Saturday, September 16, 2006
Steel and Iron
Yes, yes, I know. It's been awhile...as in two months, which in my world means like 3 races. I'll try and bring you up to date over the next few blogs.
First, the big event...the Steelhead Half Ironman. I finished! That was the main goal for this race. It was just to do it...to see what it feels like...to learn from it. And just what did I learn? That I need more than a month and a half if I want to actually be competitive in a Half Ironman. Ok, so I didn't really learn this, I just reinforced the fact, but it's definitely motivated me for the next one.
On Friday night at the pre-race meeting we found out the swim would be starting from the St. Joe Pier. As everyone began talking about jumping off the pier, all I could think is I want to dive off of that thing. So when the meeting was over, down to the pier we went. After multiple attempts, I finally figured out how to keep my goggles on and I was ready for the morning. We headed to dinner and then back to the motorhome to try and get some sleep.
In the morning, Dad and I planned on heading to the transition area so I could get set up with plenty of time before having to take the shuttle bus over to the swim start. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a problem with the shuttles from the parking area to the transition area and a group of us had to practically throw ourselves in front of a bus and beg the driver to take us to the transition area. This was after standing at the designated pick-up spot for 15 minutes before we started to walk in the general direction of the transition area. By the time we actually got to transition, I didn’t have much time to get set up, do the mandatory port-a-potty stop, and then catch one of the last buses to the pier. Luckily I was one of the latter waves, so I had time to de-stress and then get in the water to warm up.
The swim was awesome, and I must say my dive was beautiful. J I think I was actually in the lead for the first 30 seconds because of it. Ok, maybe not, but it was positive thinking. After swimming past a bazillion buoys, I saw the huge Gatorade bottle up on the beach and made the turn for shore. At the end of the 1.2 mile swim, my time was 33:19. I guess those swims back and forth across Hamlin Lake helped. The run from the water up to the transition area felt like a mile. My transition was good and 4 and a half minutes after exiting the water, I was headed out on the bike.
I drove the bike course early Friday morning to check it out. I had been told there were a lot of rolling hills and I wanted to see for myself. Within the first ten minutes of driving I realized they weren’t lying! And within the first ten minutes of biking that morning I made a mental note to find some hilly roads to train on back home! I felt really strong despite being passed by tons of men and several women as well. I kept reminding myself that this was a long race and I needed to race it at my pace, it’s not a sprint triathlon. I settled in and enjoyed the ride. The volunteers were wonderful, full of encouragement at every aid station, and made you feel like such a pro handing off water bottles, gels, and bananas as we zipped by. After about an hour and a half I saw two familiar, extremely supportive faces. My dad and Nan were driving the bike route slowly, trying to find me in the mass of 1400 cyclists. That gave me an extra boost and put a big smile on my face. They were so wonderful, driving to several other points along the way to cheer me on. It’s amazing how much that truly helps! Around mile 40 I could feel myself slowing down a bit. I had started a little too strong and put a little too much extra into my pedaling when I saw Dad and Nan. Luckily a few miles up the road, Jocelyn, a girl I had met at another race who is a phenomenal runner and triathlete, caught up with me. Her encouraging words and drive helped me refocus it and kick it in to get through those final fifteen miles. I wanted to complete the 56 miles in less than 3 hours…as I jumped off my bike and ran into the transition area, my CatEye computer read 2:55:50. Just made it! I saw my cousin, Meisha as I was coming into transition. She ran alongside transition as I quickly found my spot, racked my bike, put on my running shoes, and ran for the port-a-potty…only wasting 2 and a half minutes in transition. Some cheers and quick words of encouragement from her and I was out.
As I exited the transition through the chute, I spotted Rob, Erica, and Mom. Seeing them, in addition to the fact that my legs actually didn’t feel like jell-o, brought a smile to my face. Within the first few miles of the race, your legs were truly tested as you ran up a dirt road. Thankfully it was followed by an aid station, a little more uphill and then a nice long downhill run. The first 5 miles felt good besides the fact I couldn’t feel my toes on my left foot. But after about an hour I was starting to have a hard time taking in anything besides water and Gatorade. I choked down part of a gel at one point, but was starting to hurt and slow down by the time I got to the turn around. Again, my wonderful dad and step-mom were there waiting for me. Dad ran with me for a little bit and helped me calm down and re-lengthen my stride that had shortened significantly. I knew I was going to finish, I just knew my run wasn’t going to be as good as it could and should have been. I walked the aid stations on the way and took advantage of the cups of ice the volunteers were handing out. This may have been my saving grace. A few ice cubes under my cap, a few down my back, and a few to chomp on. After walking up the steep down ramp from the main road, I knew I only had about 2 miles to go. I dug in and picked up the pace. At this point, I just wanted it to be over. As I came into the finish chute, I saw my family cheering me on, and kept that image as I sprinted (well it felt like a sprint after all that!) across the finish line. 5:51:55…under 6 hours, which I was hoping for in this first race.
The second I stopped running I thought my legs were going to collapse under me. My dad found me just in time as my legs cramped up and I could barely walk. We walked/stumbled/shuffled around for a bit before we found the wonderful ladies doing massages. Talk about relief!
All in all, it was a great experience. The atmosphere of the race was incredible, the volunteers were wonderful, and I learned what I need to keep working on. Needless to say, I am doing a few marathons and half marathons this winter.
First, the big event...the Steelhead Half Ironman. I finished! That was the main goal for this race. It was just to do it...to see what it feels like...to learn from it. And just what did I learn? That I need more than a month and a half if I want to actually be competitive in a Half Ironman. Ok, so I didn't really learn this, I just reinforced the fact, but it's definitely motivated me for the next one.
On Friday night at the pre-race meeting we found out the swim would be starting from the St. Joe Pier. As everyone began talking about jumping off the pier, all I could think is I want to dive off of that thing. So when the meeting was over, down to the pier we went. After multiple attempts, I finally figured out how to keep my goggles on and I was ready for the morning. We headed to dinner and then back to the motorhome to try and get some sleep.
In the morning, Dad and I planned on heading to the transition area so I could get set up with plenty of time before having to take the shuttle bus over to the swim start. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a problem with the shuttles from the parking area to the transition area and a group of us had to practically throw ourselves in front of a bus and beg the driver to take us to the transition area. This was after standing at the designated pick-up spot for 15 minutes before we started to walk in the general direction of the transition area. By the time we actually got to transition, I didn’t have much time to get set up, do the mandatory port-a-potty stop, and then catch one of the last buses to the pier. Luckily I was one of the latter waves, so I had time to de-stress and then get in the water to warm up.
The swim was awesome, and I must say my dive was beautiful. J I think I was actually in the lead for the first 30 seconds because of it. Ok, maybe not, but it was positive thinking. After swimming past a bazillion buoys, I saw the huge Gatorade bottle up on the beach and made the turn for shore. At the end of the 1.2 mile swim, my time was 33:19. I guess those swims back and forth across Hamlin Lake helped. The run from the water up to the transition area felt like a mile. My transition was good and 4 and a half minutes after exiting the water, I was headed out on the bike.
I drove the bike course early Friday morning to check it out. I had been told there were a lot of rolling hills and I wanted to see for myself. Within the first ten minutes of driving I realized they weren’t lying! And within the first ten minutes of biking that morning I made a mental note to find some hilly roads to train on back home! I felt really strong despite being passed by tons of men and several women as well. I kept reminding myself that this was a long race and I needed to race it at my pace, it’s not a sprint triathlon. I settled in and enjoyed the ride. The volunteers were wonderful, full of encouragement at every aid station, and made you feel like such a pro handing off water bottles, gels, and bananas as we zipped by. After about an hour and a half I saw two familiar, extremely supportive faces. My dad and Nan were driving the bike route slowly, trying to find me in the mass of 1400 cyclists. That gave me an extra boost and put a big smile on my face. They were so wonderful, driving to several other points along the way to cheer me on. It’s amazing how much that truly helps! Around mile 40 I could feel myself slowing down a bit. I had started a little too strong and put a little too much extra into my pedaling when I saw Dad and Nan. Luckily a few miles up the road, Jocelyn, a girl I had met at another race who is a phenomenal runner and triathlete, caught up with me. Her encouraging words and drive helped me refocus it and kick it in to get through those final fifteen miles. I wanted to complete the 56 miles in less than 3 hours…as I jumped off my bike and ran into the transition area, my CatEye computer read 2:55:50. Just made it! I saw my cousin, Meisha as I was coming into transition. She ran alongside transition as I quickly found my spot, racked my bike, put on my running shoes, and ran for the port-a-potty…only wasting 2 and a half minutes in transition. Some cheers and quick words of encouragement from her and I was out.
As I exited the transition through the chute, I spotted Rob, Erica, and Mom. Seeing them, in addition to the fact that my legs actually didn’t feel like jell-o, brought a smile to my face. Within the first few miles of the race, your legs were truly tested as you ran up a dirt road. Thankfully it was followed by an aid station, a little more uphill and then a nice long downhill run. The first 5 miles felt good besides the fact I couldn’t feel my toes on my left foot. But after about an hour I was starting to have a hard time taking in anything besides water and Gatorade. I choked down part of a gel at one point, but was starting to hurt and slow down by the time I got to the turn around. Again, my wonderful dad and step-mom were there waiting for me. Dad ran with me for a little bit and helped me calm down and re-lengthen my stride that had shortened significantly. I knew I was going to finish, I just knew my run wasn’t going to be as good as it could and should have been. I walked the aid stations on the way and took advantage of the cups of ice the volunteers were handing out. This may have been my saving grace. A few ice cubes under my cap, a few down my back, and a few to chomp on. After walking up the steep down ramp from the main road, I knew I only had about 2 miles to go. I dug in and picked up the pace. At this point, I just wanted it to be over. As I came into the finish chute, I saw my family cheering me on, and kept that image as I sprinted (well it felt like a sprint after all that!) across the finish line. 5:51:55…under 6 hours, which I was hoping for in this first race.
The second I stopped running I thought my legs were going to collapse under me. My dad found me just in time as my legs cramped up and I could barely walk. We walked/stumbled/shuffled around for a bit before we found the wonderful ladies doing massages. Talk about relief!
All in all, it was a great experience. The atmosphere of the race was incredible, the volunteers were wonderful, and I learned what I need to keep working on. Needless to say, I am doing a few marathons and half marathons this winter.
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