IMLP
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Tick Tock and my o so sensitive swimming self esteem
Approximately two months until Vermont Marathon! I am getting so excited to race with my super awesome friends and have so many folks cheering me on! And in a location that was home for four years. I started thinking about how sloth-like I was in college. I went through some periods of pretending to be athletic, but man I as pudgy and ate and drank a lot! Now 16 years later I hope to run a Boston qualifying marathon.
This season I am listening to my body even more than last year! I am finding it very difficult to fit my training in to the craziness that is my life this year. Most of the time I am doing it and shinning, but everything caught up with me a few weeks ago. I started dreading my workouts and feeling fatigued during even my short trainings. SO I skipped some workouts and took some ME time involving a delicious chocolate martini and burrito. The good news is that I have felt awesome in the last two weeks!
I am up to a 14+ mile run and felt pretty darn good after it. The plan is to do a 15 miler this week. Actually, it was on the plan for today but I woke up with a bad head cold. BLAH. My hope is after spending a day on the couch I will be back to my old self!
I participated in my first swim meet a few weeks ago. It was a crazy experience and I know there will be more to come. I felt like a fish in a fish bowl. I swam the 200 IM and 50 back. I got DQ'd on the IM but swam it in 3:35 n' change and :57:?? on the back, and a relay where I was coerced into doing back. Neither time was fantastic for most, but I was pretty darn proud of myself! Swimming continues to be a struggle for me. The slightest negative comment about my form can spiral out of control in my head and I suddenly think I swim like a dying fish.
The night before my swim meet I made the mistake of looking at the critique of my swimming that our TE coach gave us. All of the filming was done early in the season and on Thur nights after having worked 12 hours. I looked and felt terrible during all of it and most Thur night swims. I have worked SO hard on my swimming form and endurance and am proud of my gains. I am also acutely aware that it is far from perfect, particularly when I get tired. After completely freaking out I took his advice to heart. In the last two weeks I spent time doing recommended drills and being more aware of my body position in the water. Last night at Masters swim I noticed a drastic difference in how I felt in the water and my speed. Maybe some day swimming will be easy for me. Until then I'll keep swimming. and running. and biking.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
19 days in....
Its Jan 19th and I am 19 days into official 2012 training. I am feeling good on my long runs, bricks, and 1-2/3 swims per week. My eating has been great since the holidays (ok I ate cake today, but its birthday week!). Longest run has been 8.2 miles in 70 minutes....and that was in sub 10 degree weather. I am ending some of my swim workouts with enough left to kick it up a notch.
2012 Race schedule as follows: Salem Black Cat 20 mile relay c Becky H, Burlington Marathon, Musselman 70.3, ?? Max Performance sprint, Reach the Beach. This year the goal is to get faster! I am working on building base this month and next with some speed work mixed in next month. I have been diligent with my training schedule for the last 25 days. WOOT.
Endurance athletes are great at training, racing, eating regimens, sleeping regimens, and toys to make us go faster, be stronger, analyze our data, and keep us cool or warm. The thing most of us are bad at is rest. I've read dozens of articles on this athlete and that athlete preaching the importance of rest days. I always take my rest days and relish them. Rest is just as important as nutrition, speed and endurance workouts, and strength. Some might argue most important. The thing I am bad at is taking an unplanned rest day or skipping a workout. I feel guilty. My professional brain knows that I should listen to my body. The athlete in me wants me to push, do the workout because it will make me stronger or faster. WRONG.
All day today I have felt exhausted and mildly congested. My allergies have been out of control lately, but I fear that I am fighting something. Despite getting 8 hours of solid sleep I have felt tired all day. SO I made an executive decision to skip my swim workout. This took 3 people convincing me that it was in fact OK for me to skip the swim. I know that it will in fact be better for me to skip it than push through it and find myself sick tomorrow morning.
Tonight's plan: swim and social with my TE girls. Completed: salad with jerk chicken, kombucha, vitamin, ginger team, book, dog, blanket. Tomorrow is a planned rest day as my work schedule, and therefore my training schedule has now changed. I hope to wake up feeling awesome!
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Grumblings of an injury.....
During RTB this year I tweaked my R hip. This was the first time I had an injury since early January this year. (Apart from throwing out my SI joint after Vineman). I was incredibly lucky that I made it thru my season without a serious injury. I was smart and listened to my body. I did adequate strength training. The hip was intermittently sore this fall. I continued to run and focused more on strengthening, thinking I'd maybe developed a muscle imbalance.
A few weeks ago it go so bad that I worried I had a labral tear. I had gone on a long bike ride and then ran a lot. I woke up Friday with proximal aching in my hip. A few weeks have passed. I have had some DTM and focused on strengthening, decreased my running mileage and intensity. My good friend Erica evaluated my hip, she is a PT. Her diagnosis: glut max weakness causing my femoral head to sit too far forward. WOOO HOOO!! This can be easily corrected! More importantly it does not involve surgery.
There were a few weeks that I was convinced that I would not be training and racing next year. Though this would not be the end of triathlon for me or even a serious bump in the road, I was fairly freaked out. Triathlon has become a lifestyle to me, not just a hobby. I socialize through my swims, rides, and runs. A circle of my friends are triathletes. I am happier because I am a triathlete.
In the big scheme of things an injury is miniscule. People are living without jobs, homes, or healthcare. People are dying and living in terrible conditions. But in my little world this would be big.
There is still a small chance that I will not be up to par next year. But things are looking good. I ran three times this week. And a fixable diagnosis is likely. Glut therex here I come!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Applefest 13.1 2011
Today marked the end of my 2011 season. Doyle's 5 miler, Patriot Half Triathlon, Vineman 140.6, Reach the Beach, HUB on Wheels, and Applefest Half Marathon. phew.
Today was the third year I ran Applesfest. It is a hilly run in southern NH that ends with the sweet reward of applecrisp. WILL RUN FOR PIE! My day started at 6 am with a dog walk n' big cup o joe. Road races are so much easier to get ready for than triathlons and start SO much later!!! After putting air in my cars tire and momentarily loosing my wallet I was off at 7 am with a mug full of coffee n' a PB/honey/banana samich. I arrived in Hollis with plenty of time to stretch and relax. At the start of the race it was around 60 with cloudy skies and humidity. It rained on and off for most of the race. Though it was humid this is my ideal road racing condition.
In years past I have gone out too hard and fast. The last half of the race is the hardest. You ascend for 5-6 miles with some rolling hills and a few descent ascents. This year I stayed focused and tried to hover around an 8:30-8:20 min mile for the first 6 miles. At mile 6.5 I was averaging 8:13 min/mile. I thought, ok this is pretty fast for me, but I felt good! Around mile 8 I slowed down a bit, but kept up good momentum and cruised up those hills. At mile 10ish you take a R hand turn down an open section of road. In years past I have had nothing left at this section of the course. NOT TODAY: I picked up my pace until the last little blurb of a hill at mile 12.34. Though I slowed a bit up the hill I turned up my pace after making that final R hand turn down to Hollis High. I called upon my ironman will, determination, speed, and strength; and with the school in sight I sprinted the last half mile. I finished feeling strong! I did not experience any nausea or lack of energy. I have been battling a minor pain in my R adductor/vastus medialis since my long run at RTB. That talked to me a bit during the race, but did not prevent me from maintaining pace. It was so great to see friends at the finish line! Jill and Freya were there waiting for me. We found Grant later and all enjoy a delicious breakfast!!
My results: overall: 217 age group: 9/74 F3539 1:49:54 8:23 min/mile. Today's half was a PR for the race by 7 minutes and a PR half marathon by about 3 minutes. My goal was to place in top three in my age group. HOWEVER, I am pleased with my results. Applefest is a very hilly and challenging race and my prior PR was a flat fast course in Boston (Run to Remember). I think if I had trained a little harder in the last month I could have placed, but my body and brain would not let me! IM training took more out of me than I really new until it was all over and that buzz had worn off!
I have gotten fast and stronger in the last year. Clearly, it is imperative to gain strength when training for an IM. What I was not expecting was a speed gain. My avg speed has increased by over :30 per min/mile since last year and over a min/mile as compared to 2009. I have approached triathlon and training differently in the last two years and it has clearly paid off!!
As I drove home today I began reflecting on the last year of my life and all of my racing and personal accomplishments. I need sometime to put my thoughts in order for a proper reflection. Until then I raise a glass to myself, my family, and all my friends that have supported me in the last year.
Today was the third year I ran Applesfest. It is a hilly run in southern NH that ends with the sweet reward of applecrisp. WILL RUN FOR PIE! My day started at 6 am with a dog walk n' big cup o joe. Road races are so much easier to get ready for than triathlons and start SO much later!!! After putting air in my cars tire and momentarily loosing my wallet I was off at 7 am with a mug full of coffee n' a PB/honey/banana samich. I arrived in Hollis with plenty of time to stretch and relax. At the start of the race it was around 60 with cloudy skies and humidity. It rained on and off for most of the race. Though it was humid this is my ideal road racing condition.
In years past I have gone out too hard and fast. The last half of the race is the hardest. You ascend for 5-6 miles with some rolling hills and a few descent ascents. This year I stayed focused and tried to hover around an 8:30-8:20 min mile for the first 6 miles. At mile 6.5 I was averaging 8:13 min/mile. I thought, ok this is pretty fast for me, but I felt good! Around mile 8 I slowed down a bit, but kept up good momentum and cruised up those hills. At mile 10ish you take a R hand turn down an open section of road. In years past I have had nothing left at this section of the course. NOT TODAY: I picked up my pace until the last little blurb of a hill at mile 12.34. Though I slowed a bit up the hill I turned up my pace after making that final R hand turn down to Hollis High. I called upon my ironman will, determination, speed, and strength; and with the school in sight I sprinted the last half mile. I finished feeling strong! I did not experience any nausea or lack of energy. I have been battling a minor pain in my R adductor/vastus medialis since my long run at RTB. That talked to me a bit during the race, but did not prevent me from maintaining pace. It was so great to see friends at the finish line! Jill and Freya were there waiting for me. We found Grant later and all enjoy a delicious breakfast!!
My results: overall: 217 age group: 9/74 F3539 1:49:54 8:23 min/mile. Today's half was a PR for the race by 7 minutes and a PR half marathon by about 3 minutes. My goal was to place in top three in my age group. HOWEVER, I am pleased with my results. Applefest is a very hilly and challenging race and my prior PR was a flat fast course in Boston (Run to Remember). I think if I had trained a little harder in the last month I could have placed, but my body and brain would not let me! IM training took more out of me than I really new until it was all over and that buzz had worn off!
I have gotten fast and stronger in the last year. Clearly, it is imperative to gain strength when training for an IM. What I was not expecting was a speed gain. My avg speed has increased by over :30 per min/mile since last year and over a min/mile as compared to 2009. I have approached triathlon and training differently in the last two years and it has clearly paid off!!
As I drove home today I began reflecting on the last year of my life and all of my racing and personal accomplishments. I need sometime to put my thoughts in order for a proper reflection. Until then I raise a glass to myself, my family, and all my friends that have supported me in the last year.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Success, recovery
I feel like Vineman was eons ago! I can finally do an intense workout and not feel the affects for two days! phew. I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly not four weeks of recovery. For some crazy reason I thought I'd be good to go after maybe two weeks. No No crazy Kristi. I am in fact human. HA! Fortunately I listened to my body (coach and friends) and took it easy for three weeks. Last week I did a few intense workouts and felt great! It's time to ramp things up for Applefest! Then I will take a few weeks off of running! Something I have not done since I injured my foot in January. I am enjoying my workouts and my fitness level. This week I am back up to my normal intensity. No ironman intense, but two workouts a day a few days a week with intervals intense. I have taken time and relished in my accomplishment. I am proud of myself and still kinda get shivers when I think about that finish line.
In the last month I have done a lot of thinking about the importance of fitness and activity in my life. Clearly, my degree of training was elevated to a whole new level in the last year. I remember receiving 4 months of training via e-mail and completely freaking out. I could not fathom how I could possibly do that much in a week AND work AND see my friends and family, o and sleep. After said freakout I started taking it day by day and week by week. Before I knew it, doing three workouts in one day was do-able. It made me appreciate my down time. Then suddenly it was all over. I was not suppose to do anything and when I tried it was hard as hell and I felt it for days after.
I'm not saying that I need to be training 12 months a year for the rest of my life. But what I have realized is that I need and want to be active 12 months a year at some level. When I am not active I am not the person I want to be. I get all grumpy, irritable, and unhappy. I don't eat as well and therefore have less energy. Maybe its because I am using it to deal with some stuff I don't want to deal with. Maybe. I missed the camaraderie of training with friends, the accomplishment of doing 6 miles of running or 60 miles of riding or an hour of hard swimming. I love challenging my body and seeing how it responds. It's what I do and it is what makes me tick. Maybe its a combination of all of these things.
What I do know is that I love triathlon. I love all the people I have met in my training and all of the friends I have made. I love that I can now call myself an Iron(wo)man and that I want to do many more. Is using triathlon as my drug really such a bad thing? I think it has unleashed self confidence and energy to allow me to do anything that I want to, attempting what was once unfathomable; both athletically and non.
In the last month I have done a lot of thinking about the importance of fitness and activity in my life. Clearly, my degree of training was elevated to a whole new level in the last year. I remember receiving 4 months of training via e-mail and completely freaking out. I could not fathom how I could possibly do that much in a week AND work AND see my friends and family, o and sleep. After said freakout I started taking it day by day and week by week. Before I knew it, doing three workouts in one day was do-able. It made me appreciate my down time. Then suddenly it was all over. I was not suppose to do anything and when I tried it was hard as hell and I felt it for days after.
I'm not saying that I need to be training 12 months a year for the rest of my life. But what I have realized is that I need and want to be active 12 months a year at some level. When I am not active I am not the person I want to be. I get all grumpy, irritable, and unhappy. I don't eat as well and therefore have less energy. Maybe its because I am using it to deal with some stuff I don't want to deal with. Maybe. I missed the camaraderie of training with friends, the accomplishment of doing 6 miles of running or 60 miles of riding or an hour of hard swimming. I love challenging my body and seeing how it responds. It's what I do and it is what makes me tick. Maybe its a combination of all of these things.
What I do know is that I love triathlon. I love all the people I have met in my training and all of the friends I have made. I love that I can now call myself an Iron(wo)man and that I want to do many more. Is using triathlon as my drug really such a bad thing? I think it has unleashed self confidence and energy to allow me to do anything that I want to, attempting what was once unfathomable; both athletically and non.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
One week ago and what's next?
It was almost a week ago that I crossed the finish line of Vineman. My week has been filled with awesomeness! I have enjoyed the expressions of strangers when I tell them I just finished my first ironman. I've gotten hugs from strangers. Eaten a plenty. And had myself some well deserved pints and vino in celebration with friends!
People are asking me if I feel different now. And yea, I think I do. I accomplished this huge thing that took so much dedication, motivation, and perseverance that was physical, emotion, and mental. I've challenged myself before, but never when there was this much uncertainty. I am feeling more self confident than ever. Never more motivated to do the next big thing. Never more satisfied with my life. I feel so very very lucky to be able to challenge my body the way I do.
I am SO very happy that I enjoyed the race as much as I did. It truly was fun!
Never has there been the need for so much support in my life challenges. In the the last two weeks my support system has become abundantly clear. I knew I had a lot of people there for me and who cared about me. But I had no idea how much. At the end of race day I had nearly 30 text messages, many e-mails, and about 30 Facebook posts. All about me! I felt pretty damn popular for a few days. I've said it before, but without all of my friends, family, and Team EnVision teammates I could not have accomplished Vineman 140.6. I cannot thank you all enough! I hope that I can repay your awesomeness.
There is not a doubt in my mind that I will do another ironman...Lake Placid 2013--mayhaps. I even contemplated completing another next year. I have decided against this only because I need to have a year, a summer, where my life does not TOTALLY revolve around triathlon. I'd like to do some hiking, kayaking, and traveling, maybe a marathon!
That post race depression has started to creep up. Not the kind of depression that requires a psychologist or drug. The kind that requires a task or a race. I feel almost lost without a crazy training schedule. I am trying to relish the moment for a bit longer. Enjoy riding, running, and swimming just because I love it. Drink a few too many pints or glasses of wine with my dearest friends that I have neglected for the last 9 months.
I accomplished a lot this season. I am proud of myself.
2011 season (so far!)
Doyles 5 miler 38.41 minutes
Patriot Half Ironman AG: 2/30 S: 41:38 2:09 T104:11 B: 2:55:48 19.11 T22:22R:1:55:49 08:50 Total Time: 5:39:49
Vineman 140.6 W35-39 9/34 45/210 S:1:20:53 2:06 576 T1 7:59 B:6:32:08 17.1 439 T25:46 R:4:30:01 10:19 212 Total Time: 12:36:47
Next up: Applefest Half Marathon, Reach The Beach, and Hub on Wheels.
People are asking me if I feel different now. And yea, I think I do. I accomplished this huge thing that took so much dedication, motivation, and perseverance that was physical, emotion, and mental. I've challenged myself before, but never when there was this much uncertainty. I am feeling more self confident than ever. Never more motivated to do the next big thing. Never more satisfied with my life. I feel so very very lucky to be able to challenge my body the way I do.
I am SO very happy that I enjoyed the race as much as I did. It truly was fun!
Never has there been the need for so much support in my life challenges. In the the last two weeks my support system has become abundantly clear. I knew I had a lot of people there for me and who cared about me. But I had no idea how much. At the end of race day I had nearly 30 text messages, many e-mails, and about 30 Facebook posts. All about me! I felt pretty damn popular for a few days. I've said it before, but without all of my friends, family, and Team EnVision teammates I could not have accomplished Vineman 140.6. I cannot thank you all enough! I hope that I can repay your awesomeness.
There is not a doubt in my mind that I will do another ironman...Lake Placid 2013--mayhaps. I even contemplated completing another next year. I have decided against this only because I need to have a year, a summer, where my life does not TOTALLY revolve around triathlon. I'd like to do some hiking, kayaking, and traveling, maybe a marathon!
That post race depression has started to creep up. Not the kind of depression that requires a psychologist or drug. The kind that requires a task or a race. I feel almost lost without a crazy training schedule. I am trying to relish the moment for a bit longer. Enjoy riding, running, and swimming just because I love it. Drink a few too many pints or glasses of wine with my dearest friends that I have neglected for the last 9 months.
I accomplished a lot this season. I am proud of myself.
2011 season (so far!)
Doyles 5 miler 38.41 minutes
Patriot Half Ironman AG: 2/30 S: 41:38 2:09 T104:11 B: 2:55:48 19.11 T22:22R:1:55:49 08:50 Total Time: 5:39:49
Vineman 140.6 W35-39 9/34 45/210 S:1:20:53 2:06 576 T1 7:59 B:6:32:08 17.1 439 T25:46 R:4:30:01 10:19 212 Total Time: 12:36:47
Next up: Applefest Half Marathon, Reach The Beach, and Hub on Wheels.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Vineman 140.6
My day stared at 4:30 am with a cup o joe and a pb n banana on a cinnamon raisin bagel. I set three alarms to be sure I woke up. How much would it suck if I overslept!! I slept surprising well and was feeling ready as I shoved a bagel in a groggy me. The air temp was cool, in the low 50's. I arrived at the race site 30 min before T1 opened and it was already hopping with athletes. Having flown here I did not have a bike pump, so thank you to the nice dude who not only let me borrow his pump, but discussed the road conditions with me and actually pumped my tires at my decided pressure.
As I stood inline with my ipod listening to all my pump-me-up music I was shaking in my shoes. I was worried that I would bonk, forget how to swim, have a panic attack, a mechanical on the bike, not be able to run, or have some crazy GI issue. After organizing in T1 and doing a quick run warm up I felt calmer. I went through my race plan in my head and thought of all of you. There was nervous chatter as we donned our wetsuits. I had time for a quick warm-up in the water before it was my time to go! One more time I grabbed my necklace and touched my earring for good luck.
The swim start an in water, two 1.2 mile loops. I decided to start mid-pack this time; my one and only mistake of the day. After doing some good strokes; I got pulled, kicked and swam over. I had a brief panic moment, but worked my way to the right and resumed my swim. The water was cool, but comfortable, murky and shallow. There were times when taller swimmers were walking. WALKING! The turn around point came faster than expected! I kept up my slow and steady pace all the way to the finish. I did not once feel tired! I excited the water more confident that I would finish. To my surprise there were wetsuit strippers! SWEET The day is off to a good start. We were instructed to place all of our T1 belonging in a bag. Knowing that I would be cold at the finish I also packed warm clothes. My T1 was the longest I have ever had, largely because I had to organize and pack a bag! And I had to put arm warmers.
Finally I leave T1, choosing to jog up the short steep hill because it is crowed with cyclist. No need to end the day 'cause of a crash. I hop on speedy, chug some water and a bit of power bar. I chopped bars into thirds for easy consumption. Down into my aero's I go. Riders were passing me and I had to remind myself that I had 112 miles to ride and that it would be smart not to kill my legs just yet! I found a good rhythm and cruised thru the first half. The course had some good climbs and one killer hill! I also had some fantastic descents and flats. The hardest part of the day between mile 60 and 70. It was a flat section, with few cyclist and no spectators. I started checking off miles in my head and thinking about the food I would eat the next day. At this point I knew that I would almost-definitely-maybe-probably finish. I was making good time, having zero cramping, weirdly energized, and mentally strong. If need be I could walk and still finish! Finally I get back to the rollers. Change of terrain keeps me distracted and mentally alert. At my second pee stop of the ride I ate a 1/4 of a PBnJ; quite possibly the best PBnJ I have ever eaten. Refreshed I was off and finished the ride strong. My legs were screaming a bit at the end and I definitely had a slower second loop, but I finished with a decent bike time! I cruised into T2, put on more sunscreen, changed my socks; into my Newtons and I was off!
The run was an out and back loop that was done 3 times. This meant that there were runners around you at all times! There were also huge clumps of spectators and so many great volunteers. It also meant that there were aid stations at every mile! I expected my legs to scream at me for the first few miles based on how my quads were feeling the last hill of the ride, but they felt great. I helped myself back, staying around a 9 min mile. I immediately got into my normal running rhythm and I felt fantastic for the first 18 miles of the run. I had a Clif Shot/water at every other mile and gatorade/water at the alternate mile up until mile 10. Then I switched to coke/water/pretzels. I walked thru every other aid station, following my game plan. I found many people to chat with along the way making the time go by so fast. One mile into the third loop my lower legs started aching more and more with each step. I started getting intermittent twinges in my R medial calf, then my ankles. I got a cramp in my L oblique, then my R. Each time a pain came up I stood taller, breathed deeper, and thought about the finish line and all of my friends and family. At one point I listed the names of all of my friends and family. I focused on getting to the next mile marker. The weather was amazing and I was less than a 10k from becoming an iron(wo)man. There were frequent adrenaline surges.
The last 3 miles were the longest 3 miles of my life! I did not stop once to walk. My pace had slowed, but I keep pushing. I dug deep. When I made that right, less than a 1/2 mile to the end, I got shivers up and down my body and a bit teary. Everyone was walking in front of me. A spectator shouted "858 your passing everyone!". I pumped my first and sped up. The last turn before entering the finish shoot was in view. I made that turn and the street was still lined with spectators. We were given bracelets so race folks could keep track of us, so everyone knew it was the end for me. People started cheering congratulations, you are an ironman, you look so strong, high fiving me; and I kept standing taller, smiling harder, and running faster. That final 300 yards was amazing. I was the only one in the shoot. The announcer said my name. I lifted my hands above my head and let the energy of the crowd flow into me and took mental snap shots of that moment. That medal was placed around my neck, my picture, was taken, and my finisher tee given to me. I stumbled around looking for some grass to collapse on. In a state of disbelief I chatted with finishers, ate and drank.
To all of the volunteers, spectators, and race officials: you produced a fantastic race. I could not have asked for a better venue, course, or folks on and off the course. To everyone who had great signs out there for your friends and family. To that cute girl who said she loved my hair and that I really rock it. To all the spectators who said I looked strong. To the my friend from Toronto who chatted and raced with me on the bike and the run, to my buddy from San Jose who carried me through the second lap, to the man wearing a speedo (what?!!?). I want to thank you for a frickin' amazing day and boosting me at just the right time.
I entered this journey unsure if I would get to the start line, let alone the finish line. I stuck to my training plan like it was a bible and to my race plan. I stayed hydrated and fueled. I felt surprisingly good through 90% of the race. I experienced cramping twice. I was mentally alert. I experienced highs and lows on the ride and run, but without a doubt highs>low. Vineman 140.6 was the best athletic experience of my life, and in the top 5 for sure of general experiences. The course was tough, but fun. The day went by so very fast. I tried to take in the scenery while still riding fast. I My emotions are still swirling and its difficult to describe how I felt crossing the finish line and completing a 140.6 mile race. The best word I can come up with is: unreal. And with that I will leave you.
As I stood inline with my ipod listening to all my pump-me-up music I was shaking in my shoes. I was worried that I would bonk, forget how to swim, have a panic attack, a mechanical on the bike, not be able to run, or have some crazy GI issue. After organizing in T1 and doing a quick run warm up I felt calmer. I went through my race plan in my head and thought of all of you. There was nervous chatter as we donned our wetsuits. I had time for a quick warm-up in the water before it was my time to go! One more time I grabbed my necklace and touched my earring for good luck.
The swim start an in water, two 1.2 mile loops. I decided to start mid-pack this time; my one and only mistake of the day. After doing some good strokes; I got pulled, kicked and swam over. I had a brief panic moment, but worked my way to the right and resumed my swim. The water was cool, but comfortable, murky and shallow. There were times when taller swimmers were walking. WALKING! The turn around point came faster than expected! I kept up my slow and steady pace all the way to the finish. I did not once feel tired! I excited the water more confident that I would finish. To my surprise there were wetsuit strippers! SWEET The day is off to a good start. We were instructed to place all of our T1 belonging in a bag. Knowing that I would be cold at the finish I also packed warm clothes. My T1 was the longest I have ever had, largely because I had to organize and pack a bag! And I had to put arm warmers.
Finally I leave T1, choosing to jog up the short steep hill because it is crowed with cyclist. No need to end the day 'cause of a crash. I hop on speedy, chug some water and a bit of power bar. I chopped bars into thirds for easy consumption. Down into my aero's I go. Riders were passing me and I had to remind myself that I had 112 miles to ride and that it would be smart not to kill my legs just yet! I found a good rhythm and cruised thru the first half. The course had some good climbs and one killer hill! I also had some fantastic descents and flats. The hardest part of the day between mile 60 and 70. It was a flat section, with few cyclist and no spectators. I started checking off miles in my head and thinking about the food I would eat the next day. At this point I knew that I would almost-definitely-maybe-probably finish. I was making good time, having zero cramping, weirdly energized, and mentally strong. If need be I could walk and still finish! Finally I get back to the rollers. Change of terrain keeps me distracted and mentally alert. At my second pee stop of the ride I ate a 1/4 of a PBnJ; quite possibly the best PBnJ I have ever eaten. Refreshed I was off and finished the ride strong. My legs were screaming a bit at the end and I definitely had a slower second loop, but I finished with a decent bike time! I cruised into T2, put on more sunscreen, changed my socks; into my Newtons and I was off!
The run was an out and back loop that was done 3 times. This meant that there were runners around you at all times! There were also huge clumps of spectators and so many great volunteers. It also meant that there were aid stations at every mile! I expected my legs to scream at me for the first few miles based on how my quads were feeling the last hill of the ride, but they felt great. I helped myself back, staying around a 9 min mile. I immediately got into my normal running rhythm and I felt fantastic for the first 18 miles of the run. I had a Clif Shot/water at every other mile and gatorade/water at the alternate mile up until mile 10. Then I switched to coke/water/pretzels. I walked thru every other aid station, following my game plan. I found many people to chat with along the way making the time go by so fast. One mile into the third loop my lower legs started aching more and more with each step. I started getting intermittent twinges in my R medial calf, then my ankles. I got a cramp in my L oblique, then my R. Each time a pain came up I stood taller, breathed deeper, and thought about the finish line and all of my friends and family. At one point I listed the names of all of my friends and family. I focused on getting to the next mile marker. The weather was amazing and I was less than a 10k from becoming an iron(wo)man. There were frequent adrenaline surges.
The last 3 miles were the longest 3 miles of my life! I did not stop once to walk. My pace had slowed, but I keep pushing. I dug deep. When I made that right, less than a 1/2 mile to the end, I got shivers up and down my body and a bit teary. Everyone was walking in front of me. A spectator shouted "858 your passing everyone!". I pumped my first and sped up. The last turn before entering the finish shoot was in view. I made that turn and the street was still lined with spectators. We were given bracelets so race folks could keep track of us, so everyone knew it was the end for me. People started cheering congratulations, you are an ironman, you look so strong, high fiving me; and I kept standing taller, smiling harder, and running faster. That final 300 yards was amazing. I was the only one in the shoot. The announcer said my name. I lifted my hands above my head and let the energy of the crowd flow into me and took mental snap shots of that moment. That medal was placed around my neck, my picture, was taken, and my finisher tee given to me. I stumbled around looking for some grass to collapse on. In a state of disbelief I chatted with finishers, ate and drank.
To all of the volunteers, spectators, and race officials: you produced a fantastic race. I could not have asked for a better venue, course, or folks on and off the course. To everyone who had great signs out there for your friends and family. To that cute girl who said she loved my hair and that I really rock it. To all the spectators who said I looked strong. To the my friend from Toronto who chatted and raced with me on the bike and the run, to my buddy from San Jose who carried me through the second lap, to the man wearing a speedo (what?!!?). I want to thank you for a frickin' amazing day and boosting me at just the right time.
I entered this journey unsure if I would get to the start line, let alone the finish line. I stuck to my training plan like it was a bible and to my race plan. I stayed hydrated and fueled. I felt surprisingly good through 90% of the race. I experienced cramping twice. I was mentally alert. I experienced highs and lows on the ride and run, but without a doubt highs>low. Vineman 140.6 was the best athletic experience of my life, and in the top 5 for sure of general experiences. The course was tough, but fun. The day went by so very fast. I tried to take in the scenery while still riding fast. I My emotions are still swirling and its difficult to describe how I felt crossing the finish line and completing a 140.6 mile race. The best word I can come up with is: unreal. And with that I will leave you.
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