Race Report- IMNOLA 70.3 2009

Pre-Race:
First of all, the night before the race, on my final pre-race mini run, my Garmin decided to crash. I think there must be some sort of gremlins involved, because the last time it acted up was the night before my last race. I eventually got it fixed, but I had to do a master reset which meant I had to reload all my HR zones, profile, training screens, etc. It also meant it didn't recognize my cadence sensor but it was late at night at that point and I decided I didn't want to mess with it further. So I just went without cadence.

Back to the morning of the race- ate a banana and peanut butter around 5am. Got to transition, said good morning to Stella, dropped off my stuff, got body marked and headed back to the car. The body marking volunteer was a little uneasy about marking my left calf instead of the right:

"Can you put my age on my left calf? I wear a calf sleeve on the right."

"Umm... we're supposed to do the right..." (goes to mark right anyway)

"Well OK, but it's going to be covered up."

"Ahh, um, OK..." (reluctantly marks left, looking over his shoulder to see if he'll be yelled at)

"Don't worry, I won't tell them it was you."

Drove over to swim start. I started getting really excited at this point. Seeing all the athletes walk around, the starting chute, all the commotion- it was great. Watched the pro men and pro women's waves go off. My wave wasn't until almost an hour later. Went to go stand in the porta potty line before getting my wetsuit on. Little did I know that I would be in line for at least a half an hour! I finally got through with only minutes to spare before my wave start. As I headed to the start corral I heard the announcement, "Women 29 and under is the next wave to start", and I didn't even have my wetsuit on! That was the fastest wetsuit-donning I've ever done. Threw the cap on, grabbed the goggles, "Women 29 and under, one minute to go", elbowed my way through the next group waiting in the corral, scampered down the seawall steps, got into the water, put my goggles on, and about ten seconds later, we're off!

Swim:
We got really lucky with the weather for the swim. The water was so calm, it was almost like a pool. I found swimming room fairly quickly and aimed for the outside of the swim course. It was a point to point swim where we swam in a wide lane created by the seawall on one side and the buoys on the other. I headed wide, for the buoys, since it was a more direct route (the seawall curves a little). Just about everyone else swam close to the seawall, which was not only longer but also choppier because of the water hitting the sides. Oh well, more room for me! The swim was smooth and mainly drama-free. I got into a good rhythm of stroke-stroke-breathe and actually did a pretty good job with sighting and swimming straight, which I'm normally not good at. I had been saying for the last few days that since my only other time swimming the course was in rough water with a hangover, I knew my race would at least be better than that. And it was- I exited the water feeling good and relaxed.


T1:
I availed myself of one of the strippers to get my wetsuit off, which was nice. Had to run pretty far to get to my bike. A lot of people were walking their bikes out of transition, but I always like to run mine. It's a good warmup and it always makes me feel like a badass :)


Bike:
My instructions for the bike were to ride strong but conservative, making sure I still had some legs to run on at the end. It was tough getting passed by so many people, especially when I felt like I could be riding so much faster. I reminded myself of what Jen said- that if I rode at too high of a HR, I'd be walking the run. I definitely didn't want to do that. So I held it pretty steady at high Z2/low Z3. There was a bit of a headwind heading out to Chef Highway, which I thought was nice since we'd have a tailwind heading back. Usually it's the other way around. Unfortunately, the winds switched while we were out there and we ended up riding back into a headwind that just got stronger as we went. I kept telling myself, "This isn't so bad. It's breezy but you've ridden out here in way worse." Eventually though, it got to be about as bad as I've seen it out there. Trying to keep my HR down while fighting a headwind like that was tough. I saw several GNOTri teammates at various points- Coach Rick, Mitch, Marcos, Ken, Rick M., and a few others. Also some coworkers.

I stuck very close to my nutrition plan. I ended up going through my concentrate a lot sooner than I thought I would though. I need to practice with that. I was taking one Endurolyte every 20 minutes, with instructions to double up if my legs started to feel crampy. Early on in the bike ride, I felt like my legs were almost on the verge of cramping. I started doing one Endurolyte every 10 minutes. The almost-crampy feeling never really went away, but it never got worse either. There were two things I kept repeating to myself. I asked, "Can I run a half marathon on these legs?" The answer kept being yes, so I figured I was doing OK. The other was the self-check list that Jen gave me in our final pre-race talk- "Strong, relaxed, focused & fueled". That helped a ton. Heading up the last two bridges on the last part of the ride, even though there was a wicked headwind pushing us back as we climbed, I felt pretty good. A little tired, but ready to run. I couldn't help but smile at the spectators cheering us in to transition. And I saw Beverly! That was awesome. I also saw Erik right before I got off the bike.


T2:
Had to call out to the people in front of me walking their bikes to get out of the way as I was running mine down the aisle. I thought it was pretty funny that I could be saying "On your left!" in transition. Stopped at the porta potty on the way out to the run (no, I did not pee on the bike).


Run:
I always feel like I'm running so s-l-o-w off the bike, when usually I'm actually running pretty well. A few minutes in, I checked my watch and saw I was running about a minute per mile faster than I should be. Even though I felt fine, I dialed it back a little. There was still a long way to go.

The first stretch was an out-and-back on Lakeshore Drive, where there's pretty much no shade. By that time of day, it was at least 85 degrees and full sun. It was hot. Luckily the heat doesn't bother me too much and I had plenty of gel and Endurolytes. I passed Rick M. early on, he was walking. I asked him if he wanted to run with me and he told me he couldn't, his legs had cramped up badly. A minute later I realized I should have given him some of my Endurolytes and I felt bad, but I didn't want to go back. Just before the turnaround I saw Coach Rick coming back, already around the turn. He said to come over there and run with him, so I laughed and said I'd be right there. Waved and smiled at the spectators at the turn. I kept hearing "Yeah, GNOTri!" from people who didn't even know me but saw my race top. That was cool. I came around the turnaround and started grinning. I was feeling GOOD. It didn't even feel like I had biked at all.

After the turnaround, I was coming back down Lakeshore Drive and I saw Rick M. again, still walking. This time I remembered and asked him if he wanted some Endurolytes. He said yeah, he lost his on the bike. Bummer. I grabbed a few out of my baggie and handed them to him as I ran by. I haven't seen him since- I hope they helped. Then I saw Mitch heading towards me and slapped him a high-five as we passed. Then Coach Kevin. Go GNOTri! A mile or so later, I finally came up on Coach Rick. We talked for a minute and then I went on. Right after that was the first time I saw Erik on the run. He had his bike, so I hoped that meant he'd ride down the course and cheer for me again later- I knew the support would help. He asked me how I felt and I said, "Awesome!" And I meant it. The sun was shining, a little breeze was blowing, I was feeling strong, I was racing in my first half-Ironman in my hometown along with my teammates, I had my own cheering section- what could be better?? He shouted out that my swim time was great and asked me if I wanted to know the numbers. I didn't really care about it at that point, I was just enjoying my run, so I said no thanks.

I noticed I was passing a LOT of people walking. The headwind on the bike combined with the heat of the day must have gotten to a lot of people. I kept sipping my gels, drinking my water, popping my Endurolytes, and cruising. I felt like I was on just another Sunday long run. Easy peasy. The bagpiper in City Park was cool. I thought about my mom and how much she likes bagpipes, and made a note to tell her about it. I passed two guys who were saying to each other, "This is a respectable pace, right?" Then I passed and the second guy said, "Well that's a little more respectable" and I laughed. They shouted after me, "Just don't drink all the beer before we get there!" About mile 7.5 I started to feel it a little bit. About a mile later, I definitely started to get tired. The last 3-4 miles were very tough, but I knew I had come way too far to slow down now. I managed to keep my pace up down that loooong stretch of Esplanade Ave. When we finally hit the I-10 overpass I knew we were close. When we crossed Rampart and entered the Quarter, I started to realize that I really was about to make it- I was about to be a half Ironman! I managed to pick it up a little at that point. Less than a mile to go. I passed a guy who said, "Oh great, I'm going to get beat by another girl". I said, "Get over it" and kept going. At the turn, people were saying, "800 meters to go!" Part of me was excited, but part of me was thinking, 800 meters? Damn that's a long way! Started counting the blocks heading down Decatur. Is it that traffic light, or the next one? Passed a spectator who said, "Four blocks away!" Saw Erik on the sidewalk holding a big poster with my name on it. Ha! That was a surprise. Now there were people on both sides, clapping and cheering, and for a second it felt like a Mardi Gras parade. The finish line up ahead looked SO GOOD. Another spectator- "Less than a minute left!" Then I was on the mats, then my arms were in the air, then I was across the line and I was DONE!


Post-Race:
When the volunteer took my chip off, I looked down and saw blood on the back of my ankle. So that's what I was feeling for the first half of the run. Walked around, saw some friends, looked for Erik who had my post-race bag. Finally had to borrow a lady's cell phone to track him down. Found him, got the bag, mixed up my Recoverite. Wish it didn't taste so nasty. I looked at my watch- 5:11. That didn't include my swim time or T1, but unless those were really slow then I'd probably made my (secret) goal of finishing under 6 hours. Sweet! I didn't find out until I talked to my coach a little while later that I'd also made my (secret) goal of doing the run under 2 hours. Double sweet! Picked up the bike from transition, got a much-needed shower, stopped by the post-race party but it was pretty much over, got my customary Domino's pizza, and called it a day.

The goal for this race was to get some baseline data to help focus the last few months of my Ironman training. I'd never done this much at once, so there were several unknowns. How much fluid would I need? What HR can I sustain? How many calories can I take in? What will my stomach tolerate? How much sodium do I need? What kind of pace can I run off the bike? And so on. I knew it was important to do exactly what the plan said so that my coach would get the data she needed. The other point of this race was to finish feeling strong and excited for Ironman, not dying and thinking that I never want to do this again. I don't know if I'm exactly "excited" yet for Ironman, I'm still a little terrified, but I did feel strong and I do want to do this again. Coach said to enjoy it, since you only get one first time, and I really really did. I never could have done it without her preparing me so well these last weeks and months, or without her excellent instructions and nutrition plan. I had the easy part- all I had to do was follow directions. And now I can proudly say that I'm a half-Ironman.

A light recovery week this week, then it's time to get started on my first Build phase for CDA! I'm ready, let's go!

Pictures:

Bike drop-off on Saturday. There's Stella's spot on the rack!



Settled in for the night



Lookit all those Zipps!



Coach Kevin, directing traffic at bike drop-off. "No number, no entry. Sorry!"



Coach Rick (in green), also directing traffic, and George the swim coach (in blue), who helped me plan my route from swim exit to my bike rack



There's Stella on the rack all the way to the right, and swim exit was back between the porta potties and that white tent:



I never saw these kids with the Super Soakers, but this looks like it was probably a win-win for most people involved:



A few miles into the run, feeling great!



Rockin' the awesome GNOTri jersey



Done!! (I think I wore that medal for all of about 2.5 seconds)



Ouch!



Team Shell, The Next Generation

Strong, Relaxed, Focused & Fueled

Stella is dropped off, my gear is packed, nutrition is mixed. The Garmin decided to freak out and stop working (why does it feel like this is becoming a pattern right before races??) but thankfully it's fixed now. Bike drop-off was awesome- sooo many bikes and people. Had the final talk with Coach and got some great last-minute pointers. I'm ready to go. She says if I can just remember "strong, relaxed, focused & fueled" I'll have a good day.

Bring it on!!

Expo Day

So I was a dork and went to the very first race briefing, right when the expo opened. Hey, may as well get it out of the way, right? It turned out to be a good idea because by the time I left, there was a line out the door.

I also wanted to make sure I got there in time to get my GNOTri race top! I was so glad the coaches got them in time so I could race with the team colors. I know on race day there will be a lot of family members and friends who will be looking for the GNOTri tops to cheer for us, and that will be so cool! One girl's family all volunteered to work the same water stop together so they would be sure to have a good place to watch- now that's thinking.

I had to try it on in the little changing tent (another brilliant idea) to make sure I got the right size. When it made me feel a little bit like a sausage, I knew it was right :)




Walked around the expo a little, bought some logo gear:




Then headed home to follow Coach's instructions and REST. I kept looking at the wristband they gave us, which we have to wear in order to get the shuttle buses and get into transition. I kept thinking- It's ON now, and by the time it comes off, I will be a half-Ironman. Wow! This is really happening! I'm still staring at it now. For some reason it's this wristband that's suddenly making it feel real.




Well I managed to rest for about 30 minutes, then brought Stella to the bike shop for one final check. After they told me I was neurotic, and that nothing on my bike was different from when they checked it a week ago, Todd adjusted my derailleur a little bit to make me feel better and then I left.

Then it was time to go back to the expo for Macca's talk. I'd been trying to spot him all week but he probably just got into town from Hawaii a day or so ago. Saw Marcos and Lenny (teammates) at the talk. Macca signed autographs and took pictures with people both before and after the talk. People were nice and respectful, but man he was mobbed. Poor guy couldn't even walk anywhere. But he was so nice about it. I never saw him say no to anyone's request for a picture or autograph, even when his people were telling him he needed to go somewhere. Someone asked him if he was going to swim the course before the race. He said he wanted to, but he'd heard the lake was dirty. I had to set him straight so I told him no the lake is actually in really good shape right now, and if he wanted he could come swim with GNOTri in the morning, they're doing the course. He asked what time, so who knows, maybe he'll show up. Thank you to my new friend John the Photographist for snapping a photo:




And Molly, I didn't manage to grab any of him for you, but I didn't forget about you!




Back home again. I'm really going to rest now, I promise. Talked to Coach, she gave me my customary pre-race "Calm the F Down" talk, for which I am always grateful. Now, to keep my brain calm, I will make my Swim/Bike/Run/Misc gear lists and start packing. Tomorrow- bike drop-off. Get ready Stella!

Final Tune-Ups

3 workouts today. All short and sweet, with a little bit of speed thrown in there, to put the finishing touches on my race prep. Coach says I'm ready, so I must be.

A lot of people say they get tons of energy during taper because of the reduced training volume. Well I just realized something- I hate tapers! I've been feeling sluggish, slow, and out of breath all week in my workouts. I thought back to the pre-race week for my last few races and realized I'd felt the same way then too. Apparently this is a common reaction- who knew? Coach Kevin says, "Tapering is tricky because of what happens when the athlete starts to give themselves rest, the system in the body that responds to stress starts to shut down. You will start to feel like you are out of energy, sluggish, and getting out of shape. THIS IS NORMAL." Phew! I guess that makes me feel a little better.

The "Taper Twinges" are in full effect as well. TWICE this week my shin felt funny during runs. By now though I've gotten pretty good at telling the difference between bad pain and pain I can ignore. I think this is the latter, fortunately.

For a bit of good news, today I set a new PR for 100 yards! I've been in the 1:30s for a looong time now. The last two workouts that had hard sets of 100s I was able to hit 1:30, but I'd never broken it. I decided today I was going to go for it. I had a quick set of 3x100 descend. I don't know what the time of my first 100 was because swim practice ended so the coach took the clock away in the middle of it. Oh well. The 2nd was 1:33. The last one, I went all out from the beginning and just tried to not let up. Usually when I swim "fast" and it gets hard, I let up a little because I think I won't be able to make it to the end if I don't. This time I wanted to see what would happen so I kept going. I figured, 100 is short so just suck it up and go! The last 25 I was trying to decide if I'd gone fast enough to hit 1:29. I thought maybe, then no, then maybe. Hit the wall, look at the watch- 1:27! Woo HOO! Yes I know that's still not considered "fast" by swimmer standards, but I'll take it!

Tomorrow (Friday): No training. No work either, woohoo! Go to expo. Get packet. Get GNOTri race top. Go to bike shop and have cadence sensor fixed, tires checked. Drive new portion of bike course. Make gear lists and start putting stuff together. Go to Macca's talk. Grab his ass for Molly :) GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP.

Saturday: Rehearse transitions. Check and recheck that everything is packed. Quick spin and run. Drop off Stella at transition. Mix up concentrate. Get more sleep.

For all you who wish you could be in NOLA for the inaugural IMNOLA 70.3, here are some pictures to help you feel like you're here:

Jackson Square, where we'll be finishing:


Satellite view of Lake Pontchartrain and the NO area, with the course highlighted (swim = red, bike = blue, run = yellow)


And one from Al, trying to scare the out-of-towners:

Less than a week to go!

After a few obstacles this weekend, I finally got my last long ride done and am officially tapering. The ride was not good- I hate getting stuck out after dark, and on top of that I almost got run over by an illegal drag race- but at least it's over.

One last lake swim on Wednesday, assuming the weather is good. I did this weekend's long run on the race course and visualized myself running it on race day. My friends are making their spectating plans, my GNOTri teammates are also tapering and are getting excited, pro-spotting is officially underway (kinda bummed that I missed Natascha Badmann on Sunday) and everyone is doing their good-weather dances!

I'm so excited to be doing 1) my first half Ironman, 2) a race in my hometown, and 3) an IM race in its inaugural year. The fact that I get to do all three at the same time is so cool!

I've learned so much from the coaches and the tri veterans on our team- tips and tricks, yes, but perhaps more importantly, how to relax and remember that above all, this is FUN. I tend to be really tough on myself and I'm OK with that, I just need to make sure it doesn't cross the line into interfering with me enjoying myself out there.

Overall, I'm pretty confident about Sunday. A lot of that is probably due to the fact that it's my first, so I don't have many expectations. I also know that I'm not getting a full taper because I'm not peaking for this race, so that may affect my performance and that's OK. The main goal is to go out there and feel strong, race smart, follow the plan, and end up with a good assessment of where I'm at in my preparation for the full IM in June.

The major assignment for this week is to get enough sleep, so I better go do that now. Come on, Sunday!

Almost fully recovered...

No, not from an awesome long run, hard ride, or big brick, but from a weekend of drinking and partying my butt off- neither of which I do much of anymore- with two of my best college buddies. And I learned quite quickly that staying out late and doing shots do not lead to quality Ironman training. It was a blast though!

Jeffrey made us t-shirts:


Kai came out barhopping too:


One funny, one serious (minus Jeffrey):




Me n the boyz:


Aside from drinking, we also went to a very nice dinner at Commander's Palace, went out for crawfish and oysters, walked around the French Quarter, and I even got a few workouts in. I had two cabana boys to write down my times and fetch me cold beverages during my swim workout- not bad at all!

When I awoke on Beverly's couch at 6:55 Saturday morning and realized I had an open water swim clinic at the lake at 7:00 was when things started to go... a bit downhill. I don't know exactly how much sleep I had gotten but it wasn't much. I also don't know if I was already hungover or still drunk from the night before. I quickly rallied the troops (thanks for being such good sports about that, btw), ran home, switched out my fancy dress for a wetsuit, and was off to the lake. In retrospect, probably not one of the better ideas I've had in my life. But it was going to be my first time swimming the race course and I didn't want to miss it. Everything went fine until about 2/3 of the way through the swim. I'd actually been enjoying myself- fighting the chop was keeping me entertained, and trying to follow a course I didn't know, with no buoys, kept me focused. Then, I don't know if it was the chop that finally got to me or if I swallowed one mouthful of lakewater too many, but all of a sudden I decided, "I need to get out of this water NOW". I was feeling ILL. I had no idea how much longer I had to swim but I could see a kayak and a few swimmers out in front of me so I knew I was going generally the right way. I had to stop and breaststroke/doggypaddle for a minute a few times to keep the nausea under control. Not fun. I finally made it out and staggered around for a while until I felt stable enough to get in the truck and drive home. I felt pretty gross for a while afterwards, but I never did get sick. Though I probably would have felt a lot better if I had, I bet.

Unfortunately, the hardcore-ness ended there. The weekend's long brick got severely shortened and the long run didn't end up happening. So now I get to do a 90-mile ride this weekend instead, a week before my half-Ironman, and I just did my long run yesterday. I was feeling pretty guilty about screwing up my training, so I am definitely back on the wagon this week. For the first time, I did a ride and run BEFORE work! This is unheard of for not-at-ALL-a-morning-person me.

The final tally:
Good friends visited: 2
Workouts accomplished: 3
Workouts blown: 2
Bars patronized: at least 6
Drinks had: don't even ask
Fancy dinners: 1
Oysters eaten: 2 dozen
Crawfish eaten: 5 pounds
Hours slept: not nearly enough
A great weekend had by all: CHECK!

TMF Wildflower Training Weekend

As I sit here, Stella is still in her box, my bags are still packed, the dinner dishes are still out, and I'm too tired to do anything about any of it. But it was totally worth it- what a great weekend!

The "weekend" actually started on Tuesday when I took Stella to the bike shop to get all packed up for her long journey. Thanks to the AWESOME guys of Bike Connection, I got Stella, my helmet, bike shoes, a pair of running shoes, my water bottles, AND my wetsuit all packed into the bike box. And all I had to do was drop it off and pick it up. They even gave me the box to use.

Wednesday: Woke up at o-dark-thirty to fly to San Francisco. Got picked up by my good buddy Mick who did a super job of putting Stella all back together again. It was a little unnerving to see her in pieces like that! Nice and easy 60-min run through Golden Gate Park. Had a few glasses of wine and a yummy Indian dinner out with some Smofo girlfriends- it was SO nice to get to see you all!




Thursday: Took Stella out for a spin to make sure everything was screwed on tight and working properly. Went to the local pool for a swim and a treadmill interval workout (Jen, if you're reading this, the next time you tell me to do "my favorite swim workout" I will be sitting in the hot tub with a margarita. Just sayin'.). Stopped by Sports Basement to load up on training nutrition for the weekend's activities- I'm glad we were in a hurry because I could have spent a long time and many dollars there! Hung out with The Macinator! and his mom, who took me on a very nice little tour of SF. We walked around Haight-Ashbury and the Mission, went to Amoeba Music, and had a great dinner. We also fell prey to an overzealous meter maid... I may be from the flat swampland, but even I seriously doubt that was a 3% incline!

Friday: Packed up the Mini and we're off! To Lake San Antonio, that is. On the way, I learned about In N Out Burger, subjected an innocent Aussie to country music singalongs, successfully piloted the Mini, and did a lot of oohing and aahing over the scenery. So, so different from NOLA. Green rolling hills, misty-covered mountains, vineyards and farmland as far as you could see. Once we got there and everyone got settled into the cabins (which some people tried to make more complicated than it needed to be :P) it was time for a quick shakedown ride, sunset transition run, and then a meeting with Coach Neil. The hills certainly didn't waste any time in kicking my butt! Right at the beginning of the bike course was a biggie that nearly took the wind right out of my sails. I had been scared of the long course ride before that, but now was when I started to get *terrified*. After the ride and run, we all gathered in cabin 8 for introductions, a talk on training/racing nutrition and some general Q&A. We hadn't done an incredible amount of working out that day, but somehow I was just exhausted! I was about to fall asleep standing there. I really enjoyed meeting everyone and socializing- everyone was so nice- but as soon as we were done I headed for bed and was out like a light.









Saturday: The day started with a swim. Apparently a very early swim on "California time". The lake was fairly cold, but not bad. I actually had a great swim. It was my third time in cold open water in a wetsuit and it was the first time I really felt comfortable. I got into a great rhythm and just cruised. My sighting is still bad though. I need to work on that in the pool.

Then... it was time. Time for the bike ride I had been getting more and more terrified of by the minute. "The last 12 miles are the hardest", Coach Neil said, so we were to ride conservatively to save up for Nasty Grade and the rollers that followed. I was so scared I could barely talk. I knew it was going to kill me, I just KNEW it. How could I possibly get up those hills? I was going to be cranking as hard as I could and I would still slow to a stop and fall over. I'd have to walk up half of it. If I didn't just die first, that is. What business did I have thinking that I, a person who lives below sea level, could even attempt to hang with these Californians who eat hills for breakfast?? We lined up for a photo, then there was no more time for anticipation- we were off!



That first hill was HARD again, but Charles was nice enough to get a flat on the downside so we had a few minutes' rest. The middle of the ride was pretty nice, actually. The countryside was beautiful, the weather couldn't have been more perfect, Coach Neil drove the SAG wagon and met up with us every ten miles or so, and everyone in our group rode well together and got along.



But that knot in my stomach kept getting tighter and bigger... Nasty Grade was still ahead of me, and I was feeling overmatched. When we were a few miles out from it, I was so scared that I started to get nauseous. When we turned the corner and Coach Neil said, "Here it is! Go for it!" I actually started to cry.

No way out now, no way to go but up. I crankcrankcranked, stayed in the saddle for as long as I could, counted my pedal strokes, concentrated on my breathing. I made it to the "false summit" in the middle where it levels out a bit and was able to catch my breath a little. I was definitely working hard though. Then I turned the corner and it just went up, up, and up. Crankcrankcrank, breathe, crank, sit, stand, I'm not gonna make it, I can't do this, How much further??, sit, stand, breathe, CRANK. The last 100 yards and it just gets steeper. I couldn't even look ahead- if I looked alllll the way up to the top so far away I would die. Breathe, crank, I can't, I have to, I can't, I won't make it, I have to, sit, stand, crank. I saw a sign up ahead- I'll just make it to that sign and then I'll stop and walk. Can I even make it there? Wait, is that Coach Neil's car by that sign? Is that the top? I can't make it. Am I really almost there? By some amazing stroke of luck, I made it to the top, heard Coach Neil say "you did it!", then pulled over, got off the bike, and stood there gasping for air. My body was trying to cry but I didn't have enough breath in me to do it. I just made these little whimper-grunty noises. I walked back towards Neil, he reached out for Stella, and I practically flung her at him and kept walking. A minute or so later the others started showing up. Roxanne and Karen were all, "Is that it?? That wasn't so bad!" while I'm standing there about to keel over.

After a few minutes to regain our composure and refuel, we were off again. Yes, I'd made it up Nasty Grade. NO it did not make me feel any more confident about hills! It just proved to me that yes, they are as scary as I thought! The last 9 miles or so of the ride were all about survival. I was beyond dead at that point. Mick was feeling rough too. We told each other, "If I can do it, you can do it". I had to repeat that in my head a few times, especially when we hit the last tough climb coming in to the park. When we passed the "Prepare to Stop" sign at the park entrance, I would've laughed if I had any energy at all. I thought, "I've been 'prepared to stop' for a long time now, thanks!"

Back at the cabin. We made it! Now time for a run! Before we could contemplate that though, we all made a beeline for any available horizontal crashing surface and collapsed for a few minutes.

Cyrus, tired but feeling accomplished, and Michele, who was recovering from the Oly course ride:


The smile must be from the delirium setting in... but note that I am changed and ready to run!


The run was a really good idea actually. My legs felt better at the end than they did at the beginning. The 'ice bath' in the lake after the run felt even better! Then after a much-needed shower, it was time to EAT. BBQ chicken, lasagna, potato salad, grilled sausages, I can't even remember what all I ate. But it was a lot, and it was good :)



A recap of the day from coaches and captains, and we were off to bed again.


Sunday: Long course run. Two of the other girls and I ran together and we had a great time. The weather was PERFECT again, the scenery was beautiful, the conversation was good. Almost half the course was on trails which was really neat. Some challenging hills, but very fun. The "Pit of Despair" at mile 10 was definitely not despair-worthy, we were feeling good! Took it easy down the very steep incline heading in to the transition area, then opened up and went as fast as my legs wanted to take me to the finish line. What a GREAT run! Another cold dip in the lake, quick shower and then, sadly, it was time for our goodbyes.



What a great weekend. Challenging, tiring, but great. Everyone was so nice, friendly and fun. I got to see a new city, meet some new friends, hang out with some old ones, train in a new place, get some (painful but necessary) hill experience, and generally just have a blast! Thanks again so much to Coach Neil and the rest of the TriMoreFitness team. I'd love to come train with you all again sometime!