Mad Manatee Mentors, Part 2! CLOSED (Page 85)

Muskrat37 - 2013-03-02 12:41 PM

I haven't done an IM branded event yet, but when I started this journey, one of my goals as to get to Kona...so I'm going to be forced to do one I guess.    The event I did last year was great, limited to 300 entrants, only about 65 doing the full.. I'm doing it again this year.  

jbwills - 2013-03-02 6:51 PM

I did not make it to my race today. I went to the grocery store this morning and had car issues. So no race for me today, but I did get a future new running buddy. He does not have a name yet...

He is almost 2 months old, an Alaskan Husky. His Aunt is currently running in the Iditarod.

Name suggestions?

4agoodlife - 2013-03-03 2:13 PMYou are in for a crazy ride! Lol! he's adorable

jbwills - 2013-03-02 6:51 PM

I did not make it to my race today. I went to the grocery store this morning and had car issues. So no race for me today, but I did get a future new running buddy. He does not have a name yet...

He is almost 2 months old, an Alaskan Husky. His Aunt is currently running in the Iditarod.

Name suggestions?

jobaxas - 2013-03-02 11:20 PM ok he looks like he's wearing shades so Shady or Sunny. I want one!!!

ponderingfox - 2013-03-02 8:15 PM

Nice bike!

Um, is there a file size limit when attaching a file?  Still figuring out how to upload pics.

jbwills - 2013-03-03 1:51 PM

I did not make it to my race today. I went to the grocery store this morning and had car issues. So no race for me today, but I did get a future new running buddy. He does not have a name yet...

He is almost 2 months old, an Alaskan Husky. His Aunt is currently running in the Iditarod.

Name suggestions?

jbwills - 2013-03-02 6:51 PM

I did not make it to my race today. I went to the grocery store this morning and had car issues. So no race for me today, but I did get a future new running buddy. He does not have a name yet...

He is almost 2 months old, an Alaskan Husky. His Aunt is currently running in the Iditarod.

Name suggestions?

4agoodlife - 2013-03-03 3:52 PM

Any fav characters or places? Neo?...he's a shade-wearing pooch.

jbwills - 2013-03-02 6:51 PM

I did not make it to my race today. I went to the grocery store this morning and had car issues. So no race for me today, but I did get a future new running buddy. He does not have a name yet...

He is almost 2 months old, an Alaskan Husky. His Aunt is currently running in the Iditarod.

Name suggestions?

4agoodlife - 2013-03-02 8:48 PM

Haha! Thanks, guys

I'm just dying to really try her out, but still need shoes and pedals. Her she is for real...shall I call her Silver Streaker? lol

jbwills - 2013-03-02 9:51 PM

I did not make it to my race today. I went to the grocery store this morning and had car issues. So no race for me today, but I did get a future new running buddy. He does not have a name yet...

He is almost 2 months old, an Alaskan Husky. His Aunt is currently running in the Iditarod.

Name suggestions?

jobaxas - 2013-03-02 11:41 PM who was the dude on Star Trek Scotty?

4agoodlife - 2013-03-03 9:48 AM

Haha! Thanks, guys

I'm just dying to really try her out, but still need shoes and pedals. Her she is for real...shall I call her Silver Streaker? lol

TriAya - 2013-03-03 8:40 PM

Just a wee trailer of the race report and what actually happened:

- swim was fantastic

- there's a 500m uphill run and long flight of steep stairs to transition--that and doing a full dry and change and getting my bike, 19min in transition not too bad!

- First lap of bike fantastic. I had nailed the course simulation ride on the trainer and it was and went exactly as expected. It's about half hills; none of it is too bad although just out of town there's a 10km climb that averages 10% (I had it between 5-10% but that was a bit off). On pace to finish around 7:45 on the bike even accounting for slowing down a bit on the 2nd lap and still feeling fresh and strong ... although getting very warm.

- Because of (justified) semi-paranoia from IMWA and Melbourne, I had on a sports bra, tri top (3 warmers in the back pockets), black long-sleeved woolen thermal underwear top, a double-layer bike jersey on top of that, a warming do-rag under a non-ventilated aero helmet, and knee-high thick woolen socks (the kind you'd climb Everest with).

- It was a blazing hot day. Although I was getting really hot after lap one, there was no chance to discard clothing until Special Needs, which somewhat more than halfway through that 10km climb out of town at 95km. (ASININE). {This is where I should have gotten a clue and handed a bunch of layers to a spectator, any spectator, they were all so nice, and taken the woolen socks off since I'm used to long rides barefoot}.

- About 3km or so into the climb, I started feeling chilly and dizzy--sure signs of overheating so I tried to get off the bike. This did not go well at all and I fell heavily on one side, tumbled a bit down, and the bike hit hard as well and skidded. Anytime I tried to move, I got deep cramps in toes up to hips! A marvelous piglet came to my aid and got me doused in water, drinking sports drink and eventually (15-20min) I was able to get back up. Very sharp pains in the ribs and breathing hurt but figured ... well, nothing, I wasn't thinking.

- Managed to get back on the bike and to Special Needs, where I ditched all the hot crap.

- Jo's seen the roads around Taupo--I figured I'd ridden the IMWA course which is half chip-seal and it wasn't too bad--holy smokes it is NOTHING like the NZ chip-seal, and almost the entire course is that. It makes riding in aero difficult to control, especially at speed (I was wondering what SO MANY road bikes were doing in an IM transition area ... now I know). First lap was bearable but by the time I was at 110km or so, the ceaseless rattling was making my arthritic joints feel like they were being deep-stabbed. My side felt none too good either.

- Then my bike started falling apart. Once I was off the climb, the derailleur would only let me ride in the two easiest and two hardest gears. Pushing that hard with the joints already so unhappy was ... painful. My muscles were going strong, no more cramping, and I wasn't particularly tired. I was just in a crapload of pain. Half of one of the elbow rests had chipped off, so I kind of had to balance on the top bit that was left with the forearm, and that took quite a beating from banging on the hard edge (even padded) from the rough roads.

- My aerobars got loose and would simply not bolt down tight again, so I had to make several stops for those (the shifters are on them, so ... they were unfortunately essential). Then the handlebars came loose. That was just one stop. Unfortunately with every stop, and being in so much pain, getting off actually made the pain WORSE and made it so, so hard to get back on.

- Around the 3/4 mark, 135km or so, there's a very confusing intersection where athletes are coming from two directions but some need to merge one way and the others turn. This was neither on the maps provided, nor detailed in the road directions given by the race. No signage or arrows on the road, just volunteers pointing to you and yelling. I followed what the volunteer told me. She was wrong. I'd gotten about 5km down the road (and it was plausible since other athletes were going that way too) when a spectator started yelling at me and actually waved her arms into the road that I was going the wrong way and needed to turn back (she had noticed I was not wearing the right color armband). I stopped and she told me what to do and that many athletes had taken the wrong turn (so it's not just my usual idiocy).

- So I lost 10km there. What's galling is that when I got back to the same intersection, another volunteer yelled wrong directions again (and there was no one behind me so she could not have possibly been meaning it for another rider!)

- I knew there was a chance I could still make the cutoff, so I put in the ride of my life that last 40km of the course--right until 175km when the course director himself came and took my chip, saw what state I was in and suggested I take a ride in the SAG wagon which had also pulled up. I asked if I was allowed to ride my bike back into town, and he said yes, it's an open course, but it's not marshalled anymore so there would be many more cars and lots of pedestrians on foot. Right here, discretion was the better part of valour so I got into the SAG wagon.

So, that's what happened. I think any two, perhaps even three of the above might have been manageable, but not all of it. I would probably have done some serious or possibly permanent damage running anyway--punctured lung from the rib, stress fractures near the joints, etc. One day post-race with lots of treatment including steroids and I can see the tips of my elbows, but still have no knees and only cankles. Can type but not write well and am using cutlery like a caveman (fist grab only) or just eating with my hands.

Yeah, sorry, that was just the bad bits of my race report--and damn that was long --but I did have a grand time while it lasted and so many events and people around the race week were just amazing. PIIIIIIIGLETS ... and food! More of all the juicy good bits to come!

 

jobaxas - 2013-03-03 5:54 PM yeah those roads man! Macca did Wanaka and his comment was Fork I've never been so happy to get off the bike. The swim makes Taupo and the local community commitment to the event. I'm sorry you're ride turned to crap!!! You are a trooper some guy on my Macca Facebook group sends his best wishes Timo Franciscus!! Small world. I cannot wait to see you my dear friend. Jo x