I headed south to Buffalo Springs last weekend on my first solo mission flying to a race.  Luckily there were plenty of friends and teammates at the race, so I never felt alone.

Teammate Andrew Hodges and I shared a rental….so sweet!  This truck was perfect for hauling 4 people, plus bikes, around all wkend.  I shared a room with the amazing Whitney Garcia, a boulderite who I had just met briefly at Kansas 70.3.  We got along great and shared some laughs, race stories, and things we’re learning racing pro this year.   She’s one tough cookie :)

We had a nice dinner the night before the race with friends and teammates Christine, Denny, Andrew, Chris Thomas, Henry Heisler and  Gavin Anderson.   This was my first sighting of the new Ford Edge paint job- LOVE IT!

Race Day!!

With Andrew at the wheel it was an early morning.  I was literally the second bike on the rack.  We all wanted to be early or at least on time to not have to rush in the morning, but we found ourselves with just a little spare time for this one :)  Anyhow, got all ready to go, was sufficiently intimidated looking at everyone and their set up, and headed into the water.  I had gotten out for a swim the day before and knew the water was great.  My wetsuit is amazing and I was feeling ready to go.

25: 14 Swim   I started in front and went out strong to the first bouy.  Perfect strategy for a beach start, since it’s easy to get caught behind with people dolphin diving.  I ended up swimming most of it in 3rd just on the feet of 2nd.  I was working, but felt generally about right for a half.

T1: 1:27  good.

2:47:21 Bike….not real good at all.  I always am shooting for around a 2:30 bike split and this was far, far off.   I’m sure the heat and wind make up for a little of that time, but generally I just couldn’t get my legs going.  They just felt flat the entire time and I was doing all I could just to TRY and stay in it.   I have been going hard for a while now, and I’m just going to attribute this one to not being rested.

T2: 1:13 good.

 

 

1:37:20 Run…slow, but I’m okay with it.  This is much slower than I usually run, but the conditions were not ideal and I knew I was having a rough go at it…so this was the best I could do to hang in there and not give up.  I wanted to stay in the top 10, so that included passing a few girls on the run.  I felt better the second half, with the wind at our back, and managed to negative split the half marathon.

Overall: 4:52:35, 9th place pro woman.   Certainly not one of my best showings, but I am proud that I hung in there when my body was not feeling anywhere near race ready.

 

 

Gotta get ready for the next one!!  Thanks for reading and thanks to everyone for the support!!

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Shortly after receiving my “stamp of approval” from my business school (I graduated on June 11 from Chicago Booth) I headed back to work for my last three weeks of employment at The University of Chicago’s Investment Office, ending my time as a full-time student, full-time employee and “part-time” triathlete (if there is such a thing).  Following that I would be embarking for a new job at Twin Haven Capital Partners, a distressed debt hedge fund in West LA (where “triathlete” will still remain a part of my life).  Naturally, I figured the best way to celebrate these accomplishments was to spend the final five months of my time in Chicago training for an Ironman.  So, shortly after graduation, I headed off to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to tackle my first full Ironman.

Leading up to the race, I felt well-rested and was looking forward to the challenge.  My only complaint is that I think I headed to Idaho a day too early, being “over-exposed” to the triathlon scene, almost psyching myself out pre-race; lesson learned and noted.

Race morning was pristine, with water temperature in high-50s and the high temperatures for the day right around 70.  No wind.  Absolutely beautiful.  Jumping into Coeur d’Alene Lake on race morning, I had a solid swim, coming through the first lap in about 28:30.  Executing another lap slightly under 30:00 had me pegged at 58:07 for the swim.  Perfect.  On to the bike.

The bike was rather hilly but I was able to find a solid rhythm, riding through the first 56 miles right about 2:34 – 2:35.  Unfortunately I was called for a 4:00 drafting penalty in the first half so knew I had to serve that at the tail-end of the bike.  I was going to have to run FAST.  I made the (what I now know as stupid) decision to push a little harder on the second half of the bike because I had some “rest” in the penalty tent.  Dumb dumb DUMB!  Lesson learned.  Still, a 5:19 bike split.

Heading into the run, I was rolling along solidly, consistently throwing down 6:15 – 6:30 per mile for the first few, slowed down some on an uphill but maintained a pace that was just under 3 hours (~1:29) for the first half of the marathon.  Enter the pain zone.  I was NOT ready.  The second half of the marathon was a disaster.  I grabbed my special needs bag at mile 14 and pounded a Red Bull, unfortunately today was not my day.  I spent the second half of the marathon doing a walk-run, mentally defeated (and obviously exhausted). It led me to this realization:

Ironman ≠ 2 x (Ironman 70.3)

rather…

Ironman = (Ironman 70.3)^2

An Ironman is hard.  Much harder than a 70.3.  A whole new ball game; one I was not expecting pre-race.  But for a first effort, I can’t get too down on my performance (10:05, 11th in the M25-29 Age Group and 75th overall) but rather take lessons away that make me a stronger athlete (and person).  I’m already looking forward to my next attempt (time and location TBD).

As is usual, mad props:

• Tristan Brown and Doug Berner, Timex Team Manager and Team Mechanic, respectively.  I spent some good quality time with both folks at the Timex Truck and Doug had my bike in pristine condition for the race.
• Timex Teammates Stu Fitch (2nd in his Age Group!), Luis Alvarez and Hannah Freeman who got across the finish line.
• Timex Teammates Roger Thompson (props for the cookie and the condolences at mile 22 of the marathon!), Phaedra Cote and Ali Fitch for great fan support!
• My coach Mike Lavery for putting me in the position to complete an Ironman, something I would not have considered 12 months ago.
• Roommate Sam Mazer, who put up with my crap all weekend and was gracious enough to accompany me on a post-race candy run (which ALWAYS makes me feel better!)…

That’s all I have for now.  As I said, I’m very much looking forward to my next attempt at this race distance, as my potential is far greater than the result showed.  Hopefully I can improve my mental game and pacing before attempt two?!?  Much work to be done.

Until next time, peace…

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I headed back out to Lubbock, TX to try to get a coveted Kona slot. 70.3 Buffalo Springs is one of 5 half distance IM events that offer dual qualifying for the 70.3 World Championship and IM World Championship. I participated in this race last year and I really enjoyed the challenging course, hot and windy conditions, and high level of competition. I said after last years race that it was one of the hardest 70.3 races I have ever done. Well, after this year, I can say this is definetely the HARDEST race outside of Kona that I have ever done.
My travel out to Lubbock this year was similar to last year. I was delayed 5 hours trying to leave Newark airport and I missed my connecting flight out of Memphis. This meant I had scramble to find a hotel room at midnight (travel 101: if you are a distressed traveler and you get a customer service agent on the phone, do not lose that connection. I spent 30 minutes on hold after my first call got dropped). Once I got the room situation figured out everything else went smoothly. I got the first flight out the next morning and I was at my hotel by 11:30. Fortunately I had shipped my bike ahead of time and it was waiting for me at the hotel. I figured I had better odds shipping it then bringing it on a connecting flight. The remainder of the pre race schedule was very smooth. I was ready to roll for race morning.
Swim: 25:19
I have gotten thrashed more then usual this year in my first 3 races of the year during the start of the swim. This thrashing has caused me to go hypoxic and I have had to regroup for a bit, which has meant that I would lose contact with the people I should be swimming with. So I decided to line up a little to the left outside to start the swim then try to angle in to the first buoy. This strategy worked well for me as I was able to get a good start without getting the token elbow, foot, or hand to the head. I was able to get right up to a small group of guys that were trying to negotiate their way through the previous waves of swimmers. The remainder of the swim went well as I just focused on keeping high elbows and catching good water without digging to deep. I exited the water and went to unzip my suit, but I got a little surprise that it was already down. Someone must have grabbed my chord during the swim and pulled it down. However, I had not noticed it and my suit did not fill up with any extra water. This is another testament to the quality of our Orca 3.8 suits. These suits are excellent. T1 was nice and smooth.
Bike: 2:18:16
I was really looking forward to the bike for this race. I had a really good bike training build this year and I was excited to use my higher fitness. Coach Paul had given me the greenlight to really push the bike. This was also an excellent opportunity to test my new position that I had picked up at the Lifesport Wind Tunnel camp back in May.
I got right into my heart rate and power zones that I wanted to race in. I felt really good on my Orbea Ordu. I was very determined to stay on top of my salt intake. I have a history of cramping during hot races and this was the most extreme heat I had ever been in my life, with temps hitting 111 degrees. I started taking my salt pills early and often, but I still started to feel my hamstrings twinging around mile 30. At that point I was taking about 1,300mg/hour of sodium. I went to the emergency gameplan of biting on the salt capsule and moving it under my tongue. This does not taste great but it is extremely effective. My twinges went away and I was able to focus on my effort and aero position for the remainder of the ride. This was more important then usual because we hit significant headwinds over the last 10 miles of the bike. I felt really good on the bike and I was able to remain very aero without experiencing lower back pain. This enabled me to come into T2 feeling much fresher then I had during last years race. I moved quickly through T2 and out onto the run course.
Run: 1:27:50
Hot, hot, hot. I felt the heat right away as soon as I started running. The gameplan was to build into the run and to start out relatively easy. However, I was so hot right away that I couldn’t get any cadence or rhythm going. My legs felt like two tree trunks and I was really overheating. I kept trying to quite my mind, but the heat was brutal. I struggled through the first 3 miles that run along the lake. Then we climbed out of the valley and the winds were noticeable. It was actually a bit refreshing for a little bit. I felt like I could finally take a deep breathe. A runner had gone by me at the 3 mile mark and I was trying to use him to pick up my pace. It worked and I noticed Jason Shortis right in front of us. At this point, I knew the run was going to be all about survival. He was really struggling. I knew if this Ironman champion was struggling then I better be very careful to not blow up. I was able to hold the pace of the runner who had passed me, but it was a struggle. Then as we went up the hill following the 4 mile aid station, he pulled off to the side and said he popped. My first thought was: “oh boy, just hold it together”. I shuffled up the remainder of the hill and made the right hand turn onto the 2 mile out and back section. I was immediately met with a ferocious headwind. The heat-wind combo almost broke me. I was right on the edge. I gave myself the goal of just trying to run to the turnaround without walking. I was grabbing as much water and ice as I could hold at every opportunity. I made it to the turnaround and felt much better once I got the wind at my back. I realized that I had made my way to the front of the amateur race, but I was not sure where the other amateurs were. That question was answered 1.5 minutes after I hit the turnaround. I saw Chuck Sloan and another athlete running strong together. I knew Chuck was in the 30-34 age group but I was not sure about the other guy. I figured I would just try to be a consistent as possible and whatever happened would be fine. I felt halfway decent until I got back down to the lake a little after mile 10. Then I really noticed the heat again with the stagnant air. Chuck rolled by me right before the 12 mile mark. He was running really strong but he was by himself. At this point I tried to pick up my pace, but it was a real struggle. So I made a deal with myself that I would run one minute hard then one minute cruise for the last mile (I was trying anything and everything…). It was not pretty but I was able to hold it together. I ended up just barely holding on for the overall Amateur win (10 seconds) with a time of 4:13:43. I am now heading back to Kona which should feel relatively cool after this race.

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June is earlier in the season than usual for me to be racing. These past three years I am not able to get in much training until June 1st and prefer to race in the fall, August is when I start to be on form.  To motivate me balance my work schedule with training though the spring, I signed up for three triathlons and a century ride during June.  Given my  busy Fall/Spring coaching schedule and  successful June racing, my plan to stay motivated, as well as my approach to training, have been paying dividends.

Swim: I raced the Boulder Sunrise Olympic Distance race for the first time on June 4th. I swam an unusually fast time for a 1.5 k; the swim course must have been short. On June 12, I made up for that short 1.5 k by swimming a long 1.2-mile course in Kansas as part of the half iron there. Two weeks after Kansas, I raced my normal 1.5 k at the Loveland Lake-to-Lake Triathlon.  In all three races, I was first out of the water in my age group. That was a bit of a surprise, since I took five months off swimming and have been averaging about one swim a week for the past three months. That rest seems to be paying benefits, not only in my swim, but in my biking and running, as well.

Race Photos pictures

Bike: I felt strong at each race. The three courses featured very different terrains, and were of varied distances, as well. The Boulder Sunrise course was somewhat rolling, with a lot of downhill. Kansas was a “bacon strip,” roller after roller, not much flat terrain,  while Loveland was largely flat with three steeper hills. I rode the fastest bike split in my age group on all three courses. I’m happy to be getting stronger on the Orbea Ordu.

Run: I found myself leading all three races after the bike, and I was worried about hanging on to my lead during the run, particularly since I spent many races over the past two years walking due to injury. I spent the winter doing core/functional strength training and injury prevention, including the incorporation of some things I learned at MovementU. In the Boulder Sunrise I finished a solid 10k, and finished first overall. In Kansas, I ran my fastest-ever half marathon and won my age group, finishing as the  fifth amateur and earning a slot to the Las Vegas 70.3 Worlds. In Loveland I ran 90 seconds faster than I did in Boulder, winning my age group and finishing third overall.

I had a busy and successful June, especially for me. It is clear to me that my training and (PowerBar nutrition plan, Nathan Hydration, Timex ProTrainer, Newton Shoes) are working, and setting me up well  to peak for IM Lake Placid July 24th.  My focus this year is on Lake Placid (now Worlds in Vegas), and I have also changed my nutrition plan during these preparation events. Instead of Power Gels, I am racing with Power Bites, and mixing my water bottles with Nathan Electrotype instead of the Gatorade I have used in the past.

Thanks Team Timex!

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On June 4th I learned a valuable lesson: no matter how much faster you are compared to last season…you can not control how much faster everyone else is!  June 4th marked my second try at the Rev3 Quassy Olympic distance triathlon in Middlebury, CT.  It was the perfect race day.  A little cool, perfectly clear and almost no humidity.

I knew going into the race that I was using this as a “training” race, the goal was to improve on last years time but really it was to learn where my fitness is for the rest of the season.

I took a second-row spot on the beach (a mistake perhaps) with the hope that I could draft some of the faster swimmers as this is not my strength.

The swim:  As the race began and we approached the first buoy I knew I was going to come out of the water mid-pack.  There were plenty of fast swimmers and they weren’t waiting around for me.  I exited the water in 15th for the women and quickly had to make up some time.  My husband would later tell me that he was worried I had drowned because I was so far back (thanks hun!)

The bike:  Ahhh, my strength.  I took my normal sprint out of transition and flying leap onto my bike.  I had a great game plan for the bike: go like hell and pass as many women as possible.  Which is exactly what I did.  I came off the bike into transition in 2nd place but still about 3 minutes behind the leader.

The run: It’s certainly gotten better but also still needs improvement.  My teammate, Jess Broderick passed me on the run right away and I could see she was on a mission.  I kept her in my sights until the last mile but neither of us ever caught the lead woman.  I managed to cut 5 minutes off my run time from the previous year which was a huge victory.

The lesson: Even though I finished 3rd (like last year) I treat this as a valuable lesson to be proud of personal growth and improvement.  I never would have guessed that I’d take so much time off last years race and still finish 3rd but you have no control over everyone else in the race!

The victory: Huge improvement over last years race (2 minutes off the bike, 5 minutes off the run = 7 minutes faster) and loads of confidence going into my more important races of the season.

Happy Racing!

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