While my Ironman Florida journey is complete ... my race report is not :) I've been super busy with unpacking/repacking and work that I haven't had time to write it but fear not, it will come.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Augusta 70.3 Race Report
Pre-Race
My attitude wasn't as positive as it could have been. I wasn't feeling 100% and my stomach was quite upset. Transition set up was quick and easy and coming back to the hotel was peace of mind to put the wetsuits on and what not. Starting late was really hard for me. I'm so used to training at 7am that I think this is inevitably where the nutrition really went wrong. Pre transition I had a granola bar (what I normally have before a training day), couple bites of banana (thanks to my coach for bringing one to me last minute) and then a GU right before my start. I screwed up here big time and think I paid for it later in the day.
Swim
Did my best to get to front of the line. Started standing up a few people in from the far left of the dock like my coach told me to. Waited for the first girl to get in and then went for it. Immediately got kicked in the stomach which didn't feel great and knocked me off my game. First time I've had contact in a swim ever. Kept 'alligator' swimming until I got out of the madness. Was able to swim and take a breath every stroke for a bit then panic set in. WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME!?!?!??! I then tried to self calm and tell myself I go to Dynamo, home of some of the fastest swimmers around, I should crush this swim. I do this ALL the time. So face in I went for it. Swam a good distance then panic again. This repeated the whole swim. I eventually back-stroked for a minute or two to calm down. Finally out of the water in 31 and change...should have been sub 30. This swim was not indicative of my training.
T1
Wetsuit strippers are AWESOME!! Other than that excitement ... nothing special in T1. Took way too long. Didn't run into T1 and rather just took my time trying to recover my HR. Didn't forget anything ....bonus!
Bike
Started off pretty strong, was feeling good and averaging around 16.5-17.7 for a while...not too shabby. The hills started and I chugged through. Told myself it wasn't worth killing it but still tried to keep my mph above the normal and constant cadence on hills. Recovered decently on the flats/descents which I was happy about. There were about 4 "big" hills I struggled on but knew there was reprieve at the top. Tried to keep nutrition on track but think this is what happened--just didnt' pace my drinking and then over-indulged when I did drink. Not to mention my HR was higher than normal on the bike due to hills so I'm guessing that played a part too. As soon as I hit mile 48 I cranked it on the bike hauling ass at around 20-23mph for a bit then hovered in the 16-18mph to get me finally into T2. Passed more people on the bike than ever before in a race.
T2
Again, took my time, didn't run my bike in but rather caught my breath and tried to think about not forgetting things for the run and telling my body to actually run!
Run
Well the positive news is I could run after getting off the bike. I started with my normal 4x2 and got through a bit of that until the stomach pain set in. I felt like at any point I could vomit. If I stopped moving that's what was going to happen. I also knew I'd see my coach at some point so that kept me moving too. I started walking pretty early on which made me upset but knew if I could salvage my stomach a bit I could maybe run later on. Once I got some coke, cold water and an orange in my stomach I was feeling a bit better. Again, nutrition was off here. Typically I take a GU every 3 miles ... messed that one up (had one at mile 4 and one at mile 9). Took ice, sponges, oranges, water and coke at almost every aid station and then had sprite (that my coach sneakily brought me). Finally felt OK around the turn on Broad street and just tried to run/jog as much as I could and when I walked I walked angry. My left IT band reared its ugly head about mile 7 and just tired to keep it under control and not get it too bad knowing what lies ahead for me. Pretty disappointed with my run as I've had some solid training days and know I'm capable of better. Salvaged 8 minutes slower than my GC time BUT I walked a hell of a lot more in this race than I did in May.
Pretty bummed I missed a PR by 1 minute and overall just upset with my performance knowing I'm capable of being faster as I do it every freaking day in training. I tried to counter all that with knowing I wasn't as tapered as other athletes and again, I know it wasn't about that race but I am very internally competitive.
Friday, September 27, 2013
You are Ready
Although I'm not at taper yet for IMFL, I'm getting REAL close! Only 35 days til race day!! A fantastic read I borrowed from someone in our Ironman Florida facebook group. Reading things like this make it all more real and that the challenge set forth before me is going to be tough ... but I will be ready.
**********************
Right now you are about to enter the taper. Perhaps you've been at this a few months, perhaps
you've been at this a few years. For some of you this is your first Ironman for others, a
long-overdue welcome back to a race that few can match.
You've been following your schedule to the letter. You've been piling on the mileage, piling up
the laundry, and getting a set of tan lines that will take until next year to erase. Long rides
were followed by long runs, which both were preceded by long swims, all of which were followed
by recovery naps that were longer than you slept for any given night during college.
You ran in the snow.
You rode in the rain.
You ran in the heat.
You ran in the cold.
You went out when others stayed home.
You rode the trainer when others pulled the covers over their heads.
You have survived the Darwinian progression that is an Ironman Summer, and now the hardest days
are behind you. Like a climber in the Tour de France coming over the summit of the penultimate
climb on an alpine stage, you've already covered so much ground...there's just one more climb
to go. You shift up, you take a drink, you zip up the jersey; the descent lies before you...and
it will be a fast one.
Time that used to be filled with never-ending work will now be filling with silent muscles,
taking their final, well-earned rest. While this taper is something your body desperately
needs, your mind cast off to the background for so very long, will start to speak to you.
It won't be pretty.
It will bring up thoughts of doubt, pain, hunger, thirst, failure, and loss. It will give you
reasons why you aren't ready. It will try and make one last stand to stop you, because your
brain doesn't know what the body already does. Your body knows the truth:
You are ready.
Your brain won't believe it. It will use the taper to convince you that this is foolish - that
there is too much that can go wrong.
You are ready.
Finishing an this race is never an accident. It's the result of dedication, focus, hard work,
and belief that all the long runs in April, long rides in June, and long swims every damn
weekend will be worth it. It comes from getting on the bike, day in, day out. It comes from
long, solo runs. From that first long run where you wondered, "How will I ever be ready?" to
the last long run where you smiled to yourself with one mile to go...knowing that you'd found
the answer.
It is worth it. Now that you're at the taper, you know it will be worth it. The workload
becomes less. The body winds up and prepares, and you just need to quiet your worried mind. Not
easy, but you can do it.
You are ready.
You will walk into the water with 2000 other wide-open sets of eyes. You will look upon the sea
of humanity, and know that you belong. You'll feel the chill of the water crawl into your
wetsuit, and shiver like everyone else, but smile because the day you have waited for so VERY
long is finally here.
You will tear up in your goggles. Everyone does.
The helicopters will roar overhead.
The splashing will surround you.
You'll stop thinking about Ironman, because you're now racing one.
The swim will be long - it's long for everyone, but you'll make it. You'll watch as the
shoreline grows and grows, and soon you'll hear the end. You'll come up the beach and head for
the wetsuit strippers. Three people will get that sucker off before you know what happening,
then you’ll head for the bike.
The voices, the cowbells, and the curb-to-curb chalk giving you a hero's sendoff can't wipe the
smile off your face.
You'll settle down to your race. The crowds will spread out on the road. You'll soon be on your
bike, eating your food on your schedule, controlling your Ironman.
You'll start to feel that morning sun turn to afternoon sun. It's warmer now. Maybe it's hot.
Maybe you're not feeling so good now. You'll keep riding. You'll keep drinking. You'll keep
moving. After all, this is just a long training day with valet parking and catering, right?
You'll put on your game face, fighting the urge to feel down as you ride for what seems like
hours.
By now it'll be hot. You'll be tired. Doubts will fight for your focus. Everyone struggles
here. You've been on that bike for a few hours, and stopping would be nice, but you won't - not
here. Not today.
You'll grind the false flats to the climb. You'll know you're almost there. You'll fight for
every inch of road. The crowd will come back to you here. Let their energy push you. Let them
see your eyes. Smile when they cheer for you - your body will get just that little bit lighter.
Grind.
Fight.
Suffer.
Persevere.
You'll plunge down the road, swooping from corner to corner, chaining together the turns,
tucking on the straights, letting your legs recover for the run to come - soon! You'll roll
back - you'll see people running out. You'll think to yourself, "Wasn't I just here?" The noise
will grow. The chalk dust will hang in the air - you're back, with only 26.2 miles to go.
You'll relax a little bit, knowing that even if you get a flat tire or something breaks here,
you can run the damn bike into T2.
You'll roll into transition. You'll give up your bike and not look back. You'll change your
shoes and load up your pockets, and open the door to the last long run of your Ironman summer -
the one that counts.
You'll take that first step of thousands...and you'll smile. You'll know that the bike won't
let you down now - the race is down to your own two feet. The same crowd that cheered for you
in the shadows of the morning will cheer for you in the brilliant sunshine of a summer Sunday.
High-five people on the way out. Smile. Enjoy it. This is what you've worked for all year long.
That first mile will feel great. So will the second. By mile 3, you probably won't feel so
good.
That's okay. You knew it couldn't all be that easy. You'll settle down just like you did on the
bike, and get down to your pace. You'll see the leaders coming back the other way. Some will
look great - some won't. You might feel great, you might not. No matter how you feel, don't
panic - this is the part of the day where whatever you're feeling, you can be sure it won't
last.
You'll keep moving. You'll keep drinking. You'll keep eating. A volunteer will offer you
broth....TAKE THE BROTH!!! Maybe you'll be right on plan - maybe you won't. If you're ahead of
schedule, don't worry - believe. If you're behind, don't panic - roll with it. Everyone comes
up with a brilliant race plan for Ironman, and then everyone has to deal with the reality that
planning for something like Ironman is like trying to land a man on the moon. By remote
control. Blindfolded.
How you react to the changes in your plan will dictate your day. Don't waste energy worrying
about things - just do what you have to when you have to, and keep moving. Keep eating. Keep
drinking. Just don't sit down - don't EVER sit down.
You'll make it to the halfway point. You'll load up at the stops. Some will look good, some
won't. Eat what looks good, toss the rest. Keep moving. Start looking for people you know.
Cheer for people you don't. You're headed in - they're not. They want to be where you are, just
like you wanted to be when you saw all those fast people headed into town. Share some energy -
you'll get it right back.
Run if you can.
Walk if you have to.
Just keep moving.
The miles will drag on. The brilliant sunshine will yawn. You'll be coming up to those aid
stations fully alive with people, music, food, drink. Keep moving.
You'll soon only have a few miles to go. You'll start to believe that you're going to make it.
You'll start to imagine how good it's going to feel when you get there. Let those feelings
drive you on. When your legs just don't want to move anymore, think about what it's going to be
like when someone catches you…and puts a medal over your head... all you have to do is get
there.
You'll start to hear the people in town. People you can't see in the twilight will cheer for
you. They'll call out your name. Smile and thank them. They were there when you left on the
bike, and when you came back, and when you left on the run, and now when you've come back.
You'll enter town. You'll start to realize that the day is almost over. You'll be exhausted,
wiped out, barely able to run a 10-minute mile (if you're lucky), but you'll ask yourself,
"Where did the whole day go?" You'll be standing on the edge of two feelings - the desire to
finally stop, and the desire to take these last moments and make them last as long as possible.
You'll hit mile 25. Your Ironman will have 1.2 miles - just 2KM left in it.
You'll run. You'll find your legs. You'll fly. You won't know how, but you will run. The crowd
will become denser and denser. Soon you'll be able to hear the music again. This time, it'll be
for keeps.
Soon they'll see you. Soon, everyone will see you. You'll run towards the gate, between the
fences, and into the sun made just for you.
They'll say your name.
You'll keep running.
Nothing will hurt.
The moment will be yours - for one moment, the entire world will be looking at you and only
you.
You'll break the tape at the finish line, 140.6 miles after starting your journey. The flash
will go off.
You'll stop. You'll finally stop. Your legs will wobble their last, and suddenly...be capable
of nothing more.
Someone will catch you.
You'll lean into them.
It will suddenly hit you.
YOU’VE COMPLETED THE IRONMAN!
You are ready.
You are ready.
**********************
Right now you are about to enter the taper. Perhaps you've been at this a few months, perhaps
you've been at this a few years. For some of you this is your first Ironman for others, a
long-overdue welcome back to a race that few can match.
You've been following your schedule to the letter. You've been piling on the mileage, piling up
the laundry, and getting a set of tan lines that will take until next year to erase. Long rides
were followed by long runs, which both were preceded by long swims, all of which were followed
by recovery naps that were longer than you slept for any given night during college.
You ran in the snow.
You rode in the rain.
You ran in the heat.
You ran in the cold.
You went out when others stayed home.
You rode the trainer when others pulled the covers over their heads.
You have survived the Darwinian progression that is an Ironman Summer, and now the hardest days
are behind you. Like a climber in the Tour de France coming over the summit of the penultimate
climb on an alpine stage, you've already covered so much ground...there's just one more climb
to go. You shift up, you take a drink, you zip up the jersey; the descent lies before you...and
it will be a fast one.
Time that used to be filled with never-ending work will now be filling with silent muscles,
taking their final, well-earned rest. While this taper is something your body desperately
needs, your mind cast off to the background for so very long, will start to speak to you.
It won't be pretty.
It will bring up thoughts of doubt, pain, hunger, thirst, failure, and loss. It will give you
reasons why you aren't ready. It will try and make one last stand to stop you, because your
brain doesn't know what the body already does. Your body knows the truth:
You are ready.
Your brain won't believe it. It will use the taper to convince you that this is foolish - that
there is too much that can go wrong.
You are ready.
Finishing an this race is never an accident. It's the result of dedication, focus, hard work,
and belief that all the long runs in April, long rides in June, and long swims every damn
weekend will be worth it. It comes from getting on the bike, day in, day out. It comes from
long, solo runs. From that first long run where you wondered, "How will I ever be ready?" to
the last long run where you smiled to yourself with one mile to go...knowing that you'd found
the answer.
It is worth it. Now that you're at the taper, you know it will be worth it. The workload
becomes less. The body winds up and prepares, and you just need to quiet your worried mind. Not
easy, but you can do it.
You are ready.
You will walk into the water with 2000 other wide-open sets of eyes. You will look upon the sea
of humanity, and know that you belong. You'll feel the chill of the water crawl into your
wetsuit, and shiver like everyone else, but smile because the day you have waited for so VERY
long is finally here.
You will tear up in your goggles. Everyone does.
The helicopters will roar overhead.
The splashing will surround you.
You'll stop thinking about Ironman, because you're now racing one.
The swim will be long - it's long for everyone, but you'll make it. You'll watch as the
shoreline grows and grows, and soon you'll hear the end. You'll come up the beach and head for
the wetsuit strippers. Three people will get that sucker off before you know what happening,
then you’ll head for the bike.
The voices, the cowbells, and the curb-to-curb chalk giving you a hero's sendoff can't wipe the
smile off your face.
You'll settle down to your race. The crowds will spread out on the road. You'll soon be on your
bike, eating your food on your schedule, controlling your Ironman.
You'll start to feel that morning sun turn to afternoon sun. It's warmer now. Maybe it's hot.
Maybe you're not feeling so good now. You'll keep riding. You'll keep drinking. You'll keep
moving. After all, this is just a long training day with valet parking and catering, right?
You'll put on your game face, fighting the urge to feel down as you ride for what seems like
hours.
By now it'll be hot. You'll be tired. Doubts will fight for your focus. Everyone struggles
here. You've been on that bike for a few hours, and stopping would be nice, but you won't - not
here. Not today.
You'll grind the false flats to the climb. You'll know you're almost there. You'll fight for
every inch of road. The crowd will come back to you here. Let their energy push you. Let them
see your eyes. Smile when they cheer for you - your body will get just that little bit lighter.
Grind.
Fight.
Suffer.
Persevere.
You'll plunge down the road, swooping from corner to corner, chaining together the turns,
tucking on the straights, letting your legs recover for the run to come - soon! You'll roll
back - you'll see people running out. You'll think to yourself, "Wasn't I just here?" The noise
will grow. The chalk dust will hang in the air - you're back, with only 26.2 miles to go.
You'll relax a little bit, knowing that even if you get a flat tire or something breaks here,
you can run the damn bike into T2.
You'll roll into transition. You'll give up your bike and not look back. You'll change your
shoes and load up your pockets, and open the door to the last long run of your Ironman summer -
the one that counts.
You'll take that first step of thousands...and you'll smile. You'll know that the bike won't
let you down now - the race is down to your own two feet. The same crowd that cheered for you
in the shadows of the morning will cheer for you in the brilliant sunshine of a summer Sunday.
High-five people on the way out. Smile. Enjoy it. This is what you've worked for all year long.
That first mile will feel great. So will the second. By mile 3, you probably won't feel so
good.
That's okay. You knew it couldn't all be that easy. You'll settle down just like you did on the
bike, and get down to your pace. You'll see the leaders coming back the other way. Some will
look great - some won't. You might feel great, you might not. No matter how you feel, don't
panic - this is the part of the day where whatever you're feeling, you can be sure it won't
last.
You'll keep moving. You'll keep drinking. You'll keep eating. A volunteer will offer you
broth....TAKE THE BROTH!!! Maybe you'll be right on plan - maybe you won't. If you're ahead of
schedule, don't worry - believe. If you're behind, don't panic - roll with it. Everyone comes
up with a brilliant race plan for Ironman, and then everyone has to deal with the reality that
planning for something like Ironman is like trying to land a man on the moon. By remote
control. Blindfolded.
How you react to the changes in your plan will dictate your day. Don't waste energy worrying
about things - just do what you have to when you have to, and keep moving. Keep eating. Keep
drinking. Just don't sit down - don't EVER sit down.
You'll make it to the halfway point. You'll load up at the stops. Some will look good, some
won't. Eat what looks good, toss the rest. Keep moving. Start looking for people you know.
Cheer for people you don't. You're headed in - they're not. They want to be where you are, just
like you wanted to be when you saw all those fast people headed into town. Share some energy -
you'll get it right back.
Run if you can.
Walk if you have to.
Just keep moving.
The miles will drag on. The brilliant sunshine will yawn. You'll be coming up to those aid
stations fully alive with people, music, food, drink. Keep moving.
You'll soon only have a few miles to go. You'll start to believe that you're going to make it.
You'll start to imagine how good it's going to feel when you get there. Let those feelings
drive you on. When your legs just don't want to move anymore, think about what it's going to be
like when someone catches you…and puts a medal over your head... all you have to do is get
there.
You'll start to hear the people in town. People you can't see in the twilight will cheer for
you. They'll call out your name. Smile and thank them. They were there when you left on the
bike, and when you came back, and when you left on the run, and now when you've come back.
You'll enter town. You'll start to realize that the day is almost over. You'll be exhausted,
wiped out, barely able to run a 10-minute mile (if you're lucky), but you'll ask yourself,
"Where did the whole day go?" You'll be standing on the edge of two feelings - the desire to
finally stop, and the desire to take these last moments and make them last as long as possible.
You'll hit mile 25. Your Ironman will have 1.2 miles - just 2KM left in it.
You'll run. You'll find your legs. You'll fly. You won't know how, but you will run. The crowd
will become denser and denser. Soon you'll be able to hear the music again. This time, it'll be
for keeps.
Soon they'll see you. Soon, everyone will see you. You'll run towards the gate, between the
fences, and into the sun made just for you.
They'll say your name.
You'll keep running.
Nothing will hurt.
The moment will be yours - for one moment, the entire world will be looking at you and only
you.
You'll break the tape at the finish line, 140.6 miles after starting your journey. The flash
will go off.
You'll stop. You'll finally stop. Your legs will wobble their last, and suddenly...be capable
of nothing more.
Someone will catch you.
You'll lean into them.
It will suddenly hit you.
YOU’VE COMPLETED THE IRONMAN!
You are ready.
You are ready.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Race Report :: Gulf Coast Half Ironman
Well I’m writing a race report so that means I survived! Not
only did I survive, but I very much enjoyed this race and distance. Because of work travel, I had to fly in from Baltimore, MD
late Thursday night. My husband drove my bike and all my gear down earlier on
Thursday and spent the rest of the day drinking beer by the pool, lucky! I got
in around 11pm Thursday night and headed straight to bed knowing I had a lot to
get ready for on Friday. I slept pretty good and got up around 6am and
immediately made my way to look at the ocean from the balcony. From there it
looked eerily calm which I was ecstatic about. Little did I know that height and across the
street view can be deceiving.
Around 8am, my
husband and I headed to the beach. You see, Coach AH said I had to do 15
min per discipline on Friday before checking my bike in and relaxing. I wiggled
into my oh so attractive wetsuit and swim cap and made my way into the ocean
blue. About 5 meters in, I turned around proclaiming I couldn’t do it and that
I quit. Thankfully my hubby is a 2x Ironman (one being IMFL in that same water)
assured me I could do it and to just calm down. Two more times I tried and two
more times I got further and further finally coming into shore saying maybe
this could work. Before I could change my mind I left the beach and headed to
hit my bike and run before relaxing! The quick bike and run showed no signs of despair
but rather running through gears and turning over feet to ensure that race day
would go smooth. Lunch, bike check and some relaxation time was next on the
agenda. Finally I headed to meet some of the IMFL group from Facebook which was
great! We all attended the athlete meeting together…glad I went by the way
because they had some information that wasn’t cascaded to the athletes prior! Post
athlete meeting it was time for dinner and bed by 9pm.
Pre Race
3:30am wakeup call although my body had been up since 2:45 but did as AH suggested and just laid there in a sort of meditative state. Finally it was time to get up and eat and start the body moving before getting suited up and heading to transition. Set up my transition spot, which shockingly had quite a bit of space, pretty quick. Pumped up the tires, went through the motions and double checked everything. Headed to meet Mike for the dawning of the wetsuit inside the pavilion where at least I could sit in air conditioning for a few minutes … that thing is hot! Finally it was time to head to the beach as I was in the first wave of swimmers to go off!
3:30am wakeup call although my body had been up since 2:45 but did as AH suggested and just laid there in a sort of meditative state. Finally it was time to get up and eat and start the body moving before getting suited up and heading to transition. Set up my transition spot, which shockingly had quite a bit of space, pretty quick. Pumped up the tires, went through the motions and double checked everything. Headed to meet Mike for the dawning of the wetsuit inside the pavilion where at least I could sit in air conditioning for a few minutes … that thing is hot! Finally it was time to head to the beach as I was in the first wave of swimmers to go off!
Swim
Knowing that Friday’s test run didn’t go as good as it could have, I was slightly nervous about this part of the race. I ate a GU about 8 minutes before the gun went off to ensure that my blood sugar would spike at the right time rather than too early causing my blood sugar to crash mid swim. I kissed Mike goodbye and said a prayer as the gun went off and it was go time. I waited for most of the group to enter the water then made my way to that chilly blue ocean. It seemed so big and the buoys seemed so far away. I swam with my
Knowing that Friday’s test run didn’t go as good as it could have, I was slightly nervous about this part of the race. I ate a GU about 8 minutes before the gun went off to ensure that my blood sugar would spike at the right time rather than too early causing my blood sugar to crash mid swim. I kissed Mike goodbye and said a prayer as the gun went off and it was go time. I waited for most of the group to enter the water then made my way to that chilly blue ocean. It seemed so big and the buoys seemed so far away. I swam with my
Bike
Once I got my feet cleaned off a bit and helmet secured, I headed out for 56 miles in hopes to cut my time by a few minutes from my training rides. The course, as expected, was pretty flat. The only real hill came pretty early on with a bridge. AH said no nutrition for the first 10 minutes to allow my stomach to settle from the sea water and that's exactly what I needed. Once I hit that 10 minute mark my Infinit nutrition plan
started. I had my bike stacked with 3 bottles (300 calories each) and knew I needed to consume at least 1 bottle every 1hr and 15min ... and that's just what I did! I settled into the ride pretty quick. I enjoy my bike and know I can deliver on this part of the race. In my training rides I averaged 15mph consistently so I was thrilled to see I was pushing a lot faster than that on this course. Of course, the overcast day and flat road helped as my final averaged honed in around 16.4mph which I was elated with. My right hamstring acted up around mile 15 and never really eased up until the run. I just kept telling myself to push and push and prayed for no flats! Around mile 20 the rain started. What started as a few drops lead to full downpour by mile 50. The last 6 miles were a struggle to see as my sunglasses were fogged and more hazard than good. I got out of aero around mile 54 and knew I needed to stretch my neck and back to get ready for the half marathon ahead. I pulled into T2 and hustled to my rack, which thankfully was right by bike in/bike out. Knowing the hardest part of the race was still ahead of me, I became focused on my transition and getting prepped for the run. Bike racked, helmet off, shoes on and loaded up on GU ... I was ready to go!
Run
The rain continued to pour down for all of the half marathon which not only helped to keep the temperature down but it also allowed for my body to not overheat which was a concern I had from the beginning knowing what the Florida sun can do. I started off the run with a strong jog to wake my legs back up but shortly was halted to a walk. My lower legs, mostly my shins and calves, were just smoked and I couldn't turn it over. I struggled to get a rhythm as AH and I agreed on 4x1 for the run and I was determined to make that happen. Saw Mike around mile 1 which was a great relief and I know he was happy to see I was still chugging along. Around mile 3, my legs finally regained their strength and I was able to push through with 4x1. Around that same time I ran into Mike's friend, Chris, who was on his way to the finish line who gave a
strong bout of encouragement which was much needed. By mile 5 I had to go to the bathroom ... a first for me during a race! Thankfully about that time there was a port-a-john to utilize! The aid stations on the run were plentiful and well stocked with Gatorade, Water, Coke, pretzels etc as well as SUPER friendly volunteers to make sure that I thanked as I passed. I stuck to GUs that I brought at mile 2, 6 and 9 along with water at every aid station and Coke at mile 3, 6 and 11. For me, this really worked out well! I was in a groove from mile 3 til mile 12.5 and that's when the wheels fell off. I struggled to push through the final half mile but knew I was so close. I was a little disappointed with my half marathon time BUT know that if I keep working on my brick workouts and improve my running, the struggle that I felt from mile 1-3 on this run hopefully will go away in my next Half Ironman in Sept and certainly in my IRONMAN in November.
OVERALL: 7hrs 25min
Swim: 49:39
T1 4:36
Bike: 03:24:57
T2: 3:29
Run: 03:02:43
Overall, thrilled with my performance at Gulf Coast 70.3. For my first half distance, I did pretty great in my opinion. I stuck to my nutrition plan, HR plan and mental plan set forth by AH and myself. I walked away with a positive experience and know I can finish IMFL in November for sure. I would highly recommend this race for anyone considering IRONMAN Florida or racing IRONMAN Florida for sure. Having a course preview before November was 110% worth it!
Once I got my feet cleaned off a bit and helmet secured, I headed out for 56 miles in hopes to cut my time by a few minutes from my training rides. The course, as expected, was pretty flat. The only real hill came pretty early on with a bridge. AH said no nutrition for the first 10 minutes to allow my stomach to settle from the sea water and that's exactly what I needed. Once I hit that 10 minute mark my Infinit nutrition plan
Run
The rain continued to pour down for all of the half marathon which not only helped to keep the temperature down but it also allowed for my body to not overheat which was a concern I had from the beginning knowing what the Florida sun can do. I started off the run with a strong jog to wake my legs back up but shortly was halted to a walk. My lower legs, mostly my shins and calves, were just smoked and I couldn't turn it over. I struggled to get a rhythm as AH and I agreed on 4x1 for the run and I was determined to make that happen. Saw Mike around mile 1 which was a great relief and I know he was happy to see I was still chugging along. Around mile 3, my legs finally regained their strength and I was able to push through with 4x1. Around that same time I ran into Mike's friend, Chris, who was on his way to the finish line who gave a
OVERALL: 7hrs 25min
Swim: 49:39
T1 4:36
Bike: 03:24:57
T2: 3:29
Run: 03:02:43
Overall, thrilled with my performance at Gulf Coast 70.3. For my first half distance, I did pretty great in my opinion. I stuck to my nutrition plan, HR plan and mental plan set forth by AH and myself. I walked away with a positive experience and know I can finish IMFL in November for sure. I would highly recommend this race for anyone considering IRONMAN Florida or racing IRONMAN Florida for sure. Having a course preview before November was 110% worth it!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
2 month countdown til Gulf Coast 70.3
I'd be lying if I said that title didn't scare me. I started this journey in January and we're already two months in (and change) and I have exactly another two months til my first race of the year. Which also happens to be the longest race I'll have completed. 70.3 ... that's a lot of miles.
Here's how I'm feeling about each leg after the first stent of training.
Swim
Overall I think I'm feeling okay here. I usually am in the pool 2-3x per week for at least an hour or so at a time at Dynamo (unless the pool is closed in which case I fight for a lane at my local LA Fitness). I haven't done longer than a 1000m consistent swim since my Olympic race last September. I have a feeling that's going to change sometime soon. The big terrifying factor for this is that the swim takes place in the Gulf of Mexico. Yeah that's right, I'll be shark bait ... and jelly fish bait and any other kind of bait that preys on swimmers in the ocean.
Bike
Also feeling OK here. I knocked out 30 miles the other day in just under 2hrs (avg just over 15mph). I'd like to see my average hit 17 or 18 by IMFL but for now, I'll take it. Slowly but surely, BAMA II and I are finally in sync. I enjoy my early morning, late afternoon and long weekends hanging out with her. It's my piece of mind time where I can cash out of work and life and just focus on the road and myself. Pure heaven. I'm sure I have some big distance rides here in the next few weeks so hopefully this loving relationship stays strong to get me through.
Run
This is the part I struggle on. Every race I struggle here...it's my nemesis. Currently I'm only up to about 5 miles of consistent running. While my distance of actually run to walk ratio is improving, I still feel like I"m not getting any faster. AH said not to worry that we have a long road ahead and PLENTY of time so hopefully he's right. Just started using an AquaJogger today so I can get some 'running' in the pool in after swim practice to help with the joints in my knee and my IT band issues.
Hoping to pull through the next 8 weeks healthy, un-injured and ready for my first Half Ironman. Here's to hoping!
1.2 swimming
56 biking
13.1 running
Here's how I'm feeling about each leg after the first stent of training.
Swim
Overall I think I'm feeling okay here. I usually am in the pool 2-3x per week for at least an hour or so at a time at Dynamo (unless the pool is closed in which case I fight for a lane at my local LA Fitness). I haven't done longer than a 1000m consistent swim since my Olympic race last September. I have a feeling that's going to change sometime soon. The big terrifying factor for this is that the swim takes place in the Gulf of Mexico. Yeah that's right, I'll be shark bait ... and jelly fish bait and any other kind of bait that preys on swimmers in the ocean.
Bike
Also feeling OK here. I knocked out 30 miles the other day in just under 2hrs (avg just over 15mph). I'd like to see my average hit 17 or 18 by IMFL but for now, I'll take it. Slowly but surely, BAMA II and I are finally in sync. I enjoy my early morning, late afternoon and long weekends hanging out with her. It's my piece of mind time where I can cash out of work and life and just focus on the road and myself. Pure heaven. I'm sure I have some big distance rides here in the next few weeks so hopefully this loving relationship stays strong to get me through.
Run
This is the part I struggle on. Every race I struggle here...it's my nemesis. Currently I'm only up to about 5 miles of consistent running. While my distance of actually run to walk ratio is improving, I still feel like I"m not getting any faster. AH said not to worry that we have a long road ahead and PLENTY of time so hopefully he's right. Just started using an AquaJogger today so I can get some 'running' in the pool in after swim practice to help with the joints in my knee and my IT band issues.
Hoping to pull through the next 8 weeks healthy, un-injured and ready for my first Half Ironman. Here's to hoping!
Sunday, January 20, 2013
The Great Saddle Debate
After a few rides on BAMA II, I quickly realized that the saddle she came with needed to be replaced. Not only was it sort of hard, it made my leg go numb (and some other parts too). I began my internet search immediately after and came up with what I thought would be a great option.
Cobb Cycling has some great saddles. I quickly narrowed down my search to two of their offers...the Plus and the Max. Both of these came in my preferred color (white) and both were geared toward some relief on the female anatomy when riding. I called up their office, which I might add they are super friendly and nice, to discuss with them a little more about which saddle would be a better fit. Their head sales rep pointed me in the direction of a very well written article about cycling and the female anatomy. Here's an except (and the part I laughed at) from the article ....
After some more reading, I made my selection ... the Max. The sales rep at Cobb was able to confirm that our local multisport store, Podium, had them in stock. I headed on over that weekend and got the guys there to hook me up with what I had hoped would be my new saddle.
4 rides later and a lot of pain...the Max had to go. Not only was it painful, it left me with a bruise...down there. Not ok! Onto my next saddle of choice...
I'm 2 rides in on the new ISM saddle and so far so good. I know it takes a bit to get fully comfortable (if you can ever really get comfortable) so fingers crossed we're on the way to that. I'm not sure what saddle to hit up next if this one doesn't work out!
 |
| photo credit - Cobb Cycling |
"So after a lot of dancing around, there is the answer, go look at your crotch and make the call. Comfort and happiness are what you stand to gain by looking and making the best choice."
4 rides later and a lot of pain...the Max had to go. Not only was it painful, it left me with a bruise...down there. Not ok! Onto my next saddle of choice...
 |
| photo credit- ISM Adamo |
My husband, Mike, rides an ISM Adamo Time Trial saddle on his Trek Speed Concept and I thought that it might be next in line for me to try out. While the shape looked like it was going to work for my frame, the 'prongs' and width seemed a bit iffy. Luckily, ISM makes a few versions of their saddles. I rang up Podium again and thankfully they had a few options for me as well. After talking it over with one of the guys there, we picked out the ISM Adamo Prologue saddle for me this time. The Prologue has a bit of a more narrow nose but still offers the cut out relief and a little more cushion and comfort over the Max, well in my opinion anyways.
I'm 2 rides in on the new ISM saddle and so far so good. I know it takes a bit to get fully comfortable (if you can ever really get comfortable) so fingers crossed we're on the way to that. I'm not sure what saddle to hit up next if this one doesn't work out!
Friday, January 4, 2013
Just Keep Swimming
So it begins. 6 days a week of physical, emotional and mental training, 1 day "off" and lots of early mornings. So far, I haven't missed a workout...well, there's only been a few! Having structure is really helping me. I can already see how I've now got the ability to improve speed, time and power over all three sports. When I used to train on swim days, I would just hop in the pool and swim a few 100s. Now I'm working with fancy pool toys and doing drills to gain strength and speed in the pool. Same goes for running and biking. I can only imagine how I'll improve over the next 11 months.
Speaking of the pool, this is sort of where I'm focused for a bit since I'm trying out Dynamo Masters swimming. Wednesday was Day 1 and boy was it intimidating at first. I'm rarely one to be quiet or stand in the corner alone, but that was me today. I was that kid standing on the side of the pool, arms folded and scared to jump in. This was my first time swimming in a 50 meter pool (versus the 25 meter pool I usually train in at LA Fitness). I wasn't exactly sure how it was going to go but after the workout I am pleased to say I actually prefer the 50m pool to the 25 meter. AH said it simulates a more realistic swim and I think he's right. We cranked out around 2000 meters this morning over a series of drills and distance swims. I couldn't believe how well I did given that was my 3rd time in the pool since September! Having AH there swimming in the same lane helped for sure.
Day 2 in the pool was bright and early this morning. Still feeling the effects of Wednesday's swim and yesterday's ride, I again had doubts on how the workout would go. When I got into the bubble I noticed that the lanes were now 'short course' and set at 25m rather than the 50m lanes we had Wednesday. Shorter lanes = more laps. Drats. I jumped in a lane with the same girl from Wednesday that shared with us, AH was a few lanes over. Comforting to see a familiar face and one who seems so nice! We chatted a bit then it was time to get to business! Lots of drills again today focusing on form...much needed. After an hour and 15 minutes, I was spent. Showered up and headed to work. Sore, tired and hungry is how I'm feeling right now. I'm always more exhausted after swim workouts...and more hungry for that matter!
So far so good. The pain, exhaustion and hunger will be worth it come November 2. Here's to two more days of training this weekend and then a day off on Monday. I'm going to learn to LOVE Mondays!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
2013 Race Schedule
Been working on my race schedule for this year. It's rounding out nicely with my big A+ race in November. I never would have though in my second year of being a triathlete I'd be racking up two 70.3s and an IRONMAN!
May
Gulf Coast 70.3 (Panama City Beach, FL)
Distance: 70.3 Half Ironman
Thankfully this is a pretty similar course to IMFL and I'll get my first taste of an ocean open water swim and Half Ironman distance! Could be brutally hot though!
IronGirl (Atlanta, GA)
Distance: Sprint
This was my first race ever so I'm hoping to make it back to race again. The only downside is it's a week after my 70.3 in Florida
June
My Next Tri (Atlanta, GA)
Distance: Sprint
Easy but fun race on the same course as Irongirl. I got 3rd in my age group last year and would like to do a little better this year if I could! Mike's racing this one too...always fun to see him on the course!
July
Chattanooga Waterfront (Chattanooga, TN)
Distance: Olympic
Brutally hot race in Chattanooga with a pretty good swim! I've spectated at this race for the last 3 years when Mike has raced so it'll be nice to finally compete. My hubby is also racing this one!
September
ESi IRONMAN Augusta 70.3
Distance: 70.3 Half Ironman
Second shot at getting my Half Ironman distance down! Looking for good weather, fast swim and a strong finish. Think Mike will race this as well!
November
IRONMAN Florida (Panama City Beach, FL)
Distance: 140.6 IRONMAN
The big bad wolf of my 2013 season! I am more excited/nervous/scared/antsy about this race than one could imagine!
May
Gulf Coast 70.3 (Panama City Beach, FL)
Distance: 70.3 Half Ironman
Thankfully this is a pretty similar course to IMFL and I'll get my first taste of an ocean open water swim and Half Ironman distance! Could be brutally hot though!
IronGirl (Atlanta, GA)
Distance: Sprint
This was my first race ever so I'm hoping to make it back to race again. The only downside is it's a week after my 70.3 in Florida
June
My Next Tri (Atlanta, GA)
Distance: Sprint
Easy but fun race on the same course as Irongirl. I got 3rd in my age group last year and would like to do a little better this year if I could! Mike's racing this one too...always fun to see him on the course!
July
Chattanooga Waterfront (Chattanooga, TN)
Distance: Olympic
Brutally hot race in Chattanooga with a pretty good swim! I've spectated at this race for the last 3 years when Mike has raced so it'll be nice to finally compete. My hubby is also racing this one!
September
ESi IRONMAN Augusta 70.3
Distance: 70.3 Half Ironman
Second shot at getting my Half Ironman distance down! Looking for good weather, fast swim and a strong finish. Think Mike will race this as well!
November
IRONMAN Florida (Panama City Beach, FL)
Distance: 140.6 IRONMAN
The big bad wolf of my 2013 season! I am more excited/nervous/scared/antsy about this race than one could imagine!
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