Ironman Florida - Triathlon

So the new "safer" self seeding...yeah not a fan. This made the contact 100% WORSE. I put myself in the 1:10-1:20 group but all the self seeding did was put you with a huge group of people who swims your speed so you can get the shit kicked out of you for a longer period of time. The pros went off and then they did the national anthem. There was a girl with a PIERCING scream who was flipping out. OMG.

Anyway, yeah the seeding is a HUGE mistake. SO MUCH CONTACT. It was brutal. There were no slower people to pass and no faster people to swim by me. No bueno. It had been extremely windy and they had double red flags for NO SWIMMING up the day before. It was calmer but still fairly choppy. Got thru the waves well and off we went. My goggles got kicked off for the first time ever in a race. Since I could not really swim it was not a problem to put them back on. Made it to the first turn and it was a tiny bit better across to the top until I ran into violent kicking girl. I swear half her leg was coming out of the water and she was wind milling her arms......CRAZY

Got by violent kicking girl and was just trying to spot the way back in with landmarks on the ground because the swells were probably 4-5 feet. Could not see the buoys unless you were on top of them or on top of a swell. Being a beach kid the ocean doesn't bother me. I didn't really notice the motion at all until the waves were crashing over me or pushing me in. It always seems to take forever to get in. Finally loop one is done. I stood up and was at 37:xx....not what I hoped for but still within my predicted 1:10-1:20.

Up the beach, grab some water and back in for more. They now REALLY want you to swim the diagonal. Since the current was right to left it would have been better to get in more to the right but whatever. Since we were swimming with all the other people our speed there was no thinning out of the crowd which was slightly better getting in for the second loop for drafting purposes. I didn't really have any trouble getting past the breakers and actually had clear water for a while until I caught up to the pack.

So back into the scrum. Make the first turn......seriously mentally I was not into a 2.4 mile ocean boxing match. Across the top I ran into breast stroke guy...SERIOUSLY? You are going to frigging BREAST stroke an ironman? REALLY? I had a lot of contact the last leg. Felt like I would never get there.

I have to say I sighted extremely well. I never went off course. I had to shove people away a few times. The water was extremely choppy and churned up. At the top of the course the water is 40 feet deep and normally you can see almost to the bottom. I could not even see the bottom in chest height water and I am only 5'3" Not sure if it was due to the storm that had passed thru the day before or the waves that day.

So anyway, I finally came out the second loop and I was at 1:20:xx. I was hoping for closer to 1:10 but given the conditions I am OK with 1:20 and probably where my swimming is at. I'll take it.



Take boxing lessons

I walked up the beach. Its a long day. I really wanted to run further up the beach to the strippers so I would not get so sandy but they seemed so eager so I laid down and got my suit stripped. COVERED in sand.....remember the beach kid thing? yeah I HATE sand. HATE IT...covered the whole day. I tried to block it out. I actually like to do my own thing in transition. I had been making my plan of attack during the last bit of the swim. No need for arm warmers or coolers, put my Team RWB bike shirt on, sun screen, glases, helmet, socks and shoes. Ate a few bites of an uncrustable on my way out. Ran into Jasha in the transition area

The crowds were HUGE this year. Seriously you felt like a rock star in T1 and going out on the bike.

Saw Jasha in transition and got my bike. Off we go

Nothing.

So off we go. My coach didn't want me to blow this out. In general after struggling with running for so many years we have been of the mind there is probably not anything I can do on the bike that will make my run worse. I agree. I totally do NOT typically kill myself on the bike at all its just I have lousy feet and legs and too many surgeries on what I do have.

ANYWAY they had been predicting wind out of the N-NW and that was what we got. On the out along the beach part I looked at my watch which I was SURE I had pushed the lap button coming outof T1 but then realized teh "lap" and "split" were the opposite of how I like them making the curren lap time tiny and hard to see. Bugger. I also thought geez no WAY have I been biking for 16 minutes (I had and did bad math) so at 5 miles in I hit lap again to get a good start. Anyway it waskind of OK because I could no obsess over how long I had been biking.

I was consciously not going too hard and telling myself to ride my own race. Got passed a lot but I am OK with it. Went up over the bridge in typical snail like fashion and out onto 79 which was right into the wind. I just did my best and started my nutrition. Nutrition plan was I had 6 servings of Skratch with me and then 6 1/2 pieces of licorace an hour for a total of 200 calories an hour and then what ever else looked good at the aide stations. I like twizzlers, the are tasty easily avaiable cheep don't melt and fit nicely in a bento box when cut in half. Digging them out every 20 minutes was a bit of a drag tho. I need to do something different next year. I took 2 1/2 bananas on teh ride and I did not eat probably 100 calories of the licorace so I was prbably around 1000 calories intake on the bike with about 100 oz. I started feelign crampy aat one point and started 2 electrolyte pills an hour as well

I try to stay pretty positive during IM. I was chilly the first 40 miles and wishing for my arm cooler/warmers but it was what it was. When the sun came up I was good. I was all about OMG I only have 80 miles left!!! We finally turned off of 79 and got some cross/tail wind that made for a happier day. I was chatting with a girl but we got yelled at by a course marshall....who completely ignored the huge drafting pack in front of me but watever.

The turn onto 231 is always good for some super fast tailwind. That is a fun section of the course. we turned onto some other road and there were tons of noisey spectators who made you feel like a rockstar. I smile and wave. I'm never going to win or place. I'm out there for fun and fitness. Out onto the bumpy road. This really chewed me up and did me in last year so I played it cautiously. The only thing I put in SN is extra stuff in case I had flatted and needed to pick up more supplies so no need to stop.

I was really starting to have to pee but I refuse to stand in line for a bathroom so I kept going. Chatted with various pople....everyone agreed with my assesment of the swim start. Complained aboutt he bumpy road and the wind. Around mile 72 ish I finally saw an unoccupied porta potty and stopped. I always unclip left and I put my foot down and BAM OUCH. It had been getting sore (this is my plantar facsititis foot and bad ankle foot side) it felt SO GOOD to be off the bike for a few seconds...got back on and soldiered forward. Right after that I saw K&K outo n the course which gave me a big lift :) I think Chris passed and said hi but I didn't recognize him. Saw K&K out there a few more times and it was awesome to see a friendly face. THANKS GUYS!!!

So more licorace, more chatting etc etc. Uper back and neck a bit crampy. Finally got to the second out and back straight into head wind, made the run and a giel in a BT tri top passed me....I was like WHO IS THAT GIRL?? I realized it was Joanne so coaught up to her and we chatted a bit. Came up on the last aide station and I needed water and picked up a banana and lost her.

Finally back up over the bridge and back into town. The wayback along the water was teh easiets I have ever riden this course and it was quite pleasant to not have to struggle the last few miles of the bike. Back down South Thomas drive and into transition:)


Nothing. I executed this well.

SO when I got off the bike the first thing I noticed was OMGMY FOOT HURTS and MYHAMSTRING......Running in the bike shoes was completely out of the question. I took my shoes in and got my bag and went inside. I had a helper I didn't really want. She was hurrying me too much. My feeet are tender and i REALLYneeded to get the sand off of them. I had some wipes and a dry face cloth and did my best. Lube, dry socks, shoes, hat, the unrustable that I had been fantaziing about for the last 40 miles of the bike (REAL SOLID FOOD) The volunteer did mix my hand held for me. On the way out there was an ART girl and she worked on my hamstring which is why I was in there so long. Time well spent. I finished my sandwich while she was working on me. I Walked out and saw my peeps up on the hill and waved. I tried drinking the fluids but it was warm and sweet and I just threw it out instead of carrying it. I do'nt think that made any difference in my race at all.

Not be hurried in getting my feet clean

Well I came out of transition and everyone met me at the bottom of the hill in front of the condo so I stopped and chatted for a few minutes...I mean we all know I am not going to set any land speed records on the run. Took a swig of diet coke...heaven.

So the plan was to do a 3:1 run walk and to walk the aide stations. I actually was not dooing too bad with this. It usually takes me a mileor 2 to settle in. I was ticking off little 14 ish minute miles. I am strangely good with this. My left foot had been sore on the bike. It started getting worse of course...............There was a lady named Joan and we kept leap frogging each other so I said Hi and we chatted a bit. She was not feeling very well. Our paces were remarkably the same. Jasha passed me around mile 2 or 3 and it was good to see a smiling face. Mostly I was just wishing I could move faster but was trying to stay with my pitiful little run walk thing. I

had some vanilla oreos with me. Really no food looked appealing. Joan and I went into the state park and I shared my oreos with her. I had 4 of the 6 of them total that loop. I took water at probably 75% of the aide stations. I had 4 grapes. On teh way back Glennie caught up with me and we chatted for a bit. We saw Joanne on the other side and I kept moving forward and the Glen passed me for good. About 2-3 miles from the turn around I saw my buddy Missy!! I was so happy for her I almost cried. She has not made the bike cut off the last 2 times she attempted IMFL so this was HUGE.

By this time the blister on my right foot had started. I have NEVER blistered on the ball of my right foot before. Ever. And I had lubed it. No idea. So now my plantar fascia on the left is pissed off and I have a blister on the ball of my right foot. Yep I don't have a leg to stand on.

Came up to the turn around and got my special needs bag and MY DIET COKE!!!!! YUMMY. All my peeps were there for me. Put my wind breaker on and my light for my hat. Had another 6 oreos in my pocket....yes I did the race on twizzlers and vanilla oeros...............powered by junk food, which, ironically I never eat. My friend Deb had DNF'd off the swim with sea sickness. She came along for the second loop to keep me company. You can't really call a 4 hour 1/2 marathon pacing. At that point I could still jog for short intervals which was a fast walk for Deb. We just chatted about life and stuff. After a while the blister was just too big to permit running. In and out of the state park. I would take like 30 second sitting breaks. My back was stiff and that would permit me to move forward another mile or so. Ate 5 of the 6 oreos. tried chicken broth one but it was cold...ACK. Took one sip of coke. I slathered roughly 1/2 a container of vaseline on my feet a couple times but it did not help the right foot at all.

Seemed to be the longest marathon ever. With about 2 miles or so to go I saw Missy going out on her second lap and gave her a high five. I knew I had plenty of time to finish and a PR was long gone but I just wated to be DONE. There was no possibilty of running. Finally the peal off (OMG I have towalk around Alvins Island AGAIN!!!) I totally walked down the chute. some people passed me and teh annoucer stopped me to chat and got the crowd going. K&K were at the finish io the right and I just strolled thru. My sweet pumpkin was in the chute to catch me :) The womens winner gave me my medal and kept asking it I was OK......I was but I eeded a CHAIR...I felt really bad because I could not remember her name and she was so sweet but I had Iron brain. Hat, shirt, picture CHAIR!!!!!

Not get blisters. Fix stupid PF. Run more. Be injured less

There was no warm down. Limped back to the room. I didn't even want a massage I hurt so badly. Flopped on the couch and someone got me a beer and some pizza. I got an ice pack but could not decide where to put it because so many places hurt. Finally managed to limp into the bathroom and shower. It was a very painful race. At one point during the night I woke up and I was starving and so so thirsty but the kitchen was SO FAR AWAY......but I was so thirsty....I thought about crawling but the floor is all tile. I finally decided to ry but then pumpkin woke up and got me some soda and pizza God bless him.


Plantar fascititis, blister


So many people to thank. This is my best result in the last 3 years so I am pleased with it even tho I know I have better in me. I have the bestest Iron Friends in the whole wide world. My sweet pumpkin. It wasn't easy for him to get there this year but he made it. Kathy and Kevin. It was so awesome seeing them out on the course amd spending time with them over the weekend. I can't wait to race with Kathy next year!!! Wendi, Jeff and Deb. Not many people will walk a 1/2 marathon with you!! All my friends and my famly cheering on from home too!! It was so much fun seeing all my friends out on the course. I am a very lucky girl.

Big shout out to my coach Will Kirousis of Tri-Hard Coaching. Will and I have been through a lot together on and off the race coruse over the last 8 years. I appreciate everything you do for me Will ad thanks for helping me make it happen.

THANK YOU EVERYONE CAN'T WAIT TO DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR!!!