Full Vineman Triathlon - TriathlonFull Ironman

This swim was pretty nice. The water was clean and I only noticed the current at the start. The way out was crowded for the most part with only a couple open areas. On the way back it started to open up, with only a few places where I had to navigate through people. I stayed calm the whole time, and only drifted off course a couple times. On the second lap I got confused and was swimming up the middle by accident. I think I then ran into two people swimming crookedly towards each other and only barely made it between them. I got too close to the person on my left who gently pushed me away. The way back was free and clear and I found another yellow cap to draft as she/he passed me.

Nothing. I felt good and focused on the moment without overdoing it.

The number one thing here - my Garmin wouldn't turn on. There was nothing to do about it, but it was so sad. I knew immediately this could be bad. Not only was I going to rely on it to tell me when to drink, I use the heart rate monitor to keep me from going too fast. I looked over at Josh, who later told me he'd never seen me have such a fat bottom lip. I finished getting ready, threw on my pink, polka dot arm warmers ($2 knee socks from Target with the toes cut out), ran my stuff over to Josh, then was off. As I ran out, Josh yelled, "You can do this by feel, you can do this."

Have a back up watch in T1.

I started the bike frazzled. I figured out quickly that I knew how far apart the aid stations were and I knew how much food I would need between each. The ride out of Guerneville was easy and fairly flat until the turn onto Westside road. Here's where the hills started. I spent this time trying to take it easy but was still going fast. The scenery was gorgeous and as long as I watched the road, it wasn't too rough. The first aid station went well and people were continuing to pass me. The second aid station came and went quickly. And then the third. Between that aid station and Chalk Hill was some of the roughest feeling parts of road. Mainly because with the shadows it was hard to see what the road was doing. A couple of teams of cyclists passed us going the other way around Chalk Hill and there were a good number of spectators. Chalk Hill wasn't a horrible hill on it's own.

I chatted with a few people between there and Windsor and found out how long we'd been riding. This was my first hint I'd been going too fast. Second hint, Josh and my mom were surprised to see me and had not been expecting me yet when I came through Windsor. Crap. At least I was eating and drinking well so far.

The second lap started the lowest point of my day. Some where between Windsor and Healdsburg I started getting tired. I started doubting myself. At one point I had "decided" I'd stop at the next aid station. But I HTFU and stuck it out. I stopped at the next aid station briefly to refill my aero bottle and kept going. It got a bit better before Geyserville and I started crying when I saw Josh and my mom holding a sign for me and cheering. The next miles were just spinning easy and probably slow. As I approached Chalk Hill the second time, I definitely got stung by a bee in the calf. Near the bottom I stopped, walked a couple steps, took a gel and collected myself. Then back on and up the Hill. Into Windsor I was sooooo ready to be off the bike and onto the run.

Looking back at the results, I did the first 25 miles at just under 20mph pace. Quite alot above my 18mph goal. Oops.

I took my time here, went and talked to my Mom, Josh, Coree and Ryan briefly. Then out onto the course.

Nothing. OO, take Ibuprofen.

I started the run nice and easy and tried to hold back the first mile (since I obviously have a problem starting too fast). I did just under 9 minutes and had to slow down more. I started walking the top of the big hills. At the aid stations I started with a chip or two and some grapes and water. Then a cup of ice down my jersey. And onto the next one. Somewhere between 3 and 4 I started run/walking with Trent from SC. He and his wife were both doing the Ironman which was cool. We were running everything except some uphills. I was drinking water every aid station and a few grapes and rarely a little Mojo bar bite. As we neared the turn around in Windsor, I realized I needed to slow down on the food and water for a bit. Here were saw Josh for the first time, and then my mom, Coree and Ryan set up on a corner. The whole corner started cheering for us. At the turn around, you literally run at the finish line, then veer off to turn. Here Trent stopped to pick up socks at the Special Needs and I continued on, not to see him again until almsot the end.

The second lap started well and I kept up running and walking uphills. Ice, water at each aid station and soon started eating one oreo and four grapes at each. Having one aid station every mile was great. At the turn around Josh was there and he jogged back about a quarter mile with me. The way back started to slow down, but was fine. I love just talking to random people on the course and telling other people "Good Job!" The volunteers were continuing to be awesome the whole way. As I approached the turn around, Josh asked if I wanted him to run the last lap with me. Of course!

I went through the evil turn around, back by my corner of cheerers and then Josh came running up beside me. The way out was okay, walking every little uphill. On the way back, every muscle in my leg was really hurting as were my hips, knees, and ankles, as well as the bottom of my feet. We walked the downhills, we walked the uphills, we walked some flats. Moving was the key. The sun started setting and I was just happy I wouldn't be out there in the dark. Josh asked me how my earlobes and fingernails were feeling. Weird question, but it made me laugh and realize that there was some part of my body that did not hurt. At the one mile mark I started running and Josh headed to the finish line. Dark was really starting in and I crossed the line at 14:08! Whew.

Not take the bike out as hard. Otherwise nothing. There are things I'll do next time, but this time I'm just happy I finished!

Glanced at the food. Walked around and took pictures with my "fans." Stretched a very little bit and changed out of my shorts into a skirt while Josh got my bike. Turned the bike over to Wes to take it back to Colorado - super nice and will definitely do that again.


Taking the bike out too fast without my Garmin. Still, I finished an Ironman!!!


This was a wonderful event. So many volunteers. And enthusiastic volunteers at that. What a wonderful day. And the weather was hot, but not unbearable, could not have asked for more. Overall, a great race experience.

And as far as the road on the bike course. Maybe because I train on chip seal and fairly rural roads, but I did not think it was that bad.