Timberman - Half Iron - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

46/130 in my division, 707/2141 overall, 131/672 overall female

I swam around to warm up a bit, and felt good, ready to go. The lake actually seemed pretty calm so that helped to keep me calm but boy was I wrong. Now, where to begin ... seeded myself in the 2nd row on the inside right on the buoy line and tried to catch some of the fast feet ... mmm yeah ... wishful thinking ... hello washing machine! The gun goes off and I start swimming while bunch of people around me are just walking .. WTF!!!!! Mmmm, lake is shallow for a while so I started doing the dolphin jumps what seemed to be FOREVER ... I saw Andy Potts do it so why not me, right? I am pretty sure it was faster than walking or my swimming so I did that for a while until the water became too deep. The first 200 yards or really the entire way to the first turnaround buoy seemed to just be a boxing match! Boxing match in a very rough water ... Grrrrr ... I got a bit frustrated but then i told myself I didn't become chlorine czech chick for the last 6 weeks to give in so I started throwing kicks and punches too. Forget the swimming around people, why not go right through them! Once I made my way to the first turn around I got some space. Finally! There really weren't any feet to catch, and once they were I would either be faster so I just went around. yes - I went around people and yes, I surprised myself. It continued to be pretty choppy, but somehow I managed to stay calm, and actually follow a pretty straight line. I pretty much stayed on the buoy line the entire time. Once we rounded the last buoy and started heading back it started to get way too choppy and I drank some of NH best water from lake W. ... yum! Not! All I could think about at that time was the salt water at Clearwater and how I may just lose my cookies if I do that there. I quickly got back into grove, and kept trucking along aiming for the exit sign. I actually swam pretty straight (at least I think I did), and I did swim all the way to the beach until my hand touched the sand ... gotta listen to what coach says! And yes, I actually snuck by bunch of people trying to run out of there while they were still waste deep. I ran out of the water and onto the beach heading towards the wetsuit strippers as fast as I could passing couple girls/guys along the way. It's now time to make up for my slow poke swim. My actual swim time probably was right around 36 minutes but we didn't go over the timing until after the wetsuit strippers so 36:41 it is.


I felt a lot more relaxed during the entire swim, and once I found my groove I actually felt good. The beginning was rough and I wish I could catch the fasties to get myself out of the mess, but not this time. I will get better though so I am not worried. It can only get better from here. 3+ min improvement from 6 weeks ago :). I'll take it, but it's time to keep getting faster!

6/130 in my division, 153/2141 overall, 34/672 overall female

I used the wetsuit strippers but the damn thing still got stuck on my chip I think ... it's still way faster than what I would have done so thank you wetsuit strippers! I must learn how to take the damn thing of myself though. I found my bike very ez even though I did get stuck behind a chick that was already leaving with her bike and couldn't pass her cuz the space was too narrow .. bummer! Once I got all my crap, I ran out of there fast! It's time to catch all those swimmers!

Got my socks and shoes on fairly quickly thanks to the new sock trick but then I struggled to put my garmin on even with the velcro strap! This has got to change! That definitely cost me good 15 seconds ... grrrrrr. Why can't garmin make a smaller size watch that's not as big as my computer screen that I could swim with? Come on people ... technology is moving faster than anything ... just do it already!

3/130 in my division, 202/2141 overall, and 3/672 overall female not including pro's! Aaaaargh 27 seconds behind the 1st amateur chick ... BUMMER! 13th fastest female bike split including pro's! 11 min behind Chrissie Wellington ... :) I had to get this in here ...

I must say that I have NEVER felt better! I rode the course couple of weeks ago so I had an idea what was ahead, which is always nice. The strategy was to take it relatively easy on the hills and keep it below certain watts, and then push it on the flats and downhills. I would normally shoot up all the hills like a crazy czech chick, but I tried to stay as disciplined as I could and let those guys go by me. I must say it may have been a different story if there were girls going by me, but I didn't get passed by a girl once. It was actually very nice to see these fast guys push it up those hills, kill their legs on these uphills for me to catch up right back up to them and passed them on the flats. Take that boyz! One of them really couldn't take it and was stuck to my back wheel for good 20+ minutes - little bastard! Seriously? So lame!

So as I said, my legs felt SUPER freaking fresh even after the first 12 miles,which included the longest climb of the day. I hit 106, and I was just FLYING and staying on the lower end of my watts like I was suppose to. I was at the turn around before I knew it. I glanced down at my bike computer, and the time was 1:15!!!! Avg. speed 22.3 mph ... WHAT? I actually realized that if I can keep this up, I could hit 2:30 ... whoa!!!!!!! I must say I was shocked, and I got worried for a quick second that I may be pushing too hard? I checked my power and it was indeed on the lower end of my target, legs felt super fresh, so I decided to push a bit harder. It was a bit windy coming back, but nothing my super duper aero helmet couldn't handle. The new problem was I had to PP ... and bad, and it kept getting worse, and soon enough that was all I could think about, which was no good. Then I got a freaking side stitch! Side stitch on the bike? Since when? .. and I couldn't get rid of it and it had me worried for the run. Starting a run with a side stitch would totally SUCK! I wasn't winded at all though, I really felt freaking AWESOME so why the hell do I have this awful side stitch! I just told myself it had to be because I had to go and it will go away. I needed to get my head back in the game and concentrate on the race not on freaking peeing! No downhill to be found and I needed to go. I finally hit somewhat of a downhill and was able to coast and PP. Phew! I can keep going problem free and actually take in more fluids to stay on track with nutrition.

We hit some more hills on the way back, and I kept taking it EZ and staring at my PT to make sure I don't go nuts. Once we hit the downhill it was time to push it. I pedaled for as long as I could and then just tucked in and coasted. I was FLYING! I knew I was going fast but I didn't know how fast ... now I know my peak speed was 51.4 mph! SWEEEEET and scary at the same time!!!!! Few more turns, one more uphill, downhill and back into transition I go. I did get stuck behind a girl that was braking the entire way on the last downhill where you couldn't pass anyone so I was mad but at least I got one more chance to empty out before the run ... I am soooo sorry "black tornado" and thanks for helping me to crush the bike course. :) This was the fastest and easiest 56 miles EVER!

Not much, maybe I could have pushed a bit harder on the flats cuz the overall power seems too low ... but I felt absolutely AMAZING the entire time and ready to run ...

1/130 in my division, 1/672 not including pro's, and 6th/672 including the pro's ... and yes, I beat Chrissie Wellington by 16 seconds! :),and 26/2141 overall ...

I ran by a few people in transition, and then I ran into my transition row and there were zero bikes!!! I think I got caught of guard and totally ran by my number .. SHIT! 1526, 1526 where the hell are you! ... few seconds definitely lost there, but other than that my shoes/helmet were off and on in no time and I was out of there! I beat Chrissie Wellington's time ... YEAH! :)

Not run right by my transition area! Oh, and I must get tri shoes and learn how to hop on and off the bike ...

11th/130 in my division, 297/2141 overall, and 26th amateur female/672, 40th including the pro's

I got off the bike ready to run! My legs felt awesome, and I was barely breathing unlike at Mooseman where I was huffing and puffing from the first mile on. I got to the main road, and saw the official clock - 4:00:12 - hell yeah ... I knew I started 45 minutes l8r so I had to run 1:45 and I was gonna come in under 5 hours! (My secret goal :) ... I swear I tried to hold back on the first mile to run a 7:45, but I just couldn't. 1s mile - 7:28 ... FUUUUUUUUDGE! Don't be just another one loop hero is stuck in my brain, slow the hell down! Okay ... mile 2 - 7:45, I am back on track, mile 3 - 7:24 ... oh nooooooo - here goes my brain again - "Don't be just another one loop hero"! managed to slow down again thanks to some hills, except now it's time to pick it up. Crap - more hills and another 7:44 ( I think this was the one with the big hill - and yes, it hurt tiny bit, but I felt good going up it - awesome! ) ... okay ... I must pick it up now. I was heading back to transition for my 2nd loop and was still feeling good. I ate a gel right at the turn around and kept sipping on my water whenever I wanted since I carried my own. There were sooo many people on the course by the 2nd loop that the water stops were just a gigantic mess and I am glad I was able to avoid most of it. What I wasn't able to avoid is getting smashed in my calf by a sponge that a volunteer was throwing to the guy behind me ... Ouch! Those things are HEAVY!

2nd loop and still feeling good ... my brain is saying .. nice! This is nice! Mile 8 was slightly uphill and I started to feel the fatique ... shit, all of a sudden! Grrrrrr .... Shut up brain, let's keep on running and preferably a bit faster ... 7:28, 7:38 to the last turn around ... and then it hit me! Mile 11 was slightly uphill, and mile 12 had the big hill ... my legs were NOT happy and I actually started to feel like my calves and adductors were gonna cramp up! Okay, not now, not when it's time to run for my life and when I am this close to the finish line. This is when my brain switched to overdrive - positive thoughts please! Yes, I just kept telling myself I didn't train this hard and got up at the ass crack for the last 6 weeks to not brake 5 hours when I am only 2 miles away! Suck it up and run ... I wasn't too happy with seeing 8's on my watch but at this point I was just trying not to cramp up! Then some chick catches up to me and goes in front of me .. oh hell no ... not now (she was 29) but I don't care .... f u cramps, I have a mile left ( she did tell me she was on her 1st loop but who cares, I am not getting beat to the finish line now ... I busted my ass for the last mile, left the chick in the dust, rounded the corner to the finish line and sprinted my butt off (Running on uneven ground when your legs don't really want to move anymore is a recipe for disaster) ... the enjoyment of passing people in the finish chute rocks though! Ha!

I crossed the finish line and I broke 5 hours! I was really really really excited and tired ... wobbly? Yeah - wobbly, my legs were hating me but that's okay! Mission accomplished :)

Mmmmmm ... I guess tried to slow my ass down during the first mile and follow the race plan little better so I could have actually pushed it the last 3.5 miles as planned ... oh yeah, and get faster!

Wobbled around for a little bit, got my recovery drink, wobbled to the lake, froze my butt off for about 5 minutes in there cuz that's really all I could handle and then hang around for a while ... came back for the awards in the afternoon .. stared at Chrisse Wellington and Andy Potts, and got my prize - awesome maple syrup! :)


Nothing - I did all I could at this point in time. I finished 23rd overall female including pro's, and 10th overall amateur ... definitely psyched about that! Guess what though - it's time to get faster! I am so addicted to speed it's not even funny!


Thanks to ALL the support (you ALL know who you are) and a special thanks to my coach Jorge (Personal Best Multisport coaching) who helped me to get where I am today in just 6 short weeks! Definitely looking forward to much more in the future!