Thursday, July 28, 2016

Race Recap: Toughman Half Ironman!!!

Minnesota in July...it might not strike weather-fear into people like the phrase "Minnesota in January", but trust me, there are only two things you want to do in Minnesota in July...sit in front of your air conditioning vent or jump in a lake. If you are a normal person, the thing you definitely don't want to do in Minnesota in July is race a Half Ironman...but it's been awhile since I have considered myself "normal" so there I was, on July 24th, getting ready for the longest race of my short triathlon career...the Toughman Minnesota 70.3!

About a month before the race I seriously contemplated not doing it. I admittedly had not put in the training that I felt I should have up to that point. Work and life craziness had gotten in the way, and those were things I just had to deal with...so training took a back seat. I went to my circle of tri friends seeking advice and of course they all encouraged me to keep at it and see how I felt closer to race day. I followed that advice and kept plugging away. I found time to get out and ride some of the course, especially the hills around Taylors Falls. I told myself if I could manage that training session without feeling like I was going to die, then I was in. It was a great ride and really renewed my confidence. I also got an 11 mile run in, the longest since my last half marathon in May. It wasn't my most successful long run, but it felt good enough to keep me on my positive upswing. So there I was, race morning, knowing I could have trained better, but feeling surprisingly calm considering what I was about to embark on!

The obligatory "Flat Linda" picture to make sure I had everything I needed to wear!
I was up at 3:30 and thankfully I didn't have to tiptoe around. Bill and Kayley were in Rochester for her swim meet and Logan had spent the night with my sister. Sully of course figured since I was up it must be time for a walk. So we headed out for a quick loop around our block. While we were out I noticed some flashing in the sky...lightening!  I tried not to worry about it, it was still three and a half hours to the start of the race, but I silently cursed the sky "You are NOT going to cancel my race today!" After a few moments of trying to coerce Sully back in the house since our walk was shorter than normal, I got to readying. I had packed all my gear the night before, so I loaded everything in the truck then whipped up some eggs. I don't normally eat a lot before a race, but I wanted to save my normal PB & J with banana for about an hour out from the swim, so I figured I needed something else in my belly. I went up to change and check my hair (my sister had braided it for me the night before and it held up WAY better than when I try to do it myself.) Then I was out the door by 4:30. I passed nary a soul in the 30 minutes it took me to drive to Chisago Lakes, but as soon as I got into town I was met with a flurry of activity. Race vehicles setting up cones, police cars already closing off intersections, and plenty of athletes pushing their bikes along the road to the park. Thankfully the Half Ironman racers were allowed to park in a lot adjacent to the transition area, and thankfully I was there early enough to snag one of the last parking spots. I got out and immediately saw my friend Kim, it was great to see a friendly face right away. We chatted a minute before she had to go pick up her packet (I grabbed mine on Friday) then I got to work getting my bike set up. I had my borrowed bento box, which needed to get secured much better than I had done previously (it scratched against my knee the whole ride!), I filled up my new aero bottle, and pumped up my tires. I hit the porta-potty that was in the parking lot since there was no line, then came back to the truck to eat...thankful I had eaten the eggs earlier...I was pretty hungry and I know my sandwich and banana wouldn't have made it to 6am without them!

I found my spot in transition and dropped my bike and bag, I wanted to get to body marking before it got busy and I was in luck, I walked right up to the girl with the marker, and then promptly forgot my bib number. Thankfully she had a sheet and found it. "631" now adorned my left arm and calf. I should also mention she had very nice penmanship...it really irks me when I get a sloppy body marker ;) I went back to transition and got to work setting out my gear...that's when I heard the first announcement of the day..."Water Temp is 80-degrees, wet suits are not legal. You may wear one if you want, but you will not be eligible for awards, and you will start after all other racers have entered the water". Bugger! I really wanted to wear my new wet suit. I wanted the feel light and buoyant and not have to work as hard on the swim. Immediately all my rack mates started discussing the pros and cons of wearing vs. not wearing. Most everyone had the same thought..."I'm not going to make the podium, so I'm wearing it". Of course, the competitor in me starting thinking "Hmmm, if everyone else in your wave is going to wear a wet suit, you might have a chance at making the podium if you don't". This is ridiculous...I could have a motor on my bike and jet packs on my running shoes and the likelihood of my making a podium would still be laughable, but the thought always crosses my mine. No, I had to make my decision based on heat and convenience. I didn't want to get out of the water being hot, and it was already wicked humid out. I also hate getting into and out of my wet suit, so the idea of not having to hassle with it was very appealing. I decided to put it back in my bag. I'm a strong swimmer, I was going to have to deal with enough heat and inconvenience today, and I honestly was already sweating so much I likely wouldn't have had time to wriggle myself into the thing before the swim started anyway. Decision made, I was ready for one last visit to the biff, then off to the beach!
Perfectly prepared transition station...until my neighbor showed up and squished me in...but it's all good!
The beach was filling up fast, but I tried looking around for Kim, or any other familiar face to hang out with...unfortunately, all triathletes look the same before the swim, so I just did some half-hearted stretches and tried in vain to make out what the announcer was blabbing about (seriously, it's like Charlie Brown's teacher was giving the pre-race talk!). I did happen to find the woman from my wave who was really stressed trying to decide whether or not to wear a wet suit earlier. I told her she should just go with it if it was stressing her so much to think about swimming without it. But there she was, wet suit-free. She looked at me and said "I might grab on to your ankles when we start!" I told her to go ahead as I needed a challenge on the swim! Finally we heard the call for Wave One to get into the start corral. Waves were going off every 4 minutes and we were Wave 7. Cheers went up as the first wave hit the water, it wasn't until this very moment that I started to feel a little bit of nervousness. Even though I am a strong swimmer, I have had mild panic attacks at the start of tris before, and today I didn't have my wet suit to help keep me afloat if I succumbed to my nerves. So I took some deep breaths and kept moving up toward the start area. It was still super difficult to make out what the announcer was saying, so I was kind of surprised when my wave-mate shouted "Hey, we need to get to the water!" I was the last one from my wave in the corral, but I really wanted to start in front, so I moved forward and stayed on the outside, right where I'm most comfortable. One of my other wave-mates shouted "Let's be kind to each other out there ladies!" We all smiled at this as the wave of men that had gone before us looked like some sort of splashy mosh pit with everyone jockeying for the lead. The announcers words were finally clear as I heard him say "Good Luck Ladies....10...9..." I counted silently along in my head and hit the water running...and immediately said "OWWW! Rocks!!!" I couldn't believe how rocky it was out on the side of the corral. Note to self, get to the middle next time! I dove in, readying myself for the panic attack (I don't have a good name for what happens, because I'm not really panicked, but my heart starts to race, I have trouble getting good breaths in, and my arms feel like lead weights). This usually lasts for maybe 100 yards before I feel fine. Today though, it never set in. The water was warm, kind of weedy, but I felt smooth and strong from the start. The wet suit dilemma actually worked out in my favor. Since many of the racers had opted to wear them anyway, the early non-wet suit waves were pretty thin, I would say that I had less than half of the people starting with me than would have been there if wet suits were allowed. This meant that I had a lot of open water to swim in and didn't have to deal with feet and elbows in my face. I was able to swim my pace and just focus on keeping the buoys in sight. This was the best marked swim course I've ever been on, a big orange buoy marking every 1/10 of a mile. My first turn point was at the .5 buoy, I started to cut in so I could make a tight turn and encountered a group of swimmers, so I stayed outside and turned a bit wider than I like. I was glad to make the turn though, since I had been spotting straight into the sun before, I now felt like I could really put my head down and power through the rest of the swim. I felt awesome, I was holding a great breathing pattern and my shoulders were strong. I hit the next turn buoy at .9 and actually started to get sad that the swim was almost over...either that or I was starting to freak out about the 56 miles I had coming up on that bike seat! The abundance of weeds I was swimming through signaled that I was nearing the beach, and I took a look up and saw several swimmers starting to stand. I like to swim in as far as possible before getting to my feet so I kept stroking until I hit sand with my hands. As I was running up the beach I heard a loud and deep "Linda!" Even though I knew my friend Carla and her kids might be at the swim exit, I was pretty sure this was not her voice. I looked over to the crowd and saw the smiling face of Bill Melgaard, one of my coworkers. Bill lives in the Chisago Lakes area and every time he would see me on the trainer at the Rec Center I'd joke about him coming out to cheer me on during race day...that he could just sit on his front lawn with a beer and wave to me as I biked by. But here he was, right in the thick of things near transition, telling me "Good Job! Go, Go Go!" What a boost that was...I knew I had a great swim, and to have support going into the bike was just awesome! I got to my bike and was thankful not to be stripping off a wet suit. It was already so humid that I feel like the task of peeling that thing off would have been more taxing than the swim was. I strapped on my helmet, put on my shades, and shoes, took a quick sip of Gatorade and headed out.
Yes, that is "excitement" on my face...I mean, who isn't excited about being in a bike for 3 hours straight?
What can I recap about a 56 mile, 3 hour and 20 minute bike ride that wouldn't bore you to tears? Um....well...the hills weren't bad...no that's not exciting. I didn't blow a tire...yeah, big whoop. I know...I survived my first bottle exchange!! Now you might say, "So what?!?" But I'm telling you, I was so freaked out about the stupid water bottle exchange that I had major anxiety when I passed the volunteer who cheerily informed me that the water stop was just ahead. If you aren't familiar with how this works, basically you enter a "drop zone" where you are supposed to discard any empty water bottles, then you bike up to a volunteer who is holding a full water bottle out, grab it and tuck it into your water bottle cage or you grab it and squeeze it into your speed fill (which is what I have) then drop the empty bottle in the next "drop zone" before you leave the aid area. Easy Peasey right? Well, I was certain I was going to crash, or drop the bottle, or not discard my bottle in the right spot, or, god forbid, I would run over one of the helpful volunteers while trying to grab for the bottle! I slowed down as I approached, I locked eyes with the woman holding out a bottle of water in one had and a bottle of Gatorade in the other, and I shouted "Water please". She reached her bottle out a little further, I grabbed it, fumbled a bit getting the cap open, and squeezed with all my might to empty it into my speed fill. All of this took approximately 15 seconds...I was shocked, I didn't even wobble! I had plenty of room before I was out of the "drop zone" so I threw the bottle to the side and rode on...with a GIANT smile on my face! Weeks of worrying about this were gone in 15 seconds and I settled in for the next 40 miles to come. I wasn't very hungry on the ride, but I knew I was going to need energy for the run, so I ate all four Bonk Breakers I had packed along, the first right away at mile 3, the second right after the first water stop at mile 21, the third right before the second water stop at mile 42, and the last one right after I passed mile 50. I kept steadily sipping my water and Gatorade, and despite my crotch screaming for mercy every now and then, I actually felt like this ride went WAY better than I had planned. The climbs I had dreaded were tough, but doable, we had a few miles of strong headwinds, but honestly, as hot as it was, they were almost welcome! I even let myself open up on one of the downhills...I usually have my fingers firmly wrapped around my brakes, but the thrill of the wind in my face was amazing! I passed the 55 mile marker feeling excited and accomplished. I was confident now that I had made it through this ride that I was going to finish, even if I had to walk the next 13.1 miles, I was going to cross that line no matter what!

As I turned into transition I saw my friend Sara and her kids. Sara has been an amazing inspiration to me and I was so excited that she offered to come out and cheer me on. I was also pretty excited to finally be off my bike, but mostly excited to see her. I asked her to text my husband to tell him I was starting the run...he was hopeful that he and the kids might be able to make it back from the swim meet in time to see me finish. I navigated the narrow passageway from the Bike In spot to my rack and squeezed my bike into position...it would seem that the majority of my rack-mates had beat me in. No worries though, I was just thrilled to be getting ready to run. I got my helmet off and slipped my visor on. My feet were still wet, so I tried drying them on my towel as best I could and got my socks and shoes on. I stuffed the two gels I had laying out in my side pockets, and clipped on my hydration belt. I started left to get to the Run Out and noticed the porta-potty to my right. I decided it was a good time to visit. The volunteer in transition said "run out to the left" I looked at her and smiled "I gotta pee!" There is never too much TMI at a triathlon. I had to wait a minute for the racers before me to finish their business, as I was standing there I started to worry if my legs were going to allow me to stand back up after I sat down...but then the door opened and I hurried in, did what I needed to do and hurried back out before my mind could decide that I was going to sit there for the rest of the day. I passed by the Run Out banner and the volunteers holding water cups and started down the winding grass path to the park trail. It was there I finally saw my friend Carla and her family. Carla had come out to cheer on her husband as he did the sprint course today, his first triathlon, and they had decided to stay to cheer on me and the other Half Ironman racers. Her son Kieran was standing next to the trail with a big smile and his hand outstretched....a high five was just what I needed right now!
High Fives from five year olds are the BEST!
I exited the park and got out on the road...it was hot, I mean stupid-HOT! My legs felt strong, I was certain my nutrition and hydration was spot on, but once I was out on the black top with no shade...I knew that the next 13 miles were not going to be fun. Before the race, I had hoped to do the run in 2 hours and 30 minutes. I knew I shouldn't have a time goal, but based on training, I thought that was a generous pace for myself after the bike. So I was a bit shocked when I passed the 1 mile marker and looked at my watch and it read "Pace: 9:40". I told myself "Whoa, slow down speedy!" I backed off to about a 10:10 pace and felt really good. I actually started to think that maybe I could do a 2:15 finish on this run! That fantasy lasted until about mile 4...that is when I bonked...hard! We had turned off the main road and were now on a dirt road that had a little shade, but at mile four we hit a hill, in the full sun, and I just had to walk. I didn't feel defeated, I figured there'd be some walking during this thing, I had just hoped it would come later in the race. I walked up the hill and agreed to start running at the top. I picked it back up and tried to hold closer to the 11:30 per mile pace I had planned on from the beginning. This lasted until the water stop at mile 5, then I had to take a walk break again. I was roasting and my heart rate was speeding. Each water stop was thankfully stocked with buckets of ice and cold water, so I stood at stop 5 pouring ice down my shirt and sipping water, then a volunteer pulled out a garden hose and I blissfully stood under the spray for several seconds. Finally, I figured I needed to get back at it and started up at a slow run...I was right around 12:00 miles at this point, but I didn't care anymore. Finishing now became the priority, my time goals would have to wait for another day. We encountered a small uphill section right before mile 6 and there was a fun group of spectators cheering for everyone there. "The turn around is just ahead" someone shouted and for whatever reason, this gave me a bit of a second wind. I ran from that point, through the turn around and to the next aid station at about a 10:30 pace. I walked some more through and after that aid station and kept a walk/run pace going for the next few miles. I kept negotiating points with myself, "Okay, just run to the sign post, then you can walk to the tree branch". This seemed to be the plan for many of the other athletes I met up with at this point in the race, the heat was taking it toll on all of us, but we all shared the same determination to finish. As I passed the 11 mile marker I knew that I would soon come up on the last aid station before the finish. I decided at this point to walk a bit and take my shirt off. I'm not a fan of running only in my sports bra...not because I'm super-modest or anything, I just don't think it's very "me". But at that point, I just wanted to do anything I could to feel more air on my skin. My friend Jill, an Ironman who lives in San Antonio, had hammered into my head "Cool Your Core!" so as I pulled my shirt over my head and tucked it into my pants, I said aloud "This is for you Jill!" I could see the aid station up ahead so I started running again so I could get there a little faster. There was a sweet little girl with two cups of water in her hands, I thanked her and asked if she wanted to pour them over my head...she happily obliged. I stopped at the next volunteer and asked her to fill up my water bottle as I scooped handfuls of ice into the front and back of my bra. She handed me back my bottle and said, "You're doing great, you are almost there!" I thanked her and started back out. One and a half miles to go! I had good intentions of running the rest of the way, but I needed one more quick walk break shortly before I hit the 12 mile banner. As I could see it coming up though, I resolved myself that I was going to run from that banner to the finish! I reached the banner and picked it back up. My watch had run out of battery (or got so soaked it stopped working) at some point after mile 10, so I have no idea of what my pace was that last mile, but considering my shoes scraped on the ground with almost every step, I have to imagine it was not my fastest. But I was running, and I could see the crowds picking up near the park. I turned the corner and ran up on to the sidewalk that would lead to the park trail. As I came into the playground area I saw Sara and Carla and all the kids and waved frantically at them...since I had taken my shirt off it took everyone a minute to register it was me, but they all started cheering. I scanned the crowd to see if I could spot Bill, Kayley, or Logan, knowing it was a long shot that they made it. It was right about now, knowing I was just yards away from the finish, that I got really emotional. I'm not a "crier" but I could feel the water works starting. I was actually having trouble catching my breath between sobs. I did notice that no tears were actually coming out...thanks dehydration! I turned one more corner, not happy to see that a hill awaited me before crossing the finish line, but it really didn't matter anymore, I would have run up Mount Everest at that point just to be done with this race. I entered the shoot at the same time as another racer and decided I was going to cross first. I turned on what ever jets were still lurking in my legs and powered through. I had done it...70.3 miles! I started crying again when the volunteer gave me my medal. I grabbed a gloriously cold bottle of water from another volunteer and connected with Sara and Carla. I was so thankful to have them there. Carla offered to take my finisher picture, but this was about all I could muster...
Finished...in every which way!!!
I like to use mantras during long training sessions and races, and I had plenty of them today. "Just Keep Swimming", "Kill this Hill", "Cool Your Core" (TM Jill Hartsell :), "I Can Do Hard Things", but at about mile 9 of the run, the only thing I kept telling myself was "In 4 miles you can go jump in the lake", "In 3 miles you can go jump in the lake", "In 2 miles you can..." well, you get the picture. So I plodded back into transition, dumped off my gear and headed back down to the beach. It was cleared now, barely a sign that my race had started there less than 7 hours ago. There were a few people relaxing on blankets and a few other racers swimming around. I walked in and let the glorious water engulf me...I dove in and it was just the best part of my day!

While there are a few things I may have done differently (hello...sunscreen reapplication), all in all I was really happy with my race. While my run may have been a bit slower than I was hoping, I had crushed the swim and felt strong on the bike. I did what I had to do on the run to make sure I crossed the finish line. I accomplished something I really never would have imagined I had in me and that's the true victory of the day!








3 comments:

  1. Great race report, congrats the accomplishment

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  2. Great race report, congrats the accomplishment

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  3. Way to go, Linda!!! Loved reading this. What an accomplishment. Wow!!!
    You are a total badass!!! xo

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