Rev3 Cedar Point

Rev3 is in it's second year of races. None of them was very close by, but being a part of Team Trakkers, I went to Cedar Point last weekend. Unfortunately, I've been struggling with Turf Toe since early July, so I've done no running since then. I DID NOT want to go do this race. I had very little expectations of myself.

It was a chilly morning, so after setting up transition, I went back to the car to keep warm and fell asleep. Woke up about 15 minutes before my wave start and hustled down the beach. Yikes! Threw on the wetsuit, said good luck to all the Tri Smart peeps and maneuvered my way to the front of the pack.

The siren went off and all the W18-44 ran - yes, ran - out into the water. It was shallow for a pretty long time and that can be exhausting for a short girl! I took my time and tried to keep the HR low. Once swimming, I was way off course - the water was pushing from the left. This was good once we made the right hand turn, it was like having a tailwind in the water! One last turn, to the right, made the water hit hard on the right side of my head. I'm glad I'm a left-side breather. :)

Into transition, I fumbled a little and almost forgot to put my helmet on before running out. It was chilly, but I didn't take the time to put on gloves or armwarmers. About 30 seconds into the ride, I wish I had! It was COLD! I think it was mid-50s at that point and no sun. At least I had toe covers on my cycling shoes.

Road was rough for the first 15 miles, but we had an incredible tailwind pushing me to about 24-25mph with little effort. I knew this was going to be an issue coming back in, so I just focused on my effort vs. mph. Caught up to my man Dennis just before the point where the Half Ironman and Ironman bike courses split. It was a nice little boost. Had several guys pass, all pretty nice about it and 2 women. The headwind on that last little section back to the park was brutal. I was going what felt like 12 mph, but the effort was there! I wondered if I should even bother trying to run this thing.

Once in transition, it was nice to know most were still out on the bike. T2 felt quick and the sun was starting to come out!
But once out on the course, just about 30 steps, the toe let me know it is still unhappy with me and I considered the DNF. With just 2 words from him, I pushed on. I knew there were just a few women ahead of me at this point. It wouldn't be a PR race for me, but if I could hold it together, I might not do too badly...

First couple of miles were OK. I figured it would start to hurt around mile 6. Luckily for me, it got a little warmer, which made me happy, and the run course was pretty flat and I liked it. Where I disliked all the turns in the bike, in the run, it made it a little more fun. I did more passing than I got passed and I wondered if I was dreaming. When was the wall going to hit? AH - MILE 10! OOOOWWWW! Now the toe was screaming at me to stop. But it was just 3 more miles - less than 30 minutes. I can handle this, right? Got to give BB from Team Tri Smart a little encouragement on her way out on the run and it gave me a much needed boost. Last mile winding through the park felt like FOREVER, but was worth the wait!

Down the finish chute, the scene was much like that of Hy-Vee - banners lined across the sides, big jumbotron with scenes from the ongoing race and a charismatic announcer calling names at the finish! It ended right in the park with the roller coasters, so there were spectators lined up on both sides.

One thing that deserves special mention is all the goodies that come with this race. Blue shirt and visor come in the TYR re-usable goody bag - nice medal and long-sleeved tech t-shirt at the finish. This series has some great stuff going for it, so if you missed out on Rev3 this year, it deserves consideration for 2011.

Costa Rica anyone?

Ironman Lake Placid Race Report

Departed Mokena at 5am on Thursday morning for the drive to Lake Placid.

Slept in on Friday and went to check in.





Saturday, dropped off transition bags and bikes.


Saw some pretty interesting nutrition strategies.

And Ed was really excited about this race, his 2nd Ironman.

RACE DAY

Mirror Lake was warm, calm and clear as we lined up at the start. After chatting with a few competitors to make sure I was lined up properly, we listened to the national anthem and the race started with the sound of the cannon. Within seconds, I was struggling for breath and hyperventilating. As strong of a swimmer as I am, there is nothing that can prepare one for this mass chaos at the start of an ironman swim.

I fought for position and was clobbered both from the left and right - but thankfully no one was attempting to swim over me. For a few seconds I wished I could swim over to the side and quit. I can't breathe. I want out. WHY AM I DOING THIS? After about 100 yards or so, I found some open space and attempted to get my breathing and heartrate under control. I heard myself gasping for breath more than once and wondered if I was drowning. Within about 60 seconds - there was peace. A nice, open stretch of water in front of me, the mass of elbows and flailing bodies all to the left of me. I was back in control.

In the practice swim just 2 days before, I remember commenting on how Mirror Lake is probably one of the nicest lakes I ever swam in. It was a nice, relaxing start to an otherwise long, torturous day. Out of the water to cross the timing mat, I noticed I was on pace for about an hour swim. Very nice - I jumped back in the water and noticed it was now raining. The chilly raindrops hitting my arm and face as I turned to take a breath. I found the most absolutely perfect person to draft off of - I liked his line, I liked his pace and he didn't kick much! I smiled and relished the fact that I was barely working. In fact, I was thinking that I was breathing with about the same effort as I would be if I was just sitting on the couch watching television! Out of the water in a nice, solid 59 minutes. I'll take it!

Into transition, I grabbed my bag and headed to the changing tent. I took my time, put everything on comfortably and jogged to get my bike. Lots of craziness at the mount line with eager Ironman-wannabes with just a little too much gusto starting off on to a 112 mile bike course, but this is not surprising to me any more. I carefully stopped, got on my bike, hit my watch and rode off, careful to GO SLOW!

Lake Placid is the most challenging Ironman bike course I've ever done and I knew using too much energy going up those hills would cost me later. I rode stupid slow up the hills, taking my time, watching guy after guy fly by me - most of them out of the saddle. I tried to focus on myself - work my own race. It was chilly - cloudy and sprinkling rain on and off. The first big downhill was fun, but scary! At one point, I looked down and saw 45mph. That's it, I'm not looking at my computer any more.

The gusty winds caught my disc wheel a couple of times and I worried a little about being blown over! The second half of the loop is a lot of slow uphill. It's hard to put forth consistent effort - either you're riding too hard or you're flying downhill really fast. The time was going by quickly however, until about mile 90 when I realized I was about out of fuel. Then my legs started to cramp, something I've never experienced before in training or racing. My legs were seizing up and I thought I was going to fall over. I didn't bring any salt tablets - I mean, it wasn't going to be hot enough for that.

I started to think ahead of what I could do to rectify this situation if I could manage to make it off the bike. The last 10 miles or so were much slower than anticipated, but I needed to keep the cramping under control. Giving up a few minutes on the bike wouldn't be the worst decision I could make.

Off the bike and into T2, I grab my bag again and head into the changing tent. I sat down and went to take my bike shoes off and my calf seized - I screamed and the volunteers were staring at me. I felt pretty stupid. I tried to put my running shoe on, but every time I pointed my toes, the calf would cramp up and it was excruciating. I tried to hurry through and get everything else done, hoping this would pass quickly. A volunteer asked if I wanted sunscreen. What? It wasn't even sunny out. In fact, I left my sunglasses in transition - first time I've done the Ironman marathon without sunglasses.

Spent a little too much time in transition but headed out on the run careful to go slow. The first few miles are downhill and it's easy to get carried away with the pace. The toes on my right foot were numb. My left toe, where I've been dealing with Turf Toe, hurt almost immediately. So much for the cortisone shot.

The pace was on target for the first 6 miles, but my legs still hurt from the cramping and seizing up that was happening in the last 20 miles or so of the bike. So instead of being able to pick up my run pace, I had to throw some walking in. Then the toes started to thaw on my right foot and it burned! There was a section, furthest out from town, that was just beautiful. Thanks to the Comiskey family for putting up a message for me at Inspiration Station!

The entire run seemed to have hills with some of the hardest ones on the way back toward transition where all the spectators were hanging out. Some of the best volunteers I've ever experienced in a race - very nice, helpful and did their best to get you what you needed. I saw our other Team Tri Smart racers on the out and backs - mostly with smiles and still moving forward!

So not a great race for me, but definitely an experience. Now it's time to take some time off and let this turf toe recover. And think about the race plan for next year!

Liberty Half Ironman Race Report

As if driving about 9 hours the day before a race wasn't bad enough, we woke up to temperatures in the low 50s and rain in the forecast. I couldn't decide if I should put on armwarmers and gloves for the bike or save the time in transition and just grit it out. I set everything out in transition because I couldn't keep my teeth from chattering. I put on booties under my wetsuit too and, of course, toe covers on my bike shoes.

The swim was a bit weedy and seemed a little long, but it was easy to get out in front in my wave and I had a pretty clean swim for the duration. About 400 yards from the finish, some clown from the wave in front of me decided he'd try his hand at drafting as I went by. Here's a tip for all you wanna-be drafters: DO NOT TOUCH the person you're drafting off of. It's quite possible to have an effective draft without hitting my feet with every stroke, despite what you might think.

Once in transition, I was breathing deeply and didn't feel so cold, so I skipped the gloves and armwarmers and just hopped on my bike. Within 2 minutes, I thought about turning around. WOW - the air felt like ice and I thought about what 56 miles of this would feel like. I should turn around and get my armwarmers. Maybe put on a shirt. And jacket. And gloves. Wait, did I bring a hat? But no - at the risk of losing time and possibly screwing up my timing if I went backwards over the mat, I decided to suck it up and just ride. How bad could it be? Well - it was bad. I had goosebumps for the duration of the ride. My fingers would not work and I couldn't feel my toes. I didn't take much advantage of the downhill because the faster I went, the colder I got. This ride could not be over soon enough.

Back into transition, I couldn't work my fingers to get my bike shoes off and put my running shoes on. My toes were completely numb. I headed out and tried to figure out what pace I could hold. I started flexing my fingers, but still had trouble getting gel from my back pocket. At about mile 4, my toes started to thaw. It was around then that the rain started coming down. Are you kidding me? I'm not sweating in the slightest and the icy rain drops pelting on my arms once again brought on those goosebumps. At first it was just a drizzle. Then it came down. Cats and dogs. Well, at least it didn't rain while I was on the bike!

The rain was off and on for the remainder of the run. Hang on, can I see my breath? Yep, that's it! My pace slowed around mile 8 and my legs began to feel heavy. With a little bit of self-talk, I was able to bring those miles back down to where the first few were and continued on with that pace to the finish. With purple lips, frozen fingers, not a stitch of dry clothing anywhere and no shelter at the finish line and pouring rain, I was forced to collect my things from transition and run to the car and crank the heat. Worst weather conditions I've ever done a Half Ironman in. Aside from that, Final Stretch put on a terrific event!

Ironman Louisville 2009 Race Report

Most of the crew was heading down to Louisville on Thursday, so I decided having one extra day down in Louisville and hang out with my fellow Ironman (and Ironman-wannabes) friends would be a good idea. Athlete check-in for this race was a little bit like a game of pin ball. We bounced from one table to another, doing just one little task at each instead of taking care of everything at once as my other Ironman events have been. It was a bit frustrating, but the lines did seem to move quickly. I scooted right through the expo as I have a rule not to buy any event merchandise until after I FINISH the event.

The next day, a group of us headed down for a little swim-bike-run race warm up. I slipped on my new skinsuit and jumped in the water. Much warmer than I expected! I quickly jumped on BC's toes - and despite an expert drafter, kept hitting him because the water was so dark that even though his feet were just inches in front of me, I could not see them. This would be a critical thing to know during the swim portion of the event. Once out of the water, we did a quick run and hopped on our bikes for a very short ride. The roads in Louisville do not have a shoulder and the motorists do not seem very enthused with sharing the roads with cyclists. We were buzzed several times, including by a semi. Enough riding.

The day before the race, more spectator friends arrived but I didn't see much of them. I tried to keep to myself and be focused for the day. I felt amazingly calm and prepared for this weekend's event. Went down to drop off my bike and transition bags only to be forced to have an "escort" take me to my place on the bike rack. It was very distracting as I wanted to find the routes through the transition I would take the next day and my escort just kept chatting away. Did not like the fact that they would not let me in there to just do my thing by myself so I could focus.

All local restaurants were PACKED forcing us out of town for a dinner that ended up being a little later than planned. Back to the room, I laid out everything for the morning and went to sleep. Surprisingly, I DID sleep! Woke up at 4am, time to chow, despite not being hungry. Met BC down in the lobby and walked over to transition. Ran into more of the south side crew and we shared some laughs as we finished the walk to transition. Once inside, pumped up the bike tires, put my fuel on the bike, a quick stop for BC to drop off special needs bags and we were walking to the swim start.

Body marking was smooth and quick as they had plenty of volunteers lined up for duty. Quick stop at the porta potty and we went to find our spot in the long line of athletes lined up to get in the water. HOLY COW - this line kept going and going and going. Here we were, more than an hour before the race was to start, but all these people made it a point to get in line early for the swim. I refused to sacrifice sleep to get in line early and now I was questioning my decision. The line seemed like it went on forever. I don't think there were more than 100 athletes behind us in line - this meant 2900-ish athletes were getting in the water before me. This could be trouble. But it was too late to worry about it and there was no way I was cutting in line (even though I think it could've easily been accomplished).

We sat on the cold concrete sidewalk for about 40 minutes before the pros started and the line moved a bit. It was kind of like a marathon start, where everyone runs a few steps, then abruptly stops, then people run again, etc. It was about 7:36 when I finally crossed the mat and jumped in the water. Sighting was difficult with the angle of the sun, but I felt like I had to look a LOT because there were a lot of people in front of me and I also knew that I could easily get kicked in the face because you couldn't see anything in the water until you were right on top of it. We came to the turn at the end of the island and people were standing. That's right, STANDING. They were walking through this portion of the swim, kicking up muck from the bottom. The water turned really cold, then really warm and we rounded the turn back into the main part of the river. I went wide to avoid the traffic but found myself WAY too wide. I spent what seemed like a lot of time trying to get back closer to the shoreline. The swim felt long and when I got out of the water and hit my watch, I about panicked. This was about 9 minutes longer than any other Ironman I've ever done. What the heck happened here? I am like CLOCKWORK when it comes to the swim! Could the course be long? Strong current? Were everyone's times slow? I didn't have time to think about it. I just hoped it didn't mean I was going to have an "off" day.

I ran to transition, picked up my transition bag (volunteers were there, but not really helping anyone by handing them bags as I've experienced in the past), and ran into the tent. There were many other athletes in there, again, something I'm not used to - no volunteer help again, so I methodically put the items on in the order I pulled them out of the bag. One quick look around to make sure I left nothing behind. I then stuffed my skinsuit, cap and goggles in my bag, placed it in the pile with the others and went out to find my bike. As I ran to the mount line, I was already worried about how cold I was going to be on the bike, but I didn't even bring arm warmers, so I just needed to suck it up. Got to the line, watched athletes on both sides of me struggle to get on their bikes with shoes clipped in (WHY do athletes do this when they've not practiced it??!??), jumped on my bike and headed out on the roads of Louisville.

The right side of the road is a little rough the first few miles. The road was congested with other cyclists, but I knew once we hit some hills, this would break up. We rode through some very pretty tree-covered streets before making a left turn onto a busier street. Soon I got to the part of the course I had ridden in my training. I was constantly reminding myself to slow down, but I was feeling great. We got to the out and back (the "finger") and I prepared myself for the challenge ahead. This section of the course is pretty tough and dangerous. The hills are decent and the declines get you moving with some speed. And, as usual, there are always the guys that like to jockey with you. They'd fly by me up a hill only to have me re-pass them on the downhill or flat section. I like to count how many times we go back and forth before they fall back and stay back. It helps pass the time. This section was shady and I was pretty cold. I knew, though, once out of this section, I'd have a good amount of sun warming me up!

Smooth and relaxed I rode, keeping high cadence, focusing on taking in my nutrition at the intervals I set for myself. First pass through LaGrange, where we get the majority of the spectators, I quickly tried to scour both sides of the street to see if I could spot any familiar faces. Disappointed, I rode right through the town seeing no one I knew. The sharp left on Ballard School Road brings on some nice challenges. All the athletes got quiet and I take the opportunity while spinning up hill to get out of the aero position (not out of the saddle) and stretch out a bit.

I pass by the familiar gas station on the corner (the one that is especially nice to cyclists and even offers us free ice!) and I know I'm nearing the end of the first loop. Temperature is perfect, though now I start to notice the wind. I'm so directionally challenged, I have no idea if this will make it harder or easier for the next loop. Second pass through LaGrange, I manage to see the saint and Schabel waving to me. I smile and give them the thumbs up so they know I'm feeling good.

I was excited to get back on to the busy street that means I'm on my way back into Louisville. I am now extremely uncomfortable on my bike seat and though my legs are feeling strong, I find myself standing and coasting a lot to give myself a little relief. I was told the way back in was a slight downhill - I like slight downhill (who doesn't?), so I took advantage of this and focused on keeping steady power to the pedals. I was conserving a bit for the run because it's always been a challenge for me to hold it together in Iron distance races. Feeling pretty good, but really want to get off this bike now.

Another quick stop in transition, this time a volunteer handed me my bag and another ran into transition with me. She took my helmet and tried to help me, but there really wasn't much she could help with besides taking my helmet and cycling shoes. I packed all my nutrition in my back pocket, grabbed my visor, took a quick look around and headed out on to the run course. Immediately, something wasn't right with my right foot. It hurt every step. I think my feet got a little too cold on the bike and it went numb for a while. The feeling was coming back, but not in a good way. I wondered if I was going to be able to run. As this was happening, my legs felt heavy - heavy like they did in Arizona. When I did Ironman Arizona, the legs felt heavy from the first step of that marathon and that lasted for the whole 26.2. Thankfully, this was not the case at Louisville. After about a mile, I started to get a rhythym and it felt good. I was getting passed left and right, but tried to stay focused and slowed myself down. This time, I saw him and Ramsey yelling to me as I was running. I turned a couple corners and heard them yelling down the street. It was echoing down the street lined with tall buildings and I had to laugh at the sight of them running, yelling after me. It gave me a good little boost as I headed out on the run course.

As soon as mile 7, I started gaining on some of those runners that flew by me in the first couple of miles. I simply held my pace. I jockeyed with a woman in an age group younger than me, but she really didn't want to chat. I had a hard time trying to remember when I was supposed to take my gels. I took water at every aid station, whether I was taking a gel or not. Sometimes, they'd give me warm water and I'd have to chase down a cup of ice. Some aid stations, they seemed to just be holding out Gatorade and the people handing out water were too busy pouring more water into cups, so I'd have to run to the table to get the water. I knew I was dehydrated and it was a challenge to try and get in enough water without filling my stomach with too much fluid.

I looked for more spectator friends because I KNEW they were out there, but didn't see anyone. It was good to see BC heading out on the run but he was too far back. I was hoping he would catch me so I'd have some company. I saw Shoemaker a little after that and we exchanged a couple words. Saw some interesting things on the first loop of the run: spectator sitting in his front yard with his parrot in a cage on his lap, a dude running with a blue furry chicken on his head and then - a guy that looked like he was running in a skinsuit. Yes, the kind I had on during the swim. He was running in it. Not sure if my eyes were deceiving me, but it definitely caught my attention. What was his deal?

Came on in to finish the first loop and lots of spectators lined the course on both sides of the block we ran completely around. Just by luck, he was able to get this quick shot of me heading back out on loop two, still feeling pretty good. At this point, it was about Mile 14 and I decided I was running too fast. I knew I could not keep this pace for the rest of the run so I purposely slowed down. I saw Peck who said he felt tight, but he smiled and was determined to get this thing done. Came up on Pat who was clipping along and yelling after me, "You'll never make it!!" Laughing was using up my breath!! As I ran, I watched as I unintentionally slowed my pace even more. Now I'm starting to hurt and I'm wondering why I am killing myself out here. I forced myself to pick up the pace, though it wasn't by much.

I started counting down the miles: 8 more to go, 7 more to go, now just a 10K. I forced myself to keep running despite my legs screaming at me to stop with just 5 miles to go. My quads were aching and I was worried as I felt the onset of a cramp coming on. A guy running near me sounded like he had a metronome, but no, it was some pill or something he was carrying in a plastic container that was bouncing around with every step making a REALLY LOUD clicking noise! It was annoying, but I couldn't run fast enough to get away from him! The last time I passed by "Inspiration Station" it seemed the inspiration girls needed a little inspiring themselves. They had lost a lot of the energy and enthusiasm they had the first couple times I passed through there. Now just less than 4 miles to go - do I need to take another gel? Just do it, you have it with you and it certainly can't hurt! Besides, then you don't have to carry it any more!

Saw Mel looking strong on her run and BC giving me some much needed words of encouragement. I started coming in back to where all the spectators were gathered and I could now hear the crowd. I was checking my watch and blinking because I was sure I was seeing things. Could I really be finishing this thing in under 11 hours?? I heard Bill yell to me - I heard Anna yell to me - and then I made that turn where it was a straight few blocks into the finish. And there was Mel, yelling, cheering, running and trying to get my picture. I couldn't help but smile as I had looked for her and all my other spectator friends all day and had seen no one. It was go great to see her out there, cheering for us - and I was about to wrap the day up with a breakthrough performance. I was trying to remind myself to smile as I crossed the finish and once again, I heard it - pronounced CORRECTLY this time - "MJ SLIKAS, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!"

Spirit of Racine Half Ironman Race Report

Happiness is hearing that the water temperature was 63 degrees when all week you've been thinking it was 52. It still felt cold when I went in for a brief warm up, but those 10 degrees make a significant difference in the comfort of the swim. I was able to line up in the front row of my wave, but I was prepared to be knocked around a bit. The field at this race is typically very competitive.

Our wave took off, but we had to run quite a way out before we could begin actually swimming. The water was shallower than I remember and I worked hard at NOT tiring myself out trying to run out to some deeper water. Several other women ran out pretty far in front of me. Once the water was about mid-thigh level, I started to swim. It felt much easier than running! Surprisingly, I had plenty of room with about 3 swimmers on my left and 2 on my right. We clustered a little around the first buoy, but it was pretty tame and I was thankful for that. I felt smooth and strong but hit my hand a few times on the bottom of the lake. The swim was relatively shallow the entire time, but in a couple of sections, it was extremely shallow. About three quarters of the way into the swim, people began to stand up and they became little obstacles for me to swim around.

Around the last buoy, I began mentally preparing for that long, uphill beach run. It made my heart rate go up just thinking about it. Out of the water, I began running up the beach. The little containers of water to rinse your feet of sand were empty of water by this point, so I skipped them and just ran into transition. A quick look at my watch revealed yet another short swim - probably about 7-8 minutes short of my usual half ironman time. Trying to get the heart rate in check, I quickly stripped off the westuit and the booties (man, I love those booties!). Transition was a little slow, I felt a bit shaky, and though it was chilly by my standards, I opted to NOT put on the armwarmers I carefully laid out.

Out of transition, there is a decent climb. I passed a few riders right there simply because they were not in the right gear for this. Out onto the road, it was just like last year, very narrow street, difficult to pass. Some sketchy areas of road made it hard for cyclists to stay to the right, so they were riding in the middle of the street. I remember telling myself to be patient - the roads do open up if you just wait for it. Racine is also known for having new USAT officials on site, therefore the penalties are plentiful.

I have to say, I don't really remember the course from last year. I think it was mostly the same, but I can't really remember what happened last week, let alone last year. I was a little chilly but I was focused in on steady cadence and power output. I got agitated with a couple of guys who were zig zagging through other cyclists, passing on the right and across the yellow, but I figured the officials would catch this - besides, I didn't want to waste my energy with it.

The temperature was comfortable and there seemed to be some wind, but nothing too significant. I was happy that my hands and feet stayed warm enough, but I did notice I wasn't really sweating. I witnessed a 4 bike accident around one corner and it freaked me out a little. Two guys turned at the same time, one held his line, the other went wide and ran right into him. The two other cyclists that were following (probably too closely) then crashed trying to avoid the first two. Scraping of metal, yelling, a wheel flying across the street - it was scary, but I believe they were all OK. Did I mention the yelling?

And, of course, yes, I saw a few packs of cyclists go by. I don't know why they do this, but it happens. I didn't see a whole lot, but that might be because I was one of the later waves. Some riders seemed to be blatant, others just seemed to be caught up in it for a bit. I myself was caught up in a pack that came up on me and hung there, so I just sat up out of the bars, frustrated. But I really want to race my own race and besides, these guys seemed a bit squirrley for me!

I realized I wasn't drinking enough due to the cool weather and I missed one of the bottle hand offs. I skipped two aid stations completely on the bike because they seemed so crowded with other cyclists who, with one bottle in hand, seemed to be all over the road. I jockeyed with some girl who I assumed was in my age group for a while - I'd pass her on the straights, but as soon as we'd get to a hill or a turn, she'd fly right by, looking as smooth and comfortable as ever.

This was one of the most comfortable half iron rides I've done - in terms of a certain body part. I think this largely has to do with a new riding position I've been fitted in. The new position has also seemed to help me keep the power output coming for a longer period of time - so finally, after 7 years of racing, I think I found my position!

My power meter said the bike course was a little short and based on my time, I'd have to say that was true. I was now heading into T2 hoping I didn't just overextend on that ride!

My legs didn't seem to feel too bad and I seemed to sail right through T2 and on to the run. I heard BZ and her daughter cheering me on and I put on a big smile and thanked them for coming. I was struggling to catch my breath and I know there are 2 uphills there in the first mile. I had no idea what pace I was running as I missed the first mile mark - it must've been near the aid station and I was paying too much attention trying to get something to drink and missed the mark. But when I got to mile 2, I was surprised at my time and focused on keeping steady.

The thing about the Racine run is that it's 2 loops and you get to see all your friends on the out and back more than a couple times, if you're lucky. It can be a big boost to see someone you know, or you can be that person providing the boost to someone else who is struggling in the run. Most everyone I saw looked great out there. Must have been due to the weather - though I was a little cold when a strong wind would whip through. It obviously wasn't affecting my run negatively as I was putting forth a very strong run for me.
Just after the half way point, I started to feel it a bit. I thought, "Oh no, here we go - I pushed too hard for the first half of this run." And then I quickly tried not to think about how hard it was getting and tried to focus on what was going right. At this point, I could slow down my run and still turn in a strong performance, but I wanted to push. What could I really do if I leave it all out there?

And thanks to all my racer friends out on the course who cheered me on - I am sorry I had no breath to respond, but in my mind, I was cheering you back! It was a great day for the participants of Racine. Weather conditions were the best I think the race has seen in years and the finishing times showed it. My race went well, though, in my mind, I still think I'm tacking on about 8 minutes to make up for the short swim. ;)

Hy-Vee Race Report

If you ever want to feel like a professional triathlete, then sign up for the Hy-Vee triathlon. Who knew such a top notch event was being held right over in Des Moines, IA? From start to finish, this race was one of the best experiences an athlete can have.

Driving to Des Moines took about twice as long as expected. I just figured, "Hey, it's Iowa, how far could it be?" Big mistake. All athletes were forced to attend a mandatory race meeting being held at the top of each hour. Unfortunately, we arrived exactly at 5:07pm and had to wait around for the next meeting. We hung around the race expo (which was surprisingly small) to wait for 6pm to roll around.

The meeting was held in the gymnasium of a school, so we all sat in the bleachers. They showed us a short collection of photos from last year's race then went over some race information. None of it was particularly earthshattering and I didn't really think there needed to be a "mandatory" meeting for this. There were no special rules or anything out of the ordinary.

Picking up the packet went smoothly and quickly. By far, the best, most comprehensive, valuable swag I've ever gotten from a race! We not only got a cycling jersey, but a backpack to fit all the other cool little goodies we received. Not even sure you can see everything from this picture, but it was like Christmas!

Dropping off the bike the night before in the 6-10pm timeframe was chaos. It moved very, very slowly and I was getting hungry and impatient. The line of cars with athletes trying to drop off their bikes was at a standstill and this normally easy process ended up taking close to 90 minutes! We headed to a nice little Italian place for dinner where we saw many other athletes wearing the bright yellow wristbands. Service was poor but the food was excellent.

The morning of the race transition opened at 4am! Trying not to be psycho about the whole thing, my plan was to get there around 4:45am - transition was to close at 5:45am. Thankfully, the parking situation was much better than the night before and we were able to get a spot and get to transition in just about 15 minutes. A few quick run throughs to make sure I knew where my bike was racked among all the other, most expensive looking bikes I've ever seen, and then it was time to hit the porta potties a few times.

The water was a balmy 81 degrees. I lined up at the front of the wave and within minutes of the start, I was warm. I was happy there were no wetsuits today. Pretty aggressive group and I fought for position. I then decided it was much more comfortable to just fall behind a good draft I was getting. Each time I tried to pull around her, I got caught up in another swimmer from a previous wave. I just tucked in and enjoyed the draft. This ended up being a slow, but comfortable swim for me.

Going out from transition on to the bike course, you get to feel like a professional triathlete riding down the bike course with the banners waving on both sides with blue fencing lining the course on both sides. The one thing that was blatantly missing was the spectators - not very many for such a high profile event. The bike course was hilly. No major climbs, but lots of long rollers. I felt like I was crawling but I was trying to focus on watts vs. mph. The bike course was very well marked and they even coned off the driveways of the people who lived on the course! Each turn was properly staffed with volunteers and, for the most part, a very clean race. I saw little drafting, though there were several competitors who were not riding on the right as they should. The hills seemed to separate any would-be packs from forming.

The wind didn't seem an issue for the ride, but the hills made this a difficult course. The trickiest part is toward the end when they direct you on to a running path. Many sharp turns - left, then right, then left - on a very narrow path. I had another athlete pass me - around a turn - on the RIGHT HAND SIDE! People, please do not do this! I almost took both of us out. Besides the fact that this was a designated NO PASSING area. To top it off, the guy was only in a relay. How frustrating!

A quick transition and I headed out on the run. My legs were feeling a bit fatigued, but not wiped, so I pushed a bit. Here we go again with the hills. Someone forgot to tell me that Iowa is hilly!! I had a hard time keeping my heart rate in check going up the hills. It was quiet out on the course - no spectators and the athletes were working hard to get up the hills. I kept thinking, "Who is that person BREATHING SO HARD??" And then I realized, "Aw, shoot, that's me!" My legs were feeling heavy, but I pushed on.

Nearing the finish, the blue fence lining and flags greet you with open arms. And though you can't see it as a competitor, as you are nearing the finish, they have each athlete on a jumbotron for the would-be fans to get a better view! It is very similar to what they have at Ironman races. I ended up finishing the run with a little left in the tank.

I then met up with some fellow Mideast Team Elite peeps for a quick photo. Both of them had great races and I feel very lucky to know them.

Rockman Half Iron Race Report

It was a chilly 58 degrees race morning and the weather forecast showed 90% chance of rain at 9am. The high for the day was only to be about 67 degrees so I was already not looking forward to this race. On the positive side, the water was said to be about 70 degrees and the lake was smooth as glass.


After struggling with the cold in Memphis last month, I decided that it would be worth the extra time in transition to throw on armwarmers, a buff to keep my head and ears covered and long-fingered gloves. I even considered a cycling jacket. Transition times aren't quite as important as in a Half Ironman and I wanted to be comfortable for that 56 mile ride. I also made sure to put my run shoes and nutrition in a plastic bag for they were surely to be soaked before I made it to the run.


Once in the water, I was pretty cold but I knew I'd warm up once we got going. This guy in the clown suit on the right in this photo is the race director. That way you knew who the "Clown in Charge" was for the day. I'd heard about this before, but it's one of those things you have to see it to believe it!


I scooted my way to the front. This race was a bit unique in that all half iron competitors started at once. It was a small enough field that this shouldn't be too crazy and the space was nice and wide. A few second countdown and we were off! Within 10 seconds, I something was hitting my face. "Weeds!" I thought. I had been warned from friends who did this race last year that it was very weedy. I shook my head and dipped it lower than usual a few times to get this weed off my face. It wouldn't go away. So on my next stroke, I took my left hand and grabbed the weed and yanked it away from my face. AAAAAGGGHHH!!! It was my goggle strap! Now I start hyperventilating and my goggles are around my neck. Those of you who wear Swedish goggles know you have one strap that loops twice behind your head. Apparently, one of my straps snapped. I know using just one strap won't keep the goggles on securely enough and I can't swim without them because of my contacts. I panic for a second because I'm gasping for air, trying to tread water and tie the goggles on and there are swimmers flying by me left and right.


I regain some composure, turn around to face the oncoming swimmers (pretty interesting sight) and do an egg beater kick while tying my goggles back together. I'm struggling for breath and think about quitting. Here I was screwing up the best part of my race! I thought about swimming over toward shore where at least I could stand up and do this and decide this would take too much time. After what felt like an eternity, I got the goggles secured and turned on to chase everyone. But by this time, my heart rate was through the roof and I could not get my breathing under control. I swam very slowly and methodically to get back under control. It took maybe 200 yards and then I had to swim just a bit harder than normal to get out of the pack of swimmers and try to make up for lost ground.


Out of the water, I was feeling a bit exhausted. That little goggle fiasco played with my mind and I thought my race would be a disaster. I got to my bike and it was already raining. I tried to quickly pull on my armwarmers (impossible), put on the buff and struggled to get the long-fingered gloves over my half-numb hand. Put the rest of my things on and ran out to the mount line - which was way past where you exit transition. It was a decent uphill, so I guess they didn't want people trying to get on their bikes on the uphill.


As soon as I was on the bike and moving at a decent clip, I wished I had opted for the cycling jersey. The rain coming down and the frigid temperature made me question why I was even doing this race. But I kept going, being overly cautious on the wet pavement. A few significant hills in the beginning helped keep me warm, but then I would shiver on the fast downhill. A couple of uncontrolled intersections with no volunteer to stop traffic caused me to get off my bike once to let a car go by. This was an out and back - at the aid station furthest from transition, I was handed a bottle of water. I filled my aerobottle and took a swig before tossing the bottle aside - well water! YUCK! Nothing I could do, I needed water. I tried pushing hard on the straight sections, but the pavement was slick so I slowed down considerably at each turn. I knew this was costing me time, but I just wanted to stay upright!


Disappointed with my bike split, I ran in transition, struggled again with those stupid gloves, ripped off the arm warmers and buff, grabbed my things and headed out to the run. There was no one in front of me and no one really pointing anyone in any direction. I just had to hope I was going the right way.


Almost immediately, the hills came flying at me. I was breathing hard and wondering where the aid station was. I felt like I was running forever, so I glanced behind me....was I even going in the right direction? Surely I should have passed mile 1 by now, right? I did have a runner behind me, but how do I know I wasn't leading this guy off course? Well, I just kept going and FINALLY I saw a mile marker - 2. Sweet! But where is the aid station? I needed to take in a gel. Get to an aid station, take in my gel and continue on. The hills were some of the toughest I've run, but my legs felt pretty good due to having taken it easy on the bike. Unfortunately, there was not one other mile marker on the entire run course. I don't run with my Garmin, so I have no idea what kind of pace I'm running. I just tried to keep the heart rate under control and slow down on the hills. Several out and back sections gave me an opportunity to see some of my friends out there on the run. I thoroughly enjoyed running on the paths through this state park, just wished I had mile markers.


On the way out of the last out and back section, several runners asked, "when is there water"? The aid stations were few and far between on the course. When I got off that path and back on to the road, I asked a volunteer, "How many miles left?" I wanted this over! I had 1.5 miles to go and it got really hilly again. There was one part, up hill, turn left, that felt so steep, I thought I could have walked it faster than run it. I focused on staying upright and finishing strong. Soon I recognized turning on to the street toward transition. A few spectators were there and I saw a few friends. They chose to take pictures on yet another long, slow uphill section so I look like I'm moving so slowly...and I was! That hill seemed to never end! When I got to the parking lot near the finish, no arrows, no volunteers pointing you where to go. I just hoped the guy I could see up in front of me was doing it right! We had to run all the way around the parking lot to get to the finish. I was able to finish the run strong, with still a little left in the tank. Not a strong performance for me, but feels good to have my first half iron distance done for the season.

Memphis in May Triathlon Recap

This was my 3rd year participating in the Memphis in May triathlon. As usual, I was in a hurry packing up for the race and making sure we were prepared for the 8 hour drive. Because I had been sick since the beginning of the week, I was considering not even making the trip. Even Friday morning as I was loading up the car, I thought about bailing. It never occurred to me to get a weather report. Memphis in May = 90 degrees and humid.

Heading down with 2 members of my Luna Chix team, they were kind enough to let me sleep in the back seat and try to get some rest during the trip down. I was coughing, sniffling and sounding like I smoked a carton of cigarettes. Should I even bother trying to race? Well, too late, I'm in the car and on the way.

Saturday morning, we head to packet pick up, hook up with some other Chicago friends and Mideast Team Elite superstar, Jason S., and spend a little time at the expo. The expo at Memphis is always outdoor under a tent. While under said tent, it was hot and humid. It's not a very big expo, but they do a good job of making sure you can get just about everything you might need or have forgotten to pack.

On to check out the lake for a quick swim. It was not very sunny this afternoon which made sighting for the practice swim very easy. I was pleasantly surprised at the water temperature. The website said 71 - sure felt warmer than that to me. Then again,my last open water swim was done in 62 degree water, so maybe my expectations were a bit off.

Out of the water and on to the bike ride. We were running a little short on time and as soon as I got on my bike, I knew something wasn't right. With the help of Smart Fit Bike Fit expert, BC, we quickly realized I was missing a spacer. I had a spare wheel, so the fix was easy. Or so I thought. Back on the road, my cassette was jingling around like I had a pocket full of loose change. It was embarrassing to ride by people with so much clatter going on. First a quick transition run. It was hard to breathe, I was still pretty congested. BC and CL really just ran away from me but I had no energy to chase them. Now to the bike mechanic at the expo, blah blah blah, it's fine - go test ride. Seems fine.

STARVING at this point, we hook up with the Shoemakers and head for a quick, light lunch. I think our group outnumbered all the rest of the patrons in the place. Food was just OK, but we needed to eat something. Back to the room for a quick shower and a nap. The time flew and I think I slept for the whole 2 hours. I was bummed I had to get up. Dinner was uneventful then a quick stop at the Wal-Mart to pick up a few miscellaneous items. Being new at the self-checkout line, I screwed it up and had to have an employee come over and "supervise" me. I'm really not stupid. Really.

Morning came much too quickly and the weather report was scary. Forty degrees. Windy. Very windy. Shoot - I didn't pack anything to wear in the race in case it was cold. I didn't think about cold, I'm in MEMPHIS. I got dressed, we ate, headed out to put the bikes on the rack and I went back in to add a second jacket - yes, I had TWO jackets on. I was wishing I had gloves.

We get to the race site and follow all the tail lights through a field where we started parking. The procession of cars on race morning is just a cool sight. It's early, quiet and you can just feel the anxiety of the athletes as they prepare for the event. Everyone is just focused on doing what they need to get done and mentally preparing for the day.

It was one of my quickest transition set ups ever. I was cold. Very cold. The wind was whipping around and the chop on the lake was much more than I expected. Sure, I've swam in worse, but that was in RACINE, not MEMPHIS! I questioned the use of my disc wheel but didn't change it. How bad could it be? The announcer did his best to entertain us, but all I could think about was how cold I was going to be on the bike. Everyone always asks, "wasn't the swim cold?" No - when it's that cold out, the water is now warmer than the air. In fact, it's quite toasty to jump in the water at that point. It's when you get out, strip the wetsuit off, don't dry off and hop on your bike. That's when it's cold.

We went for a quick warm up run (though I didn't warm up) and then quickly took my warm up clothes on to put on my wetsuit. Memphis is a time trial start, one racer every 3 seconds, so we all sat huddled, waiting for our numbers to come up, shivering though our wetsuits were completely on and zipped. One by one, it was time to race until finally it was just BS and I. We had plenty of time to chat and plan our race strategy. Once I was lined up, things went fast. The woman right behind me shot around on my left so I just jumped on her heels. I think I drafted off her for at least half the race. We swam wide to avoid all the other swimmers scattered throughout the water. A few times, I got a mouthful of water due to the choppiness, but I didn't feel like it slowed me down too much.

I caught up to her in transition and left her there as I ran out with my bike. I was already cold and I wasn't even on the bike yet. This wasn't going to be good. The wind, so I was told, was about 35 mph that day. I headed out and my arms and fingers were pretty cold. I struggled to keep the bike straight when the wind gusted. For a few sections, there was a nice tailwind that felt great, but then we'd turn and a wind gust would come and I'd have to fight with the bike to stay upright. I expected worse. My fingers were so cold, they weren't functioning properly, so I had to take my whole hand off the aerobars when I needed to shift. I knew this wasn't going to be a strong ride for me - my legs felt heavy from the first couple of miles. But I'm giving it everything I've got as this is an "MJ friendly" course.

Back in to transition, I ran one rack over my spot and had to go back. The rest was smooth and I was reminded how hilly the run is on this course. I forced myself to slow down the first couple of hills to keep the heart rate in control. My breathing was labored and I was still congested which felt tougher than it really was. Came up on the Luna Chix about mile 3 of the turn around and tried to encourage them. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to talk much, I was on a mission. Hammer sped up to stay with me for a bit, which I totally enjoyed, but it didn't last as long as I hoped. I tried to negative split the second half of the run, now knowing where the hills were and that the worst of it was over for me.

That last stretch on this long grassy berm or whatever you call it seems to take forever. It's along the lake and you can hear the music, specators and announcer for the longest time before you actually get there. I was able to pass a few athletes on that stretch which was motivating. A quick down hill, don't trip on the root that's sticking out, and I crossed the finish. A good race, not a great race for me. I never really warmed up on the run - not even sure if I sweated (is that a word?) But Memphis continues to be a fantastic event and I had great fun with my friends throughout the entire weekend.

Ironman Arizona Race Report

Some of you asked for it - this is the long version....

I didn't need the alarm to wake up this morning. In true Type A fashion, I was awake just about every hour looking at the clock. I quietly got dressed and headed down to the hotel-sponsored breakfast. I wasn't the least bit hungry, but I know I need to pack in my food now for the long day ahead. I went to drop off breakfast for the Saint (whohad a late night the evening before) and tell him he needed to get up soon. I picked up my bags and pump and headed down for the hotel shuttle to the race start. There were 7 athletes on this shuttle and I was the only female. We had some nervous chatter as we rode to the race start in the dark.

It was cold out. I had forgotten to bring warm up pants so I threw on the only pair of jeans I brought to AZ. I didn't realize how cold it got at night there! I pumped up my tires, was asked about 9 times to borrow my pump, to which I quickly replied "someone's already got it next." It got really irritating. Sally and I had talked about pumping up her tires in the morning - and besides, I didn't have time to wait around for all these people to use my pump and return it to me! I put my bottle of Perpetuem on the bike and filled the aerobottle with water.

Next stop was the transition bags, which were very close together. I had some last-minute things to place in each of them. Back to my bike - I forgot to attach my power meter. On to a potty break - holy cow, the line was long! I ended up putting my wetsuit half way on while in line because at 6:40, I was still in line and the race started at 7:00!I wished good luck to all my Ironman friends and scooted out to try and get a good spot in the water.

The water temperature was a crisp 63 degrees and I was happy to have survived Racine (54 degrees) earlier this year because that made this 63 not so bad. I jumped in off the pier and quickly came up for air from the shock of the cold. Idon't care if you know how cold it is, it's always a shock when you first get in! I swam tarzan-style over towards the front and close to the water's edge. Despite being a strong swimmer, I get a little freaked out in the washing machine of arms and legs that is the Ironman swim. I asked a girl up front what she expected to swim and she replied ":58". I asked another guy and he said "1:30". Me and “:58” quickly told him he may want to reconsider his positioning.

We treaded water for close to 15 minutes. I don't know how, but I managed to spot the Saint along the sidelines where he snapped a quick picture. One of the coolest sights was when I turned around to look and saw both bridges lined with spectators. I defogged my goggles for the last time and the cannon sounded - AW CRAP!

Almost immediately I was clocked in the head. I fought for my position as best I could, but I also know when to let an adrenaline-rushed swimmer with arms-a-flailin' to go on past me. Those are always the guys that run out of gas about 600-800 yards in, anyway. I think I was caught up in traffic for about 7-10 minutes and then I was able to get clear water. I did hug the side and know I was adding yardage to my swim, but I prefer that to the alternative, which is to get beat up. One negative: no draft - no one was out there with me.

Unbelievable, I have to pee! At the turn around (which felt like an eternity), I decided to cut in and find some feet. Unfortunately, people are now losing steam so just when I thought I found a nice spot, it would be too slow and I'd start clipping the feet in front. I then found a nice guy swimming to the outside - I had to kick it up a notch to catch him, but once I did, the pace was good! Didn't last long, guy couldn't swim a straight line if you paid him. I ended up swimming alone for the remainder of the 2.4 miles. I tried to pee while swimming - can't do it.

Coming to the finish, they have aluminum stairs dropped in the water. You cannot see the bottom stair and if you try to grab the rail and pull yourself out, it's very likely you'll slam your shin on the bottom stair. This is why it always looks like everyone coming out of the water at IMAZ is crawling out - they are. The advice we were given was to grab the stairs with your hands and pull yourself up until your feet hit the bottom stair. Looks funny, but it was effective.

Got to the top of the stairs, checked the time, business as usual. Headed to the wetsuit strippers and the woman who helped me really was not good. I think I could've gotten the stupid wetsuit off faster myself! It was clear she hadn't done this before. Ah well. Wetsuit in hand, I started the long jaunt to my transition bag. Between the chilly water and the cold ground, my feet were completely numb before I picked up my bag. I ran right over to my bag, picked it up and headed into the changing tent. There were a few other women in there, but relatively quiet.

Should I pee? No, I'll get on the bike, maybe the urge will go away. The volunteer helping me dumped my bag - which I wasn't happy about. All my stuff came flying out of my bike jersey pockets. I bit my tongue remembering how one lady yelled at me when I volunteered - I know she wasonly trying to help. I crammed all my stuff back in the jersey, just the way I had it before. It was difficult to get my socks and shoes on. My feet were just so cold. Volunteer loses one of my bike gloves so I was scrambling to pick it up. Then she couldn't figure out how to put the race belt on me while I was snapping on my helmet. I just grabbed it and ran.

Not sure if it was planned this way or not, but I was simply directed to my bike. No volunteer handing it to me like has been done at previous races. The unfortunate part about this was that I was the furthest away on the rack that you could be - last bike on the row. I grab the bike and run out wondering if I'll ever feel my toes again. Get to the mount line, not very many people, and I easily get on and take off. I don't remember anything being cold at all - except my feet.

Out onto the course, I smile at the familiar streets and sights. I was fortunate enough to have ridden this course (or close to the exact course) twice this year. I knew when the turns were AND - I actually knew which WAY we were turning! Pretty exciting for this directionally-challenged triathlete!! I felt great. Holding my power exactly where I wanted it and it felt easy. My right contact now was bothering me. I kept blinking to see if I could get it to go back into place, but that wasn't happening.

For the first 10-15 miles, I did have to purposely slow myself down. My legs just wanted to go. I was uncomfortable now - but only because I really had to pee!! I make it to the Beeline Highway, which is a long, gradual uphill. It felt like the wind was coming straight at us, but looking at the bushes (or tumbleweeds or whatever it is they have there in the desert), they were not moving. I don't think there was ANY wind. Yet, I was riding on what looked to be flat, at my designated power, andsaw my miles per hour at 13. OUCH! "This is going to take me forever," I thought. Saw my first HUGE pack of drafters and wonder why people do that.

Now I really have to pee. I decided to hit the aid station at the turn around which was at the top of Beeline. I figure, do the work, use the bathroom, then haul it on the downhill back in to do the loop again. BONUS - going to the bathroom this early in the race is good - no waiting for a porta potty! While in the porta potty, I hear an athlete who just came out of another porta potty start swearing. Apparently, he broke his cleat. He’s screaming at the poor volunteer, who really has no idea what to do, nor is it his job, and I am happy I just don’t take myself that seriously.

Back on the bike, the ride back into town was SO MUCH FUN! I was flying down, in my biggest gear, having a hard time keeping the watts up. WOO HOO - I get to do this 2 more times! The spectators on the bike course were non-existent. About a mile before the turn around back into town, the people were lined up, cheering, ringing those beloved cow bells. I make the turn and I'm off on loop 2. Still can’t see out of my right eye. Gotta get that damn Lasik.

I was very comfortable temperature-wise and my legs felt great. On up the Beeline, I just told myself how great the return trip would be. It felt like it took me a long time on this second trip up the long, steady hill, but I just stuck to my plan. I was being passed by many men, sometimes riding way too close or cutting over before they should have - again, I wonder why people do that? I mean, it's a pretty big road! And with my right contact still not in the right place, it wasn't a good situation.

On to my third lap, I realize I drank my Perpetuem much too fast. I only have a couple of sips left and I have over 30 miles to go. For a split-second, I wonder if I just screwed up my race. I am no longer comfortable in the aero position. I had to get off the saddle and re-adjust every 10 minutes or so. One of my projects for next year is to find SOME WAY to remain comfortable for the duration of one of these rides! Now I'm at mile 90 or so and out of nowhere, both legs cramped up. OWWW!!! I quickly stood up on the pedals, stretching out the calves. This happened to me briefly, once, in Ironman Wisconsin. I think - OK, what does this mean? Salt. I whip out the Endurolytes Sally so graciously gave me in the minutes before the race started. Worked like a charm - thank you Sally!!

I pushed a little bit on the last 5-6 miles, just because I could. I now started to think about my run and wondered if the legs were going to hold up. Up to the dismount line, a nice volunteer grabbed my bike and I ran over to find my other transition bag. Again, I grabbed it myself (soooo glad I memorized where my bags were) and headed to the changing tent yet again. Full wardrobe change, including throwing on my really cool compression socks and I was off and running.

Almost immediately, my legs feel heavy. Uh oh. What did I do? Bike too aggressively? Not really, I stuck to the plan. Well, let's just go with a comfortable pace. About 1 mile in, my feet start burning. I think they were first NOW thawing out!! I take a minute to take off my sunglasses to rub my eye to get the contact back in place, but something is still off. I put the sunglasses back on and just kept blinking. The Saint was there at the second water station (close to our hotel) with my brother on the scooter cooler. It was a pick-me-up to see them both. I managed a thumbs-up, but I was already bumming with the lack of pep in my step.

The run is another 3 loop course and it was really, really difficult (mentally) to see the mile markers for all the loops on your first time around. So, you'd see mile 2...and then you'd see the mile 11 sign or something right after that and you wished you were on that second loop! It especially hit in when I saw “Mile 23” and I was on mile 6. Now I was getting passed left and right, by just about everyone. I knew I was slow, but I just kept moving. I thought about all the people who said they'd be watching online (damn you, Parello!) and it kept me going. Once again, this was a spectator-less course aside from the area near transition, which was also near the finish. Even "inspiration station" wasn't very inspiring. It was just one woman with a megaphone, yelling "Go runners" every minute or so. Very weak compared to what I’ve experienced in the past.

Heading around for lap 2, I now know what is in store for me. There are more hills than I realized. There were a couple sections of gravel – one with big, loose rocks. It was a very short section, but it was on a steep downhill and because I could only see with one eye, I slowed a lot for fear of tripping over a rock. On this second loop, the Saint and my brother were joined by Sally’s crew and they were all cheering me on. It was another little boost for me, but I knew I was slowing down. My face was covered with salt. I’d take a sponge every few aid stations to wipe off my face, but then I saw them recycling sponges. That ended that little ritual. There wasn’t much music along the course and I didn’t care for much of what I heard. I played my favorite iPod playlist over and over in my head to pass the time.

Third loop – right contact is beyond irritating, so I just ripped it out. I’m almost done, anyway. The sun is setting and I wondered if I should’ve put a long-sleeved shirt in a special needs bag for this (I didn’t even do special needs bags). The last pass I see my “fan club”, I smiled and said, “Only 8 more miles to go!” I felt better on the last loop than I did on the second loop. My legs are still heavy, but my pace is staying constant. With 10K left to go, I realize I could break 11:30 if I didn’t walk. I started skipping aid stations just to make sure I didn’t run out of time!

Somehow, I missed the mile 25 marker, but I knew I was close because I was getting near the group of spectators. There is one point on the course that has 2 signs. One said “Laps 1, 2 and 3” with an arrow. The other sign said “To Finish” with an arrow. I was DELIGHTED to be on the path “To Finish”!!! The fans are cheering and I am trying to pick up my pace. My legs hurt but I am so close now. A quick little detour through a parking lot, back out on the street and then one sharp left turn to see the finish line. There it is! I cannot help but smile. I am going to break the 11:30 mark! And for the very first time, I actually heard the announcer say my name and call me an IRONMAN.