IRONMAN Arizona 11/18/2012

THE RUN & FINISH

*Disclaimer.... I read a lot of triathlete blogs and have learned many, many, many, things because of these strangers honesty and openness about the *unpleasant* parts of this sport. Bathroom issues. I'm returning the favor so it this is uncomfortable for you, quit reading! I had a great race and I became an Ironman! The end!! :)

So, I'm running and happy and my legs feel good and I'm excited to see what this crazy loop is all about.  I had looked at the maps multiple times but there are so many twists and turns and bridge crossings that I just gave up and thought, well, I'll have it down by the third loop!  

Happy to be running!
(Mama C's photo)

First loop was pretty uneventful except for the fact that all of a sudden it took a really long time to count down miles, unlike on the bike when they flew by.  Got to mile 4, took a gu and almost immediately needed to make a pit stop.  Was right by some real bathrooms so ran in and had a very productive squat.  This was the only time I looked at my watch because right afterwards the mile split beeped and it was 12:11.  Felt good about that, the stop didn't take as long as I thought.  

This course is definitely flat with a few humps and then one decent hill maybe 6 miles into the 8.6 mile loop.  I ran up this the first loop with thoughts that I might not be running up it on the third loop.  At the end of the first loop I saw the gang and high-fived everyone and smiled, I still felt really good!! The heat was never an issue for me.  Did the sponges on the hips and sponges over the head and my pace was so controlled that my heart rate was never high enough to feel the heat.  At mile 8 took a second gu and once again IMMEDIATELY had to hit the port-potty.  Alright, no more gu's obviously! 

Sponges on hips! Thank you Laurie for the great advice!

Stuck with Perform, Coke, and the rare bite of banana.  I've never not ate during running, never gone fluids only.  I figured it would be fine, a lot of people just use fluids but as it's a new thing for me, I started making sure I got Coke and Perform at every aide station for the calories.  In hindsight, this wasn't the best idea.  There are just too many aide stations!! I carried a tiny handheld so that I could sip often.  My throat was so dry and I still couldn't talk at all so the liquid really became a security blanket for me. 

The crew on the lookout!
(Mama C's photo)

Evan, Byron, and Greg were on the opposite side of the river which was a huge surprise and really kept me feeling strong.  Mitchell ran with me over the second bridge for a bit and he told me I was doing really good and staying really steady.  He totally pumped me up and made me feel great!!  I had so many wonderful people say, "Great form, great smile!!" I LOVED this, such a wonderful compliment.  It reminds you that you ARE strong and you ARE doing great!  I knew Evan was making his way over to the loneliest section of the race, near the hill, so I looked forward to seeing someone again before this second loop was over. 

HIGH FIVES!!
(Mama C's photo)

Meanwhile, the sun is going down and it's getting colder.  PERFECT. I love the cold.  I see Evan and I tell him I'm doing AWESOME.  I feel so dang good and I only have one loop left and I'm freaking doing this!!!  I haven't walked at all, just getting through aide stations and my two pit stops. 

Start the third loop and see the sign directing athletes to the finish. Instead of pumping me up it totally defeated me that I had 8.6 miles before I got to turn LEFT!!! I went from feeling on top of the world to absolute crap within the blink of an eye. It was laughable.  I slowed down considerably but kept up a shuffle.  Realized I had to go to the bathroom AGAIN. FML. Stop and tell myself that's it.  No more, no matter what, until the finish. 

Beautiful sunset.
Took the time to soak it in when I was running over the river.
(Mama C's photo)

My goal through all my training was to not walk on the run.  I didn't want to have to walk a chunk of it, I didn't want to walk the end of it.  When I follow people online it seems that the middle chunk of the race, miles 13-20, is the hardest part.  Then they get to 20, realize they only have a 10k left and start running again.  This is what I thought would happen to me!  Instead, it was like a typical marathon.  Felt great, hit a wall, dragged my ass to the finish.  Still though....I walked very, very little.  My run was just super slow, I walked the aide stations, I walked the third hill, and I walked/cried/shuffled my way down hills because my quads had completely deserted me.  But in my head, my training paid off and all those hard, hot miles I put in all summer not allowing myself to stop paid off in this race. 

I kept thinking, are these last 4 miles harder than the last 4 miles at Lean Horse? Those 4 miles were the hardest miles of my life.  It was really close.  I can't say one was harder than the other.  I hear a lot of people compare running 50 miles vs Ironman.  I don't think that running 50 was harder.  I think they were really similar. I learned so much about what pain really is and how tough things can really be in my 50 that I was prepared mentally for that in my Ironman.  I imagine my day would have gone much differently had I not had the mental confidence that I could get through whatever pain presented itself. 

So, I'm rolling myself down a hill and I see Evan.  I'm in tears, downhills are so painful.  He gives me a big hug and says, do you even realize how close you are?! I do, I'm about 2 miles away I think, but it seemed like 100 miles.  I grab some chicken broth, I had been drinking this the whole last loop.  So warm and so delicious and so goooooood on my throat.  Unfortunately, it made me have to pee SO BAD. 2 miles from the end and I have to pee SO BAD.  I refuse to stop, I got my shuffling under control.  It's so hard this loop to stay running because EVERYONE around you is walking.  Three young guys who I couldn't get rid of were talking so loud and walking and I was annoyed with them that they weren't as tired as I was.  Why are you walking?!? You clearly have WAY more energy than I do!!!  Managed to get far enough ahead of them but my ability to control my bladder at this point is getting questionable.  I read all the time that athletes pee on themselves on the run. So, oh my gah, I'm going to pee on myself while I'm running. Yep. If you are at mile 2 I don't recommend this.  The chaffing is unbelievable.  But at mile 24....manageable. 

Finally, I get my pee infested body to the other side of the river and see Mitchell. Thank heavens for my brother.  "Go Michelle, Go Michelle, this is a great pace, keeping going."  For the whole last mile.  Then I see Byron and I picture him pulling me in at Lean Horse and by some miracle (where was the kick earlier?!) I picked up the pace.  During my last loop I constantly told myself to relax my shoulders, lift my knees, relax my back.  When I see that finisher's chute, I was finally able to get some form back. 

Finishing!!
(Mama C's photo)

I hate to say that the finisher's chute was disappointing but it kind of was! The only other Ironman I've been to is IMTX.  That finisher's chute must be 1/4 mile long with people the whole way.  I thought that's what this would be but it's just a VERY short straight-away.  Don't get me wrong, I was ready to stop running but I didn't enjoy it enough!

"MICHELLE YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!"

Run: 5:19:19 (goal was 5 hours)

Total Time: 13:28:33

Few quick hits:

*met a wonderful new friend, Heather, on the third loop and then again in the Finisher's Merch Tent on Monday.  It was her first IM too! Congrats Heather!!!

*YES, I will do another one.  NO, I won't do it in 2013.

*Have to figure out how to not go to the bathroom 3 times on the run.  That's incredibly time consuming and annoying. 

*Spent 10 minutes in the bathroom blowing my nose post race. 

*I think I've realized post race that I have a mental block with the last 4ish miles of a running race.  Gonna work on this. 

*Loved my training. It's why I'll do another one.  I've finally learned how to love riding my bike.  I just want to ride my bike all day long everyday. 

*Would love to devote 4 years of my life to trying to RACE an Ironman and get as fast as I could.  Spend the dough on a power meter and a coach and master's swimming.  Just for fun, just to see.

*That's not my plan for these next 4 years however. It might not ever be.  

Jason, me, Troy
(Mama C's photo)

*Best thing EVER was seeing Troy and Jason after the race (thanks for waiting!!!) and hearing that Troy and Laura got engaged!!! Congratulations!

Proposing before the finish!
(Mama C's photo)

*Thanks for hanging in there with all these posts!! I'm going to do one more...a thank you to all the people that got me here.  "It takes a village."

The village.
(Mama C's photo)

IRONMAN Arizona 11/18/2012

THE BIKE & T2

Team Drum: the greatest support crew EVER!!!
Carol, Melissa, Evan, Scott, Julia, Greg, Erin, Mitchell
Stacy, Melissa, Byron, Debby, Michelle, Marcia, Mark, Corina
(thank you Mama C for the photo!)

I think I expected to have to run with my bike for quite awhile but the mount line was immediately out of transition.  I was still dealing with a crazy thirst and started in on my aero bottle of Gatorade right away.  I knew that we were going to be dealing with a false flat for the first half and then things would really pick up on the way back.  Doing the course on the Computrainer I knew that the false flat was no joke.  I was hoping to average 15 mph on the way out and 19 on the way back and hope that my overall average was at least 17 mph. The weather man said that the winds were calm but once you got out of the city the winds were NOT calm.  Dealing with the false flat into a strong head wind was killing me.  And I was still dealing with trying to get my nutrition leveled out from the swim.  I knew I was going SO slow but I just kept telling myself, it's a long day, you only ever get stronger on the bike.  Just keep spinning your legs and everything will come around, you'll feel better. 

MIL, Husband, FIL <3
(thank you Mama C for the photo!)

The first 20 miles were so bad it's laughable.  I'm a factory of green snot rockets, I got a bloody nose, my throat is so dry and jacked up that I can't talk at all, I feel nauseous, and to top it all off I can't find any power in my legs.  Over and over in my head, "it's a long day, you'll come around, when have you ever felt good in the first 2 hours of a bike ride?"    

Brother, Mom, Dad :)
(thank you Mama C for the photo!)

About mile 18-19 Troy comes up behind me.  I wasn't shocked at all to see him so early!  His swimming has really come along the last month (he's been sandbagging) and I was struggling so much early on the bike that I knew he'd catch me.  I was so glad to see him and see that he was doing great.  I thought so much about Jason and Troy all day.  You want so bad for your friends to have good races and to be feeling strong! 

Jason heading out for another loop
(thank you Mama C for the photo!)

Finally, the turn around!!! And here's where my day changed. The next 20 miles were effortless, I had a ton of energy to eat and catch up on fluids, and the wind just pushed me right to my family to start the second loop.  My attitude had been this is great, but don't get too excited, you're going to have to go right back out there.  But then, I saw and HEARD 20 people wearing Team Drum shirts and screaming their heads off. I started tearing up and thought, I'M DOING THIS.  I'M DOING AN IRONMAN!!!! Those people are cheering for me because I'm doing a freaking IRONMAN!!!! From that moment on I had a real smile on my face, I wasn't faking it anymore.  I stopped worrying about my green snot and how much blood I had caked on my face and just pedaled and smiled. 

Blowing kisses!
(thank you Mama C for the photo!)

I loved the Arizona course and loved the loops.  I loved knowing what was coming and felt like I had rode 70 miles before I even knew what hit me.  It went so fast. I stopped right at the start of the second loop to take off the bolero (sleeves) I was wearing but that was the only time I stopped all day.  I knew I wasn't going fast enough to justify a bathroom break or a stretch.  Troy and I commented before the race about how excited we were to have smooth roads! We're so used to stupid chip-seal that the smooth roads were incredible to ride on. 

Troy finishing up loop 2
(thank you Mama C for the photo!)

Love this picture.  Holding on to their energy!
(thank you Mama C for the photo!)

I was taking a PowerBar Gel at the start of each loop and then the turn-around. So 2 gels a loop plus I would munch on PowerBar's during the loop.  Also, was drinking the Perform in my aero bottle and a bottle of water.  This is everything that I trained with and it worked great during the race.  I am VERY prone to cramping, see my Lean Horse blog, and with the dry heat I knew that I had to be on top of my nutrition.  

Spectating is HARD work!!!
(thank you Mama C for the photo!)

This summer was the first time I've ever used PowerBar products and I'm a convert. I didn't use any salt tablets all year.  Even on my 6+ hour 100 degree rides. I never cramped during Ironman.  Not once.  Last summer when I was training for Lean Horse and doing so many long runs I trained with Hammer and was a cramping disaster!  I'm not a small girl and don't typically do well in the heat, but this summer and I would say that I handled it just fine.  I never felt hot on the bike but sprayed myself down with water a few times just to make sure I was cool.  Also, I was wearing throw away gloves because I knew my hands would be cold coming out of the water.  I kept them on as snot rags until the third loop when I tossed them at an aide station.

Silly girls! :)
(thank you Mama C for the photo!)

Coming into town the last loop I could not take the smile off my face.  I was so excited to run and put all those Wednesday morning death runs with Nick to work.  I couldn't believe I had just biked 112 miles without ever getting off my bike.  I didn't know my average but I knew my total time was just 4 minutes slower than what I expected to be so I felt great about that.  The volunteer took my bike and I jogged with such ridiculous happiness, I must have been delirious! Stopped in the porta potty first to pee and then ran into the changing tent.  Changed out my shoes and socks, put a hat on, sprayed sunscreen and I was out of there.  

There was something so mentally exciting about starting the run, the last leg of an Ironman!  I'm on my own two feet, I can't have a mechanical issue, I can go as slow as I need to.  I love running so much and I couldn't wait to get started!

Bike: 6:35:17 (17.0 mph average) Secretly hoped for faster but happy with this!

T2: 5:05

IRONMAN Arizona 11/18/2012

PRE-RACE & SWIM

Swim start
(thanks to Mama C for the photo!)

Going into this race I knew that I had done everything to the best of my ability to be prepared.  I don't have a coach (which stressed me out big time in the beginning of my training) but I was confident in the training plans that I made every week for myself and most importantly, I believed I could do it. 

Unfortunately what I didn't see coming was a nasty cold the Wednesday before the race.  Wednesday and Thursday (my travel day) I was optimistic that it would go away by Sunday.  Friday I woke up and felt absolutely horrible. My body hurt everywhere, I kept having chills and sweating spells, I was in full blown panic. My dad drove me to Athlete Check-In and I just wanted to get in and out of there as fast as I could.  I couldn't even enjoy the experience because I felt so bad.  I know that this was intensified because I was so stressed about my diminishing time to get better before the race. 

Friday night I picked my husband up from the airport and we went to dinner just the two of us.  Within an hour of him being with me in Tempe my mental state had done a total 180.  I race all the time and rarely do I ask my husband to go to my races.  His being there however was the key to me having a good race.  He kept me so calm and so positive.  He talked me through everything and made it all seem doable.  He was able to talk me down from the panic that I'd felt all day and assure me that I would be fine.

Team Drum housemates.  How can you be sad with these people around?!
Greg, Julia, Byron, Melissa, Erin, MK, Cherry
(thanks to Mama C for the photo!)

Saturday I woke up and felt no better but the attitude I chose for the day was excitement.  I was going to see my friends today and I was going to go to the practice swim.  I was excited!!! I faked smiles and faked energy and told my body that it was happy and it was BETTER! The practice swim went great, I wasn't nearly as cold as I expected to be and seeing all my amazing friends that came out to Arizona was a huge pick-me-up.  I turned in my bike and gear bags and we headed back to the house.

Beautiful girls Julia & Melissa
(thanks to Mama C for the photo!)

My family and in-laws and I all were sharing a house and it was great to just rest and play games and have my mom cook for me.  I was so spoiled the whole week. I was really tired by 8:00 Saturday night and had no problem falling asleep by 8:30.  I slept until my alarm went off at 3:50, only waking a few times with a cough.  I got at least 7 hours of sleep! I didn't feel nervous, I just knew the day was going to be what it was going to be. My friend Steve facebooked me Saturday and told me even though I was sick I could still control my pace, my nutrition, and my attitude.  That is all I thought about until I got off my bike.  "Stay steady, EAT, be happy."

Happy.  I've waited so long for this day!
(thanks to Mama C for the photo!)

Milling around in transition, checking my bags, figuring out where spectators should go, hitting up the bathroom....it was time to put my wetsuit on before I could blink!  Amazingly I found Jason and Troy with no problem and we hung out and waited for the eager triathletes to get in the water before us.  Was able to be with Evan and my Dad until the very last minute.  As Jason and I stood on the ledge about to JUMP into the cold water I must have had a look of pure panic on my face.  He looked at me and said sternly, "We jump in together and we stay together until the start." Relief flooded over me as we jumped in and swam together to a paddle board to hang on to.  Having him next to me made me so relaxed and I just felt ready to go! We hung on to the paddle board way in the back of the pack until just before the gun and then started to go!  

Jason, Me, Troy pre-race
(thanks to Mama C for the photo!)

Athletes jumping in and swimming to start line
(thanks to Mama C for the photo!)

 Tried to swim easy and relaxed and thought after awhile, gah, I hope I've at least past the start line by now because we started so far back! Haha!  Didn't have very many issues with people, they let us start in such a wide area, it's a really easy swim.  I'm sure I swam way extra but I just focused on always looking for a hole and swimming into that hole.  I tried to focus on a long glide and strong pull and a relaxed effort.  At the turn around for the last straight away I looked at my watch and was under 38:00 for about 1900 yards.  Felt great about that because it felt like I was swimming really easy.

Husband, Me, Dad before the start
(thanks to Mama C for the photo!)

For the last long mile I was surrounded by pink caps trying to get around green caps. I tried to hang on to some pink feet and pick up my pace.  I don't think I did, but I was looking at my watch occasionally and really trying to have a good swim time.  Once we turned the last corner to head home I was feeling super thirsty and hungry and ready to get out of the water.  I felt delirious and dizzy as the volunteer helped me out of the water.  I couldn't run very well and felt so out of it!!  Just baby-stepped my way around the long chute to the changing tent.  Saw friends and family and smiled as big as I could.  I was going to be happy today no matter what!!!  Sat down in the changing tent and asked for help.  Was kind of talking to myself and seeing women totally change and thought, man, what a huge pain. Why are they changing?  Volunteer handed me my bike and it was time to mount up!!  Heard huge cheers for DRUM and I smiled and held on to their energy.

Swim: 1:22:07
T1: 6:45

Getting on bike!
(thanks to Mama C for the photo!)

Next up...bike and T2