My FIRST Half Ironman

Let me start off by saying, good grief how do people do these races on the regular?!?! That was HARD!

When I first signed up for this race I had grandiose expectations. I admit it. I thought with 6 months of consistent training I might be able to unleash a crazy performance and possibly finish under 5 hours (which is extraordinary for a first timer...we're talking "pro-level" performance). However, I quickly came back to Earth once I understood what it would take to hit that kind of time, not to mention dealing with an "injury", going on a week long vacation, and being off the bike for nearly 3 weeks.

The "injury"
So this is extremely embarrassing.... Weeks before the race I had a horrible chafing incident. It was a combination of my bike/saddle position, shorts, and not enough cream/lube = painful disaster. It was so bad that I had to see my gyno. Yeah, I know, TMI. But these things happen and this is life. I thought about keeping these personal tidbits to myself because …..I want everyone to know I had a severely chafed crotch, right? Ummm yeah NO! But I know I’m not alone. And who knows, maybe some other poor soul out there can relate.

When the incident first happened, I thought “perfect timing. I’m heading to Punta Cana with my family. This will give me time to heal.” I figured I’d come back rejuvenated, crotch intact and ready to put in some serious mileage on the bike. Nope. Not the case. I came back worse off. My coach and I came to the conclusion that the salt water and sand made the issue way way worse. Talk about a flare up. The whole subject is embarrassing. Believe me. But I’m an athlete and these are the things we deal with. Such is life.

At least we had fun ;-)

 

When I came back from Punta Cana I was sidelined for another few days. In total I ended up taking nearly three weeks off of cycling. That’s a lot of time out of the saddle, especially when you aren’t strong at it to begin with. However, I did get some quality open water swims in while I was away. And I had some great runs in the heat which I think ultimately helped me during the run portion of the race this past weekend. I ended up with the fastest half marathon split in my division.

Training/Open Water Swim with my Brother

Needless to say, leading up to this race I had to change my expectations. My coach made an executive decision that I would not “race” this one. I’d simply do it, get a feel for the distance, and learn from my first experience. And hopefully this would set me up for the next one. Yes, I said the "next one".

70.3 miles of swimming, biking and running

Saying I was nervous is the understatement of the century. This was a different type of nervous. It was unfamiliar. This was a “I don’t know if I’ll actually be able to finish, how will my body hold up, can I handle the heat for 6 hours” kind of feeling. It was scary. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m confident. I think I can do anything I set my mind to. But let’s be real. You can train for months and be in tip top shape, but when it comes down to it, swimming 1.2 miles, biking 56 miles, and then running a half marathon is no joke. Add on 90 degree heat and no shade…you get my point.

The day before. Checking out the course.

Race Day

Almost time

With my Dad. Keeping me company. Telling jokes. Keeping me calm. Sometimes a girl just needs her Dad. (My Mom was nearby snapping pictures, smiling, and doing what mother’s do J)

Here we go!!!!

 

And we’re off.

I got out fast. I tried to stick with the girl in front of me. Swam a little too close and got kicked HARD in the face. I am now the proud owner of a lovely black and blue stripe across my nose…battle wounds ;-) It definitely knocked the wind out of me but I didn’t panic. I kept going and fought hard. I came out of the water 5 minutes under my goal time! To put things in perspective, I actually swam at a faster pace (01:48/100m) over a longer distance versus the Olympic triathlon (01:53/100m) I did last month. My body is clearly responding to the workouts my coach gives me. She’s the bomb!

Swim Goal: 40 minutes

Actual Time: 35 minutes

I climbed out of the water in a great position and way faster than I expected. You ALWAYS want to start off with extra time in the bank. Got my wetsuit off. Navigated through the sea of bikes (there were 2,000+ competitors…that’s a $#@& load of bikes and a $#@& load of crazy people), found my stuff, ate some food, helmet on, glasses on, bike shoes on…

Transition Time: 2 minutes, 38 seconds

Time for the bike….#HELP #SOS

My Dad and I played around with a few hash tags to describe my predicament. This is where I lack confidence. And this was actually the hardest part of the race for me.

“Your challenge is going to be focusing on riding smooth and steady and letting others go by. If you do your own race, you will see them again, and pass them on the run.” ~My Coach (www.soozsports.com)

I’m slow. I mean REALLY slow. I don’t know what my problem is exactly. It could be that I just need more time in the saddle, or maybe it’s my position on the bike, or perhaps I’m pedaling inefficiently. I DON’T KNOW. But I’ll tell you one thing. It’s beyond frustrating. Imagine being on a bike for 3 plus hours and getting passed the ENTIRE time. It’s demoralizing, frustrating, anger-inducing….but my coach told me ahead of time “it is what it is…let it go…get to the run.” So instead of being in a negative funk for 3 hours I decided to focus on my nutrition – drinking water, eating clif bars to keep my calories up, and taking in electrolytes (I love EFS Electrolyte powder drink, more electrolytes than Gatorade and less sugar).

The two worst moments

Mile 15: The sun was out in all its glory beating down on me. I was hot, uncomfortable, and there was a head wind…and no, it’s wasn’t a nice breeze. I had to fight through it. I passed a fluid station and noticed people racking their bikes, using the porta potty, stretching…I had my first “I want to stop moment”. But it quickly passed and I got my head back into the game.

Mile 35: This was when I just wanted it to be over. I began to dwell on the fact that I still had 26 miles to ride. My mind began to do that ‘downward spiral into negativity’ thing. I still have to bike a marathon course. Why did I sign myself up for this? I’m taking a break when I get to mile 40. I don’t care if this thing takes me 8 hours, I’m not pushing myself anymore. But then I saw a sign for mile 40, and then a sign for 45. By the time I got to mile 50 I saw the run course and my heart began to beat a little faster. I was excited. I couldn’t wait to run!

Bike Goal: 3 hours

Actual Time: 3 hours, 7 minutes

Heading back into transition to drop off my bike

I was bummed. But also proud of the fact that I didn’t stop. I racked my bike, threw on my sneakers, ate a gel, took a swig of water, and headed out for the run. 2 down, 1 to go. 57.2 miles done. Only 13.1 miles left. Let’s do this. I gave my parents the thumbs up sign. They cheered and smiled. And I was off again.

Transition Time: 2 minutes, 46 seconds

Half Marathon, I got this

….uh oh. I don’t got this. I took off at 7:15 pace expecting it to feel totally manageable and comfortable. Heck, all of my training runs off the bike have been at 6:55 pace! But I was losing control and my body started to slow. The heat was taking its toll. But this was supposed to be my shining moment. I hate this. I hate running. I hate my life at this very moment. You know how it goes. The quick descending spiral of doubt and misery.

You have run through lots of pain, you have kept on repeatedly, when you wanted to stop, and you have done well. Draw on the best things you have done, and trust in your ability to rise to the occasion for them again. ~My Coach (www.soozsports.com)

I had to change my mindset or I wasn’t going to make. I put my head down and kept going. One foot in front of the other. You have this. You are strong. You will finish. Pass her. Pass him. Keep moving. Don’t stop. You have the strength to make it to the finish line. Your parents will be there and they will embrace you no matter what. 

Thank you Chandra for sending this before my race ;-)

I only ran a 1:42 half marathon (7 minute, 49 second mile pace). My goal was to go under 1:40. But you know what, EVERYONE struggled with the heat. And I was actually passing people the entire time. In fact, I never got passed once for 13.1 miles. I ended up with the second fastest half marathon split for amateur women. Bam! I also managed to negative split the course (I ran the last 6 miles faster than the first 7).

The Finish: 5 hours, 30 minutes, 32 seconds

I did it. I survived. I finished strong with a smile on my face. I was proud. I'm still proud. Of course the competitor in me wishes I was faster....and still wants to go faster. So yes, there will be another one in my future....

After the race my parents and I decided to do some sightseeing. Family time is the bestttttt!

 

Mom and Dad. Dad and I.