IMAZ 6

i didn't do my usual dismount with shoes still on the bike because at that point i didn't trust my legs to work right and was not in the mood to crash at the dismount line...it all was fine except i really didn't want to have my bike shoes on anymore...not at all...but i was at my bag before i knew it and into the change tent...same thing as before...i found a volunteer as i was walking up to the tent...we walked over to a chair she dumped my bag and we were off...yeah shoes off...

the tent was a lot less crowded this time...lots of empty chairs but there were other people in there...but i didn't notice anything accept what i needed to do...and that was get out of my tri shorts...i had packed running shorts in my T2 bag but never decided if i would change into them or not...i had run both ways with training and i figured i would know when i got to T2...and for sure i wanted them...and was very happy to have them...changed socks...put on my T3 hat....got my running shoes on...grabbed my hand held water bottle and was out the door to the run...

during the weeks leading up to the big event j kept saying to me...you know it's not going to get really hard until the run...i was agreeing with him...but saying yeah after mile 13 it's going to get really hard...well...yeah...those first few mile were not a walk in the park let me tell you...i could feel my quads from the first few steps of the run...yikes...i knew to take it easy coming out of transition...and i don't think i could have hammered it if i had tried...part of that is just getting of the bike and getting on to the run...i always feel like i need a few miles to feel like i know how to run again...then my body starts to remember...

came up to the first aid station on the run...they had a cool system going...one person would run up to you and ask you what you needed...they would sprint off down the length of the aid station and bring it to you...but unfortunately at this point i didn't need anything...i had my gels (8 to be exact) on my race belt and my hand help bottle...i just kept running...this lap i was just checking out the course...it is a complex figure 8 type course that is almost impossible to understand if you are not actually running on it...so i was just ticking off miles...checking out landmarks...remembering where i was in april when i was cheering...finding it cool to see the parts of the course that i didn't see then...

and feeling like i wanted to throw my hand held bottle into the river...it was not making me happy...i was just about to cross over the mill ave bridge...and was hoping to see someone i knew to get rid of it...if not i would just toss it at the next aid station...i grabbed my electrolytes out of the little pocket...stashed it in my jersey pocket...and saw cathy and leah as i came under the bridge...sweet yeah!!!!...so happy to see them...they got the water bottle...i just kept running...figuring they would understand :) (they did)...decided to go with gatorade at every other aid station...and water when i needed to take a gel...

took my first gel at 45 minutes...realized then that i was going to have to force myself to get them down at regular intervals...under normal circumstances i take a gel in two bites (swallow?) drink some water and move on...at this point...i was just nursing the gel...so what i ended up doing was getting water+ice in a cup from the aid station and crimping the top of the cup down to make a little spout out one side...and running with that in one hand and the gel in the other...carried that to the next aid station or trash drop (if i had finished the gel)...then at the next aid station grabbing gatorade+ice doing the same thing with the cup...

now i was on the back half of the right side of the 8...getting on to a portion of the course that i hadn't seen...and yikes...there was a stable for horses or something over there...wow...not really a great smell while running...then i heard my name...it was erin (she was in a car) screaming her lil lungs out for me...that was so great!!!!...i could see the people around me looking in my direction...i was smiling...so happy...just kept running...remembering where things were that i had just run by....getting it all mapped out in my head...then i was back on the other side of the river...and running under the mill ave bridge where i saw my family again!...and was on my second loop...oh yeah...

my legs were ok at this point...but it was more like i had forgotten that they were there...and just kept running...breaking down the course into little parts...make it to here...make it to there...i would run up behind people who were walking and chatting...and realized that i was annoyed with them for chatting about Junior's grades and soccer team...i was feeling like "hey, get your head in the game ladies...this is serious business"...then i would say to myself this is the way they do things...not the way you do things...just run...then you won't have to hear them talking...all the while i am getting in my gel every 45 minutes...sipping gatorade with ice...and loosing my voice...i was trying to figure out why...and realized that i basically had my mouth open with the wind blowing in it for 6 hours on the bike...that will do it...so when i got to aid stations i would yell what i wanted "ICE!!!" and it would come out like ice but everyone at the aid stations helped me get what i needed...

T3 peeps were everywhere...i loved it...it seemed like every turn there was someone...a sign...or a big group of people...getting really excited and cheering...totally awesome to have that much support out there...and in no mans land where there were very few people cheering...yeah team!

i remember this one kid at an aid station like 15 maybe...i had missed the ice...or gatorade or something...and he said "i'll be right back" and sprinted back to where it was and ran up to find me we did the hand of some yards past the aid station...that was awesome...at one point there was a hill...nothing huge or long...but it brought everyone to a walk...i just kept running...i knew that if i stopped and walked it would be so hard to get started again that i would try and convince my self not to do it...so i didn't give myself the option...and ran up the hill...it totally reminded me of running the little grass hill near barton springs after doing 900meter repeats at faster than 5k pace...yeah coach logan!...the middle of this second loop things were tough...i could feel my pace slowing but i was still running...and that meant that i would be done faster than all these people out here walking...i really felt like everyone was walking...i did what chrissie said to do...just ignore them...ok no worries...then i saw the mile 23 marker...it wasn't for me at that point...but just like the 109 mile marker on the bike course...i knew that it would be for me soon...

and then i was coming under the mill bridge again...and saw my family..."knees up" from my mom...handed my sun glasses off to my father in-law "one mile at a time"...absolutely...and was out on lap three...oh my...i was on lap three...sweet...

just a little longer than the 7 mile loop on town lake...ok i can do that...i was trying to figure out where i would pick it up to finish strong...i was trying to think of where i could start so that i could maintain that kicked up pace through to the finish line...i had thought after crossing the last bridge...but then i realized where i was...on the back side of the first loop of the 8 and i was already picking it up a little bit...hit the 20 mile marker...crossed the top of the mill bridge and saw erin screaming for me...yeah!...and i was picking it up a little more...down and around and out along the river...getting that last gel down...telling myself that i was done with gels after that one...made it go down a little easier...just kept chugging along...

then i was on the back of the second part of the loop...coming back along the river to the far bridge...and i knew when i got across that bridge there was just a little over a mile to go...the bridge was far (seemed that way) but i kept telling myself that i can make it to the bridge...then it was getting closer and closer...i was still kicking up my pace...then i was on the bridge...i felt at this point that i was running at a good pace...and just wanted to maintain it through the end...then i was on the "right" side of the river (where transition was) and i was on the last mile of the course...i grabbed an orange at the last aid station i passed...yum...and kept running...i was getting closer and closer and more and more excited...then the arrow for FINISH was for me....holy cow...

ran into the parking lot that i knew was so close...and heard a roar from cathy and leah..."i did it" i said...they were yelling like mad...i loved it...then i was out on the road again...to a huge roar of T3 people..."i did it"....yes you did they said...gave a few high fives...and turned into the finishers shoot..."i did it"...."i can't believe i did it"....people lined the bleachers on both sides...the lights were so bright...my hands were in the air...i was giving high fives as i was running down...and i saw the tape...i raised my hands and ran through..."i did it"

(in the photo of the finish line i'm on the big screen in the back with my arms up)