Everything’s Bigger in Texas

Everything’s Bigger in Texas

Texas

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.  After ten years in the sport, eight Ironmans and three not-quite-Kona-qualifying podium finishes it was time to try something different if I was to outright qualify for Kona.  I turned to Coach Patrick for advice on course selection.  Texas? I gave him the virtual raised eyebrow.   I’d never even considered it. A swim in muddy water, flat bike course, hot and humid run, plus the magnified logistics of flying put the race squarely outside of my comfort zone.  Well, that’s where the growth happens, right?  And so, before WTC could say “cha-ching!” Ironman #9 was to be Texas.  Let’s rodeo.


Build

The build to the start line was, as it always seems to be, a series of great learning opportunities.    I’d penciled out a pretty aggressive plan that added a lot of running and volume in general.   All was ticking along nicely until early February when I truly struggled to juggle life, family, a full time job and training.  I often felt I was falling short as what looked good on paper just wasn’t happening.  Turns out I’m a good juggler (who knew?!) and by April I was back on track and finding peace with letting some workouts go. The silver lining is as I pencil out my next build, I know more clearly what my limits are.  I’ll start from what ACTUALLY got done in this build and work backwards from there with the confidence that it is, indeed enough!

*** The build.  Far from perfect but lots of lessons learned. ***

Soon enough race week was upon us and I found myself leaving the comfort zone of the beautiful Pacific Northwest for *ahem* lovely Houston, Texas.  I spent the week bustling about with Steve and Heidi as we checked off the usual registration, reconnaissance, workouts and race prep amid a few sleepless nights.  Mark flew in Thursday night, donned his Husband Hero cape and went through my bike ‘till it was purring nicely.  Finally, a good night's sleep, bike check in and it was go time!

*** Seriously wondered why in the world I was flying to Houston with this view from the plane! ***

Swim 2.4 Miles: 1:10:20

The swim course had been changed two days before the race due to water quality with little impact to my approach. It was still going to be a swim in warm muddy water, I was still unsure of how my time would fare in my first non-wetsuit Ironman swim and I was still going to give it my best!  The rolling start was no drama-mama and we were off with just a touch of body contact to keep things interesting.

*** Drone footage of the swim course as it is being set up the day before the race. ***

About halfway back I inhaled roughly two-thirds of Lake Woodlands.  “Just keep swimming.” I told myself. Nope, my lungs were gurgling.  “You’re fine!” I told myself.  “No you’re not!” said the brain that wasn’t getting enough oxygen.  I took a few strokes of breaststroke and tried to cough most of it up. A kayaker eyed me warily. “Keep moving forward, keep moving forward”.  Eventually the lungs cleared enough that I could carry on and by the swim exit I’d returned most of Lake Woodlands to the lake.

*** So fun to have heart rate data from the swim!  ***

They say you can't win it on the swim but you can lose it. Seems this result fell right into that category. It wasn’t embarrassingly slow or going to put me out of contention but it wasn’t exactly stellar.  I’ll take it.


Bike 94? 95? Miles: 4:10:01

After months of drama surrounding the bike course, on race day we were left with a 94 (95?) mile, 84 turn course.  Naturally I was bummed that the leg that is considered my strength was the one was shortened. Swims get cancelled occasionally, bike courses get shortened but geez, why don’t they ever shorten the run?!? My bike power was about the same as the prior year but I was about 8-10# lighter on race day so that bode well for a strong split.   A reconnaissance drive had produced no epiphanies except for some car sickness and affirmation that Steve and Heidi are two of the funniest people on the planet.  So, with sore-from-belly-laughs abs it was time to channel Zen mode and let it be what it would be.

*** One of the 84 turns. This one is on a brick surface, just to keep it interesting. ***

Coming out of the swim my heart rate was very high, as is typical.  The race plan called for holding power at about 160w until the heart rate came down to about 140-145 BPM then build to 170w.  I knew I’d have to concede a few heartbeats to the heat but was confident my legs were strong enough to push the wattage.

*** Bike file. ***

Quickly enough the entire field was getting into a groove and it was clear the course wasn’t nearly as choppy as it looked on paper. I had to brake into about ½ of the corners but was able to stay aero most of the time and the bike was humming along like a dream.    I was getting in most of the nutrition I’d intended to and staying hydrated as the day heated up.  I rolled into T2 a full 20’ earlier than anticipated!.  Even though my bike split was very high in the female field (I even beat quite a few pros!) I honestly didn’t feel like I overcooked it and was looking forward to the run.

 

*** It was really easy to stay aero on the course and the biggest hills were overpasses. ***

Run 26.2 Miles: 3:56:05

Although the run got the job done, there are lots of opportunities for improvement and lessons learned.  Coming off the bike with an average HR of 142 I should have really capped the start of the run about there.  Instead, I let it stay at about 148 which is where it was after I came out of transition. I felt FANTASTIC.  If I was a betting person I’d have bet on being able to hold that for 26.2 miles. Good thing I’m not!

Yes, it was hot but I’d been there before and knew what to do after the Goldilocks double of 2015. That year I'd done Ironman Coeur d'Alene which was wayyyy too hot at about 108 degrees and Ironman Canada which was wayyy too cold with pouring ass rain on the bike.  Suffice it to say I had a plan, regardless of the weather!  I’d enter each aid station starting with the two cups of water I needed to keep on my hydration plan.  Next was two cups of ice that went down the top and the shorts.  Finally as I left each aid station I’d grab sponges or more ice or water and douse myself as best I could.  I wasn’t comfortable, but I wasn’t overheating so I put that in the “win” column.

*** Goldilocks is hot! ***

The run is three loops and starting the second loop I realized that my caffeine tabs had been soaked by all the dousing and no longer existed.  Also, my stomach was starting to revolt which is typical but highly uncomfortable, to put it mildly. I took a 90” pit stop in a port-a-potty.   Time to call an audible. I started calling for Espresso GU (caffeinated!) at the aid stations with mixed success.  When I found a volunteer that had them, I’d take a couple which saw me through to the next scheduled feeding.  My stomach still wasn’t happy, but I wasn’t throwing up so I stuck to the schedule albeit with a new product.  


Mile 18

By mile 18 it was starting to cool down a bit and I walked a few steps at each aid station to gather GU and regroup.  In Endurance Nation we call mile 18 “The Line” and it’s where we anticipate the race to get really tough.  This race was no exception.   At first the cooler weather and even a spritz of rain was welcome, but then things got downright cray cray.    The wind picked up.  Rain started coming sideways.  At one point I was running along the canal and looked up just in time to see lightning strike at the end of the canal as if in the photo of a perfect storm suitable for framing.   The weather data shows it went from just over 90 degrees to 68 in an hour with wind gusts approaching 45 MPH.

*** The temperature dropped over 20 degrees between 3 and 4 pm ***

By about mile 23 or so things were just ridiculous.  We were running through 4” of standing water at times. Across the canal I saw a guy running and thought “Man, he’s in some tough weather.” then I realized I was in that weather too. Then it started to hail.    The last aid station had essentially blown away and I heard someone say “I think they’re calling the race!”

*** I tried to channel Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump screaming into the storm ***

I looked at my watch and I only had 1.5 miles to go.  I can do anything for 1.5 miles, I told myself.  I think.  Right?  I channeled my inner Lieutenant Dan with an “Is that all you got?” and kept moving forward.

*** Lieutenant Dan would have been proud. ***

*** Goldilocks is not hot. ***

The Finish

I made the final turn to the finish line and it was a blustery ghost town.  The barriers had been blown down and the clock was stopped. There were a few volunteers to catch me and I fell into the arms of what I imagine would be the perfect grandfather type.  Strong, comforting and most importantly, WITH space blanket!

*** Video of the finish line shortly before I arrived - by then those barriers were blown down! ***

I looked up and two spectators had appeared: Mark and Heidi!  There is no photo or video as the camera was down and Mike Riley had wisely taken cover. Although Mike didn’t call my name, he did post a photo of the finish line at the precise moment Mark and Heidi came running to greet me! That's Mark running and we can just make out Heidi's elbow to the left.

*** Here come my heros: Mark and Heidi!  ***

Kona

Immediately after the finish we had no idea how I’d placed. At last check I’d been second, but we didn't know if that had held. After getting back to the hotel and warming up, the results came up and it looked like I'd held second.  Knowing it was crazy town out there with trains and a storm, I refreshed the results occasionally until we left for the awards ceremony the next day but they never changed.   Once at the ceremony we learned that the organizers were taking the time at the timing mat that the tenth person in each age group had passed at the time the storm hit.  They used that time as the race time for Kona slots and age group awards.  Of course they didn’t SHARE that data with us until our age groups were actually called on stage.  I tried not to be nervous.  My stomach was still churning.  I queued up with the other ladies in 40-44 and held my breath.  Finally, Mike Reilly came through.  Yep, I was second!!!  

*** Top 10 for Kona and Age Group Awards ***

Organizers subsequently went back and tried to adjust delay times based on timing mat data with an official update the following Thursday.    Luckily, the results in my age group remain the same through fourth place.  There were four Kona slots available so hopefully nobody feels like they got jerked around too badly.  

*** Top 10 with Storm Delays ***

*** Goldilocks is jusssst right.  ***

*** Most expensive cheap lei ever.  And 1,000% worth it!  ***

Reflections and Moving Forward

A journey of this magnitude doesn’t happen without immense support.  Mark sees day in and day out what it takes to make this possible.  He’s integral in my success in almost every way. From joining me on swim dates, keeping my bike in tip-top shape to Sherpaing long runs on his mountain bike - he has almost as much time invested in the sport as I do. I truly could not do it without him. Thank you Mark - we did it!

Additionally I’m lucky enough to have a family who follow (and worry about!) me carefully. Even my “frugal” brother blocked out the Kona dates at his condo on Ali’i drive just in case I qualified without telling me so I wouldn’t feel undue pressure.  My dear friends who have put up with more than a few tears, especially this season and my two tribes, Raise the Bar and Endurance Nation who believed in me even when I didn’t.  THANK YOU!!!

How do I feel? Well, 10 years ago I was an 80# overweight hockey player.  Now I’m an Ironman World Championship Kona qualifier. Surreal is an understatement!  Onward to Kona!

Aloha!

Jenn's IMC Race Report: Getting Wet, Getting Cold and the Momma Bear Run Around

IMC: Getting Wet, Getting Cold and the Momma Bear Run Around

Ahhhhh what sounded more appealing than doing a nice temperate race in the beautiful mountains of Whistler after the record heat of Coeur d’Alene!?!  We arrived in Whistler for IMC four weeks post IMCDA with a tad more confidence having done the same two races last year.  Of course, doing back-to-back Ironmans is always a bit of an ill-advised crap shoot.  I’d done well last year with a fourth place finish and training in between had gone smoothly, but there was a lot to be left to the Ironman and Weather Gods.   By the end of the race day there would be LOTs of lessons learned (aren’t there always!) a little less skin on my fingers, my best ever run split by 20’ and Ironman finish #8 on the books!  

Pre Race 

Rolling into the venue we certainly looked out of place towing a boat into a skiing and mountain biking resort town!  Although Mark’s volunteering on the swim effectively doubles our pre-race logistics, we have gotten into a pretty good groove and checked our “to-do” boxes relatively efficiently. We even still liked each other come race day in spite of the raw launch into sand and mud – not exactly a recipe for marital bliss!  We attended RTB and EN events, did a shake out ride with the Frosts and felt ready to roll.  On race morning Mark had to head to the boat before I left the room so I was on my own to get out the door and onto the bus for a shuttle to the start.

 *** Mark at the Alta Lake Raw Launch ***

The Weather

As a fellow EN athlete Rachel H pointed out, I must have pissed off the weather Gods this year.  Let’s just say there is some sick feather-in-the-cap to be earned by racing both the hottest and the coldest and wettest Ironman but I’d gladly give that feather to someone else!   For some unknown reason, I thought the Castelli T1 Stealth top, which I’d purchased for aerodynamic purposes and used for sun protection in IMCDA, would help keep me warm in Whistler’s 40 degrees and pouring ass rain.  What was I thinking?  I’d added arm warmers, a beanie and gloves but let’s just say as it turns out a nice thermal vest would have been very much appreciated a whopping 10’ into the bike. Sigh.

*** Whistler vs. Coeur d’Alene – Pick Your Poison! ***

The Swim: We Were Gonna Get Wet Anyway

The definition of insanity is doing something the same and expecting different results, right?  Well I lined up even further out from the start (closer to shore) than I did last year and lo and behold, got just as clobbered as last year.  Next time I’m taking the advice of many teammates and lining up right on the start buoy.  Somebody please remind me of this if I talk about doing anything else next year!

*** Lesson #1, Redux: I lined up on one of the small yellow buoys in the middle.  Just like last year and probably the year before.  <<< Hangs head in shame. >>>   I need to be on the red start buoy next year!  ***

*** Swim Start = Rain Start ***

Although I never did find open water in the first loop, I swam relatively smoothly and comfortably.   There really wasn’t much else to do – too many people in front of me to go around!  By the second loop, both the skies (of rain) and the lake (of swimmers) had opened up markedly.  I negative split the swim and came out just a tiny bit faster than IMC last year.  On to the bike.

*** Already Wet.  Let’s do this! ***

The Bike: Moxie’s Mechanicals - Proof She Shouldn’t be Ridden in the Rain

The targeted power for the day was somewhat of a wild ass guess with the last FTP test months and a full Ironman behind me.  I’d been more aggressive in training between the two races than last year but it still felt like a pretty fuzzy target.  Anyway, armed with a new cap of 140 BPM on heart rate after a heart-to-heart (pun intended!) conversation with Coach P, I set a wattage target from 150w (last years race average) to 161w (the average of the race rehearsal in May).   I planned to start the day at the low end of the range.  If I could build power with the heart rate in check and the legs feeling good, I’d do so.  

Out of the swim my HR was really high, as usual.  Reminding myself that Coach P would be looking at this file later, I took it SUPER easy out of the lake and onto the highway.  Luckily, the heart rate came down pretty quickly.  

*** Bike File: Pleased with execution here, all things considered! ***

Headed South to Callaghan I’d just reconciled myself to a very uncomfortable day when there was an “awful grinding sound” to use the words of nearby RTB athlete Josh F.  I looked down and my chain had dropped to the inside and wedged between the frame and the crank. This had happened twice in training, much to the bemusement of two different shop mechanics and my (AMAZING!!!)  Husband Hero mechanic.  As such, we’d installed an “anti chain drop” device designed to keep just this sort of thing from happening.    I flipped the bike over and gave a firm tug up on the chain as training partner Steve had shown me how to do.  Nothing.  I pulled again.  Still nada. Certainly it wasn’t wedged in there that tight – I’d stopped putting pressure on the pedals immediately upon hearing the noise. I took a closer look.  F***!!!  That anti chain drop device had now impaled my chain and was preventing me from pulling it back out of the frame.  I took off my gloves and shoved my fingers into the chain rings in an attempt to get the chain off of the impalement. After several attempts, some missing skin from my (thankfully numb) fingers and a few desperate looks around for neutral support, it magically released.  I navigated the chain carefully around the impalement device and onto the chain ring.  We were three miles in, my gadget registered 43 degrees and I was soaked.  Onward. 

**** Sigh. ***

We took a right to begin the climb to Callaghan.  My average heart rate was already lower than targeted so that was great news.  I yo-yoed a bit with EN athlete Ann and RTB athlete Ryan, which was fun – misery loves company!    As the chilling effect of the wind went down and the effort of the ascent heated us, we were never so glad to be climbing!  Unfortunately what goes up, must come down.   The descent from Callaghan was truly a spirit killer. I was shivering, my teeth were chattering uncontrollably and I had a hard time keeping my hands on the bike.   Many athletes DNFed at the bottom where organizers had brought in busses as portable warming tents.  Even several pros DNFed at that point. 

*** The consensus of the field at the bottom of Callaghan ***

On the return to Whistler my chain dropped again.  Gahhh!!!!  I flipped Moxie over and went to work.  The chain hadn’t been impaled, but once I got it on the front chain ring I couldn’t get it to settle into the cassette.  Woe!  Less than 40 miles into the race I was borderline hypothermic, my bike wasn’t working and the thought of DNFing crossed my mind.  I went to my mental toolkit and pulled out all my “one things” (some of us need many one things!) usually reserved for late in the marathon.  I thought of doing all those who support and cheer for me, especially Mark, proud.  I knew my racing self owed my training self that has put so much time into the preparation for this race.  I knew if I could keep going I’d at least earn one more finish in case I never qualify and be one step closer to Kona via the Legacy program. The chain settled in.  I flipped Moxie over.    According to my gadget, I’d lost a combined total of about 5’ on the side of the road with mechanicals.  

*** The Edge of Wetness ***

We continued through Whistler and began the descent to Pemberton.  I started to feel slightly less miserable, although many people suffered terribly here too.  By the Pemberton flats I was feeling pretty good, my power was building, and I went to work.  

*** According to my gadget the average temperature on the bike was 51.  And officially measured as raining buckets for the first two hours.   ***

On the return from Pemberton I was pleasantly surprised at how good my legs felt. I kept checking my average heart rate and my average power and was able to build both while keeping the heart rate for the day under the imposed cap. My bike was making an unhappy noise in the easiest climbing gear so I stopped using it in fear Moxie would stop rolling all together.  I rolled into Whistler soaking wet and covered in grit, pee and snot but hopeful for a good run.

*** Power by Hour: Built Throughout the Day and Heart Rate Under Cap! ***

The Run: When Your Legs Can’t Run Anymore Run with Your Heart

Historically my bike heart rate has been 6-8 BPM higher (143ish) than my run heart rate (135ish), which is exactly the opposite of what it should be.  After my pow-wow with Coach P we decided that I needed to come off the bike with an average heart rate UNDER 140 BPM then I needed to keep it ABOVE 140 BPM throughout the run. This was much faster and harder than I had run in the past, but I was more than ready to try something new and lay it all on the line.    Early into the run I saw Heidi and she let me know I was in second off the bike. She also provided some much-needed mojo and a slap on the butt.  I was running well with my heart rate just above 140 BPM and determined to keep it there.  

*** Sign on the Course: This Mantra Was Truer Today than Any Other! ***

After the first lap it got much, much harder to keep my heart rate above 140, but I was doing it. At one point some volunteers formed a tunnel that shuttled the runners OFF of the run course.  “Um, I see the green arrow right over there – are you sure”, I asked? “Yes, yes” they assured me, “We are just detouring you around a charging momma bear.”  “Well okay then, just tell me where to go,” I readily agreed!  Have we mentioned the amazing volunteers yet?  Just one of their “other duties as assigned” and around the bear I went!  We’d find out later the momma and her three cubs were tranquilized and moved to a safer area.  Whew –  now that’s the full Whistler experience!

*** Bear at Ironman News Story ***

On the run I was trying really hard to get in as much nutrition as planned but was falling short.  My tummy just wasn’t happy so I tried a few different things including Red Bull (yuck!) and Coke (nope).  Unfortunately that also meant I wasn’t getting the caffeine in as planned and it was getting harder and harder to keep the heart rate up.  Lesson learned – I’ll separate the caffeine plan from the calorie plan in coming races so I can at least get one of the two down the hatch. 

*** Dried out and running! ***

I used all of the mantras I had and then some.  I collected as many super-power delivering high-fives as possible from our RTB and EN athletes, friends and supporters and shut out the pain.  There was RTB green and EN red EVERYWHERE!  I won’t try to name them individually but you know who you are and from the bottom of my (beating heavily) heart: THANK YOU!  

 *** Ran Right on the Edge for Four Hours – Ouch! ***

My HR was 140 BPM, 139, then 141 - right on the edge of where I wanted to be.  At mile 18 I wanted to bring it to 145 but it wasn’t happening.  As far as I could tell I was only passed by one person in my age group throughout the run but a lot of ladies had on calf sleeves so it was impossible to tell. Regardless, I was givin’ what I had!

 

*** Heart Rate Up by but Unable to Build Late – Need More Calories and Caffeine: Lesson #8,659 on the Day! ***

I crossed the finish line right into the catcher who took me to Mark and Heidi waiting at the finish.    I was really spent, physically and emotionally and already close to tears.  I knew my run was about a 20’ PR and was thrilled with that, but would it be enough?   “What place am I?” I asked Heidi. She refreshed her phone…  6th.    Ouch.  That hurt.  I’d swum and biked on par with last year and had my best run ever and it still wasn’t enough.  I knew there was almost no way a Kona slot would roll down to 6th. As proud as I was of the run, I was so disappointed in the placing.  It felt like someone is raising the bar (ha!) just one year ahead of me and I will never be enough.  Heidi and Mark assured me I was enough just as I am.  More tears.  I’d get all mushy, but let’s just leave it to the imagination the amount of gratitude I had for Mark and Heidi at that point and thank them for their grace in the face of such a snotty mess.  

*** Glad to Be Done & IMC PR ***

Woulda Coulda Shoulda: 6th? 5th? Or 4th

At the finish line I showed as 6th, just off the podium.  Later that night, I showed as 5th and wondered if perhaps someone in front of me received a penalty that pushed them down in the results.  We were going to the awards ceremony regardless so with one last check of the results in the morning (still 5th!) we headed to the awards ceremony thinking that is where I’d land. 

Unfortunately, the first name they read off (for 5th place) wasn’t mine.  Um… awkward!  Her time was faster than mine, so clearly as it turns out the data had been correct at the finish after all.  It was disappointing to not be on the podium but it wouldn’t’ have earned a Kona spot anyway.  In fact, even without that mechanical I would have been fourth and there were only three spots.  No harm no foul.     I did hear of a lady that missed a Kona spot by two seconds and had a two minute bear delay.  D’oh!

*** Race Day Video - Lots of Teammates and Me at the 7:43 Mark! ***

What’s Next?  

Honestly I don’t know just yet.  In 2014 I was 4th here and 28’ outside of earning a slot outright.  This year I was 6th and 12’ out with a 20’ PR at including that 5’ mechanical. The racing is getting tighter!  

I’m seeking input from my trusted friends and coaches.  If the goal is to get to Kona via Legacy and I continue at two per year I’ll have enough to qualify in two more years.  I have a lot of control over that.  If the goal is to qualify outright I need to get even faster and apply those lessons learned.  Coach P and I are already at work on next season's plan.     As hard as it is to set a goal I can’t 100% control, I’m learning to “let go” a little and dare to try!  

Gratitude

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all who support, cheer or send a bit of mojo my way.  And thanks to Mark who makes it all possible and fun. Cheers!

Edit 08/25/15 

As it turn out there is more to the story.  The “news” is that the 1st place finisher in my age group was just disqualified for cheating making my official result at IMC 5th.  How do I feel?  Mixed!  On one hand I’m a bit sad we didn’t get to experience the podium with our friends and teammates  in Whistler.  I’m a bit MORE sad for the woman that now is going to Kona.  She was cheated out of accepting her Kona slot with HER friends and family.   And I’m more than a little sad for our sport.  It is, after all a game that we are all fortunate enough to play.  I mean really, how lucky are we?  We get to run around, swim and ride our bikes like little kids and call it an adult hobby!  On the other hand, this explains why results were moving around after the race and makes the awkwardness of the awards ceremony a little less awkward.  Plus the podium streak is now at three!  Bottom line: I’m GRATEFUL to be able to participate in the sport at all.  

Research done by a super sleuth that includes some pretty good evidence of cheating: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s257/sh/f2807f22-45db-4db7-b656-0b3d4c04f70a/70ec36dda244f9a3

Slowtwitch thread with community conversation: http://forum.slowtwitch.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=5670822;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=-1;

Article that includes a statement from the athlete: http://triathlonmagazine.ca/news/canadian-athlete-disqualified-at-ironman-canada/

Let’s all go forth and be awesome within the rules, shall we?

Cheers!

Jenn’s IMCDA Race Report - It’s a Cooker

Jenn’s IMCDA Race Report - It’s a Cooker

Pre-Race

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Ahhhhhh, Northern Idaho in June on a lake.  Sounds refreshing, right?  The year leading up to the race had gone pretty well, all things considered.  Spoiled with a new bike, weighing in a few pounds lighter, running faster and with the biggest training load I've done under my belt - we were hopeful!  Throughout the year Mark stepped up his game even further supporting almost every long run on his mountain bike and tricking out his trailer as a support vehicle.  Healthwise I’d kept an Achilles niggle at bay, avoided any major illnesses or injury and felt ready to race!

Run Support Sherpa Tip: Plan Routes Past the Bakery!

Training Load 2013 to Present: For the Non Data Geeks: It Was A Lot…

About ten days out the weather forecasts started coming in. First 98 degrees, then 102, then 108. Yikes.  I looked outside.  It was 60 degrees and raining. Sigh.  I stepped up my attendance at Bikram yoga which is done in a very hot room and studied electrolyte needs to adjust my nutrition plan.  It sure is hard to avoid anything new on race day when you don’t get to train in the kind of weather we were anticipating!   So yeah, it was gonna be hot. Robin WIlliams as Adrian Cronauer in “Good Morning Vietnam” would call it “crotch pot cooking” hot.

  

We made our way to Liberty Lake, about a twenty-minute drive from Coeur d’Alene, to stay with our friends Patrick and Diana.  These two are truly the hostests with the mostest! They are ever gracious, accommodating, supportive, and amazing cooks. We are lucky to have them in our lives and it is incredibly fortuitous they live close to the race venue!  After the usual check-in and administrative tasks… ready or not, race day was upon us.

Swim

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Shortly before the pro start Mark helped me into my wetsuit, wished me luck and cut me loose.  In complete contrast to last year where I was worried about cold water temperatures in the high 50s, this year temp was over 72 - downright balmy!  I warmed up as the pros went off, then made my way to where I wanted to be in the self-seeding coral with about 5 minutes to go.  The cannon went off and I was into the water in less than a minute.  “Strong, smooth and long” were my mantras for the first loop and I made my way around the buoys with little contact.  When I exited to make the second lap I saw I was on track for a decent swim - nice!  “Cadence, follow through and on-the-rivet” were my mantras for the second loop and before I knew it i was touching the sand at the finish and outta that nice refreshing lake with no drama mama.

 Taking a Left for the Second Loop

And a Now Take a Right ‘Cause We’re DONE!

Bike

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Thanks to some tremendous volunteers, transition went smoothly and I was outta there lickity split.  The first mile I tried to settle down and took in my first nutrition of the day to get on track with the planned 20’ feeding schedule.  A quick check of my power showed… nothing. Gah!  I rode another minute. Still nothing.  Shit, shit, shit.  My power meter has wigged out in training before and sometimes if I futz with it just right it comes back on.  So… I took a chance and stopped less than a mile into my ride to see if I could get it to work.  I popped the caps off, then on (the ancient Chinese Garmin Vector pedal reset secret), saddled back up and hoped for the best.    Nothing yet.  I got my RPMs back up over 90 where they usually wake up.  YES!  We have POWER!  Whew.

My target wattage for the day was to build from 150w to 165w for an average of about 160w.  It was already really hot and I was missing over a mile of power data so I wasn’t too concerned when I finished the first loop in about 2:48 with an average power of 150w.  It was time to step up the intensity but alas, Mother Nature was already stepping up the heat. All the way up to 109 on my gadget and as much as 113 on others with pavement reportedly reading in the 120s.  Raise power to 160w?  Um no.  How about hold at 155w? Nope.  I spun up a long hill with the sun beating down at what felt like 2 MPH.   Okay, geeze, can we even just keep that 150w from the first lap? Nein!

Bike Data - Worked Less and Got More for it in the Heat

Even on fast descents the air felt like putting your face in a stagnant furnace.   Endurance Nation teammate Rachel dubbed it like biking on the “surface of the sun” and though I can't say for sure, I’m betting she was right!  The more I concentrated, the less power I put out.  My nutrition was all going down well (yay!) and my HR stayed strong indicating I was still working hard, but the power just dropped and dropped and dropped.  Sigh.  Turns out I was less than 2’ slower but my power dropped dramatically to 138w for the second loop.  Later I learned this was a purposeful strategy the pros uses (bike hard when it's cook back off when it's warm) but honestly I didn't do it on purpose.  Anyway, I took a minute to mourn the woulda-coulda-shoulda bike split that may have been had I been able to hold 160w.  Time to turn my attention to this little marathon thing.

Early in the Day - Before the Spectators Retreated to Air Conditioned Restaurants

Very Tempting to Hop in That Lake

Run

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Pro Jeff Symonds spoke at our Whistler camp and his mantra is to “Run Ugly”.  Well, this is what that looked like for me.  Coming out of transition I was effing hot. Yes, crotch pot cooking hot.  It was slightly uphill to the first aid station and I hadn’t noticed any ice to take in transition.  There was no shade, few spectators and 26.2 miles loomed before me.  I honestly didn’t think it was possible.  Somehow I made my way to that first aid station where Heidi and Mark (surprise volunteer of the day!) were ready with lots of ice, water and encouragement.  Heidi asked how I was doing.  “Fucking hot!”, I almost cried.  “Just stay within yourself!” she said.  I wanted more ice - I was shoving it everywhere as I shuffled through the station.  Mark ran ahead to the end last table and got me two more cups.  I felt better.  Righty ho, let’s do this.

Run Ugly?  Yep.

From thereon out I felt kinda-sorta okay.  I quickly established a routine at the aid stations based on what was available. Typically that was three cups of ice right away.  The first one went down the bra top.  This was the most important one because I could access it later to suck on or simply hold in my hand.  The second cup went right down the front of the shorts (I smiled a little at Robin Williams every time) and the third one went under my Raise the Bar the cap.  In the middle of the aid station I went for one or two cups of Gatorade and a cup of water.  At the end of the aid station if they had it I’d grab two more cups of ice. One more down went down the top and the last one went down the back. 

The community really stepped up for this race.  Instead of retreating to their homes, many had hoses running and offered to douse us if we’d like.  As someone who doesn’t typically struggle with major blisters and was close to overheating, I made the calculated decision to just get as wet as I could as often as I could. “Hose me in the head!” I’d shout as I came by. They happily obliged. My shoes squished for about a minute after each dousing but then resumed to simply being wet. It seemed to be working. And so it went.

On the second loop everyone around me was slowing down, resting in any bits of shade available or simply walking. I passed a gal in my age group at mile 24 with some pleasantries and humor. I’d come off the bike in 6th and knew I been passed by at least one gal in my age group so far.  I presumed since I typically lose positions in the run I was passing her for 9th or 10th. Regardless, I was still chugging along and doin’ my best.

I made the final turn on to Sherman and it felt like I was running in a (very hot) ghost town.  There was nobody in front of me, nobody behind me and the sidewalks were empty.  I could hear Mike Reilly in the distance a few blocks down.  He drew me closer. The spectators started to increase, now one or two deep for the last block.  Mark, Heidi, Patrick and Diana were there.  Whew - I was finished in 11:15!

Finished! Very Few Spectators Braved the Heat Before the Sun Went Down

Reflections

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I was pleased with the PR and super pumped I was able to keep running in the heat.  Although my marathon time was well off what I hoped I’d be able to run, I knew I’d given it my all.  As it turns out I’d passed that gal for 5th place and was lucky enough to hit the podium the next day.  There were three Kona spots and none rolled down.

Podium!

  

Mens winner Andy Potts assured us this race was, indeed a cooker!  Nobody can say for sure what the effect of the heat was on the day but clearly it impacted the pointy-end people less than those in the back of the pack. 

Our resident RTB Cyber-Stalker had this Analysis to Offer Inferring About a 40’ Heat Penalty

Andy had some poignant words to offer us on the day about the balance of hope and doubt in his short speech.

Congratulations to all participants on their efforts on the day especially my Endurance Nation and Raise the Bar teammates!  Cheers to the volunteers and residents of Coeur d’Alene who came through in a pinch. And unending gratitude and thanks to Mark who makes this whole silly thing possible and fun! 

 Grateful and Pumped!