Road to Recovery (warning....it is long)

Road to Recovery and AZIM!

 

I’ve written a few race blogs this year and have really enjoyed being able to document the races and some of the little things that I want to remember. I thought that it would also be a good idea to write about my recovery process from plantar fasciitis, especially since it has pretty much consumed a majority of my year and the entire race season.  I am also scheduled to complete my first full ironman this year and really hope to reach that goal, despite an injury.

 

I initially began to notice having a slight case of plantar fasciitis in December, 2011 after trying to make the transition to running in Vibrim Five Fingers.  I had just finished facing a really great season.  I had completed 3 marathons and 2 half ironmans.  I finished off the season with the Philadelphia Marathon (racing in another person’s name) and had a PR of 3:51.  My other PR was at the Philadelphia Rock and Roll half marathon (again racing in another person’s name) with a time of 1:48.  I wanted to take the off season and work on improving my running form and thought using the five fingers would help.  I thought I had made the transition slowly, but began noticing the foot pain after running just over a mile in the shoes.  I immediately stopped running in them and went back to my trusty Brooks Defyance.  My feet were feeling better within a couple weeks.  I then decided to get a new pair of running shoes and went with the Brooks Ghost instead of the newer Defyance model.  At first they were working out pretty good.  I was hoping to try to set another PR at Rutgers Half Marathon in April and started to ramp up my training toward the end of January, 2012.  I was trying to run 4 days/week: long run on the weekend, 3 shorter runs during the week (one tempo, one interval, and one recovery/slow run).  I began noticing that the pain in my left foot started to return.  I also noticed that because of the pain during my running that my left hamstring and hip were also starting to hurt.  I figured that this was a result of possible gait change trying to compensate for the foot pain. 

 

Once I started noticing pain in my hamstring and hip, I thought I better nip this thing in the butt before it gets even worse.  Because of all my infinite wisdom, I decided I would just skip the middle man and just go right to a physical therapist since I knew that is what would be recommended.  I did some research and also at the recommendation from the owner of a local running store, I chose Kinetic Physical Therapy. 

 

I went to PT twice a week for just under 3 months.  The focus was mostly on foot and ankle strengthening exercises, calf strengthening, and also stretching out the calf muscle.  I do think that the PT helped, especially when the physical therapist did work on my foot.   I would describe it as the ultimate foot massage, although I don’t think he would be happy with this description.  During PT I managed to complete the Cherry Blossom 10 mile run with a PR and also the Rutgers Half Marathon (not at PR).   I “graduated” from PT with the goal to continue to do the exercises and stay on the road to recovery. 

 

I started out the triathlon season with New Jersey Devilman, a “half lite” race.  I had bought new Zoot racing shoes and wore them for the race.  They did not work out and I ended up running on my toes the second half of a 9 mile run due to heal pain.  Needless to say those shoes were returned (after washing them up from the race).  Since I’ve had good results with Brooks, I decided to get the Brooks Launch as my race shoe.  They seemed to be working out well and I used them for the Eagleman Half Ironman in June.  My swim and bike were great, but run was rough (refer to other race blog).  I continued to train in the Launch, but the foot pain continued and at times it was difficult to walk after a longer run.  I made the decision that if the pain continued after the DITR Tri I would call a sports doctor about the issue.  So, after DITR and ongoing pain I did some research and decided to make an appointment with a doctor from the Rothman Institute. 

 

I did the research and found a sports doctor that seemed to be a good fit, Dr. Michael Ross.  At my first appointment in early July he determined that another issue related to running was some hip weakness. What this means is more PT to work on hip strengthening, but before that I needed to have an MRI to rule out a stress fracture in my foot.  I have to admit that at this point, almost 7 months after the pain started, I almost hoped for a stress fracture…..at least there would be something to fix and a resolution to the pain.  After having the MRI, I was fortunate to find out that there was not a stress fracture.  This meant that the pain was related to an overuse injury.  Dr. Ross made some additional recommendations, to include completing an asthma/breathing assessment and gait analysis.  He had said that some injuries below the knee are a result of exercise induced asthma.  This is because the oxygen primarily supports the larger muscle groups, depleting the smaller muscles from much needed oxygen and subsequently leading to injury.  He also supported the idea of working to improve running form, which was an idea I planned to implement. 

 

I scheduled the breathing/asthma assessment, but also planned to work on improving running form.  I started doing a lot of research on run form, specifically the pose method that is supported by Crossfit, as well as research on shoes that have a more minimal heel to toe drop ratio.  I reconnected with an old high school friend (Jeremiah Williams) who now owns his own Crossfit gym and met with him to work on learning and practicing some running drills to improve form.  He supports the Pose method, which I encourage everyone to learn about.  Without getting into too much detail, the main focus is on proper run form, higher cadence, and midfoot landing.  After meeting with Jeremiah and learning some drills and strength training tools to improve my run, I was really hopeful to get this injury under control.  Surprisingly, I also went back to using my Vibrim Five Fingers for many of the drills and really feel like they were helpful.  I was not running for distance at this point and was running drills under a mile.  Although I was hopeful, I continued to question whether I would be able to complete my goal at the Arizona Ironman…..  As for the breathing/asthma assessment, I was just above the limit for treating possible asthma.  At this point Dr. Ross did not want to prescribe asthma medication, although I did have some constriction in the small airways of the lungs. 

 

Training continued, to include biking and swimming and doing the running drills.  The concept of midfoot running really made sense!  I started back at physical therapy for hip strengthening and continued with the drills. Over the last 6 months I also did some research on the Newtown running shoe.  After many months of consideration, I finally decided to buy them.  They are not cheap, but they claim to help you land on the midfoot.  I continued my training in the new shoes and doing the running drills.  I also returned to see Dr. Ross for the running gait analysis.  He videotaped my run from behind and from the side in both my Brooks Launch and Newtons.  Without going into major detail, it came down to the fact that I was a more efficient runner in the Newtons!!!! He based this on my original breathing analysis and my breathing in the Newtons.  More efficient means that I can run faster before hitting my lactate threshold.  This is awesome news….I think I am on my way to improvement!!!!

 

Now I am starting to think “why didn’t I take these steps to start with???” and “why didn’t I seek out the miracle doctor from the get go????”  But, no use kicking myself in the butt now.  During my run analysis, I learned that Dr. Ross also does a bike analysis/fit.  Why not keep going with further assessment, especially if insurance is covering the cost?!?!?!  So, I went back to see Dr. Ross for the final appointment and bike fit.  He went through the same baseline assessment of breathing (as he did at the last two appointments) and this time my baseline was just below normal.  I heard him shout “yes…that means I can treat you!!!”  Basically he was holding off on prescribing any asthma medication because I was borderline, but this time I was below the normal limit which means that medication may actually help with some breathing issues.  Onto the bike fit…..He had me on my bike on the trainer to assess breathing efficiency in my current position and also videotaped my position from the side.  After evaluating my right leg angle (when fully extended in the saddle), he made some adjustments to raise my seat and move my saddle forward.  Results: less movement in my upper body while riding in aero and I also became more efficient in breathing with the new position.  During the appointment, he also took extra time to teach me how to mount and dismount my bike while running and keeping my shoes clipped onto the pedals. 

 

Dr. Ross has been such a great resource, he spent time to explain the problems and also discuss solutions.  He was not quick to prescribe a medication and did not tell me to stop running.  I feel like I am finally on my road to recovery from this injury.  I realize that I still have to build up my running and I’m not running my best, but I also have the confidence that I will complete my first Ironman in November!  I will still push to complete the race under my original goal of 12 hours, but also realize that with the injury I may take a bit longer, possible 14-15 hours.  Either way…..I will finish!  I know that I am not “out of the woods” just yet, but will continue to work through it.  I must admit that this injury has been trying, physically, mentally, and emotionally.  It may not sound significant, but it has been tough.  I am my own worst critic.  I have learned to read and respect my body more, especially when it is sending me messages.  I have also learned about pushing through and not be defeated (especially self-defeat)!  I have used other stories for inspiration, especially those triathletes who have overcome more devastating injuries or illnesses to complete races.  Two athletes that come to mind are Jon “Blazeman” Blais and Jordan Rapp.  I won’t go into detail about their individual stories, but encourage you to read about them.  They both have proven that we can overcome limitations to accomplish our goals! 

 

I’m still not done my triathlon season; still have three more races to go.  Stay tuned…….

North East Triathlon

North East Triathlon, North East, MD 8/12/12

 

Early in the year I worked hard on developing my race calendar for 2012.  Picking races that would hopefully help me prepare for the full distance Ironman that I am scheduled to complete on November 18, 2012.  As it turns out, I have not had the best training year due to the plantar fasciitis.  This led me to make the decision to transfer from the Olympic distance to Sprint distance race for North East Tri.  My foot continued to bother me after DITR Tri and I decided to rest it until this race.  So, although my decision to shorten the distance was difficult, I also knew that it was probably the safest thing to do. 

 

Despite my disappointment of my foot not healing and doing the short distance race, I was still looking forward to going that day.  I was fortunate to race with great friends that day, to include Kate, David, Trish, and Karen.  Race day was beautiful, sunny, cool morning, with a warm afternoon.  North East, MD is also a quaint little town that I think is worth visiting for the afternoon and tapping the day off with a delicious bite to eat in town. 

 

After getting set up in transition, Trish, Karen, and I headed off to the dock for our Sprint start.  There were two waves of racers and we were broken up into male and female.  The water temperature was quite steamy again, a balmy 85 degrees.  This was probably better because getting into and out of my wetsuit (aka sausage suite) may have actually taken longer than the swim itself!  This was the first swim this year where it felt like it was more of a contact sport.  I don’t think it was that there were more races, but that it was a short distance and most people push harder.  Anyway, I remember bumping, hitting, kicking, and swimming over several other races.  I figure that this is good practice for my ironman when I will be starting with 2000 people!!!  The swim went by pretty fast and it was tough to sight with the bright sun glare.  I felt pretty confident with my swim, although I wasn’t sure how I placed overall at this point. 

 

After a little run out of the water and back to transition, I was off onto the bike!  I’m always a little relieved after finishing the swim and starting the bike.  The first half of the bike course and nice, some rolling hills and decent flats.  I managed to pass a number of men on the bike, as well as a handful of women.  The second half of the course was a little more hilly, but I tried to power through them knowing I was only biking 16 miles.  I managed to pass another female on the second half, but I noticed that I saw fewer and fewer people on the bike, could this be because I was so incredibly fast I passed most other racers?????

 

 

 

Heading into transition 2, I was apprehensive about having to take on the run.  It was only a 5K, but I also have not been running since early July…..I was also working to incorporate some new running form during this race (more of the midfoot strike with better posture).  As I headed out onto the run, I was able to check out the competition in front of me since it was an out and back course.  During the first quarter of the run, I didn’t see many racers coming back, however the top men started showing up soon after that.  My focus for the run was to 1) not injure myself, 2) try to push just hard enough, 3) have fun!  But this competitive side keeps coming out and I started to monitor the number of women in front of me as they were coming back.  I had two women pass me on the first half of the course and noticed that by the turn around there were only two more women in front.  So that meant that coming into the second half I was in fifth place overall for women!  Even though I tried to keep my place, I did have another woman pass me on the way back in.  I must admit that during the last stretch into the finish line (about a quarter mile), I was trying to get some glimpses behind me to make sure I wouldn’t get passed J  I finished feeling pretty good and ended up coming 1^st in my age group! Finish time of 1:34:07!

 

It was an all-around great day for our group that went down….David came 1^st in his age group and Kate also placed 1^st in Athena!!  After the awards, we enjoyed some fine food and drink at the well-known Woody’s along main street.  I also have to give kudos to Piranha Sports!  This was the third race I’ve done with them this year and each one has been well organized with great race support and food for afterwards! 

 

 

 

Diamond in the Rough Triathlon, Perryville, MD, 7/7/2012 

Well, back to beautiful Maryland for another triathlon.  The Diamond in the Rough Triathlon (DITRT), an international distance, which breaks down to a 1 mile swim, 27 mile bike ride, and 5 mile run.  Not the standard distances, but I’ll take a shorter run at the present time!!!  Piranha Sports organized this event, and I must say they do a great job!  This was my third PS event and each race was well organized, with great support before, during, and after the event.  They also have great post-race food, which is a big plus! 

The race was held at the Perryville Community Park in Perryville, MD.  The swim took place where the Susquehanna River meets the Chesapeake Bay.  The bike course took us through Perryville going north and then back down through Port Deposit, MD.  The description of the bike course on the race website was “hilly and technical.”  My friend and training partner, Kate and I decided to test out the bike course the week before.  Let’s just say that it was described accurately.  Plenty of hills, some technical downhills, and one long climb out of Port Deposit back into Perryville.  Once we finished the training ride we both said it really was no worse than riding in our area…..no need to worry!  The run was going to be an easy out and back flat course along the scenic Susquehanna River.   

In the week leading up to race day, the North East US entered into a heat wave starting at the beginning of the week.  I remember watching the news on Sunday night and the forecast for Saturday (race day) was described as “scorching heat….100 degrees.” Great, another excessively hot race, only this time the humidity was expected to be very high with heat index to be around 105-110.  I’ve lived in Arizona and let me tell you that there is some truth to the difference between humidity and “dry heat!!!”  Two days before the race I again watched the weather report and now Saturday’s forecast was described as “dangerous heat.”  Almost everyone who knew I was planning to race asked whether I was still going….I guess they really don’t realize how crazy I am because OF COURSE I would be there!!!  

Due to my recent experience at Eagelman and thinking that I did not take in enough sodium/electrolytes to finish strong, I started planning ahead for pre-race and race day nutrition.  I made sure to take in some extra sodium the few days before the race, as well as stay hydrated.  My preparations also included swimming with the Masters at the Y the day before the race and a 50 mile ride with David (another crazy training partner).  The ride included a pit stop at Achenbach’s Bakery for two long johns and a frozen chocolate chip cookie whoopee pie to go. YUM!!!  I also had a bike fitting scheduled at Loweriders the day before the race.  All of these are probably not the best idea to do the day before a race and are not recommended.  As of now, this race in my mind was a “D race” and I wanted to have fun with it!  I actually did not follow the adult beverage rule for the race this time only because of the possibility of dehydration.  I may be crazy, but I’m not interested in hurting myself J 

Fortunately this race was pretty close to home and a later start, which meant sleeping in my own bed and not having to wake up until 4:45am.  This allowed enough time for breakfast, coffee, and prep time.  As I said before, this was a “D race” and therefore I had my breakfast of champions…..leftover pizza (Thanks David)!!!!  In addition to coffee, I also drank some accelerade on the way to the race.   

I was happy that I was not flying solo for this race (as Ron was probably happy too).  Kate, my friend Noranne’s husband, Rick, and another fellow Y member, Laura were all going.  Kate and I had planned to carpool and at the last minute Rick also joined us.  Noranne was planning to go with Rick as SAG, however with the predicted temperatures and being 9 months pregnant we all agreed it would not be the best idea.  She ended up cheering from home and we could still hear her!!! Thanks Norannie!!! 

The ride down was uneventful….the usual talk of nerves, what to expect, and complaints about the heat.  We got there in plenty of time for packet pick up and getting set up in transition.  As I’m setting up I hear the race announcer say that the race will not be wetsuit legal.  I expected this since the area had been in a heat wave for the past week. However, I was not expecting the water temperature to be 87.5 degrees, by far the warmest water for a race so far.  After transition closed there was about an hour wait until the race started.  During the wait I was pleasantly surprised to see a friend from work and her husband (Laura and Chris) show up for the race to cheer.  What a beautiful day to stand in the sun and wait…..Triathlon is not the most spectator friendly sport.  Laura did make a fabulous sign:

Swim: Kate and I started our trek down two flights of steps to the dock and entered the water.  My main focus was to keep a steady swim and avoid side stitches.  Although the water was warm, it was very calm making the swim a great one.  Sighting was difficult at times, but overall the swim went really well.  I felt I kept a steady pace and halfway through I started to see a lot of blue swim caps around which means I caught up to a lot of men from the first wave that went out 5 minutes before me.  Nice confidence booster!!   

T1: After finishing the swim and climbing the two flights of steps, I head into transition and as I put on my helmet I hear someone yell my name.  Here it was Rick, he and I must have exited the swim about the same time.  I must admit that this led to the thought that I was already 5 minutes ahead of him….Nice!  (There seemed to be a friendly little competition going on prior to the race) 

Bike: Now onto the bike, the “hilly and technical” course.  As I headed out onto the course and hit the first hill I realized that riding 50 miles the day before may not have been a good idea and I was feeling it.  Also my bike fitting included some pretty significant changes in my seat position.  By the second hill I realized how freakin’ hot it was.  I had sweat dripping into my sunglasses and it started to feel like an oven.  Fortunately there was a pretty good downhill that helped to cool me down.  The course was pretty much what I remembered from the week before, although I admit the hills did feel a little bit harder today.  The climb from Port Deposit back into Perryville also felt a little more challenging.  Once I cleared the top though I knew that what remained was a great downhill and flat road.  During the bike I ended up drinking 1.5 bottles of accelerade and 1.5 bottles of water.  Probably a little more than usual for this distance, but definitely needed.  I also ate half a power bar during the race.   

T2: As I come back from the bike into transition I keep telling myself to just keep it steady on the run.  Transition went smoothly and I was out for the hot run.   

Run: The race support was great for the run.  They added some extra support, to include having cold wet towels to wrap around your neck. Aside from the heat, the run was actually quite beautiful, all along the water front and through the Perry Point VA grounds.  I noticed a parasail in the air and focused my attention to it, trying to imagine myself up in the air enjoying the ride.  As for my injured foot…..I felt it from the get go, but I wouldn’t describe it as painful, just a noticeable ache throughout the run.  I guess it could have been worse, like the Devilman race where I ended up running 4 miles on my toes to alleviate the heel pain.  I also decided to have fun during the run.  I made sure to talk to all of the volunteers out there in the blistering sun and thank them for their help.  If it weren’t for all of the great volunteers most races would not be possible.  There was a great family out in their front yard just before the 2.5 mile turn around.  They had a hose and two super soakers, the water felt great!  Just after the turn around I noticed a few women just about a quarter mile behind me.  My goal…..try not to let any pass me before the finish, but yet still enjoy myself.  As I made my way back to the finish I had the pleasure of seeing my fellow triathletes, Kate, Laura, and Rick.  I love a race where you have the opportunity to see the other racers!  As I came into the finish I felt good….although I don’t think it was my strongest race, I do believe I managed to push hard in the brutal heat.  As it turns out I ended up placing 2^nd in my age group….what a pleasant surprise!!!! 

Kate placed 2nd in Athena!!!!

Laura placed 3rd in her age group!!

Rick finished strong in his second ever tri!!!

Rookie Blue Episode with Ironman Comment

Saw this on Rookie Blue this past week and had to post it. 

Eagleman 70.3

Eagleman 70.3, Cambridge, MD 6/10/2012 

So I came up with this idea to start writing a blog about races that I have done, and maybe some of the training that goes along with the race.  I thought of this after reading some witty and humorous blogs by a few friends and other fellow athletes.  I admit that I am apprehensive, in that I’m not sure if I will have the talent to keep the blog interesting and funny.  Worst comes to worst, at least I will have a way to look back and remember my experience, and for those of you that know me know that my memory is not always great, so this will be a big help! 

That being said, here is my first recount of the Eagleman 70.3 race.  First off, I am coming into this race with an injury, plantar fasciitis……and for those of you familiar with it probably know the pain, it SUCKS!  The week leading up to the race I thought it might be helpful to take some daily doses of Ibuprofen and some during the race, but I'll get to that a little later. 

Pre-race:  With every official Ironman event, triathletes are expected to pick up their packet and race number the day before the race, as well as rack your bike in Transition.  I was flying solo for this race so I bribed my husband into joining me as SAG (support and gear).  It still amazes me at how much I pack and take with me to a race, here is the list of items:

• bike
• race suit
• wetsuit
• goggles
• bike shoes
• running shoes
• hat
• Garmin
• water (lots of water)
• race nutrition
• snack food (somewhat healthy)
• breakfast
• recovery drink
• extra clothes to change into after the race. 

After packing up the truck we set out on our trek to Southern Maryland via Middletown, DE, exciting!!  For those Wayne’s World enthusiasts “Hi, I’m in Delaware…..”  t=51shttp://youtu.be/MQEwJdhfddk?t=51s  The further south we drove the more I realized that it seemed we were entering into a new territory, flat, farmland, and people start to have that “southern drawl.”

We pull into Cambridge around 2pm and check into the event expo, just in time for the pro forum.  Basically that means that around this time is when the expo is most crowded; triathletes have the opportunity to meet the pro lineup.  This year it included: Craig ‘Crowie’ Alexander, Mirinda Carfree, Meredith Kessler, and TJ Tollakson.  As much as I’m not a fan of crowds, I must admit that being in the presence of such incredible athletes is inspiring!!!

After picking up my race number and “schwag bag,” which I must say was a pretty decent shirt and nice gym bag, we set out to rack my bike in transition.

There is limited parking at the race site, so Ron found a parking spot and I rode my bike to the race site/transition.  I made sure to top off my tires, however once I got my bike to transition another athlete warned me that I should let some air out of my tires. The theory behind this is because our bikes will be baking in the sun all day which could potentially lead to tire blow outs.  Of course I turned to my SAG and he agreed.  So I let some air out of tires reminding myself I can top them off again tomorrow.  Better to have an intact tire than having the crisis of a busted tube race morning.  I spent some extra time checking out transition, specifically swim exit, bike out/in, run out, and finish.  I was fortunate to be directly in the middle of the entire transition, row K.  Bike is racked and now off to find our hotel……30+ miles from the race site.

We got checked in and settled into our hotel, which was in between Delmar and Salisbury, MD.  The next challenge was finding a place to get a sufficient pre-race meal, and one that will be relatively safe on the stomach.  I had e-mailed a friend from high school who lives in the area about dinner ideas, the response I got…..McDonalds??!!  He felt obligated because his wife owns the restaurant.  Fortunately I have the foresight to realize that McDonalds may not be the best pre-race meal and instead opted to eat at Outback.  A few friends and fellow triathletes provided me sage advice about pre-race drinking and here it is:

• A Race: one adult beverage
• B Race: two adult beverages
• C Race: three adult beverages
• D Race: just drink all you want and hope to finish!

I ended up going in between the A and B race by having a ‘large’ glass of beer.  There are carbs in beer, right??? The rest of the night was pretty uneventful, relaxing at the hotel (in other words check, recheck and recheck my race day bag). 

After going over my race day gear several times (ok, maybe 4 or 5 times) I finally made it to bed a little after 10pm. Sleeping the night before a race is never restful for myself, but that is par for the course.  The alarm was set of 3:50am, that’s right, the butt crack of dawn. 

Race Day: I was up several times before the alarm actually went off, but 3:50 came around and I was up to start the day.  Race day starts with breakfast and coffee.  As a triathlete I’ve come to realize that all discussions are free game, to include bathroom planning/issues.  I give myself at least an hour before having to leave for the race site in order to allow my system to “process.” One thing that is consistent with early race day mornings is that “Three’s Company” always seems to be on TV, specifically my TV.  In addition to my typical morning routine, I also obsessively checked the link for the water temperature.  The question was whether the race would be wetsuit legal.  According to the website, the water was 76.3…..wetsuit legal temp is 76.1, would the temperature fall .2 degrees to make the cutoff??? 

Ron and I decided that he would try to just drop me off at the race site instead of having to deal with the race day shuttle.  This seemed to be a convenient option and I made it to transition by 6am.   After getting “body marked” I head to my transition spot and begin setting up the rest of my gear.  Another great thing about triathlon is that you end up seeing the same people at different races.  Turns out my bike was racked next to the same girl I was racked next to at Pocono 70.3.  We had a brief conversation about how the Pocono 70.3 race course is changing for 2012 and looked to be much easier than the course we completed.  Interpretation: we finished a very difficult course….we are stronger and tougher than those to come in the following years J

While obsessively checking and rechecking my transition gear I hear the race announcer on the loud speaker say the wonderful words, “water temperature is wet suit legal.”  I had almost made the decision not to bring the wetsuit, fortunately I did.  Last minute checks were done, tires topped off, and I was ready to leave transition by 6:45am, when transition closes and the pros are ready to start.  I now had to wait until 7:42am when my swim wave started.  This allowed me some time for one more potty break before starting.  During the wait I also had the opportunity to meet some other fellow triathletes and the warning from one about the jellyfish in the water. Great.

Swim: So my race wave was about to get into the water, one last gel before start and in the water I go.  We had to tread water for a few minutes before the official start.  I find this to be helpful in getting acclimated to the water and to test out the goggles.  7:42am….and we are off.  The goal for my swim was to finish in less than 47 minutes, my time from Florida 70.3 last year.  I felt really good in the water and felt I was able to get into a nice rhythm.  A few times I ran into other swimmers and vice versa, but I tried not to allow this to slow me down or stop.  I’ve struggled with getting a side stitch in the past during the swim and really tried to focus on steady breathing to prevent this from happening.  Throughout part of the swim I kept thinking about how long the full distance will be, but also kept reminding myself that I will be able to complete it. Before I knew it the swim was nearing the finish.  I was really happy with how I felt during the swim and my finish time: 38:05

 

Transition 1:  T1 went smoothly.  The wetsuit was easy to pull off and I quickly slipped on my socks and biking shoes, helmet, sunglasses, and race belt. Biking is my favorite part so I couldn’t wait to get started.  I did have a quick chance to chat with another racer racked beside me.  She mentioned how she pretty much drafted off of me during the swim and thanked me….wow, someone drafted off me and I’m slow!!!

Bike: I’ve read and been told by a number of people that the bike course is completely flat, with some bumpy roads.  Just to let you know….flat does not necessarily mean easy.  Flat means you are consistently pedaling to keep up the pace and DO NOT get any breaks on a downhill.  The course is also well known to be windy, which again can feel like you are climbing a hill but don’t get the reward of the downhill break.  I went out on the bike planning to stay well hydrated in preparation for what was going to be a HOT run.  I used my aqua cell (with water) and 2 bottles of accelerade.  I also planned to eat one gel and a powerbar during the ride.  I felt really strong on the bike.  By the 20 mile mark I realized I was just under an hour and truly happy with my pace, now the task to keep it up.  I noticed about 2/3^rd through the race that there was a little more of a headwind to push through, as well as some of those bumpy roads I hear about.  Thank goodness for my Adamo saddle that alleviates pressure….Love it!!  I did begin to notice some tightening in my shoulders from riding in aero position for so long, but at this point I don’t care and just want to push hard to finish strong.  I did replace my aqua cell once during the race, grabbing a water bottle and filling up without having to stop.  During my last race I conquered the task of peeing while biking.  I think that due to the extreme heat I ended up not having to go while riding…my great talent wasted.  I stowed away 2 ibuprofen in my top tube snack bag with the plan to take them about a half hour before the run.  When I went to pull them out I discovered they must have fallen out earlier in the ride.  Concern set in about whether my foot will hold up without extra ibuprofen, but too late now I just need to keep on pushing.

Transition 2: I came off the bike and back into transition noticing the time on my watch….around 3:27.  Under my goal time and ready to get started on the run.  I quickly changed shoes, put on my hat and was ready to go. 

Run: As I said earlier, this race is known to be a hot one.  It did not disappoint….temperature was about 94 degrees with higher humidity.  The flat out and back run course has little to no shade at all….one long hot run.  I went out into the run with a few other people in my age group and then I slowly watched them go off into the distance until I could no longer see them.  I knew I would not be able to keep that pace and reminded myself that I need to run a pace that will allow me to finish.  I noticed on my watch that if I could run the half marathon on 2 hours I could finish in just under 5:30!  My goal was to beat my overall time from Florida of 6:18 and my fast bike split gave me a lot of extra leeway.  By mile 3 in the run was beginning to realize the impact of the heat.  I was starting to slow down.  I made sure to hit each water station, about each mile, and would drink 2-3 cups of water in addition to throwing water and ice on myself and down my race suit.  Just before the half way point I realized I needed to pee….to pee or not to pee that is the question.  I opted to use a port-o-john….hot, stinky, and gross, but glad I went.  As I made the turn around I began to notice my pace was slowing up substantially and would not finish within 5:30.  My legs started to feel like lead with some cramping in the quads.  I also began to notice an overall desire to just lay down in some grass and take a nap.  I believe that I became slightly hyponatremic and could have used some extra sodium to help keep me going.  I will plan to experiment with this during some training runs/rides over the summer.  During this long difficult run I noticed that I began to question whether I will be able to complete the ironman in November…..I really needed to refocus on completing this race instead of catastrophizing future races.  Toward the end of the run I noticed my feet also felt heavy, although I believe this was truly the case from the gallons of water I dumped on myself and all the sprinklers I ran through.  I was pretty sure I would have a blister but fortunately did not.  About 1.5 miles from the finish I begin to hear the festivities of the finish line…motivation to keep pushing.  I managed to shuffle my feet along for the remainder until I reounded the corner of the finish line chute.  For those of you that have competed in races, you know the excitement of the finish line. Well, ironman events do not skimp out on the finish line festivities, what an experience.  I struggled to finish off the run and managed to finish with an overall time of 5:43:55.  Although the run was my slowest half marathon yet, I did manage to shave over 30 minutes off my last 70.3 race!!!!