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 Swim
Comments: Wowza! Punched, kicked, pushed down and shoved. Awesome! I swam this course well. I managed to swim on course for both loops (a major accomplishment for me...the perfect race to peak in!) didn't panic when I got punched and pushed around, and just did my best. Very happy with the swim! Just as many have reported before me, the buoys were clusterfocks and the turns even worse! I did look around at the sea of bobbing heads and bodies at turn one and just grinned...a great big smile!!! What a gas to be out here doing this! I had a great first loop...the draft was BOSS! Rowdy and slightly abusive, but BOSS! I checked the garmin when exiting the water from the first loop and doh! During the contact sport that this swim was, the lap button got pushed. :( No idea on time...oh well. Rinsed the mouth out with water and went back at it. Of course I got a mouth FULL of saltwater just after I'd rinsed! LOL! Loop two was more spread out, still physical (this is the loop I got kicked in the face hard enough to stop swimming, lift my face out of the water and say "F*CK!") and while still good, not quite the draft of loop one. It was over before I knew it! What would you do differently?: I always get a bit lazy during the swim about half way through,but because of exiting the water it came during the second loop. Still need to push through the whole race! Pretty darn happy with this swim! My original goal was to swim at about 2:00/meter pace and I was pleased to have beaten that!  Transition 1
Comments: Hit the wetsuit strippers, got stripped and covered with sand, hit the shower (should have rinsed off the backside more) and made my way to the bags...saw Domino and Team Fraser Ironfans on the balcony of the hotel and kept trucking! Hit the changing room and wow! Naked bodies everywhere! Holy crap! I took forever in T1! :) I was FROZEN, had no towel, a little confused and did I mention...FROZEN! Armwarmers are not fun to put on wet arms. Just sayin'. Considering I only put on armwarmers, a jersey, bike shorts and socks...I really really really stunk it up in there! :) Should have packed a towel, warmer socks and an underarmor top would have been magical. I had a nice neighbor who let me brush off some sand with her towel, gobbed on some butt butter, put the wet trisuit, and all the other clothes on and finally headed out. My bike was on the opposite side of the planet in Transition, and of course, no volunteer managed to get my bike for me...I had to grab it, then run ALL the way to the mount line in the bike shoes...yeah...that's why I was so slow! :) That's my story and I'm sticking to it! What would you do differently?: Speed the hell up! I blew my whole transition time budget PLUS 4:42 minutes from my plan! Ooops! Grrr! At least Lake Placid should be less chilly *fingers crossed*  Bike
Comments: Holy fock...I was frozen, FROZEN for the first 1.5 hours of this ride. I wore my kit, socks, armwarmers and jersy top and bike gloves, but it was NOT enough. My shoulders and triceps were toast from gripping the aerobars while freezing. The winds were definately there to mess with us,and the amount of people on the course made it really difficult to stay out of the 4 bike draft zone. BUT...I had a good, basically uneventful ride. I saw a ton of teammates (got my first pat on the ass from teammate Super Dave!) on the course...very energizing, and even got to chat up Ranger for a bit in the beginning! :) I met Socks from this website (we'd been leapfrogging and chatting back and forth when I asked her if she was Socks! She's buddies with Miss Trixie too! Small BT world!) and was generally chatty...nice rig, nice kit, looking good! My nutrition plan was 40 oz every two hours and a gu every hour. Because of the cool temps I had to pee. Never peed on my bike in training, and quite frankly, it was too cold to think about cold wet pee on me! I took Scribners advice to use the potty, refill the fluids and then carry on. About mile 31 my garmin froze. Crap. No powermeter. Trixie sent me a great note of encouragement assuring me things may go wrong, but how you handle it will make the day a success, so I heeded the message and didn't panic. I thought about how to unlock it, and finally got it to start again...garmin goof number two! It didn't help my time that I was hungry and and wanting the snickers in my sn bag. It was, however, the BEST snickers bar ever and totally worth the stop! Shortly after special needs, something started to squeek on the bike when I pedaled. It got to be quite annoying. :( I was thankful that whatever it was never turned into a mechanical! I figured after the porta potty stop I could make it to t2 without stopping again, but no. I stopped one more time. If it's cool like that in another IM distance race, I'm gonna have to try some other method for nutrition! I smiled a really big smile when I hit the 100 mile marker. My first Century of my training for IM and my second ever! SWEET! I was short of my watts (lazy in the middle again!) and pushed to stay right at the edge of my max watts for the last 20 or so miles. Loved having a tailwind to offset the middle bit of the race that was into a headwind. Coop was right...the day is going by quickly! (or so it seemed in my head!) Heading down the home stretch of beach, and a gal comes up and says "is your name really Patricia/Trish?" and before I can answer the motorcycle was there telling her she had a red card and where to pull over for the penalty tent. :( She had been riding side by side for a LOT of the race with a teammate, so I guess it was a deserved penalty, but sooo close to the finish! That must have sucked! Before I knew it I was back to transition! Wow...already? What would you do differently?: Loads! Dress more appropriately for the weather, be more consistant in pushing my watts, STOP LESS! The three pit stops probably added at least 10-12 minutes to my time. I could/should have been under six hours considering the winds. I was very happy though that I didn't have any major issues with fueling, discomfort (other than the horrible cold) or any mechanical stuff besides the annoying squeek! Transition 2
Comments: Well, PU again! LOL! This time I got to drop my bike off to a volunteer and someone helped me find my bag for t2. I got my stuff out, put ketaprofin (a topical ibuprofin) right on my glutes that were talking a little bit by this point, took off the jersey, the gloves and stretched a bit. I pulled on my trusty Brooks Launch's, took a gu and made my way to the run course! What would you do differently?: Move it move it move it! :) First IM...needed to take the bit of time I took I guess. Next time, I hope I'll be faster. I am always working on this bit of the race! :)  Run
Comments: Wow...I'm on the run course! I'm looking for familar faces near transition, the street is line with spectators, but all the Fraser Ironfans (my family included) are in front of our Condo about 1/4 mile down the road. I see them! I am PUMPED!!! High Five to Paul (Fraser's owner)and Domino. I stop to kiss up Dave, Briguy and my brother who yells RUN! LOL! I know this bit of the course...I'm running too fast, and slow myself down. Feeling pretty good. I take my scheduled walk breaks at all aide stations drinking for my nutrition. Mile 2 is the Girl Zone...where is the beefcake for us ladies??? A lame Elvis and guy in a fuzzy bikini (not hot...trust me) is all we get. :( Mile 4...already? I'm by the park...tricky sidwalks here...remember for the dark! Fun aid stations...midevil, clowns, christmas...fun! In the state park I catch an amazing sunset. Just beautiful! Making notes of rough road cause I know next trip though it will be pitch dark in here. Motivation station! SWEET! My name in lights! :) Still working the plan....running under 150 hr and walking aide stations... 9 of the first 13 miles are under pace in the mid to high 10:00's, 4 are at or around 11:20 pace as planned. What wasn't planned was the very LONG potty stop...about 7 minutes. :( Hey... I didn't want to be Poopgirl. There was Poopman, and one gross IM was enough! I went through the Girl Zone again and got ass smack #2...some rather attractive (but not scantily dressed I'm sad to say) guy bless his heart! I'm thinking "I hope you're here for round two!" I get to the turn around and guess who trotted towards the finish a few yards??? Doh! :) Turned it around, hit special needs for some biofreeze for the right itb at the knee, my Fraser Ironfan tshirt and a gu roctain. The volunteer opened the biofreeze for me and I was off. Back by my Fraser Peeps and my family and kissed up Sherry cause I missed her on loop 1! Steve is running alongside me and I ask for his jacket...I promise him Dave will get him mine, but he is a stickler for the rules and reminds me NO OUTSIDE HELP! Damn! I ask him to have Dave get me a beer for the finish (Coop...you are a GENIUS) and off I go. Miles are going by, I am eating pretzels, drinking the broth and the sing song call of gatoraide is music to my ears. It means I can take my walk break! I see Greg and kiss and hug him (heart attack to Ironman! Talk about inspiration!) I see John and hug and kiss him too! I see Coach and Captain Dave...high fives(this is my lowest point of the run at mile 11 or so...I was tired and complained to Tony!) I see Ranger twice and he is looking like a freight train! Soo strong! Pammy is kicking ass and looking fantastic. Andi is a blaze! I got to walk a bit with Wayne...he was hurting on loop one, and holding tough. I saw Steve (hot tub guy) out there too. Mile 20...seriously? I'm thinking of Smoak and Gdog...gosh...I feel so much better than when I saw them at mile 20 at the Martian Marathon! LOL! I pretty much was holding my 11:20 pace till mile 21. Then it slowed down...more walking, eating at aide stations, drinking the coke (so not magical like I'd heard) and starting up again was getting a tad harder to do. Lil Trish passes me somewhere after the park and I get ass smack number 3! :) I'd been waiting to see her fly by me! Now I've seen everyone but Diane. :) Final pass through the Girl Zone...they are pretty trashed and the whip is out! I managed to make it past unscathed! I was walking a lot more at the very end, but I was on Thomas Drive before I knew it...I took off my t shirt at the condo (everyone was at the finish by now) and knew it was a quarter mile...LOUD MUSIC...BRIGHT LIGHTS...SPECTATORS EVERYWHERE...UNDER THE FORD ARCH...TRISH MARSHALL (and blah blah, and blah blah-unknown to me two women finished right behind me) YOU ARE IRONMEN! My arms were up, my smile was wide, my spirits were soaring and 12:57:50 hours later I was an IRONMAN! What would you do differently?: Stick to the walk breaks prescribed in my race plan. I still have a long way to go in executing the run portion of my races. But...since this was a celebration of taking the risk, doing the work, and toeing the line, I celebrated! No regrets! :) Post race
Warm down: Crossed the line and my ever lovin' family, Dave, Brian, my brother John and sister in law Sherry, brother in law Chris and his girl Kelly were all waiting for me along with Ranger,Pammy, Captain Dave,and Steve. Dave had the beer!!! OMG! It was the BEST BEER EVER!!!! I got my medal,t shirt and hat of course, got my picture taken...hugs and kisses all around!!! I could not believe it was done! Got to the massage tent(got scolded a tad for drinking beer and not water by the gal who walked me to my massage therapist...whatever!) and got a KILLER massage under toasty blankets! My shoulders and triceps were soooo sore from the cold start of the ride. He worked on me for quite a while! I didn't want food at all, just water and a shower, so I could come back to see Diane finish, and maybe catch John and Greg too. Steve, Dave and I went back down to the finish line and hung out in the lobby with Coach...he hugged me up and told me how proud he was of me. :) Then he gave me the lowdown on his race (chafing issues from hades) and showed me his nasty blisters! Ewww! Saw Diane finish, and after her massage helped her into her dry clothes before she walked back to the hotel with her hubby. Then it was time to cheer in the final finishers...such energy at the line...I was dancing and banging on the banners to the music with Ranger and Steve! It was awesome to be there for the folks who'd dealt with a 16 to 17 hour day in that cold and dark and just plain LONG day!!! I'm so glad I had the energy to come back down and cheer the last finishers on!!! Amazing finish to an amazing day! :) What limited your ability to perform faster: Lack of run fitness. After the marathon in spring, I had a hard time going hard for a long while on the run. Then my running was crappy in the heat of the summer, and I blew off too many speedworkouts. Things turned around a bit in the fall and were getting better, but I'd lost some momentum on the run. During the race, the cold took a lot out of me on the early part of the bike and all I could think was I was wasting run energy. I need to work on having the discipline to stick to my race plan...a work in progress! Event comments: I'm no Yeats...I can not paint in words the feelings I have about completing this race, or the excellent week I had leading up to race day, or the joy, good times and struggles I've had over the last year of training. I won't be able to convey enough...enough of the laughter, excitement, emotion, fear, confidence, exhaustion or love I've felt...for my family for giving up so much so I could do this crazy assed Ironman, for all the people I've been on this journey with for the last year, for my coach for pushing me...looking in my eyes and telling me I can do more, and somehow giving me the confidence in myself to believe him, for Ranger for seeing what could be in black and white so many months ago..."We're doing IMFL...you, me and Team Fraser", for all my teammates who have all had their own struggles to get to PCB and the starting line but have made it all worth it to share it together, for everybody who came down to support us at the race...their cheering and support and smiling faces meant the world on that long day, for Trixie, Coop, Ranger, Jo and all my BT friends who've inspired me, trained with me, encouraged me, raced with me, and tracked me on this long day in November...words just can't express what it means to me! I'm just one lucky,lucky girl! Last updated: 2009-11-17 12:00 AM
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United States
Ironman North America
38F / 3C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 1347/2402
Age Group = 45-49
Age Group Rank = 33/98
*WARNING* I write as much as I talk, and this is an IRONMAN report! :)
Last summer my number 1 training partner started talking crazy talk about me doing an Ironman. Me. Ironman. Seriously? No. Not me. BUT, Mr. Potter has the ability to see the athlete in me I have no idea is in there long before I do. He'd been right about so many things so far...could he be right about this one too? Once the IM buzz started in my ear, I couldn't get it out of my head. Me, the girl who's life motto has been "the path of least resistance" and who's nick name in high school was Mother Hen. Not really a risk taker... nope,not me. But he thinks I can, and he hasn't been wrong yet...maybe, maybe. So I did it...volunteered at the 2009 race, committed to a year's worth of training, hired a coach so if bonking happened it would be in training and not at the race...if I was gonna do this, I was gonna remember crossing the finish line damn it. And so it began!
Fast forward to November 2010. Road trip to Panama City Beach...safe and uneventful with Ranger as my co-pilot on the long drive south. Drove all night and blew off the ride scheduled on Tuesday cause I was toast. Wish I hadn't convinced Coach and Pam to wait for me...guilt!
Wednesday was a fun group swim in front of the condo. Rough conditions and windy. No gatoraide swims this year :(. Then at 10 we walked to the athlete village to get registered and check out the stuff. $ was spent! A long ride in the rain with those who had shown up from Team Fraser was our afternoon activity...at one point we were about a half mile from a lightning strike. Yikes! My bike was filthy and the first part of the course was seen. That night, team dinner at Uncle Ernies. Awesome time with my coach, and some of my favorite people on the planet, my Team Fraser mates!
Thursday was another swim, only this time it was ugly. We'd found the melon sized buoys to sight, but it was windy, raining and really rough. At buoy one we heard thunder and saw lightning...and lost sight of the condos down the beach. Buoy two, more of the same. Coach stressed how to breath in rough water, where to sight, exhale through the nose to avoid salt water ingestion. 2 more buoys in crazy crap weather. Then the rough part, swimming back to shore. About half way back I hear screaming...it's my coach yelling about the 2 dolphins he saw (and thought for a second could have been something else!) Then I saw it crest behind him!!! AWESOME! Mother Hen is swimming in horrible weather, having fun and seeing dolphins!!! Just AWESOME! I feel like the swim will be totally doable after this! The afternoon held a ride to the State park following the run course, and a 40 minute run walk with Diane my teammate. The evening was the Athlete dinner and mandatory meeting. SOOO EXCITING! Sitting with my teammates who've beem training with me for months, watching the video, getting pumped together eating crappy food! Awesome! My Family and Scribner arrived in the evening and I had fun catching up while they drank wine, and I had gatoraide!
Friday was sunny, but COLD and WINDY! WTH! This is not the Florida I signed up for!!! One last short swim (not necessary...I could swim in anything after yesterday) in the big surf. Fun! Then Steve came over to help me number up the Red Devil and check her over. I was trying to fix my cleat when it happened. I clipped into my stubborn right cleat, tried to unclip and couldn't, lost my balance and BOOM, I go down! Shit! Really bruised my thumb muscle on the palm of my hand. Hurt like hell, banged my knee and ankle and felt like a complete ASS! Steve got the ice pack out so I could use it and I ran to the bedroom so I could cry! :( I was so upset with myself! I fnally came out and he checked my forearms to see about aero,(they were fine) and made me laugh, so all was well. Sort of. My whole palm ended up blue and sore, but like that was gonna stop me. Still, what a boneheaded move! Later I rode with Ranger and the team to drop off the bikes at bike check in, drop off t1 and t2 bags, walk transitions with coach, and jogged home with the team. Dave, Brian, Sherry and John had a late lunch, and I needed an early dinner, so I went across the street to eat with the boys...Ranger Dave and my medic/bike mechanic Steve. We hung out in their room for a bit, then it was time to chill. The family was still out and I was still awake at 9:45. Pam was sending out inspriational ripped off texts that were cracking me up! Then the boys were home and I could relax. HOLY SHIT! I'M DOING AN IRONMAN!
Got up at 4, ate the usual bagel and peanut butter, coffee, gatoraide, banana. Walked to Steve and Rangers room, then to special needs drop off, then transition after getting body marked. The volunteer remarked that I looked calm and it must not be my first! HA! I was excited mostly and taking it all in! The work was done, and it was GO time! Got the Red Devil aired up with Coach, put on the nutrition, and took a seat with my teammates and tried to stay warm. It was flipping cold! Time to walk to the beach...Steve was on the other side of transition and we walked with Ranger, Coach and Pammy to find my family. FOUND THEM! Hugs and Kisses all around. Dave showed me this sweet post he'd put up on FB (practically crying) and Brian looked sick (I think he was worried about his mom!) Steve took some pics for us and then the pros went off. Walked through the corral with Ranger to the water's edge and seeded ourselve's along the buoy's towards the middle of the pack. Held Rangers hand for a minute before starting this long day...amazed at the spectacle, the sky, the sound of Panama playing in the background, the fact that I was there and prepared, with my dear friend who knew all along I could become an Ironman. Quite the moment! :) BOOM! The cannon is fired, and it's begun!