This is basically the report I wrote to Coach Liz after the race. I added a few things to (hopefully) make more sense of it. It's certainly not an easy job to be my coach but, hey, at least I am letting her know exactly how I am feeling and what does/doesn't work for me... :)
Checking out the beautiful bike and run course, partly along the lake. It's gorgeous here!
Pre-race
Well,
it was a bit crazy with moving, sickness, getting kids ready and
taking them to Vegas, car troubles, etc. (See last post.) So my mind wasn't quite
where it should've been or could've been. The heat wasn't worrying
me. Although it was a bit nerve-racking to not know (yet again after Ironman Tahoe last year) whether there will be a race or not and in which format. I felt prepared for the heat and knew I could handle it. I looked at
the course enough and the swims in the lake before were good. Overall
I felt well prepared and ready to go.
Morning
of
5:30 start time meant transition area opened at 4:00 and I like to be there early. 2:30 wake-up call it was! Even so, I didn't
quite have enough time for a proper warm up. Even before a long race like an Ironman I like to warm up quite a bit (little jog, some drills and strides, light stretching, a few key exercises to help my body function properly) but I don't think it's essential so I let it go. I did feel a bit rushed which is mainly because I just don't have Ironman racing down like I do 70.3 racing. Even in an effort to keep things simple, there seem to be a gazillion little things and decisions that need to be taken care of in the morning still!
So fun
to have a beach start! First one in a big race for me. It was a completely different atmosphere and I liked it! Usually, we get in the water for a short warm-up and then line up at least a couple of hundred yards from the shore. So we have no clue what the announcer is saying and can't hear the spectators. This time, we were right there with all of the age-groupers and the crowd was great. He announced all of us female pros and I had goose bumps! Well, those were also because I was extremely cold and shivering standing around for quite a while in my wet swim skin. I kept telling myself: You will be warm soon enough. Hot, actually! So enjoy being cold for now. I was happy to be there. I don't necessarily feel like I totally belong but I also don't feel like I don't belong. The other girls are great and it's been fun to get to know more and more of them. I felt happy to be racing as a Pro!
Thanks to the BAM bam for letting me join their pre-race swim and fun!
The Swim
I had practiced starting from the beach a bunch and gotten some really good tips. I had a great start! Too good, actually. I totally nailed it and suddenly almost
found myself at the front of the race. Or at least in line with
everyone else still. Which totally threw me off. There was no one
ahead of me and somehow I thought something wasn't right. Where is everybody? Did I false start? Am I going the wrong way? And by the
time I had gathered myself again, I was in the way back. Haha. That's
how fast it can go. Not gonna make that mistake again.
And
then I felt like crap as everyone was going by. But I kept telling
myself that it's ok and not to waste all of my mental energy already.
I did find a group of 4 eventually and we worked well together and it
was fun but I also knew it would be slow. I mean, 1:05 without a
wetsuit isn't the end of the world but I am sure I can swim 2-3
minutes faster than that. I know I can and I should've been in the
group ahead. But, oh well, I figured I might as well enjoy the ride
and not stress about it. Second
loop was a bit tricky swimming through the very slow age groupers
and, at the same time, getting passed by the super fast amateurs. But
it wasn't terrible and preferable to a solo swim any day!
Running into these chicas on my bike made my (pre-race) day!!!
The Bike
Fact is: I haven't had a good marathon off the bike yet. Not the marathon that we know I am capable of and trained for. We need to figure out what the problem is so we can fix it. What comes to mind first, in general, is that I simply bike too hard and have not enough left in the tank for the run. I have always ridden mostly by feel but this year I have the option of riding by power and Coach Liz wanted me to do just that. I was hesitant but willing to give it a try. How will I ever know if I don't try it? So we came up with a detailed plan that involved me riding at a certain wattage. I would stay in that power window and not get carried away. This is what I wrote to Coach afterwards:
Ok.
So I hated it. I really did NOT enjoy the first loop AT ALL. It
didn't feel like a race. All I did was telling myself to slow down.
Go easier. Don't push it. Get the watts down. While everyone was
going by me and I kept losing time to girls that I usually ride with
or know I can ride with. Age groupers were going by in droves and those I knew kept encouraging me to come with them.
I
was furious. I kept thinking: If this is how I need to bike in order to run a good
marathon, then I am simply NOT interested in racing Ironman. I like
to ride my bike, I like to race my bike, I like to push on the bike
and if I can't do that, then this is not for me. Ok, so granted, if I
was a better biker and could hold higher watts for a longer time and
still run decently, then I would be able to push harder, right? Let's
do that stupid 20 minute test again. I am going to give it everything
I have next time, so I can have a higher FTP and race at higher watts.
I
would really like to know how overall average power would've worked
out if I had done my own thing and gone by feel. I felt like I
couldn't take advantage of the hills AT ALL and climbing is my
strength and then usually I would've recovered on the downhills more,
so I know it would not have been as smooth with a higher VI and such but
I am not sure average NP would've been much higher. I don't know. All
I know is that I was having no fun! And, yes, racing is what I do for
FUN! And staring at numbers is not my kind of fun. Damnit! I wish it
was.
So
then I kept telling myself that I am going to stick to the plan. Just
stick to the plan this one time and see what happens. If you don't,
you know Coach is going to make you stick to the same plan the next
time, so you might as well do it now and get it over with. I also
tried to convince myself that I am just setting myself up for a good
run. I will have a good run. Blablabla. Except that I knew deep down
that I still would have a crappy run. I just don't trust my run.
That's the problem. I know I can swim 2.4 miles at a decent
pace. I know I can ride 112 miles no matter what. But I DON'T know
that I can actually, really, run a decent marathon off the bike. I
just don't have that confidence. And I knew that on the bike already
and I tried to convince myself otherwise but, as you know, it doesn't
work that way.
Second
loop was slightly better but I know I could've done that one faster
as well. I know I rode smooth and steady but I was NOT in the mix
whatsoever and it didn't feel like I was racing any of the other
girls.
I
did have confidence, though, that some of them were going to struggle
on the run. I did still believe in a top 10 finish.
I
peed THREE times on the bike. And TWICE on the run. Which adds up to
one pee every 2 hours. I think hydration went well. Nutrition went
well also. I was on top of it and never let up. The heat was doing its thing and I was doing my thing.
Big thanks to the BAM fam for the cheers on the run!
The Run
I
started out well and controlled and easy. Or so I thought. I kept telling
myself to hold back and ease into it. That worked out well. I made
sure I got EVERYTHING I need at EVERY aid station and even slowed
down at times to do so which is something I have never done before. The heat was ON! I
ate like a champ and drank and took salt pills and stuffed ice down
my bra. I nailed that part, I think.
After
8 miles I should've picked up the pace. Except that I was already out
of the race at this point (I could also tell that none of the girls
up ahead were about to slow down and come back to me thanks to the multi-loop out-and-back course) so motivation wasn't super high and I just
didn't know if I would be able to finish well in this heat if I sped up now. The
whole speeding-up-thing is tricky for me. It's easier for me to lock
in a certain pace and then I just keep that up. It seems to be
IMPOSSIBLE for me to speed up during a run like this. Whatever pace I
start out at - that's it. Or slowing down. Haha.
I
had two bathroom stops. The first one turned out to not be necessary
but the second one I needed. Stomach and nutrition much better than
before but still not perfect, I guess. Overall I didn't have stomach
issues though.
I
was able to pick it up the last 4 miles, because, hey, I can do
anything for 4 miles. I know THAT! But, of course, at that point it's
too late. Ugh!!!
Mentally
I was actually in a pretty good place on the run. No mental break-down like
in Phoenix. Never cried all day, not even after the race. So that makes me wonder if maybe I
didn't care enough? Not sure. But I was so busy dealing with all of
the aid station stuff and putting one foot in front of the other,
that my mind was mostly blank. Which is what I wanted and I think it
worked out rather well. But I was also lacking some really good
mantra to push me harder. And I didn't have any personal support out
there which maybe would've made a slight difference. Who knows. I am
not sure. What I do know is that Laura Siddall is a rock star! I've known that for a while but she proved it yet again at this race. We were both struggling on the run and having a sub-par race when I caught her. We ran together some talking and encouraging each other. And before I went on she handed me one of her little plastic baggies full of melted ice to keep me cool. That meant so much to me! The majority of these women are are all total studs!
Handsome little Liam. Totally lucked out again with a great homestay!
Post-race
I
was fine. Just fine. Walked around, chatted, ate, picked up my crap,
jumped in the lake, changed, and then rode my bike next to my
friend for 2 hours while she was struggling through the second half
of the marathon. While some of the other pro girls I saw were coming
out of medical and were even pushed around in a wheel chair!
What's
wrong with me? Why can I not exert myself like that? Why am I always
holding back? Maybe I am not made for this Ironman stuff. Who knows.
But I am not ready to give up on it quite yet. It was only #4 and I
do believe that it takes EXPERIENCE to be at good at this. For me at
least.
So
bottom line is that I need to somehow find confidence in my marathon
without running one every other weekend. And I just need to race IM
more. I think that's key. EXPERIENCE. I need to know that I am able
to do more than JUST finish one of these. That I can actually race
one.
So,
no, I am not too hard on myself. Mentally and nutritionally it was
better than Arizona. So that's progress.
Nothing like a nap and Cafe Rio salad on the long drive home.
What went well
- Nutrition and hydration. Peed three times on the bike and twice on the run.
- Reduced fiber before race but maybe not enough. One bathroom stop. Goal is no bathroom stops.
- Kept emotions in check throughout the race even when things didn’t go very well. No meltdowns.
- Special needs was a smart move in the heat. First time making use of special needs. Will probably do it again. Worth the time.
Lessons
Learned
-
Make sure you get in a good warm-up. Easy jog, strides, drills, bands, light stretching.
-
Skip the warm-up swim if you need to get back out of the water and stand in the cold. Instead, warm up arms on land for longer.
-
If beach start: Run in like at CDA but keep going hard! Find feet to latch onto! Don’t be too far over to the side. Get into the mix of things!
-
Landgang in the middle of the swim: Go hard! Stay with them. Eventually you can relax again and catch your breath.
-
Staring at a power meter is not your thing. Stay with the girls you know you can ride with. It’s a race after all! Take the hills a bit harder and relax on the downhills. Take advantage of your strengths. Ride by FEEL but be smart about it!
-
On the run: Know that you can go hard for a long time. You will not falter. You can dig deep for a long time. Be confident!
-
Break it up. Keep the mind clear. Keep emotions in check.
-
Eat a gel every odd mile. Take salt every even mile. Start coke at mile 14.
-
Get EVERYTHING out of you or you will cross the finish line with regrets. No regrets! If you save it all for last, chances are that you are going to save too much.
A huge Thank You to my fantastic sponsors:
Coeur Sports - The BEST in women's athletic wear
T3 Triathlon - My FAVORITE triathlon shop
Fuji Bikes - In LOVE with my Norcom Straight
Zoot Shoes - My shoes of choice since 2008
Cobb Saddles - Most COMFORTABLE saddle ever
Osmo Nutrition - Hydration at its BEST
Tifosi Sunglasses - I wear them every single day!
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