After completing this race, all I can say is that I believe it to be a race of experience. This was my 3rd ironman, and I wished that I had more than 2 under my belt before trying to attempt this one...
The Sunday before the race my GI problems (severe abdominal pain that has plagued me in the past) kicked in. All week leading up to the race I rested and tried to get it under control. Going into the race it was about 75-80% better, but still present.
We started the day with the swim, which was insanely brutal!!! People were all over each other and I got clobbered multiple times. No black eye this time, but I did get hit in the mouth, which gave me a cut and a fat lip. I also came out with bruises all over my left arm and scratches. It was not a fun swim.
After what felt like an hour in the mosh pit, I came into shore and ran up the stairs. I ran into T1, grabbed my bag off the hook and ran into the changing tent. I made it through transition pretty cleanly and headed out on the bike.
I couldn't believe how packed the bike course was! People were wheel to wheel and elbow to elbow all the way through town. The amount of packs and drafting was crazy almost all the way out to Hawi (the turn around point). The winds going into Hawi were like nothing I've ever experienced before. It was like riding into a giant wall of wind. I felt like I was working really hard and only going about 5 mph. It was also up hill most of the way. I stayed aero and rode as best as I could, but still got passed by quite a few people. Finally we hit the turn around and headed back down from Hawi. We had a nice tail wind, but still had to watch out for cross winds. At one point, the wind blew my bike over about 5 feet!
Somewhere along the way, I started to feel sick. I was having a hard time keeping my nutrition down and my nutrition plan started to fail. By the time I reached the turn to get back on to the Queen K, I had puked up stuff into my mouth about 4 times and things weren't getting any better. I pulled off to the side of the road and stopped at a porta-potty. After about 5 minutes in there, I got back on my bike and continued to ride. I knew I was still on track for a solid bike time and just needed to keep going. It was really hot, but the aid stations were frequent and well stocked. We had a head wind most of the way back into town. Finally I came into town and took my feet out of my shoes (although probably a little too early). I rode into transition and gave my bike and helmet to the volunteer. Again, I made it through T2 relatively cleanly, although the changing tent was PACKED.
I ran out on to the run course. I felt tired, but not any more so that usual. I expected my legs to feel this way and also expected them to turn around and feel better after about 4 miles (like they usually do). I ran well for about the first 10K, and was able to hold my goal pace pretty well (sub 8's).
Around mile 7 I could feel the GI pain start to kick in. Mentally I groaned, slowed my pace a bit and tried to manage it with breathing techniques. No luck. The pain worsened and I had to slow to a walk around mile 8. I knew Matt was just a little bit behind me, and I knew he would need to go slower, so I figured I'd wait for him and offer some support. I continued to try tricks to eliminate the pain (massaging, stretching, etc., etc., etc.). It was frustrating, but not totally unexpected. I decided not to let it get me down and rather to enjoy the race, the atmosphere, being in Hawaii, and being able to complete the race with my husband. Matt was having a rough day as well. He had not been able to train for this race as much as he would have liked due to back problems starting in July and a busy work schedule. We walked for a while, then ran a bit, walked for a while and then ran a bit. We tried to do a pattern of walk 1/2 a mile, then run a mile. This worked for a little while, then just walked for a LONG time. My stomach had gotten somewhat bloated over the course of the run from taking salt tablets (another failed pain management strategy). I was thirsty, but had to stop drinking water and Perform because of the bloat. For the last 10-15 miles of the run, I was only able to drink Coke. After what felt like forever, we reached the energy lab and went down in. Since we were walking, we were able to see the messages that our friends and family had written for us on the screen. It made us smile. We enjoyed the aid stations and the volunteers, making sure to thank them. I even danced a bit as we went through aid stations with music. We continued to mostly walk, and sometimes run until about the last 5 miles. We started on another run attempt and decided to just keep going (except for a couple of aid stations). The last 2 miles were really hard. I was hurting everywhere and wanted to walk really badly. Matt was battling a side stitch. Finally we hit town and ran the last mile in. The crowd was nice, but didn't help as much as I had hoped. We muscled it down Alli'i Drive and then ran through the finish line holding hands in the air. It was unbelievable to me that we were able to finish under 11 hours given that we had walked an enormous amount.
Overall, I was happy with my race. I was able to finish the race with good swim and bike splits and I am confident that I could have run much faster without pain. It was fun to be able to do the race with Matt and finish with him. I am happy with my race season overall, and feel honored that I was able to partake in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.
Now some time for R & R. I am looking forward to spending time enjoying the fall in Wisconsin, hanging out with friends and family, and getting my new puppy enrolled in some dog training classes.
Thanks to friends and family for support both on-site and from a far on race day. I was lucky enough to have my parents, 2 aunts (Nancy and Mary Lou--who came all the way from IA), Matt's brother John, and our friends (Paula and Travis from La Crosse) in attendance on race day. I also know that I had countless other supporters cheering for me and rooting me on race day on-line. Also, thanks to my cousin Brent for designing some cool race day t-shirts! I really appreciate all of the support and could not have gotten to where I am today without you guys.
Thanks to Zoot for all of the support and team commaraderie this year. I've had a great time being on the team and am looking forward to next year.
And last, but definitely not least, thanks to Mike Pierson. You have pushed me beyond what I thought I could do in workouts all year long. I have enjoyed the training, the racing, and the challenge. Thank you for helping me achieve so many goals this year in racing, personal/mental challenges, and in balancing life. It has been a great learning experience and I look forward to continuing to work with you for next year.
Things to remember for IM Hawaii (if there is a next time):
1. The first 1000 meters of the swim I need to go all out to get out of the masses.
2. I need to work on swimming in a straighter line and consistently drafting off of people in front of me.
3. Body glide the upper tongue and around the upper inside of my bike shoes.
4. The first 1-1 1/2 hours there were HUGE bike packs. I need to push along with the bike packs and deal with the congestion better. I need to understand that much of the time people will not be riding legally and there is not much that I can do about it; especially when I am coming out of the swim ahead of much of the field and there are men who are pushing for a 5 hour or less bike split. In the future, I need to try to stay exactly draft legal at 7-10 meters directly behind (not off to the side) of the person in front of me (vs. staying further back).
5. When I approach a hill, and I have to go from aero to upright position, I need to sit upright on the saddle while seated. Somehow I got into the habit of standing up first and then pedaling for about 25 pedal strokes, and then sitting down to climb the hill.
6. I need to seriously consider taking more NSAIDs for my GI pain, although it is not medically recommended due to possible negative side effects. Will continue to have to try to sort this out on my own, although I do believe that a GF diet has helped.
7. I will keep my life a little simplier. The last 2 weeks prior to this race, we rented our house, bought a new house, moved in with a friend temporarily, and had our dog die suddenly the day before we left for Hawaii. I don't know for sure how much this affected my race day, GI issues, etc. but I am sure that less stress is better. (YIKES!!!)
8. I ran in socks provided by the Super Run in Milwaukee that I got in summer of 2010. These socks were awesome and I had less blisters than ever before. My Ultra Kalani Zoot running shoes were comfortable and worked well for the race. I had no issues with my turf toe or other feet problems.
