IROMAN ARIZONA

hmm the return to blogging :) I'll wrap up the season soon too, mostly so I can remember what sort of triathlon musings I got into this year. But, Arizona deserves a blog. So, here it is!

My pre-race call with my coach had the words “slow down the least” written under the run. That was the only thing I wrote down. Solid plan, right? For the first time, I clearly thought about that on the back half of the run and made that and staying strong my goal. That along with "stay in the moment, be tough" were the things I thought about a lot on race day.

To back up a little, Ironman Arizona was freaking hard to train for. An Ironman in November when you live in IL/WI should probably never seem like a good idea. But, alas, I was a woman possessed last year after an Ironman full of mechanicals and I wanted another shot with a late season Ironman. I hope I remember how much I hated during long rides in layer after layer and long runs in the dark if I think this is a good idea again J But, once it was time for the race, it was AWESOME to escape to perfect 75 degree weather in beautiful Tempe for 4 days.

Leading up to the race I felt unmotivated and less organized than I usually do before races. I felt like I wasn’t giving the race the attention that it needed, but as a result I was staying much calmer than I did last year before Wisconsin. Besides annoyance when I realized I couldn’t do the practice swim because I forgot my chip and it was 30 min before they were closing the course this was a relatively good thing for me mentally. The day before the race, I had a minor spaz attacked and bought a new tire and had the bike shop at the expo change it. The guy changed it while he was checking other people out… so quickly and perhaps not with his full attention. I had déjà vu to last year when I changed the front tire a few weeks before the race and then that was the tire that flatted twice during the race. But did my best to keep those thoughts out of my head.

I didn’t quite follow my plan for race morning and that left me a little more stressed than I probably needed to be when stuff started to go south in transition. But, I ended up getting to transition around 5:50… then had to walk all the way around and it was so crowded. I got to my bike… pumped the front tire, moved to the back and when I hit 110 it blew. SH%T. People around me pointed me a few different directions, people said it’s fine you have lots of time… while I’m sure thanking the bike gods that their tires are perfectly inflated. One lady said “you know it’s good luck if that happens.” All I thought was, at least it’s before the race, maybe that means I’ll luck out DURING the race. Finally got there and the guy changed it pretty quick. With like 10 mins before transition closed. Plenty of time… J

SWIM! I'm somewhere in that middle chunk away from people to draft off… 

Found Amanda before the start so we got I the water together, swam over to the start and lined up together. That was nice to have someone there to chat with a little before it got started. Ideally I would have at least attempted to stick on Amanda’s feet. She probably would have still been too fast, but it was a stretch goal. We were right behind a kayak when we started and she went right and I went left, so lost her right away. The start wasn’t too bad. I actually had awhile where I felt like there was a line along the buoys and a line further right and I was just randomly in the middle with not too many people. Felt like I just kind of settled in, and swam in no mans land… that’s my spot.

 

On to the bike! Did a slow mount, but whatever… and got going. Thought I settled into goal watts pretty well going out on the first lap. Took the corners a little slow, which I apologized to any guys that happened to get stuck behind me during those. Oops. I kind of thought that first way out was one of the worst as far as passing people and clumps… it was harder to pass people because they would be going just a LITTLE slower than I wanted to be going, but not way slower. The way back down the hill was awesome though… so I decided that it was worth the wind / slowness going up for the way back down. That wore off by the 3rd lap though. Power was low on the third lap, less time in aero going up that hill… and more verbal exploitatives. Seriously, holy wind.

  

Always the awkward wave and not
good running form. Always.

Felt a little rough starting the run, but didn’t let that get to my head. Tried to think that I was just going to focus on lap one and pretend it was a transition run. I knew there was another girl in a smashfest kit that had left transition right before me and another girl that wasn’t too far up, so made those my first things to focus on. When I got to the aid station right after you cross the bridge they told me two more were up ahead (they were THE BEST aid station). Was still feeling okay at that point so had two more people to focus on and just tried to keep the miles consistent. Tried to stay tough because I was starting to feel it after that. Goal was get to half way and then I knew I would have to break it up… thought I could do 5 miles, but that was kind of too much… so did a mile at a time. So, one mile at a time and tried my best to suck it up. Mile 16ish where random person said “I don’t know what your name is, but you look really skinny!” … probably not really true and also very unrelated to the race, but it made me happy. Jason finally gave me some update on how I was doing when I told him I was on the “struggle bus” and said I was way ahead and to just be patient. Which I hoped meant the timex girl who I had a decent lead on was the second place girl my AG. Right at 3:30 – so happy about the run. Think I gave it everything I had and that I stayed tough – so I couldn’t have asked for more I don’t think. I walked some aid stations, but really just went I was drinking a perform or coke and did a good job of picking it up again right away, which I’m happy with. My fav aid station gave me a shout out when I ran through the last time called me “our runner” and told me I was awesome which REALLY picked me up and was awesome… so the last 2 miles were mission “be tough and finish”.

F25-29 Podium

I am so happy with how the race went. There were definitely areas to improve… but I think how I executed the race was pretty much right on my plan. Goals were met for the race. My ideals times were swim 1-1:05, bike 5:30 or under, run 3:30 or under… and I was right there. To have won the AG by more than an hour is insane, but really cool. 

And now KONA is on the calendar. Crazy… both exciting and intimidating. Another year of Ironman for this girl. Time for a nice break and time to re-motivate for another year of training J Excited to experience the world championships see how I can do on a really tough, really hot course. Hello heat training :/

With superstar first place female, Amanda. ALOHA :)

Soooo first… a fat and happy offseason J