I have been soaring on a post-Ironman high for the past 5 days, but am making myself sit down to type up some race details before I forget! Thank you to all who tracked me, left encouraging messages and supported me along this journey. I especially want to thank my family (parents, brother, and boyfriend), for coming to Chattanooga and going above and beyond to cheer me on!
I have been to 2 other Ironman races before this one to volunteer and cheer on friends, so I had a pretty good idea of how things worked from that end. However, being a participant is completely different. There is a ton to do in the few days leading up to the race. Packing, making lists, figuring out what to place in different gear bags and special needs bags can be quite taxing and exhausting.
I think it was a very good thing that we were required to be at the race venue to check-in by Friday evening, even though the race wasn't until Sunday. This allowed time to prep and time to relax.
Friday
I drove up Friday morning and arrived a little before noon. Checked into the hotel, went to athlete check-in, and walked around the Ironman Village before meeting up with Kimberly for the Athlete meeting. It was all very exciting, but also a little overwhelming.
Friday night I went to the Banquet/Opening ceremony and walked around the city taking it all in (and taking photos). Since this was my first Ironman, I really wanted to experience as much as possible.
Saturday
I slept in a little Saturday and took my time eating breakfast before heading down to the transition area for bike and gear bag check-in. I had packed the gear into the proper bags the night before, so all I had to do was pump my tires and I was good to go. I was starting to get nervous and just wanted to get this part over with so that I could relax the rest of the day.
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| How am I gonna find this on race day? |
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| All the bags, which look identical, are organized by bib# here |
There was a practice swim also scheduled for Saturday afternoon, from 1:00-3:00. Kimberly and I decided to go. I had rented a sleeveless wetsuit to wear if it turned out to be wetsuit legal, so I wanted to try it out in the water before race day.
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| This wetsuit worked out GREAT! |
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| Of course we have to goof off for some pictures to laugh out those pre-race nerves :) |
The rest of the day was pretty much spent alternating between these 2 states of mind:
My parents and brother arrived in Chattanooga on Saturday afternoon and I finished the swim in time to meet up with them as they were eating lunch. My brother is in the Army and lives out of state, so I don't get to see him very often. I was so happy that he could take leave and come cheer me on! It meant so much to have him there!
We chatted about my race plan and their spectator plans, then walked around Ironman Village. I showed them the swim start, transition, and all that good stuff. By the time we finished with all of that, I was getting hungry and the time was ticking by, so I went back to my room to eat and relax before bed. I had a simple dinner of ground turkey and Japanese sweet potatoes in coconut oil with sea salt. Foods that I know are easy for me to digest and cause no stomach issues. Then I tried my best to fall asleep.
Sunday--RACE DAY!
I woke up at about 3:30 a.m. to eat breakfast and get ready. Kimberly and I went down to transition together around 4:30 to hand in our special needs bags and check on our bikes. Everything was good to go, so we went back to the hotel for a bit until it was time to load the bus to the swim start. The bus was filled with nervous chatter and I had flashbacks to middle school.
We arrived at the start before 6:00 a.m. and the line was already getting long. The swim was organized as a rolling start, which means that only about 4-5 people jump into the water at a time from a floating dock. We were not separated into age groups, swim times, or anything. First come, first served.
My family and boyfriend were all able to come to the swim start to see us off. It was really nice having them there! I couldn't stop smiling and acting goofy. They had cameras, so there are lots of photos to document the waiting in line.
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| Start looking for the owl photobombs :) |
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| I made these owls on a stick for my family to hold so I could see them on the course :) |
The Swim: 2.4 miles point to point in the Tennessee River
Once the race started, the line to get into the water was moving fast! We all had to be ready--swim caps and goggles on--to walk quickly and jump off the dock. I didn't even have time to get really nervous! In I went and off I swam with the current :)
It was really nice having some space in the swim. I didn't get any elbows to the face like I did in other races throughout the summer. I found myself actually enjoying the swim! I'm sure the current aided in that feeling of enjoyment since I didn't have to work quite as hard.
About halfway through the swim I really really had to pee. I tried to relax my lower half to see if I could pee while continuing to swim, but it just wasn't happening. Is this even possible to do while swimming? Can someone please tell me what the trick is? Thanks :)
I decided to stop at a buoy and pee. I knew the porta potties would be packed in transition and this was the quickest solution! Problem solved and back to swimming I went.
One of the highlights of the swim was seeing the beautiful colors in the sky as the sun started to rise. With each breath to the left I could see the beauty, and it made me so glad to be alive and able to participate in an Ironman.
The swim was pretty much uneventful. A few times some faster swimmers who started later caught up to me and tickled my toes, but then promptly and politely went around. Another time, it felt like someone hit my left arm in the water, then my left foot hit something. I looked back as I took a breath to the left and NO ONE was there. I looked to the right, and NO ONE was there. No one was around me! The first thing that came to my mind was that it could have been a piece of debris in the river. I have a very small scratch on my arm from it.
When I was telling Kimberly this story after the race, she looked at me and said "Did you hear what happened?". I had no clue what she was talking about, so she filled me in that they had found a dead body in the river near to where we were swimming, and it was in there WHILE we were swimming. It was not a race participant and had most likely been in the river for days. I don't think that is what I hit, but it is still a creepy thought!
Other than that, the swim was good and fast. So fast that when I reached the final turn buoy to go towards the shore, I was in shock! Once I turned to start swimming towards the steps, it became an all out smack fest with all the other swimmers trying to get to the same narrow place. When I made it to the steps, I noticed a man having difficulty pulling himself out of the water onto the staircase and he went underwater while people were climbing around him. I yelled out "BE NICE PEOPLE! HELP HIM!". Thankfully someone helped pull him up and he was ok!
As I ran towards transition I was keeping an eye out for my family. Sure enough, there was my brother with his orange owl :)
Transition 1: Swim to Bike
We could title this one "Lost in Transition" since I was having difficulty finding my bike gear bag! I yelled out my number to the volunteers and one guy told me to go to the end, but it wasn't there, so I went back and forth a few times. It was very chaotic because I came out of the water with so many other people. I probably only wasted 1-2 minutes, it just felt like forever, and then I ran to the women's changing tent. For obvious reasons, there are no pictures of that :)
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This is a funny map that plays through my movements on the Garmin site.
The black dot is where the entrance to the bike bags was,
and you can see that I went back and forth a few times before finding my bag :) |
I decided not to change clothes at all and wore my triathlon kit the entire race. Some people changed for each leg of the race. It really is just a personal preference. I wanted to keep my transitions as short and uncomplicated as possible. I only had what I needed in my bag, so I didn't even have to think. Sunscreen on, helmet on, sunglasses on, a towel to dry off my feet before putting socks on, sucked down a gel, then carried my shoes with me to my bike since it was racked near the end. And that's all I had...no bike gloves or anything else.
Once at the bike, I put on my shoes and headed for the bike exit.
Bike: 116 miles of rolling hills in Tennessee and Georgia
As I mentioned earlier, I came out of the water with a lot of other people. This meant that I started the bike with a lot of other people. It was extremely crowded for at least the first 15 miles, making it difficult to stay 4 bike lengths apart. Even if I tried to slow down to give space, someone would move over in front of me closing up that distance. Instead of wasting effort constantly worrying about staying 4 bike lengths when no one else seemed to be, I just tried to keep as much space as I could. It definitely spaced out more as we hit the bigger hills.
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| Place holder until I get the official pic |
I was warned by other multi-Ironman athletes that the key to the race was to not go too hard in the first part of the bike. The legs will feel fresh from the taper, you'll feel better than you've ever felt, and you will want to go faster. You should continue to ask yourself this question, "Can I push harder?", and the answer should ALWAYS be "yes". And you need to reach mile 80 feeling pretty good.
I WAS going pretty fast on the first loop of the bike, but I was also feeling REALLY GOOD. I've trained on the course and rode 105 miles on it on a 95 degree day in August, so I know it can be tough. However, the weather was perfect for us: Overcast with a hi in the low 80's. Although you CAN still get sunburned on an overcast day and I ended up with a nice burn on my low back where my top had rolled up :)
One of my main concerns about the bike was safety. When you have that many cyclists using a road shared with motorists, it can be dangerous. It doesn't matter how good of a rider you are when that many other people are involved and can impact your safety. Around mile 30 we were being directed around some dirt in the road marked off by orange cones. There were 2 sections like this and we had no idea what had happened. About 5 miles later we had turned onto Hog Jowl road (one of my favorite sections), and I noticed about 7 people pulled over with flats. I later found out that some local anti-cyclist people had thrown tacks on the road and poured oil (the areas we were directed around) to intentionally sabotage the course. They estimated about 30 people had flats caused by tacks on that stretch. For some people, it impacted their time so much that they missed qualifying spots for Kona and/or age group awards.
I was one of the lucky ones that day, and continued my ride safely with no scares or major concerns.
Around mile 53, we entered downtown Chickamauga where our special needs stop was. I didn't know what to expect, but all I know is that it was crazy and busy. I rolled up, they gave me my bag and people were yelling and tossing bags all around. I stood there for about a minute taking it all in and trying to see what was happening, then I moved over to the side to get out of the way. I wanted to eat my potato chips, and so I did. I stood there straddling my bike and shoving lay's potato chips into my mouth like Cookie Monster! I placed more gels into my bento box and shoved some shot bloks into my pants' pocket and was on my way again.
Then I was in for a nice surprise when I saw the familiar orange owls waving around and knew that it was my family! I was so excited to see them, and I waved and smiled like crazy!
They popped up in a few other places on the course, and it was always when I needed it the most. That second loop was much tougher than the first, but when I saw them in their Ironheart shirts and waving around owls and pool noodles it really brightened my mood :)
Shortly after starting the second loop, it became apparent to me that I needed to stop at the nearest aid station to get some Vaseline. Let's just say that certain things were beginning to hurt a lot from chafing and making the ride super uncomfortable. I stopped and handed my bike to a volunteer and they provided me with a scoop of vaseline on a stick :) Pretty much immediate relief :) The volunteers were SUPER helpful all throughout this race and they deserve a HUGE THANK YOU!
The hills were definitely much more noticeable the second time around, but I was still moving along at a faster pace than usual and able to answer "YES" to the question "Can I push harder?"...until about mile 90 anyway. Then I was all about just getting it done. I looked down a lot at my Eva sticker while I rode and it helped me get through some tough spots. "Remember why you are out here. Remember why you do this. Remember this pain is nothing compared to the pain Eva has experienced in her short life thus far."
During the last 20 miles or so of the bike it started to rain on me a little off and on. It seemed the rain clouds were chasing me, so I imagined it like a race between us and tried to push beyond the clouds. Thankfully it did not pour down, and it was just enough to feel refreshing.
Hitting the 112 mile mark was somewhat bittersweet. On the one hand I couldn't help but think that in any other Ironman I would be getting off the bike now, and on the other hand it was pretty darned cool to finish 116 miles and get to do the first ever Ironman 144.6 :)
I finished the bike in good time, much faster than anticipated, and with a huge smile on my face. I could get used to having a bike catcher :)
Transition 2--Bike to Run
This transition went much more smoothly. I found my bag right away and ran quickly into the changing tent for a second time. My plan was still pretty simple. Dried off my feet, put liquified body glide all over my feet, put on my injinji toe socks, shoes, hat, race # fuel belt, and grabbed my handheld water bottle and was off!
Run: 26.2 miles--The Hills made me feel not so alive
Starting out on the run I saw my family right away and smiled for the camera :).
My brother then proceeded to hop, skip, and gallop his way along the other side of the fence cheering me on. Which I'm pretty sure is why I am laughing here:
I started out on the run feeling pretty good. I knew what was coming and knew I was not going to feel so good around mile 8 when the real hills began...so I ran as much as I could on the flatter parts. My plan was to walk through the aid stations and up the big hills when necessary.
Well...around mile 5 I was having some side cramping issues and was sick of gels and chews and all that stuff. I made myself take in a gel with water about every hour in the beginning and also had a salt tab every so often. Thankfully I was keeping everything down and not throwing up or needing the bathroom, so I figured I could power through and be ok. I walked a lot more than intended, and when I ran, I ran slowly, but I kept moving and making forward progress! I had plenty of time, so it was ok, and it felt good to know that!
The hills on the run course were no joke. I mean, seriously, look at this elevation chart!
The thing that was so great about the run was all the fun cheering spectators and volunteers! There were so many familiar faces that I passed since Chattanooga is so close to home. It was really a fantastic experience to have so much energy and excitement around. AND I can never forget the hilarious signs posted along the paths and street, such as, "Don't trust that fart" :) Good advice, very good advice :)
And, of course, my family and boyfriend kept appearing at different spots to cheer me on. It was so incredibly uplifting! And they kept donning different wigs and attire to make me laugh :)
It rained for a good portion of the first loop, but I really love running in the rain. I find that it refreshes my spirit...and probably helped clean off my stench as well :) AND I got to see a rainbow! Magic was in the air!
By the time I reached special needs it had stopped raining, so I reapplied body glide on my feet and changed into dry socks. Best decision EVER! I also grabbed a ginger chew from my bag in hopes of it settling my stomach, which was still bothering me.
I remember telling my brother somewhere around mile 12-13 before the special needs stop, "I'm not gonna lie, I'm feeling pretty terrible right now. This is really tough...but I'm gonna keep going...and I think I can finish sub 14...so I'm gonna push on thru this". And I did. I had put in the tough, long, miserable training hours for this day. I had run long distances in the heat and humidity of summer and in the darkness of night while having stomach troubles. I knew my training had prepared me well for this moment, and there was no doubt in my mind that I would finish.
I pushed on thru to the second loop and kept going as the miles ticked away. I met new people and heard their stories. I was encouraged by others and I encouraged others. We were all a team working toward the same ultimate goal and helping each other get there. I saw the most beautiful sunrise that morning and then found myself running in the direction of the most beautiful sunset. I had been going from sunrise to sunset and it was such a magical moment.
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| Darkness had set in and I had about 6 miles left to go |
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| This is me telling my brother I have plenty of time to finish this in less than 14 hours! |
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| And then I started to run...slowly...towards the hills...for the last time |
I stopped eating gels after the halfway point and was experimenting with other foods. Orange slices, a small chunk of banana, potato chips, and flat coke. Just a little of each here and there. Surprisingly the flat coke sat really well in my stomach and gave me much needed energy. I pretty much got thru the last 6 miles on flat coke, water, and a salt tab, and I was feeling pretty GOOD!
I walked up the last big hill and then was determine to run the last few miles to the finish. I mustered up some strength from deep within and kept running. I saw my brother on the bridge when I had less than a mile to go and it was so great to see him! I was doing it and almost done! I handed him my water bottle so that I could have my hands free for the finish line...I wanted to high-five everyone and wave and do happy jazz hands...and that's just what I did!
It was so surreal, so overwhelming, so joyous and exciting! All I could hear were cowbells and cheers and I was just SO happy! I actually didn't even hear Mike Reilly say my name and was a bit disappointed...I had finished with about 6 other people and all of our names were listed out before he said "You ARE an IRONMAN!". My boyfriend took a video and played it back for me, and I DID hear my name, so it's official...I AM an IRONMAN :)
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| So much happiness!!! |
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| Kimberly finished at an amazing sub 13:00 time! |
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| Me and the BF :) |
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| My bro and I (and Owlie) |
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| I pity the fool who tries to steal my medal! |
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| Results and splits on the tracker. T2 was around 8 mins. I should get an official certificate soon. |
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I went into this race just hoping that I could finish it within the allotted time limit, and then I blew myself away with a 13:33:19 finish time! Anything really is possible when you set your mind to it and work hard.
Kimberly and I really wanted to cheer in the last finishers of the day, so we waddled back to our hotel rooms, took showers, and then walked very slowly back down to the finish line party.
It is so amazing to see the look on people's faces when they cross that line, and I am honored to have been a part of something so incredible. What a fantastic experience! What a wonderful day!
And yes, Kimberly and I did almost fall off the bleachers in our moment of excitement.Wobbly legs!
My brother earns the award for Best Brother of the Year...he found Mike Reilly after the race had ended and asked him to give me a personal message, which I will cherish forever.
And he got him to sign one of the owls :)
I was so full of energy and excitement that I could only sleep about 3 hours that night! My legs were aching, but my mind was still racing...and I maaay have eaten an entire 12" gluten free pizza :)
And it was DELICIOUS! :)
When I woke up in the morning, I realized it was not all just a dream...and then went to stand in line to get my Finisher's jacket.
Thank you, again, to my incredible parents, brother and boyfriend for following me around all day and getting in your own Ironman workout! Thank you to the race director and organizers for putting on an amazing inaugural race! Thank you to all of the spectators on the course and a very special THANK YOU to every single volunteer. You all went above and beyond to help us throughout this long day. THANK YOU!
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Special section for other race day documentation
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Nutrition Notes:
Breakfast
Upon waking:
2 gluten free waffle with Almond butter
Muscle milk light
Nuun to drink
coconut water
half cup coffee with coconut milk
1 hr before swim start:
banana and mini bonk breaker
15 mins before swim start:
1 GU gel and water
T1:
1 GU gel
Bike:
5-6 Gu gels (100 calories each)
2 Cliff Shot Bloks (180 calories each)
2 mini bonk breakers (125 calories each)
1 small bag potato chips (160 calories)
3-4 salt tabs
Only water to drink (6-7 bottles)
Total calories on bike= 1270-1370
Run:
2 Gu gels (100 calories each)
3-4 salt tabs
Potato chips (maybe 10-15 chips total, ~100 calories)
4 orange wedges (50 calories)
1/3 banana (40 calories)
6 small cups of flat coke (150 calories?)
Ginger chew (30 calories)
Only water to drink
Rough estimate for total calories on run= 570
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