Happiest Run on Earth

Last weekend, Randy and I flew to Orlando to participate in the Disney World Wine and Dine Half Marathon.  We checked into the Caribbean Beach Resort around midnight Friday and settled into our room equipped with two pirate ships for beds.

On Saturday morning, we headed to the ESPN Wide World of Sports to pick up our stuff and check out the expo, then headed over to Epcot for a few hours.

This is the weekend of the Wine and Food Festival, so there were all sorts of yummies to taste as we walked around World Showcase.  But, we decided to save most of that for the next day after the race.  Having never raced a nighttime race before, we were a little concerned about how that was going to go.  So, instead we hit a few rides and a few of the countries, then headed back to our room for a small dinner and a nap.

It was suggested to leave our hotel around 7 to get to the race start.  All I kept thinking was, "what are we going to do for two hours before the race?"  Duh...it's Disney.  They kept us entertained with a DJ, dancing, and characters.  We waited in line to visit with Mickey Mouse and by the time we got our picture taken, it was time to hit the porta-potty and go to our corral.

At exactly 10:00, the first heat started (Randy was in that group) with a flourish of fireworks.  Two minutes later, my corral got our own fireworks.  I wasn't expecting much from this race - travel, wandering around the park, nighttime race - but I wanted to have fun.  I settled into a decent pace, about 9 minutes per mile.  Unfortunately, the humidity started to bug me and I had to stop drinking water because it was actually bothering my stomach.  I was able to handle the Gatorade, so I stuck with that.  As for having fun...I was entertained most of the race.  There were DJ's and characters along the course, as well as lots of volunteers.  We ran through Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT.  Running in the parks was tough.  It was dark and there are a lot of turns, which slows you down.  But, being in Florida, there were no hills!  Although I heard some people calling the overpass a hill...seriously??

Anyway, I finished slower than I wanted to, but I can say that I had a lot of fun.  I even got a pound-dog from Mickey Mouse at the finish line!  After the race, I changed into normal clothes, grabbed my glass of wine (water, too) and wandered the Wine and Food Festival with Randy until about 2:30 in the morning.  How we were even functioning at that point is beyond me.  We made it back to bed at 3:30 and slept until 10:00 Sunday morning.

We spent Sunday in EPCOT again, hitting more of the Wine and Food vendors and more rides and attractions.  There is so much to do in EPCOT.  We ended the day with dinner at the Restaurant Marrakesh in the Morocco pavilion, which was soooo good, and buying our souvenirs (salt and pepper shakers for Randy and a Mickey wine glass for me).

It was probably not the most organized Disney trip, nor was it our best half-marathon.  But, we had a lot of fun.  It's always nice to get away from the real world and visit the Happiest Place on Earth for a short time.  Thanks, Mickey!

IMLP 2013 Race Report Part 4 - The Run...

Part 1 - The Days Before
Part 2 - The Swim
Part 3 - The Bike

I have never run a marathon.  I've run/walked two Ironman marathons, but never run a marathon.  I started this one ahead of where I was hoping I would be.  My goal for this Ironman was to go under 14 hours.  When I left the transition area and started the run, my watch said I'd been racing for 8 hours and 10 minutes.  That gave me just under 6 hours.  I was feeling pumped!

Heading out on the run is so weird because the world instantly slows down.  After seeing a blur of spectators on the bike, now I can make out faces.  I kept hearing people yelling my name, but I didn't see anyone I knew.  Then my rattled brain recalled that I was now wearing my race number, which has my name on it.  Duh!  It wasn't long before I ran by my parents and high-fived them.  I love that they made their way from the bike finish to the run entrance as quickly as they did - it's not easy!

The beginning of the run is tough.  I'm feeling great from my bike split and I'm starting with a small downhill and the crowd is crazy loud.  But...  I was a little worried that maybe I'd gone too hard on the bike and wouldn't be able to run 26.2 miles.  Then I made the first right-hand turn and the downhill gets crazy steep.  It's probably an 18% grade and it's tough on the quadriceps.  I had set my watch for a 10-minute run followed by a 1-minute walk.  I was determined to stick to this pattern, and I was doing well.  The only deviation was when I hit an aid station.  I walked through each one of those, grabbing Gatorade or Coke, water, some ice, occasionally an orange slice or some grapes or a pretzel (for the salt, which I just sucked off).  After taking it all in, I resumed my run/walk schedule until the next aid station.

Just after the first mile or so, I heard someone yell that the leader was coming through.  Sure enough, there was Andy Potts coming my way!  Andy won last year and was so kind to sign a bunch of autographs for all of us.  He is a machine in the water and pretty much killed the course last year and again this year.  All that, and he's a total babe!  I shouted out a "great job" as he flew past me.  The second and third place guys were well behind him and they were only about three miles from the finish.

After that, as I approached the next aid station, I saw Randy coming back to finish his first loop!  We met in the middle of the street for a smooch (awww...) and I wondered when I would see him again.  I knew what his goal was and I was happy to see that it was definitely in reach.

The run is nice because it's a chance to see everyone.  The course is a double out-and-back done twice, so there is always company.  I saw Matt and Keith go by and a lot of other people I know.  The volunteers at the aid stations were great.  They had everything ready to go and plenty of encouragement as we slogged around the marathon course.   The part of the course on River Road is pretty peaceful.  There aren't many spectators, just a lot of athletes and volunteers.  We run along the river so it is relatively flat and on the way back, you get some great views of the Olympic ski jumps.

I managed to maintain my 10-min run/1-min walk the whole loop.  After turning off River Road, it's time to climb the hill by the ski jumps.  It figured that my 1-minute walk was after I'd run up the hill.  Oh well.  I refused to wuss out on the hills of the first loop!  The run past the horseshoe fairgrounds is flat and has amazing views of the mountains and the 1980 Olympic torch.  So inspirational!

As I get back into town, the crowds get bigger and there are many places playing music.  This was great.  I don't usually train with music, but it was fun to have something playing as we ran.  Of course, when I heard Jimmy Buffett's "Cheeseburger in Paradise" I realized how hungry I was.

The worst part of the run is the ridiculously steep uphill before turning onto Main Street.  It's the same hill we had to go down at the beginning of the loop.  Of course, my watch did not tell me it was time to walk, so I ran up the hill.  Well, I use the term "ran" loosely.  I don't know if I would call it running, but I wasn't walking!  I saw some friends along the hill and that was cool.  I made another turn toward the oval, but it was still uphill.  This is where I saw my parents again.  They knew just where to be!  I turned onto Mirror Lake Drive and ran past the club tent and my friends.

That part is always great!  I realized that there were still cyclists coming in, and the road was pretty crowded.  Bikes were in one lane and runners in the other going both directions.  There were a lot of people around!  At the special needs area, I dropped off my sunglasses.  I don't know why.  I guess I was thinking that it wouldn't be sunny anymore since it was after 5 o'clock.  Of course, that's about the time the sun finally came out.  I ran to the turnaround and back to the oval to start loop number 2.  By this time, I saw Randy again as he was finishing his second loop.

My time for the first loop was around 2:20-2:25, although I don't have an exact split.  I was pretty happy with that.  If I could keep running, I would make it under 14 hours!

As expected, the second loop of the run was the toughest part of the race.  I'd been out there for a while and I'd never run that much of an Ironman marathon before (injury always forced me to walk).  But, I was determined to keep up my run/walk pattern as long as I could.  I must admit that there were times I was very tempted to just walk.  I started looking at my watch constantly to figure out when I could walk again.  My legs HURT!!!  But I kept going.  At the aid stations, they started serving chicken broth.  Now, that may seem weird, but I must tell you that, at mile 16 of the run, chicken broth was like crack.  I couldn't get enough and after every aid station, I was anticipating when I would reach the next one so I could get more!!  So warm and salty, it's just perfect.  I even stopped to make sure I didn't gulp it down, but to savor it.  Mmmmm...

Funny side story:  When I was running down the hill past the ski jumps, I ran past two guys.  One of them commented on my shirt, "You're wearing a Providence shirt?  Wasn't that race horrible?"  To which I replied, "Well, I qualified for Vegas there."  I heard his running partner say, "I guess it wasn't so horrible for her!"

As I turned around on River Road, my spirits lifted for a couple of reasons.  One, I was on my way back.  I still had seven miles to go, but I was on my way back.  Two, I saw my friend Jennifer for the first time all day.  Jennifer attempted Ironman a couple of years ago, but didn't make the bike cutoff.  Despite fighting asthma and arthritis in her hip, she signed up again for this race.  I was SOOOO happy to see that she'd made the bike cutoff!!  Yeah!!!!

At one point, I realized that I could walk the rest of the marathon and still go under 14 hours.  That was both good and bad.  Good because I could make it and bad because now I had an excuse to stop running and make my legs happy.  Well, happier.  This is the true test of Ironman.  When faced with the choice, what do you do?  Even though I left that bracelet on the bike, I thought of my friends' daughter and her amazing battle against stage-3 cancer.  The struggles in my legs were nothing compared to the struggles that they've all faced.  If they can get through cancer, I can run six more miles!  I told myself to brush it off and move.  Thank you, Gabby and family, for being an inspiration!

Somewhere along the way, it started to rain.  We'd been incredibly lucky with weather all day.  It rained early in the bike ride, but stopped about an hour in.  The rest of the day had been mostly cloudy and a bit humid.   The temperatures were in the low 70s, which made it nearly perfect.  I'd been feeling the humidity on the run and when the rain started, it was a nice relief.  Time to cool off a bit!  Then the rain came down harder.  Okay.  We don't need THAT!  So it ended.  I think it rained all of twenty minutes and that was just enough.  I was heading back into town and hurting, but still happy.

Of course, I had to face those hills again.  I knew that there would be no shame in walking the hills.  Most people were doing that, but damn it, I was going to stick to my run/walk.  (Apparently I had become stubborn - when did that happen?)  I knew if I started walking more than my allotted one minute, that I would likely not start running again.  When I hit the steep hill, everyone was walking and I had another two minutes of running on my clock.  At this point, I was definitely going to reach my time goal.  I almost started walking it anyway, so that I wouldn't be walking on the flatter part.  But, I looked up and saw Ricky.  I don't know Ricky personally, but what I know about him is that he does not have the use of his legs.  He did the Ironman bike course on a hand cycle and the run course on a wheelchair.  He was at the steepest part of the hill and I can only imagine how much his arms must have been burning at that point.  But, where most of us could stop and rest, he couldn't.  If he stopped, he'd roll backwards.  Everyone was cheering for him and I just prayed for him to make it to the top.  He did and it was a huge moment of relief for everyone.  It was also another "suck it up" moment for me.  If he can push himself to the top of this hill, surely I can run to the top.  So I did.  Thank you, Ricky, for the inspiration!

My last few miles are a blur.  I ran by the tent again, waved to my friends and family and tried to enjoy the moment.  After the turnaround on Mirror Lake Drive, I had a little over a mile to the finish line.  I also had one more walk break, but I decided not to take it.  What the hell...

Lake Placid has the best Ironman finish line.  The athletes run half a loop around the Olympic oval where Eric Heiden won five speed skating medals in 1980.  There is a ton of room for the spectators, so the crowd is loud and fun.

I entered the oval and checked behind me to see if anyone else was there.  I was feeling a bit selfish and didn't want to share my finish with anyone!  The coast was clear and I got to run around the oval all by myself.  As I ran down the straightaway to the finish line, with people lining the way and cheering very loudly, I heard Mike Reilly say, "Karen, you are an IRONMAN!!!"

My run split was 4:58:56, over an hour faster than the other two where I had to walk.

My goal for this race was to go under 14 hours.  I knew it was possible, even if I had a few hiccups along the way.  My official time is 13:07:56!!! 

I crossed the finish line and immediately two volunteers were by my side.  One of them put one of those mylar blankets over my shoulders and they both grabbed onto my elbows so I didn't fall down.  It's weird to think that I'd been moving forward for 13+ hours and now they are expecting me to fall.  But, the body is strange that way.  I felt strong throughout the race, but the moment I stopped, I felt weak.  I felt warm all day, but now I was shivering.  But, it wasn't bad.  My body settled quickly.  Someone put a medal around my neck and handed me my finisher shirt and hat.  I also got some chocolate milk and a bottle of water.

Randy was waiting for me at the finish line.  He'd finally broken 11 hours on this course (10:47:29).  I was so happy to see him!  I'm so proud of you, Shmoopie!

My parents were there too and we visited with them before they left for home.  Thank you, Mom and Dad, for your love and support!!

I grabbed my bike and gear and wandered my way back to the tent and to our car.  We went back to our house to shower and eat something, then returned to the oval to watch the final finishers of the night, including our friend, Jennifer, who displayed amazing endurance and determination to finish 140.6 miles with an arthritic hip and a sprained ankle (from falling in T1).  Love you, Jen!

I know that most people don't have any interest in doing an Ironman, but I would highly recommend that everyone goes to watch one someday.  It is an amazing celebration of life.  Everyone out there earns their race - there is no faking it.  I'm often asked why I do Ironman.  I think people expect a complicated answer, but the truth is very simple.  I do it because I can.

IMLP 2013 Race Report Part 3 - The Bike...

You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

It had rained during the swim and it was still a bit rainy when we left for the bike ride.  After 2008, I was ready for rain.  Leaving the transition area, we descend some very steep hills before climbing out of town.  These are not hills on which you increase your average speed.  They are crowded and there is a sharp left turn at the bottom.  In fact, hay bales await anyone who does not make the turn!  I checked my brakes before getting to the steepest parts and was on my way.  I thought my parents might be at the bottom of the hill, but they weren't.  They missed me coming out of the swim and were still looking for me there.

I've ridden the Lake Placid loop dozens of times, so I know it well.  It is not a difficult loop - not the first time anyway.  But, it is an unforgiving course and if you aren't smart about it, you will pay for it on the run.  The first part of the loop includes a long climb about a mile long, then rolling hills until about mile 8.  It's a tough way to start 112 miles, so I have some rules that I follow: stay in the small chain ring until the big descent, always ride the first loop in one gear easier than I think I can manage, and pay attention to the scenery.  The rules force me to take it easy.  I would bet that this is one of the most scenic courses in the Ironman circuit, so I plan to enjoy it, which keeps me calm on race day.

I managed the opening climbs with ease.  I love being tapered!  The best part of this section was getting caught by our friends Keith (Alan! Alan! Alan!) and Matt.  It's always nice to see familiar faces.  Once I hit the Cascade Mountain trailhead, it was time to pick up speed.  Going past the Cascade Lakes is breathtaking and fast.  I'm finally in the big chain ring and my aerobars heading for the long descent into Keene.  Unfortunately, the descent is on a pretty crappy piece of road - lots of patched holes and washboard bumps due to the snow plows.  They opened up a second lane on the road for us, which helped.  After the first mile or so, there is a flatter part on the hill and another cyclist next to me said, "I'm glad that descent is done!  That was scary!"  To which I replied, "We have about another three miles before getting to the bottom!"  So, I made sure I got in front of him and wound my way to the bottom of the hill.  Close to the bottom there's one of those speed limit signs that tells you how fast you're going.  I hit 27 mph in that spot, but I knew I'd gone faster further up the hill.

Once in Keene, we take a left turn onto Route 9N to make our way up to Jay and the out-and-back.  This part of the course is relatively flat, so I got down to the business of eating.  I grabbed one of my Luna bars and chowed down.  I was able to stay in the aerobars and big chain ring on most of this section and maintained a pretty decent average speed.  Between the starting climbs, the descent, and this flat section, I managed an average speed of 18.2 mph for the first 30 miles.  Some people went flying by me and I was passing others.  One girl went past and said "Hang in there!"  Hang in there?  I was doing fine!  In Jay, we have a 5-6 mile out-and-back section to Ausable Forks.  It was here that I saw Randy again!  He was on his way back while I was on my way out. (Hi Shmoopie!!!)  I also saw Keith and Matt again.  After the turn around and back in Jay, I made the right hand turn to Wilmington.  Someone asked, "Is this Papa Bear?" referring to the well-known named hills at the end of the loop.  I replied, "Not even close.  We call this hill the 3-mile climb."  "Is it really 3 miles?"  Ummm....yes.  That's why we call it the 3-mile climb.

To be fair, it's not three straight miles of climbing.  There is a nice downhill in the middle that opens to a field where you get an amazing view of Whiteface Mountain.  But, it's still a lot of climbing!

We have to do a little out-and-back on Haselton Road, where I watched a guy in front of me try to cut to the inside of the turnaround.  Really, dude?  Did you really have to make your pass on the 180-degree turn?  He promptly tipped over.  Karma.

The next part of the loop is the 12 miles back to Lake Placid.  It is the longest, slowest 12 miles of your life.  All uphill.  All of it.  In my mind, I break it up into three parts.  The first is getting past Whiteface Mountain.  This is where the climbs seem long and I don't like them.  There was a lot of crowd support though.  One group had a sign that said "Honey Badger Don't Care!" which made me laugh.  The second is going right along the Ausable River.  There are a lot of twists and turns and quick up and downs.  Even though it's mostly uphill, I can get into a pretty good groove.  Then, we hit the end of River Road and the Cherries and the Bears.  These are the named climbs I mentioned earlier.  I hardly notice Little Cherry.  It's not marked anymore, but there is a sign for Cherry Patch Pond, so I know I'm at Little Cherry.  Big Cherry isn't so bad either.  Then comes Mama Bear.  You come around a curve and there she is all laid out in front of you.  At first, she doesn't seem like much, but I knew I'd need a small gear.  A quick downhill pops you over Baby Bear and then comes Papa Bear.  Papa Bear is straight and, although I'm in a pretty small gear, it isn't as bad as it looks.  The best part about it is the crowds of people cheering you on.  They line the road and it has a very Tour de France feel to it.  Very cool and inspiring!

Some people think Papa Bear is the end of the climbing.  Those people would be wrong.  At the top of Papa Bear, we make a right hand turn onto Northwoods Road and yet another hill, Sonofabitch.  That's what we've named it.  Right after that comes the Bitch.  Those hills are tough mentally, but then I made the turn into town and got to enjoy the crowds. 

I heard someone yell my name and tell me to look for my parents up ahead.  I saw them as I passed by the club tent and heading to special needs.

 I dropped my garbage and picked up some more food before finishing the loop and heading out again.  My first loop time was 3:22:44, the fastest I've ever ridden it without drafting off someone (it also includes one pit stop and my special needs stop).

The second loop was pretty uneventful, which is to say it was great.  Except the downhill.  I had a water bottle in my aerobar cage and it was rattling around so much from the crappy roads.  I thought I was going to lose it and I worried about crashing if I did.  I managed to keep the bottle and make it down the hill.  I even posted my fastest speed ever...  41.9 mph!  That probably wasn't too smart of me and I had to tell myself to cool it. 

I settled in for the rest of the loop and I was feeling great.  My legs were starting to get tired and I got bit by a mosquito on my eyelid (weird), but I was spinning a high cadence and getting enough food and water to keep me alert.  As I made my way from Wilmington to Lake Placid (those dreadful 12 miles), I started to get excited about my time.  I was doing really well, but I didn't want to jinx it.  I had been flip-flopping positions with about six different people along the second loop, including two guys with disc wheels.  My advantage was either knowing the climbs, being lighter, or just being a stronger climber, because by the time Mama Bear came along, I'd lost them all.  And, remember the chick who told me to "hang in there"?  I passed her like she was standing still.  That was a good (and very unfamiliar) feeling!

I saw so many people and heard them calling my name as I came into town, I felt like a rock star!  Unfortunately, it goes by so fast so I wasn't able to acknowledge them all.  As I pulled into the transition area, there were my parents!  I waved to them, dismounted, and passed my bike to a volunteer. 

My time on the second loop was 3:20:57.  I didn't realize it at the time, but I had a negative split!  I was hoping to go under 7 hours on the bike course, but deep down I really wanted to go under 6:45.  I clocked a 6:43:41!  Yeah!

I grabbed my T2 bag and headed into the women's changing tent again.  I stripped off my cycling clothes and gear and struggled into my running clothes.  I had two volunteers helping me get dressed and I headed out to run a marathon.

IMLP 2013 Race Report Part 2 - The Swim...

You can read Part 1 of my race report here.

On Sunday morning, the alarms went off at 3:30 and 3:40 (just in case).  Of course, by that time, we were already up and eating breakfast.  Who can sleep the night before an Ironman?

There was a lot of good energy in the house as we all ate, used the bathrooms, and gathered our special needs bags.  We took a few cars down to the lake and walked over to our tri club's tent.  Gerry had set up his own tent right behind the club tent and we used that as our home base for the day. 

First, we dropped off our special needs bags for the run and the bike.  These are bags that you can access halfway into the bike or run to get anything you may need or drop things off.  For example, in my bike special needs bag, I have a second set of food and two tubes in case I get a flat or two on the first loop of the bike.  In my run special needs bag, I have a long-sleeved shirt in case it's getting cool and a packet of Tums (for what I hope is an obvious reason - I hope I don't need them!).

We walked over to the transition area.  I un-taped my gear bags so that I could easily open them during transition and headed over to my bike.  There were only a couple of other people around my area at that time.  It was nice to have the space.  I unwrapped the bag off the back of the bike, put my nutrition on the bike (water bottles and Bento box full of food), pumped up the tires, checked to make sure the bike was shifting and in a decent gear for the beginning of the ride.  Back to the tent to get the damn wetsuit on!

At the tent, I had some time to sit and relax before getting ready for the swim, but soon it was time to put my wetsuit on.  This is the worst part of my day!  Not only do I not like wearing a wetsuit (despite the advantages), I am really slow at putting it on.  It's just annoying.  We were all milling about and goofing around before heading over to the water.  Check out the IM tattoo on my chest...

 

 

I've experienced two mass swim starts at IMLP in the past and I have to say that I have never had a problem.  There was always a lot of people and it was always crowded, but this year was much worse.  There was no mass start this year.  Instead, they announced a couple months ago that we would be doing a time trial start.  Athletes would walk into the water and their time would start when they cross the timing mat, similar to a big marathon start.  We were instructed to line up according to our projected time.  Randy, Keith, and I got into the 1:01-1:10 group.  When the cannon went off, we slowly walked to the water's edge.  Once we crossed the mat, it was time to dive in!

Randy was right in front of me, so I decided to see how long I could stay on his feet.  The buoys are numbered to the turns.  Eight down and nine back, then repeat for loop #2.

Loop #1 - I stayed with Randy until somewhere between buoys 4 & 5.  At that point, I got pushed to the outside.  Oh well, I was still in the thick of it, but I was getting into a groove.  After going around the second turn buoy, two things happened.  The first is that I got punched in the side of my head, right on my ear.  It hurt a lot and I was stunned, but no damage was done.  The second is that I found Randy again!  I looked up to sight and there he was!  So, I hopped back on his feet.  I thought it would be cool if we came out of the water together.  Unfortunately, I lost him again.  This time, I got pushed to the inside of the rectangular swim course.  It's not against the rules to be on the inside, as long as you go to the outside of the turn buoys, but they asked us not to swim in there.  The problem was, I couldn't get back to the other side!  There were others on the inside as well, so I just kept going.  I jumped back to the outside when it was time to go around the dock to finish the first loop.  As soon as my hands hit the bottom of the lake, I stood up to run over the timing mat.  I was surprised to see Randy about 30 seconds in front of me!  I'd found him again!

Loop #2 - This was a little better on the way out.  I was able to stay within sight of the underwater cable until the two turns.  On the way back in, however, it got bad.  I once again was pushed to the inside of the rectangle, but this time was different.  Due to the time trial start, we were starting to catch up to the big groups of slower swimmers who had started 10-15 minutes after us, and were just finishing their first loop.  It's one thing to have to go around a few slower swimmers - I'm used to that.  It's entirely different when you come up on a large group of them.  This time trial start was bad for all of us.   My group had to fight their way through them and they were getting hammered.  This was the first time I felt unsafe in an Ironman swim, even though they told us that it was going to be easier.  I made it out and hoped Randy was okay through all of that!  Funny thing...  as soon as my hands hit the bottom, I stood up to run over the timing mat and there was Randy, about 30 seconds in front of me....AGAIN!!  He didn't see me, but it made me smile to know we were practically together the whole time.

I was hoping to go under 1:10 again in the swim, but I also knew that was dependent on the conditions of the swim.  My time was 1:09:09, a 42-second PR from 2008 and the 13th fastest in my age group (out of 103 starters).

I got my wetsuit peeled off by one of the volunteers (if only I could just get someone to put it on for me!) and jogged to the transition area.  I grabbed my T1 bag and headed into the women's changing tent.  There was plenty of room (one perk of the time trial start) and I had a volunteer help me with everything.  I changed out of my bathing suit and into my bike clothes.  At one point, as I was putting my jersey on, I looked out the opening of the tent and saw Randy running by toward the bikes!  Too bad I'm so slow in transition or we could have started our rides together!  Anyway, as I finished up, the amazing volunteer put everything back together for me and I ran out to get my bike.  They have a great system set up.  Volunteers call numbers out and other volunteers get our bikes.  Not everyone's bike is waiting for them, but mine was.  I ran out of the oval, mounted the bike, and headed out for my ride around the Adirondacks...

IMLP2013 Race Report Part 1 - The Days Before...

Last Wednesday, Randy and I made the very familiar trip up to Lake Placid, NY for the Ironman.   We rented a house for a week to share with other friends who would be racing with us.  There were five couples staying in a gorgeous Adirondack house with six of us racing.  After getting settled in on Wednesday with one of the other couples, Jen and Gerry (Jen was racing, Gerry was our race-week photographer - thank you, Gerry!), we enjoyed a nice dinner out and waited for the rest of our crew to arrive on Thursday. 

Once we were all in town, we went to the athlete check-in, which had moved from the high school to the new conference center.  As usual, the process was very smooth - get your number, fill out the waivers, get weighed, get your bags and swim cap and numbers, goodies, and timing chip.  This is a well-oiled machine and the volunteers and other race officials take very good care of us athletes.  Matt (racing Ironman #13 - seriously, dude?) graciously offered to snag me a second poster for my classroom - thank you, Matt!

After checking in, we were told to go to the merchandise tent to pick up our way-cool Ironman backpacks, then we went down to Mirror Lake to get in a swim.  This is one of my favorite parts of Ironman week.  Everyone is milling around the beach area and swimming the course.  Mirror Lake is right in the heart of Lake Placid and is just beautiful.  The water was clear, cool (about 72 degrees), and just right for a swim.  I didn't wear my wetsuit for this swim, but was planning on wearing it for the race.  I hate wearing a wetsuit, but I know it offers an advantage, so I deal with it for races.  Later that evening, Keith (also racing) and Gretchen (who volunteered and whose husband, Dan, was racing) made us a yummy dinner.

On Friday, after doing a short run and visiting the expo, we got our bikes prepped.  Let me tell you, we don't mess around here!  There is careful trimming and placement of the race numbers to be as clean and neat and professional-looking as possible.  Back when they still used paper race numbers, it would take Randy and Matt a good hour to get them on their bikes just right. 

Despite our fastidiousness, it is very important to remember when doing an Ironman is that it is just a race.  It can get difficult, no doubt about it, and it is a very important day to all of the athletes (including me), but in the great big scheme of things, it is still just a race.  So, to keep myself grounded and focused on race day, I added something special to my bike.  In an earlier blog post, I wrote about keeping perspective as friends of mine were battling their 5-year-old daughter's cancer (click here to read that post).  One of our colleagues made bracelets as a fund-raiser for the family.  That bracelet was to come along on my 112-mile ride on Sunday.

Here are some other pictures of my beauty...

 

 

That evening, we went to the Athletes Dinner.  This year, the dinner was moved to the Herb Brooks Arena.  We sat on the (covered) ice, where the 1980 Miracle on Ice occurred - very cool!  This year, the dinner had an Olympics focus, which was a nice change.  Andy Potts (last years' winner and current IM babe) lit an Olympic-style torch for the race, which ended up at the finish line (also very cool).  The food was good and the company was great.  Then it was time to go back to the house and get some sleep.

Saturday was the day the anxiety started to kick in.  All the gear bags were packed.  We did one last spin on the bikes to check things out.  My legs were feeling good and I was getting excited about what the next day would bring.  Then, it was time to bring everything to the transition area in the Olympic oval.  I dropped off my gear bags (taped shut in case of rainy weather) and my bike (with a bag over the rear wheel and drivetrain in case of rainy weather).

We all headed back to the house for an early dinner of spaghetti and meatballs.  Randy's parents were able to join us for dinner too!  After we ate, we had a great time putting on our race numbers.  There were would be no waiting around in the bodymarking lines in the morning!  Randy and I decided to surprise our friends with race tattoos for the big day.  We spent the next half hour putting them on our legs and arms and feeling pretty proud of ourselves and how awesome we all looked!

Yes, we also have an Ironman flag!  I love how Dan's head is below the rest of ours even though he is a foot and a half taller than I am!

Time to settle in for the night and hopefully sleep until that 3:30 alarm...

It should be stated that these days leading up to the race are what it's all about.  So many things can happen on race day, but spending time with good friends who share your passion and can make you laugh despite your jumping nerves is what makes this fun.

HITS Half-Iron

Yesterday, Randy and I (and our friend Keith) raced the HITS half-iron triathlon in Hague, NY.

Friday afternoon, Randy and I drove up to Hague to pick up our race packet, attend the last 20 minutes of an hour long athletes meeting, and drop off our bikes.  There were only about 160 people racing the half.  They also had about 40 people doing a full iron-distance on the same day.  Each athlete had a little stool to sit on and plenty of room for their transition area.

After doing what we needed to do in Hague, we drove the bike course to my parents place on Loon Lake in Chestertown and went out to dinner with them - always so nice to do!

We got up a little before 4:00 the next morning and got ourselves together.  Instead of using numbers for bodymarking, the race gave us tattoos - very cool.  It had been raining and storming all week, so it was questionable about what weather to expect.  But, for the moment, it was dry and around 70 degrees.  We were able to park right across from the transition area.  No rushing around.  Once we got ourselves all situated and zipped into our wetsuits, we got into the water.  Lake George is such a beautiful lake and up where we were, the water was clear and refreshing.

It was a mass start (with only 200 people, that's easy to handle!) and a counterclockwise loop.  I learned very quickly that sighting the buoys was going to be difficult.  It was cloudy and the buoys were a dark red color, making them challenging to find.  But, I followed the crowd.  I figure that if there are people to the left and right of me, then I can't be too far off course!  Of course, that wasn't the case at the end.  After rounding the last big buoy, I aimed for the beach (with all the other people around me).  Apparently, there was a small buoy that we were supposed to go around, which I never saw.  I don't think I was too far off the course and no one in the large group I was in seemed to see it either.  I came out of the water in 35:01.  I'm pretty happy with that.

I got my wetsuit peeled off (best volunteers ever!) and ran into transition.  Randy was right behind me and Keith was right behind him!  My transition was okay.  It wasn't fast (about 3 minutes), but I managed to get myself settled for the beginning of this bike course.

Ahhh....the bike course.  The 56-mile course has over 3000 feet of climbing (more than the 56 mile loop for Lake Placid Ironman).  1300 feet are in the first five miles.  Upon leaving transition, the course immediately turns onto Route 8, otherwise known as Granite Mountain Road.   Up the mountain we went.  My goal was to keep in in small gears and keep the heart rate down.  I knew it would be slow.  It took me about 35 minutes.  Of course, after that, we got a great downhill on the other side of the mountain.  It was wide open and not very technical, so I could get some decent speed.  And the views of the mountains were amazing!  After that, the course is rolling with one last climb near the turnaround.  My mom and dad came out to watch us go by too, which was fun.  Coming back wasn't so bad, until we had to go up the mountain again.  The last five mile, of course, were all downhill.  I felt great on the bike course, despite a slow time.  If I disregard the first climb, I averaged about 17+ mph, but my overall time was 3:36, which was much slower than I was hoping for.  My computer said I went 58 miles and apparently others thought the course was long as well.  Slower than I wanted, but still strong considering the difficulty of the course

My second transition was fine, about 1:40.  Then, I headed out on the run.

I thought the bike course was tough.  The run course was downright mean!  There were constant hills.  I knew it was hilly (after all, we were in the Adirondacks), but I didn't expect not having any flat sections.  None.  However, I seemed to be moving right along at a 10:00 pace.  Until about mile 9.  That's when my body was just getting tired of the hills.  Plus, it was getting hot and sunny.  I ended up walking some of the steeper parts.  My pace got a bit slower then, but I never felt terrible.  I ended up with a 2:16.  Not too bad.

Overall, this was one of my slowest races at this distance (6:33 and I'm normally closer to 6 hours), but I think it was one of the most challenging courses I've ever done.  I'm generally happy with the experience, but I think it may be time to look for a flatter course!

This was also the friendliest race I've ever done.  The race director and transition area coordinator treated us as if we were old friends and the volunteers were great.  The athletes were just as friendly, cheering one another on and giving shout-outs to familiar tri clubs.  The course was hard, which makes it questionable as to whether I'd want to do it again, but the experience was great!

Ironman and Teaching

Four years ago, I was elected president of my local teachers' union.  I was cleaning out some of my old stuff and I found this speech I gave about Ironman and teaching.  I thought this would be a good place to share...

I’ve completed two Ironman races.  When people hear that, they usually ask, “Why?”  But no answer I give ever satisfies the curiosity of someone outside of the world of triathlon.  When someone asks me why I teach, it feels the same way.  Any answer I provide sounds like a cliché.

At the beginning of an Ironman race, there are over 2000 athletes wading in the water.  The tension in the air is thick.  Everyone is at least a little bit anxious.  Will I make it to the finish line?  What if I panic during the swim?  What will I do if I get a flat tire?  What if I get sick along the way?  What if I don’t make the time cutoff?

The beginning of the school year feels a little bit like the beginning of an Ironman.  What will my class be like?  Will I inspire my students?  What if I have a student with special needs?  What if I have a disagreement with a parent?  What if I don’t make it to the end of the year?

At precisely 7am, the cannon goes off and the athletes begin their Ironman journey.  Arms are flailing, people are pushing and pulling each other, and some feel like they’re drowning.

At precisely 7:39am, the bell rings.  Students fill the halls, pushing their way to lockers and classrooms.  Teachers are passing out books and memorizing names.  Guidance counselors are adjusting schedules and looking for “phantom students.”  We all feel like we’re drowning.

Once we get through the chaos of the swim, it’s on to a 112-mile bike ride.  I know what you’re thinking – “112 miles?  Who would be crazy enough to do that?”  Now think of all those people out there that say, “A classroom full of children?  180 days a year?  Who would be crazy enough to do that?”  But, the athletes settle in.  Of course, those 112 miles are not always the smoothest and they are rarely flat.  One of the worst feelings is when you are riding along, feeling good, then you hear and feel the “thump, thump, thump” of a flat tire.  So, you break your rhythm, pull over, and hop off the bike.  If you are well-prepared and well-practiced, you can get that flat fixed pretty quickly and pick up where you left off.  The flat tire hasn’t kept you out of the race – it only slowed you down a bit. 

You and your students settle in as well.  You get into a rhythm and just when you think everything is going smoothly, “thump, thump, thump.”  Our flat tires often come in the form of a student’s failure.  So, what do we do?  We teach those students how to deal with the disappointment, but we also teach them that all it did was slow us down.  That one test grade hasn’t kept us out of the race. 

We are off the bikes and onto the run – a full 26.2 miles.  This is where the true test of wills begins and the real doubt starts to creep in.  Did I eat enough on the bike?  Did I drink enough?  Did I drink too much?  How will I ever find it in my legs to run a marathon?  What did I get myself into?  Will I make it to the finish line before midnight? 

The end of the year is like an Ironman run.  Did I do enough for my students?  Are they prepared for the next grade level?  Will they be able to graduate?  What did I get myself into? Will I finish the curriculum before the Regents?

It is important to note that no one would become an Ironman without the support and encouragement of the volunteers and spectators along the course.  They want each and every athlete to reach his or her goal and they will do everything they can to help.  All you have to do is ask.  Spectators stand for hours and hours, sometimes in the pouring rain, to support the athletes, celebrate their little victories, encourage them during their disappointments, and cheer them across the finish line.  People even come out of their homes to offer more food at the aid stations.  The best part of human nature is on full display and it carries you to the finish line.

As teachers, we also have a support system built right in – each other.  Our colleagues are there to offer us their help and support throughout the entire year.  And remember, asking for help is not a sign of weakness.  Together, we celebrate our little victories and encourage each other during our disappointments.  Sometimes teachers even bring in treats from home, and sometimes that plate of cookies in the teachers’ room is the little bit extra that you needed to get through the day. 

So, when someone asks you why you teach, tell them about that day’s little victory and then tell them about the big celebration when you and your students cross the finish line.

I am lion...hear me roar!!!

Okay, that title is not quite how I see myself, but I thought it was fitting.

This morning was the Saratoga Lions Club duathlon.  For the past few years, I have volunteered to be the course marshal.  I got to ride on a motorcycle (wheee!) and yell at people who were drafting.  I was feared.

This year, I decided to race.  I'm pretty sure I was no longer feared, but I must say that I had a great race.

Before the race started, I ran into an old high school friend, Cortney, who was racing.  It was so great to see her and her parents (her dad is my favorite former music teacher).  Cortney is doing her first Ironman this fall and just finished her first marathon.  We ran the first 5K together.  The run is two loops, which I thought would be annoying for a 5K, but it was kind of cool.  You get to see everyone and mentally it felt shorter since you were never more than a half mile from the transition area.  I must admit that it helped.  I'm sure I would not have pushed myself if I had been on my own!  Of course, my sister Lisa was just in front of us and I didn't want to let her out of my sight! I clocked a 24:07 which is a new 5K PR for me (by one second!).

We came into transition about 20 seconds behind my sister.  Now, I am most definitely not known for my fast transitions, but I can't figure out what was taking Lisa so long.  As I was running out with my bike, I think she was still taking off her running shoes.  I lost sight of Cortney too.

The bike course is a lollipop with three loops.  My plan was to hammer the bike and see what happens.  Since I don't ever really hammer the bike, I knew I would have enough for the next run.  But, I worked hard and felt great.  I was able to spin up the hills and I passed many people and only got passed by about five men.  My bike time, which includes my super fast (ha!) first transition, is officially 1:02:12.  Unfortunately, I didn't remember to reset my bike computer before heading out.  I think I was still basking in my Lake Placid ride from last week.

Back in transition, I had to sit down to change my shoes.  I think it was just easier and faster than trying to change standing up.  Off to run #2...

Hmmm....  I had no one to pace me this time around.  But, I had the Garmin, so I could keep an eye on the pace.  I really didn't know how to attack this run other than to just keep going.  I managed to maintain an 8:16 pace with my last mile at 7:50 (fastest running mile of the day for me).  My second 5K, which includes my second transition, is 26:31, for an overall time of 1:52:49.

I was fifth in my age group (who are these seriously fast women???), but I'll take it.  Next year, I'll have them all trembling in fear...

Thank you to the Lions Club (including my mom and dad) for putting on another spectacular event!  It was so well run and everyone is so friendly and helpful!

The Big Training Weekend

Every year, Randy and I spend a weekend in Lake Placid with some of our triathlon friends for a big training weekend.  This year was no exception.

Friday night, Randy loaded the bikes into the Black Pearl (our awesome Ford Flex named for the Pirates of the Caribbean ship).  We packed all our gear and food and clothes and got up early Saturday morning to make the trip up to the Adirondack High Peaks.  Of course, we were sure to stop at our favorite rest area just before getting off the highway.

Upon our arrival, there was the usual busy-ness of getting ready and deciding what to wear.  If you are wearing too much, you'll be sweating on the climbs (which are everywhere) and if you don't have enough, you'll be freezing on the descent into Keene.  At the last minute, I took off the knee warmers, but decided to keep the arm warmers.  Once we were all ready (all except Jen, who was smart to get up there Friday night and start an hour earlier), we rolled out of town.

My plan was to keep it easy for the first loop.  In fact, I have some rules - always do one gear easier than I think I can do and do not use the big chain ring until I get to the Cascades (about two miles before the big descent).  Our friend Dan rode with me and I was feeling pretty good.  At about mile 40, we stopped for water, but noticed that our usual pit stop was closed!  We've always stopped at Wilson farms to refill the bottles.  It's funny how things like that can throw you off a little.  This weekend, and this bike course, are like a tradition for us (hence the necessary stop at the rest area on the highway).  But, we found another place to fill up.  This place had more beer than water, but they were really friendly and we went back out.

If you've ever been to Lake Placid and Whiteface Mountain, you would know how crappy the roads usually are.  For ten years, we've been dodging potholes and torn pavement as we ride the long 12 miles uphill from Wilmington to LP.  But, the sadness (?) from the loss of our beloved Wilson Farms quickly turned to pure joy at the sight of a newly paved highway!  Not that the ride is any easier, but it is far more comfortable!

After the first loop, I was delighted by my time of 3:25.  I had no idea what to expect, so I was just hoping that I didn't put too much out there on the first loop only to struggle through the second.  As we rolled out of town again (after refilling the bottles and food bags), I was starting to push some bigger gears.  Of course, Randy took off and there was no way I was going to try to keep up with him, but I really felt good.  All the while, I was hoping that the good feeling would last.  It was starting to get warm and there are parts of that course that are in the open sun for long stretches.  I rode most of the second loop alone, which was okay (good mental training) and I even passed some people.  I handled the climbs well (over 5000 feet of climbing) and when I finished, I saw that I had a total time of 6:49!  That meant that I had an even split, which is very cool.  Even better, that was five minutes faster than my race in 2006!

I will admit that I'm feeling pretty good about that.  I have a time goal for IM this year, and I'm starting to feel like it is reachable.

Last night was the best part of the weekend, though.  Eating good food and hanging with friends, sharing stories of the day's ride and past rides and races is what the sport is all about.

This morning, we ran half the run course and I was again feeling pretty good.  I wasn't blazing fast, just trying to maintain my e-pace (10:30 miles).  My legs were (are) tired, but I didn't feel the need to walk.  And, my IT band was able to handle the downhills and the crowned roads.  At least during the race, I won't have to run on the side of the road (can't avoid those hills though).  Seems like surgery was a good move for me!

I must also give a shout out to my amazing husband and coach!  Without him, I don't know how this would be.  Thanks, babe!

And thank you to Ray for setting us up in the great house.  We missed you!

Of course, after the run, we visited the Lake Placid Brew Pub, where I scarfed down a mushroom and swiss burger...mmmmm.........

All in all, a great weekend of training with good friends and great weather!  I am starting to get excited for race day!  Bring it on!!

184 seconds in 10 years

In September 2003, I ran my first half marathon.  It was the Adirondack Half-Marathon in Schroon Lake, NY.  What a beautiful race!  I remember being a bit anxious about the distance, but I really enjoyed the race.  I finished in 2 hours, 21 seconds.  Really?  Twenty-one seconds?

After that, I did not race another half-marathon.  Until today.  It is ten years later (okay, nine and a half years) and I felt the same way I did before the Schroon Lake race.  Nervous, particularly about the distance.  But this time I was surprised by my anxiety.  After all, I had run half-marathons within a half-ironman triathlon.  I even "ran" the marathons in a full Ironman.  Why was I anxious?  I realized that I was hoping to go under that two hour mark and I was nervous that I wouldn't do it.  After all, I had just started building my running base again, coming off an injury and I am ten years older than that last race!  (Okay, nine and a half years older.)  Why so nervous?  Well, I really wanted to go under two hours.  I mean, I really wanted it!  I wanted to prove that, despite the running re-start and being nine and a half years older, I could get faster.

The race was the 50th running of the Caesar Rodney Half Marathon in Wilmington, Delaware.  It's close to where Randy grew up and he has done the race several times, usually with me cheering him on.  It's a great race and the atmosphere was very festive.

The race starts with a downhill.  Very dangerous to have a smoking first mile.  But, I didn't let it go to my head and decided that the extra 40 seconds for that mile would be banked for the uphills to come.  But, I felt great all the way through the first half.  My first four miles were under my goal pace of 9:00/mile.  Then the hills started.  The way the people around me were talking, you would have thought we were about the climb the Alps.  Truth be told, I didn't think the hills were that bad.  Either they weren't that bad, or I was so well prepared....  hills?  what hills?   I felt great.  I slowed a bit, but nothing that set me off my goal pace.  The race got flat(ish) again and ended with some nice downhills.  Again, nothing too steep...just enough to boost my pace again.  I always try to take advantage of that free speed!  The last four miles were about the same pace as my first four!

My finish time is officially 1:57:17 which means I was holding a pace of 8:57 per mile!  I am soooo happy with this result!  It makes me feel like I'm back to being a runner again and that my goals for Lake Placid are realistic.

Of course, I could not have done this without Randy.  As my coach, he has been great.  Clearly his plan for me is working!  As my husband, he is even greater.  Even though he is a little faster than I am (okay, a LOT faster), he always lets me know that he is proud of me.  Thank you, honey!

And, a shout out to our friend Keith.  He had an amazing race today, taking 7 minutes off of last years' time!  He was a great (and silent) running partner!

So, now I get a few days to recover.  I pushed it today and that was the plan.  But now I have to rest the legs to move on with my Lake Placid training...bring it!

Perpsective

So, I thought my haircut was important.  Boy, was I wrong!

There are days during training for an Ironman that you just want to quit.  There are times during a long ride that you wonder if you'll ever make it back home again.  There are moments during a sprint set that you think, "there is no way I can do this any longer...it's too hard."

What simple problems we Ironman athletes face.

Two weeks ago, a colleague and friend learned that his 5-year-old daughter has stage 3 cancer.  This kid is one of the toughest I've ever met.  I remember a few years ago watching her face plant on a concrete patio.  She got up - no tears - wiped her hands on her pants and said, "Brush it off!"  Hearing about everything that they are going through has put the hard sprints and the tiring long rides into perspective.  They have their own Ironman to get through and it will be infinitely more difficult than swimming, cycling, and running. 

So, whenever I start to feel like it's too hard, I think of my friends and their beautiful daughter.  If they can do that, I can do this.  It's the least I can do.  And when the going gets tough, the tough "brush it off."

Priorities

One of my Ironman goals this year is to do the training.  I guess that goes without saying, but what I mean is I want to do the training right.  I am trying to do everything my husband-coach gives me to do.  I am sticking to the workouts and I'm not missing any.

Until yesterday...

I have very curly hair.  I love my curly hair and throughout my life, everyone has commented on my curly hair.  It's a part of who I am.  However, every couple of months, when I get my hair cut, my wonderful hair stylist blows it dry and it is straight.  No curls, but no frizz.  I have tried doing this at home and it never looks half as good as when she does it for me.  Because it is such a different look for me, Randy calls me his girlfriend when it's done.

Yesterday, I had a hair appointment.  But, I also had an afternoon/evening run scheduled.  That run was going to ruin my beautiful hair style!  So, I skipped the run.

That's right.... I skipped the run.  For my hair. 

I could have done the run afterwards, but the shower would result in my usual curly hair.  Randy pretty much rolled his eyes and I knew what he was thinking...  At some point, every athlete skips or changes a workout.  I'm sure this is the first time that someone has skipped a workout for a hair style.

That's when the guilt started creeping in.  No, guilt, no!!  I pushed it away as I heard my friend Peg's voice saying, "Guilt is a worthless emotion."  So, I ended my hair appointment (looking great, by the way), not with guilt, but with a compromise. 

I did the run this morning.  Because, while Ironman is my ultimate priority in this case, there is something to be said for enjoying my straight hair for one evening.

It should be noted, that Randy's girlfriend got taken out to dinner last night.  I guess he didn't mind so much after all!

The training is under way!

When the calendar changes from one year to the next, it puts that Ironman in a different perspective.  Although I still have 6 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days (but who's counting?), the fact that it is now 2013 makes it feel like the race is tomorrow.  I am feeling really good about the next 6 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days though.  I am actually excited about doing the training.  I love the feeling of accomplishment after a long, hard workout.  I love the comeraderie of those group rides and training weekends with friends.  I love the confidence I get when I'm training - like I can do anything.

However, training for a July race in the dead of winter is difficult.  It's tough to maintain focus and excitement.  Music helps on those treadmill runs (If Today was Your Last Day by Nickelback gets me going every single time).  Action TV shows and movies help on those long trainer rides.  I love how the cadence and power increase when Sydney Bristow is kicking someone's ass on an episode of Alias.  (And, yes,  I own all the Alias seasons on DVD because the show completely rocks!)  My motivation in the pool?  Trying to beat Randy! 

Being a numbers person, I'm trying to keep track of my total time, yards, and miles.  So far, I've gone 33,250 yards in the pool, spent 27 hours, 45 minutes on the bike trainer, and ran 83 miles.  And I still have 6 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days...