IMCdA 2010 Race Report

I know it has taken me a really long time to post this...and i am going to try to keep it short and sweet...uhm unlike some others (whom i love really and won't mention!!...i'm just not that patient...i have books to read!!)..but i want to remember the details so here goes....



Pre-Race

Wednesday:
ETG and i arrived in CdA without much travel hassle and fairly easily found our house(s)...dropped our gear and headed out to explore the town and load up on groceries...arriving Wednesday and leaving Wednesday was really ideal...gave us enough time to settle out of the travel and get prepared without too much nervousness...Dustin B arrived a little later in the day...and i cooked dinner for the three of us...two more housemates arrived later that evening...and the last of those racing arrived in the wee hours...



Thursday:
8am swim with the group...water was like glass and just about 60 degrees...perfect..loved it...then off for a 15 minute run along the first part of the course...felt good...glad to get the legs moving....weather was perfect...did some stuff around the house...mostly what we did was eat...every few hours...i think Jeremiah had about a dozen bagels in the days leading up to the race...check in was a breeze...picked up bikes after eating some more...i was totally shocked at how calm i was the whole time...i think being the cook for the house made it all that much more normal for me...i was able to be in my element (in the kitchen) and not just sitting thinking...i needed that...thanks housemates for letting me cook...

Friday:
8am swim with the group...followed by a bike ride on the first part of the bike course...swim was REALLY choppy this day...which was not fun...but i did what i had to and just put my head down to swim...did a lot of hopping out of the water and diving back in to see how that was with waves coming at you...not the best...but i knew that i could do what i needed to if the swim was going to be choppy...glad to have a day like that pre race...ride was awesome...totally beautiful...i was excited to see how the rest of the course was...if i liked the first part...the rest was going to rule...more eating...then drove the bike course in the family truckster with Jim in the driver's seat...glad i was able to check it out...i was paying attention to tight turns and some of the downhill segments that actually looked more scary to me than the up hills...but i like hills...so...yeah...i know...i'm sick..

Saturday:
Am swim with the group again..and another quick run...chop was less than Friday so that was good...we were really good at swimming for like 3 minutes then bobbing in the water for a while to chat...then swimming again...drove Chrissie crazy i am sure...but a lot of fun to hang as a group in the water...again the run felt great...back to the house to eat...surprise!...then time for bag drop...again...much more calm this time around...just doing what i had to do to get ready...my bags were light...just enough for minimum transition...weather was looking on the warm and sunny side so i didn't worry about anything warm in my T1 or T2 bags...long shirt and gloves in special needs but that was it...



Sunday:
Race Day!!! woot! i was actually able to sleep...like no issues at all...so that was nice...woke up make coffee...ate a z bar...in bed with coffee...check my mail...and lazed about for a bit...toasted a bagel...jammed it up...strawberry :)...ate that...ate another z bar...drank some water...got ready...remembered to body glide the appropriate places (i NEVER remember this!!) pulled my nutrition from the fridge and off we went...i liked the little parade of us walking to the race site...did what i needed to do to my bike...added two rear bottles, filled the aero bottle...stashed clif blocks in the bento box...topped off the tires...checked breaks and was done...hmm...this all seemed too easy...but i didn't question and moved on to the next task...

dropped run nutrition in the T2 bag...dropped off the very light special needs bags...hit the potty (a real one!)...then to find Chrissie to get in my wetsuit...walked down to the beach...and walked right to the far left...right near the buoy line...i felt very uncrowded over there...i think me and etg were about 3 people back from the water...Erin, Dustin, Dustin, Joe, Miah...were all there...Erin commented on a few cute boy butts...pretty sure i did the pre race pee...and then we were off...

a few really good smashes to the face right out of the gate but i was expecting this...so i just kept swimming/fighting to get to the inside of the buoy line...once i did...it was (sort of) smoother...i actually was able to draft a bit off of a few people...i think a lot of that had to do with me actually being able to see the people in front of me...a few more good decks to the face before the first turn...i actually thought to myself at one point...hmm that will be a black eye in the morning...and then..well came the turn...

TOTAL MAYHEM...seriously...i have never seen it this bad...people actually body surfing on top of other people...crawling on peoples shoulders to get by...shoving...yelling...dunking...awesome...kayaker yelling at us to the next turn which we could not see AT ALL due to the angle of the sun...finally started to fight/swim again until that turn...got yanked a few times by the ankle...nice...then was able to get back into the inside and felt some relief...but could feel the fighting was making me tired...not much issue getting to the exit...up and around the mat...but saw the clock read 40...hmm...not what i wanted...but i also heard chrissie in my ear...don't let your swim time get to you..also recalled Noah's advice that was the same...don't let the swim time get you down he said...i knew loop two would not be any faster...but i tried my best not to slow down...

the buoy just off the beach was even worse for me than the start...but i didn't worry about it...i just did what i needed to to get to the turns...about the same at the big turn...less body surfing this time...and i was actually able to swim (under) around the last turn buoy...so that was good...cursed myself a bit as i got out of the water...6 minutes slower than i wanted...but i was not going to let that get to me...i fought the good fight out there...and i was going to kick ass on my bike...

swim: 1.26

T1:
got wetsuit stripped by some experts...and thanked them a million...loved it!...grabbed my bag...saw Chrissie and Jim!! yeah!!...into the tent i went...there were a bunch of ladies getting ready outside of the tent...i thought that strange...i walked right in...asked for help...plopped on the ground and let my volunteer help me...she dried my feet and put my socks on me (she commented on the smallness of my socks)...she read me my note card (mind over all...)...handed me my helmet and i was out the door...

T1: 4.23

Bike:
called out my number to a volunteer...but i was able to find my bike before he did...i had scouted my tree...my helping find my bike branch...(good tip...spot something when you drop your bike that is not going to move as a reference)...and was running to the exit as quick as i could...past the mount line a bit...on my bike and out on the road...gave a yell...man i was excited to be on my bike...i even called out " i love my bike...woowoo"...i really do...not kidding...felt amazing to be riding through town...i giggled as i got aero about 100 yards out of transition...remembering Joe was making fun of me for being aero all the time...and i was off...

had issues as i did in IMAZ with a bubbly stomach...but i knew it was just swallowed air from the swim so i got it out of my system any way it wanted to go...knowing this time that it's just air...made me less worried about my system...i know that this is what happens...had some thoughts about asking Chrissie about breath control...then just settled in on the bike...

i can't even tell you how much of a blast i had on the bike...wooping it up with the crowd in town..totally enjoying the views out there in the hills...totally kicking ass on the hills...and smiling the whole way...caught up with Dustin s. Amy and etg out in the hills...tried to grab brad and Dustin b out there too but they were both just a few minutes in front of my out there...kept me pushing though :D

nutrition/hydration were perfect on the bike...i know that i have issues with getting solid (or even gummy) food in my system so i had enough in my liquids to keep my calories even...but that means i needed to be spot on as soon as i got running..i had no buffer there...that would prove rough...and i kinda knew that going in...so i was trying to get prepared...i knew this was going to be hard...but i tried and tried to get those shot blocks in and just couldn't...i bike with my mouth open...to breathe...because about 99% of the time my nose is stuffy when exercising...so...if i am chewing...i am not breathing...i would rather breathe really...

bike ended as it started...me with a huge smile on my face...8 minutes ahead of my super A goal on the bike...i was so happy!!...i actually felt a ton better this time around than in IMAZ...i really didn't want to get rid of my bike at all...we had a great ride...and well it was just time to move on

Bike: 6:07

T2:
found my bag just fine...and hopped into the tent...called out for a helper...there were plenty just hanging out...not many racing girls in the tent...avoided a few chairs that were used as port-a-potties...found a dry one and had my helper dump out my bag...she read my note card (believe that you can trust that you will -love Amy...thanks Amy!!!!!) and got me into my running shoes, handed me my nutrition and hat and i was on my way

T2: 2:43

Run:
well here comes the fun part...(lol)...i knew the run would be tough from the get go...no matter how fit you are its hard to start running after a 2.4 mile swim and a 112 mile bike ride...i was ready for it though...i had a plan (f-ing run) and was going to get through it...and make the best of it...i knew it was going to hurt...and it did...but i had a plan...mentally tough...mentally tough...

headed right out of transition on to the run...this is the part we had run in prep...i knew exactly how far it was...and knew that i was just treating this part as a bit of a warm up...hit the turn around...and a potty stop for just a second...i did a little trickle on the bike to have some relief (hi mom!! i know you love to hear this part :0 )...but was happy to finish the job out here...and got back to running...i was sipping my nutrition (4h45m in the bottle with shot blocks stashed in my pockets) and could feel that i was not AT ALL wanting to take it in...got out to what Chrissie called "the bulk of the run" and realized that i needed to do something quick or i was going to bonk hard...think think think....WTF can i do to get this nutrition down...i was grabbing water and hoping that i could alternate it with the bottle and that would be easier...no that didn't do it...ran up the hill at the other side of the turn around...and it finally dawned on me what to do...really if you have done and IM you know that feeling...you have no idea what is wrong or how to fix it..then a few hours after you are done you say...wow that was totally obvious...yeah...IM brain is what i like to call that....

here was the big huge amazing solution...wait for it....


ICE...


yes really...that is all it took...i found some ice...and had the brilliant idea to squirt my nutrition into the ice...i know i am so smart...there you go...i was sucking that stuff down like it was nobody's business after that...and lo and behold my run splits picked up...duh

i knew while i was out there that i was going to miss my reach goal...but i was really okay with that...i was still thrilled with my bike time...and stoked that i had figured out the key to my run nutrition (when you are out there it feels like you have won the lottery...everything is just SO much easier after that)

saw Amy (looking super strong and cheering for me...i think i tried to cheer for her...i was doing it in my head at least)...etg...cheered as much as i could...and saw the whole rest of the crowd...Miah...we exchanged words...(in a nice way)...Joe, Dustin and Dustin, Jennifer, Erin, Marissa, Cheryl, Matt (ass kicker! sub 11 that one...damn kids)...and then there was brad... :)

we played leap frog for the first part of the run...and then i saw Chrissie at one point coming through town...she said "he's 30 seconds up"...and well sorry brad it was all over at that point... :D i found him...passed him...encouraged him...and tried to keep him behind me...sometimes this is what you need to keep you in the game when you are reaching the upper miles of the run during an IM...thanks brad!! i owe you a beer...and Jill too for cheering for me...

so then...well i was having this race in my head...just moving forward...hit the 10k left mark....tried my best to pick it up...and run and run...and not get smashed by drunk spectators...waited and waited for the "finishers far left second loop keep right" volunteer...while i waited i was feeling the blisters on both little toes from having wet feet all day (one eventually fell off...my first!)

found that volunteer and was elated...saw Jim....tossed him my hand held bottle...(SOOOOO happy to be free from that thing) and ran free as a bear can on to Sherman...and could not wipe the smile off of my face...waved my arms to the crowd to get them to cheer me on more...hear a lot of "go GIRL" out there...(never have i been cheered on that much just for being female...23% women out there that day :)and totally soaked in my time running down Sherman...dudes decided to pass me there...and you know what...if they had that much left to pass me that fast at the end of the race...i knew they didn't leave it all out there...and you know what...i KNEW i had given that race my all...and i was PROUD of what i had done that day...and i am still proud of that race...i crossed that finish line...smiling with my arms in the air...STOKED to have a 9ish minute PR...but even more excited for the athlete i have become...and the JOY that racing gives me

(yes j i am crying as i write this... :P)

Post race:
found a few folks...Chrissie, Miah, Joe, Dustin b...had a massage...which was totally surreal...shared a space blanket with Miah...was totally dazed...saw etg cross...got a photo with her...yeah!...became totally freezing and walked back to our house alone in the dark...which was perfect...showered...bundled up...ate cheese free pizza with the house mates...and crashed...sort of...

very similar post race experiences...not being able to sleep...hungry at weird times (3am etc) up early the next day...all that good stuff...and well...that was race day...

i think i will have a post race post tomorrow...