Ironman USA Lake Placid - TriathlonFull Ironman

I felt good the first 500 or so but it was obvious that I was maybe going a bit too fast. I cut over since we were all the way to the right and was in some calmer water. I did get beat-up by some guys a few times. I just wanted to holler "Stay away from me, I am broken!!" That was frustrating. But I did manage to make it out without having a kick to the shoulder or losing my goggles. The second lap I took a bunch more easily. I think the first lap was around 30 minutes, the second around 32-33.

Nothing. I think this was a good effort and my longest swim since before the collarbone injury. Actually 1:03 with a broken collarbone is pretty awesome!

First to the wetsuit strippers than I jogged slowly to the changing tent. Once inside things went uneventfully and I was glad to be done one event and on to the second. After I picked up my bike from the volunteer I suddenly heard GO ELITE GO MICHELLE! It turns out the David and the Elite crew were in transition (and right next to the ironmanlive camera). That was cool.

Nothing. My transitions were fast compared to most.

I don't know how to explain how depressing it is to be a fast swimmer and a out of shape biker. Since I have been injured, I have not had much time in the saddle and I have lost some bike fitness. Not all, but alot. On the first few hills out of town I was passed by HUNDREDS and I think I passed one other female. That is pretty depressing. But I was ok with this, because I was just happy to be racing. The big downhill out to Keene was fun, and this was the first time that my legs weren't shaking and I felt really comfortable. I actually felt really good for the first 50 miles or so. Then around special needs things started getting not so good. I was taking in nutrition - but it wasn't really digesting correctly. There was alot of burping and cramping going on.
I made it out to the flat sections in Jay and Upper Jay and I was starting to feel worse. Everything I have read says that if you are not digesting the best thing to do is to stop and take a rest. So at the Jay rest station I rested. I drank a water, took more cals (but not alot) and some endurolytes. It was hot - but not THAT hot. After 10 minutes I decided to start riding again. I didn't feel much better but I HAD to finish. At the Holloween Haselton turn around aid station I got off my bike to use the porta potties and got pretty sick. Another competitor, Patricia, was really helpful but I just needed to get back on my bike and keep moving forward. THe guy that held my bike for me was wearing a costume which was kind of funny looking back since he was watching me puke in a gorilla costume :)
Once back on my bike I only had like 18 miles to go. I can do this. Yes those 18 miles are mostly up hill but I MUST FINISH. It was funny - my shoulder/collarbone felt completely fine, and I felt comfortable on my bike. It was the severe stomach cramping that was a huge issue. I just wanted to be off the bike because I was so uncomfortable. So I keep trudging along and something happened around mile 107. I FELT BETTER!!! So I started moving faster and re-passing those who had just passed me. I headed into T2 feeling good and thinking thank god I ONLY have a marathon left to do. At this point I knew I could walk the whole thing and still finish. I was very confident that finishing was 100% achieveable.
Looking back on this it seems that the stomach issues may have been mental or at least tied to my negative attitudes. How come I started feeling better at the end? Was it because my stomach finally settled down or was it that I was just so glad to be over that I suddenly felt better?
It was nice to see my friends on the course. I saw JohnnyKay's sis Christina, Jean, Carol, and Bruce.

Start out slower (but not much my pacing wasn't that off). I didn't take in any new calories that I hadn't tried in training so I am not sure where the stomach issues came from. Stay more positive.

Fast and GLAD to be off my bike and on my feet. On the way out I stopped to see Max, Christine, Jody, Tom, and the rest of my friends since they were standing right in front of the gatorade station and I needed to take my pills.

Once again I am speedy :) In transitions that is :)

Started the run off stronger than I expected. All along I kept telling myself "just make it to the run and then you can walk the WHOLE thing". I guess I felt that bad during the bike. Well, the first mile or so is downhill so I slowly jogged until the first aid station. This didn't feel too bad and I was still enjoying being OFF THE BIKE!! :) Then the heat started getting to me. I found that I could run downhill and in the shade, but in the sun I started getting dizzy and sick to my stomach. Not sure if this was mental, or from the apparent lack of calories, or from getting sick but I quickly decided that I would walk when I felt bad because if I did indeed pass out - then I wouldn't be able to finish. I kept up this strategy for most of the first half marathon. At the turnaround I enjoyed seeing my friends again and the guys from Elite who quickly had a megaphone yielding spectator chanting "GO NAVY GO NAVY". Which is funny considering I have been out of the Navy for 3 years now.
As the sun started to set I started to feel alot better. I was walking much more than running but really attempting to MOVE as I walked. At mile 19 I made a new friend, Amy, and we walk/jogged the rest of the way home. It was funny how much faster we both started moving after we joined up together. And as the temps dropped I started feeling SO much better and running was actually less painful than walking. The last out and back section was pretty hard because it seemed like we would never make it to the turnaround. It was finally almost pitch black out. With 1/2 a mile to go Amy told me to run ahead because I had alot of steam left in my legs. So I went ahead and sprinted to the finish.

Eat more. Not sure how under the circumstances, but I needed to eat.

HA!


1. Breaking my collarbone
2. Poor mental conditioning
3. GI issues.

BUT WHO CARES!! I AM AN IRONMAN!!! YEAH!


The spectators and volunteers at IMLP are the BEST! I love Lake Placid and I was so glad to have the support of so many out on the course and as spectators.

This was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I am so glad that I found a way to finish. And I know that someday I will come back to an IM distance race because I have so much room to improve...

But for now its time for the short tris that I love!