Ironman 70.3 Syracuse

September 18, 2011 – Ironman 70.3 Syracuse; Syracuse, NY

            My preparations for Ironman 70.3 Syracuse included more than just the training; they also included wise packing/clothing choices.  The forecast was for very cool weather so I tossed in a few clothing choices, and then a few more, just in case. (A girl can never have too many, right?)  It was a good thing I had thrown in those extras, because they were needed. 

            It was cold and dark when we arrived at the race site in the early morning hours.  We had factored in extra time for getting to the race so Christian and I hung out in the car for quite awhile to stay warm and watched as other bundled racers made their way to transition.  When I arrived at the Transition Area, I first tried to figure out the layout.  But even after asking numerous volunteers, I was still not exactly sure where the swim in or bike in entrances where located.  There were no markings.  After getting set up, I proceeded with my normal warm-up.  And I must say, throughout my racing career, I’ve visited my share of port-a-potties but these were one of a kind – decorated with scented sachets, [fake] floral garlands, pictures, and mats.  The sun finally rose minutes before the race start but did nothing to warm up the 43 degree air temperature.  The water temp was 62 degrees so it wasn’t noticeably cold at first.  However, within a few minutes of starting, my feet were numb and I never recovered feeling in them until somewhere around mile 3 of the run.  I had a tough time staying on-course; sighting (at the beginning and end) wasn’t the problem, just keeping a straight line.  The swim course was an elongated U-shape; sighting along the “base” of the U was virtually non-existent because the sun was blinding as it was just coming over the horizon.  For about half of swim I was able to stay on the feet of another racer; it was nice to be with someone else and get a little draft.  By the last quarter, I felt my course-tracking was better but I think my pace slipped as I fell off the feet of the other racer.  Other than noticing a distance between us, I wasn’t aware of slowing down and now wonder if the cold had started to affect me.

            The transition from swimming to biking was a slow, painful one.  Getting out of the water I felt very disoriented and had thoughts of whether I should keep going.  I guess a few brain cells were still working and kept me going but every step I took was painful.  I felt like the ‘blocks of ice’ at the bottom of my legs cracked with each step.  I struggled to remove my wetsuit and was even relegated to sitting on the ground because, with my feet frozen, my balance was off and I couldn’t keep myself upright.  After finally getting my suit off and jacket on, I left with my bike, quickly mounted, and easily had my feet on the pedals.  But because my feet were so cold I couldn’t control the pedals and my feet slipped right off.  Once I finally got going, I was working to ride hard but also put gloves on.  It wasn’t an easy task with cold, wet hands and I think I unfortunately utilized a lot of energy in the process.

         In my opinion, the first 20 miles or so of this bike course were the toughest.  There were several long, steady climbs in these early miles.  The 2^nd half of the course was flatter with just rolling hills.  I think I was pushing extra hard on those climbs, trying to make up time lost in the swim and transition.  I was also feeling fresh, wanted to warm up, and could see 2 athletes ahead of me that I wanted to catch.  I was finally able to pass one and kept the other within sight.  However, as the race progressed, my legs began to feel flat and the next female ahead of me rode out of sight.  Feeling like I just didn’t have the power and strength in my legs, I started to mentally beat myself up and wondered why I was falling off pace.  I continued pushing as hard as I could; my legs didn’t hurt, they just didn’t feel as strong as normal.  I think my initial hard push caught up with me which was why my legs were not feeling as strong. (I was definitely focused on riding though because during the race, I never saw the cool M-dot mowed into the lawn at a local ski resort, which we had seen while pre-driving the course.) In the last several miles, I looked at my ride time and thought about the run.  I was concerned that with how my legs felt that I might be walking a part of the run and not stay under 5 hours.

            As I got off my bike I heard Christian tell me there were several women running together about 4 minutes ahead of me.  Not exactly encouraging news when the body is feeling fatigued.  However, once those running shoes were on I didn’t think about the bike or the people in front of me and just focused on my running.  I had actually run and driven a portion of the course the day before so I at least knew what was coming.  The course was a lollipop-shaped course with a double loop on the “pop” part.  The stick was roughly the first mile, with a climb immediately as we made the turn to begin the loops.  I was surprised to see a 7-minute pace over that first mile and set a goal to just try to hang on to that pace.  Amazingly for the majority of the miles after that, I was able to keep a faster pace.  On the first loop, I tried to remember where and how many climbs there were so that the 2^nd loop would be mentally easier.  As I finished the first loop, Christian let me know that the next female was about 2 minutes up.  While I’d made up some time and was actually feeling decent, I wasn’t sure if those 2 minutes were doable but I was certainly going to try.  The 2^nd loop was tougher and around mile 9 I noticed that my pace had dropped off a little.  However, I was still hoping I’d made up some ground on the runner in front of me and thought maybe I’d catch a glimpse of her.  No such luck and the last 1 – 1 ½ miles hurt.  I had not realized that the final stretch was a slight gradual incline.  My legs were getting tight from general fatigue and also from the pounding they had taken from the descending over the prior few miles.  While I wasn’t able to make any final push or catch the female in front of me, I finished happy knowing I’d made up some of my time deficit, had a much stronger run than I thought feasible, was able to stay under 5 hours, and at 1:31:06 had one of my fastest Half Ironman run splits. 

Ironman 70.3 Timberman 2011

August 21, 2011 – Gilford, NH

Heading into Ironman 70.3 Timberman, I was feeling pretty nervous.  I had not raced a half ironman since Rev3 Quassy in early June so I was nervous about my preparation for going this distance.  The weather wasn’t helping; there was a pattern of wet, stormy weather lingering over the northeast.  Christian and I used vacation time from our full time jobs to travel up to New Hampshire on Friday, arriving with sufficient time to drive the bike course.  I was happy to have viewed the course; it wasn’t a technical course but with a few good climbs and rolling hills, I was pleased to be mentally prepared.

As I set my transition area up, Chrissie Wellington arrived.  After getting a quick picture with her, sporting our Tor Hans Aero 20 & 30 bottles, I watched as she set up her belongings to see if I could pick up any tips.  I went for a warm-up run and then stood in line way too long for a pre-race pit stop; it put me a little behind in getting ready.  At the start of the swim I noticed that I was in an unfamiliar position…I was leading the pack!  It didn’t last long though.  After maybe 25 yards, the top competitors found their next gear, took over, and pulled away.  Sighting went well and my swim didn’t feel too bad but without being aware of any other swimmers around me, I thought I was the last one and way behind everyone else.  As I ran from the water to my bike, I heard the announcer call out 2 other females; I had a little confidence restored to know I wasn’t the last and completely on my own!

Early on in the bike, the 3 of us were frequently switching positions although one of the riders wasn’t dropping back after getting passed and she received a drafting penalty.  However, shortly thereafter she was able to make a pass and put a small gap between us.  By about mile 15, both of the women had passed me but were well within sight and I was determined to not lose them!  On the return trip, I was finally able to pass one of the girls and I think my determination to not allow her to re-pass kept me pushing hard.

Coming into transition off my bike, I actually thought I was going to take a tumble as I made the dismount very fast.  Somehow though my legs kept up and I thankfully stayed upright.  As I put my shoes on and grabbed my gear, I knew the racer behind me was close as she racked her bike as I was leaving.  Heading out onto the course, Christian gave me an update on the runners ahead.  At mile 1, the female behind me passed, dropping me into 5^th place.  The 2-loop run course is a challenging course with several hills in both directions.  I maintained a steady pace for the first 3 miles but by the turn-around my legs were feeling heavy and I was worried about what I had left.  However, the combination of very energetic volunteers at an Aid Station, passing the female in front of me around mile 5 (putting me into 4^th place), and going through the crowd at transition to start loop 2 seemed to feed me with additional energy to start the 2^nd half.  At the turn-around on the 2^nd loop I looked for the other females behind me.  Seeing only 1 within striking distance, I knew I had to keep pushing hard.  She was looking much stronger then when I had passed her many miles earlier.  What I didn’t realize however, was that I missed sighting another female.  With 1 mile to go, the course was flat to downhill to the finish.  Despite hurting, I made a decision to try to start any “final kick” early since I wanted to try to hold off any possibility of a pass in the final mile.  Wow did that last mile seem long!  As I made the turn to finish the last 200 years or so down the finishing chute, I got an unpleasant surprise.  The female I’d apparently missed seeing at the turn-around sprinted past me.  Up to that point, she was in the opportunistic position and not only could I not match her sprint, she had the jump on me and beat me down the chute to take 4^th place.  Big bummer to get beat in the home stretch like that but I was happy to have finished as strong as I did and to finish in 5^th place!  My first Pro podium finish.

The kicker about finishing 5^th though instead of 4^th was that I was greeted by a WADA Official after crossing the finish line to be “congratulated” for being chosen for drug testing.  The drug testing was a lengthy new experience for me.  For about two hours, I waited around while I consumed copious amount of fluids until I could “produce” an adequate sample.  At least I was in fantastic company in the tent!  Unfortunately after finishing in the testing tent, getting cleaned up, and returning for the awards ceremony, the awards were cancelled because of bad storms.  I was disappointed to not have an awards ceremony but thought, “at least I got to finish” because race officials had to pull a few racers off the course for safety reasons with the storm before they finished. 

NYC Triathlon - August 7, 2011

To start the month of August, I raced the New York City Nautica Triathlon with 3,000+ competitors.  Quite a change in scenery and size from the Anthracite Triathlon!  I was fortunate that my Ark Interval’s team owner, Noah Krug, had raced NYC before and was able to give me a race overview including his opinion of the race highs and lows.  I was also able to preview/pre-ride the course using the team’s CompuTrainer Real Course video. 

My start time of 5:50 was by far my earliest triathlon start.  But I guess with the logistics of getting 3,000+ athletes through the course (including athlete cross-over at the transition areas – 2 areas to accommodate everyone) and a closed bike and run course (in New York City!!), an early start was required!  It was dark and raining as we left the hotel and I started to get nervous about time as I had not factored in 15 minutes to get a cab at 4 AM in NYC!  And this wasn’t due to a lack of cabs, just a lack of cabs stopping.  It was still raining when I arrived at transition but the weather was far better than the 2 – 3 inches the forecasters had predicted.  I quickly got my transition area together and left to make my way a mile north to the swim start.  I planned on including my warm-up run in the journey to the swim start but soon had to give up when the path became too crowded with other racers.  When I finally arrived, I learned that the race had been postponed because of a car accident along the bike course that was being cleaned up.  After about a 45 minute delay, it was finally time.  The swim start was a new experience for me – a dive start.  I was nervous about my goggles slipping off during the dive; I’d practiced during the week before but I was still nervous.  (While waiting for the start I asked other pros who regularly compete in ITU races for suggestions on how to keep them on but they were not able to offer any.)  And sure enough, my goggles slipped off when I hit the water.  I got in a few hard strokes, fixed my goggles and then started off again.  The swim was nothing like what I’d been mentally prepared for.  Because of the strong current in the Hudson River, I’d been told it was a fast, “easy” swim.  But because the swim was into the wind, waves and chop made for a quick but rough swim for me.

Once out of the water, it was almost another half mile run (on pavement) to transition; seeing my T1 time post-race, I saw that I was a little too casual on the run to transition.  I think the feeling of mental defeat on the swim pre-occupied my focus.  The bike course immediately started with several tight, quick turns and a short climb – a technical start to get out to the road, especially in the rain.  The course itself was not overly difficult.  Other than the technical start/finish, it was an out and back on the West Side Highway with a couple of climbs but mostly rolling hills.  The most difficult part of the bike course was having to navigate around the many potholes, puddles, and slick expansion joints.  Seeing the first crash about 3 miles into the race made me exercise even a little more caution.  In those early miles, I don’t think I was mentally focused.   Fortunately though, positive thoughts started when I realized how fun it was to ride on a major NYC roadway without cars!  It’s pretty rare to have a closed course and especially in NYC!  And when else can you fly through toll plazas at 20+ mph and not have to worry about paying???  On the return trip, the wind picked up into a fairly strong headwind.  My legs were definitely feeling the fatigue from the headwind but at that point I just found a gear where I could maintain a strong cadence and tried to keep pedaling as hard as I could.  I thought I had managed a strong ride but when I saw my final bike time after the race I realized I had not gone as fast as I’d hoped.  However, on a perceived exertion rating, I don’t know if I could have pushed more. 

Heading out onto the run, we were treated to two pleasantries within the first quarter mile.  First, we had a steep hill to climb out of transition, which really tested the legs.  And then we had to dodge a homeless man who was trying to sleep as we ran through an underpass.  Only in NYC!  From Transition, we ran up 72^nd Ave. into Central Park.  While not quite as adrenaline-pumping as the NYC Marathon, the run up 72^nd was fun.  A closed street lined with spectators all yelling and cheering; it kept me motoring along.  Into Central Park the excitement continued for the next mile before the course got quieter.  Non-racing runners and walkers cheered for me as I tackled the Harlem Hills.  Around mile 4, I saw another female; I debated strategy as to whether to pass or hold back and wait to pass.  I decided to go for the pass with the hope that I could hold my pace and/or she wouldn’t pick up hers.  Making the pass I felt strong but as I neared mile 5 I heard footsteps quickly approaching.  While I know I can only control my race, I knew I was going to be disappointed if it was the same girl passing me.  Fortunately though, it was a male age grouper.  While he encouraged me to hang with him, I knew it was better to just stick with my pace/race.  Crossing the finish line a short time later I was happy to be finished.  I felt as though I’d raced hard and finished with my fastest Olympic-distance run time, 39:49.  With conditions that naturally make me a little gun shy, I was generally pleased with my performance.  I think the best part for me was my ability to re-engage my mental game when pretty early on in the race I was not focused and had essentially written the race off. 

Anthracite Triathlon 2011

July 17, 2011: Anthracite Triathlon, Jim Thorpe, PA

Some people choose to start small and get bigger…not me, at least not this year.  I started off with an Ironman race, including 2,000+ other competitors, then dropped to a half-ironman distance, then an Olympic-distance, down to a Splash-N-Dash, and finally back up to an Olympic with only about 175 racers.  The race was held in historic Jim Thorpe, PA on July 17, 2011.  My decision to race was fairly last minute.  I’d been looking for a July race but the Half Ironman that I’d contemplated was closed for registration before I could make a definitive decision.  When I heard friends Polly Jansen, Chris Verry, and Dave Morris mention they were racing in the Anthracite Triathlon, I decided it would be a fun one to do.  It’s one that had actually been recommended to me years ago.  

Rather than checking into a hotel or meeting a home stay host family when we arrived in Jim Thorpe on Saturday, Christian scoped out our campsite looking for an ideal spot to place our tent.  Yup, we were camping.  We ended up putting our tent on our friend’s site as our site lacked a large enough rock/root-free space for a tent.  After setting up camp, we went out and drove the course, had dinner, and then built a campfire.  I finally turned in after watching everyone else enjoy roasted marshmallows and s’mores.  After getting very little sleep that night, I’ve learned that camping is probably not the most ideal race-night routine for me.  It was still dark when I crawled out of the tent on race morning so I enjoyed my normal pre-race breakfast in the car lit by my Princeton Tec headlights.  After pleading with park employees to let me jump in the shower (it really helps refresh and wake me up) before their cleaning, I was off to transition.  Once there I had to figure out the best spot on my rack as one rack was even too short for my little bike.  Somehow I got a little behind on my set-up and warm-up and was then frantically rushing to get my wetsuit on prior to the start.

 

There were only two waves, men followed by women.  I got off to a strong start and felt good until the first turn buoy.  At the turn, we were completely blinded by sun glare.  Sighting became nearly impossible and I felt lucky that day that I did an okay job of tracking a decently straight line.  About halfway to the 2^nd turn, I started reaching men from the first wave, which just made the lack of sighting visibility even worse since I now had to try to avoid swimming in to people.  Sometime just before the second turn we went through a nasty section of water that had a terrible odor and was full of tangled seaweed.  I wondered why the men had not done a better job of breaking it up!

Once on my bike, Christian let me know that there was one woman ahead of me.  I soon had her within my sight and passed her with the first few miles.  We hit our first tough climb around mile 3 where I proceeded to weed through much of the men’s field.  Just before the decent down the other side, I passed Chris; I thought he’d definitely overtake me on the steep, winding descent but he must have been taking it cautiously because the pass never came.  Through the next section of climbing, descents, and flats I tried to push hard, knowing that the last several miles held a good amount of climbing.  As I made the final turn-around on a short out and back section, I tried to watch for my closest competitor.  The next female looked to be a little ways back.  Heading into Transition, I was happy that I built a nice lead.

The run was a nice out and back with the majority along a nice, shaded gravel trail.  Its difficulty lay in the gradual 2-mile descent followed by a steep, 1-mile climb to the turn-around and then the gradual 2-mile climb to the finish.  I passed a few men in the initial miles of the run and finally saw Dave, the men’s leader, somewhere around his mile 4.  I watched in amazement as it was several minutes before I saw any other male racers.  I was mentally prepared for the hill after mile 2 but it was tougher than I imagined.  And the way the road ascended, we couldn’t see the top, which made it even tougher.  I just kept telling myself to keep my legs moving and I’d eventually get to the top!  I passed Chris as he made his way up the hill and I was heading down.  By that time I actually had some oxygen hitting the brain and lungs to I was able to yell out a few words to cheer him on.  At the base of the hill, I saw Polly and gave her the stats of the next female up from her.  For me, I just had two miles or so to finish up.  My legs felt a little flat so I knew I would not be able to make up time I’d lost climbing the hill.  With about a mile to go I saw another female ahead of me; I knew she was part of a relay but was happy to pass her knowing that when I finished, I would be the first female to cross the line.

At the awards ceremony, Dave, Chris, Polly, and I racked up some serious “future bling.”  [The race’s awards, which were very fitting for the race/area – chunks of coal.  In the right conditions, many years from now, they could be very valuable.]  Dave and I were first male and female (I was 5^th overall), respectively; Polly overtook the female ahead of her to finish 2^nd female, and Chris finished 2^nd place 35 – 39.  And to cool off and relax after a tough day of racing, cheering, and breaking down camp, we all enjoyed a little swim and splashing in the lake before heading home.      

Splash and Dash 2011

July 6, 2011 – Splash and Dash, Marlton Lakes, NJ

On July 6, 2011, I went with 2 friends (Polly Jansen and Chris Verry) to participate in a Splash and Dash.  The race, held on a Wednesday evening, was a ¼ mile swim followed by a 3.1 mile run.  Chris and Polly had done the race a few years before and their description of it made it sound like fun.  So we made our way down to the race after work.  During the day I couldn’t figure out what and when to eat.  Even though I typically work-out after work, this was a little later in the evening and I was guessing it would be at a higher intensity then some of my workouts.  I didn’t want to be hungry but I also wanted to avoid stomach issues.  So I tried to eat similar foods to my usual race morning breakfast and just spread it out through the afternoon.

On the way to the race, Chris casually pointed out that we were going to spend more time in the car pre and post-race than what we would actually be racing.  His estimate – max 30 minutes of racing.  Although I knew it wouldn’t be a long race, I hadn’t thought about how short it would actually be.  Putting it in that perspective, I was hoping the fun factor would be really big!  Upon arrival, we scoped out the site, picked our transition spots, went out for warm-up jog, and then waited.  Despite this being a casual event, and nothing more than a good workout, I got a case of the butterflies as we sat around.  But after hearing the best pre-race quote ever from the youngest (10 years old) racer, how could I have nerves??  After being tested by her father on her ability to quickly put a race belt on, she asked, “Can I go over and swing now?”  She was clearly not feeling any pre-race apprehension!

As Chris, Polly, and I made our way around the lake to the swim start, we laughed at the two men we saw wearing wetsuits.  Not only had the race director clearly stated wetsuits were not permitted, the lake temperature was nearing hot-tub temps at 85 degrees, the air temperature (in the mid-90’s) was even warmer, and the swim was only a ¼ mile.  The men went off 3 minutes before the ladies and I found myself catching some of them about ¾ of the way through the swim.  This is also about the same time that the water got particularly nasty as it was black from the stir-up of sediment, mud, sand, and underwater vegetation.  I noticed many men around me standing and walking in; I stood up also but realized that with the distance still to cover to the exit, it was quicker to swim.  The remainder of the swim required a lot of dodging since there was no visibility and men were swimming and standing all around me.

Up in transition, I spent a few extra seconds to spray all of the sand off my feet.  It wasn’t wasted time to me as I had no desire to deal with blisters from sand in my shoes!  The run was a nice flat, out and back loop through neighborhood streets.  But it sure seemed like a long mile and a half out to the turn-around!  My breathing rate never had a chance to slow down after the swim so my lungs were working hard to keep up with my legs.  I kept hoping around every bend that I’d see the men coming back which would signal the turn-around not too much further.  Just before the turn-around, Chris and I passed each other on opposite sides of the road and I tried, with the little breath I had, to cheer him on.  Shortly after the turn-around, I saw Polly and let her know that the next female wasn’t too far ahead of her. (Polly was running strong and by the finish, not only had she passed the girl, she’d put a nice gap between them!)  The way back was mentally easier because I knew the route and where the turns were.  At one point, I ended up directly behind a guy wearing nothing but a Speedo.  It was not a welcome sight and I used my ‘desire’ to not be looking at him as motivation to keep the pace going hard.  With almost exactly even splits on the run, I crossed the finish line in a total time of 26:37, good enough for 1^st Female and 2^nd OA.  Polly and Chris, who somehow managed to clock the exact same run time, finished strong also.  Polly (28:43) took 2^nd Female (4^th OA) and Chris (28:49) won his Age Group (6^th OA).  We all had a fun time and doing the event added some nice variety for an intense swimming and running workout.  However, in the car ride home, we all agreed that we’d forgotten how much something that short could hurt!

Philadelphia Triathlon 2011

June 26, 2011 – Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon; Philadelphia, PA

The Philadelphia Triathlon has become an annual event for me and for the Ark Intervals team.  The local convenience and competitive field make it a great race.  The benefit of an “annual” race: because of course consistency, you can really compare year-over-year results against each other.  The downfall: year over year results are directly comparable so you really have to be prepared to accept, without excuse, when the times get slower.  Taking into account my prior performances at this race and recognizing the competition I would be facing, my goal for the race was to improve my bike split.  Looking at my times from the past several years, my bike split has unfortunately remained relatively stagnant and to me, was where I thought I had room for improvement.

Competing in this race as a pro was a different experience for me.  Because the pros race under a few different rules, which become extremely difficult to follow on a 40k, 2-loop bike course with 2,500+ competitors, they started the pro and elite amateurs almost 30 minutes ahead of the rest of the field.  Having calmer empty water and roadways was certainly nice!  At just about 79 degrees, the water temperature made the race non-wetsuit for everyone. (I’m sensing a disappointing trend for races this year – 3 for 3 non-wetsuit races.  At least most of this swim was down-river.)  Being in the water for several minutes before the race started created the issue that flowing rivers always do; we were constantly being pulled downstream and had to swim back up to the starting line several times.  Once we were finally off for a 0.9 mile swim, I noticed that I was right in the pack of top professionals.  It didn’t last long though as they seemed to suddenly accelerate into a higher gear after the first minute or so and I was quickly spit out the back and left with a few other slower swimmers.  Although I stayed with them for a bit, we eventually spaced out as well and by the end of the swim I felt nearly alone.  I felt as though I’d had a strong swim but realized, as I entered the pro transition area, that there were only a couple of other bikes still on the racks.  I didn’t let it get to me though and instead just thought about hitting the bike hard and trying to catch other competitors there. 

I attacked the course and thought about all of the factors affecting my speed while riding – power, cadence, position while climbing, recovery, taking turns more aggressively.  I was focused enough that although I heard Christian cheering for me a few times along the course, I wasn’t even aware it was him until after the race when he mentioned everywhere he’d been able to see and cheer for me.  Needless to say, I was disappointed when I saw my time after the 1^st lap and knew I wasn’t going to hit my goal bike time.  I think what was most disappointing about seeing my split time was knowing how hard I felt like I was going.  The first lap was painful yet it appeared as though I wasn’t going to make a dent into my overall bike time.  I was working hard and thought that based on the wattage I had maintained that my speed would have been faster.  But I still had another lap so I again attacked it with the hopes that I could at least pull off even splits.  As I finished the 2^nd lap I didn’t see my final time but knew it was close to or maybe slower than prior years.  I was definitely bummed but still had a run to complete; with the course design, I knew I’d be able to see my competition and maybe catch someone on the run.

My run started and finished well.  I feel like I remained consistent throughout.  I think my pace dropped off a few seconds per mile in the back half but not a significant amount.  I was not able to catch any of the pro females ahead of me but I was able to “chick” a few of the elite males that had passed me on the bike.  The course design includes an out and back which brings you back past transition followed by another out and back in the opposite direction.  It was strange as I passed transition roughly halfway through the run because other athletes were just finishing the swim.  (And because we had to cross paths, it made for a confusing and congested stretch.)  I was fortunate to have my parents and sister at the race cheering for me and I was able to see and hear them as I passed through this area.  Christian was out at several places on the back-half of the run course.  Since it’s much quieter on that half, and it’s where fatigue starts to hit, it was nice to hear his encouraging voice.  In all, I think I finished the run with my fastest run split at this race, which had me happy since my overall finish time was slower that I’d hoped for.  After picking up my bike and gear post-race, Christian discovered my front brake lever severely rubbing my front wheel, stopping it from spinning on its own.  I was bummed to see this but it made me think, “Did this impact my bike time?”  I am hoping that it was at least some of the cause of my sub-par bike performance.  I know Christian was also bummed because he’d adjusted the lever earlier after putting my race wheels on and it had been fine.  What it reminded me is that things can happen, even just from the car to transition.  So I need to remember that when I’m setting my bike up in transition, I need to do a final spin of the wheels.  I typically haven’t and it’s a bad habit that I’ll change going forward.  Mechanical issues happen and having a preventable one impact a race is a hard way to learn but usually the hard lessons sink in the best…and it’s also just more motivation to continue working hard on my biking legs.     

Post-race I had a great time hanging out with teammates and supporters at the Ark Intervals tent.  Owner (and triathlete) Noah Krug, Josh Krug, Jay Gantz, Chris Fields, and I were able to swap race stories, share a few laughs, and mingle with other racers (Chris, Polly, Noah, and Judy) and family all while feasting on tasty goodies prepared by Team Wife, Helene Krug.

(Photos courtesy of Sandra Schmidt and Christian Mongrain- thank you!)

Ironman Texas

May 21, 2011; The Woodlands, TX, Ironman Texas – my Ironman ‘debut’ as a Professional Triathlete

While planning my race season this winter, I saw the Memorial Hermann Ironman as a great way to start the season.  I know what you’re thinking, why would a northerner like me schedule a race of this distance so early in the season?  My logic, it would give me great focus through the long winter and get me into great racing shape early in the season.  Many of my training runs early on took place in the dark after work, usually on the roads because the sidewalks were covered with snow and ice.  Training on the bike was often on the trainer, but as soon as the roads were clear, I layered up and went outside.  The one factor of Texas I could not reproduce in training was the heat and humidity that is typical of southern Texas in late May.

 Experienced ironman racers have often said that during an Ironman, anything can happen, at any time, which can completely change the race for the good or the bad.  For me, the day started good, took a turn for the bad, before finally stabilizing.  I didn’t have one of my best race days, but it wasn’t totally terrible either and I learned a few things that will only make me a better racer. 

Race morning:  It was nice to have had a home stay so close to the race site which meant getting to “sleep-in” until 4am. (Thank you hosts Kristin and Michael.)  Before heading over to the race, I had my normal pre-race breakfast with the hopes that it would keep me filled for several hours.  When I arrived, the transition area was already teaming with athletes making last minute preparations to their bikes before
heading to the swim start.   

As a Pro, it meant a 10-minute earlier start on the swim.  6:40… into the water we went to line-up between buoys and kayakers marking the start of the 2.4 mile swim. “Brrrr!”  The other women and I started to question where they measured the water temp to determine that the race should not be wetsuit legal.  After treading water for approximately 10 minutes, we heard a faint “bang” and a kayaker said “go-go-go” and suddenly the race began.  “Are you kidding me?!?!” Right at the start of the swim my goggles were leaking; I took a few seconds to adjust them but as a result fell off a pack I’d started with.  I was soon able to find my own rhythm, sighting went well, and I eventually started to catch a few of the pro swimmers who earlier gained a lead while I cleared my goggles.  The course was roughly split into thirds:  2/3 was an up and back in the wide section of the lake and then a right turn to finish the final 1/3 down a canal.  “How cool!” I thought when hearing the cheers of spectators lining either side of the canal during the final stretch to exit the swim. 

After a 1:06:21 swim, I ran through the changing tent filled with awesome volunteers before heading out onto the bike. Having pre-driven the bike course, my mind was at ease knowing generally what to expect out there.  Early on I thought, “It’s not too hot yet,” with overcast skies, but the air was thick with humidity.  It didn’t take long before I set my sights on another pro female to reel in and pass on the bike.  I found myself being the hunter and the hunted many times during the first third of the 112 mile bike. The course started fast and flat with rolling hills starting somewhere around mile 40.  No hill was particularly difficult but the cumulative effect along with some head/cross winds in the second half were enough to make the legs feel some fatigue.

Nutrition was going well on the bike, including the PB&J and Clif Bars that I became accustomed to while training.  Until, late on the bike, something didn’t sit right… “I shouldn’t have drank that!” is what I found myself thinking after one of the aid stations where I picked up a super sweet red Ironman Perform drink.  I think the combination of nerves, heat & humidity, and the drink was causing a war in my stomach.  I probably needed to have consumed a few more calories and fluids while I rode but my stomach wasn’t willing to allow anything more.  With many more miles to ride and a full marathon to still run, it wasn’t great news for my body.  The clouds, at this point, had disappeared, and the sun was blazing.  The last 10 miles of the bike…so close and excited to be nearly finished with the bike… just seemed to stretch on and on.  I always have a small amount of anxiety on the bike because of uncontrollable mechanical issues, but I made it through without a problem.  It was totally awesome to see Christian, Noah & Helene Krug, my parents, cousins, and a few friends out on the course many, many times.  A personal, roving cheering squad!  Bike Time:  5:13:51, average speed: 21.4mph.

Into the cheering crowd at the bike dismount… “Ouch, ouch, ouch” over the bricks and pavement in transition, don my shoes, and then out to run a marathon.   I trained to run a 3:20 marathon coming off the bike, but that was with a heat index below 100 and without a belly ache!  All I could do was try my hardest and see how my body would adapt.  I started at a good pace but felt I was working harder than I thought I should have been so early in the run.  Somewhere around mile 3 my stomach issues resurfaced and for several miles, under the hot sun, I was reduced to an alternating run/walk.  There was a serious “control” battle going on between my legs, stomach, and brain!  My lowest point was probably around mile 5 when I thought that I was going to have to walk another 21 miles.  Those bad thoughts coupled with a pit stop must have been enough to flip a switch, because sometime between miles 5 and 6 I was able to mentally and physically regroup and resume full-time running.  I know I was fortunate to get going again but definitely disappointed to have abandoned my plan so early on.  The 3-loop run course was great for me in that I could break each loop into many small sections to help stay focused and running rather than concentrating on each mile marker.  It also meant the opportunity to see family and friends many times.  Even when I couldn’t muster a smile for them, I was very happy to see them!  I also felt better about my performance when I passed other female pros who were also struggling.  Looking back, I feel bad that seeing others suffering was a consolation to me but in the moment I felt better knowing I wasn’t alone.  Crossing the Finish Line was a bit of a blur but I remember feeling a wave of excitement as I rounded a corner and could take the “finish line chute” instead of the path that led runners back out to the course for laps 2 and 3!  Marathon time:  3:43:46, pace: 8:32/mile

The race itself was very good.  The volunteers, aid stations, staff, and communities were incredible.  The individual segment courses were very nice with the run being my favorite.  You notice strange things while participating in an Ironman:  Texas has a lot of animal carnage!  My count on the bike course: one cow, 2 unidentifiable (but the turkey volunteers sure seemed to be enjoying one of them), 2 snakes (and one was big!), a squirrel, and a bird.  “Cycle” of life, I guess.

In summary, it was a long, tough day of racing with highs and lows, but I finished with a smile on my face and can say, “I’ll be back for more Ironman racing!”