The Important Things in Life...

Last week my family had a bit of a scare.

My 6 year old niece was born with a heart defect and has endured multiple open heart surgeries since.  Things had been going pretty well for the past few years, but recently she had been feeling a little sick. When they went to the family doctor, he suggested they go to the children's hospital, and it was discovered that she had an atrial flutter (a type of arrhythmia). She ended up having another open heart operation to correct this problem.

There were many trips to the hospital during this past week.  It is times like these when you are reminded about the important things in life.  Yes, my work is important...training for an Ironman seems scary and important...but my 6 year old niece having her chest opened up for the 6th time trumps all of that by a million. 

The important things in life...

Those you love and those who love you...

A 6 year old girl in a hospital room surrounded by doctors, hooked up to machines with cords stuck all over her, and when she sees her Aunt enter the room she asks "Can I give my Aunt Beth a hug?? I really want to!".  Such a sweet and silly girl even when faced with such obstacles and so much pain.

Thankfully she is now recovering at home and seems to be doing well. The doctors and nurses at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta are really amazing and the best at what they do! We are grateful for all of them and for all that they do for every child in their care.

My niece is the reason I joined Ironheart Racing Team/Ironheart Foundation.  When I think of her and of all my Ironheart teammates who are survivors of heart defects and heart disease, I am in awe of all the courage and strength among them.  They are so brave, so inspiring...I strive to be more like them every day.

And speaking of Ironheart...

Kim, a member of Ironheart Georgia, just completed her FIRST TRIATHLON last Sunday!  She is amazing on many fronts, and her positive spirit and attitude on life could be seen throughout the race as she smiled her way to the finish line!  She is an inspiration for all of us and a great role model for my niece, because Kim is doing all of this despite her special heart history.  She rocks!

If I have learned anything at all during training for an Ironman, it is that (in no particular order):
1) Your body can handle more than you think
2) It is important to rest (mentally and physically) just as much as it is important to train
3) Do not neglect family and friends (this should be #1)
4) Do not neglect your career, and do not pass up work opportunities for fear it will interrupt your training (I had an amazing opportunity to go to Africa for over 2 weeks in July and I went, came back, and did a half Iron race 9 days later!).
5) Find a way to spend time with those you love
6) Potato chips and pickles are amazing fuel on a hot bike ride :)

So yes, the important things in life...

Hot Air--Ironman Training in the Heat of a Georgia Summer

Heat, humidity, hills, hot wind, warm water bottles, burning skin, sweat...salty sweat...dripping into the eyes and stinging like saltwater, making you into a human salt-lick.  Oh...and the smells...roadkill, farmland, my clothes...

Is anyone else ready for Fall?! 

On Sunday I met some friends in Chattanooga to do a double loop of the Ironman bike course.  I started at the BI-LO shopping center to make it a 105 mile ride.  Here is my impression of the course on a day which reached 90 degrees:

The first part of the course is definitely the most challenging.  The long stretch on Hwy 193 has a few hills that got my heart pumping and legs burning. It was ok on the first loop, but the second loop was noticeably more difficult for me. When you make the right hand turn onto Cove Road, be prepared for 10 miles of false flats and strong winds.  If you overexert yourself on this road, it could very well be your demise on race day.  I personally found it to be the most mentally challenging area, so it is important to find positive things to think about.  I made a point to occasionally look up to take in the beautiful scenery of farmland with the mountainous background.  I also started chanting "Just get to Hog Jowl. Just get to Hog Jowl.", which is the left hand turn off Cove and filled with some fun rollers and winding country roads. 

Some much needed Cove Rd laughs

The last part of the course is definitely faster, but there are still some sections with false flats and some hills interspersed throughout. The Chickamauga downtown area is fun to ride through, and I imagine there will be a lot of spectators there on race day. 

Downtown Chickamauga

Hopefully on race day the weather will be cooler and the sun will not be burning so intensely, because there is very little shade, if any.  On this day I was fighting hard not to overheat and totally bonk.  There were times when I felt like my entire body was on fire and the sun was burning through my clothes! I had to allow myself to slow down, sometimes slow down a ridiculous amount, just to get my heart rate and core temp down a little.  Our 2 stops along the way for COLD water and snacks was AMAZING.  I've discovered that Lay's potato chips are a perfect pick-me-up on a long sweaty ride.  After eating them and guzzling cold water, I was renewed and ready to go!

This is how I eat potato chips after riding 80 miles :)

 The final stretch back into town feels like it is going slightly uphill, so do not get too discouraged.  Your legs are going to be tired, yes, but then you get to go stretch them out on a little 26.2 mile run :) 

Somehow I still managed to smile for a post-ride selfie! Practicing for Race Day!

Nutrition:

6 GU gels (600 calories)
1 1/2 Cliff Shot Blocks (250 calories)
3/4 Larabar (150 calories)
1 Rice Krispie Treat (200? calories)
3/4 small bag Lay's potato chips (200calories)
1 bottle Skratch mix (100 calories)
1 bottle lemonade (100 calories)
5 bottles water (I think)

Total calorie intake (best estimate): 1600
Total ride time (not including stops): 6hrs 15 mins
Total distance: 105 miles

Other noteworthy items

Roadkill seen:

2 snakes
1 skunk
1 raccoon
1 opossum

Live animals seen:

3 unleashed dogs (friendly)
1 large cow on the side of the road (had escaped from the fence)
A cowboy riding a horse on the highway (had to do a double take and rub my eyes to make sure I wasn't hallucinating)
5 vultures eating off a huge dead carcass in a field

This is exactly the look the cow gave me as I pedaled by!

SIX weeks until IRONMAN Chattanooga, which means 4 more weeks of intense workouts before the taper begins!  Dear Lord, keep me sane and healthy!

This is SO true!

Race Report: Inaugural Lake Logan Half Triathlon

DATE: August 2, 2014
TIME: 7:00 AM
PLACE: Canton, NC
SWIM: 1.2 miles
BIKE: 52 miles
RUN: 13.1 miles



In training for an Ironman distance race, most training plans recommend completing a Half Iron distance race when you are 8-6 weeks out from your big race.  It helps you see where you're at as you enter the peak training phase and also helps you practice pacing and your nutrition plan.  Since this is the first year for an Ironman race to take place in Chattanooga, and it happens to be on the same day as the closest half Ironman to us (Ironman Augusta 70.3), we needed to find another option.  There were rumors of a few half distance races being organized, and lo and behold, the Lake Logan Half was formed.

SetUp Events has been doing an Olympic distance race there for the past few years, and this year they so kindly decided to offer a half option as well.  No one truly knew what to expect of the bike course, but we had read reviews of being anywhere from "fast rolling hills" to "the toughest course I've ever been on". My attitude about going into a race is that I have to trust my training and do my best, no matter what, and there is no point in worrying about things I have no control over (like the elevation chart).

The location was absolutely beautiful.  I have always loved the mountains, and I was reminded just how much I love them again on this trip. 

We drove from Atlanta to North Carolina on Friday afternoon (about a 3 hour drive), and arrived in enough time to pickup our packets and check out the race venue.  The swim buoys were already set out in a big 1 mile loop in the lake. 

So beautiful...but also so cold.

Race Day:

After getting a good 6-7 hours of solid sleep, I woke up dark and early at 4:00 AM to get the day started.  I was still in that weird pre-race mood of...ummm... what's it called? Oh yeah...DENIAL!!  :)

I went through the routine: breakfast, hair, coating my entire body in my anti-chafing bag balm mixture, packing up and loading bikes on the car.  Then we were on our way down and up and around some winding mountain roads in the dark.

We arrived early at the race venue and parking was already a bit of an issue.  I'm glad I brought my headlamp because it was DARK in the fields where we parked!

Even with that, I still managed to scrape my leg on a truck tailpipe...argh...just a flesh wound, continue on.

 Nerves were in that cool mountain air and the porta potty lines were long.  Before I knew it, it was TIME. Yes, time to stop doing the wetsuit squat-jump and to start wetsuit waddling to the dock for swim wave positioning.   

There's always time for a pre-race selfie, right?

The SWIM:

The lake water was around 67 degrees, which meant definitely wetsuit legal and strongly suggested to wear one.  I had not swum in my wetsuit since April of 2013!  I do not enjoy wearing a wetsuit because it makes me feel like I am suffocating and restricts my motions, BUT there are times when you just gotta do what you gotta do and get over it.

That being said, I donned my wetsuit and focused way too much on pulling it up as high as it could go to allow for more room in the shoulders and neck...as discovered once I started swimming and I felt the biggest wetsuit wedgie in the history of all wetsuit wedgies.  WHAT was I thinking? HOW did this even happen? And then that uncomfortable situation didn't matter anymore because WHAM! I was smacked in the face...and then WHAM I was hit and scratched in the face.  Ladies, ladies, calm down!

I thought I was going to be ok and tried to keep swimming, but then it happened...that feeling...the panic attack feeling...the "I can't catch my breath" feeling you just can't shake within a few swim strokes.

I did something I haven't done in a long time...I stopped swimming and bobbed up and down in the water trying to catch my breath and think about what to do next.  The following thoughts popped into my head:

1) Where's the volunteer kayak? maybe I can take off this stupid wetsuit and give it to them and then keep swimming
2) No, I need to try to keep swimming (I tried to swim a few strokes) NOPE...not working...I can't breathe...I can't breathe...maybe this is it...maybe I just can't...
3) WTF lady, you are not a quitter! Just force your head in the water and continue on. Get it DONE! Just GO!

I followed the #3 train of thought and it worked :) I eventually found a good pace and groove and rounded the halfway buouy.

 Nearing the end of the swim my feet and calves started cramping a little, but I was able to swim them out for the most part.  The last stretch of the swim took us underneath a bridge and into the mouth of the river.  The temperature dropped instantly to 55 degrees. I'm not kidding.  We were warned about this, but I had no idea what it would actually feel like until it happened. 

I pushed myself up onto the exit dock and immediately both calves and feet cramped so badly that I was in shock and could not move.  A volunteer rushed over and massaged my calves for a few minutes until I felt I could get up and walk.  Whoever you are, THANK YOU for coming to my aid!

One guess--which word am I starting to say here? :)

My swim cap kinda reminds me of Papa smurf...or a gnome

Look of disappointment and discomfort :P

During all that time on the dock, the clock was still ticking for my swim time.  I walked to transition and made sure to stretch out my calves more and warm them up before hopping on the bike.  That was my longest T1 EVER! But for good reason.

The BIKE:

Shortly after mounting the bike we had our first significant climb. Thankfully my legs didn't cramp up and they got me to the top just fine.  The first 5 miles or so of the bike were very jumbled with slower riders.  In these types of situations, especially with some hills mixed in, it can be difficult to ride following the USAT rules: 3 bike lengths between riders, pass within 15 seconds, etc.  That being said, I took one for the team and got my first ever bike penalty! 4 mins added to my overall time.  I'm pretty sure it happened when I was passing riders on a climb.  (After looking at the results I was the ONLY female in the entire race to get a penalty!) Oh well, lesson learned...I guess...

Still smiling! :)

 The first 20 miles or so of the bike went by fast and I was going at a speedy 19-20 mph average pace! I was feeling great and loving it.  The scenery was beautiful, the weather was perfect, all was right in the world...

Why can't all just stay right in the world?  Why??  The small rollers turned into bigger rollers which turned into a few bigger climbs which then turned into the biggest hill/mountain I've ever climbed to date in my life! Somewhere around miles 38-40 was a climb that just kept on going. It knocked grown men off their bikes...but not me.  I was determined to stay in the saddle no matter how slowly.  I had shifted down to my granniest of all granny gears (I just have a standard crank) early in the climb and just had to suck it up, push my butt back in the saddle and power it out.  It HURT.  It REALLY HURT.  But I did it and the descent was the most glorious experience of the entire race.  I LOVE speed! :)

The course was definitely challenging, and I watched my avg speed drop down to 17 mph as I pushed over the hills.  Of course there was one final significant climb in the last mile into transition...and no time to spin out the legs in preparation for the run.  It was ok though.

Overall I enjoyed the bike course, challenging climbs and all! There were a few sections of the road where I felt unsafe with traffic and a gravel spot on a fast turn that caused my front wheel to slide a bit, but other than that it was a good course. 

The RUN:

The run started out on a gravel road...my least favorite type of trail terrain :P After that it was pretty much all uphill for the first 3 miles, all downhill for the next 3 miles, around a lumpy grass field, and then you do it all again. 

Let's just say it was a very odd course :)

The aid stations were very well equipped and were great.  As with any long run, it comes with highs and lows.  The lows usually being uphill in the sun and the highs being on the downhill sections when it started to rain and cool me down.

I'm in the background

One memory that really sticks out: On my final loop I was passing by an aid station where an older gentleman volunteer asked me if I needed anything.  I smiled and said "No thank you". He responded with "Stay strong, girl, stay strong!" and I carried that to the finish line with me.  You really never know what words will stick with someone and make a difference in their day...volunteers and spectators/supporters at races really do make a positive difference.  I would like to send out a huge THANK YOU to all of them! 


Race Results:

			Name	Age				SWIM		T1		Bike		T2			RUN	PENALTY	Time
			ELIZABETH GAYLOR	34				00:42:43		00:06:19		03:05:40		00:03:36			02:14:33	00:04:00	06:16:49

It's real--I really did it! :)

Cool race bling--proud to be part of the Inaugural race

Race Nutrition:

300-400 calorie breakfast upon waking
Larabar one hour before race start
GU gel 15 mins before race start

Bike:
4 GU gels
2 Cliff Shot Blocks (Margarita with 3X sodium--delicious!)
3 Bottles water
1 Bottle Skratch mix

Run:

Water, a few salt tabs, 1 GU gel, 1 Orange wedge

Post-race:

mmm mmm BBQ and Brunswick Stew!

I ate it ALLLLL

And what's an out-of-town race weekend without some friendship bonding time, complete with cheesy picture posing?

GOOD TIMES :)

Now on to the next race tomorrow--our annual Richard B. Russell Olympic distance race in Elberton!

And then IMCHOO next month!