Ironman 70.3 Lake Stevens - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Lake Stevens, Washington
United States
WTC (World Triathlon Corporation) (Ironman 70.3)
60F / 16C
Overcast
 		Total Time = 7h 34m
Overall Rank = 25-29/
Age Group = 25-29
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

After checking in our bikes and registering for the race, we decided to drive the course. After doing so we drove around frantically trying to find a decent restaurant in Everett which was impossible. Settled on some sandwich fixings and salad from the grocery store.
I could not get to sleep until around 10:30pm. Slept well with the loud air conditioner blasting in the hotel room until waking up at 3 am in panic thinking about the swim and the bike. Alarm went off at 3:45am. Got up and had half of a cinnamon raisin bagel with peanut butter and a banana on top along with a whole Gatorade. Tried to choke down some hotel coffee but couldn't bare it. Tummy issues almost immediately. Probably nerves. Listened to 80's music on the radio. Got to race parking and went to go get numbered in the dark. Set up transition zone and took bike over to pump tires at station. My age group was right after the pro men and women so at 5:30 I was back in the long line for the port a potties and at 6 I was in my wetsuit.
Event warmup:

Before walking over to the swim start I took a big gulp of Hammer Gel (raspberry is yummy!) and gulped down half of my extra water bottle and the rest of my morning Gatorade. Headed over to swim start which was off of the dock. Nervous and shaking I bent down and petted a couple Labradors for a minute to ease my nervousness. Slapped my swim cap on and went over to the warm up sludge pond pool where some athletes were swimming. Took some strokes one way, did a few butterfly flutters, a couple breast strokes and got out immediately more confident. Met a friend that had also never done a single ironman event before and I was feeling much better. Age group was called and we were ready to GO!
Swim
  • 42m 24s
  • 2112 yards
  • 02m 01s / 100 yards
What would you do differently?:

Swim open water more, practice sighting, swim faster and not pace myself quite so much. I really could have gone all out the whole time.
Transition 1
  • 07m 30s
Comments:

Turned too soon and headed to the wrong part of the transition even though I had practiced it that morning. I was a little dizzy from the swim exit and found my way back to the ramp and headed the right way to my bike. silly. I had put enough glide on that morning to slip right out of my wetsuit with ease. I took a really long time in my first transition. I wanted my feet to be dry and I put on socks, put on my shoes, took a couple shots of Hammer Gel, took another big gulp of water, had some Hammer caps with protein, and more water, put on my helmet and race number and began to walk/run to the gate. I was overly contemplating another bathroom break before the bike but kept on moving past the potties. Ran the bike out past photogs and spectators chearing to where I could get on my bike in a stopped position and take off from there. Got up to speed pretty quick but was immediately met by my first of MANY MANY hills. To be fair, others in transition I saw brushing their hair, one was eating a large ham sandwich, etc... So I felt OK about my priorities in transition.
What would you do differently?:

Learn where my bike is from the exit better. Not start nutrition till on the bike. That was a waste of time. I had ALL DAY to feed myself on the bike ride.
Bike
  • 4h 00m
  • 56 miles
  • 14.00 mile/hr
Comments:

It was definitely worthy of the Ironman name. It kicked my ass.
What would you do differently?:

Bike a mountain pass every single day to train, get my back muscles stronger and my neck muscles stronger so I could actually stay on the bike without convulsing. Also would not drink the ironman gatorade. This led to really nasty tummy aches on the run.
Transition 2
  • 03m 30s
Comments:

Should have changed socks. Had half a power bar and the rest of a water bottle. Found my friend from before the swim who obviously had just as hard of a time on the bike as I did. She said, "want to run together for a minute?" and that got my off of my butt to finish. Thank god for her!
What would you do differently?:

nothing.
Run
  • 2h 20m
  • 13.1 miles
  • 10m 41s  min/mile
Comments:

It was a stiff run/walk for the first mile or two. At mile two I found lauren again and she and I began to jog together to keep up a pace. Also met a few other people in our pace group. A few "barefoot" runners that looked incredible uncomfortable shuffling along. Had water, gatorade, and sponges full of cold water at every mile! AWESOME! the sponges saved my life. Each mile went by pretty quick. At mile 8 I was running and feeling great. Lauren still by my side. At mile 10, the gut said, nope, time to stop and had to leave my jogging group for the port o pottie at the mile marker. Found another guy that runs 100 mile long night runs in the desert and ran with him for awhile. At mile 11, the knee began to stop working, and started stepping on the enormous blisters on my feet with each step. Did a bit of walking on the hills. Walked by a house on the water front playing Jimmy Buffet's "Desperation Samba" and decided I could run. I was thinking of how I couldn't wait to have a margarita and be done with this hell. Caught Lauren on the turn and finished strong in a run/spring together through the finish line!
What would you do differently?:

Run more,
Post race
Warm down:

Crossed the finish line and caught up with my husband. He had me go eat a plain bagel with peanut butter and some orange slices. They had pizza but that sounded terrible to me. Literally the only thing I wanted was a BEER! Oh boy. I did not sit or stretch, I just walked around in a daze with a smile on my face for a while. Checked my times posted, and went to go clean up and pack up my transition spot. Should have gotten a massage!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Me. I SUCKED on the bike. Due to not enough hill training. There was snow on the ground in June back home in Jackson where we were training and couldnt even start really riding until July. That and I just started riding a road bike. Never had done a single race in my life. Not a 5k fun run, nothing. It was a first. go big or go home. So I sucked a bit but I finished.

Event comments:

GREAT JOB VOLUNTEERS! What an amazing organized event! Despite sucking so bad I had a complete blast!!! I loved it! Everyone was so nice and so supportive. All the competitors were nice, all law enforcement was so helpful and all spectators with bells, hats, signs, were a MUST for me. So great to feel so supported by strangers! I would do this event in a heart beat again. Just train for the bike harder! Loving that I am a 70.3 ironman finisher! and as a complete novice, I dont think that 70.3 miles in 7.5 hours is so bad.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2011-02-01 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:42:24 | 2112 yards | 02m 01s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Good
Suit: Blue Seventy FUSION tri wetsuit
Course: Jumped off of the dock and swam up to the starting line with my purple capped age groupers. We bobbed around for 2 minutes in the perfect temp water. It was kind of muddy and very dark at first. At the start I was off course a little bit. Fearing I would drown I stayed out away from the pack for awhile but once I began to pass people, I moved to the inside right along the rope that runs under water. You could not swim directly over it but the bouys were attached to it so it was just to my left. Right before my first turn the red caps appeared and I was getting passed by the 35-41 year old men age groupers. They were tall, thin, and fast. I found one guy and tried to stay in his bubbles. This was a strategy that kept me from getting kicked in the face by others but also broke up the waves being made at the first turn. At first turn I picked up my speed and stayed right on the rope. It was much clearer further out in the lake. Second turn and I began to see the green and pink caps emerge. and pass me and things started to get wild. It was too late for me to get out away from the rope, I was surrounded and feet and arms were flying and waves were crashing from all the people around me. I remember kicking quite a few faces by accident at this point. Felt terrible about it. also got my legs and feet clawed down but people kept bobbing their heads up and saying "sorry". How polite. Totally unexpected. At the end of the swim just 300 yards away from the exit ramp, my 31 year old husband catches me and says "hello!". Best moment of the day! And crazy that I saw him! We exit the water at the same time for transition. All in all the swim was fun, relaxing, and competitive! I loved it!
Start type: Deep Water Plus:
Water temp: 68F / 20C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Below average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 07:30
Performance: Bad
Cap removal: Below average Helmet on/
Suit off: 		No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Below average
Biking
04:00:00 | 56 miles | 14.00 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Bad
Wind: Little
Course: HOLY HILLS HELP ME! This course was no shit. The course changed just days before the race from 1 lap to the previous years course of 2 laps. The first lap I was so amped up I tried to keep up with the pros speeding by up the hills on their $14,000 tri bikes. It went by fast. The first hill sequence was not that bad and I climbed with ease. The rest of the course in my mind is all uphill with the excepetion of 2 long downhill pieces and a couple small rolling hill sections. I thought once I rounded the lake that I was almost half done, then I see the mile marker "10 miles" it says. Damnit. Not half done at all. I had a shot of Hammer Gel every 35 minutes and water every time I thought about it. Every hour I hate one of the protien tablets that were chewy and really hard to get down. Towards the turn into town there were two large hills. One I remember because you come down a hill as fast as you can and at the bottom you are looking up at a mountain! Tried to speed up the hill as much as possible without gearing down. In granny gear by half way up. As soon as topping that hill you are confronted with a short but extremely steep hill. Head down a steep hill into a quick right turn into town, past the huge roosters across the street. I mean HUGE. (These guys told me on my second lap that I only had 10 more miles left. ) Crossed the bridge and started my second lap while watching others head into the run transition...very humbling. It had been 2 hours. Where the heck has the time gone! 2 hours!? Started up the first hill sequence on my second lap and they felt easier in comparison to the beasts that I had just encountered. My nutrition was stuck in the fold of my back pocket and I could not get it out so I pulled over and got off to dig it out. This was where my downfall started. As soon as I was off and stretching my neck and shoulders out, everything felt pain. I got back on the bike and the first bit of hills went by so slow. I finally passed someone which upped my pace and confidence. By mile 30 my lower back was spasming, my neck was like knives, and my confidence was shocked. I looked at my watch and it had been 2 and a half hours. I pushed and pushed up hill but my pace slowed on the hills to about 10 miles per hour. FAR too slow. I was not sure I would finish. Grabbed an ironman gatorade at the top of a large hill where volunteers cheered and handed out nutrition and drinks. This gave me the gut trouble from hell. Should have stuck with my gluten free, natural Hammer Gel and water. ick. The rest of the course was a series of men and women cursing, a few "You've got to be kidding me!" comments at mile 40, and even some crying folks on the side of the road. I promised myself I would finish. I wanted that silly medal more than anything in the world. Finally, rounding the roosters again and crossing the bridge I thought, "IM DONE!". 6 miles to go and I'm met by more steep hills that were new to me. .3 miles to go and am met by another large hill. I stop to cry and pick my self back up. Get back on, finish tenatively. So mad at myself.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Below average Hills: Bad
Race pace: Too hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:30
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Bad
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:20:00 | 13.1 miles | 10m 41s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Average
Course: ROlling hills, some flat, bathrooms and nutrition every mile. Beautiful on mile 5-8 and 11-13 by the water! Gorgeous! Sun came out but was not too hot. Lake Stevens is a cute little town. I really liked it! It was a little depressing to see people drinking wine on the decks of their boats on the water front piece of the run but still a great scenery change.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Too much
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Below average
Mental exertion [1-5] 2
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5