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.

The First of Three (Eagleman)

On Sunday, I raced the Eagleman 70.3 in Cambridge, Maryland.  It is the first of three 70.3's that I'm racing this year.  All are within 5 weeks of one another and the goal (hope?) is to get a spot at the 70.3 World Championship.  The Eagleman is a very popular race.  The athletes are experienced and fast!

I was looking forward to this race because it is flat and I've never done a flat triathlon (at any distance).  When we arrived in the morning, it was announced that the water temperature was 76.5 degrees, making it a non-wetsuit race.  Great!  I bought a new wetsuit this year, but I'm always happy to not wear one.  I hate wetsuits.  I did, however, get to wear my swim skin, which probably does nothing for speed but makes me at least look like I'm fast.

Once we got ourselves settled in to transition, I had to wait over an hour from the pro start to my own start at 8:00.  Randy and Matt had already taken off on their swims (as did everyone else I knew at the race), so I patiently waited for my swim in the Choptank River.  The water temperature was great and I settled in pretty quickly.  The course was easy to see, but the water was murky.  I would hit someone in the legs without actually seeing them.  But it was a relatively calm swim and I started passing people in my own age group, then people in the waves before me.  I was more than halfway through the course when I started seeing the green caps coming up behind me.  They were flying by!  I jumped onto the feet of one of them to draft my way around two ladies who were in my way.  That was fun!

I exited the water with a 37-minute swim, which is pretty typical for me in a non-wetsuit race.  T1 was uneventful.  I loaded up the sunscreen and headed out for my flat bike ride.

About 10 miles into the ride, I realized my mistake.  I'd forgotten my electrolyte tablets.  And it was hot and sunny.  I haven't been in hot, sunny weather yet this season, so I wasn't ready.  I tried to compensate by drinking a lot of Gatorade, but I started to feel the cramps around mile 30.  My quads and my feet (?).  Because of the flat course, you are in the same position the whole time and utilizing the same muscles the whole time.  I had to make a conscious effort to stand or sit up, but it didn't help.  I managed to go under 3 hours for my ride, which I was happy about, but I was concerned that the cramps were going to affect my run.

I hopped off the bike and was going to run to my transition area when I felt the cramps.  So, I walked the bike in.  I took some time to get my compression socks on, spray on some more sunscreen, and hit the porta-loo, then headed out on the run.  Oddly, the cramps were gone.  It took a good mile to settle into a rhythm, but I managed to move along.  It was hot and sunny.  I knew I was cutting it close to going under 6 hours, but I also knew that I had to take advantage of the aid stations if I was going to survive the heat.  Since the run was an out-and-back, the aid stations serviced both directions and were pretty cramped.  I walked through each one, downing water and Gatorade and cola, grabbing a Gu or potato chips (for the salt), and using the cups of ice to cool off (in my hat, in the legs of my shorts, in my jersey pockets).  I knew it was slowing me down to do all of this, but I knew that if I tried to blow through the aid stations I would get in trouble later on.  Besides, they were so crammed with people and garbage that I'm not sure I would have been able to run through them!  I manage to maintain a little over a 10-minute pace, which means I was doing relatively well while I was actually running.  Unfortunately, it wasn't fast enough to get under 6 hours.  I ended up with a time of 6:01.  I'm a little disappointed, but I know that I did the best I could under the conditions.

After the race, we attended the roll-down for the 70.3 World Championships in Mont Tremblant.  Since I'm not placing in the top two in my age group, the roll-down is my only chance for a spot.  When they got to my age group, the spot just kept rolling down until they asked if there was anyone who wanted it.  Three of us jumped up.  One of the other two was faster than me.  Bummer.  However, I had spent some time talking to this woman earlier and she was super excited, so although I'm bummed I didn't get the spot, I'm glad she was so happy!

All in all, it was a pretty good race.  I ended up with a pretty bad sunburn, despite the sunscreen (I may opt for SPF 50 in the future!).  Afterwards, Randy and I went out for some Maryland crabs, which I've never had before.  They were covered with Old Bay seasoning - nice and salty after a sweaty race!  Yum!

I spent this week on recovery and will get myself ready for Syracuse 70.3 next weekend!

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...