My Worst and Best Ironman

On July 22, 2018, I completed my fifth Ironman triathlon in Lake Placid.  Like every other Ironman I know, I am often asked why I do it.  Everyone has their own reasons and my reasons may not have much meaning for others, but I do Ironman because it's honest.  What do I mean?  Throughout my life I have often found that I was not challenged.  I found I could almost fake my way through school and even through parts of my job.  What I didn't do was challenge myself to the extent that failure was a real possibility.  You cannot fake your way through an Ironman; there is always the possibility of failure.  If I fail, it's my failure.  If I succeed, I can claim the success as my own (but I acknowledge that there are those who contribute to that success).

Going into this particular event, I felt that failure was a real possibility.  I did the training, but there were difficulties along the way.  In particular, I never felt as though I had a really solid long bike ride.  The first one was five hours on my trainer because of the crappy spring weather.  The first outside ride was in Lake Placid and it simply did not go well.  The third one wasn't too bad, but the bee sting at mile 25 put a damper on things!  And the last one was 100 miles in 95 degrees over a really difficult course that I will never ride again.  So, despite doing the work, I just wasn't feeling confident.  I talked to Randy (husband & coach) about how I was feeling and that helped.  I realized that I have nothing to prove, even to myself, and that I can just go out there and enjoy the day.  So, that was the plan.

Race morning was the usual.  Check the bike, get the last-minute nutrition in the right spots, drop off the special needs bags.  Randy and I made our way to the swim start and got a nice picture from a friend just before getting in the water.  Thank you, Rebecca!

 

 

We were watching the flags on the dock as they were whipping in the wind and I remember thinking, this bike ride should be interesting!  Anyway, the water was beautiful (of course - Mirror Lake is an idea swim venue), but really choppy.  I wasn't pushing it, just enjoyed the swim.  I got out of the water a bit slower than I would have liked, but I wasn't disappointed.  As I ran from the swim exit to the transition area, I saw my parents.  That was awesome, since I wasn't really expecting them to get to Lake Placid that early.

 

After a long transition, I made my way to the bike start and there were my parents again!!!    I even saw several friends in that first section through town sending everyone on their way.

 

So, the bike - 112 hilly miles.  But, 112 hilly miles that I know very well.  While I was feeling a bit underprepared, I knew that if I stayed smart, I would make it through.  The course changed back (more or less) to the original course and while I'm glad it did, I think it's a bit slower of a course, so I wasn't expecting a PR.  Not surprisingly, it was raining on the way out on the first loop.  But, that didn't slow me down.  What slowed me down was the wind.  Wow!!!  The wind was whipping across the road with some serious gusts!  I've never had to pedal through the Cascades.  I mean, I always did, but it wasn't necessary.  The descent into Keene was borderline scary.  I could see others being blown side to side and I could feel it happening to me.  Thankfully, the other cyclists around me were being smart and not taking stupid chances on that hill and I made it down safe and sound.  A little chilly, but safe.  During most long rides, I have a song get stuck in my head and, if I'm lucky, it's a good one.  At this point, I had Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger" going on and, boy, did that help! After that, the next 30 miles were uneventful.  I was riding my pace and taking in my nutrition and feeling pretty good.  I was actually feeling a lot more optimistic than I had in the days leading up to the race.  Maybe I was better prepared than I thought.

 

But, I was definitely unprepared for what happened next.  No, I didn't crash (whew!) or get a flat (which would have sucked, but I was prepared for that).  At about mile 45, I all of a sudden could not shift in the back.  I was able to shift the front chain ring, but I was stuck in the largest (easiest) cog in the back.  My initial thought was that the battery for my electronic shifting lost its charge.  That seemed odd to me, since I had recently charged it and it should have lasted much longer.  I thought that I had messed up and was now really annoyed with myself for allowing that to happen.  I rode the next 11 miles with only two gears available to me.  The good thing was that for any steeper climbs, I could be in my smallest (easiest) gear, but the bad was that I could never get into a big enough gear for the flatter sections and that was slowing me down.  I used that 11 miles to think about how I should handle this.  I kept looking for some bike/tech support, but never saw anyone.  I decided to stick it out and keep going onto the second loop.  Worst case is that I just can't go fast enough to make the bike cutoff, but I had some time in the bank and figured it was worth a try.  What doesn't kill you makes you stronger...

 

As I got into town, I stopped to tell my parents and friends what was going on.  I told them I was going to keep going, but I'd likely be a lot slower than expected and they shouldn't worry about me.  Off I went.

 

Let me take a minute to thank not only my parents for their support over the years and on this particular day, but also my friends.  When in Lake Placid, there are a lot of people that we know and it's always fun to see them at various points in the day.  But, there are a few in particular that get special mentions here...  Jen and Gerry were the best sherpas anyone could ask for.   They were with us for the days leading up to the race, helped us with anything we needed and took pictures and video to memorialize the day.  They, along with friends Jodi and Rob and my parents were the best cheering squad we could have asked for.

 

As I headed back out on the second loop, I saw a tent along Route 73 that said "Mobile Bike Shop."  I immediately stopped and asked if they could help.  Another friend happened to be there as well and got the mechanic to look at my bike.  The mechanic (I believe his name was Karl, but I could be wrong) did a quick assessment and assured me that it wasn't the battery (whew!).  It's a bit more complicated, but essentially the wiring had gotten wet and well, water and electricity are not really friendly.  However, he was able to get me into a  better situation by getting me into a bigger gear in the back.  Karl said to stick with shifting only in the front until I get to Jay (so I'm able to actually pedal with some power through the flats), so that's what I did.  On the first climbs of the loop, I was essentially in a gear that was a bit harder than I would have liked, but it allowed me to be in a decent gear in the flatter sections of the course.  I was still slower as a result, but I got through the course. Karl (from Velofix in Albany) saved the day!!

 

I got into transition and prepped for the run.  Let me tell you that some of the best advice I have ever gotten (and tried to pass along to others) about Ironman Lake Placid is that the bike course is very unforgiving.  The general rule is to go easier on the first loop than you know you can do and just stay steady on the second loop.  It is possible to push it on this bike course, but often those that push it suffer on the run.

 

Well, I didn't really have a choice but to push it on the bike and, not surprisingly, my run suffered.  I ran about 6 or 8 miles and that was all I had in my legs (even that was a run/walk).  I did meet up with my friend Pam and she kept me company for a little while.  Unfortunately, I didn't have it in me to run much longer and she went off ahead.

 

One may think this experience would have been enough to call it quits.  I admit, I kind of wanted to, but really... stuff happens in an Ironman and this bike issue was out of my control, so I adjusted my attitude and decided that I would finish no matter what (after all, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger) and I'm so glad I did.

 

What I didn't know was that my husband and best friend, who was participating in his eleventh Ironman, had decided long before starting this race that he was going to slow down so that we could finish the race together.  Randy's typical Ironman time is around 11 hours and my best time is around 13 hours, so this was an awesome sacrifice for me.  His bike split and my anticipated bike split should have put us about 45 minutes apart on the run.  The plan was that he'd walk and stall until I caught up.  What he did not anticipate was that my bike had other ideas and we were more like 90 minutes apart.  We finally met up with about two miles to go.  I couldn't have been happier to see him. 

We decided that he would dip me just before crossing the finish line.  Well, a wrong move had us stumbling and laughing but it was a great moment.

 

 

 

 

 

As we came across the finish line, Mike Reilly called out "Randy and Karen, you are an Ironman couple!"

 

 

I wish I had the words to describe how I felt that he sacrificed his race so that we could have that moment together.  All I can say is that I am so blessed to have him by my side, not just in Lake Placid, but every day.  I love you, Shmoopie!!

 

So...  I call this my "Worst and Best Ironman."  The worst because it was my slowest.  The best because I not only persevered through a difficult and frustrating scenario, but I was reminded that Ironman isn't about the time.  It's about celebrating life and being grateful to not only have the opportunity and ability to do something like this, but to do it alongside the best husband I could have ever asked for.

 

 

IMMT 2015 Race Report Part 4 - Course 42.2 km

Click here to read about the swim.

Click here to read about the bike.

I wandered out of the transition tent trying to adjust my plan.  Originally I was going to run from aid station to aid station and walk through each to get water and other nutrition.  While on the bike, I realized that I'd have to modify, so I figured I'd do a ten minute run/one minute walk.  After visiting the doctor and acknowledging that I might get myself into trouble, I settled into a 5-min run/1-min walk.  I also walked through the aid stations.  I was able to keep up with that for about 8 or 9 kilometers.  At each aid station, I would drink water, some Gatorade, and lots of ice!  I also was trying to take in some gels and electrolyte tablets.  I saw Randy for the first time and that helped my spirits.  

After the first turnaround, I realized that I just wasn't digesting anything.  I could feel everything sloshing around in my gut while I was running.  So, I walked a few kilometers to try to get it to settle.  It helped, but I still wasn't feeling great.  I saw Randy a few more times, as he passed by me on his second loop. He tried to cheer me up, but I wasn't really registering anything he was saying until about a minute later. 

I finished my first run loop and was feeling like crap.  My time goals were completely out the window and I was in survival mode.  It was the lowest moments I've ever had in an Ironman.  I wasn't sure I would be able to finish and I'd never felt like that before.  I wanted to stop.  I wanted to cry.  I wanted to be done.  Then, one of the spectators shouted out that no matter what happens, "you've accomplished something today."  Then I wanted to cry because it was the best thing I could've heard at that point and all those people were cheering and volunteering just so we could accomplish something.  I no longer wanted to stop.  I wanted that damn medal!

I slogged through the second lap.  It's too bad my gut had forced me to walk so much.  My legs had been willing to run, but once you walk for too long, the muscles scream if you try to run.  So, walk I did.  I picked up my ego and dragged myself around the course one more time.  I wish I could remember what I was thinking about, but it was probably about staying away from the medical tents!

At this point, I want to acknowledge the amazing volunteers and medical personnel on the course.  There were a lot of people having trouble and the race still had a 93% finishing rate.  That's a testament to their hard work and dedication.

I finally got close to the finish line.  What has amazed me at every Ironman I've done is my body's ability to feel stronger than ever while approaching the finish.  I hit the cobblestones of the pedestrian village and ran the last quarter-mile to the finish line.  The spectators were fired up and I felt like a rock star,  for the fourth time, I got to hear Mike Reilly announce my name and call me an Ironman.

At the finish, a volunteer walked with me, gathering my gigantic medal and my finisher's hat and shirt.  Randy was there to welcome me back too!

On the run course, there was a sign that read, "It's a difficult club to get into, but once you're in, you're a member for life."  It wasn't the race I was hoping for, but I like to think that I truly earned my membership in the Ironman club this time!

IMMT 2015 Race Report Part 3 - Velo 180km

Click here to read about the swim!

I liked this bike course.  I admit I was a bit nervous about it since I'd never ridden it before.  I'd ridden parts of it, but there is definitely something to be said for training on the course!  I headed out Monte Ryan at an easy pace, keeping in mind that I had a long day ahead of me.  The best part was that it was still pretty foggy and cool out.  That lasted for about 30-40 kilometers.

I should say that it's amazing how easy it was to adjust to thinking in kilometers over miles.  Maybe it's because I like numbers and doing the calculations in my head.  Or maybe it's because you feel like it's going by quicker.  I don't know, but it wasn't a problem for me.

I felt really good on the first loop.  I was drinking and eating regularly and diligently taking my electrolytes, fully aware that it was going to be hot.  The terrain on route 117 consisted of long climbs, long descents, and some decent flats.  You can really move.  On the one long hill I hit 42.5 mph, the fastest time I think I've ever clocked on the bike!  The spin through Saint Jovie was a lot of fun.  The spectators there were having a blast and it's a great pick-me-up at just the right time.  The end of the loop is by far some of the toughest hills I've climbed.  Nothing was long, but the grades were approaching 18-20%.  It was a VERY slow slog up the hills, but after the turnaround, you get to take full advantage of the downhills!

I finished the first loop in 3:10, which was GREAT for me, but I had mixed feelings.  I was either doing really well or I was going to tank.  But I know that I didn't push that loop, so I was pretty happy wth that.

Thn came the second loop.  I made my quick exchange at special needs and headed back out Monte Ryan.  I was still feeling pretty good until the wind picked up on 117.  It also didn't help that the sun was now high in the sky with very little shade.  I was slower on the second loop, but I still felt pretty good.  The real test was those damn hills at the end.  Did they get steeper?  That was the first time I've ever used my smallest gear in a race, but at least I wasn't reduced to a walk!

After making that turn back to the village, I just let it all go.  It was a lot of fun flying into transition and I even remembered to spin my legs out during the descent so as to be ready for the run.  I was hoping to be closer to 6:30, but my slow second loop clocked me at 6:42:18, still an Ironman PR for me!

After dismounting, I handed my bike to a volunteer and made my way to the transition tent.  By this time, the temperature was well into the mid- to high-80's with humidity over 90%.  I grabbed my T2 bag and found a seat in the change tent.  I was planning on taking a minute to settle, then change into my run clothes, grab some nutrition and go out for a run.  However, as I was getting my bike stuff off, one of the doctors came over to me to see if I was alright.  I thought I was, but apparently I was very pale.  Not a good sign.  The doctor had me move to where they had a giant fan set up and then took my blood pressure (100/50, normal), checked my pulse (100bpm, high but not bad) and took my temperature (36 degrees, ummm...).  I gave her a blank stare when she read my temperature.  I was okay with the kilometers, but my brain just wasn't ready to convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit!  She assured me that I didn't have a fever, but wanted me to stay for a few more minutes before going out to run.  I was also told to make sure that if I stopped at one of the medical stations on the run course, be sure to tell them that I was checked out once already.  I was a little worried that they wouldn't let me go out for the run and, to be honest, I wasn't sure I would be able to do it, but off I went!

Click here to read about the run.

IMMT 2015 Race Report Part 2 - Nage 3.8 km

Read about my pre-race adventures here.

I didn't get much sleep the night before the race.  It was warm and we didn't have a fan.  Around 2:30, a group of drunken partiers made their way loudly up the mountain.  Around 3:30, the activity in the transition area started picking up, so I just got out of bed and ate breakfast, a peanut butter and banana sandwich.  After getting everything together, Randy and I headed down the path to transition.

Pre-race activity was calm, which always seems odd to me.  There's tension, but no panic.  In fact, it's all pretty anticlimactic.  Pump the tires, put nutrition on the bike, check the gearing, drop nutrition into the transition bags, and head to the beach.  The lake is about a half-mile away from the transition.  We got there by 6:00.  We stretched, watched people, cracked jokes, and finally put ouyr wetsuits on.   Randy's wave started at 6:48 and mine was at 7.  The pros started first with fireworks and cannon blasts.  Giving Randy a good luck kiss (awwww), I found the other 40+ women in our whoopie-cushion colored swim caps and looked for the only two people I knew there.  Happily, I heard Allison call my name and was able to give a quick hello/good luck hug before we started.  Our friend Ray was volunteering at the swim and I got to see him one last time as he ushered us under the arch and into the water.

Since we were the last group of athletes to start, we got to have fireworks and a cannon blast too!  The swim was one loop in Lac Tremblant.  Thirteen yellow buoys out and thirteen orange buoys back.  The fog was so thick, I could only count out six of them before the start.  Like any triathlon swim, there was a lot of jostling and jockeying for position for about the first 300 yards.  At that point, the 40+ women were settling into their rhythm.  Unfortunately, that's also when we started catching people in the waves before us.  I had to swim around a lot more swimmers than I was used to, basically the whole way.  On the way back, I kept getting pushed to the right and was constantly having to adjust my course.  There was no cable to follow like at Lake Placid!

I should also mention that I was completely creeped out by Lac Tremblant.  Not because of the fish (which I never saw) or the water quality (which was great), but because of the depth!  You would be swimming along and the water is pretty shallow, maybe 6-20 feet deep and you can see the bottom.  Then, all of a sudden the bottom of the lake disappears and you're swimming in a depth of 200 feet.  At one point, I swimming right on the edge.  To my left I could see the bottom and to my right nothing!  I admit, I moved over to the left!

Anyway, I felt pretty good during the swim.  I didn't know if I'd like the one-loop course.  It's a lot of swimming with no breaks, but I didn't mind it at all.  Unfortunately, I think due to always having to swim around slower swimmers, my time wasn't what I was hoping for.  I wanted 1:10 or under and ended up with1:14:41.  Not great, but not bad either!

After getting out of the water, I got my wetsuit peeled off (best volunteers ever!) and had to run the half-mile back to transition.

Click here to read abou the bike.

IMMT 2015 Race Report Part 1 - d'avant-course

We arrived in Mont Tremblant, Quebec on Wednesday.  The GPS says it's supposed to be a four-hour drive, but Montreal makes it about six.  The traffic there is absurd!

The plan was to do a short swim, but when we got to the beach, the wind was whipping, the lake was super choppy, and it was only about 60 degrees out (plus wind chill).  We decided to go for a walk instead.

On Thursday, we got in the water.  They have a practice swim course laid out, and in tribute to Kona, they have a pontoon boat out there where you can grab an espresso during your swim.  I don't drink coffee, but I had to take a tiny sip of Randy's just so I can say I partook in the festivities!

We also picked up our race gear and checked out the expo.  At one point, I turned and came face to face with Mike Reilly, known as "the voice of Ironman!"  Mike Reilly is the official race announcer and calls your name as you cross the Ironman finish line with his signature phrase "You are an Ironman!"  He stopped and chatted with us for a few minutes and even posed for a picture with me.  He admits that, after Kona, his favorite Ironman is Lake Placid (well...and New Zealand).  Can't say I blame him.  Mont Tremblant is beautiful but Lake Placid has a special place in my heart.  

We finished wandering around the expo, the headed back to our condo, which is a four-minute walk up the mountain.  It's sooooo nice to be so close!

On Friday, we woke up to rain.  The day was pretty relaxing.  Got in another swim and basically laid around until the opening banquet.  The banquet was pretty good, although everything that was said had to be said twice - once in English, once in French.  The food was good though, as was the entertainment.  Back at the condo we could hear the band playing as we watched a beautiful sunset, then enjoyed the fireworks.

Saturday....  The day of putting everything in its place.  Loaded up the gear bags, cleaned and checked the bikes, and prepped the nutrition.  After a quick ride/run, we brought our bikes and gear bags to the transition area.  Randy surprised me with a way-cool placard for my race number and as I did in IMLP 2013, I will ride with the bracelet that reminds me that even though Ironman is tough, it's nothing compared to some of the problems other people have. 

The rest of the day was spent relaxing and enjoying spaghetti and meatballs, our traditional pre-Ironman dinner.  Then off to bed!

The Third of Three (Vineman)

It's taken me a while to get to this blog post.  Between travel and an injured shoulder, I haven't had the chance to sit at the computer for any length of time.

On July 13, Randy and I competed in our third 70.3 triathlon in five weeks.  To read about Eagleman, click here.  To read about Syracuse, click here.

This one, Vineman, was in Sonoma County, California.  We flew out to stay with Randy's brother, Rod, in Walnut Creek for a few days before heading up.  While visiting, my brother-in-law invited us to join him in a ride call the Butterlap, which is unlike any ride we've ever done.  People of all ages and abilities on all kinds of bikes meet up at the Ferry Building to ride the streets of San Francisco.  It's probably only about 18 miles of riding, but it takes about two hours.  The group was large that night, and it stops at about four different places.  People bring along radios, six-packs of PBR, and other unmentionables.  It's a lot of fun and a great way to see the city.  There are only a few hills to climb and there is a "coaster race" down the last hill.  Basically, pedal until the top, then coast for over a mile and see who gets the farthest.  If you're in the Bay Area, check them out at www.butterlap.com.

 

Anyway, the next day we drove up to Guernville, where we rented a cute little house with Rod, his lovely girlfriend, Melissa, and her very fun and energetic daughter, Hannah.

The house was only a mile from the swim start.  The only thing we had to check in the day before was our run gear at T2.  The swim has a zillion waves because of the small area and we didn't start until 8:00 for Randy and 8:12 for me.  We rode down to the swim start/T1 at about 7:00 and got ourselves settled and ready.  Rod, Melissa, and Hannah came to cheer us on.

The swim is in the Russian River, which is very calm and very shallow.  It was pretty uneventful as far as triathlon swims go.  At the turnaround, my hands kept hitting the bottom, so I did a couple of dolphin dives to get moving quicker, which I find annoying since it breaks the rhythm.  There were a lot of people taking advantage of the fact that it was so shallow and they were stopping to rest or walk.  I generally swam around them.  My time was 34:56, which is a little on the slow side, but not a problem.

After tossing my wetsuit to Rod, I took off on the bike.  The bike course is beautiful, through the vineyards of Sonoma County.  The road surface left a bit to be desired, though.  I found it difficult to enjoy some of the downhills because of the potholes.  The big climb, Chalk Hill, at mile 45-ish wasn't as horrible as some would lead you to believe.  It wasn't an easy climb, but not kick-you-in-the-butt.  I was hoping to get under 3 hours for the bike again, but knew I'd be happy with anything within a few minutes of 3.  My time was 3:02:39.  Not the goal, but I wasn't disappointed.

After running my bike for what I think is at least a quarter mile from the dismount line to my T2 spot, I got ready to run.  I learned from my mistake at Eagleman and lathered on the sunscreen (SPF 100 this time - it came out as a sweater).  I had to run what seemed like another quarter mile to get out of T2 and onto the official run course.  About a half mile in, I realized I was going to be in trouble.  I had a side stitch, which I never have had while racing, and my right quadriceps was cramping.  I started to walk and stretch.  I got rid of the side stitch, but it wasn't until I got to an aid station that I could really help the cramp.  I put ice up into my shorts.  I don't know why, but it helped (probably psychosomatic).  I did the same at every aid station.

Unfortunately, the temperature by the time I started the run was approaching 90 and it was only climbing.  I decided to walk the uphills and run everything else.  Seemed like everyone else had the same plan.  The problem was that it was taking longer and longer to start running after cresting a hill.  I resigned myself to the fact that this was not going to be one of my better races and just concentrated on finishing.  It started to look like a death march out there.  Very few people were running and the volunteers at the aid stations were coming to us as we approached.  They were well-stocked and for that, we were all very grateful.  It was tough when we saw the ambulance go by, realizing that someone was probably in big trouble.  I managed to get to mile 11.5, with a lot of walking/running, when I decided to run the finish.  It was a slow run, but I managed it.  My run time was terrible (2:32:55), but I didn't really care.

I felt like crap after this one.  I knew I should eat, but I couldn't manage much.  Although, the watermelon tasted pretty good, especially when I added salt!

Needless to say, I did not get a spot to the 70.3 Worlds.  The first four people in my age group snatched them up, although most of the other age groups rolled quite far.  Randy just missed out, which was  bummer.

We got back to the house and Melissa had made us a big dinner, which was great...thank you, Melissa!!  They were great cheerleaders on a very hot day!  It was nice to have someone there, since we didn't know anyone else racing!

The next day, Randy, Rod, and I did a little wine tasting (of course) and even managed to get some ice cream.

We went home a few days later, despite some drama at the airport.  The race was tough, the trip was great and the company was even better.  Doing these three races so close together, at the end of the school year, and with some travel, was definitely exhausting.  I don't think we realized how tired we were until we got home.  But, it was totally worth it!

The Second of Three ('CUSE!)

Yesterday, I raced the 70.3 (half-ironman) in Syracuse, NY.  This was exactly two weeks after finishing the Eagleman 70.3 in Cambridge, MD, which you can read all about right here.

This was a completely different course than Eagleman and I was a little - okay, a lot - concerned about it.  Whereas Eagleman was flat as a pancake, Syracuse's bike course starts with about twelve miles of climbing and the run has a killer hill in the middle of the two-loop course.  Everyone kept talking about the hills.

At Eagleman, my goal was to go under 6 hours, but I missed it by 1 minute. I didn't have a time goal for this race, but I have realized that I tend to hold back on the bike.  I ride a half-IM like I ride a full, always going one gear easier than I know I can do all in an effort to save my legs for the run.  So, instead of a time goal for Syracuse, I decided to go all out in the bike, really push the climbs and keep it in a big gear that I can spin at 90+ RPM on the flats.  Since the run course sounded like it was going to be hellish anyway, I figured hammering the bike couldn't make it worse.

My swim wave started at 7:55.  The 1.2 mile swim is in the Jamesville Reservoir and was measured at 68 degrees on race morning, which meant wearing a wetsuit.  Randy's wave was starting 20 minutes after me and, as we are pretty close in the swim, we thought it would be fun to see if he can catch up to  me before the end of the bike.

The swim was relatively calm, but weedy.  For the first 300 yards or so, I kept pulling weeds off of me.  All was fine until I rounded the second turn.  At that point, I was running into a lot of people from the waves that started before me.  At one point, I got elbowed by someone swimming breaststroke, followed quickly by a backhand to my nose by someone swimming backstroke.  If you have to swim backstroke, you probably shouldn't be in a triathlon.

Anyway, I swam a 34:26, which was about 3 minutes faster than the non-wetsuit swim at Eagleman.  My first transition was slow, which only tells me that I really should spend some time practicing transitions.

I headed out on the bike and wasn't quite sure what to expect.  In the two weeks since Eagleman, I was not feeling strong on the bike.  Not that I was doing big, hard rides, but even on the easy stuff, I was feeling tired.  Luckily, that wasn't the case here.  I found myself spinning up the hills and pushing right over the top, passing many people along the way.  I felt great!  The biggest climbs were over at mile 12 and after that, the rest of the course is rolling.  I was able to push a big gear and I found myself passing more people than I usually do.  Yes, I got passed by others, but I was holding my own.

I started to realize around mile 30 that I could go under 3 hours for the bike.  I had clocked a 2:59:15 at Eagleman, which was the first time I'd gone under 3 hours.  At mile 54-ish in Syracuse, there is a no-pass zone.  Unfortunately, I ended up behind a guy who was going too slow for me and I missed my 3 hour mark by ten seconds.  Ugh!  In my heart of hearts, I know I would have been under 3, but I'll take the 3:00:10.  Hey, I just had the same bike split on a hilly course as I had on a flat course!  Apparently, I like hills.  Oh, and Randy caught me at mile 50.  He's fast!

As I came into T2, I checked out the clock.  I'd been racing for 3 hours, and 40 minutes (give or take with transitions).  That's when it dawned on me that maybe I could break the 6 hour mark for the race.  That has been something I've wanted to do for so long, but I could never get it together on any given day.  Unfortunately, I had to run as fast as I ran (which isn't fast) at Eagleman (did I mention it was flat there? and hilly here?).  So, I slugged it out.   The run course, quite frankly, sucks.  It's a two-loop out-and-back course.  About a quarter of a mile is run on a grassy hillside - terrible for anyone with knee or ankle problems, which includes every runner I know.  I either jogged or walked it.  I was surprised by how good my legs were feeling, so I settled into a pace that was manageable.  Then I saw the hill.  It's not pretty.  I admit it - I walked.  When I got to the top, I had to make a right hand turn, but it was much flatter there, so I started to run again.  Then I saw the other hill.  Crap, that thing was steep!  I decided to power walk it.  I think I made the right decision because I was walking past people who were "running."  The top of the hill is the turnaround, which means it's time to run downhill.  That sounds great until you start doing it.  My quads were not happy, but I was able to run.  I finished my first loop in a little over an hour.  I could still make it under 6 if I kept the same pace.  My plan for the second loop was to basically repeat what I did in the first loop.  Power walk up the hills, walk through the aid stations quickly, and run everything else.  The downhills totally sucked, but I managed to run that course over 6 minutes faster than Eagleman for a time of 2:09:51.

Woohoo!!!  Not only did I finally break the 6-hour mark, I managed to clock a 5:52:43!!!!  How could I possibly have PR'd on that course?  Craziness!

As I crossed the finish line, I got my medal and hat and then I heard the announcer call the name of a friend of mine.  She was about 30 seconds behind me.  Her goal?  To go under 6 for the first time too.  Yay!

We stayed for the 70.3 Worlds roll-down, but there were no spots to be rolled to us.  Everyone in the northeast is trying to qualify, so it's tough.  I'm not disappointed though.  That race exceeded my expectations and I am so happy to have finally put together all the parts of a half to reach my ultimate goal.

I'm racing another 70.3 in three weeks.  How these past two races will affect the third remains to be seen.  I think I got a lot of confidence in Syracuse, so I'm looking forward to it.