IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta: Redemption

"Goal": Qualify for my Pro Card (top 3 amateur overall)

Result: 6th Amateur (at the second largest half ironman in the US!)

I fell 3 places short (4 minutes shy) of my "Goal" - which I put in quotes because you wouldn't believe how often it changed over the span of 6 months. I actually registered for this race before my crash at IRONMAN 70.3 Texas in April (competitor swerved into me, I ended up on the opposite side of the rode). When I woke up in the ER and learned what happened I thought "never again" and said goodbye to triathlon. 

I temporarily moved in with my parents and underwent a lot of procedures

However, two days later, when I was reunited with my family, I decided that I would do everything in my power to get healthy and fit enough to be on the start line in Augusta. It was just too soon to throw away my dreams without a fight. But boy oh boy... I had no idea how difficult the 6-month journey back would be. I felt vulnerable, weak, mentally and physically destroyed. I developed infections from the road rash, I couldn't eat solid food because I knocked my teeth loose and had to wear a splint. Forget looking in the mirror, it made me nauseous. Broken nose, stitches EVERYWHERE. It was a lot to take in. I even lost range of motion and couldn't lift my head nor turn it right/left. I was a mess.

This is me in my over sized diaper with my Dad who is teaching me how to walk. My mother is behind the camera watching closely.

This is how I felt for the first 2 months.

But I never lost sight of Augusta, and my coach (Jonathan Caron) did everything in his power to help me slowly regain fitness. His motto was "we will find a way". I couldn't turn my head so he had me swim with a snorkel. When I couldn't handle high intensity we scaled back on effort and increased volume. Still, things did not go smoothly. I had a very hard time stringing together workouts. The number of doctor appointments left me drained, my dental issues left me hungry and moody, and I felt depressed at work because I didn't want to be "seen". But, like most things, I had to be patient and let time run it's course.

I began to work on things I did have control over: I got my butt out of bed early and worked one-on-one with a strength conditioning coach (Danielle Kearns) before work, received weekly treatments from Rene' Johnson and slowly regained mobility....

Me: I should have taken the year off after my crash

Danielle: But you didn't. You're here now so let's do this!

I also received this dream machine - the new Cervelo P3X with HED wheels, ISM seat, tubeless Schwalbe tires:

Photo courtesy of Shelly Liebler

I've had a lot of people tell me that they would never get back on a bike again if they had a crash similar to mine. Truth is, when I woke up in the hospital I thought I had been in a car wreck on the way home from the race. My mind never associated the accident with a bike crash which made it a heck of a lot easier to get back on one; the brain is an interesting organ! Plus ... come on, look at that bike!!!  For my first post-crash ride I took it for a 60-mile "spin".

As the weeks went on, my fitness came back and the feelings of despair began to disappear.

I rode .... A LOT. Thank you Dylan for pushing me!

Then ... 2 weeks before IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta... it happened.. AGAIN. I crashed. Not nearly as severe, but still, it was my fault and it really shook me up. Long story short I leaned over to drink from my aero bottle, by the time I looked up I was on my friend's wheel, broke hard and over corrected... nearly took her out! I went straight to In and Out Express Urgent Care for X-rays and to have my head checked because it took quite a beating. (I thought about leaving this part out, but I don't sugar coat my life. It isn't perfect. I make mistakes. I'm just a regular chick, with a corporate job and a crazy hobby).

Only superficial injuries. Thank God!!

I called Dan (Empfield) the next day and pretty much decided that this was it. I was quitting. His response: "You're just getting warmed up".

IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta

I was so excited to be with my family <3

Mike (Reed) and I trained hard for this race! His lovely wife Chelsea and my parents planned to be all over the course to cheer and give splits. I love you guys!

Wheel-Gate

You know how I mentioned earlier that I make mistakes. Well... I made a big one. A HUGE one. When I got to my hotel room I unzipped my Scicon Bike bag, pulled out my new HED Vanquish disc rear wheel, opened the other compartment and.... pulled out ANOTHER HED rear wheel. Yep! I packed TWO rear wheels. I began to hyperventilate. Literally. My parents tried to calm me down and figure out what was going on, but every time I went to speak the words couldn't come out. I began to cry. Soooo.. this would have been an easy fix except for the fact that I have a thru axle and disc brakes. Basically the newest equipment on the market. I called every bike shop and stopped by every wheel rental booth at the Ironman expo. My only option was to buy a set from ORR. Let's not even talk about how much I spent! But problem solved.. it is what it is. (If anyone wants a brand new pair of disc brake ORR wheels, I have some to sell at a discount. They're at Village Bicycles.)

Ran into Ironman Champ Lionel Sanders!!

Sent this pic to my coach and he called me a groupie 😜

The Race

   Me: I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. Am I fooling myself??

   Coach Jonny: It's so hard for me to answer this because I feel similar to you... it's like you just had an 18-wheeler truck run over you and I'm staring at you saying in my head.... ''well, she is in pretty good shape, there is no reason for her to be...but she is'' .. but don't focus on how you will do, focus on how to maximize your current fitness/condition and we will see how it turns out.

Swim Start: My series of unfortunate events continued... I'm lined up, about to head out on the pier, put my new swimskin on and asked Mike to zip me up. POP! I made some joke about over-carbo loading but I secretly wanted to cry. My non-aquatic behind was going to have to swim without a swimskin. I felt like my race was over before it began. But then my friend Erica Lazarus did one of the kindest, most selfless gestures and took hers off to give to me. I felt terrible accepting it!! But she said to me "well now I get to be part of your journey." BTW she ended up winning her age group ;-)

1.2 Mile Swim - 31:21

This expression pretty much sums up my swim!

143rd amateur woman. As someone once told me (who will remain nameless), you "stunk up the water". Sure did! Not only did I take forever, I wore myself out in the process. Go figure. Luckily the race doesn't end here.

56 Mile Bike - 2:41 
Not to sound like a complete cornball but this was a very emotional ride for me. The last time I did this I was knocked out on the pavement by mile 4. Every time I saw a 5-mile marker I smiled and rejoiced, thankful that I made it a little further down the road. I was hyper-vigilant the entire ride, making sure to yell "on your left" loudly every time I passed someone, constantly looking over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't cutting anyone off, keeping my distance from other cyclists, and sitting up on turns and blind spots.

This course was far more challenging than I expected - they changed it this year and made it harder (that's why splits were slower than previous years). Coach Jonny told me to take it easy on the climbs (don't go above FTP), tuck in aero on the downhills (I ended up riding my brakes... ptsd?), and go to work on the flats.

I did ... I went all out on the flats. Didn't hold back at all. And it paid dividends. I rode my way from 143rd amateur woman to 30th. For the first time, I can finally say that I'm turning into a stronger cyclist (6th fastest in my age group). All of those 60 - 80 - 100 mile rides this summer + strength training + an awesome piece of equipment (Cervelo P3X) lead to massive gains.

Working the flat sections

When I saw the 55-mile marker and began to approach transition, I had the biggest smile on my face. Relieved that I made it back unscathed and proud of myself for facing my fears and giving it my all for 56 miles.

Approaching the dismount line

Photo courtesy of James Crumlin .. thanks for the cheers!!

13.1 Mile Run (half marathon) - 1:31 *fastest amateur woman*

There was actually an out and back section towards the end of the bike. It was the only time I was able to get a sense of where I was place wise. I counted at least 20 women wayyyy ahead. I knew I was going to have to run my *ss off if I wanted to get on the podium. 

I passed my parents and Chelsea within the first mile and that gave me some much needed energy. I briefly glanced at my Mom's face and could tell how relieved she was that I was off the bike and on the run course. Me too Mom, me too! I took in some nutrition and kept reminding myself to grab water, gatorade and ice at every aid station. It was getting HOT... upper 80s / low 90s at this point I believe.

I began to click off 6:45/6:50 miles (sub-1:30 pace). My Dad later asked me if I went out too fast. Nope! Coach didn't even give me rules to follow, he just said "do what you do." I figured it was best to go out fast early because it was only going to get hotter as the miles went on. I knew my body would begin to shut down later, but if I could hold it together and still maintain a faster pace then the other women then maybe I'd be in contention.

Thank you for the cheers Tony! I can't believe I spoke English.

The first 4 miles of loop one were great. Spectators lined the streets and I passed the BTA (Black Triathletes Association) tent where I was greeted with lots of cheers :-) Then things dramatically shifted. I began to suffer. My pace slowed and I wanted to walk. I just focused on making it to mile 6. I had to break the race up into small achievable goals. Aid stations became my docking station where I would "recharge" and I pretended that every cheer I heard was personally for me.

Through all of the suffering I was still passing 2-3 women each mile. On the second lap Khadijah shouted to me that I was moving up the leaderboard and running 40 sec/mile faster than some of the women ahead. I mumbled something back in gibberish. I wanted to walk like you wouldn't believe so I was grateful that she was giving me stats throughout the race. It was so hard though!! I began to talk to myself..."you're a warrior...you've gotten through much worse... you're one of the toughest chicks out here ... blah blah blah."

With less than 2 miles to go Chelsea began to sprint parallel to me on the sidewalk encouraging me to keep fighting and passing people. I did. I ran my way into 6th place for amateur woman and crossed the line in an official time of 4:49:10.

My parents were there to greet me and it was a very emotional moment. I was bummed that I missed a top 3 spot. I think I even said something to the tune of "maybe I'm just not cut out for this sport" to my Mom. However, now that I've had time to reflect on everything - the crash, recovery, training, and race - I realized something about myself: I am tough! I know how to put up a good fight. Less than 6 months ago I was physically and mentally broken, but I didn't let it destroy my spirit or take away my drive to compete. While my best wasn't good enough to qualify me for a pro card, I KNOW I did everything in my power to give myself a shot.

One final race for the year...
I am doing my first full IRONMAN next weekend, and it's a HUGE one. I'm flying to Kona to participate in the *drumroll* IRONMAN World Championships in Hawaii!!! I've been keeping this a secret because 1) I wanted to make sure I could get through Augusta first, 2) I did not "earn" my spot in Kona - it was a gift from my sponsor HOKA ONE ONE (they get a slot since they sponsor the race, they offered me the golden ticket), and 3) honestly, I'm sensitive and wasn't sure I could handle criticism for being given a slot. Still, I'm putting it out there. I accepted the slot. I am bib # 404 and I'm going to give my all on Saturday, October 12th. I have no time goals. I respect the distance. I respect the race. The best of the very best athletes in the world will be there and I'm just honored to share the course with them. To even finish a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and marathon run is commendable. I will follow whatever race plan my coach gives me and hopefully that will be enough to cross the finish line with my head held high.

You can follow my personal Kona journey via my Instagram page (link also below) where I will be posting frequently over the next week. I will also be taking over HOKA's Instagram story this weekend so please follow them as well: https://www.instagram.com/hokaoneone/

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A post shared by Sika Henry (@sikahenry) on Sep 29, 2019 at 7:43pm PDT

Thank you to my family, friends, and companies that supported me this season (Sponsors: HOKA ONE ONE, Zoot Sports, In & Out Express Care, Point 2 Running Company; Support: Sfuels, Cervelo, ISM, HED Wheels, Village Bicycles, Hawaii Blue, HUSO, Saris). You did not have to ride the roller coaster with me, but you did. I am forever grateful <3

Cheers!

The Comeback

My first race back ... a totally unexpected WIN!

Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second. Give your dreams all you’ve got, and you’ll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you. 

~William James

After my crash in April, I can't tell you how many times I heard "so you're done, right?" And then a look of "you are crazy to ever get back on a bike." You know the saying 'I didn't come this far to only come this far'... that is 100% how I feel. I've put in way too much work and received too much help along the way, for that day, that race, that crash .. to Just. Be. It.

I'm not going to pretend like this has been an easy road to recovery. Listen ... I crashed head first into the pavement at over 25 mph not too long ago. I broke my nose, had ~40 stitches to 6 sections of my face, knocked my teeth lose, lost mobility in my neck, had road rash on my arms, legs, hands, and both sides of my face.

April, May, June

On the flip side, I've healed incredibly fast! I was lucky enough to not break any major limbs or suffer from a serious concussion (or worse). This meant that I was cleared to do light exercise two weeks after my crash. Most people would think this is too soon, but I believe this is what helped me recover so quickly - blood circulation, getting outside, not laying in bed depressed. (Side note: Everyone is different. Listen to your doctor!!)

My first official run back!

Coach started me back with a walk, and then we built up to a slow jog with walk breaks... no more than 3 miles total. I did it on the track to make sure my balance and coordination were ok. My Mother came and watched me like a hawk. Super annoying!! Every few laps I'd hear "you're going too fast" "how many laps was that" "isn't that enough". I felt like a teenager again. But there's no way I could have done this without my Mom, Dad, and Brother. I pretty much wanted to disappear into oblivion and not see anyone, but my family was not having it. So I went out busted, bandaged and all... and began living again ;-)

Mom, Dad, Nile, Pete (my brother's boxing coach), and I at the pub to watch the fight.

Props to my Coach, Jonny O, who's been riding this roller coaster with me - checking in, adjusting my schedule (sometimes daily), holding me back, and encouraging me to stay positive.

Me: I can't swim. I can't even put goggles on my face.

Coach Jonny: There is no "can't". We will find a solution.

Coach Jonny found some goggles big and gentle enough for me to start swimming again!

Since I totaled my bike, I rode the stationary at the gym...

"That's not too far from where you were before you got fitted properly" - Dan Empfield

Speaking of Dan (Empfield), he did two things that I will forever be grateful for: 1) He gave me a platform to speak up about something I believe all IRONMAN / 70.3 athletes should have access to - Disclosure at the Point of Registration. Had I known that IRONMAN 70.3 Texas was an age group start versus a rolling start I never would have registered. Unfortunately, like nearly all IM-branded races, that information was not made public until a couple of weeks before the race - well after registration. As nervous as I was going public with my thoughts and opinions, I'm just as proud of myself for speaking up about something I believe all athletes should have access to.

2) "The wizard behind the curtain" - that's what he is. I have Dan to thank for getting me back on a bike and riding again. It's hard not to get excited about being back on the road when you get to ride this beauty:

Thank you Cervelo, HED Wheels, and ISM for building me a dream bike..

...and Walt and Connie at Village Bicycles for putting it together <3

Back to Racing

There's no way I could wait 6 months to a year before I raced again. I didn't want the crash to be my last memory of doing a triathlon. Coach and I agreed that the sooner I could get back out on a course, the better.

My last triathlon kit was cut off of me when I was unconscious in the ER. Thank you Zoot Sports for not hesitating to make me another one.

As soon as I told my parents I was racing, my Mother hopped on Amtrak.

Coach Jonny and I decided that my first race back would be the Jamestown Sprint in Williamsburg since it was local and I love Kinetic Multisports races. Unfortunately a storm rolled through the night before the race, and considering I just had the splint removed (holding my teeth in place) two days before, my parents talked some sense into me and I nixed the idea. I was super bummed!! Luckily Rev3 was putting on a race within driving distance (about an hour outside of DC) 2 weeks later.

Race Plan

Nada! Coach told me to just go out, have fun, and get it done. My one and only goal was to cross the finish line. It was strange not having numbers (power, pace, etc) to obsess over. I didn't even have pre-race nerves about placing. I honestly accepted that there was a chance I'd end up doing the breast stroke, light pedaling and walking the course. Whatever I needed to do to cross the finish line safe with a smile on my face!

My swim was ... I don't even know the words... a disaster. I was initially surrounded by a ton of people and got kicked a few times. I decided to stop, tread, and wait for open water. By the time I reached shore I was at least 4 minutes down from the top women = an eternity in a sprint distance race.

Photo Credit: Andre Fraser

Super embarrassing to admit this, but the transition from swim to bike was uphill. I had my bike in the easiest gear, but I think because I was a little jittery I fell off trying to mount. Ugh!! Luckily it didn't shake me. Once I got going I actually felt great! Maybe my amazing bike had something to do with it ;-)

I made up some time on the bike and began to start thinking about overall place. The run course was so HARD! Up, up, up, then down, but somehow I was picking off people rather quickly. I thought to myself "how cool would it be to place in my age group." 

My last mile split was about 6 minutes flat, and with 400 meters left I passed the first female and....

WON!!!!!

Fastest women's run / 5th fastest overall including men

Dad: How'd you do?

Me: I won!!!

Dad: I thought you said it was supposed to be competitive??

My Dad ... always keeping me humble! My mother didn't even understand why I ran through the tape or why I was holding it. When I explained that I won we both started to cry. She has been at every doctor's appointment and seen me at my lowest. So Mom, if you are reading this, THANK YOU!

Whenever you think your crash is horrific, know that there are others that have experienced much worse. It was a pleasure meeting you Tanyia!

Thanks for the cool pics Andre :-)

What's next...
I'm not sure just yet. I'd like to do another sprint, build up to an Olympic distance race, and of course race IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta in September. My goals are still the same. In fact, this short video I did with HOKA and IRONMAN sums it up perfectly:

Thank you to everyone on Team Sika <3 And, as always, thanks for following my journey. I'll continue to post updates on Instagram:

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Boulder + Dave Scott + HOKA + IRONMAN = 💯 Learning a lot in a short period of time! #thankful #grateful #learning #improvements #tweaks #adjustments #help #swim #bike #run #triathlon #davescott #legend #boulder #tri #hokaoneone #ironman #filming #video #moments #captured

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