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Ironman USA Lake Placid - TriathlonFull Ironman


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Lake Placid, New York
United States
Ironman North America
70F / 21C
Precipitation
Total Time = 14h 14m 55s
Overall Rank = 1661/2340
Age Group = F25-29
Age Group Rank = 63/92
Pre-race routine:

C and I arrived in Lake Placid on Thursday. I was pretty relaxed except for wanting to get to registration before it closed. After we unloaded the car we walked over to LPHS and I did the reg thing. The line wasn't too bad so it didn't take long. Then it was back to the hotel to change into our bathing suits and go for a swim!
The next few days were pretty relaxing. I did the Gatorade swim Friday morning with Pam and Mark and a short swim/bike/run Saturday morning and that was it for workouts. My parents arrived Saturday morning and we walked around town a little, had lunch, I dropped off my bags/bike, went swimming, and then headed out to drive the bike course before dinner. The course seems much easier in the car ;). We ate at a little place in Saranac Lake and just had a relaxing dinner. When we got back I packed my special needs bags, laid out my clothes, and prepared my bottles. Then it was bedtime.
Event warmup:

I woke up around 4:15 and drank a Slimfast shake as my first meal. Showered, got dressed, ate a bagel w/ pb. Walked down to the oval with my bottles and bike pump. Got bodymarked, loaded my bottles, pumped my tires, obsessed over my rear brake hitting my tire.
Then it was back to the hotel to collect my family and get my special needs bags.
C and my dad had set up a tent (Thanks Rob!) in front of the tennis courts so my crew had a "home base". It was starting to sprinkle so we stood under the tent and I struggled into my wetsuit. Before I knew it I was walking down the swim chute feeling scared out of my mind. "How Far We Come" by Matchbox 20 was playing. Just before I walked over the timing mat I saw Pam and we got into the water together and bobbed around until Mike Reilly yelled "Have the best day of your lives" and the cannon went off!
Swim
  • 1h 28m 32s
  • 4224 yards
  • 02m 06s / 100 yards
Comments:

My plan was to start in the middle/middle and stay there, but since I can't swim straight to save my life I ended up next to the buoys in no time. I decided to stay there as I didn't want to waste time moving to a new area. I thought the swim was crowded but not as rough and violent as I was expecting. I just kept moving forward and breathing on every other stroke and I was fine. Rounding the buoys on the first loop kinda sucked because it got so crowded, and I got decked a few times, but again, I just kept moving forward and held my ground when someone tried to swim over me or push me out of the way. I got a nice draft on the first loop and it was quicker than I expected. Loop 2 was more of the same but slightly less crowded so not as good a draft. I also started to feel a little tired, but after I rounded the buoy the 2nd time I just kept looking at the jumbo-tron screen at the swim exit and the closer I got to it the more excited I became. I figured I would finish the swim somewhere between 1:25 and 1:30 so I was right on the money.
What would you do differently?:

I guess be a better swimmer, but I have improved a lot since last year so no real complaints.
Transition 1
  • 12m 16s
Comments:

I got out of the water and started looking for a wetsuit stripper. I found a team of 2 who whipped it off me in no time and off I ran. Obviously it was raining by this point and I was less than thrilled about the idea of remaining wet for the rest of the day.
Once inside the tent I took my time getting dressed and making sure I had everything. Then I visited the porto, Cappy handed me my bike, and off I went into the monsoon.
What would you do differently?:

Move a little faster.
Bike
  • 7h 03m 35s
  • 112 miles
  • 15.86 mile/hr
Comments:

At first I was not thrilled about riding in the rain. I kept thinking about a hot bath and a warm bed, but pretty soon I got into a groove and just rode. The course was crowded to begin with, and it was hard to find some space for myself, especially on the Keene descent. I wanted to bomb down it and everyone near me wanted to ride their brakes. I screamed "left!" at the top of my lungs and just flew past people. That descent is free speed and I wanted some of that! The only problem was I really couldn't see. My glasses were covered with rain drops and they were tinted but I needed to wear them because the rain was hitting my face felt like needles.
By the Hasleton out and back I had decided that I was feeling really good. I'd been eating and drinking the whole time and had a lot of energy and my pace was good. I was wet but otherwise comfortable.
I stopped at Special Needs and exchanged bottles and grabbed more Mily Way minis (mmm) and some pb crackers and was on my way. I saw my family and friends and that gave me a boost for loop 2.
Loop 2 was a little slower but I expected that. I still felt good. It was still raining. I made 2 portolet stops and one stop to rub feeling back into my feet because they were cold! Other than that I just kept moving. After Hasleton on loop 2 my legs started to ache and I had a headache so I popped a Tylenol and that helped. Eat drink eat drink. The whole ride really went by a lot quicker than I expected.
I had anticipated a 7:30 bike split but ended up just over 7:00 so I am very pleased, especially since I didn't feel dead when I got off the bike!
What would you do differently?:

Nothing!
Transition 2
  • 10m 10s
Comments:

A volunteer took my bike and I headed for the racks. Someone gave me my bag and I ran into the tent and a volunteer unpacked my bag for me. Dry socks and shorts never felt so good! I dried myself off and lubed up my feet with Body Glide, stretched my stomach/core area, drank a Red Bull, and I was off!
What would you do differently?:

Move faster, again.
Run
  • 5h 20m 22s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 12m 14s  min/mile
Comments:

I will start out by saying that this part of the race surprised me the most. I NEVER have a good run after a long ride, whether it's in a race or training. Plus I went harder on the bike than I had planned so my expectations weren't high.
I jogged out of the changing tent and chucked the rest of my Red Bull and I kept waiting for my usual side stitch to kick in. As I ran down main street people were looking at my bib and cheering me by name and that is just a really nice feeling. The fans on this course were just unreal.
So I'm running and running and still feeling really good, and I haven't gotten any side stitches (I guess stretching in the changing tent helped!), and I start to think "wow, this is going a lot better than I thought." At the first aid station I had some water and cola and a cookie and my stomach accepted everything. Sometime after that I had my first cup of chicken broth and I was in love :). I went a little nuts on the chicken broth. It tasted so good and it was warm and comforting and I drank too much (along with too much water and cola). I was able to run the entire first loop (except walking through aid stations to get my precious chicken broth) and I felt awesome. My heart rate was still mid zone 2, my legs were good, my stomach was happy. I saw my family and friends out by the lake and that was a good boost. All was well. I started to think about going sub-14. And then all the liquids I'd been drinking started catching up with me :(. I was hitting the portolet every mile on the 2nd loop for probably the first 5 miles. It ate away at my time. I switched to just cola and finally stopped peeing. But now I was getting tired. Pam caught up to me and we chatted for a minute before she left me in the dust. I think I ran until mile 20 and then I needed to take walk breaks. I knew once I started walking it would be tough to run again, so I picked out landmarks (street signs, street lamps, guard rails, trees, whatever) and told myself I could only walk until that point and then I had to run more. And it worked pretty well.
After I climbed the last hill into town I saw my dad at the turn for Mirror Lake rd and gave him my sunglasses and my Fuel boxes and he called the rest of the crew to let them know it was time to head to the oval. I ran/walked along the lake and I thought I would never see the turnaround. I saw Pam coming in the opposite direction and we high-fived. The turnaround finally came and I tried to pick up the pace on the way in. When I got into the oval I saw my dad and when I got closer to the finish C and my mom and Rob and Mark and I high-fived them as I went by. I don't remember much else. I crossed the line and I don't remember Mike Reilly saying my name, I don't remember what song was playing. I know I was concerned about my finisher's picture but I'm not sure if it came out or not. I was just so happy to be done, and I was happy with my time.
What would you do differently?:

Go easy on the fluids
Post race
Warm down:

I got my medal, shirt, hat and mylar blanket and my volunteer put her arm around me and it felt so nice to have a warm arm on my cold back. She asked how I was doing and I told her I was ok. I found the crew and we celebrated for a minute before I got in line for my "medal picture". I grabbed some munchies then met up with everyone again and chatted with them, then Pam and Dave appeared and we took yet another P and P picture ;). I said goodbye to Mark and Rob and Pam and Dave and headed back to the hotel to take a quick bath and change so we could go out for chinese!! Yum!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The rain sucked but I don't think it affected my performance negatively. I made the decision early on to make the best of the day and do the best I could. I got used to the rain after a while and I honestly don't think I would have done nearly this well if it had been warm and sunny. The rain kept me cool and kept my HR down so when it came time to run the marathon I was still in good shape.
I think I showed up for this race well-prepared and well-rested. Maybe I could have gone sub-14 if I hadn't had so much to drink on the first loop of the run, but I don't know that, and I'm not dewlling on it. I am proud of my time, my execution, and my attitide. I earned this. I have no regrets.

Event comments:

The volunteers and spectators were just AWESOME!! These people voluntarily stood out in the rain all day and were just so kind and motivating. When it comes to atmosphere and amenities on the course, I don't think you can beat an IM event. It's just a wonderful experience and well worth the money.




Last updated: 2007-07-23 12:00 AM
Swimming
01:28:32 | 4224 yards | 02m 06s / 100yards
Age Group: 77/92
Overall: 2001/2340
Performance: Good
Suit: 2XU Sleeveless
Course: 2 loops of a rectangular course in Mirror Lake
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Shot
Water temp: 70F / 21C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 12:16
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
07:03:35 | 112 miles | 15.86 mile/hr
Age Group: 60/92
Overall: 1707/2340
Performance: Good
Loop 1: 3:24:57 Loop 2: 3:38:38
Wind: Little
Course: 2 loops of torture
Road: Rough Wet Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 10:10
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
05:20:22 | 26.2 miles | 12m 14s  min/mile
Age Group: 63/92
Overall: 1661/2340
Performance: Good
Loop 1: 2:24:51 Loop 2: 2:55:31
Course: 2 loops
Keeping cool Good Drinking Too much
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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2008-07-23 8:51 AM

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Expert
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Subject: Ironman USA Lake Placid


2008-07-23 8:56 AM
in reply to: #1551567

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Pro
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Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
CONGRATULATIONS ON AN AWESOME RACE!!!!!  You did so well, especially with the crappy weather and put together a fast marathon on the end -- way to go!
2008-07-23 9:54 AM
in reply to: #1551567

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Master
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CT
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid

Polly— I am soo proud of you! "I am proud of my time, my execution, and my attitide. I earned this. I have no regrets." This is it in a nutshell and you should feel really, really awesome about your first IM!

I was never more happy to see you than at the swim start! Glad we got to share those last few anxious moments together before the canon went off. I think as nervous as we both were with anticipation, we both knew we'd get on task as soon as it was go time.  Glad we got to run together for a few minutes too. Like you, my run was just so much better than I ever expected and I definitely got an amazing second wind when I hit the mile 20 mark. I would love to know what my run splits were for that last 10k!

You are awesome and I can't wait to see what you are gonna do next!  

2008-07-23 10:59 AM
in reply to: #1551567

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Champion
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Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid

Congratulations Ironman!

Well executed race and glad your side stitch didn't come this time so you ran well.

Your post race thoughts rock...that is what it is all about. 

2008-07-23 12:08 PM
in reply to: #1552294

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Elite
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New City, New York
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid

Congrats again Ironwoman!

Good idea with that Red Bull. Where'd you get it

It was great to see a freindly face on the course. And you looked great at that! 

Your attitiude was way better than mine. I cursed the weather gods perfusely. Oh, and your wits too. I completely spaced on the post race picture.

Glad we got to share parts of the journey together.

 

2008-07-23 12:17 PM
in reply to: #1551567

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Expert
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Northern VA
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Great job on a tough day! Congratulations Ironman!


2008-07-23 2:21 PM
in reply to: #1551567

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Extreme Veteran
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Clayton/Raleigh, North Carolina
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Wow, awesome job! Congratulations Ironman! You did a great job staying positive despite the rain and just making the best of your day!
2008-07-23 2:59 PM
in reply to: #1553094

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Expert
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Colchester, CT
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Way to rock it Ironman.  Everytime I saw you, you looked great and you were really positive (and you scared the crap out of me when you went past me on the bike, I was totally zoned out at the time). Now kick back and enjoy the feeling.
2008-07-23 3:52 PM
in reply to: #1551567

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Expert
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The Woodlands, TX
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Awesome job under tough conditions! Congratulations Ironman!
2008-07-23 4:56 PM
in reply to: #1551567

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Master
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Virginia Beach, VA
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Congrats on a great race!
2008-07-23 5:19 PM
in reply to: #1551567

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Expert
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Welcome to Super Mario World
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Awesome Job Polly, Congratulations.


2008-07-23 5:38 PM
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Extreme Veteran
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Frisco, Texas
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
what a race and what a report. well done. congratulations, ironman!
2008-07-23 5:40 PM
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Expert
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Oak Ridge,
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Congratulations Polly!  Every time I saw you out there you look fantastic. 
2008-07-23 5:52 PM
in reply to: #1551567

Pro
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Andover
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Congratulations, Polly!
2008-07-23 5:56 PM
in reply to: #1551567

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2008-07-23 6:24 PM
in reply to: #1551567

Master
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Maine
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Sounds like you executed a nearly perfect first ironman experience (we all go a little nuts with chicken broth sometimes ). Congratulations!


2008-07-23 8:35 PM
in reply to: #1551567

Extreme Veteran
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CT
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Welcome to the club Awesome job on a tough day and even better awesome attitude
2008-07-23 9:18 PM
in reply to: #1551567

Expert
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Long Island, NY
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Great job and a great report. Very inspiring!
2008-07-24 12:47 AM
in reply to: #1551567

Veteran
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Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
great job on a tough day. good bike split!


Nathalie
2008-07-24 11:18 AM
in reply to: #1551567

Master
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portland, or
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Great job! Congratulations!!!


scott
2008-07-24 1:22 PM
in reply to: #1551567

Master
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Bronze member
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Smooth execution & a great attitude-tough day..Yes, you EARNED PAM-IRONMAN....!!!!Congratulations!!!


2008-07-24 1:46 PM
in reply to: #1551567

Champion
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Williamston, Michigan
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Awesome Job Polly!1 The weather totally SUCKED!! you guys are super soaker ironmen
2008-07-24 4:08 PM
in reply to: #1551567

Expert
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Fort Bragg
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Great job! I loved your report.
2008-07-25 10:17 AM
in reply to: #1551567

Extreme Veteran
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Plymouth MA
Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Congrats on an awesome race! You should be so proud.
2008-07-25 11:38 AM
in reply to: #1551567

Pro
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Subject: RE: Ironman USA Lake Placid
Great job, congrats! 
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