I was fortunate to have the entire week off before Sea to Summit (S2S) and I am damn glad I did. It had been since very early 2020 and since I'd had more than three days off in a row. I was feeling burnt out and exhausted. AND this race takes a lot more prep work than other triathlons. I was diligent all week with my to-do lists, recovery and "primer" workouts and getting enough rest and eating well. NAPS and SNACKS. By the time Friday came I mostly had to pack up the truck. Unfortunately because I am a worrier I was anxious about logistics all week and did not sleep well most of the week. I did manage to get a pretty good night sleep Wednesday and Thursday.
Going into Friday and after my primer/opener run and bike workouts I was feeling pretty ready for race day. AND I got a text from my good friend Carole just before I set out on my ride that she was going to join me for part of the hike! Mare had been planning to, but was injured and it was question mark. I certainly could do the hike solo, but man the idea of having one or two friends hiking with me was amazing. And I knew it would push me to stay on pace. It takes a village for most of us to get to the start line and then finish line of a race, but this race it is imperative and required to have help. I had not one, but two porters: Amy and Mare. And now I get a friend to join me for the first half of the hike. WOO HOO .
As Mare and I pulled into the race site Friday afternoon my blood pressure and heart rate rose. I was both excited and terrified. This race was going to be a huge challenge and I wasn't positive that I could hit the cut off times. But I was going to do my best. And if I had to finish unofficially; I would. My mindset had changed. It felt like an honor to be there. And so many people had helped me get there through various levels of support. The fear was quickly over ridden by excitement. The venue was lush and gorgeous. The weather was going to be cool. However, there was already talk of high winds and cold temps at the top of Mt Washington. This meant a question mark if we'd be able to summit the mountain. We went to the air bnb, ate dinner, discussed last minute logistics, finished organizing, and attempted to sleep.
I got roughly 3.5 hours of interrupted sleep, but was feeling weirdly good. I felt nauseous and had trouble eating my bar. I managed to eat half. And placed the other half in my bike jersey. We found out in the dark early cold morning hours that due to 33 mph wind gusts and 30 degree weather at the top that we'd be climbing to Hermit Lodge and turning around. The finish line would be back at Wild Cat. I was disappointed but also pleased that the race officials were being smart and keeping our safety in mind.
The swim: We all piled into to the water at roughly 5:28 for a 5:30 start. There was a delay to the start of the race, however they did not announce this so we were all standing around in cold water. By the time the released us I was shivering. I am not sure I actually warmed up until I was on the bike. The course was gorgeous, but I had a hard time sighting. Maybe I was out of practice. Maybe it was that there were not many big buoys. I felt OK during the out portion of the course, but struggled coming back. I just felt off and could not find my rhythm. My swim time was significantly slower than any of my training swims and than I expected. I ran out of the water and up to T1. Amy was there waiting for me and encouraging me to run. I was shivering and my lips were blue. I made a decision weeks ago that I'd change shirts with each discipline. Changing socks and shirts gives me a huge mental boost. And I am glad I made that decision. Changing out of a wet tri jersey and into a bike jersey helped me warm up fast on the bike. Mare and Amy helped me get dressed, load the bike course, and hop on the bike.
The bike: I ran over to the bike mount area and hop on Speedy. My legs felt good and course was showing, although my Garmin told me that it was having trouble loading turn-by-turn directions. It was imperative that the course load. S2S is unique in that it does have a designated bike course. Most athletes use the same route and have for years. There were no arrows on the ground, no cops or volunteers at intersections. No cones anywhere protecting you from traffic and asshole drivers. And the field is small, 100 racers, so it was unlikely I'd be in a pack of athletes. I am not that fast. I felt great for the first 15 or so miles. But I dropped my bar trying to look at my cue sheet. I had not seen Amy or Mare and was panicking that I'd messed up and given them incorrect cue sheets. I had no phone or cash and only two water bottles with Untapped electrolyte mix. That would last me twenty or so miles but not 90. Around mile 20 my course with turn by turns loaded. phew. And I started seeing a few racers. And then I saw Amy and Mare. I smiled and got a big boost. All was well. I fueled up, grabbed more water and off I went. I was diligent about getting electrolytes and Untapped waffles into me. My stomach was audibly growling around mile 15, which was not a good sign. The front end of the course was a lot hiller and harder than I expected. It was demoralizing. I tried attacking the hills but didn't have enough umph and was in a bad head space. Then something switched. Maybe it was because I knew I was over half way of the course. Maybe it was because there were finally some gentle rollers and flats. Maybe I finally had enough calories in me. But I felt great between mile 55-85 or so. By the time I saw Mare and Amy at mile 61 or so I was feeling good and ready to tackle Pinkham notch. I cruised to Conway and up Westside Road. There I saw Carole in her car, which gave me another boost. I felt fantastic in the stretch from Conway to Route 16. There was significant head wind making it tough to get down in aero but I kept trying. I saw my parents at Story Land which gave me another boost. I love that they come to my races. I stopped one more time at mile 82 or so for a bottle exchange and an Untapped Maple syrup and coffee shot. YUM. Carole gave me the heads up that the notch was three peaks with a rest in between each . OK I can do this. I toggled back in forth on my Garmin to see the elevation profile and the map. I kept my bike in a low gear and kept spinning; alternating from standing to sitting. Getting in my aero bars when could. The road just kept going up but I kept spinning. I glanced at my watch and knew I only had a few minutes to get to T2 before the cut off. I shifted down and pushed harder. I reached the top. Finally. I saw the Mt Washington trail head. I saw Carole waiting for me. I saw the "Wild Cat next right sign". I saw Amy, my parents, and Willow. Amy ran up to me and told me to hurry. Mare ran over. The two of them were helping me get dressed and change shoes. I just made the cut off.
The "run": I got clear to run and off I went. I chugged some coke and ate half a banana. I ran-walked up to the Tuckerman's trail. My legs were wobbly and stiff but I felt pretty good! My crew was there. Up the mountain I went with Carole and Mare. We ran-fast hiked up. Mare turned around about a mile up. Carole and I kept going. I stumbled a lot. Thank goodness for the trees that prevented me from falling! The trail is not super steep at this point in the climb but it is very rocky requiring agility and constant attention. Needless to say I was not super agile at this time and stumbled A LOT but no actual falls. We rounded a bend and could see the lodge. I upped the pace and checked in! Time to turn around and finish this thing. We ran much of the descent. At one point I got super nauseous and needed to sit down. I was very close to actually throwing up. Carole talked me through breathing and I managed to get back up and start walking again. Then jogging and sorta running! Then we saw Amy! She had hiked up with my Mom then decided to keep going. The three of us ran down to the trail head. I was very proud of Amy for running. Carole and I kept going and managed to run most of the way back. We rounded the bend and there was the finish line! I'd made it! Amy, Mare, my parents and Willow were there waiting. Along with a few race officials. I was very pleased with how I felt on the hike.
I got my medal and kissed the ground. It was not quite as awesome as kissing the top of Mt Washington, but still amazing. This race was unlike anything I've done. It was hard. It pushed my limits . It was fun. I will do it again.
I am so thankful to Amy, Mare, and Carole for getting me through this race. Amy and Mare were amazing. The got be ready and out of transition very quickly. There were ready at every planned stop with everything I needed and more. Amy with her Chewbacca mask. The both boosted me up when I needed it. Carole helped me up to the lodge and back. I could not have done this race without them. Its a tough day for us racers, but the support crew work just as hard and get up just as early. I am a lucky person to have them in my life. And to my parents who were there cheering, had my coke, and made an amazing dinner later. I could not have asked for a better crew.
This was the first long distance triathlon I have done as a low carb high fat athlete. I felt great during my training using Untapped. My stomach felt icky during parts of the hike. I need to reexamine my nutrition. I am considering UCAN and perhaps using Untapped for an extra boost. I am wondering if my body just couldn't handle that many hours with simple sugar. I felt off during the first half of this race. After a day or so to reflect I think so of that was nerves. Some of it was being unable to eat enough prior to the race. Some of it was being cold in the water. I am proud of myself for continuing to move forward. And for crossing the finish line with a lot of help from my friends. I am so happy to be back to racing and training with my friends.
I'd highly recommend this race. It's well organized. The staff and volunteers are kind, communicative, and organized. I'll do it again. Hopefully next time I'll get to summit the mountain!
Finally an extra huge thank you to Amy. It's hard being a partner to a triathlete. We're gone for hours at a time, sometimes all day. We go to bed early. And eat a lot. She is by my side and my biggest supporter. I am not sure how I got so lucky. But here I am .
