Ironman Arizona Race Report

The night before IMAZ was pretty chill and low key, except for the neighbors, who were celebrating with a fiesta.  It was loud, they had a DJ and I even heard the word karaoke.  Dinner was plain spaghetti noodles with butter and salt.  Not the healthiest choice, but I had a huge salad at a later lunch and with my belly, the less fiber in my gut, the better.  At 7:30 I popped the Advil PM and was out by 8:30.  Even the DJ next door couldn't keep me awake. 


I woke at 3:30.  I felt pretty good, nervous but good.  I ate my breakfast (egg/ham/cheese english muffin, banana, yogurt with granola) and headed down to the start.  Luckily I found my friends pretty quick, said our 'good lucks', double checked my bike/bags, etc. and got ready to put on my wetsuit.

Pretty nice view to wake up to!

     

Well hello there, you look familiar!

I had been in the water the day before, so I knew it was cold (ish), but I didn't feel that I needed my neoprene cap/booties, etc.  There were a ton of people with this extra gear, so it made me a bit nervous not having mine.  Turns out, I didn't need it.  Yeah, my feet were cold, but not too bad.



What I did need though was a stronger set of balls.  I started near the front like Michelle and I had talked about...about 2-3 'rows' back.  There were a lot of people who were sitting on the wall before the start and wound up swimming over me.  I am getting stronger swimming, but I panic b/c I feel like the wetsuit is strangling me and the stronger swimming knocking me around!  It was chaos!  (after reading several IMAZ race reports, I am not the only one who thought it was a bit rough)  So, needless to say, I lost some time trying to keep on top of the water.  After about 10 minutes, the water seemed to clear out and I had all the space I needed.  All was good, except I couldn't find anyone to draft off of!  At the turn around, I knew I needed to step it up to meet my expected goal time.  So I decided to keep in the thick of it to try to draft off someone.  It just wasn't good enough.  It was still a swim PR, although about 5 min slower than what we expected I could swim.  I'll have all winter to work on it.

Swim Start

1:13:16 - 19th AG



After loosing my timing chip at the wetsuit stripper (read more panic!), I made my way through T1 to my bag.  I read somewhere it's called a 'time warp'.  VERY true!  I have no idea why it took me so long, although I did hit the bathroom. A huge thanks to the volunteers who are so wonderful!  Man those guys are amazing!  Getting a new timing chip before leaving T1 is NBD, so no additional panic was needed.



T1 - 7:38


Oooohhhh, the bike.  I LOVED that bike ride.  What fun!  But what a draft fest!  My first loop I had to reel it in a bit as I was pumped and so excited to get out there.  BUT there were so many groups of bikes that I had to either burn my match to get around them or slow it down a bit.  I opted to settle in, let the masses go around and chill...I wanted to be able to kick it in loop 3 if I had anything left.  I think at each penalty tent I saw at least 1 - 2 people @ each one.  Whatever, I didn't get into it.

The weather was perfect!  I don't remember being that cold after the swim.  No extra clothing needed for me.  Since I had been training in wind advisories the past month or so, so I felt like I was prepared to handle whatever the winds may bring.  We were pretty lucky, we had some headwind on the first loop heading 'up' and out, and it shifted towards the end of the bike (headwind into our way back 'down').  But NOTHING compared to what I was prepared for. :)

Crappy resolution as I am borrowing these photos from Finisher Pix until I purchase them!!

I started to feel a bit fatigued in my legs on the 3rd loop.  My goal was to keep my watts in my range and increase them 10w if I felt great.  It turns out I only felt good enough and just kept my watts = to loop 1 and 2.  It was enough for a 20' bike PR split.  I'll take it!


I had really been working hard on my bike this year so I was stoked for the result.  A couple of things I think helped me this year...

• training/racing with power (Quarq)
• Retul bike fit
• loads of saddle time (i.e. consistent/increase in volume)
• I was able to get a handle on my nutrition EARLY
  

 Nutrition - 6 bottles of Infinite (new this year), 1 PowerBar Perform, 6 Gu's, 2 bottles of water.



5:22:25 - 3rd AG


I knew I had a good split so I was cheesing the grin coming through transition.  Again a huge THANK YOU to the volunteers!  It's amazing what they'll do for you!  I had pockets full of empty sticky gu wrappers and they had no problem grabbing them out of my sticky ass jersey....or helping me change my shorts...or handling my stinky socks...awesome.  Yes, I changed my shorts knowing how chaffed and uncomfortable I can get in tri shorts, I opted for a bit more comfort for the run.  So glad I spent the extra minute doing that. 



T2 - 3:50


The run.  Hmmm, it's sort of a blur!  (maybe b/c I'm writing my race report a week later!)  Seriously though, it really went by pretty fast.  I'm attributing that feeling to way more longer runs this season than previously.  Don't get me wrong, I hurt. A LOT.  But mentally I was more prepared to hurt.

Focus on the smile not the shorty shorts or the belly bloat!

 I did feel pretty good the first hour, I really tried to keep my pacing in check.  I kept remembering what Michelle said to me 'don't try to push the pace early and then blow up towards the end'.  So I did what I could to keep my pace as close to 9'/mi.  It seemed to be working.  I saw Robert at one point towards the end of the 2nd loop (maybe the 1st loop, it's a blur remember?) and he told me I was running in 2nd in my AG!  What?  Really?  No way.  I didn't believe him.  There was no way.  I knew the gal in first place (Mindy) and I knew how far ahead she was.  No way there was no one else in b/t us.  I attributed the glitch on the computer to me having a new timing chip.  THERE WAS NO WAY.  Then I saw a fellow BSC teammate Krista and she told screamed at me the same thing!  What?  Ok so I started to believe...a little anyway.


I was trying hard not to walk too much (or at all) through the aid stations.  I knew that if I slowed my pace, it would be hard for me to keep it up.  I was able to get my rhythm down...sponges, water, ice or it was Gu, sponges, water, coke, ice, water depending on the station.  I didn't have one cup of sports drink.  Not sure why, I just didn't want any.  I think I wound up taking 4 Gu's and 4 e21 tabs (2 every 2 hours).


The 3rd loop I saw Bill, Mary's husband (another BSC teammate)  He told me I was still in 2nd.  I told him I didn't believe ironman live was right.  He told me to keep running.  :)

I was told I looked like a machine a couple of times out there.  That made me smile as that's the name of some of my long run workouts.  LIKE A MACHINE 



End of the 3rd lap I started to cramp up - e21 to the rescue!  Holy cow does this stuff work!  IMMEDIATE relief.  No joke. 


I saw Krista again with about a 1/2 mile to go.  She was screaming "go, go, go!  You're in 2nd and going to Kona!"  Holy shit this was for real?


And like that, I was passed by Meghann a.k.a. fasty Mcfasterson.  (I wound up chatting with her at awards and she's as nice as can be!)  Where the hell did she come from? A FREAKING HALF MILE LEFT OF THE RACE.  I couldn't even keep up.  Oh, deflation!  Oh well, I was still stoked to cross in 3rd.


Run - 4:03:12 3rd AG




A total time of 10:50:20, a 50' PR, 3rd AG.

Only 2 Kona slots were allocated to my AG, but it just so happens our AG was allocated a 3rd slot from an older AG.  whew.  Thank goodness.  I was 3rd by only 45 SECONDS.  What would my mind would be doing now if that 3rd slot didn't come my way.  Pretty painful to think about.  But that's another blog.

Sorry Meghann for covering your face.  :(

I am so thankful for all the love and support I've received this season.  It's been a hell of one.  Words cannot even describe my gratitude...a huge thanks to my biggest cheerleader Robert, I'm really sorry I was such a crab for the past 2 months.  I'll take you to Hawaii to make up for it.  Thanks to Michelle who I am so happy I found earlier this year.  So many milestones have been met/broken thanks to her.  My family is amazing and supportive.  I cannot thank all of them enough for putting up with my crazy training schedule.  They are my biggest cheerleaders.  I've met some of the best friends in this sport.  Literally.  THE BEST.  I thank all of them for believing in me.  Thank you to those who have pushed me both physically and mentally.  Thank you to my BSC teammates who have opened their arms and taken me in as family....one crazy family...and I love it.


Cheers to 2012.  Unbelievably happy and thankful right now.  :)