Jenny (jsnowash)'s Spring Guinea Pig Group - CLOSED (Page 23)

J - thanks for asking!  

It's going well, or at least I think it is.  I've been stepping-up my running and biking, and trying to maintain my swimming fitness. I've been doing some of my long runs (12-16 miles) at night to get used to the colder temps and darkness.  IMFL is supposed to be very flat, so I've been spinning on my indoor bike for hours at a stretch to try to simulate the flat course.  In any case, I have another 2-3 weeks of intense training to go and then I have to start tapering...

From what other IM racers tell me, training can get you only so far, and at some point during the race you hit the wall...everybody does.  Most folks say it's around mile 18 in the run...but where ever it is, I'm told it all boils down to mental strength at that point...though I'm not sure how to train for that per se.  I figure as long as I'm aware of it (ie. it doesn't 'surprise' me) then I should (hopefully) be able to push through it.

The race is just over 30 days away and I'm a mix of excitement and nerves.  It's been a roller coaster so far.  I just hope to get to the starting line without injury and without any more early season colds/viruses.  (My 5 yo daughter and her classmates are seemingly always sniffling and 'sharing' colds...).  Fingers crossed, and knocking on wood...

J - BTW, sorry for being remiss....how did you Half Mary go?  I hope it went well!

Wow, those sound like some intense training sessions.  Good for you.  I can only imagine what hitting that wall in an IM is like.  I agree with you that at least being aware of it has to help.  If only at that point you could have a cheering section planted to remind you that you have trained and can physically accomplish it or better, yet, the EASY button from that one commercial.

My half marathon was good.  I finished in 2:09 which was about where I figured.  In hindsight, I think I should have had more long runs under my belt because miles 10 and 11 were slower than I wanted.  I was surprised at how emotional I was at the finish.  I have done all different kind of competitions, but I have never felt so thankful that someone was there to see me finish.  I am generally pretty stoic emotionally so this was a surprise. 

I have a 10K planned in two weeks, but then nothing in particular after that.  I am considering doing a Rock-n-Roll half marathon in Arizona in January.  Let us know how the race goes!!

It was great!  I'm so psyched.  I posted below a semi-long race recap that I wrote for some family and friends.  

(BTW, It's great to hear from you.  How's things going for you?  It's been a while since we last connected, so what have you been upto?  Hope you and your family are well.)

What a day it was yesterday...

The first leg is the swim. All 3000 athletes lined-up for the 7am mass start. This was my first mass start, so I was a bit nervous. And to be honest, it was as bad as you think - I got kicked, shoved, hit, pushed, etc.  I did some of the same too as I was trying to swim, but it's definitely an interesting way to start.

The other major issue we had to contend with was the waves.  The water was fairly choppy with some decent sized waves. It was pushing us around quite a lot. By around midway through the swim, I was feeling pretty sea sick - my stomach was a mess. My unease only intensified during the back half of the swim. I never got sick per se, but I was real close and it's not a very comfortable feeling with more than 1 mile left to swim. (I learned later in the day that a lot of folks were in the same boat, and a bunch actually got sick in the water and on the beach.)

By the time I finished lap 2, I was feeling really bad. I was so happy to get out of the water.

Went to transition to start the bike leg. My plan was to bike at a reasonable pace (16-17mph) to save something for the run leg. Overall, my plan worked fairly well, but it wasn't without complications. My stomach didn't settle down for a while, so I really couldn't start my nutrition as I had planned. So, this put me in a calorie and water deficit immediately. By around mile 15ish, my stomach was ok with liquids and some limited foods.  I tried to stick to my plan, but it wasn't easy. Things would have been much worse if I didn't have salt tablets, so I was glad I had them.

The first half of the bike leg was ok - I was reaching 19-20mph fairly easily, so I eased up some. The second half was a different story. First of all, there was an 8ish mile stretch on a super bumpy road. My backside was killing me. It was a horrible stretch of road.  I started seeing a lot of folks on the side of the road taking breaks. Then we had a 20 mile stretch with some fairly stiff headwinds. It was a long straight road with no shade and no break from the winds. A lot of folks were starting to fade. I tried to maintain a 15mph pace, and did ok, but the winds took their toll.

We then turned south for the final 25 miles, and the winds were there too. At an aid station at around mile 70, the numbers of folks taking breaks noticeably increased, some were laying down, some just sitting, but the number of 'casualities' was definitely increasing.

The best decision I made was to take a 5 min break at the aid station at mile 90ish. It felt so good. I just sat down, drank some water and just rested. When I got back on my bike, I felt so much better.

The rest of the bike leg was uneventful. I ended-up averaging 16.6mph, which isn't too bad for a road bike without aero bars.  I was so happy to get off my bike, my backside was thankful too.

Bike to run transition was a nice opportunity to sit in a chair and just relax some. In my bag, I packed a small toothbrush and tube of toothpaste so I could brush my teeth. My helper in transition happened to be a dentist and he was over the moon that someone was brushing. I just wanted to start the run 'fresh', but I'm glad I made someone's day.

My plan for the run was to run between aid stations and walk the aid stations. Well, that plan didn't last long.  I did that for a while, but I was pretty beat by this point. I ran a decent portion of the first loop, but not as much as I planned. By the time I started lap #2, I was walking, but not a defeated slow walk, but a 14-15 min/mile fast walk. I hooked up with 2 others and we fast walked the entire second loop.  At our pace, we passed a lot of folks trying to do the Ironman shuffle (light, survival-like jog), so this new plan was working out great. We did the math and knew we we're making great time - we we're on track for a sub 15hr finish. A lot of folks we passed commented how happy we looked, and they were right. We didn't have energy to run, so we walked, talked and had fun. It was a great way to finish the race.

We all maintained the pace..in a lot of ways, we 'carried' each other to the finish line. There was no way I could have done that pace by myself, so huge thanks to my walking buddies. At mile 25ish, we decided it was time to run to the finish, so we, along with a few others who were near us, all picked-up the pace and ran for the finish line.

Entering the 50 yard finishing chute was so incredible. The noise, the high fives, the announcer yelling "You are an Ironman" it was all so awesome. I felt so great crossing the finishing line despite the fact that my body was so tired and sore. As I entered the chute, all the aches and pains went away, I felt so fresh, so energized and basically, ready to do it all over again. It was such a great feeling!!!!!!

The people I met over the past few days are so amazing.  There were two firemen running the marathon in full firemen gear, oxygen tank an all, who were raising $$ for their respective charities. I met a woman who was running for her friend who just passed away from breast cancer. She was 33 and had three small kids...what a horrible story, but what great friend - racing an Ironman to raise awareness and $$ for breast cancer, that's awesome. There were folks raising $$ for all sorts of charities and each of their stories are equally inspiring. Everybody I met was so nice and this community is fantastic.

So, that's it. Hopefully I covered all the bases, and if you have any questions, please let me know.

Great for you, Brian!  YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!  You should be so proud of yourself.  Thanks for the race report.  Geez, that swallowing salt water sounds horrible.  I am glad you didn't let that throw you off.  It sounds like the bike was a great leg for you.  It seemed as if your training was very methodic and intentional and that paid off.  I would have never thought of a toothbrush, but great idea especially after nausea - eww, shutter.

I am still trying to figure out my winter training.  I ran a 10K trail race a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed the challenge of rugged running.  I felt like a klutz, but was amazed at the end of the race that I kept my planned race pace.  It was a smaller race, but the photographer snapped my picture which ultimately went out on the AP as advertising for the sponsor.  UGH - I always look like a spaz and this picture is no exception!  My kids got a kick out it.

I have started teaching spinning classes again which takes up 3 days a week and I feel like I am missing out on "true" biking even if I still get good HR training.  I have started back into my twice a week weight program and still hit the yoga mat about twice a week, but I don't really have a plan.  My only goal is to get some swim lessons before March.  I have given some thought to doing the Insanity DVD's, but I just haven't been that pumped up yet.

You take some good R & R, brag to your friends, let your wife and daughter pamper you and just enjoy your achievement!!  Congrats.

Thanks!  It was such a great feeling to cross the finish line...I'm still on a 'high'!

Good luck with your winter training.  It's always an interesting challenge.  When we have a race in the calendar, it's easy to work towards that specific event, but winter training is usually less rigid (at least mine is).  And I totally understand the challenge of race photos...

Hopefully we can stay in touch over the winter...