I 'Raced' a 50K .. and still chasing that pro card

Since I started this blog back in 2012 I have posted a recap after every race. From my very first triathlon (a sprint) to crossing the finish line at the 2019 IRONMAN World Championships. So many ups and downs - from PRs and marathon wins to a major bike crash and just missing qualifying for my pro card. No matter the outcome, I have always found writing cathartic.

Now with COVID and races seemingly on hold, I haven't updated this blog since March!! However *drum roll* I technically raced last weekend.... in the "Steven Keller / Sika Henry 50K". A self-supported, 31-mile ultramarathon through the streets of Newport News and Hampton, VA, made up by yours truly 😅

I'm finally on Strava!

This was originally supposed to be a live, in-person race hosted by Flat-Out Events at the Noland Trail, but it was postponed until next year due to COVID. Lucky for me, my friend Steven asked if I still had plans to run the distance and offered to pace me. Side Note: he won Ultraman Florida, has qualified and raced in Kona yada yada... he's legit.

Finding ways to stay motivated

When Challenge Cancun and IRONMAN 70.3 Eagleman were cancelled this year, plus pools closed and social distancing in place, Coach Jonny gave me about a month of down time. Truth be told, I needed it. I was dealing with so many nagging injuries. While I'm proud of how quickly I came back after that epic crash last year, it took it's toll. I was truly riding that fine line of being in the best shape of my life and red lining before my half ironman in Cancun in April.

I still haven't gotten used to this "new normal" but I'm making the most out of it by doing things I typically struggle to find the time to do. 

Like spending weeks up north with my family (since I'm working remotely for now)

Mom, Dad, Nile (brother), and MOSES the Frenchie <3

Writing a heartfelt article for Bicycling Magazine on what brought me back to this sport after last year's accident, and why I truly believe representation matters:

https://www.bicycling.com/culture/a33511293/sika-henry-triathlon-needs-more-diversity/

And partnering with wonderful companies like HOKA ONE ONE who give their athletes a platform to share personal experiences in their respective sports:

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A post shared by HOKA ONE ONE (@hokaoneone) on Jun 15, 2020 at 12:30pm PDT

I also set new athletic goals since I won't be racing a triathlon again until 2021. I wish I could say I'm self motivated, but I'm not. I need a carrot. So I wrote down three goals. 1) Race a 50K, 2) Break 18 minutes in the 5K, 3) Race a marathon (haven't done one since 2017... the marathon at the end of an Ironman doesn't count!).

First I did a solo 5K time trial on the track. 

18:39 (5:50, 6:01, 6:11). You know what? I was pleasantly surprised by this. Considering my lack of speed training, previous focus on the half / full ironman, and it being hot and humid, I'm excited that this is my base time. 40 seconds to drop between now and December.

Next up was a 50K. Ugh .... oh man. That.Was.Hard!!! It started out like this...

I was all happy and talkative and enjoying the first loop. Then it gradually began to wear on me. By the end, I wanted to cry 😆 Keep in mind the circumstances. It was three ~10.3 mile loops, hopping on and off sidewalks, with 2 stoplights to navigate every loop. Plus this was self supported so there were no aid stations along the way. We only had one place to grab and dump fuel... my driveway! And last but not least, this was a two-man / woman show. No crowd, support, cheers, nada. Just Steven striding along effortlessly, occasionally glancing back to make sure I wasn't curled up in a ball on Big Bethel Rd.

I'm surprised how similar this felt to a marathon. Going through the half marathon mark I felt AMAZING, but once I hit mile 17 I started to feel a bit tired, less pep in my step. By mile 21 it was a wrap. I was hitting the wall. My legs felt heavy and negative thoughts crept in my head like "why the hell are you out here running 31 miles in the rain." My thoughts must have shown because Steven started yelling out positive affirmations "you're good at negative splitting... stay strong... no 7:30 minute miles allowed". I kept my mouth shut for fear that I would be verbally abusive and he'd leave me out there alone.  

We went through the marathon in 3:09 and let me just be real for a second, had he not been there I would have quit and walked my sorry behind home those last 5 miles.

But I didn't quit! I used every mental game in the book to get to mile 31. Official time: 3:45:26. Faster than I ran my very first marathon. Crazy what you're capable of, right?

What's next....

A marathon! Live, in-person. I have 4 weeks to recover, rebuild and race the Tidewater Strider Marathon in Chesapeake, VA (side note: registration is closed). 

My Marathon Progression:

2007 - 3:58:05

2015 - 3:11:16

2015 - 3:07:43

2016 - 3:06:55

2017 - 3:00:06

2020 - ???????

Excited to see what time I can run next month! And last but not least, since this is my blog and I can say what I want, go out and VOTE ;-)

First Race of 2020 - One City Half Marathon...

.. a disappointing, painful 1:27!

This is so true...

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A post shared by Sika Henry (@sikahenry) on Mar 4, 2020 at 11:33am PST

Sunday's race was a mental test more than a physical one.
- 2 1/2 hour bike workout the day before the race: check
- Feeling lethargic from swim/bike training: check
- Minimal running in January due to a random foot injury: check
- Only one speed workout (and could barely hold 6:50 pace): check

I begged my coach to taper me for this race. I HATE not being competitive. I love to chase PRs, see solid proof that I'm improving, and of course I love to place well - especially in a hometown race. His response: "If you're concerned about performing at small races, you need to be ok with being average at the big one." Alrighty then... let's stick to the goal..get me ready to rock and roll at next month's Half Ironman.

So there I was on the start line, exhausted, sore, and wondering how on earth I was going to make it through 13.1 miles.

Eye's closed and suffering not even 5K into the race FML

I planned to stick with the 1:30 half marathon pace group for the first few miles, but when the horn blew the competitor in me took over and I went through the first mile in 6:44. I felt like 💩. To put things in perspective, I went out at a faster pace at IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta. I literally swam 1.2 miles, biked 56 miles, then set out at a faster pace in the blistering summer heat in Georgia. I tried to convince myself that I'd get into a rhythm and feel better after I got through the first few miles.

Mile 2: 6:41
Mile 3: 6:44
Mile 4: 6:42

The amount of energy I was exerting just to hold 6:40s was brutal. I knew by the fourth mile that it was going to be one of those days where there is no runner's high, no rhythm, no sporadic "wow that mile went by really fast" feeling. So I tried to draw strength from anything I could find. I was lucky enough to be running side by side with another woman - Cathy Moore - and we chatted for a bit. I asked her what her goal time was and she said "1:26 but I'm not on pace yet". She asked me my goal time and I think I mumbled "I really just need to finish so I'll try to stick with you."

Mile 5: 6:38
Mile 6: 6:45
Mile 7: 6:45

Mile legs were feeling every bit of the previous day's bike workout (2 hours, 30 mins with 4 x 10 minutes at 90% FTP with 5 minutes recovery). If you're a triathlete you know what I'm talking about!!

By mile 8 I got dropped. Cathy put about a 15 second gap on me and I was running all alone. Luckily we had the elite aid station right around this time. I grabbed my bottle of Sfuels off the table and chugged as much as I could before I had to toss it.

I immediately felt a little better (mile 8: 6:39) and convinced myself to try to catch up because it's so much easier running with someone else versus alone (mile 9: 6:36, mile 10: 6:41). With 5K to go I was toast but I find that if you focus on increasing the effort (leg turnover, drive the arms) and things that keep you relaxed (long deep breaths, release the tension in my shoulders) it serves as a good distraction from the misery.

Mile 11: 6:37
Mile 12: 6:36

I caught Cathy and yelled "let's go". We began what felt like a long sustained sprint. We began to pass a few guys which was encouraging, but I had nothing left in my legs and she blew by me. (Go Cathy!)

Mile 13: 6:29 - my fastest mile

Cathy and I. Thank you for letting me latch onto you for miles!!!

As I prep for my first big event - a Half Ironman at Challenge Cancun next month - I'm feeling a range of emotions. This is the most confident I've felt on a bike... go figure after my horrific crash last year. Top line is this year's watts, bottom line is last year's watts - basically my average power is about 20 watts higher than last year. I attribute a lot of these gains to 1) truly enjoying riding more , 2) my equipment (Saris H3 Smart Trainer, Cervelo P3X + HED wheels + ISM saddle), 3) my Coach Jonny who pushes me threw some grueling workouts, 4) my morning strength conditioning sessions with Danielle, and 5) using some pretty amazing devices to heal and recover quicker - HUSO Sound Therapy and Speed Hound's Recovery Boots System.

I've also found a lot of  joy in "giving back". I've spoken at universities, on tv, and even in front of who's who in the triathlon industry, but speaking to an auditorium filled with elementary school students was the SCARIEST!! But oh so rewarding. I'm truly grateful that I was able to connect with Jeremy Wall, Student Involvement Specialist for Newport News Public Schools, and I'm looking forward to speaking at two more upcoming public school events this month :-) (I discuss the positive impact sports have had on my life, the importance of habits and consistency, and how you can find inner strength to get back up after you've been knocked down - in my case racing at the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona after my traumatic crash)

They were super well behaved. When I showed them my crash photos they let out a collective "whoooaaaa" haha!!

Better than a finisher's medal at a race!

Last but not least, in case you're new to my blog, here's a three part docu-series I filmed with HOKA and IRONMAN that came out last month. They filmed me chasing my pro card, everything I went through after my crash, training with 6X IRONMAN World Champ Dave Scott, and my first time racing at Kona in October. Enjoy ;-)

Part I: Chasing history and ending up in the ER

Part II: Post Crash and training with 6X IRONMAN World Champion Dave Scott


Part III: Racing at IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta then Kona 2 weeks later