T minus 7 and counting… I have exactly seven days before my first ½ Ironman and I found myself far more stressed than I was during all of my training. I knew I put in the training hours but what I’d been able to put in over the course of the last 2 weeks just didn’t seem like enough! Not to mention that our taper felt far different than what I’d known from marathons. I was really having a hard time deciphering what my body and mind was telling me.
On Saturday I came back into the city after a few days in the Hamptons and only got one workout in while I was away. I knew there was a run in our weekend workout schedule but wasn’t sure how long it was supposed to be so I did what I new from marathon training. A 40 minute run seemed reasonable and I didn’t want to over do it. I erred on the side of caution. Maybe I was too cautious. When I looked at my training calendar when I got back into the city I realized that not only did I miss our last mini brick workout (not that big of a deal) but I was to have run an hour and ten minutes. Oops!
I had every intention on getting up and taking a spin on my bike on Sunday morning but with my girlfriend, Lisa, still in town I felt a leisurely morning of coffee on my roof deck (more appropriately, my tar covered roof that I like to chill out on on occasion), brunch and a little retail therapy sounded far better than spandex and my Italian Stallion – my Bianchi.
Since Lisa had an early morning flight on Monday I decided to get up with her and go for a spin before work. Wouldn’t you know it when we left my apartment on Monday morning we were greeted by rain. On most occasions I wouldn’t let a little drizzle stop me from riding but it just seemed pointless to get on my bike for a 6-7 mile ride in the rain. So I said good-bye to Lisa and headed back to bed. Forget falling back asleep at this point. My mind started racing and with only four days in the office and having been out the prior Thursday and Friday I new I had my work cut out for me. I got up and headed into the office early. Beside for work I also knew that I needed to start to focus on my race plan and goals. Ugh! I really didn’t want to start getting specific with times. I focused so much on times with my first marathon that I just didn’t want to taint my first ½ Ironman experience by being disappointed with not accomplishing my race time/goal.
Earl and George, my coaches, wanted our race plans and nutrition plans for the race by Tuesday. When was I going to find the time to formalize my thoughts and write them down? Work was nutz and I had laundry and packing to do.
At our last early morning group bike ride I had an opportunity ride with George and with Earl. I picked their brains as to reasonable race expectations and figure out what they meant by a back up nutrition plan. I only had one plan and knew what worked for me and that’s the plan I intended on following.
On Thursday, I busted out of work at 4pm so that I could do a short 30 minute run and then go for a pre-race massage. Just what the doctor ordered! My shoulders were tight from work stress and I really needed something to mellow me out. I felt like a million bucks when I left. Melissa… you’re the best. For dinner I had spinach linguini, with shrimp, and pesto – complements of my pops! He drove into town on Thursday night so we could hit the road early on Friday for Lake Winnipesaukee and brought a home cooked meal with him. Really… I don’t know if there could be a better dad around.
My dad and I hit the FDR a little before 9am and made it to Laconia around 2:30pm. The trip was pretty easy and relaxing, especially with dad behind the wheel. Our room wasn’t ready so we headed over to Ellacoya State Park to meet up with the rest of the TriLife Team for a short swim. I was a little disappointed that the buoys weren’t in the water for me to get a true visual of the course and what I was going to have to swim. By the time I got in the water the rest of the team had finished their swim so I just did a little out and back to get a feel for the water. The water appeared super clear and it wasn’t that cold. There was a little current but nothing that would impede my swim.
After the swim we drove over to Gunstock to pick up my race packet. I wanted to get as many of my pre-race chores out of the way so Saturday was relaxing and uneventful. By the time we got back to the hotel our room was ready. I unpacked and started to organize my stuff. I put my race number on my race belt, helmet, and bike… remember, it’s only Friday at this point but I needed to be prepared and ready. Rick, Heather, my dad, and I went to T-Bones for dinner and I was in bed by 10pm.
On Saturday morning I forced myself to stay in bed as long as I could but I was awake at 6:15am and ready for the day. I woke Heather up at 7ish to see if she wanted to go for a short 20 minute run. Yeah! She did. Boy was it windy and cool. When we got back we grabbed some coffee and soaked our legs in the lake for a little. After breakfast we set out to drive the bike course. Good thing! It proved to be very helpful on race day to be able to think ahead, anticipate the course, and visualize. Needless to say, the course was no joke. (Note: my dad called the Laconia Airport and they were reporting 34 mile an hour winds on Saturday. Our fingers were crossed that the weather forecast for Sunday would be right on and that we’d only have 10 mile an hour winds at the most!)
By the time we finished driving the course I could really feel my nerves kicking in. I kept looking at my watch trying to figure out how much time I had left in the day and how much I still had to accomplish. Rick and Heather needed to pick up their race packets, we needed to eat lunch (yet I wasn’t really hungry), I needed to drop my bike off in transition, organize my transition bag, eat dinner, and get to bed at a reasonable hour. I was feeling overwhelmed and anxious and really didn’t find much comfort in having lots of people around me. My mind was distracted and I was socially inept.
When we got back to the hotel my dad loaded my bike in the car and we headed back to Ellacoya State Park. I wanted to ride the run course on my bike to spin out my legs and make sure my bike was good to go. Well, let’s just say I came pretty close to a pre-race meltdown. Tears and all. My chain was skipping gears. Not cool! I just had the freaking thing tuned up. With the help of Robert Panino (sp?), the Mavic bike mechanic, and George we managed to tighten the tension on my gears which seemed to do the trick. I racked my bike in transition and then headed back to Gunstock for the pre-race meeting.
I didn’t really want to go to the pre-race meeting but I was afraid that they were going to have something earth shattering to tell us that I need know. The meeting ended up being a bit of a bust but at least I got to see Earl and George and talk to them since I missed our team meeting because of my bike drama. They gave me the abbreviated version of what I missed and then I headed back to the hotel to relax, pack for the race, and eat dinner.
My dad went on a chase for my pre-race pasta dinner and glass of wine which be brought back to the hotel for me. The evening was perfect. I wasn’t in a crowded restaurant with a bunch of racers waiting to be fed and getting anxious about how long it was going to take to get my food. I stretched, finished ironing out my race plan and was in bed by 9 something with 3 different alarms set for 4am. I wanted to make sure my dad and I were up in plenty of time to get down to the race start.
Night! Tomorrow I will be half of an iron person. That is if I had anything to do with it.
Race Day
I slept surprisingly well the night before the race. I got up a couple of times to go to the bathroom and expected, at any moment, that my alarm was going to go off. When it finally did I popped out of bed without a problem. Hummm… I wondered what the weather was going to look like outside so I checked. The air temp seemed warmer that Saturday and the wind was pretty much nonexistent. Ahhh… I was not disappointed and felt a little more relaxed about the race.
We left the hotel at 5:50am. Good thing, it took us approximately 30 minutes to get into the parking lot. I ate breakfast on the way over in the car – peanut butter and honey on whole wheat bread, 2 Endurolites, a banana, and Gatorade. Every bite was an effort. I felt like I was force feeding myself but I got it all down. By the time we parked, I need to run off to the Port-O-Jon – I was certainly hydrated and ready for whatever the weather was going to bring my way.
Race Plan
Plan A
Swim :40
T1 2:30
Bike 3:10
T2 2:10
Run 2:00
Finishing Time 5:54:40
Plan B
Swim :45
T1 3:00
Bike 3:30
T2 2:40
Run 2:10
Finishing Time 6:30:40
Nutrition Plan
Plan A
Bike: Carbo Pro with Accelerade – 464 calories; Shot Blocks – 200 calories; 1 Crank E-Gel – 150 calories; Total Calories – 814 calories
Plan B
Bike: Just in case I had an issue with eating I brought an extra bag of Shot Blocks, an extra Crank E-Gel and a Kind Fruit + Nuts Granola Bar which totaled an extra 520 calories.
Plan A
Run: 2 Crank E-Gels
Plan B
Run: Anything on the course that would be palatable… oranges, pretzels, coke
I set up my transition area, went back to the Port-O-Jon and then sat in my dad’s car. There wasn’t much extra time to spare. Before I knew it I was putting on my wetsuit and heading over to the swim start.
My dad walked over with me and as we approached the shore and saw the first buoy in the water, I will never forget the first thing out of my dad’s mouth… he said “Holy Sh*t that’s a far way out there” – or something to that nature. As he said that, he was verbalizing what I was thinking. But come on already. As if I needed to hear him say that. It really did look like the buoy was far out there. But I new I was ready for the distance and I was thankful that the waters were far calmer than they were the day before.
The race was supposed to start at 7am but for some reason we hung around and my wave didn’t go off until 7:40am. I was a little worried about the sighting factor since there weren’t many buoys to use. Because of this, I knew I’d have to look up often to make sure I was on course. As my wave was allowed into the water, I headed right up to the front of the pack. I realized during the ½ Tinman Triathlon earlier this season that I am better off not knowing how many people there are around me. Thus, I kept everyone behind me for the start of this race. We weren’t sent off with a gun but rather an announcer yelling “GO! GO! GO! GO!” and off the wave of 34 and under women went. At the very beginning of the swim I felt myself getting anxious and I was breathing every stroke, I had to focus on calming down and lengthening my stroke out. Before I knew it I was at the first buoy and making my first right turn. At this point in the swim it was hard to see the other large buoy so I used the people in front of me to help guide the way. I tried to focus on lengthening my stroke and being efficient. It really is amazing to me that when I focused on what I was doing I felt myself effortlessly gliding through the water and passing people. As I approached shore I was really curious how long it took me. Because of having limited buoys I was worried that my lines were a little rough which might have cost me a couple minutes. As I’m getting out of the water, unzipping my wetsuit, and preparing myself for the run to transition I see my dad. He yells at me that I’m ahead of schedule. Could I really be? I glance at my watch and see :38. I came out of the water sooner that I anticipate. I’m off to a good start.
I see that were is an available wetsuit stripper so I sit down and put my legs in the air. They had my wetsuit off in seconds but at the same time I felt my heart rate shoot through the roof. I was winded. Weird!? I make my way back to transition to grab my bike. I put my number, shoes, helmet, and sunglasses on and pop a Shot Block in my mouth and I’m off. I see my dad as I’m heading out. Yay! Here I go.
As soon as you get out of transition we hit our first hill. I’m feeling good and making my way past people. I’m starting to focus on what’s next on the course and when I should start eating. Never in my life did I think eating would be so difficult and/or boring but since I’m eating out of necessity I’m not enjoying it as much. I start to think about conversations I’ve had with other teammates about what they do to pass the time by while riding and I just can’t seem to be able to stick to something. I remember thinking that I was glad we drove the bike course the day before so that I knew what to expect. (To bad I can’t to the same thing with life… it might make anticipating my future a little easier.) I also remember singing a few lines of “Better Than Me” by Hinder. I tried not to focus on my hip flexors that were starting to bother me and the fact that my stomach felt like it was going to explode at times. I reminded myself that I was imported to eat and drink and I found some way to do it. Before I knew it I was at the turnaround and headed back for the last part of the bike. Then around mile 40 or so an official road up next to me on a motorcycle and flashed a yellow card. What is this, soccer? He yelled something about being over taken and that I needed to stop at the Penalty Tent on my way back into transition. Slightly pissed I kept on going. Like hell was I going to let this course over take me! There were a few more hills to climb but before I new it I was approaching the transition area. I stopped at the Penalty Tent signed something, racked my bike, took my helmet off, changed shoes, and headed our for a short 13.1 mile run.
I remember getting a little choked up coming back into transition from the bike. I couldn’t believe I had finished 2/3 of the race already. Dad cheered as I ran past him and out I went. My stomach felt only ok. I wasn’t sure if I had to go to the bathroom or not but I stopped right before mile 2 at one of the Port-O-Jons on the course. I was in and out pretty quickly and felt better after that point. The crowds were great and the course relatively entertaining. I kept reading the silly signs on the course and let that distract me from what I was doing. I felt the mile markers were off because none of my mile splits seems to be consistent. Some mile I ran in under 9 minutes while others I was clocking over 9 minutes. I had no desire to eat my gels so I decided to eat stuff on the course. I ate a few orange slices and pretzels and then resorted to some of a gel. Just to ensure I could keep up my energy for the second loop of the run course. I see Earl and George on the course a couple times and although I don’t feel GREAT… I feel good enough to run and pull off a somewhat decent performance. The second loop was far harder than my first. My energy was waning but I kept a positive attitude and drank coke at every aid station from 7 miles until the end of the race. There were two girls that I’d go back and forth with on the course and I used them to gage my pace and how I was doing. I had less than 2 miles to go. George asks me how I was feeling and I respond with “Not Great but I still have something to give”. He yells... “Endure the pain and see what you’ve got!” I feel myself digging deep and focusing on what’s ahead of me. I’m passing people and trying to focus on who will be cheering ahead. The final stretch is in view and I’m working! I see the finish line and want to finish strong. I hear my dad, now I see him. Yay! My number one fan… supportive, encouraging, proud! I’m choked up! I’ve done it. I crossed the finish line. I looked down at my watch. 5:51! Could it be? Did I finish faster that I anticipated! I did! What an amazing feeling. I can’t believe I crossed the finish line of my first ½ Ironman faster than I anticipated. I’m pleased, should I dare say satisfied, with how I performed. Wow! My first 70.3. Time to celebrate!
What a day. After a lobster dinner my belly is full and my body is exhausted. I was in bed and asleep before 10pm. When I woke up on Monday I felt like I had been hit by a MAC Truck. My shoulder, neck, quads, and hip flexors were so tight! Once I got up and started moving around I loosened up a bit but boy did this feel different than how I felt the day after my first marathon. I must say the recovery period was much faster than my first marathon but as Earl said… this is just one of the many signs that I’ve truly become an endurance athlete.
So, what next? Before I can even wrap my mind around doubling that ½ Ironman distance I need a month or so to recoup, relax, and read a good book. Thanks to Dick and Rick Hoyt I will be reading their biography.
Final Results: 5:51.41 (44th out of 110 women)
Swim: 38:36 (30th overall)
T1: 2:47
Bike: 3:09:08 (avg. speek 17.8; 46th overall)
T2: 2:03
Run: 1:59:10 (9:06 pace; 40th overall)
Special Race Memories
Seeing Dick and Rick Hoyt on the course. I am amazed and inspired by what I saw this father and son duo accomplish on Sunday. Fearlessness, dedication, pride, and courage are just a few things I drew from the two of them.
Funny Question
At the swim start, Kate (I think she’s on the Terrier or Asphalt Green Team) mentioned someone asking her about TriLife. Kate indicated that another athlete at the race asked if TriLife was a pro life or suicide prevention organization.
Tough Cookie
At the Lobster Dinner that the race sponsored I met a woman who, like me, completed in the race. The only difference between the two of us was that she had given birth 9 weeks prior to her third child. Amazing. I think my mouth dropped when she told my dad and I that. She gave birth and essentially had 9 weeks to train for something that I spent the last 4 moths training for. She said that she kept telling herself during the race that being a mother of three was more difficult than the swim, bike, or the run. Incredible!
