in a lake with a visible layer of pollen on top of it, then go for a 3 hour bike ride which turns your black clothes yellow by the end (no exaggeration here!). 

Despite the pollen, the swim in the lake yesterday served a very good purpose.  I needed to try swimming in my new full-sleeved wetsuit!  It is definitely different than the sleeveless feel I am used to...and warmer.  I wasn't even very cold swimming in the 58 degree water!  However, just as I feared, I did have some issues with my left arm feeling heavier and more constricted in the sleeve, and by the end of the swim my left hand was numb.  I know this most likely will happen in the race as well, so at this point I need to be prepared mentally to handle the situation and continue on swimming at a good pace.  It also happened in Augusta near the halfway point of the swim, and I just kept going and made it to the swim exit in a decent time.  So much of this sport relies on mental strength. 

And so now, let the taper week and the pep talks begin!  Any and all positive thoughts and prayers are welcome as I prepare my mind to be strong and positive.  I am doing this because I choose to and because I can...it is not something I am being forced to do.  I enjoy it!  I am not a pro; this is not my livelihood.  I will smile, have fun, and be nice to others and myself.  As a fellow triathlete friend says:  I GET to do this!

BRING IT! :)

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: