Rev3 Portland - Half Rev - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

It was tuff to get going. Feet and arms everywhere. I just wanted to get into my own space here. As soon as we began to thin out, I tried to find someone to draft. It worked for awhile but I often found myself alone. Sighting skills definitely need some work. I ended up swimming sort of a zig zag course. about 3/4 of the way thru I got a side stitch on the left side. I had visions of waving a kayaker over and ending the race before it really began.....NO WAY! I ended up grunting my way down the other side of the lake. It seemed to help with the side stitch. Somewhere in there the next wave started catching up with me and I thought for sure I was last in my group. I swam until my hands touched sand, then stood up and began to wade in as I stripped off the goggles and cap.

Not get a side stitch....thats for sure! Maybe I drank that Emergen-C too close to race time.

I actually took my time here to make sure I had everything I needed for 56 miles of hilly cycling. I left my bathing suit on and just put on my cycling clothes over it.

Had a shot of gatorade and BCAA's. Turned on my iphone(which was tucked in my bento box) so the family could track me on the Find my Phone App.



Im pretty happy with this. There is always something you can do to make it better. PRactice practice practice!

I had not prepared for these hills. I drove the route a couple of days before and was like "HOLY MOLY!" There was one hill that seemed to go up for miles. Holy hell, I am sooooo not prepared!

First portion is flat. I just settled into a nice pace and started the hydrating and nutrition. Paassed some people, got passed by others. Just smoooooth riding. THen the hills started. I have to say....they hills were MUCH worse in the car than actually on the bike. All those uphill bike races from last year had actually prepared me for this. I applied all the techniques that I had learned from hill climbing and started to pass people, uphill! I lost a little time on the tight, technical downhill turns. But by the end, I feel that I can corner better than ever before. I kept waiting and waiting for that hill that went on for miles. And before I knew it I was over it (where the hell was it?) on at the 2nd aid stationat mile 30. I filled up on water and found Michael and the family waiting for me at the next turn. I was so focused that I didn't even notice them until I heard my name. Then I looked back (for I had already passed them) Their cheers gave me a boost and I poured it on. Then the hills were over... :( I actually had a blast on them. I know...I'm kinda sick that way! Back over the bridge and down the same road I had come up. Past the transition area and out on to Marine Dr....down by the river. NO SHADE HERE! The orange cones marking the course, stretched out in to the horizon. HOLY HELL! WHere the hell is the turn around? UGH! Finally I found it waaaaaay down the road a piece! Thank god!

I had to 16 oz bottles of gatorade and Carbomax for my liquid nutrition and 32 oz aero bottle of water. I tucked orange slices into my jersey. THey were a life saver out there!

Don't eat Chia Bites during a race! While they are fine during training, even while pushing it......they sucked during a race. THe adrenaline was pumping, drying my mouth out slightly, making me choke on the little peanut butter ball rolled in chia seed and nuts.

Gonna try the GU chomps next. I didn't like them last year but I am gonna revisit them.

I had forgotten to put on Sunscreen at the last T zone. SO I applied some now. Had aanother gatorade shot with BCAA's and a banana. Changed shirt and sox coz they were sweaty.

Just be more organized and practice more.

It's so FREAKING HOT! its gonna be a looooooong run. I ended up doing a run/walk the entire time. I had 2 10 ounce bottles of gatorade and Carbomax for my liquid nutition and a few cashews for the salt. I walked thru each and every aid station. Drank icy cold water, dumped it on my head and stuffed cups of ice down my suit......AHHHHHHHHHHHH!

What else can I say here but the f***ing orange cones of HELL just kept going on and on and on and on and on and on.....well You get it! It was a strange course...the first 3 miles took us down some random sidewalk and back so that when I got on the straight-a-way, the turn around wasn't at 6.5 miles but at 8.5 miles and it seemed like I would never get there.

Not much I could do differnetly. Maybe run in the heat more.

Volunteers threw an icy cold towel over my shoulders. Drank a cold gatorade. GOt ART done to my calves and put myself inside some air compressed leg sleeves. It pumped air into the cells which squeezed my legs and then pulsed up and down the leg. It was AWESOME. Never got post race soreness!


Heat.


Definitely would do a REV3 race aagin. Water stations were well stocked. Lots of volunteers!