My Journey Through IMCHOO

I know this blog is going to be emotional. It is going to be rant-filled to an extent, unfiltered to an extent, and not necessarily politically correct when it comes to my current perception of IM as an organization or some of the decisions made about IMCHOO.


 For those who may not know, a standard Ironman event includes: 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 run. These athletic feats are generally done from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. or 17 hours. I write standard, because IMCHOO is anything but standard. We knew when we signed up that our time limit would be shorter. It was originally published at a 16:30 time limit. Okay. As it got closer to race time we saw that number shrink to between 16:20 - 15:45 depending on when you were able to get into the water. Ouch, but still optimistic. Even closer to the actual race, athletes find out that the bike course is actually 116 miles. Some even report that the bike route is 116.68 miles. The negative outcry from athletes caused the race organizers to extend the bike cutoff from 6:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. and the race end from 12:00 a.m. to 12:15 a.m. From an athlete's point-of-view, I would have liked to have seen the full 17 hour time limit, common for IM events, plus the extra 15 minutes for the extra distance.

I've gotten a little ahead of myself. This adventure started in early Sept. 2013, when we decided to commit to this race. By a stroke of luck, we both were able to get registered after the FUBAR that is Active.com and mass registrations. The registration website servers crashed due to volume. Teresa was entered and I was stuck in a digital queue for hours before I was officially registered. The race sold out in minutes, but ultimately we both got into the race. We developed a training plan. We incorporated all of the local and destination races we wanted into a year long swimming, biking, and running adventure. Week in and week out we exercised 5-6 days a week with morning swims, evening runs, and century bicycle rides. Admittedly, we did slack off some during the heat of the summer. By some stoke of luck we avoided injury until August. I developed a neuroma (nerve) issue in my right foot and in September I think I fractured a rib on my left side. The last couple of weeks before IMCHOO was some major recovery time. On September 28 I felt calm, confident, healthy, and ready.

Final equipment checks

Final bike checks

Pre-race photo outside of Transition - 4:25 a.m.

The Swim

I found a snooze button.
5:00 a.m.

We went to practice to get a feel for the borderline wetsuit optional swim. The water was 76 degrees for practice. I went without a wetsuit and it was perfect. I completed 3 practice laps at an estimated 0.25 miles each. No side/rib issues. No issues with temperature. Water was great.

The morning of, we were in line for the swim by 5:00 a.m. We were easily 200 yards from the front of the line. We think we were in the water within 2 minutes of the age-grouper's start time.
I jumped in right behind Teresa without hesitation or nerves. I started swimming. I managed to almost run into the first buoy, but after that it was smooth sailing. Even the dead body they found in the river across from swim exit didn't ruin the swim for me. (http://www.newschannel9.com/news/top-stories/stories/body-found-floating-tenn-river-during-ironman-competition-12980.shtml). My official swim time is 1:02:08. I felt strong coming out of the water and jogged up the incline into the transition area. Without my glasses I completely blew by my gear bag and made two full lengths of the gear-bag pickup area which delayed me into the changing tent.

We swam under this bridge with a dead body, apparently.

T1

Placing the bike gear bag

I can't make fun of Teresa's color
coded packing list anymore

This was my first time in a transition area like this, the concept of the gear-bag was pretty new. I could have shaved some time by packing things a little better. Teresa's meticulous packing was spot on. I had all the supplies I needed, but they weren't laid-out or prepped as well as they could be. I also think as was photographed naked. I didn't realize the chair I chose yielded a clear line of sight to the crowd. You're welcome, ladies. 0:12:58. Lesson learned.

The Bike

I had some concerns about the bicycle portion of this race. We knew there was some significant climb on the route. We knew it was going to be long. I made the decision a month ago that I didn't want a computer or a watch for this event because I didn't want to keep watching the time and get frustrated. I wasn't 100% about my bicycle seat adjustments. I didn't want to push so much that I didn't have any energy for the run.

I felt good during the first lap. The hills didn't feel as "rolling" as I hoped. The bicycle isn't my strongest discipline, but I felt comfortable on my bike and my nutrition plan was working well. Miraculously, I didn't have any mechanical issues even with oil and tacks on the course (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2014/sep/28/chattanooga-ironman-bike-course-sabotaged-tacks-an/).

I stopped at an aid-station to use the bathroom and then continued to the Special Needs area. After I left the bike special needs at about mile 53, I didn't feel like I was moving nearly as fast. I'm not sure if it was a wind shift  or just a slow climb along 341 back to Hwy 193. My second lap went much the same. I fought along 193, cruised Hog Jowl Rd, and ebbed and flowed to Chickamauga. Again, I stopped to use the restroom. Rain started at about my 80 mile mark. The stretch from Chickamauga to 193 and back to the bike finish felt never ending. Rain fell a little harder. The final stretch was testing. I wondered if I would make the cutoff. I wondered if I would realistically have enough time to finish a marathon before 12:15 a.m. My best marathon to date is about 5 hours 30 minutes, and that was well rested and about 7 months ago. I was relieved that the clock said it was only about 5:35 p.m. when I pulled into T2. My right foot was hurting, but otherwise I was feeling good, with renewed hope. My official bike time is 8:47:01. I expected it to take 7:30:00. This put me behind by a large margin.

T2

My bag was blinged with Marvel duct tape

I found my bag with ease.

I had my own volunteer. This transition went smoother but I still had the disorganization and light lack of prep. I could have shaved some time by packing things a little better. I had all the supplies I needed, but they weren't laid-out or prepped as well as they could be. 0:8:39. I ran into Teresa's parents just out of transition and got a status report about her. She was 1:45:00 ahead. She was doing great!

The Run

I did very well on the bike as far as nutrition was concerned. My combination of Water, Perform, Salt, Peanut MMs, Huma Energy Shots, Core Power Chocolate Milk, and Uncrustables on the bike kept me level. I started the run with two more uncrustables. The first mile was slow run/walking.

Emotionally, the last 15 minutes of the bike and
the first 15 minutes of the run were hardest.
It was the only time I had a dark mood.

I passed Teresa at that 1st water-stop. She was at her mile 8. She was a sight for sore eyes. I kept run/walking. My legs were tight and wouldn't loosen up. Mile 2 was much of the same. My plan going into the run was to run from one water stop to the next. I stopped at about 2.5 miles for a restroom break. When I came out I was able to meet up with Robert. He was approaching his mile 16; I was approaching mile 3. His enthusiasm was a great pick-me-up. He offered to run some intervals with me. I accepted and pushed out 2 minutes with him and a 30 second walk. That was all it took. My legs were back. My pace was still significantly slower than his so I thanked him and he was off.  After that I jogged. From mile 3 to mile 11. Then I walked up one, big hill. Then I jogged again until my run special needs bag at 13.5. I was delayed trying to restock my nutrition and down some IB profin. Then I jogged again, from 13.5 to 21.5. At approximately 11:05 p.m. I was pulled from the course. I was told I didn't make the 22 mile cutoff (or over the bridge by 10:50 p.m.). I've been crunching numbers all morning. I didn't have a watch so I had to rely on others, volunteers, for information toward the end of the night. When I was stopped I was told it was 11:05 p.m. and I was at 21.5 miles and the route was closed. After 15 minutes of standing, waiting for a race official, and then pleading for the chance to continue we were told we would have to turn in our chips and sign a wavier to continue. It didn't matter if we could complete the remaining distance before 12:15 a.m. Our race was over. I was at about 15:30:00 on the course. The others in my same position were at 15:00:00 because of their wetsuit delay during the swim. We were all disappointed and pissed because we all were looking strong and could have finished.

Reflection

It's no secret that I am bitter for being pulled from the race an hour and ten minutes before the actual end. My pace was such that I feel I could have made it before the 12:15 a.m cutoff. I feel like I was robbed of that final 4.7 miles - that time when I could have dug even deeper and successfully finished a year-long obsession.

I want to make it clear, I take complete responsibility for my performance. I had a rough bicycle ride and it set me back about an hour from my estimates. I was having a great run. I simply would have appreciated the chance to finish what I started. When I came around the corner and saw the gator blocking the route, my heart sank. I still felt strong and was running a consistent pace at 21.5 miles and 11:05 p.m. The miles were ticking down, and I was moving forward.

My night ended at 11:05 p.m. I fought the urge to quit after the bike. I fought during the run. With existing data, I figured I was on the course for 15 hours and 34 minutes.  It was a long day of perpetual motion and my body took it in stride. More importantly, my mind took it. I didn't rage-out on the bike when I was noticeably slower than I should be; I didn't get angry during the run. If I felt like I was about to go dark, mood-wise, I ate or drank something. I stayed level the entire day. Deep breaths, in and out, and kept moving forward.

Day before, close to swim exit and run start

 It was a perfect day for the event. The water was PERFECT. The weather on the bike, first lap, was overcast with slight wind. The second lap was overcast, light/moderate rain, and increased wind, but temperatures stayed comfortable and the humidity was not even noticeable, at least when compared to home. The run was overcast, then dark. Light wind, I think. I was never cold and always comfortable. It really couldn't have been any better weather.

I can't say enough positive things about the volunteers and the community.

And after the race we bought cloud cakes, star crunches,
granola bars, nutty bars, and powdered donuts...
and began to eat them...all.

I am also very grateful to Little Debbie as a sponsor. They were great! I would have liked to have seen more of there snacks available during the run, but I think they took a more cautious approach to the sponsorship because of some athlete backlash upon the title sponsor announcement. Teresa and I took the time to visit their main bakery store and talked to some of the employees. It was apparent that Little Debbie as a company has a positive, exercise focused culture. Kudos to them for supporting exercise and the community!

Would I recommend an Ironman event to someone else? That depends. Ultimately, I'd do this again so I can conquer the route. If I had my choice between brands of race, I would probably pick a different one. I understand IM is the biggest player in the sport. I can appreciate that you have to pay, and for all intensive purposes, the good out-weighed the bad in this race, even with the revolving changes in time/deadlines and course/routes. Unfortunately, my final memory of an otherwise good day was negative. I could have finished in the time allotted, and I will finish next time.

I do take solace in knowing that some of the money goes toward a very good cause, research for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis - two painful, debilitating, and seldom-discussed digestive diseases (http://www.ccfa.org/)

My psychology background, and my wife tells me, to expect navigating the 5 stages of grief to deal with the emotional turmoil associated with not finishing.

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

I quickly moved through Denial but banged around Anger, Bargaining, and Depression over the last couple of days. I think I am at Acceptance, but I do get teary every time I read comments. I can't thank everyone enough for the well wishes and support for the last year and over the course of the event.


This blog has been cathartic. I hope it was a good read. Always KEEP MOVING FORWARD.



Will I do another one? Yes, 2015.

 

Packing

In the past I have been the "pack three days early and call it normal" type of person.  However, over the last year of racing my packing has become more of the "days in advance" kind of packing.  This change has occurred for a few different reasons: 1) We raced a lot this year; 2) We only have so much racing and training clothing and supplies; 3) We have a LIFE!!!
Because of this and trying to be at peace iin my life I handled IMCHOO packing in stages. 
STAGE ONE: Mind Planning
This planning occurs only in my head.  Making mental list of what needs to be found and what may need to be purchased.
STAGE TWO: Mock List
These are a grouping of lists.  A lot like writing notes on napkins in a dark jazz bar.  These list get lost, rewritten, found in glove boxes and shorts pockets.
STAGE THREE: The List
Finally, making a REAL list.  This list will be the base for packing.  My list has everything from medications to shoes.  Top to bottom of how this is going to go down.  My list is color coded by stages-- hotel stay, morning of, swim, T1, bike, bike special needs, T2, run, run special needs.  All supplies are listed and grouped for each bag.
STAGE FOUR: Packing Preperation
I cleaned the room for packing.  Laid out Ziplock bags.  Set up tape.  Lay out the list.
STAGE FIVE: Normal Stuff
This is the easy phase of packing, it includes packing the clothing worn when not racing, some practice clothes, shorts, t-shirts, underwear, hotel pajamas.  This is easy.  Three days laid out.
STAGE SIX: Event Stuff
This is the technical phase.  Piles of items stack up in rough, symbolic groupings.  Piece by piece items went into bags, clothing was laid out.  The list was checked off and double checked.  Conversations happened between Patrick and I to make sure all needs were meet.  Once all in bags (with labels) the event bags are cleared and repacked with only these items these now vital items. 
STAGE SEVEN: The Cooler
There are a few coolers going with us- that that can be eaten on the trip and that which is saved for the course. 
STAGE EIGHT:
Line it all up.  Count it all out. And DONE.

The final part to this will be washing the bikes and car and loading it all up!!!

Four days form race day, here we go.

7 Days Out from IMCHOO- MOT Event

Today marks 7 days from Ironman Chattanooga.
Today also marks the end of our Mere Mortals summer tri training.  Every year this moment is marked by the Member's Only Triathlon- it is closed to the public but those of us who have been training together for the last few months have an opportunity to race, cheer, and hang out together.
For Patrick and I this is the last race before IMCHOO.  The last time we will move through transitions.  The last time we will rack our bikes.  The last time we will mount our bikes and dismount our bikes on a line in on the asphalt.  The last time we will rinse our feet, slide on sock and shoes.  This was it the last race before Ironman.


SWIM
This race morning was met with winds, which for a Gulf swim means waves!  The waves were breaking in sets of three, out as far as 50 yards, breaking 3-4 feet high.  In addition to this challenge there was a current forcing us down the course and slightly out to sea.  While going with the current is GREAT, the problem is when swimming to and from the shore, you are still being pushed and having to redirect back on line with the buoy or land point.
On my way out the the first buoy I worked hard to dolphin kick since the waves were making it shallow in spots, a standing push was the easiest way to fight the current from pushing you back to shore.  Once able to swim steady, I started my three stroke breathing, still riding the waves but not being pulled as badly.
Almost to the first buoy I had a much needed magical moment.  A dolphin swam under me and the woman next to me.  He came from the right hand side and was pushing against the current with ease.  As he passed under me he leaned to his right raising his fin.  It was a brief moment but made me feel like a giddy kid- I wanted so badly to grab the woman next to me and confirm she had seen it too!!  I swam on.  Feeling safe and secure.  As we went along there was additional sea life.  Mostly fish but also some rays hunkered to the bottom.     

There were waves.

After the dolphin spotting I made my turn around the first buoy.  It took a few times to spot the next buoy this was caused by a few factors.  (1) The waves were causing a block in siting.  I had to push myself up out of the water to catch the first glimpse.  Once spotted I was on track and able to see it with each spotting (as long as I timed the waves).
(2) The men's grouping seemed once again to be tracking off course.  I saw a sea on bobbing swim caps, the problems was they were not really in front of me and did not appear to be between me and the buoy.  I spotted up the buoy twice before making my line, making sure I was not missing it if the middle buoy was out a little further in the line.  I was not but it would seem the leader to the middle of the men's pack was going to get a long swim in today.  Patrick confirmed that the men went for a wide turn of the third buoy.
After making the last turn to shore it was now about safely body surfing back in.  While I would not recommend body surfing 7 days out from IMCHOO, there was little choice on this day once I was out there.  The waves pushed me slightly off course, at which point I figured getting to shore was the best option.
Once on shore it is a long haul up the beach to solid ground and then over and into transition.  I hit the shore as the second female.  I wanted to stay in this position and there was an other woman coming up fast.  I beat her up the sand.  Patrick was there about to enter transition.  I yelled to alert him to me.  He high fived and we shared, "good job".  In this moment she got slightly in front of me.  Yes, I kicked it up and pushed to get back in front.
I was officially the second woman out of the water and into transition.  (Not to worry the woman I passed would speed past me shortly, because she was wicked fast!!!!)

BIKE

Patrick on the bike.

Head wind, lots of head wind.  Serious head wind.  I dropped my gearing and spun.  Legs not thrilled but they were working hard into the wind.  As I glanced down my bike computer started off strong with 16 mph, at times it dropped to 12 mph.  I tried to ignore it, just spin.  Smile and spin.  Once we were outside of the ally of homes and condos the wind was straight in our faces.  Spin, spin, spin.  The day was beautiful.  Even more beautiful was the turn around point.  We turned in an unoccupied parking lot, right turn, crossing wind, left turn, strongest head wind, left turn, cross wind, left turn, TAIL WIND.  Oh the glory of a tail wind.
Again a glance of two down at my bike computer, 19 mph, 20 mph, maxing out at 21.8 mph (I am sure for only a short period of time).  My end pace was 16 mph.
In order to return to the transition area we had to obey all traffic rules (since it was an open course), meaning going up to a light and waiting.  There were about 8 of us by the time the light changed.  We all fell to our order of approach as we returned to the transition area.  At the light a few brakes squealed behind us as we started to move, I was too chicken to look back.  If the cyclist could not stop I guess I didn't want to know they were about to hit me.  There was no accident so I guess they stopped.

RUN
Transitioning to the run is always a rough go for me.  Braces on, shoes on.  Helmet off- I have forgotten more than once.  Visor and race belt, here we go.
I am still getting use to my new brace.  Although it is the same as my previous brace it is still tighter and the Velcro is crazy strong.  I had to make a few adjustments before getting out of the parking lot.

Angry Runner!!!

I pressed on even though my legs are still not happy to run.  They screamed, I screamed louder.  My pace was slow.  In the start I was walking more than running.  My saving grace was a construction site porta potty (I am not ashamed).  After trying to stay hydrated on the bike, I was going to pay for it on the run.  My bladder screaming louder than my will.  I am good at run course porta potties, watching them to make sure they will not be occupied upon my arrival, trying to beat those behind me just to make it in first.  Look there is no mercy when it comes to having to pee.
A quick stop and back out to the course.  Feeling mucho better I was off again.  Not fast but going forward.  Run, run, run, and walk.  Water station.  Loop.  Back to the water station.  And let me say the water was perfectly cold at the water stop and handed out with smiles.
Upon heading back I was behind a woman who stopped to walk at the same time as me.  Then suddenly she yelled- "I am doing this, here I go.'  And she took off.  I took off behind her, while I followed in her trail for a good while I stopped to break before her.  I picked up another runner.  She and I went back and forth cheering and encouraging each other to the finish.  I don't know when she dropped back but as I turned into the parking lot I opened my stride and pushed to the end not knowing if my running buddy had a final push stronger than mine.  Again there are only 2 places I don't like to be passed- in the water and in the finish shoot.    

I could never have asked for a better friend to travel along this path with me.

Event done.  No blood.  Only took in limited salt water.  Biking in the wind simulated hills.  Running was... well, it was running.  Short race done now ready to have some Ironman fun!!!! 

   

A Moment in Time- A Look Back As we Look Forward

WARNING: Flight of Ideas.

In the Spring of 2013 after completing Ironman 70.3 New Orleans, we started to consider doing a full Ironman in 2014.  At the time we were looking at Ironman Louisville.  Before completing Ironman 70.3 Augusta we were preparing to sign up for the full.  Then things changed, a new Ironman opened up.  On 15 August 2013 Ironman Chattanooga came into view.  The race would open on noon 04 September 2013.  This meant a few things for us: 1) We would be signing up for a full before having done a second 70.3; 2) The last 70.3 [New Orleans] was rough; 3) We would have to sign up in the middle of a work day; 4) The question of would we both get in came up.



THE FIRST MOMENT
Given these questions on our mind I emailed the race organizer about the possibility of us both getting into the race.  I was told they did not expect the race to sell out quickly so there should be no problem with us both getting in to the event.  HA HA HA!!!  Well, it is a good thing I don't trust such advise.  Patrick and i were both at our computers at noon that day.  I left a training and he closed his office door.  At the ready when noon hit and the open indicator came up we both started.  Immediately I was in and registered. Then it happened.  The registration site went down Patrick's registration along with hundreds of others was stuck.  At first I thought he was joking.  I reentered the registration site and qued up a few more potential entries.  Waiting!!  I made a call to the registration site, the woman was nice but given that she was not the one to restart the system I made her stay on the phone with me till things were back up and running.  After a 2 hour wait Patrick was able to finally process his entry.  WE WERE NOW BOTH IN!!!  This was it we were going to Ironman!
We watched the news hit, a sell out race within minutes.  People angry with the crash, understandably angry.  A few were given entry.  Some were offered spots in other races before they opened.  Most were simply told "sorry".  We were given a gift, a opportunity.

THE INJURED MOMENTS
In November/ December 2013, I admitted defeat by admitting my foot was broken.  This was a disappointment to me, but earlier enough to train through and make a come back.  I would get the boot off in February and then off again in March- I was a little too quick to get back out on the road.  Thankfully I healed up and was back out.
In July I began to experience abdominal pain.  It went from possibly appendicitis to being an ovarian cyst, still not fun but manageable.    
In August 2014 Patrick injured his foot, making running difficult.  To top it off he injured his rib in a bike accident.  He continues to heal.
We have both had to push through moments of pain, doubt, and frustration.  

THE RACE MOMENTS

During this adventure we have raced almost every weekend, sometimes twice in the weekend.  We will have over 30 races by the time we race IMCHOO.  We have raced 5Ks to 70.3s and everything in between. 
We raced in the cold, in the heat, and in the rain.
We had races that seemed to go on forever and those done in a few seconds.  We challenged ourselves every step of the way. 
Bib numbers flipped past.

THE TRAINING MOMENTS
Joy. Tears. Screams. High Fives. Smiles. Growls. Side Stitches. Laughter. Mornings. Pain. Progress.
Everyday there was a mix of feelings, physical and emotional.  We pressed on from winter to spring to summer.  The seasons changed and we changed too.  Our bodies adapted to the training, to running, biking, and swimming.  Our bodies sometimes tried to say NO; sometimes we gave in to this demand.  In training we realized a very important factor we are human- we have jobs which are demanding, we have social clubs which are our destressors, we have our fur babies who deserve our time and love, we have friends and family who are our ever lasting support and sanity, and we have each other who without we would have so little.  Realizing in our training the importance of all of these factors we trained as to not forget about life.  We did not want to loose us in this adventure.

THE FINAL MOMENTS
Here we are 12 days out. These moments have been dreamed about.  We take a deep breath with each movement.  We try to live in the here and now, to breath in and breath out and move forward.  We are driven to push on despite short times and long roads, with the ever changing race.  This is an amazing place to be, like being 6 and counting down to Christmas.  There will be no Santa, it will not be so easy as opening packages, there will be no toys to play with afterwards.  No our day will be different it will be a gathering of athletes, volunteers, and spectators; we will open up bags of our own items sending us out to the next stage; in the end we will wear the medal of our victory.

THE MOMENTS OF WHY
We ask why, a lot.  Sometimes there are answers, sometimes there is only silence.
I can say this about the "whys" for me.  They are answered all with "because". 
Because my love, Patrick, love me, stands beside me, and believes in me.  Because he started a fire with a single spark in 2008.  Because life is meant to be challenged. Because the beauty of this world is best seen through goggles, with sounds of wind through your wheels, and the beat of your feet on the ground.  Because there are no better people in the world than those on the road, first timers to old timers.  Because adventure is the reason we thrive.  Because dreams are meant to be achieved.  Because someone said it wasn't  possible. Because someone said it could be done.  Because I want it. 
Why?
Because.  

Because I CAN!!!!

  

Beach Blast- RACE RECAP

This tri had added complications.  Given the factor that we have been training for the past year we are starting to have some moodiness.  This is said to often happen when tampering (or taking an exercise break). Given this added moodiness we were a little on edge with each other to start this adventure.  Adding to this factor, this is also a race course we have raced previously and Patrick HATES it!!!  He had sort of forgotten this in the 2 years since we did the race.  It isn't that it is a bad course, it is that the time of year either April or September that versions of this race are run it is hot- full on Florida HOT!
Let's talk about the race.
This race has many options a Sprint Triathlon or Duathlon, or Olympic Triathlon or Duathlon.  We selected the Olympic Tri (0.7 mile Swim, 25 mile Bike, and 6.2 mile Run)! 

SWIM
The swim was broken in to 3 waves.  First the disabled athletes, for our race this was one guy.  He is blind and was assisted by a visually able athlete.  Second the men's wave.  Third the women's wave.  This would mean for me that I would be in the last group to enter the water yet again. 
When we entered the water there were a number of women fighting to get out ahead.  Normally I would be one of those women but these were too aggressive even for me.  So I stuck to the inside and passed these women on the way out to the first buoy.  One thing to really make me hate you is to cut buoys on the swim course, one woman who had been squawking while we were on the sand did such a thing.  She went to the inside of the buoy, I guess instead of dropping behind me.  What else was I to do but leave her quickly behind?  So I did.  In the first straight away I started to catch some of the men's group, by the second turn i was in the thick of the boy's group.  We all were headed for two buoys that we were to go between before heading back out to loop again.  The sun was bright and in our eyes, making matters worse the round yellow buoys blended into the yellow swim caps.  I made my first turn feeling good, except for being in the middle of the directionally challenged (more on that in a minute).  On the second time in the straight away I had a guy actually grab my ankle, not just brush but grabbed.  And then he pulled like pulling me backwards, WHAT THE HELL DUDE???  One there is no need for that, try to swim over top of me, elbow me, brush against me, but don't be a jerk and pull me back just because you and being passed by a girl.  With a swift kick I left him behind too.  Final turn and headed towards shore, I could see the Sprint athletes grouping up, they were going out 24 minutes after us so they were beginning to be at the ready.  Upon coming out of the water this race has quiet the jaunt up to T1.  Up the beach, onto a boardwalk, over a road, then a ditch, a few steps, more boardwalk, more steps, across a field (with rocks under the rugs), across the mat and the swim in now in the books!
I was ranked 14th out of the entire race, I was the 5th female out of the water, and 1st in my age group. Even better I felt good.   Patrick was middle of the race pace coming out of the water, this is an improvement for him.  I was so proud to see how strong he has become in the swim.    
Now let's chat about the directionally challenged men's group.  In the beginning it seemed they were on track, all pointing the right direction to the first buoy.  Once the large portion of the group went around the first buoy they seemed to break into pieces, some looked almost headed back to shore others looked headed out to sea.  Then the horn went off for the women to start.  You would think this ends being able to see directional shifting of the men, but actually what happened is I found myself in the middle of them.  I know I was headed for the buoy, I know this because each time I looked up I was in line.  What I could not figure out was where the guys were headed.  Some were zigzagging in front of me, left, right, left.  Maybe they were trying to distract me from my destination, ploys to mess with me.  When I reached the turn around buoys it was a traffic jam.  It should have been easy, through the buoys turn to the left back out to the first buoy just like the first time.  This was not the case some where swimming towards the beach at the turn around point, some turned but went far to the right, some turned as if headed back the way they came.  I knew one thing, I wanted away for all of them.  I found a happy place between the front and the middle of their pack.  It was easier here until the leg pull.  Oh boys.

BIKE
My T1 was fairly easy going.  Washed my feet, socks, shorts, shoes, washed face, sunglasses, helmet, out! 
The first portion of the bike is on Highway 98 and with recent rains there were a few puddles and sand.  This was not so fun, since avoiding these areas was difficult given the limited road access. 
After making the turn north it was a straight 12 mile shot out.  This portion of the race is part of the reason Patrick is not a fan of this race.  he says it is a boring ride.  I like it though.  There are pine trees and more pine trees to look at, but more than that the part I like is the smell out there.  The moist pine, the dirt, the fresh air.  It makes me happy.  Now one part that makes me less happy is the road.  If you ride too close to the right hand side it gets bumping- like bounce you off your bike bumpy.  This means you have to ride to the left leaving less room for passing in the lane.  This need to shift out in the lane is okay if other riders would call their shot to alert when passing.  Since they don't make this call there ends up being a few close calls, even when I glanced backwards to make sure I was clear. 
On the route there is one major hill (well, 2 if you count it when coming back too)- well, it is actually a bridge, a slow climbing bridge.  The good thing about bridges is once you reach the top there is no place to go but down!!!  
I felt good on the ride averaging at 17.1mph, a good ride for me.  It did put me towards the back of the race pack, but I was good knowing I had pushed hard.  One of the things you learn as a triathlete who is good in the swim, is that you spend a good part of the next two portions of the race getting passed by those who are not so good in the swim.  You learn to get use to it- keeping in mind that every person who passes you, you passed first!   

RUN
My T2 was alright.  I struggled getting my new knee brace on.  It was tight and difficult to get on just right with the knee support (but I really like it).  I was able to get out of transition just shy of 2:30 minutes.
The run???  Well, my run sucked.  Thanks to a decent swim and bike, I was not the last to finish, although my run time was close to the longest.  I had a rough time in the heat and humidity.  The run course is on black top with shade seen for a total of about a 1/4 of a mile out of the whole 6.2 miles.  It was HOT to say the very least. 
The run was made more difficult for me just because my legs were considering leaving the union.  They are not happy right now- nights of leg cramps and runs where they feel like rubber bands about to snap. 

Even with perhaps my longest 10K (ever) I was about to finish 5th in my age group and about 5 minutes faster than the last time I was on this course. 
Patrick got the race done which was a good thing! 

Last "long" race before IMCHOO- in the books!!! 

We didn't take a prerace photo (that whole moodiness thing).   :(

Injury - Recovery - Injury - Mental Hunger Games.

We match now- August 2014.

Even though we've been doing triathlon for a while, we haven't really figured out "everything." I think my biggest problem revolves around adequate/appropriate recovery. We never really know the appropriate recipe for RECOVERY or how to deal with INJURY and how important is TAPER.







To be honest, I don't know how we've gone this long without these deficiencies biting us in the ass. I say "us." I mean "me." I don't know how long I've gone this long with inadequate recovery or an injury. Plus I'm a huge klutz so that doesn't help. It's caught up with me and we are 20 days out from our big event, IMCHOO.

The day to get it done, September 28.

It's been a long year, and we've packed it with runs, swims, bike trips, training, travel, and fun.

Marathon in Live Oak, FL - March 2014

We've hit each distance and accepted each challenge with enthusiasm. I've had some bumps along the way. My motivation was zapped this summer. I've had problems with shoes and other equipment. I've worked through adjustments on a triathlon bike. Things started to smooth out in August. Long bikes were going well; long swims were going great; long runs were going.

My foot is on strike - August 2014.

INJURY: Since early August, I've been dealing with a Neuroma between my 2nd and 3rd toes on my right foot. This pinched nerve has effected my gate, my foot strike, my speed, and my confidence. I'm pushing through but the RECOVERY is a fine balance. Do I skip a race? Do I skip some training? Do I focus on another triathlon discipline? Will I loose the speed/endurance gains I've developed in training? Will I be able to achieve the final goal? Oddly, my answer to most of these questions is "YES!" But it is hard. It's mentally exhausting on top of the physical exhaustion. The foot has gotten progressively better. I've figured out what I can do to minimize discomfort. Things were looking up.

A great bicycle ride until I fell.

At least I look fast, after the bicycle
accident and with a bum foot.

INJURY: I had a bicycle accident during a race, roughly one month out from IMCHOO. I lost traction going around a sharp turn and slid a little on the pavement. My left side hit pretty hard and knocked the wind out of me. I got some minor scratches. I was able to get back up and finish the race. The scratches healed quickly. I may or may not have a cracked rib. Ouch. So I'm in the same boat, even closer to the race. Do I skip an upcoming race? Do I skip some training? Do I focus on another triathlon discipline? Will I loose the speed/endurance gains I've developed in training? Will I be able to achieve the final goal? Should I just taper until Sept. 28?

I've had a good week worth of rest and recovery. The foot seems really good. The side hurts.

Animals and kids love me. I growl at both.

I remember when chaffing and bloody nipples were my biggest concern. Those were the days.

I'm excited and I'm scared. I'm confident I can push through, but damn, I haven't been this nervous since my first Triathlon.

Chattanooga, we'll meet in 20 days.

Included because I'm a huge nerd.