Ironman 70.3 Steelhead - Triathlon

The water was cold for me. I drafted some. I kept trying to swim out into lake Michigan. My left hand went numb. Overall a disappointing performance.

Swim more? No idea.

I WALKED up the sand cliff into transition. Got my wetsuit off and put my helmet and glasses on. I bike sockless for under IM length race. It was a LONG LONG way to get out of transition. It was just a long narrow area.

I didn't want to turn an ankle in the sand and didn't want to tear up my feet on pavement so there it is.

This was pretty much the only part of the race that went well. I rode comfortably within myself and my abilities. I did not push the pace at all. I reverse split and averaged almost 19MPH the second half. It was hilly for a girl from Florida and I handled them just fine. Got passed by some people passed others back. there was a little wind but nothing compared to what I am used to riding in. I had about 50-60 oz to drink on the bike and 2 gels. I was not sweating nearly as much as I normally would on a ride of this length but it was also much cooler than what I am used to. I had a lot of fun with this. I was hoping for under 3:15 expecting 3:30 and went 3:03 I have no complaints. LOTS of wrecks due to people taking the corners too fast.

In the last few miles of the bike there was a guy on the side of the road playing a trumpet. He was super cool. He was playing the theme from Rocky as I went by and I dropped into my aero bars and clapped for him. D was working the penalty tent at the entrance to T2 and I waved to him.

I played this perfectly. Way better than I could have hoped for

No I didn't have a tea party in T2. My rack was RIGHT at the bike in and I got off and racked. Then I sat down and carefully cleaned my feet then applied a blister bandage and kinesio tape to my left foot where I blistered last week. Socks and shoes. Yeah it takes a few extra minutes but if I blister I am dead in the water. Then I got up put on belt and hat and used the porta potty too. Did I mention that transition was LONG and narrow? It was like 1/4 mile long or so. walked/jogged to the run exit.

Not have shitty feet? Oh yeah thats not an option.

This went terribly wrong pretty quickly. The really sad part is I was very optimistic about this run. I have been running well for me the last month or so and I felt awesome off the bike. I had my new Hokas on and my feet felt amazing in them. No foot pain WOOHOO. I ran out of transition and ran the first 5 minutes then 1 minute walk then ran 4 minutes WHOA NELLY....there is a frigging CLIFF at the 1 mile mark. Holy steep hill bat man. Yeah I walked up that sucker as did everyone around me. So we get to the top and there is a gentle down hill into a neighborhood. OK.....still trying to maintain a 4:1 Then went to 3;1....then a 1:1 WTF? WHY is this so hard?Why am I winded? Why do I want to throw up????? Why does it feel like i might pass out????? OK walk a bit

We turn onto a busy road then again to gt to the whirlpool campus. Hot as blazes but nothing I am not used to. I am about at mile 3 and I am already on a death march. OK only 10 more miles I can do 10 easy right? No problem. There was an aide station at the entrance and I took a cup of ice and a cup of water. Drank the water then put some of the ice in the empty cup so I had a cup of ice in each hand to try to keep me cold. Ran down a little hill then the uphills again. It seems like the entire run was uphill. At least it was somewhat shady back there. Came out of the woods and by this point it was pretty much walk, or try to run and throw up or pass out. I trudged forward. It sucked. A lot.

Came out of the whirlpool campus and there is another frigging cliff to go up. NO ONE was even attempting to run up this mother. I stopped once in the middle of it. There was the same gentle downward slope going back thru the neighborhood for loop 2. I used gravity and ran a bit. I don't think I ran even a mile of the last 10 of the run. I was in a really bad place. I wanted to quit I never want to do a triathlon again. WTF was I thinking I can't do IMFL I never want to suffer like this again. I mean seriously lets suffer badly for a frigging 8 hour 1/2 iron? Whats the point? I was pitiful out there. Really stunk it up. FINALLY the second loop and the second battle with the cliff which I could hardly even walk up (It was truely and utterly PATHETIC) was done. I managed to finish up somehow

I don't even know why this went so badly esp as I felt awesome off the bike and the first mile. I DID NOT GO TOO HARD ON THE BIKE. Seriously I went pretty easy. Certainly the hills were a problem. I got dehydrated but I didn't start out that way. If I had run with a hand held bottle it would have helped a little I think. I am used to running in far hotter temperatures. My legs HURT. The hokas kept my feet happy the first 10 miles which is saying something. I NEVER feel sick. Seriously I have an iron stomach. I could eat a tuna melt on the bike and be fine.

I wish I knew. I try really really hard to get better on the run and nothing works.

Found D and I sat on the swings in the playground for a little then I went and got my bike and stuff and dropped the bike with TBT (WONDERFUL service) I didn't want to stand in line for crappy pizza hut pizza so we left.


good question


The race is good. The venue is weird and probably only there because Maytag/Whirlpool is a major sponsor. Hotels are scarce and far, well ours was not but I got really lucky. The bike course was fun the run course was not good for me. I think they need more aide stations on the run. 2.5 miles apart on an 89 degree day is a bit much.

Even now 8 days later I am unsure why the run went so horribly wrong. I was in a good mental place about it was all stoked up to not completely suck and I fell apart hard and fast. No idea