Ochsner Ironman 70.3 New Orleans - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

231/1654 finishers

Beach start - my first. Race started at 7am and I was in a wave that went at 7:32, so I got to see some of the male pro's finish the swim.
This swim was the roughest swim I have ever done in a triathlon and in a lake. I didn't mind because I grew up swimming in the ocean and I hoped that would put me at a bit of an advantage against my opposition.

It was rough enough that the race directors gave the option to people to not do the swim and just join their age group as they came out of the water to do bike and run!

The lake is shallow so a bit of wind quickly whips it up. The first couple of hundred metres were so shallow it was running (I'd watched previous waves to see what worked best) and then dolphining. I was up at the front and as soon as I started swimming I took in a mouthful of water from the waves. First buoy was pretty close, rounded that nearish front of my wave, had to demist my goggles and then off I went.
The waves were so big that sighting was near impossible without stopping, raising head and bobbing up high. I found a cap in my wave and tried to draft off of her by sighting every other breath(seriously too murky to see feet) but either she was going off course or I was and it didn't work out so I basically swam on my own. From shortly after the first buoy I was overtaking previous waves.
Sighting on the way back was even harder to see the buoys but I could see the pier sticking out so I just aimed to the left of it which worked well. I just swam along and was delighted to see my time of under 35 mins when I hit the timing mat.

My goal was 35mins but once in the swim I seriously didn't think I had a chance and was just swimming along relaxed but strong, telling myself to do my best and what will be will be.

Find a better pair of feet (cap) to follow.

I'd say my swim was average but given my time for the conditions I have to tick the "good" box.
2 of the times faster than me were in the 34's (the other two were 31 and 32)so I am pleased I am up there in my age group. I know I'm a strong swimmer but not the fastest so pleased with this, especially as no open water swimming yet this year prior to previous day.

A run up and over the levy to transtion. Wetsuit strippers were great and had me stripped, up and away in a twinkling.
Put my socks on as usual and spent a few seconds using towel to get all the grass and bits off my feet as they were covered.
Bike world had warned me there were burrs in the grass to carry my bike. Off I carried it out of transition and was on my way before I remembered that I hadn't eaten the gel I had planned. Oh well, no big deal.

Nothing really, my goal was for t1 and t2 combined to be under 5mins so all on target. Yes I could have been a bit faster and yes in an ideal world I'd have eaten that gel.
La de da - did I mention I was relaxed for this race?

427/1654 finishers (I know the boys are stronger but can't find girlie data)

The first 3 miles of this course were horrendous as warned by race director. They had to change the route and we wound up and down some roads in neighbourhood which had many hastily filled potholes (filled thanks to local bike club or else would have been worse). The out part of this course was into the wind. The only hills were over the bridges but they were good enough just to get out of the saddle for a few seconds to stretch legs if wanted to (I just did this on way back).

My goal pace for this race was between 20.2 and 22.2mph but I don't get tied up with numbers, I just go by effort. Looking at my run (see later) I knew my coaches first reaction would be "she went too fast on the bike" but I didn't. I'm pretty certain I didn't get out of zone 2. I was averaging around 18 to 19mph and only hit the average of 20mph at just over mile 23! Then there were a few out and backs which kept average the same. It was at mile 34 that I first hit the bottom of my goal pace of 20.2. Yep seriously! I wasn't hammering it, just steady pedalling and every time I thought the pedals were going around too slowly I changed to and easier gear and upped the cadence, telling myself I would be thankful on the run.
Having forgotten the gel in T1 I immediately adapted my nutrition plan and took a gel at 30min and every 45mins after (initial plan first one at 45mins). Worked perfectly as I had enough water (aerobottle full minus splashings) for these 3 gels without stopping. I had 2 bottles (2x24oz) of gatorade. Supposed to drink one an hour but each one was about an hour 15 so finished second one in last few miles (note to coach: this affect my run??? I was still taking in over 200 cals per hour so can't see it would)
On bits with tail wind on way home I was sitting easily above 22mph.

I was in aero pretty much ALL the time and I haven't done much of that at home. My seat bones and back hurt a bit in the last 10miles but nothing that I couldn't ignore. I was glad to get off for that reason.

I knew from about an hour from home that I was likely to get in sub 2:45 so I was happy with that. Goal met.


I played by the rules and did hold back on the bike. If I'd know how crappy the run was going to be it would have been fun to hammer and see what I could do. The times that beat me were 2:37, 2:37,2:36,2:35, 2:32 so I'm not far off

I'm not a fast transitioner but everything went smoothly. I remembered to take my gel and water this time.
I twisted my 310xt off my bike put it on my wrist and off I trotted.


A few seconds off a combined 5min t1 and t2 goal but OK. I was happy and relaxed.

477/1654 finishers

Brutal is what I would call this and I am VERY disappointed, especially as it same old story with me and running in heat. I'm not sure I learned anything new from this to help me in the Ironman this year which is a bit worrying and hugely disappointing as a trial run.
Anyway, first annoying thing was that as I twisted my 310xt off bike I hit some kind of random button selection which locked the keys. Couldn't even switch it off and had no idea how to unlock. I didn't let it phase me and resigned myself to running by feel which was OK and the only thing that I thought was how annoying to carry that extra weight for no use at all! Anyway as I settled in, by about quarter of a mile running I tried reenacting taking it off the bike, squeezed diagonally opposite keys and it unlocked! Off I went. My miles didn't cooincide with mile markers but so what. My first mile was just under 8min and I remember looking at my watch and thinking wow it feels like I am running slower than that, this is going to be an OK pace.

My goal was 8:00 miles but I would have been happy with 8:30's as I have been doing those easily on easy runs in training. The sun beat down, there was no shade. I took water or gatorade at every aid station. My times in latter miles were slightly slower because I walked aid stations. I do not do well in heat but I told myself as long as I hydrate and take calories I'll be OK, just plug along. My first hiccup I think was at mile 3. I had planned to take a gel then as race director had said gels and mile 3,6,9.... They had them at mile 2 and I should have realised but I bypassed that with just some gatorade. The next gel stop I was too busy trying to cool down sucking ice, ice down my top. drinking water, gatorade etc and I just didn't feel like taking a gel. I remember asking at subsequent aid stations and them saying sorry haven't got one. Not sure what mile it was next but around 8 I think and I got a gel, washed it down with gatorade as per plan and spent next mile just wanting to get to aid station to get some water down as it didn't sit right.

2 00:07:56 1.00 07:56
3 00:08:15 1.00 08:15
4 00:08:32 1.00 08:32
5 00:08:38 1.00 08:38
6 00:09:04 1.00 09:04
7 00:09:00 1.00 09:00
8 00:09:19 1.00 09:19
9 00:09:42 1.00 09:42
10 00:09:13 1.00 09:13
11 00:09:20 1.00 09:20
12 00:09:15 1.00 09:15
13 00:09:14 1.00 09:14
14 00:09:00 1.00 09:00



I suspect coach is going to say nutrition on run is the issue here. I didn't bonk, I didn't cramp I was just on this limit and aware of it. I was really surprised to glance down at my watch and find myself going slower and slower with the same effort.
It would have been easy to stop and I felt awful and was in survival mode but there was no way I was going to stop - that part mentally I've got.
I sold all my tri gear and vowed never to do another tri again during the last four to five of miles - it really felt that bad - but I told myself I had to finish this race as strong as I was capable of first.
I tried to speed up by consciously thinking about form and upping my cadence but it took me over an edge - I guess into some kind of anerobic yuckiness and I knew I couldn't sustain it.

I felt bad. I had to sit down as soon as I crossed the finish line, which was basically in the middle of the road.
Eventually I knew I had to get up and it was a fair walk to the post race food etc.
One of my beginner tri course participants happened by coincidence to be in New Orleans and his wife caught me as I came out of the finish area and introduced herself. They had been tracking me and come down to see me finish which I was really touched by - although knowing the state of me I'm not sure I was much of an inspiration!.
It took what seemed like forever to get to the food area. I couldn't face food but grabbed water and banana and just lay on grass outside. I remember thinking I wish the iv tent was near. I've never even considered one before but remember coach saying they're great for recovery and I felt bad. But I didn't have the energy to move. Eventually of course I did but it took me a long while to recover.
Got the shuttle back to transition, gave my bike to bike world and thumbed a lift back into town. Walked to the B and B where I was staying and just collapsed on the bed for a few hours, waiting for hubby to fly in and join me for a few days of vacationing (without kids!)


Run - combiniation heat/ hydration/ nutrition ??????? have to think about this a bit more.

I only peed once - in t1 which maybe tells me something. I did take a few sips at every run aid station though.


The organisation of the race was great and apart from the run I enjoyed it but I do have a few improvement suggestions - hopefully this race will grow better and better each year.
(1) They give you the option of using bike world which is very convenient hand over and back of bike at transition. But you have to find your own way to transition and back to check in (ok getting taxi there but in middle of nowhere so taxi back was more difficult and I waited ages before pouncing on some people and asking if they had space for me) and post race shuttle takes you to transition and then you are on your own. I asked race director at the pre race meeting and he helpfully (not!) said he was very careful not to say the bus would bring us back to town after race and he had no idea where buses were going.
I spoke to my bus driver and they said they were just going in loops and I thumbed one down after drop off and the nice man stopped which was just as well because I'd been waiting a while in hope of taxi's and saw NONE!
(2) we were told we would not be allowed to enter transition without 2 bottles full of liquid to prevent a scene of running out like last year. But they did not sell the gatorade with the sports caps so I had to buy new water bottles knowing I'd just have to chuck them at bottle exchange (in the event I didn't but that's not the point - it's very ungreen idea).
They should sell them at the expo.
(3) I heard there were no portapotties in the swim wait area and some people didn't start for an hour and 3/4 after transition closed and they were penned into swim area!

Thankyou to all the wonderful volunteers and the locals who kindly put their lawn sprinklers on facing the road :)