My recovery from Rev3 South Carolina went well, and I was feeling even stronger for GFT. I continued to stay inside as much as possible to steer clear of fall pollens. In the past 6 weeks the only time I was outside on my bike was the race in SC. I headed to FL on Wednesday with the race being Saturday. Traveling alone this time I knew I would have plenty of time for R&R and just “chilling” pre-race.

The cold front that hit GA hit Florida too, sadly, with record low temps and very high winds. Thankfully I packed warm cycling clothes at the last minute which were much needed for my ride Thursday. Sleeping in, naps, and eating were pretty much my day.

Friday I did a little morning jog at the race site, and then hit the USAT training center for a short swim in their gorgeous outdoor pool. Friday night I went over my nutrition plan with Michael as I was determined not to get in the dehydrated state that hurt me in Louisville. I was ready to roll.

Up at 4:30 Friday morning, drinking my First Endurance Ultragen and eating breakfast I was nice and relaxed. I headed over to the race site, putting the 48 degree temperatures and high winds out of my head. Completing my race prep I could not stop shaking, so when I was done I sought shelter in the car until it was time to slither into my Tyr Hurricane wetsuit. Before I knew it, it was a minute to start and I went to the lake.

The swim was 2 loops, exiting the water after the first one. The start was smooth-not too much batting around. The water was extremely choppy because of the wind. I swallowed more than my fair share (which turned out to be relevant later in the day). Midway through the 1^st loop my goggles were knocked ajar and I had to stop, make sure my contact was still in, fix goggles and continue on. The rest of the swim was uneventful, but I knew I was feeling much better in the water than I had 2 weeks prior.

Out of the water, into transition tents to prep for a fun ride. Due to the chilly, windy air I made the decision to wear a jersey and arm warmers. The bike was 3 loops, with 2 Special Needs at the end of 1 and 2, so I knew I could disrobe at the 38 mile mark-enough time to warm up. Hopped on Kokko and I was on my way. Leaving the waterfront are a few short, steep climbs. Partway up the 3^rd my pedals locked; thankfully I caught myself before falling, but then had to go down the hill to turn around and go back up. I laughed and said “roll with it”.

I quickly passed several women-and men. The winds were strong, and the terrain hilly, but I was feeling great. The 1^st loop contained the infamous Sugarloaf Mountain. Climbing seemed effortless. I focused on fluid intake of First Endurance EFS and water, as well as my Liquid Shot. I was right on target. I was carrying my LS flasks in the back pocket of my jersey and was having difficulty maneuvering. I made a mental note that at Special needs 1 I would switch the flasks with my spare tubes which I had stored in the Fuel Belt carrier on my top tube.

Came to Special needs at the end of loop 1; got rid of the clothing, made the fuel switch and was on my way. Leaving the area I was told I was in 7^th place. Loop 2 continued smooth. Through the ride I kept checking in on my legs, stomach, rest of the body-all feeling great. Winds were strong, but it was a sunny, beautiful day and I was having fun. I moved up 4 more places to 3^rd during loop 2.

Loop 3 I was a bit in “no man’s land”, but there was a guy riding a few hundred yards in front of me who was riding the same pace and that helped me keep focus. (I would eventually pass him toward the end which he didn’t like!). Halfway through loop 3 the top flew off of my aero bottle, right before a set of rumble strips. Going over the bumps everything in the bottle flew out onto me. I was a sticky mess-laughed it off. I had one more full bottle of EFS so I was not in danger of running out of fluids. My legs felt great the whole ride-as did the rest of me, and was looking forward to the run. I knew I was well hydrated-I pee’d so much on the bike I “washed” the numbers off of my bike frame. So, entering transition, as I handed Kokko to the kids racking the bikes I made sure they knew she was #121 so she was put in her proper place and not lost.

I made a quick transition to my run shoes and off I went. The run course was pretty cool in that it was both spectator friendly, on paved paths not on road, and set in a way that one could see one’s competition regularly. We left transition in one direction for 1 mile, turned, came back through the park and out the other direction just over 3 miles, turned and came back to the park. We did this loop 3 times. And I discovered on the longer “leg” a good series of hills we would run 3 times-actually good to change up the muscles used.

My first 2 miles were an easy/get my run legs going pace. As I came back through the park I really got moving. I don’t recall ever having felt that good during the run portion of Ironman. My feet were quick and light, I was enjoying the people around me. No cramps, aches of pains. I could also see the first 2 women. The lead woman was about 20 minutes ahead, 2^nd was closer. I could tell I was running faster and felt positive that if I was patient I would catch her.

The running trail was pretty-through some woods and over a foot bridge. The hills were short, fairly steep in parts, but I ran up quickly. The outer turn around was at the top of the steepest hill. There was an aid station halfway up the hill; it was going up the first time that I knew I had to make a “pit stop”. This was at approximately mile 5 ½.  It was a quick stop, and I was back running. Around mile 8 ½ (we would come through the park at the end of loop 1 at mile 9) I thought “I am going to have to stop again at mile 9-shoot”. No sooner did I have this thought-and I really apologize for the graphics, but it is what it is-than crap (literally) just started coming out of me. Great I thought, right when I am going to be in front of lots of people!. I made it to the port o john at mile 9, cleaned up as best I could, and back to the run. Well, from this point on, everything I put into my body came out. I lost every calorie, electrolyte, all fluids. My stomach didn’t feel bad (other than a stitch I now had that took 10 miles to get rid of), but nothing stayed in. I never stopped taking in Liquid Shot, water, Gatorade, in hopes, but it all came out.

Needless to say my second loop slowed quite a bit. But, I just kept plodding along: run, drink, fuel, run behind a bush-over and over. I began to really fade around the 15 miles mark. I never panicked, but I was a bit worried because at this point I was running on fumes. As I completed my 2^nd loop I saw my friend Christi who had raced the Aqua Bike. She stopped with me at the aid station and I told her what was happening. I tried Coke at this point, but my gut really didn’t like that! Miles 18-23 became a death march. I said to Christi as I passed her at Mile 20 “isn’t this fun??” I NEVER once thought of stopping, never walked, knew I would finish-it what kind of shape I wasn’t sure, but I continued on my march. Through the entire run I made a point to smile and say Thank You to every single person who cheered me on-and there were a lot. Yes, some of my Thank You’s were less “peppy” than others, but I did the best I could. The cheers from people really helped me through. I even had a few people say “love your outfit” I do hope they were looking at the top half! I did at one point look down at myself and thought, “this is disgusting!”

Reaching the top of the hill at the farthest turn around was certainly not as “springy” as the first time. I hit mile 23 and took my last swigs of Liquid Shot, within 2 minutes made my last run behind a bush and told myself I wasn’t stopping again no matter what! (I am sure I added an extra mile to the marathon adding up the number of times I ran off course to find a bush). It was then I saw the woman in 4^th place and the fact that she was running better than I, and she was gaining. It was then I experienced my own little miracle. I prayed with everything I had in me to have what I need to maintain 3^rd place. I started singing Christian songs I like to myself and suddenly-I could RUN-really run!! I felt like I was sprinting, when in fact I was running a decent tempo pace. I sang, I ran and the last 2 ½ miles was by far the fastest of the marathon. When I reached mile 25 my singing became self talk: “run like you stole something”, “don’t trip and fall”, and “don’t you dare slow down”. And finally, the finish line! I finished 3^rd overall. I don’t think I have ever fought so hard to maintain position! It was far from my fastest Ironman, but that didn’t matter one bit. Ironman number 9 is successfully in the books!

As soon as I finished I saw Christi and that’s when I started bawling “that was so hard” I cried. Well, it’s not supposed to be easy! After going over my race, my nutrition, every aspect, with Michael we deduced it was all of the lake water I drank that caused my GI distress. Mentally-and physically, and nutritionally I believe I executed the race perfectly. I was patient, I was calm, I was smiling, I problem solved as needed, I stayed in the moment at all times. I believe that my “double” of racing a Half Ironman and then a Full 13 days later was a complete success. I definitely want to do it again-not next week or anything, but sometime.

Of course a huge Thank You to my amazing sponsors!! Best products out there!! First Endurance for all of my nutritional needs before, during and after (sorry I couldn’t keep it all in me!); Kestrel-best bikes on the planet; Tyr for the awesome Hurricane wetsuit, and goggle choice for the day-nest Pro-most comfy goggles I have ever used; Recovery Pump to always keep my legs fresh and recovered, All 3 Sports for all of the gear I need, TriSwim-Tri Slide prevented chaffing of any kind; and of course my Trakkers/Rev3 teammates for their support and encouragement.

Lastly, as my 2011 triathlon season closes, a special Thank You to Michael Lovato-the absolute best coach and triathlon role model I could have!! You help me stay healthy and strong, you’re always encouraging, supportive, and know what I need better than I do myself! I hit you with some crazy stuff and you haven’t cried Uncle yet! Thanks ML!

Thanks for reading

My recovery from Ironman Louisville went very well. I bounced back quickly and was able to get in a solid block of training, and was really feeling better than before IMKY. My biggest obstacle-as always-allergies. For that reason (since they suck all of my energy), for the past month I did ALL of my cycling inside. It was more important to get strong workouts than enjoy the sunny weather. I was still feeling the negative effects of the beautiful ragweed running, but hoped it wouldn’t do too much damage. As race week approached though, the allergies worsened.

Then, another big stress hit. My husband’s mother, who had been ill, became gravely ill a week prior to the race and we learned she would not get better. Needless to say it was not the best week, and my focus was not on racing. Cris insisted I still go to SC with Kiersten, as he planned his trip to New Mexico.

Kiersten arrived Friday morning and we hung out at my house for a few hours before hitting the road. During the drive she began to experience the true joy of the south as she began to experience an allergic reaction and a rash appeared. We eliminated all the possibilities and deduced it was the south-or me-one or the other.

We headed straight to the race site and registered, saw some teammates and went to the hotel. Kiersten began her inhalation of Benadryl that evening.

Saturday, as I went about my pre race routine, Kiersten took my car to urgent care and got a steroid shot which helped reduce some itching. I tried to stay inside as much as possible, though not as much as I would have liked, to avoid that great air myself.

My goal on Sunday was to do the best I could. I was not as rested as I would have liked and certainly the emotional stress was high. It really helped being around my teammates, and I was looking forward to this new course.

From the get go, my swim felt horrible-probably the worst I have had. And it was one of the most beat up swims I recall. Seriously-I would have gone faster doing sidestroke! Zero energy, flat, no fun. To make matters worse, when I got to my bike I could not get my wetsuit off! It should be easier to get off than on! All I thought was “at GFT there will be wetsuit strippers thank goodness”.

I was thankful to be on my bike, and the ride started well. I was passing tons of people-one of the bonuses of having a crappy swim. It was VERY windy, and a hillier route than I expected, but I like the hills. As the ride went on, the good old allergies came alive-ears and head swollen, throat sore, grew weaker. And, it was quite hard to breathe. No escaping this. The bike slowly became quite unenjoyable. I wanted to be done, I wanted to be home, I wanted to be inside. My head was not in the game. The ride got harder and slower. I was doing a lot of self talk and it was all negative-having debates with myself about continuing. It was certainly not one of my finest moments. But I ended with YOU ARE NOT QUITTING!!

The ride finally came to an end, and I talked myself into running and just seeing how I felt. For the 1^st mile my legs felt so-so, but I heard SO many people cheering for me that it gave me a mental boost (Thank all of you!!). I made a pit stop after mile 1-it was more mental than physical I believe; when I started running again my body had loosened up. As the run continued I felt better and I wanted to pick up the pace, but each time I tried I would get dizzy-a result of the inflammation in my head/ears. So, I just cruised along. The miles ticked away much faster than they did on the bike, and though it was one of my worst race performances, I finished and that was the goal.

When I crossed the line I continued to have some trouble breathing and a few dizzy moments, but they subsided. Kiersten and I walked over to get my bike out of T2. Low and behold, I discovered my rear tire was COMPELTELY flat!! Wow-it wasn’t just me sucking that made my ride so slow I thought! I had a slow leak!! (As ML said when I told him about it, “the gift that keeps on giving”). The tire/tube was fine before the race-who knows, but this discovery actually made me feel a little better….as if the hills and the wind weren’t enough, I had the added joy of racing on a flattened tire. Always an adventure!

Kiersten and I said our good byes and headed back to Atlanta. Sadly, Cris’ Mom passed away 2 days later (Tuesday), but she’s at peace and pain free. I will be honest, that it is difficult to get my head focused on racing an Ironman in 9 days (from the time I write this), but I am sticking with my goal, and focusing on the things I can control. My recovery from SC is moving along and am ready for a “race prep” weekend.

I want to say a HUGE Thank You to Rev3 for always putting on the BEST races!! Thank you to my second family, my Trakkers teammates-there is no one else I would have wanted to be around during this stressful time than all of you and I am grateful for your support. Thanks to Kestrel, Recovery Pump, First Endurance, TriSwim, All3 Sports, Tyr and Synergy Release Sports for your amazing support and products that keep healthy and moving!

Let’s go race Ironman #9!

Thanks for reading

OrangMan Half Iron Triathlon Date: 9.25.11
Location: Dana Point (that is in Orange County)

This event was fairly local, a two hour drive north of San Diego, so it was a no brainer race to do. The timing fit pretty good with my schedule, giving me two weeks rest after my Rev3 Cedar Point iron distance triathlon (10:32). The two week recovery consisted of  about 5 hours of training which included  a hard work out as part of the November TCSD Club race. I did the full swim (approx 700 meters),  five hard miles of the12 mile bike, and a fast 2 miles of the 4 mile run. Everything felt good, seemed to be fully recovered from the iron race and ready to race OrangeMan.

I have to thank the guys at Finishline Multisport/3rd Transition for their assistance with race entry. The event promoters ended up offering a 50% off coupon on groupon.com to attract more athletes. Besides the triathlon, they offered an aquabike and swim only divisions. The more people the merrier. OrangeMan promoted itself to be a fairly challenging course. The bike course had 10 mile of rollers and then another 15 or so of consistent climbing before the turn around and heading back. I did review the run map on line and it seemed to be pretty typical.

Driving up to the expo the day before hand was very easy, missed out on the traffic. I was kinda drifting off (woke up pretty early) as I drove up there so I was looking forward to a power nap after checking in. The check- in process was very easy and quick. Only a few venders at the expo, my friend, Sebastian from SLS 3, was there with their race apparel. After my power nap and listing in on part of the course talk it was time to grind, as in eat. I met up with a couple who were in the area, Andy was getting his USAT official recertification. We went to one of their Italian favorites, I ordered some very tasty eggplant parmesan. Since I carbo loaded the previous evening, I did not need lots of pasta again. After dinner I headed of to Salt Creek Beach Park where the transition was set up. I wanted to get a preview of how thing were laid out, so I knew what to expect when it opens at 5am race day. I discovered there were to be a few hills right off the bat. I was still kinda hungry and head off to find a grocery store. Found some nice mango sherbet and a turkey sandwich and Powerade. Also got a couple of bananas and bagels for the am. Being on the cheap I usually sleep in my car at away events. There was parking available at Salt Creek Beach parking lot but not free, so that was out. The nearest parking was an mile away, so I parked the car and got a good night’s sleep.

Up at 4:45 to get things together and ride over to transition. Gotta arrive early to get that “prime” spot. Transition racks were organized by wave/age starts and I chose a spot one in from the end,  giving me plenty of room for changing and not being in the center of all the activity. After setting up transition, I had plenty of time to relax, chat with fellow athletes (several TCSD members) and PPP Lab clients. Transition closed up a half  an hour before the first wave’s start time, so headed down to the beach, which consisted of a 60 foot 5 degree dirt trail hill, 300 yard concrete walking path and the beach. Swim exit to transition totaled to be a touch short of a quarter mile. Ocean temperature felt a bit chilly at first then once acclimated it felt perfect. The surf was very calm but then out of no where some nice shore breakers appeared, three to four footers but only a couple at a time and then calm again. They came out of no where. Swim warm ups are important to get one’s heart rate up, become acclimated with the surf entry depth and water temperature.

Now it time to race.

Swim My wave was the fifth to go off for a 7:13 start, three minutes between each wave. Relays and gals in the first two waves then the “younger” guys. The first wave got hammered but two shore breakers and then the remaining waves just happened to be timed without incident including mine. There may have been 125 in my start wave. There was plenty off room heading out to the first buoy, no bumping, banging or dunking. If participant entry doubles for next year there may be a bit more contact. I wish there had been more markers between the long straight aways of the swim. Sighting was not the easiest,  however I think I swam a pretty straight line out to the second and third buoys. The fourth buoy had no reference or anything to sight off of. It was just follow the mass of swimmers and hope they were correct and then when the marker came into view head straight for it. I know I did not swim the straightest line on that section. There were not any in between markers to follow, just a handful of lifeguards on surfboards to aid in direction. Swimmers were very spread out so when overtaking slower swimmers from the earlier waves there weren’t any issues, no climbing over anyone as I initially anticipated. There was a  massive swim exit arch to aim for on the last section heading back to the beach. Unfortunately, no waves to catch or aid in the surf exit. No watch on swims for me, but self-judging I felt I was possibly in the top 10 out of the water of my age group. Results show 16th. Ended up with a swim time of  32:50, nothing to write home about.

T1 As I mentioned above the distance up to T1 was a bit of a hike, which allowed time to get my wetsuit half way off. Upon entry of  the transition zone I stayed clear to remove the rest of the wetsuit. Nice and grassy to clean off any rock/sand from my feet from the run up. Yep, there were a handful of bikes already gone from my my section but a lot more remaining. My T1 time was 3:16 for the 2nd fastest split in the age group.

The Bike The Lab (PedPowerPerformLab – my business) is a retailer of Rolf Prima wheels and I had to experience first hand how these wheels performed. I did a combo set up with a Tdf58 front and a Tdf85 in the rear (carbon tubulars).  The right tire choice aided in the ride comfort and speed, the Lab uses (and recommends) Tufo Elite 23mm tires. I received the rims Friday and stretched and installed that evening. I was able to ride for a few minutes on the trainer to verify the gears were lined up. I do not recommend installing new equipment the night before unless absolutely necessary.

I digress… to the bike. On paper the course looked  pretty straight forward out and back course with one solid climb.

Immediately out of transition (leaving Salt Creek Beach Park) we faced a Cat 5 climb to get out of the park. Road surface for the course was pretty smooth and very fast in sections. The Rolf wheels made for a stiffer and more solid feeling ride. The rim/tire combo also were darn quiet and smooth. About seven miles into the bike course my chain started to skip when applying power and my left cleat was loose. Not a good combination to have. I had to hold back and be cautious on my pedaling effort. I swapped pedals the night before also and should have completely tested/verified cleat tension… my own fault. It really effected my confidence and limited my power production. I wanted to go faster and harder but could not. The chain skip was sporadic and only occurred in the last two small cogs. I figure I lost about 3 to 5 minutes going up the Ortega Highway. The climb was steady nothing overwhelming or taxing. Most of the time it was upright riding and sitting back on the saddle to produce power in the most effective way….aka a road bike.Coming back down Ortega Highway, I lost a lot of time. I prefer to be cautious on down hills but not that cautious. The chain skip and cleat problem was a real problem here. I was playing leap from with a very fast 51 year old lady on the declines. Were were cruising at 19 to 22 mph but I know I should have been going 23 to 27 mph on the flats. Of course on the steeper declines sections we were rolling  over 30 mph. I know I lost another 5 to 8 minutes. My chain for some reason pop off the big ring so I had to cautiously slow down and reinstall. That was a big momentum killer. On the last eight miles of flat I was able to catch up to some of the competitors who blew by me on the steep decline sections.

The whole bike course had well maintained surface, often I found the shoulder to be even smoother and I took ever advantage of it. With in the last three miles of the course we were greeted by a Cat 5 climb. Fortunately it was only 1.5 miles long. I serpentined it to take off a few degrees. Entering the park we coasted down the Cat 5 hill and I performed an awesome flying dismount right on the dismount line… who says slowdown! My bike split just missed the magic three hour mark, ended up with 3:01:58 (I believe I could have been six to eight minutes faster had it not been for those darn mechanical issues). The following day, I discovered the cause of the chain skip. It was not an improper chain length but one of the links was just about to “pop”. Sure glad It did not happen during the race and I wisely keep off the power.

Up and out of T1, on course, getting ready for a flying dismount.

T2 With one of my best flying dismount, I dashed into transition for a very fast transition. Got my Avia Bolts on and my grabbed my TCSD hat full of  Gu energy packs. 56 seconds, the fastest in age group.

The Run I did not  review the run course in depth before hand. From the online course map and profile it looked pretty tame with short climbs and I did expected it to be a little harder than the average course. In actuality it was quite different. The run course followed a walking path along and thru the Salt Creek Corridor Regional Park. Up and down. steep up, steep down only a few sections that were flat. Below is the course profile, green chart. I have also attached my pace chart, in blue. Notice the masive fluctuation in speed. My first mile was a bit slow, it tool a bit longer than usual to find my running legs.

Soon after, my legs and turn over were there when opportunity allowed. Those short steep hill pretty much brought everyone to a crawl… baby steps and lean forward to keep the momentum going. And on the down hills, watch out, let those legs go with long strides. Take the free speed gravity is offering. I was pretty much on “fire” and flying  compared to everyone else. Yes, I did get passed by a couple of athletes, but they were relay runners. I had such a “slow” bike, I had to make up as much time and pass as many athletes as I could. The run course was a two looper, out and back, so I was able to see and judge where I was in relation to the leaders. I was picking the competition off left and right. I did not over tax my heart rate or legs, it ended up averaging154 bpm which is right at my anaerobic threshold by a point or two. Plenty of aid station on course and fortunately the weather cooperated, think it was slightly overcast and a mild low 70’s is my guess. I had the 2nd fastest first loop and the fastest loop in my age group. I think I passed six in my group. Ended up with a time of 1:44:49… for 14.2 miles. That’s right, everyone got to run one extra mile! Not sure how that happened since it was an out and back course.

Notice the non heel strike form.

Final Thoughts I was happy with my effort but a little frustrated for not looking over my bike and making sure everything was in PERFECT working order. That will never happen again. With a finish time of 5:24:27that put me in 28th place overall (out of 458) and 6th (out of 60) in the age group. Missed the top three by four minutes.

This was a inaugural event and they did a very good job. The past couple of years I have participated in several first time events. OrangeMan did a very good job with race logistics, set up, organization etc…. The only bugger was the lack of markers between the long straight aways of the swim. The long run was ok since I do enjoy running and was not suffering. After the race, I do not know if there was an official massage tent but it would have been nice to have more than one. Pasta and pizza were offered as part of  the finishers buffet which is more than many races have to offer.

I did not hang around for the awards ceremony but I am sure it was very festive for all hte finisher had smiles on their faces. Just enough volunteers on hand to make the event operate very smoothly and assist athletes with their water and other goodies at the aid stations. I will say this event probably had the most USAT marshals on hand. Think that was due to the certification program held the day before. Fortunately no time penalties were “awarded” to me. Looking over my results from previous half iron distance races (40 in 12 years), I noticed this race was the 3rd ” slowest”. So, if you are looking for a challenging race this is one to do. Wish I did not have to wait 12 month to improve that bike split.

Are you suffering on your bike? Are you optimized for power and speed? Check the Lab’s website for complete information on our bike fitting services featuring Retul’s 3d motion capture. We also offer some of the finest bicycle components to enhance you cycling experience.

You’re at mile 4 of an Ironman, and every muscle in both legs cramps due to severe dehydration, and you spend the next 15 miles running (and I use that term loosely) in crisis mode. At mile 19 you can no longer lift your legs and you’re forced to walk-a slow painful walk. As you near the finish you know with absolute certainty that you do not want to walk across the finish line, and you use all the strength to muster up some semblance of a run

THIS is the point that all of those 2^nd runs comes into play. You recall the physical feeling of starting a 2^nd run, the stiffness in your legs for the first few (or few hundred) steps. But you also know that if you stick with it, the legs will keep moving and loosen enough to run. Granted, at this point of IM Louisville it was far worse, but it was similar enough to be psychologically useful.

Thinking back to this was the one thing that assured me I could “run” across the finish. Now, the next step is to find a new and improved use for the 2^nd run for the Great Floridian Ironman in 5 weeks. Today’s 2^nd run was the start. Stay tuned…..

Two days after Steelhead, I was out on a very leisurely bike ride on a trail and took a hard fall when my front wheel hit a thick branch that was hidden between the shade and leaves on the trail.  I first thought it was my elbow that was going to give me problems, but on the drive home from that ride, I knew my shoulder took the brunt of the fall.  I went to the emergency room where they confirmed nothing was broken.  I was told I needed to be in a sling for 2 weeks with no activity.  I was able to ride indoors the next day and pushed my luck in the pool two days later.  It was extremely painful but I figured I’d have time to work it out before Wisconsin.

That weekend, I had 100 mile ride on the schedule.  My elbow was still really chewed up and I had a hard time in the aerobars between the road rash on the elbow and the pain in my shoulder with any pressure.  I was able to finish the ride but the next day, I felt the top of my calves,  just below my knee, were really tight.  I wondered if the weird position on the bike that day worked muscles in a way they didn’t like.  I continued on with my regular training, all rides and runs going well and each time I went to the pool, there was a little less pain.  I knew I was compensating for the shoulder and my pull was a bit off, but I was confident I could still swim the 2.4 miles.

The calves remained tight, but nothing I would really complain about.  In fact, my longest run went well, holding splits exactly as planned.  My last long ride went very well and then it was time to taper!  I went out for what was supposed to be an 8 mile run, my last “long” run before the race…7 days away.  I was very uncomfortable starting out, the calves felt like rubber bands that had been stretched to the max.  I figured they’d just warm up and I’d be OK…it was only 8 miles, anyway.  Just before the 2 mile mark, it happened.  My calf muscle pulled so hard, it caused me to fall.  I couldn’t extend my leg.  I couldn’t put any pressure on it.  I couldn’t walk.  I stood there, leaning on the good leg, dumbfounded.  WTF.  I can’t run.  After trying to compose myself for a few minutes, I painfully limped back to my car on pace for about 18 minutes/mile.  What do I do now?

I drove to Accelerated to see if Gina (my physical therapist) was at her office and maybe her or someone in her office could work on me or at least tell me what I need to do!  I have 7 days to get this calf thing to go away.  Unfortunately, being Saturday morning, no one was there.  I went home and packed on the ice.  I compressed.  I rested.  I elevated.  I used the stick.  I took ibuprophen.  I iced.  Two days later, I took 3 steps in a running fashion and felt the pull again, although not to the same magnitude.  What am I going to do???  I rested.  I iced.  I compressed.  I started to be able to walk without a limp in a couple days, but the calf was still very tight and tender.  I wouldn’t know until race day whether I could run or not.

Thursday morning, 9:45 am.  BC was going to pick me up to head to Madison.  Me, scrambling at the last minute, hurried down the stairs and took a long step with my left leg and – BAM!  Calf pulled so tight, it seized and I fell down the rest of the stairs and rolled on the ground screaming with pain.  I cried as I called BC to tell him the bad news.  I wasn’t going to be able to race.  Don’t come and pick me up, I can’t even walk.  Being the voice of reason that he is, Bernie (BC) said he wanted to come over.  We sat for a few minutes and talked.  I could still go swim and bike and just not run.  I could go and spectate as lots of tri club members were participating.  And best of all, we knew Gina would be up there and maybe could do some work on the calf and I could get some much needed help.

I packed in 10 minutes (seriously, I packed for the Ironman in 10 minutes) and we got in the car.  I already felt bad that I had us over an hour behind schedule.  I texted Gina to ask her to please hang out at her ART tent, I was on the way and needed to see her badly.  Bernie drove as close as he could get to her tent and dropped me off.  I hobbled over to her and explained what happened.  Within seconds, I was on a table and she was digging into the calf.  If any of you have ever had the opportunity to be worked on by Gina, you know what I mean when I say OOOWWWW!!!  But I knew I had to do something – if this pain would make it better, I’ll take it.

I thanked her and limped away, but it did feel a little better.  I went and got some heat wraps, threw my compression socks on and hoped for the best.  The next day, I went first thing to see Gina.  Though the pain was still very evident, it had moved.  It went lower into the calf, which is a GOOD thing!  I was hopeful – I could walk almost normal.  BC and I did our ride and hung out downtown so I could see Gina one more time that day.  I started calculating - if I could walk 18 min/miles for the marathon, I could finish.  But do I really want to walk 18 miles?  I’ve already proven I can do an Ironman and I have another one coming up.  Maybe I should just use this as a training day.  Bag the run and get out there and cheer on my friends and tri club members.  It would be a race day call.

Two more treatments with Gina on Saturday and that was all I could do.  I was walking just a little better each day, but once in a while, I would do something with the calf that it didn’t like and it would remind me that I still needed to be careful.  I tried running in the hallway in the hotel but it didn’t work.  This was a different pain – the pain in the upper calf hurt really bad, but was continuous.  Now, with the pain moving down in the muscle, the pain was sharp and sudden, but as soon as I relaxed the calf muscle, it didn’t hurt anymore.  I spent a lot of time walking around, stretching, trying to figure out exactly what movement it was that the calf would freak out on me.  I didn’t want to make that movement!

Race morning.  Smooth and pretty relaxed.  Still not sure if I would run, walk, DNF, or what.  I’ll decide after the bike.  After all, with the hills, I wasn’t sure how the calf would handle the climbs on the bike.  Just take it one discipline at a time.  I stood in waist-deep water for the start.  The guy on my left was nervously chatting to me and I was trying not to pay attention.  Then he shrieked, “Oh my God, my goggles just broke!”  I looked and they didn’t break, but the rubber gasket had come off one of the lenses.  He was now muttering, “Oh no.  My goggles!  What am I going to do?  OH NO!”  I told him to calm down and I was actually quite nice about it!  I had him hold one side of the gasket and I pulled the other one back into place.  I then told him to put them on and go under to make sure they weren’t leaking.  They were fine.  He was grateful.  I asked, “First one?”  “YES!” he replied.  No kidding.

The gun went off without a countdown, which bugged me a little.  We were off and it was a very gentle start of the day for me.  Unfortunately, I forgot that I hurt my shoulder and tried going into my normal swim stroke.  It hurt to try and pull hard so I needed to make the adjustment so I could swim without feeling anything in my shoulder.  First loop, no problems, but I’m a little bored.  I just tried to enjoy the swim and flexed my feet every now and then to make sure the calf muscles wouldn’t cramp up.  I never did find a good draft, though I did get into a slight altercation in the water.  I was swimming parallel to the shore (if there’s one thing I’m pretty good at, it’s swimming in a straight line) and I see a guy in front of me swimming out toward the middle of the lake.  We’re going to crash if I don’t do something so I stuttered my stroke and my arm ended up pushing a little on his thighs as I swam over him toward the buoy.  Apparently, he felt this pass, looked to see he was swimming the wrong way and decided to change direction.  Now he started smacking me on my right and I am not going to race him for the spot, so I now stutter my stroke again, roll over on my back where he’s under me and then back on my stomach so I’m pretty much still in the same spot I started in.  The guy stops, turns around and starts yelling at me.  I just told him maybe he should swim in a straight line.  Yep, then I got mad and swam away from him so he couldn’t draft off me.  Too long of a day to let something so stupid get to me.

I get out of the water, pretty slow swim, and try to run to the wetsuit strippers.  Calf does not like the running, so I walk.  Strippers take way too long with the wetsuit, they seemed very timid!  I yanked the wetsuit off my ankles and got up on my own.  Tried running again, but no go.  Here we go to walk up the helix – embarrassing as there are a TON of spectators lining the helix!  I walk without looking at any of the spectators in the face.  I get to flat ground and try gingerly running easy.  Not too bad!  Right away, I see Maxine and I’m happy to see a familiar face!  She takes the bag out of my hand and pulls everything out to help me get ready for the bike.  Gina also walks over to see how I’m doing.  Calves are OK so far!  Here we go!

I carried my bike shoes out to the bike itself.  Running on the cleats would really screw up the calf, so I didn’t really hurry.  I get to my bike, put the shoes on and off I go!  I was surprised I was not cold at all at the start of the ride.  It might get kind of hot out here if I’m not cold now!  I really dislike the out and back part of this course.  Going on the trail where there is a no passing zone isn’t fun and sort of kills any rhythym you might have.  Going through this empty parking lot also feels very random.  But once out on the course, it’s all you and your head.  My bike sure was making a lot of noise today.  Weird, because it wasn’t making ANY noise on Friday’s ride!  I didn’t realize there are a few hills before you even get to the loops, which we’ve practiced a lot in the last few  years.  I enjoyed getting to the loops because I’ve ridden the course so much, I felt like I knew every turn and pothole and I was prepared for what was up next. 

I was having a good ride and feeling pretty comfortable.  The noisy bike was really starting to bug me and I knew people passing me were like, “What the hell is wrong with that bike?”  It was so LOUD!  At the start of the second loop, the calves were tightening.  I couldn’t put the power to the pedals as I’m used to, but I just tried to stay out of the pain zone.  Now the bike wouldn’t let me into the smallest cog in back and I was definitely having some shifting issues.  I hoped for 2 things:  1)Please let me finish this ride and 2)Please tell me I’m not ruining this bike.  I heard some shearing noise at one point and knew whatever was going on wasn’t good.  Just finish the ride.  We’re on the home stretch!

I was able to get in off the bike and stopped thinking about it.  Now all I could think was, “Should I even try to walk this?  Run??”  I took off the bike gear, switched to running shoes, put my visor on and Gina was right there.  I asked if she had time for me.  I grabbed a quick drink of water and hopped up on her table where she stretched out the calves.  YOWSA, some of it hurt, but I knew I needed it.  She finished and I sat there for a second and asked, “Do you think if I run, I will do further damage and hurt myself more?”  She answered with a no and that’s all I needed to hear. 

I gingerly jogged out of transition, being passed left and right, but still moving forward.  I was caught by Brian C. before mile 1.  We shared a quick couple of words and I watched him run away and I tried to go faster.  The calf just wasn’t having it.  OK, I’m at mile 1…that didn’t take 18 minutes.  As long as the pain doesn’t get much worse, I can finish this thing!  I’m not going to go into all the details or thoughts that went through my head because that would take too long.  But I would run and every 20-30 steps or so, the calf would pull in a way it didn’t like and I’d yell, “OW!”  There was always someone there going, “Are you ok?”  “Yeah, just hurt, I’m fine.”  And I’d keep going.  As I mentioned, the pain would be sudden and sharp, and I tried not yelling out, but sometimes, it was just a reflex!  I pretty much did a run/walk and saw lots of friends out there – both racing and spectating.  I walked a little with BC, just enough to get him going again.  I tried to keep up, but it wasn’t happening.

I got to mile 18 and was starting to hurt now.  I almost started crying as I thought about walking the 8 remaining miles.  I took more ibuprofen and decided, it hurt whether I walked or ran.  It did hurt more when I ran harder, but I’m now getting cold and I just want to be done.  I started to think about the events leading up to this race – falling off the bike and worrying about the shoulder.  Then the calf.  And then – just 3 days ago, I COULD NOT WALK.  I ran the last half mile without stopping to walk.  I couldn’t believe it.  There is no way I should have finished this race.  Finishing an Ironman requires the physical strength, sure.  But without the mental toughness, I wouldn’t have finished on this day.

Thank you to Bernie for convincing me to go up to Madison.

Thank you to Gina for taking good care of me and getting my calf as good as it could have gotten before race day.

Without you two, Ironman Wisconsin 2011 would not have happened for me.

New this summer will be the Starlight Experience, a themed lighted walkway along the Frontier Trail. Accompanied by music, a diverse mixture of colored lights and displays will transform the Frontier Trail into a canopy of lights and colors that will be themed to the changing of the seasons. (The Starlight Experience will be presented every night the park closes at 10 p.m. or later, Saturday, May 23 through Sunday, Sept. 6.)

The Magnum XL-200 roller coaster, the world’s first 20-story-tall roller coaster, will celebrate its 20th anniversary! The Raptor inverted roller coaster (1994) will also observe its 15th anniversary in 2009.

Cedar Point Amusement Park – Promo Video

Roller Coasters

Is there anything better than screaming down a 420-foot-tall hill at more than 120 mph? You can do that and more at Cedar Point. Featuring a world-record-breaking collection of 17 roller coasters, Cedar Point offers white-knuckle fun for everyone. From the towering 42-story Top Thrill Dragster and the terrain-hugging Maverick roller coaster, all the way to the kid-friendly Jr. Gemini and Woodstock Express, Cedar Point is a paradise of adventure. In 2007, Maverick was voted the “Best New Ride of the Year” by Amusement Today’s panel of experts in the newspaper’s annual Golden Ticket Awards. In 2009, Jr. Gemini and Woodstock Express will celebrate their 30th and 10th anniversaries, respectively. The Cedar Creek Mine Road (1969) and the park’s oldest existing roller coaster, the wooden Blue Streak (1964), will also celebrate noteworthy anniversaries this year, 40th and 45th.

Rides

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu0VLuibUXQ

While Cedar Point is known around the globe for its world-record-breaking roller coasters, the Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort’s impressive collection of rides is popular with guests of all ages. From being launched to the top of the 240-foot-tall Power Tower or kicking the sky on the swinging maXair and anything in between, Cedar Point features a wide variety of rides that are sure to thrill. Cedar Point also offers an assortment of thrills a little closer to the ground. The park has three antique carrousels, a steam locomotive train ride, bumper cars, spinning rides and more.

Fun For Kids

Cedar Point has four areas that kids can call their own: Kiddy Kingdom, Camp Snoopy, Gemini Children’s Area and Planet Snoopy that was introduced last year. Located along the Main Midway, Kiddy Kingdom has more than a dozen exciting rides, including an antique carrousel, 4 x 4’s, helicopters and bumper cars. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Camp Snoopy is home to the Woodstock Express roller coaster, Camp Bus, Lolli Swings and much more. The Gemini Children’s Area includes a mini-version of the Power Tower and the Gemini roller coaster – just for kids! Planet Snoopy is located just off the Main Midway and features seven rides and attractions that will delight the little ones. And you never know when you might get a hug from Charlie Brown or everyone’s favorite beagle – Snoopy!

That’s Entertainment

Cedar Point’s award-winning live entertainment presents an assortment of shows that will please the whole family. This summer Snoopy’s Big Bow-Wow, a smile-making ice-skating show with intricate skating routines, lively music and Snoopy, returns to the Good Time Theatre. In the Extreme Sports Stadium, All Wheels Extreme awes everyone in the audience with bikers, skateboarders, rollerbladers, gymnasts and dancers performing flips, tricks and unbelievable stunts in this high-energy “big air” show. Signed, Sealed, Delivered showcases the music of the ‘50s and ‘60s in the Centennial Theatre, while Got Country features your favorite country tunes in the Red Garter Saloon on the Frontier Trail. In Frontiertown, Live Music at the Palace in The Palace Theatre offers up its own brand of entertainment. At the end of the day, the Hot Summer Lights nighttime spectacular fills the sky with flames of fire while the new Starlight Experience illuminates the Frontier Trail with colored lights and themed displays.

Soak City Waterpark

If you like water, you’ll love Soak City. Spanning an impressive 18 acres, this huge waterpark features two relaxing inner tube river rides; more than a dozen thrilling water slides; a gigantic 500,000-gallon wave pool; Splash Zone, a multi-story interactive play area with more than 100 different wet and wild water gadgets that spray, squirt and drench guests; two kids’ areas; and much more. In addition to all of the fun it has to offer, Soak City also features shaded and sunny lounge areas, an adults-only swim-up refreshment center, changing facilities, food and drink locations and a merchandise shop for those forgotten items. Private cabanas with dining table, chaise lounges and chairs are also available for rental. Admission to Cedar Point is not required.

Challenge Park

Located between the towering rides and roller coasters of Cedar Point and the cool refreshing waters of Soak City is Challenge Park – an activity complex that features the RipCord Skycoaster, two high-speed go-kart tracks, two challenging 18-hole miniature golf courses and Skyscraper, a thrilling ride that spins riders in a circular motion 16 stories above the ground at speeds of 55 mph! Guests can take a break in the arcade with state-of-the-art games and refuel at a food stand with hot dogs, popcorn and soft drinks. Challenge Park is open to the public and admission to Cedar Point or Soak City is not required. Each attraction has a separate fee.

Castaway Bay

Families looking for a fun-filled getaway will want to check out Cedar Point’s Castaway Bay year-round indoor waterpark resort. This Caribbean-themed resort features 237 rooms and suites – including family-oriented units and a 38,000-square-foot indoor waterpark loaded with water activities for all ages, including a water roller coaster, slides, kids’ areas, a wave pool, whirlpool spas and more. Additional amenities include a day spa, fitness center, state-of-the-art arcade, restaurants, retail shops, adjacent marina and space for birthday parties, meetings and group events.

The History of Cedar Point

Summer fun at Cedar Point began in the summer of 1870 when a small beer garden, bathhouse and dance floor opened on the peninsula. Celebrating its 140th season, Cedar Point is the second oldest amusement park in North America. The history of thrill rides at Cedar Point began in 1892 with the introduction of the peninsula’s first roller coaster, the Switchback Railway. The addition of the 25-foot-tall, 10-mph scream machine was a precursor of things to come. Cedar Point’s unmatched mix of entertainment that includes rides, roller coasters, live shows, games, special attractions and family fun has made it a summertime tradition for nearly 14 decades. More than 3 million guests visit the park each and every summer.

For more information: Click here.

Kestrel-best bike ever!!! I had such a smooth slick and comfy ride in Louisville

TYR: The Torque rules, and the Orion goggles are the perfect open water race goggles!

SBR Sports: Stuff keeps me “chaffe-free”. Did discover new places to use it-note for next time

First Endurance: Hands down, best nutrition products I have ever used: before, during and after

All3 Sports: Fit me perfectly on my Kestrel and always take care of any race/training needs, and though I didn’t have the perfect run I had the perfect run hat from All3!

Recovery Pump: can’t say enough about my boots! Every nap in LOU was in my boots and my legs were so fresh race day

Last, the people who have become my extended family-my Trakkers/Rev3 teammates. I am so honored to be a part of this team, and the support I receive each and every day-through every up and down, can never be put into words. Thank you all

We headed to Louisville a day earlier than normal, on Wednesday, to get away from the stresses at home and have more time for me to sleep and relax pre-race. We chose to stay right at the finish line (one of the reason I love IMKY is that everything is so convenient). And come to find out when booking rooms, the Hyatt has “hypo-allergenic” rooms! It was perfect.

Thursday morning Cris and I went to a nearby pool for a swim. I purposefully do not get in the Ohio River before the race. In fact, I don’t even go near the river-with my allergy magnetic body who knows what would jump out of the river and land inside me! The pool was perfect and after the swim we did a 30 min run around the reservoir right there. Next we drove to the middle loop part of the bike course where I rode an easy 50 minutes. Back to shower, eat and to the expo to register. Being able to do this early afternoon on Thursday enabled me to get through registration in 5 minutes!! Another win. Then it was time for my 1^st of many naps. The one thing I have no problem doing when away from home is sleeping. In fact, from Thursday through Saturday, if I was sitting down, or immobile, I was napping-sucking in as much rest as I could.

Thursday night we found a great local brewery for dinner. Cris got to sample some of the fine Bourbon Kentucky has to offer, while I had my refreshing water. Thankfully the food was fantastic so I was not unhappy!

Friday morning was an easy, just stay loose day-we headed back to the pool for a quick 20 minute swim. Some mulling around the expo, another nap and then we headed for my favorite pre-Ironman activity-the movies. It’s quiet, relaxing, out of the sun….and we’re so busy at home this is one occasion we have time for the movies! I highly recommend Crazy, Stupid Love. Dinner that night at another cool-within-walking-distance restaurant.

Saturday morning we drove to the swim start. I did a short run and ride while Cris ran. While on my ride I came up on a man riding who said he was a cop who would be working the bike course. He told me where he was going to be and I did see him Sunday. I gave him permission to yell at me to go faster. Back to the hotel, yet another nap, and then off to meet Jill (tribirdie!!), who was staying at the hotel next to ours, to take our bikes/bags to check in. Upon returning to the hotel, surprisingly I took another nap! At this point I started thinking “I hope I can stay awake on Sunday!” When then met Jill, Alex, their boys and other friend racing with his family and headed to Outback for dinner. Come to discover it is Jill’s favorite pre-race restaurant too! Had lots of fun, lots of laughs, talking about everything OTHER than the race.

Since I had been getting so much sleep, 9-10 hours per night for the last 4 nights along with countless naps, I was not worried that I didn’t sleep much Saturday night. Was up Sunday at 3:40, drinking a bottle of First Endurance Ultragen, getting dressed, and having my bagel with cashew butter and apple butter. Cris and I left at 4:30 and found Jill outside on the street corner. Yes, we planned to meet her there, she was not just hanging out J. It is 15 min walk to transition which is a nice warm up. Jill and I drop our fuel in a Bike and Run bags, went to our bikes to load with bottles, pump tires, and drop off our Special needs bags. On our way out we spotted Trakkers Pros Chris McDonald (the eventual WINNER!!) and Hillary Biscay for a quick Hi and Good Luck. Then found Cris and took the 10 minute walk to the swim start, found the long line and plopped our stuff down to wait. Actually the line moved quite a bit as it reformed. In fact, I was gone for about 20 minutes to the port-o-john line and when I returned it took me quite awhile to find Jill in the dark. I felt like a lost sheep wandering around. We waited, chatted, listened to our ipods, sipped on First Endurance EFS and water, and then it hit me, around 6:15, I became bouncy!! I was full of energy-and I hadn’t even had my FE Pre-Race yet! Bopping around,, listening to my music I then told myself to stay in check and contain the energy…but this was perfect!

Soon it was time to slip in our TYR Torque swimskins, and Jill and I each had our little FE Pre-Race shots, we toasted and drank. Knowing that we were about 15 minutes back from the age Group start at 7:00, I took my swigs of FE Liquid Shot right before 7:00.

Once the line starts moving it moves pretty quickly-no time to think, or get nervous, just keep walking, listen to the crowds and the music and before you know it you’re jumping in the river. Being a Time Trial start it stays pretty spread out and you really don’t have the advantage of a big draft. In fact, I swam on my own the entire way. My swim is my weakest leg, and I worked hard to have a decent swim. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was pushing a bit more than I had in the past and was feeling good-all except for my right lat muscle, which for some reason, “pulled” from the first stroke, so each stroke for the entire swim was painful. I chose to ignore it.

I exited the water in 1:12-by far not a “fast” swim, but this was much better than previous Ironman swims I have had so this was a big positive for me. I had a fairly quick (as Ironman goes) transition, picked up Kokko-my amazing Kestrel 4000, and off we went. I had my instructions from ML for the ride and followed them to a “t”. I can honestly say I believe I rode a perfect ride for me. I stayed within myself the entire time.; I rode a bit more conservatively because of the winds, knowing they would be tough. I was super comfortable on my bike-and my ISM saddle. The first 40 miles I stayed in a lighter gear and then increased the gearing as the ride continued. My legs felt great, my body felt great. Thinking back there was not one point during the ride that was at all negative. In fact, this swim-bike combo was the most mentally and physically positive duo I have ever had in a race!! But, I didn’t get over excited-I stayed within myself, and calm.

I love the Louisville bike course. There is nothing “extreme” about it, but it is a bit relentless with continuous ups and downs. It requires smart riding because it is very easy to go too hard on the first loop, only to fade on the second. I rode very smart and negative split the ride. This day also brought the challenge of wind-a pretty stiff wind. In fact, I almost bit the dust on some tough cross wind sections. Wind can be tough on me being smaller, but never once did I allow it to bother me-I just rode steady. (I have discovered that all of my core work has made me more stable riding in the wind). I know too, that more wind requires more calories, so I stayed on top of my First Endurance Liquid Shot intake. My 3^rd bottle of EFS also contained more Pre-Race. The best part of the ride was that I was really having FUN. I was very happy with my mental state the whole way, especially knowing how important this aspect is in Ironman racing.

One, side note about the ride…I am ALL for anyone and everyone racing Ironman-all shapes, sizes and abilities, but if you’re a large person, please, please, PLEASE wear shorts big enough to cover your butt crack so I don’t see it when I ride by you. Thank you.

Back to my ride. I picked up the pace around mile 80 to the finish-nothing too drastic, but this is a flatter section and good chance to spin the legs out. I felt like Kokko and I were sailing along. We entered transition, handed Kokko to the volunteers, grabbed my T2 bag and into the tent. Quick shoe change, some Liquid Shot and 3 cups of water; a stop at the port-o-john (had some on and off stomach issues during bike and run) and off to start the run. This was the first time I looked at my watch and my race time was 7:14. I knew if I had “my run” I would be in pretty good shape for 11 hour finish. Cris was at the run exit and told me I was in fifth place-good position for me at the end of the bike! He said it was pretty hot, but it didn’t feel hot due to the wind.

At the start of the run my legs didn’t feel their normal springy selves, but I didn’t worry-just thought it was the toll of the windy ride. I concentrated on quick leg turnover, relaxed upper body. The first 2 miles of the run is an out and back over a bridge. I saw Jill on the bridge for a quick hello-she was looking great. I was feeling “thirstier” than normal. I am VERY consistent with fueling on the run and take 2-3 cups of fluid (both water and sports drink) at every single aid station-I never skip any. By mile 3 my body wasn’t feeling much better, but continued to stay relaxed telling myself it will come. “It” came alright, but it was not the “it” I wanted. At mile 4 the cramping started-first the left quad, then the right-the whole quad, top to bottom. This isn’t good I thought, so I made sure I physically stopped at the aid stations to drink more. I thought back to the bike-I peed in the first 30 miles, but not again-the entire ride. Ooooh….this was really not good- I was too dehydrated-in a bad way which caused the leg cramping. I have done this enough to know it’s not possible to make up for lost fluids. One of my strengths is my nutrition for long distance racing, but I made an error-I took extra Liquid Shot due to the wind, but I should have also taken in more EFS than normal. (at least this is my best guess for the cause of the breakdown since all else was going so well).

So, I spent the next 10 miles staying as “robotic” as possible, and trying to figure out ways to run without using my quads! Though staying more on your toes does help, overall, it’s pretty impossible. Continued stomach issues necessitated a couple of more stops. When I got to the end of the first loop at mile 14 I saw Cris and told him what was happening, and that my legs wouldn’t move faster than they were going. He said my pace was good and I was moving up in position. Cool.

Well, cool ended, and miles 16-19 became harder and harder as the quads got worse, and even though I was drinking a LOT, and taking Liquid Shot every 4 miles, I then began to get a bit light headed, and stomach a bit queasy-more signs of dehydration I thought.

At mile 19, when I felt things shutting down, I made one of the hardest decisions I have ever made in an Ironman. As with any decision making process, I weighed the pros and cons. I had a choice: to finish upright, or to pull a “Paula Newby Frazier/Sian Welch collapse near the end. I really feared that, so I did something I have never done-I walked. This broke my heart, but I couldn’t lift my legs, and I seriously feared something worse happening. I had to push Kona out the window, knowing that I had been running toward a slot to this point. I had to put the ego on the back shelf thinking about all of the people tracking me and how embarrassing this will be. I told myself, all of the people tracking me care about me and my safety more than a race finish. But I am not going to lie-this was REALLY tough. And there was a lot of praying-a LOT of praying, during these last 7 miles.

On my long walk I continued to take in fluids at every aid station. Many of the volunteers were telling me I didn’t look so good (really??), that I wasn’t sweating any more (didn’t even notice) and tried to get me to sit down. Nope-won’t do it-need to keep moving. So I continued my journey in my zombie-like state. After each aid station my mind tried so hard to get my legs to run, but couldn’t. There were some tears shed during the walk but I had to tell myself not to cry or I would start hyperventilating and then be in more serious trouble.

One thing I discovered on my walk-it’s really pretty boring. Of all the times I wish I had my phone…

At mile 25 Cris was waiting for me and we walked together. I told him that I HAD to run across the finish-whatever it took. So, with about ¾ of a mile left I started my shuffle-not sure my legs have ever been in so much pain without a broken bone involved. And I had to laugh because Cris’ walk was far faster than my shuffle! He had to peel off when we reached the crowds so I was on my own. All I did was say to myself over and over for the last few hundred yards was “stay upright, stay upright, don’t you dare fall over on IronmanLive and in front of all these people”, and it worked, I “ran” across the line to finish my 8^th Ironman, and I apologize but as I did I believe that “oh F**k” came out of my mouth.

There you have it-not the day for which I had hoped, but that’s what Ironman is all about-expect the unexpected and just roll with it. I have MANY positives to take from this day, and I was faced with a new challenge I had not experienced. From this challenge comes knowledge for the future.

After crossing the line it was off to medical for a much needed IV, and after showering back to finish until midnight which is truly the most inspirational part of the day.

Thank to my amazing Sponsors: Kestrel, First Endurance, SBR Sports, TYR, All3 Sports, and the BEST Team Ever-Trakkers/Rev3!!!

Thanks for reading.

I know I have been a biomechanical mess for years. One of the key issues was a significant leg length discrepancy, which has required me to wear a lift in my left shoes, orthotics for run shoes, and shims in cleats on cycling shoes, for the past 12 years.  Another key issue was my back and pelvis, and after months under his care, these areas are better than they have ever been. My massage therapist-who has known me for years, affirmed she has never seen my back in better shape.

These changes have made a world of difference in my health, training, and comfort. But the CLINCHER, the true sign for me that he works miracles, is that now, after 12 years, I no longer require any lift in any shoes-casual, dress, running, or cycling. I am EVEN! I don’t think I have ever been called “even” in my life!!

I tell you this all of this to “share the wealth”. If you are in the Atlanta area, or are willing to travel in seek of resolution to frustrating problems, come to Synergy Release Sports! Dr Hatrak has developed his own unique technique, and process. SRS also provides other amazing services, and most of all, the staff is amazing!! It is such a welcoming, friendly environment, and one can tell that these people care.

I will be eternally grateful for Dr Hatrak’s help, and he has a HUGE part in the fact that I will be racing an Ironman in 5 days. 

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I anxiously awaited the workouts ML would create. I didn’t learn my fate until Monday of that week (with camp beginning Wednesday). I knew it would be a good indicator of my strength and fitness. I also knew that proper fueling would be key especially with the heat in Atlanta. So, for those of you who may want to do your own camp-here’s how things played out.

Let me preface by saying one of the best things was to be able to train with 8+ hours of sleep rather than 5-6. I could still get out fairly early, but feeling much more rested.

Wednesday began with a 90 min run with 3×20 min blocks at descending pace (marathon, half marathon, 10k). Solid run, and though I would not call myself a “heavy sweater” by any means, I don’t think I have ever been that drenched following a run. Then it was off to the pool for a straight swim alternating speeds by 100. The day’s workouts ended with a 90 min spin to loosen the legs.

Thursday morning it was off to the pool first thing for a 4k swim including a main set of 1600 filled with 100’s and 200’s. Probably the best swim I have had in months. A 2 hour computrainer workout followed the swim. I actually prefer to do intervals on computrainer for the uninterrupted, steady effort; I can also monitor my watts. The workout included various intervals and various paces. The last workout of the day was a 40 min run-at 5 pm so in the highest heat of the day, from home, with no shade. The first 5 min started a bit slow, but soon got in a groove and had a nice, albeit warm, run.

Friday morning it was another run first thing. A hilly route, with 6 short hill repeats in the middle. An aerobic run, just to get moving. This was followed by a 4 hour ride-a true aerobic ride (Saturday was the harder ride). Just cruised in various gearing, with the intent of just getting in the time.

Saturday and Sunday would be the hardest/longest days. Saturday was the Blazing Saddles century, and my only non-solo workout. Blazing Saddles is a route I ride often-usually twice a month during the summer. It’s hot, it has constant big rollers, and it is a good prep for most every race course. I was very excited to be meeting 3 teammates, Kristin, Kacie and Jill for the ride. The 4 of us rode together for the first 90 min, then Jill and I had different workouts to do so we went on. My plan was to do 5×25 min intervals at race pace. I focused on making these strong, and they were solid. I was happy in that I knew I wasn’t going into this ride rested. Jill and I met up with about 10 miles left and rode together to the end. Then it was off the bike for an easy 20 min run. I have told myself since I first did this ride in 2007 that I would never build a High School (the ride starts at a HS) on a hill. No matter which way you run you must return to the school up a steep hill. Hill, schmill….off I went, nice and cruisy, focusing on leg turnover and ignoring the near 100 degree temps. Up the hill to the end and done. Good day.

Jill and Kristin then came back to my house, which conveniently has 3 tubs; called ahead and asked Cris to fill the tubs, we stopped for ice and each had an ice bath. I thought this would be a good time to have an intercom system-we passed the time by calling each other.

Proper recovery fueling was essential as a tough-and yes hot again- day lay ahead on Sunday, with the first workout being a long, hilly trail run at Kennesaw. Now, I run 95% of my long runs at Kennesaw, but this one, at the end of this particular week, seemed a bit daunting. I parked in a location so I could go out and back in one direction, and then another, with water stops at either end, and another at my car in the middle. And, the first out and back would be the toughest terrain. Yes, it started slow, but I knew this would be temporary, and the workout had no pace goals-just time. After about 20 minutes, the body loosened up and the run felt good. I just let my body take over and do what it wanted. I also made sure that the last few miles were the strongest. About 30 minutes from the end I started to hear a weird noise and realized it was my shoes squishy from being soaked with sweat! Yes, drenched again, but I felt as though I was tolerating the heat well. One workout down, 2 more to go.

It was then home to the pool for a 3k swim-a just to loosen up the body swim. 1k easy swim and then 4×500 pull. Then it was home to eat, get in my Recovery Pump boots and crash, and crash I did for about 1 ½ hours. One more workout waiting-another run. It was only 30 minutes, but it was also 5:00 and a bit warm. I planned to go to a lake nearby and run on the golfcart paths. Cris and Kaleigh came with me so Kaleigh could swim while I ran. As we were pulling onto the road to park Cris looked at the thermometer on his dash and said “it’s 101”; a minute later, ”it’s down to 100”; great I thought. Let’s get this done. Starting the second run is tough, the legs don’t’ want to move, but I knew to expect this. It takes about 5 min to loosen up and somehow magically, the legs quickly turnover. Surprisingly I didn’t see anyone else running-wonder why??

30 minutes and done. Camp over. I was tired, but very happy. It was a successful week. I feel strong and the legs have had some great preparation.  We shall see how this pays off on August 28!

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