Ironman Maryland 2023

I went into Ironman Maryland with much different expectations than with previous races.  I had a time goal, but it was a loose one. And one that would not define success.  My goals were to have fun and feel strong.  I began training for this race after I recovered from my 50K last fall. Kettlebell and suspension trainer strength workouts, short distance running, swimming, and indoor cycling.  I made a race calendar that involved longer rides and runs early in the season but staying at low intensity. I worked with Mary Eggers at Valor Project for the last 10 weeks or so. I entered race week feeling strong and fairly rested. I did not feel beat up like I have in the past.  I was excited and ready. 

I got to Transition a little after 5 am.  This was a "clean transition" which meant that all my gear was already there and organized in bags.  I had a few things to add to my bike and to the bags, but I was mostly ready to go.  I had planned a warm up swim so that I acclimated to the water, decrease nerves, and be ready to go! I quickly got to the point where I was ready to do my practice swim, however it was announced that the swim was delayed, by an hour, and cut to 1.2 miles due to a combo of tide and wind.  We were told it would feel like swimming in an endless pool. It would put racers and the rescuers in danger.  At this time I walked over to the edge of the Choptank River, where we'd be swimming and watched the sunrise and chatted with a fellow athlete, Frank. He  was a veteran 140.6 athlete and had been playing with trail running.  We had a lot in common and bounded over crazy races. We said our good byes and walked to transition. A bit later it was announced that the swim would be 0.57 miles, would start at 8:30, and we'd enter one by one. The day changed rapidly. My only concern at this time was the timing of my food. I had eaten my PBnJ at 5:30 am. I had one gel with me to intake a half hour before the swim. But I didn't have an extra food with me, other than what was in my gear for the bike and run. I was feeling hungry and a little dehydrated standing in line.  The plan at that time was to front load my bike nutrition to make up for this delay.  I stood in line for over 90 min before I entered the water. I was roughly a two hour delay.  This is significant.  But I stayed calm and tried to enjoy the beautiful clear morning. Standing in line with 1300 athletes.  

Finally at around 9 am it was my turn. Time to play. Time to see what I had in me.  Beep beep beep GO! I ran into the water and dove in. First strokes felt fine. The water was a perfect temperature.  It felt calm, however it was very murky due to churning waters.  First left....OK its a little choppy, but this is not bad. I felt strong.  Final left turn, I lift my head to sight....what felt like a huge wave went directly into my mouth.  I probably swallowed a cup of water. OK don't do that again Kristi....keep your mouth closed. I'm pretty sure I laughed at this moment. As much as you can laugh while swimming. At least one other time I swallowed a good deal of water.  It was here that I realized it was the right decision to cut the swim.  Ironman does not make these decisions lightly and I know it was for everyone's safety. I believe that if it had been the full 2.4 mile swim that there would have been A LOT of DNFs and quite possibly something tragic may have occurred. Even in the tumultuous water I felt strong. My stroke was solid.  I wasn't over rotating and my pull was long and strong.  My core was engaged. At one point I realized that the safety kayaks were herding us.  I found out later that the buoys were moving around with the current and they were making sure we stayed on course! In all of my years racing this has never happened.  I got to the boat dock, hopped out and onto wetsuit stripping.  I saw Amy, kissed her and went off to T1.  

I ran into the changing tent with my little bag of bike goodies, changed into my gear jogged to Speedy. OFF I went.  I felt fantastic immediately. For the first quarter of the course I was averaging over 16 mph I think. Then we hit Blackwater Wildlife Refuge.  The wind was very strong.  It was hard to stay in aero safely, but I gave it a go when able. There were about 20 miles of this. It was a flat course, but I truly felt like I was climbing at some points due to the headwind and cross winds.  It got to me. I was not having fun. I typically love the bike portion of the course. But the wind was making it very challenging in a way I didn't have experience with. I was working very hard on a flat course. It was beautiful but difficult to appreciate because I was concentrating so much on the wind and not falling over. I came up to the last aid station on first loop so I pulled in to refill my bottles.  The three young men and one young women were so awesome and so enthusiastic. They helped me and got me back on the bike in a couple minutes.  Those kids elevated me and got me excited again. A smile for the first time in a couple of hours. Now were were exiting the Refuge and the wind was a little less.  On to the second loop. This time I knew what was in store.  I got into a rhythm of being in aero OR alternating 8 seated and 8 standing revolutions.  Thank you Mary E. This got me through the second loop. I experienced a bit of nausea at mile 80 of the ride, but it subsided. It was not my fasted Ironman bike leg, but it was faster than I have been riding.  I believe without the wind I would have been much faster.  I didn't have a whole lot of experience riding in wind like that.  Rain yes. Heat and humidity yes. Strong head and crosswinds no.  I had a little more fun on that second loop, but I was excited to be off that bike! 

Into T2 to change into my running gear and off I went.  At this point in triathlon I always breath a sigh of relief.  There is less room for error in some ways.  No chance of drowning. No chance of panic.  No chance of crashes or mechanicals. Worse case scenario....walk.  My legs actually felt pretty damn good immediately.  "Fucking Perfect" by P!NK was playing as I came through the first aid station..it was my JAM! I felt good, I felt strong.  The first couple miles is a loop into town, past the finish line, past restaurants....SO much energy and excitement. I was eating it up. I felt great!  I was about to ramp up my pace; as I came to mile 3 I tried taking a gel .  Immediately I gagged and almost vomited. CRAP. I slowed but kept walking. Then I was able to run a bit. The nausea faded. I tried my Nuun Endurance and water...nauseau ramped. OK Kristi time to change things up. Lets try COKE and small sips of water.  Then coke, water, one chip and a tiny bit of banana. OK this is working. No lets add a little Gatorade.  I had to intermittently walk.  The nauseau faded but I was seriously lacking in energy. I was a little dizzy.  This was at mile 13 or so.   After dark I added chicken broth. Small sips at each aid station. I ran 20 steps, walked 20. The ran faster 10 steps, slow 20...repeat... then walk 20 steps and repeat. I made small goals. I talked to other athletes. I danced (sorta) at aid stations. Nauseau seemed to be a common theme.  I am blaming the water. I also think that a late start and timing of "breakfast" played a role.  My stomach was actually growling on the bike. That's not a good sign. In retrospect I should have grabbed a banana or cookie an aide station on the bike. 

We had to hit the 19 mile point by 10:50 pm.  When I had this confirmed I felt a load come off my shoulders. I was at mile 17 when I learned this and it was 8 pm .  I knew at this time I would finish.  The nausea was gone but I was weak. I estimate that I consumed at most 300 calories on the 26.2 run. That is NOT enough!!! There was no increasing my pace. I ran-walked but did it in a calculated manner.   I saw Amy around mile 21. This boosted me. I just needed to complete 5.2 miles. I can run 5 miles in my sleep. The last loop of the course I thanked every single volunteer, cop, and Ironman staff.  I thanked the spectators who were still waiting for their athletes and had been cheering me on.  I thanked the Cambridge residents where were still out there cheering us on in the dark! 

I entered the coral for "finishers" with another athlete; he and I gave each other an awkward hug while running.  We'd been running together for most of the marathon.  I accelerated a little and entered the finishers shoot.  I get goosebumps just thinking about it. An Ironman finish is special. They all are. The longer you're on the course the harder it gets. I'd been up since 3:30 am. It was almost 11 pm. I was on fumes and adrenaline. SO many people had helped me get there.  I had raced all day with no pain, except the normal discomforts of racing. I had established a calculated path to this finish line. And it fucking worked! I crossed the line and went back to do my one push-up at the line for all of my patients that we lost this year.  Then I walked back to the volunteer smack dabb in the middle of volunteers and got a huge hug and medal from the one and only Amy Wilson. My person.  This is the second time she has caught me at the finish.  It's so very special. 

This was my fourth 140.6, my fifth long distance triathlon (counting Sea to Summit here). They're all different. My first was a dream. Literally everything went right. The other four have had there own hiccups. Ironman Maryland had a lot of hiccups. I navigated those hiccups like a champ. Nothing rattled me. I felt strong most of the day. Even when I was nauseous my body felt strong. I know that I had a faster marathon in me.  Going in I established my definition of success: have fun, be strong, and finish between 14-15 hours. I accomplished all of those things.  

I can't thank enough everyone of my friends and teammates who trained with me and cheered loudly each week.  Amy who supports me in this thing I call fun. Who took time off work to travel to Maryland, volunteer, and support me. Serious rock start partner status. Mary Eggers who coached me through the last 10 weeks or so and helped navigate training when I had the covid-19 to get me ready for the start line. Who got it when I said "work sucked today I need to run harder and longer tomorrow" and encouraged rest when she knew I needed it. Because, like most of us triathletes and runners, I am bad at resting. My co-workers who listened to my stories of weekend training, handed me coffee and snacks and dealt with occasional grumpiness. This season has been awesome.  A few more fun things ahead before tying a bow on 2023. 

White Mountains Tri 2023 version

 In 2015 I came across the White Mountains Triathlon. I was coming off of an injury from 2014, this was in my old stomping ground. These were the roads, the lake, the bike path where I grew up. The White Mountains are a big part of who I am.  What a great way to return to long distance racing! It was the first week in June. It was cold and rainy to start. The water was SUPER cold.  It kicked my ass. I came in dead fricking last and I think I walked 80% of the run. Nothing wrong with either one of those, but mentally I was in a very bad place during 80% of that race. I felt like I failed on that race. Epically failed. In making my race plan for this year doing the 90 mile ride at training weekend and this race seemed fitting.  I would work on my base fitness fall and winter, then test myself on that ride, the 7-Sisters Trail race (a 12 mile vertical trail run) and The White Mountains 70.3 triathlon. The ride and tri were my redemption ride and race. 

I've approached 2023 in a very different way than any other years racing. With a September 16 Ironman I wanted to build a very big base going into the last 16 weeks of training and transitioning into "race prep".  I also wanted to do a 90 mile -5 notch ride with my tri team at our annual training weekend in the Whites.  So it seemed fitting that my first tri and first real test of the 2023 season be the White Mountains 70.3 tri.  And it would be a redemption race. Just like the 90 mile ride was. I failed that ride in 2018. OK maybe not failed. But it also kicked my ass and I had to walk up Crawford and bail at the top.  I did that ride this year with the intent of riding in at 14-15 mph and the big goal of riding up Crawford and completing the ride on two wheels.  I did that. And I felt mentally and physically strong all day. When I got home from that weekend I let myself recover.  Two weeks prior I'd done a vert 12 mile very tough trail run.  After I recovered I shifted into more faster race pace efforts in all three disciplines. 

I drove up to Littleton early Friday so I could do a shake out workout in all three disciplines, hang out, organize and spend some time with my parents.  I felt weirdly calm and 1000% ready.  My lofty goal was to finish in 6:30. But the big, most important goal was to have fun and finish strong. 

That morning I felt calm and ready to kick ass until I got to the race site. Then I got a little nervous.  But that's normal and totally expected.  That dissipated after I did a very quick run and then a warm up swim. Although it didn't' so much warm me up as make me cold. I got super excited lining up for the race.  It was a time trial start. All of us lined up a tiny cones with our numbers. They let us off one by one like little lemurs in wetsuits. The water was choppy from the wind of the brewing storm.  It was foggy and cloudy.  But its was 68ish and the water was reportedly 68 deg F. The water glorious. I was wearing a full wetsuit but probably could have worn a sleeveless wetsuit. 

I ran in, dove it as gracefully as a golden retriever and took a few strokes, sited (for non triathletes this means looking out of the water to make sure you're swimming straight. It's not always as easy as it may seem) and immediately gulped water.  I panicked for a second but calmly kept swimming.  I didn't really find my rhythm until our first turn buoy. I was getting tossed around by the waves and having trouble sighting, especially on the vertical bit of the rectangular course.  We got a bit of assist coming back in, which was lovely.  I think I swam faster the second loop, but am not certain. 

I got out of the water feeling pretty good. T1 involved running up a paved path and parking lot.  I was cautious and walked most of that for fear of hurting my feet.  A torn up foot could ruin my run. A few more minutes in T1 wasn't going to make or break my day. I wasn't going to win after all.  I organized my stuff and off I went. 

The bike course starts off with a short ascent and then a very long steep curvey descent.  When I was a teenager and young 20's kid I didn't' like driving this road.  I dislike riding even more.  I wasn't in bike mode well enough to gun it down. I was feeling a little shaky at that point, so I cautious.  When I got into Franconia I found my bike rhythm and saw my parents! I know Easton Road well enough from training weekend. So I knew when I could push and when I should ease back, pace, for the rest of the race. One of the highlights of the day was a group of ten or so local Easton folks in their front yard with dumbs and cowbells cheering on athletes! THANK YOU!  Once I hit the next right I ramped up my efforts. There's a long stretch of flat road along a river. It is so pretty! To be honest, my head was down and I was pedaling fast at this point so I did not enjoy the view as much as on other times down this stretch.  I felt amazing on this stretch! The next loop was through the towns of Haverhill and North Haverhill.  My moral dropped a tad on the outer bits of that loop. There were not many riders around me and almost no spectators. But I thought of my people, my training, and got back to being in the moment. And at some point there was a women in her driveway cheering me on. THANK YOU! Soon enough I was at the top of the climb and zipped down a very fun descent back to River road. By that time I had my bike legs and confidence to fly down the hill. Then there was a fun out and back where I saw a bunch of fellow racers again. Morale boost.  Now to ride back down Easton road.  I knew after one big climb the rest was cake.  I ramped up the effort on that climb because I was feeling good and felt I could and still have a good remaining ride and run. There would be one more climb left and I was off the bike! I saw my parents again at the bridge in Franconia town center! At this time I was around 70.3 athletes and sprint athletes as we approached the KOM-QOM segment (this is largely a cycling term. used for very steep climbs. the fastest rider is crowned king and queen of that climb) and the final climb back to transition. It did not disappoint. I felt strong on that road. It was about 3 miles of climbing with a bit of false flat between bigger efforts.  But then it was a gradual climb on a bike path. That was a bit rough.  For some reason I have a harder time pushing pace and effort on climbs that are on bike paths. 

I was down in my aero bars as much as possible during this ride to simulate IMMD (Ironman Maryland). Its a flat course and I'll want to be in them as much as possible to maximize speed and efficiency.  I often opt for hilly courses, which means change in position. This year I chose a flat course. Which means long periods of the same position. I still need to train my body and mind for that. 

Then into transition and onto the run! T2 was a little long because I had to pee, lol. As I was leaving I saw my mom. 

My legs felt stiff , but I was moving. The first ~ 2 miles of the run were downhill. That may seem good, but I find it hard to find my run legs running in a downhill after a ride. After ~ 3/4 mile the descent was super steep. And then you climb back up an equally step part of the bike path.  The next loop of the run course was flat to moderate climbs and descents along the lake. Easier to find a rhythm.    I found my legs around mile 2 and I was sticking to my plan of walking only every 2 miles to intake gel and a quick stop to pee and refill liquid fuel. I felt strong with intermittent not so strong between 2 miles and mile 9. I saw teammates Sunny, Bill, Tom, Mike, and my parents between loops 2 and 3.  Sunny ran  a bit with me! There was one volunteer that was so energetic and amazing. She gave me a boost each time I saw her!  But on that finally ascent I slowed down considerably and got into a walk-run pattern to get over the top of a steep climb.  Once I got up and rounded the final intersection where I'd see my parents I thought I'd be able to cruise in sub 11 min/mile pace to finish the race. I took in a little gel and immediately almost threw up.  I tried running then walking but the  nausea got the better of me and I had to stop to let it pass. It did. And I started running, slowly at first. Then a little faster. I made it to the final aid station. One mile to go. I grabbed some chips, walked for 200 yards and then started running.  I picked up the pace when I got to Echo Lakes southern border. I did mini intervals. Then I was off the bike path and headed to the finish line.  Past transition and down the hill into the finish line at Echo Lake! My parents and few other spectators cheered me in . 

I am so grateful for my parents. They cheered on me, my WWMS teammates, and every athlete out there yesterday.  I am 47 and they still come to my races when they can.  They are professional triathlon spectators at this point. I think my Dad knew the course better than I did the night before.  And they're the cutest spectators on course. Hands down.  I am SUPER grateful for Sunny, Bill, Tom, and Mike for hanging out for a while to cheer me on after their spectacular races. And for Sunny for running me up the hill and a bit down the road. Those moments boosted me through the third loop of the run course. I am grateful for Amy for supporting me through this thing I do for fun. And for everyone of you who cares about me and my love of this sport. Your support means the world. 

Sitting here on June 25 I am happy ....ecstatic where I am at in my training for IMMD. I am tired today. I never sleep well after a race. But my legs and muscles feel ok.  I could maybe even do a ride or run today. I have some work to do, mostly on my swim. But I am ready. Most importantly. I have found the LOVE of this sport again. When it became so very hard it became not as fun.  My body hurt in bad ways during a race. And I felt low like I was on empty. Unresponsive.  Yesterday hurt, don't get me wrong. But it was muscle pain and fatigue. A little nausea. Not pain. And I had confidence. I was in the flow. I was in the moment. I was loving all my fellow athletes. The spectators. The volunteers. The gorgeous Whites. I was loving the challenge. When I asked my body to ramp up on the flats or on a climb it did. I was responsive. I am back.  

2023 race schedule

 It's been  a very  long time since I've been this excited about my race plans.  I have a lot of races lined up.  Partly because racing brings me a great deal of joy.  I feed off the crowds of big runs and tris; I LOVE the uniqueness of small local run races. The snacks and people at trail races. Seriously the snacks at trail races FAR exceed road races. I love racing with friends and teammates.  Racing also really helps me increase speed. As much I like to think I push myself when training alone, I know I go harder when in a race. Whether it be running or a triathlon. 

In the last few years I've gotten slow.  Some of that is that I am older.  And sorta adjusting to this new body. Ya youngsters out there, just wait.  Soon you won't bounce back as fast and need more recovery. I'm learning and doing more lifting and recovery things.  I mediate more. I now have a pair of RE-Athlete leg compression sleeves. I do more yoga. I listen to my body more. And I try to get better sleep.  That last one doesn't always happen, but I've made progress. 

Some of my WWMS teammates didn't know me when I was fast. And I was fast in my late twenties and thirties. Even a little into my early forties. There have been comments and that hurts my ego a bit. But I am still here racing.  I  will be 47 soon and I am still doing long distance triathlon. And I am running longer than I ever have.  And that is the important thing. Today I made a decision look forward.  If I get back to running consistent sub 9 min/ miles then great. But if I don't that's OK.  I am going to do the best that this body will allow me to do.  Today I ran a 5k in 29:49. The fast I've ran in at least a year.  And I felt like I could have gone faster. 

My big races are in September and October this year.  I am being very smart right now. The year is very young. The focus is strength with kettlebells/suspension trainers/pull-ups, increasing volume in swim, bike, and run; and working on speed just a little. The big work will start in June.  I have a new coach this year that I am very excited about.  I won't start working with her until June. More about that later. I am feeling stronger than I have in a very long time. Years in fact. I am excited about what is to come this year. 

This years race schedule

• 5k race series Jan-early March
• Hale and Back 6 hour trail race -goal is 9-12 miles
• 7 Sisters Trail Race 12 miles
• White Mountain 70.3-- B+  Race
• TARC Summer Classic  (this is a probably, done as a training run)
• Ironman Maryland-- A RACE
• Ghost Train Ultra Trail -- goal is 60 miles

Year of the run

Each fall , like the good triathlete I am, I come up with a race plan for the following season. I almost never falter from this plan. Last fall the plan was to do several sprint and Oly tris. Work on speed. But when I was recovering from my hysterectomy a friend posted about this trail run called Wapack and back. It is a 21/ 43 / 50 trail race in early May. I thought…this would be a great goal and motivation to move after my surgery. So I signed up. It went really well and I loved the race and the training! I love to hike and had stopped doing it during tri season because I was so regimented about my training. I loved that Sea to Summit required hiking. And with trail races it’s also a fantastic way to train. Going forward I want to keep hiking as part of training, especially early season. 

Almost immediately after Wapack I wanted another trail race! The fates lead me to TARC Fall Classic 50k. I knew Id' have to train in the summer, but hoped the trails would keep me a little cool. I gave myself the month of May to do short runs, hike, ride, swim, and strength train.  The ramped things up in June.  I was feeling awesome for most of the month.  I was gaining some speed on my runs and rides. I was feeling strong! 

Then the first week in July happened.  I ramped up mileage a lot the last week in June to hit my 100 mile goal for the month.  I had two races planned the second weekend in July; Savage OCR and MA State Oly Tri.  I ran a lot those first two weeks in July. My joints and muscles starting aching in ways they never had . This wasn't just muscle soreness.  I believe I over trained a bit and things just exploded.  After the two races I ramped down significantly.  I was still able to get in my long runs, but did cut them back a bit. I went down to two additional short runs a week and added in more riding and swimming. I added more mobility work. And I got a trigger point massage. I changed shoes.  I now run in HOKA speed goats. They are a game changer for trail running. I have much better traction and have been tripping and falling less. HA! 

That seemed to work. I felt fluid and my runs were pain free again. I did the TARC Summer Classic 10 miler and attempted another loop.  It was a 100+ heat index day so I cut out 3-4 miles.  I was dizzy and felt nausea, unable to keep food down. I made the decision to skip one of the smaller loops and head back to the finish line. I still got 17+ miles in that day. I made the right decision. 

 I had planned to do a 26 miler prior to the Fall Classic, but because I ramped everything down my longest run was a 24 miler.  That was the weekend following the Summer Classic. I did the 24 as a split run: 17 from home on mixed terrain and a run-hike on the Wapack Trail from Watatic.  I felt awesome on this run.  It was arguably my best long run this year.  I actually felt like I could keep going when I reached my car! 

Fast forward the week before the race.  I went out and did a 2.5 mile trail run. I felt really good until I stepped awkwardly and felt a zing up my right leg. It resulted in calf/peroneal / hamstring discomfort with every R foot step. I worked hard the next few days to stretch out, foam roll, and decrease this pain before the race.  By the time Saturday came I felt pretty good.     

RACE DAY:  The race started at 6 am so we had to be there for like 5:15 to check in and organize.  I was actually feeling pretty good race morning.  Able to get food and coffee into me super early in the morning.  Jenn and I started together but she quickly took off. I felt GREAT for the first 11 miles. Stopped at my bag after the first loop, changed ear buds, grabbed more fuel and water and took off. Amy Rino from WWMS was there and helped me fill water. Chatted with me. It was good to see her and it gave me a little boost. The next couple miles were OK. I connected with a few women that I chatted and ran with for 2 or 3 miles.  At some point I tripped.  I didn't fall but I landed really hard and it shook me up a little. After that I felt kind of off. But I kept moving forward. At some point I started feeling awful and considered dropping out at mile 21.  I went back and forth on this about 10 times.  Y'all know I'm too damn stubborn to do this so I did not.  Besides, I was there to do a 50K not 21 miles. I told TOO many people my plan, I didn't want to admit defeat just because it was HARD. At the half way point I started run walk intervals of 6:3 plus walking the hills and running some descents. By the time I got to the end of loop 2 I was feeling a tad better.  And Amy was there. It was just what I needed.  I changed shirts and ear buds; grabbed more nutrition; talked with her briefly then took off. I continued with my run:walk intervals and that seemed to help.  I felt MUCH better on loop 3.  My legs were screaming but my head was in a good place.  I was looking around more. Having more fun. I saw a young deer AND an owl in like an 8 min span! I was able to run a little more in flatter spots and on safe descents.  The last bit was around a field.  I ran that last half mile, with the exception of a small hill.  Everything hurt. I crossed this finish line. 50 k done.  It was my first but it will not be my last. I came in dead last of all 50k finishers but I do not care. I am damn proud of myself.  I've not run longer than 13 miles since 2018. I certainly gained overall endurance last year, but Sea 2 Summit doesn't have the high run mileage, therefore I didn't gain much last season. It was maybe a big leap this year, but I'm glad I did it. 

I've now done three TARC races and can't say enough good things about them.  The runners, volunteers, and race directors are AWESOME! Everyone is super kind and chill. I plan to volunteer at the Winter Classic in December.  

Trail running and long distance trail running is a much different animal than road racing.  It's much more fun and playful.  You get to play in the woods for hours and hours.  And it's easy to incorporate dog runs/hikes and hikes with others who may not otherwise train with you. I now have to figure out how to do both long distance trail races AND triathlon. It can be done. But it'll be tricky.  

I continue to have something going on with the right side of my body.  I suspect it's some muscular imbalances causing tightness in piriformis. Which, in turn, is causing radicular symptoms.  I am not sure tho so I am setting up an PT evaluation with a friend of mine.  It's time to get to the root of this issue. 

I've build up a ton of run endurance this year.  The plan is to do Ironman Maryland followed by a 50 miler roughly a month later.  Now for operation get faster! 

Sea to Summit

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 . 

 

Long run block, Tour of Sufflandria, and goals of 2021

I had big plans for 2020. I had a great 2019 season with the Boston Marathon, Pumpkinman 70.3, Spartan Beast at Killington, and various other smaller OCRs and races. I was feeling strong and ready to kick ass in Sea to Summit; a race I'd wanted to do for years. I set myself up for a great season with a big run block and then a big bike block. And then covid-19 roared through the world. And through my life. I tried to train, I tried to find that fire but I was going through the motions. I'd cry during workouts or do them but at very low intensities. Covid-19 was still alive and well in my facility and my stress level was through the roof. I knew that I couldn't give training and S2S my full self. I made a big decision to defer. I did some virtual races, did a lot of hiking and trail running, tried to build strength, and used training to relieve stress and be the best me I could be for my patients. But more on that later. I am entered into Sea to Summit this year. 2021. A new year. A new me. I did 100 days of running/hiking from Nov-January and ran/hiked 100 miles in January. Most of the miles were running, but I chose to count hiking as Ill be hiking (hopefully fast hiking) up Mt Washington in July. I ran through cold weather, snow, and the dark. Most runs were in the dark morning hours. I learned that my body can handle that much running. I've trained it for that after years of endurance racing. I started with most days being half mile and a couple of threes, with a longer run on the weekend. Then went upward; in January most runs were 2 miles or more. I gained speed and strength. I am still not as fast as I was last winter, but I am feeling more fluid and stronger. I hit some faster intervals and I feel that I'll get back there. I just completed my third Tour of Sufflandria. It looks like I did all but one stage back in 2019. Last year I did it full power, known as nuclear. This year I finished the ToS with altered metrics per my coach. In the past I've tweaked the schedule a bit to accommodate my work schedule. This year I made a promise to do the stages on the day that the Minions laid out. It meant getting up at 4 am every day last week and going into work a little later than normal some days. My body felt trashed some days. I wanted to go to bed at like 8 every night, but I did it. And I actually felt stronger on days 6 and 7 then I did earlier in the week. And I am doing it all at slightly higher power numbers. And on a smart trainer. On that note I bought a Kickr Core in November. Because I was mostly running Nov-Jan it's only been in Feb that I am feeling the full difference in training with a smart trainer. For years I used cadence/speed sensors to allow me to use Sufferfest and Zwift. Power numbers were estimated. Then I bought a power meter. I immediately saw a difference in training both inside and out. I hadn't been pushing myself quite hard enough. This year I have a smart trainer. There is no way to cheat. A few months in and almost a month in doing harder workouts with it and I am feeling a difference. I can hit the cadence targets most of the time at the prescribed power targets. I am super excited to see how this affects my racing and outdoor riding! I was adamantly opposed to power for a long time. I once read that Chrissie Wellington didn't use power. And if she didn't' need it then why did I. But times have changed, I am getting older, and everyone is using it now. I needed to grow with the times and technology if I was going to be able to compete. So here I am training with power and wishing I'd done it sooner. I have used running and triathlon to deal with my stresses and anxiety for my entire adult life. There have been times in my life where I am only happy when I am training or racing. It calms me, gives me more energy, and builds confidence. All thing that allow me to kickass in day to day life. I ran the 2018 Boston Marathon to heal from the tragic 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. When I crossed the line I wept and felt like I'd taken back the Marathon. It regained what it had meant to me for years. The covid-19 pandemic has changed me. Perhaps for the better, that remains to be seen. I have seen more death in the last 400 days than I have in my life time. I am fortunate, I suppose that I have lived this long before seeing so much death in my circle. But there I am, watching my patients and residents die. Caring for them one day and tomorrow they are gone. Watching my patients who were pretty independent on Friday suddenly need 100% assistance to get in and out of bed, to toilet. Watching them cry because they don't understand what is going on. Trying to comfort patients who are fearful and isolated, away from family and friends. Learning of a death and having to reset and treat/care for the next patient. Never really grieving, because we didn't have time to. Because opening up those wounds is too painful. Dealing with hate and criticism from the media and outside world when we were trying to build a plane while flying over an ocean in the middle of a tsunami. Sitting in my car and the end of the day to reset enough to drive home. Things are better. We know more. We are wiser and more careful. But I still haven't totally healed. I feel fire again when I am working out. I feel more like me. But I continue to have a cloud of sadness over me. Healthcare workers continue to be clad in full PPE for most of the day. It may seem easy. But it adds a component of discomfort to our day. the gowns we wear are essentially plastic, plus an N95 mask, plus goggles, plus gloves. I feel sweat pouring down my back and chest most of the day. Then you take the gown off and are freezing because you're clothes are wet. We spend 40 hours a week being super cautious at work for the sake of our patients, our family and friends, and for ourselves. We haven't seen friends and family in almost a year because we are protecting them. And we see people on the internets going about their lives as if we were not still in a pandemic. And we wonder why the fuck we are doing what we are doing. But we keep doing it. Because we love our patients. Because we believe that it's the right thing to do. Because we want to set an example. But it's fatiguing. I just want my life back like everyone else. I want to hug my parents, my sister, my niece, my friends. I want to casually walk into work and have a great day wearing nothing but my clothes. But this is not our reality. I had a moment a couple of weeks ago. I recalled how running the 2018 Boston Marathon helped me heal from that horrific tragedy. Although we are not out of the woods with covid-19 there is hope. To help me heal I am dedicating my training and racing to everyone I have personally seen die from covid-19 and to every healthcare worker I know and love. It will help motivate me to do my workouts when I want to sleep in or collapse on the couch after a long day. And I hope allow me to process everything that we all went through. And the end of the day as hard as this has all been; if I had it all to do again I wouldn't change a thing. "You're broken down and tired Of living life on a merry go round And you can't find the fighter But I see it in you so we gonna walk it out And move mountains We gonna walk it out And move mountains And I'll rise up I'll rise like the day I'll rise up I'll rise unafraid I'll rise up And I'll do it a thousand times again And I'll rise up High like the waves I'll rise up In spite of the ache I'll rise up And I'll do it a thousand times again" Andra Day Rise Up You're broken down and tired Of living life on a merry go round And you can't find the fighter But I see it in you so we gonna walk it out And move mountains We gonna walk it out And move mountains And I'll rise up I'll rise like the day I'll rise up I'll rise unafraid I'll rise up And I'll do it a thousand times again And I'll rise up High like the waves I'll rise up In spite of the ache I'll rise up And I'll do it a thousand times again

Boston Marathon 2019

After days of people stressing about the weather it turned out to be a pretty great day for running! It was the makings of a great PR day for me. Cloudy, rain, sunshine, tailwind, thousands of fans.

It's a rare day that runners are celebrated to the extent that they are in a major city marathon. We runners and triathletes do our thing day after day. In the cold, wet, dark, heat, and on the rare occasion perfect conditions. Most people don't care about our accomplishments day to day. Of course we cheer our fellow athletes on every day. Because we get it. It's frickin' hard to be so committed. But we all do it because we love it. It's our therapy. Because we like to eat and drink. Yesterday was the celebration. For a day I felt like a rock star. People cared about my race and my accomplishments. I finished the 2019 Boston Marathon smiling ear to ear. Because its our fucking city and our fucking Marathon. Cause everyday that I get to run and ESPECIALLY RACE is a very very good day. BEST DAY EVER!

The day started at 5 am being jolted awake by thunderstorms. It was a pretty mellow morning by Kristi standards. Just had my bar, coffee, and a quick pup walk. Amy drove me to Groton Town Hall where my friend Kim was playing taxi cab for a few of us Squannie Marathoners. I'm so grateful for both of them, taking away any stress of getting to the start. As we were pulling into Hopkinton the rain stopped and the skies began to clear. I am amazed at the security and efficiency of the BAA staff and volunteers at the start, and elsewhere on course. Thank you for keeping us safe yesterday.

The tricky part about the Boston Marathon, for me anyway, is a late start. I am a "get up early, coffee and fuel, then go" kinda runner/rider. After getting up at 5 am I didn't start running until 11ish. I felt like I timed everything OK but my gut and body disagreed. I felt a little wonky waiting around to start, but was hoping it was just nerves. The first 8 miles were awesome. I stayed in control but was running fast. I felt light and strong. I knew it was going to hurt if I wanted to do a sub 4 Marathon. Then my gut kicked in. I continued on running strong until the the lower abdominal cramps kicked in. Absolutely nothing stopped them. I stretched, I did controlled breathing, I walked. All of these things helped but they never went away. My legs felt great, but a fast time wasn't in the cards for me. So instead of hammering for 26.2 miles I ran -walked the last half of the race. And that's OK because I was still moving and running. And I finished. Smiling.

That did not stop me from having a phenomenal day. The Boston Marathon course is a big party. I saw tons of friends. Random strangers cheered me on. I fed off of the crowd. I relished every moment. I loved the rain around mile 22-25. I loved all the "power up" signs. I loved the Wellesley college College scream tunnel. I loved the Newton Hills. Amy, Willow, Faith, and Carissa were at mile 19. It was the boost I need in the exact right time. I ran hard for all of my donors, for the Brittany Fund, for all of those who can't run. I cried. I was Boston Strong.

I have raised just over $5,000 to date for the Brittany Fund for Trauma and Recover. This a bit over $5,000 of my goal. I am over the moon thankful for everyone that donated. For every word of encouragement. These funds will help hundreds of people recover from trauma.

One of the best parts of my day was the Squannacock River Runners post race hotel room. A hot shower, friends, food, beer, and a dog awaited me. It was a great way to end the day in Boston.

My official time was 4:47:04. I am very proud of this. For now I rest and splurge a little. Next up: Groton Road Race and becoming a triathlete again after months of run focus.