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!

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

head above water tackling waves for the first little bit. By the time I hit the first buoy I was face down trying to make this 1.2 mile swim happen. I struggled to keep with my normal breathing cadence but was able to do breaths every stroke which was almost calming. Before I knew it we were heading back in to shore. I stood up a little earlier than I should have but it did allow me to catch my breath and start to get my wetsuit off.  I was SO thankful to be out of that water knowing that the hardest, well scariest, part of my day was over with! Headed to transition with wetsuit in hand and made my way to the bike.

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!

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.

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!

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.

photo credit - Cobb Cycling

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 ....

"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."

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...

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!

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!

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!

Meeting a Triathlete Legend

As the Crow Flies book cover

Friday night Mike and I headed up to All3Sports to meet Craig Alexander, 3X Ironman World Champion. He's been traveling around the US doing a book tour and lucky for us, made a stop in Atlanta. His book 'As the Crow Flies' is pretty neat. It's more of a coffee table kinda book with some killer pictures and some good stories and lessons of the tri life. Craig is the only triathlete in history to dominate the 70.3 AND Ironman World Championships in the same year (2011). Craig 'Crowie' splits his time between Boulder, CO and Sydney, AUS. He and his wife, Neri, have two children ...with one more on the way! Needless to say, he's a triathlete legend and very nice on the eyes!

with Craig Alexander

In conjunction with the book signing, All3Sports also had a silent auction going on to raise money for Camp Twin Lakes. There were some pretty cool things up for grabs, including some signed items by Crowie himself. Since I need to get some focused time in the pool with those who know best, I bid on the month of Masters classes at Dynamo Multisport. Coach Heat is going to be pretty pumped by this I'm guessing since one of his (ok our) number one goals is to get me to kick less in the pool! Well lucky me, I won! Looking forward to getting in the pool with some great swimmers/coaches to keep me on track for IMFL

signed custom Newton's by Crowie

Mike also bid on a pair of Newton shoes that were signed by Crowie and used for one of his many races. Thankfully the money we spent on these bad boys goes to charity or else I'd be questioning if my husband lost his mind! They are now beautifully displayed in our 'tri room'... right next to Mike's Ironman Florida and Ironman Louisville medals. They will serve as nice constant reminder of greatness while I get my cycling in on the trainer!

Meet BAMA II

I must have been good this year because Santa popped down from his gig at the North Pole to bring me my new friend, BAMA II a little earlier than Christmas morning.

She's a real beauty! I picked BAMA II up at one of our local cycling shops, Atlanta Cycling, just after Thanksgiving. I lucked out that they still had a 2012 XS Trek Speed Concept 7.0 in stock! Being that I'm a solid 5'1, I luck out and ride the smallest TT bike Trek makes, a 48 (XS). Slowly but surely I'm getting used to being in aero--granted I've only been on the trainer. Hoping to take BAMA II out for a spin this weekend if the weather cooperates!

Oh, what's with the name you ask? I feel like my bike and I need to be on a first name basis since I'll be spending QUITE a bit of time with her. My first road bike, a Specialized Dolce, was named BAMA. She and I made it through training and my first 5 triathlons together. When racing, I always knew that if I could make it out of the swim and get to my bike, that BAMA and I were in good shape to finish the race (read: biking is my favorite part of the 3 sports and where I make up my ground!). I also find that if I'm at a low-spot during a race or training, I can talk to my bike to push me through...or just sing the ALABAMA fight song to her which always picks my mood (and cadence) up ...go ahead, call me crazy, but it works!!