Monday, July 5, 2021

Race Recap: Ironman Coeur D’Alene - Feeling HOT HOT HOT

Do you ever have one of those weeks where everything just falls into place and your ducks line up like you want them and the chips fall exactly where you need them to fall?  That was IMCDA; it was like it was meant to be *the* weekend from the minute we got to Idaho... welcome to the IMCDA race recap.  Hopefully you have a glass of wine and 30 minutes to kill.  

The evening before was a little rough.  Bri and I are not experienced bike travelers and getting the bikes into the bags adequately packed and protected was a challenge but by midnight, we were in bed and ready for that 3 am wake-up call. 

The flights were not noteworthy which I think is good when it comes to air travel.  I prefer the boring, not exciting flights that result in smooth landings.  

We touched down in Spokane and were greeted with a minimal line for Avis car rentals while Budget had an hour long line that Courtney and Ron were currently stuck in.   We ended up with a car upgrade to a 4-Runner which was a blessing since it would have been tricky to get both bike bags and the luggage into a smaller SUV.  By the time we had keys in hand, Court and Ron were just about done and we decided to get lunch in Spokane at a cute little brewery with delicious food and even hard Kombucha on tap which would be the last drink of the week until Monday. 

After lunch, we headed over to our first AirBNB - the Mill house - an adorable little suite in the backyard of a larger home.  It was perfect for us for one night.  We set down all our stuff, got dressed and headed out for a shake-out run.  Since Bri only had 25 minutes and I had a 45 minute run on tap, he turned around just before the start of the asphalt trail that would later be part of the run course during the race.  I continued alone at an easy pace, enjoying the lake view.  It was quiet with no people around until a man with a familiar loping stride came running toward me.  In the split second before he passed me, I noticed the Canyon shirt and realized it was Lionel Sanders.  I took a few more steps and turned around, attempting to get a video like the fan girl I am.  Of course, I epically failed and ended up with a single picture from 50 yards away.  

Bye Lionel.

I ran home and Bri and I walked to the main drag to get pizzas to bring back as we worked on unpacking the bikes.  A short while later, it was time for an episode of SVU and time for bed.  

Thursday morning involved a practice swim with Cindy and Jason and we checked-in at our designated time in the Ironman village.  Having the check-in entirely digitized was much faster and easier - I hope they continue this in the future!  We celebrated Cindy’s first-timer status and the fact the we all got to be racked together.  We got all our “stuff” and headed to the merch tent where I only purchased a hat and a mug.  Not my best, but not my worst either.  I think IMMT I bought a pair of goggles and that was it, but I couldn’t resist the race theme colors - deep teal and sky blue. Take my money Ironman.



We finished assembling the bikes and noticed that Raptorex’s disk brake was rubbing again and my rear wheel was loose.  GREAT.  Thankfully, the PlayTri bike mechanics had RR going in 45 minutes while we grabbed lunch and she was good as new.  We then headed to Cindy’s house to meet up for our 1:30 bike ride.  The three of us rode the first 14 miles of the bike course and Bri and I did another out and back to get some more time on the bike.   It was pretty flat and fast with one uphill that thankfully had been cut-out of this years’ run course!

It was time to check-in to the big house airBNB and Dayle and Kevin met us at the house shortly after.  It was SO GOOD to see them and I was pumped - and thankful - that they were going to be a part of race weekend.  My parents arrived that night which nearly completed the sherpa crew, as LL would be arriving the next day.  

We spent a bit of time Thursday evening watching YouTube vids and, as always, tuned into Lionel’s race week recaps.  As he was preparing for his own shake out run on screen, I realized he was wearing the same outfit I’d seen him in the day before.  Cut to a shot of him running on the trail… and me running past him!  I’m famous now.  *does the queen’s wave to no one in particular.*

Friday morning was another swim (and bike and run) and Dayle got to check out the water as well.  Holli and Andrew and Holli’s mom Judith and Gary were there and I had my first big emotional breakdown of the trip.  Hugging Holli and her Momma brought flooding memories of our time in Ireland and finally - FINALLY - this felt like a true racing weekend.  I didn’t think I had missed racing that much in the past year (too busy being stressed at work and trying to train through it) but when we were all reunited, I couldn’t hold back the tears and I hugged them 





Heather Jackson was at the swim as well and we all had a fan girl moment which was fun.  Racing with the pros is one very cool perk of this sport.  How many football fans get to just casually run into their favorite athletes and talk to them?  How many baseball fans get to share the field and play with their favorite teams during the season?  We respect and admire the professional triathletes and get to see into their lives via IG and youtube and even though they are amazingly talented, they are also just like us and they need to get their practice swims and bikes and runs in too.

Just having some laughs with our new BFF.

I headed out for a 45 min easy spin and hit the trail again to the bike turn around and back to the car.  This time, I had two Lionel sightings and a bonus Cody Beals sighting.  In my fragile little brain, I equated this to good race juju for Sunday. Raptorex was working well and I felt pretty good.  I followed the bike up with a 30 min T-run and explored a bit of the run course through the neighborhood.  Met up with Mom, Dayle, and Bri and we got some lunch to bring back to the house. 

LL arrived and the crew was complete!  It meant so much that she came out to cheer us on and spend the weekend with us (Thanks Matt for sole parenting for a weekend while we got to play!).  While we chitchatted outside on the porch, I got an IG DM from Sarah True.  WTH?  I opened it and learned I had won a month of Nuun hydration products via an IG contest on her recent post.  Hell yea - we had been drinking tubes of it over the past week to bump up the electrolyte intake and had, in fact, just bought 2 more tubes at the expo the previous day.  Good juju, yes?

Mom made lasagna for dinner and Andrea and Wes joined us which was awesome to catch up.  We had a lot of laughs, traded cat stories, and talked about our upcoming big day on Sunday before heading to bed early.  

Thanks to the time change, Bri and I had been getting up very early which would be helpful for Sunday and the 5:35 am start time.  We got up sans alarm at 4:45, had coffee and a snack and headed back to the water for one last shake-out swim.  After swimming daily for 3 days in a row, I was feeling good in the water and looking forward to the first leg of the race.  The rest of the day consisted of bike drop off, packing transition bag and relaxing while watching TV and youtube.  Dinner was chicken and white rice while the crew had chicken parm, then it was off to sleep to get some rest before Sunday… I did slam a water bottle with osmo preload before passing out though.

Raptorex with new decals

Bike check-in - all racked together

Race day!

Alarm went off at 2:45 am and that was just a bit too early.  I snoozed for 10 minutes and finally got out of bed  to get coffee and food.  I made my Picky Bar Matcha Oatmeal (RIP Matcha Oatmeal, you were my favorite and I’m sad you are discontinued).  I didn’t have the best appetite and my stomach was a bit off but I was able to eat most of it and keep it down.  Another bottle of osmo preload and i was ready to roll.  The fam dropped us off - everyone got up to make the trek over, bless them - and Bri and I headed to transition to start setting up.  In light of covid safe return to racing, there were no change tents and no bike or run gear bags so transition was just like any other race and it felt like i didn’t have enough STUFF!  my transition area looked like any other 70.3 and i commandeered the area behind bri’s rear wheel.  Jason and Cindy showed up shortly after us and it was awesome to be racked all together and soak in the pre-race feels.

I finally felt like I had all the gear laid out in a semi-logical fashion and had a salted watermelon Gu, a pop-tart, and some water before heading over to the crew to put wetsuits on and watch the pros start.  Before I knew it, the cannons were going off and the men and women pros were on their way.   When the cannon went off for the ladies, I cried (actual tears) and cheered for Holli (THATS MY FRIEND!).  Bri and I finished putting wetsuits on but not before I cuddled a fun-loving mini australian shepherd that made fast friends with me.  

Down at the beach, Bri and I lined up with the sub-1 hour group and waded into the water for a short, 2 minute warm-up.  Everything seemed to be in working order and my guesstimate for a swim time was 1:01-1:03 if we followed the plan and didn’t go out hard.  The plan being that I would lead us comfortably for the first loop (since B is often a bit overzealous for the first few hundred meters) and at the run onto the beach to start the second loop, Bri would takeover and I would draft off of him for the second loop.  Right as we were about to get in, Bri said - stay on left side of buoys! - which seemed like it would have less traffic since many people assume you have to stay to the right - and he was right!

10 minutes to go!



The best support squad a girl could ask for.


SWIM: 

The cannon went off and just over 3 minutes later, I was running into the water.  I was already adjusted to the water temp from the short jump in the water earlier so I got to work right away - smooth strokes, exerting just enough energy to swim at a quick type of comfortable pace.  I knew there were 8-9 buoys on the way out, then a red turn buoy, another red turn buoy, and 8-9 on the way back.  Ironman does swim buoys right on their courses.  I guessed it was roughly 100m in between the buoys which gave me something to think about as my watch vibrated with 500m splits.  It was pretty smooth sailing on the way out with little traffic as we were very near the front of the masses but I knew this would later be a mess on the second loop.  It felt like it took awhile to hit the first turn buoy - so much so that I couldn’t believe we’d have to do another full loop!

Shortly after the second turn buoy, on the way back toward the beach, I saw Bri come up on my left.  I was glad the plan was working so far as his plan was to stay on my left hip.  Except he kept coming up, pulled even with me, and even continued forward.   I guess he got tired of our fun, comfortable swimming pace so I resigned myself to keeping on his feet, likely holding a slightly faster pace.  The pace seemed to continue but I felt like my effort dropped slightly so I was happy with the switch - if he wanted to pull us for 3/4 of the swim, then by all means, let him!  

We got to the beach and I was just a couple feet behind him on the sand.  My watch said 30:23 and I was thrilled that we were right on pace with where I expected us to be.  I also knew the second loop would be a bit slower with the increased number of swimmers.  After a handful of steps on the sand, it was back in the water.  I took a clumsy header into the waves that sort of felt like I dove into a soft brick wall but I recovered and quickly found Bri’s feet again.  This time, I was competing with a dude for foot space and he was. not. having. it.  he kept shoving into me in order to sit square on Bri’s feet but I wasn’t having it either and - whether he was aware or not - Bri took a sharp turn to get to the outer side of the first buoy and I followed and the man did not.  Temporarily.  A handful of buoys later, the guy was back and I was less than thrilled.  I dropped off Bri’s feet for a buoy and lost sight of the silver arms that I had been following for 40 or so minutes.  After a minute or two, I caught a flash of silver, crossed my fingers that it was Bri and took a handful of strong strokes to catch up.  

At the turn buoy, chaos ensued as the water had gotten very choppy and the number of people getting around the buoy seemed to have quadrupled… and then I got run over.  I coughed a few times and tried to just hold my breath for a handful of strokes to get out of the washing machine and get back on his feet.  I survived part 2 of the washing machine around the second turn buoy and then it was a free for all on the way home.  I could semi make out Bri’s silver arms and he was swimming very straight which was perfect.  I kept on his feet, unintentionally tapping his feet and I knew that he knew it was me and that it was probably bugging the crap out of him so I tried to ease off but it felt like the waves were bringing us in and I just kept tap-tap-tapping along.  Just a little friendly payback from IMMT baby.  

I could make out the inflatable Gatorade bottle just beyond the arch and I could feel Bri start to speed up, so I did too.  Before I knew it, I was back on the beach and my watch said 1:01 something - I’ll take it!  Other than the slightly disorienting feeling that always comes after Ironman swimming, I felt fine and ran up the concrete ramp to transition.  I waved in the direction of the crew to the right and took the left around the bank of portapotties to my bike while chatting with Bri.  


SWIM TIME: 1:02:30

T1: 

I quickly pulled the wetsuit off and got to putting on socks, shoes, helmet, and sunglasses.  This seemed like a much quicker transition without the gear bags and other minutia that comes with the changing tent so I took 10 seconds to eat another salted watermelon Gu and take a sip of skratch.  I also took an extra 20 seconds to apply sunscreen on my arms and exposed parts of my legs which I would definitely not regret later.  

T1 Time: 5:49

BIKE: 

I ran my bike past the mount line with Bri just behind me.  “Love you, have a great ride.” Buoyed that our swim plan had worked (despite my semi-lack of swim fitness), I was excited to do some damage on Raptorex.  This was going to be MY FREAKING DAY.  I set out, waving to the crew as I passed them, toward the 14 mile out-and-back that followed the majority of the run loop.  I started drinking my concentrated Skratch right away, aiming to consume 6 bottles over the ride (250-300 calories per bottle) plus another 2-3 bottles of water via aid stations.  I had 3 packages of Skratch green tea chews ready to go in the bento box along with a tube of Base salt and I would refill exactly this set up at special needs around mile 63.  

The plan was to not go out too hard (lets be honest, have I ever really gone out *too* hard?) and to keep power steady if possible during the cooler part of the day.  I knew the plan would likely go out the window depending on what the weather felt like later on in the bike, but I didn’t want to tax my legs much leading into the warmer miles.  180-185w felt like cake but I purposefully slowed and my heart rate was nice and low, way under zn1, though the goal also was low zn1.  It felt like I was out for a casual ride!  

The first turn around was about 7 miles in, where special needs would later be set up.  I was rolling back toward town when Bri passed me and he looked strong and I hoped that it would be a great day for him.  I was focused on drinking consistently and eating a couple of chews every 15 minutes.  At 45 minutes, I was already a bottle in - ahead of schedule but this was okay.  

We headed onto the highway and shortly came upon the first climb, 2-2.5 miles up which started right where the road to our AirBnB was located.  Spinning up the hill didn’t feel too taxing and a girl on a road bike with the Zoot Salty kit passed me.  We would make this back and forth pass approximately 10 more times over the course of the race and she unknowingly became my friend that I looked forward to seeing on each downhill section.  

An hour or so into the ride, my upper back started to tighten up and my worst fear came true.  I’ve been having this fairly debilitating upper right back and neck pain during long rides that I hadn’t bothered to address in the weeks/months leading into the race.  I assumed the new bike would be helpful but that hasn’t been the case so far.  The only thing that helps is to stop biking… but that wasn’t an option here so I turned my mind onto singing Christmas carols as the temperature outside started to get warm.  LL said that Lindsey Corbin said that Tim Snow (there were some other people in there too) said that when the temperatures were up, singing Christmas carols helped to feel cool.  Whether this is true or absolute crap, I did it and it didn’t make things worse so… I hold to it.  Unfortunately, this didn’t help my back.  Aero was painful, sitting up was painful, and generally riding a bike for hours on end was painful but I just had to keep moving forward.  

At some point (mile 30-ish) along the first stretch of highway, Jenny Stoner from LU passed me on her beautiful Felt in a very pretty deep teal kit.  She looked phenomenal - so strong - and it was great to see a friendly face, even if that friendly face passed me like I was standing still!   After that long stretch, mile 35 came around and brought the first turnaround.  

Only a little bit more to go, right?

The bike course became a bit of a blur as the pain was coming in waves.  I grabbed water at every aid station, dumping it on me and my back which gave me 10 seconds of sheer relief before the burning pain came back.  I shifted focus to nutrition and continued to take in my calories and hydration because I knew this particular crappy bike leg was now just my warm-up for the now biggest part of the race - the run.  

I continued to see my road bike friend in the Salty kit on the ups and downs and saying hello each time made me smile.  We headed back into town and I waved at the crew who were still faithfully cheering as the temps were starting to rise as I headed back to the run course portion of the bike.  Halfway baby, halfway…

Back was too painful to be in aero for long stretches of time…

Thank god special needs was a bit later.  That meant I would only have 49 miles to survive my back pain after getting a minute to stand up and stretch.  My volunteers were great, I refilled my chews and switched out my bottles while stuffing a strawberry uncrustable into my mouth.  I stretched my back for some seconds and woefully set off for the last 49 miles.  

Things did *not* get better.  The temperature felt like it had climbed 30+ degrees from the first time we rode the highway and despite doing everything I could to hydrate, dump water on myself, take salt, and eat, I knew I was not in a good place.  I started to get very sleepy on the downhills and flats - so much so that I caught myself closing my eyes and veering to the right off the road.  Not good my friends, not a good sign!

I went into survival mode.  I slowed my pace to the point where I felt like I was just soft pedaling tried my best to stay awake and in the moment.  My legs felt like lead weights and I was shocked no one had stopped me from the flames that I felt emanating from my back - I felt like my back was on actual fire.  A new fun sensation started as well - the bottoms of my feet were hot so I kept soaking them as well at the aid stations and from the extra water I was carrying on my bike.  

The good news was that I peed 3-4 times on the bike so I knew I was hydrating myself at least.  That’s really the only good thing that came out of that bike ride other than recognizing my friends and yelling out to them.  

I woke up a bit on the no-pass, no-aero dangerous downhill section where I was lucky to get stuck behind someone riding their brakes so severely that we were going <15 mph down the hill.  It was hard not to run into them and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the line of bikes building up behind our snail-paced leader.  

When the no pass zone ended, the flood gates opened and cyclists began streaming past me and I tried to safely get around person in front of me but it was a little sketch.  

One last little incline and we were back in town.  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.  I was alive, I hadn’t fallen asleep completely and crashed, and I was ready to throw my bike in the trash.  So, pretty standard feelings after 112 miles of an Ironman bike.  

BIKE TIME: 6:22:30 (slowest ever.  10 minutes slower than placid when i vomited and was in the portapotty and my bike box broke and i rode one handed back into town… )

T2:

I barely got my bike racked, my back was so sore.  I stood up straight and stretched, knowing that it would improve over the course of the run.  I took off my helmet, sunglasses, shoes, and changed out socks for low cut breathable running socks.  I realized that I hadn’t used the anti-chafe foot stuff so I peeled my socks off and sat down in order to give my feet 15 seconds of attention that would pay dividends later.  The guy racked a few bikes over came in and we exchanged our grievances over the bike course.  He said something along the lines of “yea, i’m not going back out there” and simply walked away.  I finished putting my socks and shoes on and he returned with a bunch of water bottles and offered me one.  I decided to stand up and pee right there, stupidly peeing into my left sock and shoe.  I rinsed it with water, bid the man good-bye as he was now lying flat on his back, arms outstretched, in the grass in the shade and set off in my soggy shoe toward the run-out arch.  

T2 TIME: 6:53

RUN: 

I had legs which was not surprising given the lack of power on the bike.  I definitely felt like I’d been riding my bike but my pace was quick and I consciously slowed.  The heat was very apparent now and at the first aid station, I whipped out my ziploc freezer bag and filled it with ice and stuffed it in my sports bra and doused myself with cool water.  It was going to be a soggy shoe run and now at least both of my feet were equally nice and damp.

I saw the crew shortly into the first loop and anxiously asked what my place was.  “14th?” LL said as she shrugged her shoulders, obviously not wanting to be the one to share the bad news.  Internally I groaned and felt the millions of available Kona slots slip away.  

Real talk - there were 200 slots to be had and I knew my AG was going to have 6 or 7 when originally there were 150 offered.  With the late addition of 50 more slots, I was praying for 8.  14-question-mark-shoulder-shrug-placement is not close to 8.  

Running isn’t really even my forte.  I’m not a *great* runner.  Consistent, yes.  Fast?  Nah, not really.  Ironman fast?  A bit better but yea, no, still not really.   But who knew what was going to happen in these conditions.  My only saving grace was that I knew I could outlast other people in shitty conditions - cheers to mental toughness.  We also train in hot, humid DC - we know what terrible running weather feels like.  And I have the experience to know I just have to KEEP MOVING FORWARD and maybe this time I pull the selfish card and I don’t stop to dick around and walk with friends a la IMMT 2015.  

So I passed the crew and resigned myself to what would NOT be a comfortable run in an effort to give myself any semblance of a chance to get that Kona slot.  My plan was to walk every aid station, keep the body temp cool, continue nutrition via Honey Stinger blocks and Skratch contrated hydration in my handheld bottle and take in Base salt.

This plan lasted two miles.  

At mile 2.3 or so, just past the aid station, my stomach declared war.  It had hit maximum capacity and it said “NO MORE LIQUID” as I pulled over to the grass (away from people as much as possible but this also was a very popular spectating spot in the shady grassy knoll) and puked my guts out.  My stomach wanted to be outside my body as I vomited over.  and over.  and over again.  I saw bits of Goji berries from that morning’s Picky Bar oatmeal.  I saw the Honey Stinger chews.  and I saw more liquid than I swear any human has the potential to consume as I watered the grass with my electrolyte filled stomach contents.  I should send a bill to whoever takes care of the lawn because they won’t have to water it for a month - you’re welcome, town of CDA.  

Some of the spectators had taken notice and expressed their concerned support.  “You look… good?” “Get it out girl!” I waved and took a few steps and realized I wasn’t done throwing up so I watered the grass some more a bit further down on the knoll.  

After 2 min to 2:30 stoppage time, I pulled my life together and started running again and I knew that if I played my cards right, I was done vomiting for the day.  I would, however, be a bit behind in hydration-land but I was hoping this wouldn’t be a big set-back.  I did make a snap decision that my nutrition plan was garbage and I would just be using on course nutrition - all of which I’d never touched before.  As they say, always do new things on race day.  

I saw Andrew and he basically told me “good job” and I knew I was not in a good position in my AG but I asked him for placement anyway.  I don’t remember if he said anything that time around…

… But my pace was back and my legs felt good and I got back into a rhythm.  Around mile 3 or so, I encountered my first Maurten gel and it changed my life.  It was this thick gelatin-goo that was being held in an ice water bath and it was flavorless and I could swallow it by washing it down with water in just three gulps.  It hit my stomach and didn’t immediately come back up which was already an improvement from the last aid station so I figured I’d keep on it and have one every 40 minutes or so.  I continued to refill my ziploc with ice and douse myself in water at each aid station.  Around mile 5, I picked up my first cold, wet towel and it was life alteringly wonderful.

I wasn’t really paying a lot of attention to my pace but i was closely watching the field and who I was passing.  In the first loop, everyone is ahead of you so you have an idea of what is happening.  With covid safety return to racing, there isn’t body marking so knowing who you are passing is just not a thing. In the 2nd and 3rd loops, knowing who is ahead would become impossible.  I saw Andrew for the second time around mile 6-7 and he told me I was in 15th (maybe 16th), there were 9 confirmed Kona slots for my AG and 10th was 6 minutes away but girls were already fading.  That’s all I needed to hear to keep going and keep on track.  I could do this, I think.

I saw my family again as I came around for loop 2.  I threw my handheld water bottle at my mom which felt like freedom.  Now that my hands were both free, I could hold ice and keep my hands cool which felt really lovely.

Another Andrew update told me I was in 14th and continuing to move-up.  Hold your pace, he said, and you will keep passing girls.  Oh, and Brian is just up ahead!

A minute later, I came up on Bri.  “I’m done” he said with a wave.  For fraction of a second, I thought - “I could just walk with him and we could walk the marathon together” but I quickly put that thought out of my head.  I told him I loved him and to do what he had to do and I ran away.  

Most people were starting to hurt on that run while few others still looked incredible.  I tried to encourage some of my favorite pros that were out walking but I didn’t know if that would be harmful or helpful.  Lionel was struggling.  But Sam Long looked amazing.  Carrie Lester was running like she was just racing a marathon and hadn’t already swam and biked.  I gained strength from watching the pros generally being awesome at their jobs and kept moving forward.

I continued loop 2 and continued passing girls without many girls passing me.  I did math near the turnarounds to see if I was closing in on the strong, fast looking girls - and i was.  I kept walking the aid stations - just be consistent and be smart - and kept up with my new nutrition plan.  At the halfway point, I was sub 2 hours and I knew I could somewhat continue this pace.  Or, I hoped I could.  My longest run leading into this race was 1:35 but this was what I did for Ireland when I had my fastest IM marathon so I trusted Drew’s plan and the training.  It’s 50% mental anyway and I had that part covered.  

I always tell myself that after mile 13, its just downhill to the finish.  I kept that mentality and kept up the pace.  Andrew’s next update told me I was in 12th or 13th but close to 11th.  I was moving up.  And it was COLA TIME.  From mile 14 and on, I indulged in the nectar of the Gods and it gave me new life.  

I let myself smile as I hit the divide for the second time for “finish” and “loops 2 and 3”.  My next time through would be toward that finish line and I couldn’t wait.  Let’s just get there faster, shall we?

I saw the crew again as I started loop 3 and even though my legs were tired, I tried to fake it up the hills.  Dayle told me I was in 11th and I tried to argue with her and inform her I was in 12th and that there were *only* 9 slots.  I only semi-remember yelling at her but apologized later.  Let’s just say I was deep into that marathon and not in the happiest frame of minds…

Andrew’s next update was that I was in 11th.  In my brain, I knew that two of the girls ahead of me in the AG already had Kona slots.  If I could stay in 11th… I would be in.  Just keep moving forward, right?

The last loop felt the quickest.  I felt like the Kona slot was now mine to lose if I faltered.  With each pass of a girl, I heard the replay of the Ironman announcer say “passes like these are always almost permanent” and “Heather Prochnow - reason to worry”.  Obviously I was getting over-tired and slap happy, but it made each pass feel like an accomplishment and at that moment, I just needed little wins.  

I wasn’t sure if I’d see Andrew again, but at mile 24.5 or so - there he was!  Still in 11th, 10th was 4 minutes up but fading.  JUST KEEP GOING.  

My legs were getting stiff but my body temp felt controlled.  It didn’t feel like 100+ degrees thanks to the ice and water and wet towels but I did feel like I had already run 25 miles.  

Next, I channeled Lester from the final mile of IMMD 2017 and knew it was time to “eat the pain”.  One more mile.  You can do anything for one mile.  Let’s make this our strongest one. 

I upped my cadence and felt the weight of the previous 25 miles in my legs but I pushed that out of my brain.  50% mental, you can do this, the pain is in your head.  I didn’t dramatically get faster, but I did speed up.  I felt like I *flew* past the sprinklers and jogged the last aid station for one last douse of water and suddenly, the park was in sight and the divide was there.  It was time to go left toward “finish”.  My family was gone and I knew they were waiting for me on Sherman Avenue.  With a smile, I veered left and Wes and Andrea were there yelling their hearts out and I absorbed their energy and kept running as strong as I could.  I felt a smile starting to emerge on my face but I wasn’t *quite* there yet.  I went over the bridge and down a block to the left hand turn and suddenly I was on Sherman and I could see the arch and that it was a downhill stretch to the finish.  This part seemed to take forever as it was a couple (few?) blocks down but it was in sight and I ran faster.  I felt like my legs were barely clearing the pavement in true Ironman shuffle fashion, but the arch was steadily approaching.  I hit the red carpet and swung out to the right to high five a little boy as I continued to the arch.  My face was one of grit and relief to be done.  I didn’t try to jump (I couldn’t) which may have saved me from another broken foot.  Instead I slowed and a kind volunteer grabbed me to slow my role before potentially crashing into a man being helped into a wheelchair.  

RUN TIME: 4:01:37

OVERALL TIME: 11:39:18 

I was handed my finisher shirt and hat with the medal tucked inside.  I medaled myself and took a picture and took a few steps over to my family and friends.  They told me I got 11th and I broke down, I only needed 11th to get the Kona slot… or so I thought.  

Love racing with my dear friend.

Real ugly cry.

It was too early to celebrate - I knew I couldn’t celebrate until Mike Reilly called my name the next morning during roll down.  But I celebrated the completion of another race, healthy and whole, with the run of my life in 100+ degree temperatures.  It wasn’t my fastest run but it was consistent and it was unfathomable to me that I could do that in those conditions.  

For the next 20 minutes or so, I didn’t do too great.  I started to overheat and really feel the toll of the day so I camped under some misters as the crew dumped water bottles on me.  We moved the group into the next-door restaurant and enjoyed the AC for awhile before gathering our wits to get our stuff to go home.  Brian had met me at the finish line which surprised me for a second even though I already knew he hadn’t finished.  My heart hurt for him because I knew how hard he had worked this year to be in the best Ironman shape I’ve ever seen him in despite the significant injury earlier in the year.  Ironman can be such a little bitch. 

We got all our stuff and LL and Dayle thankfully took the bikes and gear to the 4-runner as Mom and Dad picked us up right outside transition to take us home.  

The post-race shower was lovely as always and I hadn’t gotten too badly chafed with the wetsuit which was a nice surprise.  The sunburn on the legs was crisp but I’d done a good job with sunscreen on the upper half of my body at least and my hat and sunglasses thankfully saved my face from the sunshine on the hot run.  

We all sat and talked about our days - both athletes and spectators - and I stomached chicken broth and a slice of pizza before heading to bed and slept poorly as I always do after an Ironman.  

The next morning, we decided to go to awards before roll down.  The fam (minus Kevin who was golfing) met Bri and I at the pavilion as we waited for roll down to start.  Kristen Yax (who Dayle and I know from SOAS and who I was counting on to roll her slot) came over to chat and told Dayle that she had deferred her slot from 2019 to 2022 and was accepting her 2021 slot.  

My heart dropped and my face got hot.  Not again.  NOT FUCKING AGAIN.  Was I going to miss NINE KONA SLOTS in my AG by one because I had the crappiest bike split of my life?  I knew Meghan Fillnow had a slot from her win at IMMD but maybe she had deferred hers also?  Would I have had to get 9th with no chance of roll down?  All the feelings came bubbling up and the despair from Ireland came circling back - it had taken months to get over the disappointment in a 2nd place finish that day.  Even deep into the fall that year, every time I heard the word “Kona” I felt like I was punched in the gut.  It took me until 2020 to read the signed copy of Mike Reilly’s book that Mom had given me back in Ireland before the race.  I had tears in my eyes as I walked away to find solace in Holli.  

The minutes crawled by as allocation started with the oldest male and female age groups.  I got teary as I saw some men’s AGs roll to 25th place and beyond.  That would never happen for us women.  

Finally, it was Female 35-39.  Mike said there were 9 slots.  I watched first take hers, I watched Meghan’s roll and prayed there was one single other person who would roll her slot.  I watched Kristen take her slot and Mike continued on to 4th who accepted, 5th who accepted and then 6th… and it went quiet.  

I grabbed Hollis thigh with my left hand and stared straight ahead.  Mike repeated her name.   And then again, one last time.  And moved on to 7th place.  

I started to ugly cry.  My mouth and face were trembling and I was glad I was wearing sunglasses so no one could see the tears literally jumping out of my eyeballs.  

Mike announced Stoner who got 9th and I clapped and cheered.  He announced 10th… and then stopped and went on a tangent about something.  I couldn’t breathe.  He then said something like “well that’s it” and someone on stage said something to him and then he said “Heather Prochnow!” and the cheering started.  

It felt unreal as I walked toward the tent with my credit card already out of my wallet.  I stood in line surrounded by other athletes to whom this was old hat for them.  I caught conversations about how they couldn’t wait to go back to this restaurant and how this year, they were going out on this day instead of this day, and so on.  I blocked them out and continued to stare straight at Mike Reilly, listening to the hum of his voice while he continued to make dreams come true from his place on the stage, shaking only slightly with tears still freshly rolling down my cheeks.  

Dayle and Mom joined me after awhile and Dayle was inconsoleably crying.  Mom too.  Mollie too via Facetime.  I lost my chill and let myself celebrate with them, letting the rest of the line know that I was a newbie and this was one of the biggest things to ever happen in my competitive life.  

Finally, I reached the ipad and inputted my credit card number, not even acknowledging the $1200 total that flashed at the end screen.  I hugged Mom and Dayle again and said good-bye to Mollie, who was already making plans for October.  I returned to the crew which had grown and included dear friends.  I hugged everyone, grateful for their support and for waiting this thing out after the long days everyone had had the day before.  I cried again hugging my Mom and Dad and then hugging LL - it meant so much that they were there - lets be honest, they’ve been present at many of my Ironman races but this was by far the most meaningful to me.


I then hugged Brian the longest, just whispering “I did it” over and over while I continued to let the tears flow and really acknowledged all the feelings that led to that singular moment in time.

- - - - - 

I can’t even begin to comprehend how overwhelming the support and congratulations have been.  Thank you everyone who reached out or even just sent an emoji in response to the IG story from roll down.  It means so much that its making me cry AGAIN, just sitting here and typing and reliving the weekend.  You are thoughtful and amazing and I am grateful for all of you.  

If you read this far - thank you.  Thank you for being on this journey with me.  If you’ve read this far, you’ve probably read the other 12+ page race recaps and know that there have been so many heartbreaks and successes along the way to get to this point.  It took having 9 slots and my second slowest ironman ever to finally getting that piece of luck that I’d been missing in years past.  To those that have made comments about the number of slots - yea it was a crazy amount but no, that didn’t guarantee placement by any means.  It was the hardest I’ve ever fought and I’ve been on the podium more times than not in Ironman racing.  11th place doesn’t represent what went on that day but damn it, I finally earned that slot and that dream finally came true :) 

Looking forward to writing that next race recap in October… Mahalo for your love and support my friends! 

Celebrating with drinks and dinosaurs.
Thank you Holli for the best floaty ever.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

an incomplete list of concerns i have about the new house

we moved a few weeks ago.  it feels like months because a lot has happened and we wrecked our lives attempting to move ourselves from the apartment to the townhouse.  but we did it.  Brian and I didn't kill each other and i'd venture to say that if you can conquer what we've conquered in the past few weeks and still want to be in the same room with each other - then that is LOVE my friends.  true. freaking. love.

i set a fairly rigid schedule on moving day and we NAILED IT.  we returned the truck by 5 pm, picked up the animals from Shannons place (thank you for babysitting the critters), spent 30 minutes trying to find a parking spot while meeting all the neighbors in a brief investigation into who was parking in our assigned parking spot, and settled in to pass out. 

initially, there were some concerns about the state of the house.  small things.  reasonably easy to fix type things.  1. neither the front door nor the back door locked properly.  2. the security bar on the back door was broken.  3. the master bathroom vanity drawer was missing a vital piece of hardware necessary for function. 4. the master bathroom shower was a bit leaky around the showerhead.

little things that we could work around.

day 2 in the new house was tough on the jazz.  she was stressed and when shes stressed, apparently she pees.  anywhere.  her new bed arrived late morning, i unwrapped it and presented this new, fluffy, social-media-proven-to-be-anti-stress bed to her.  23 seconds later, i noticed a puddle on the floor adjacent to where i was constructing monsters new litterbox cabinet.

her bed was now soaked in urine.  i didn't see it happen.  in this new house apparently shes a pissing ninja.

BUT AT LEAST THE FLOORS ARE HARDWOOD.

no big deal.  the cabinet pieces were safe from pee.  i cleaned it up and took it downstairs to the laundry room.  i started a load... and nothing happened.

i added to the list:
5. the washing machine doesn't work.

brian briefed me on functionality of washing machines and i turned the water on manually only for there to be a small flood from the cold water hose which was initially concerning but seemed to slow,  then stop.  i set the water temperature to cold and let the washing machine do its thing, assuming this would function as any other washing machine that ive ever encountered.

i was wrong.

i had the door to the washer still open as i threw in some other towels and what not and noticed steam coming from the water.  i stuck my dominant hand under the water flow to assess the temperature and realized it was second degree burn level hot.  on the cold setting.  maybe the hoses are switched?  i stopped the cycle and pulled the machine away from the wall and using my super handyman powers, i touched the hoses to assess the temperature and realized the hoses were indeed switched.  after a few more tests, i realized that regardless of what temperature setting the washing machine was set at, only boiling hot water was flowing into the machine.  logic told me to just turn off the hot water access which seemed to fix the issue.  cool.

45 minutes later, i was done with the cat cabinet and i threw the wash into the dryer.  i hit start and... nothing.  i checked to see if it was plugged in and realized there was no plug.

6.  the dryer doesn't work.

after a trip to home depot, we had the plug, brian installed it and we were back in business.  id like to thank youtube for the many things it has taught me over the years, but ive never been more thankful for DIY videos.

i decided to install the hardware on the bathroom cabinet and i only slightly effed it up, so brian fixed that too and we had a working drawer for the first time since moving in.

as we were upacking the kitchen, we noticed a spot on the ceiling over the microwave that was damaged and two cabinet doors were rubbing on the ceiling.  bri had noticed this during the initial walk-through but it wasn't fixed prior to us moving in.

7. the ceiling has a defective area that impedes the opening of two cabinet doors.

i could still live with this for the time being - i knew not to fully open the door with the drinking glasses and the door over the microwave wasn't going to get used much anyway.

by this point, after numerous trips to home depot, the locks on the doors were fixed and the security bar was fixed.

i'd also like to thank home depot for its extended hours of operation.

a few days later... 8. the filtered water in the fridge door stopped working.

brian did some research, bought some repair kit off amazon and like magic, it worked again.

after a number of days of "doing laundry", i realized that on certain settings, the washing machine would indefinitely pause and i would have to baby it with motivational words to get it to go through a full cycle.  which, it never did.  for some reason, it continued to stop after the initial rinse cycle, failing to go into the spin cycle.  this was annoying and finally - after one of the infinite pause cycles - i told brian we needed to have this fixed.  he reversed the hoses and in exploring the issue, he accidently broke the piece that triggers the cycle to start when the door is closed.

i called the repairman - i have a thing about laundry.  my top priority in a place of living is in-unit laundry.  thats all i want.  i want to do my whites, darks, tri-gear, towels, red clothing, yellow clothing, light bed sheets, dark bedsheets, etc in their own obsessive compulsive loads.

i don't ask for much.

brian ordered the replacement part and the repairman was scheduled to come out the following day.  i decided to do my workouts on that particular day and finish off my afternoon with a nice bath in the soaking tub in the masterbath room (with JETS), a glitter bath bomb, and a protein shake.

i filled the tub - which took a very long time - and threw the bath bomb in and admired its glittery goodness.  the water was high enough to get in and i savored the delight of the deep tub with super hot water.  a couple minutes later, brian rushed in saying "we have a problem" in a very calm, measured voice.

this, i learned, is also his panic voice.

noted: when brian says theres a problem - theres a PROBLEM.

9. the defective part of the ceiling is actually from water damage and currently there was an active waterfall in the kitchen.

i jumped out of the tub and ran downstairs.  there was now a bucket collecting water and the flow had slowed to a couple drips.  since the tub had been filling for 20 minutes (10. the water pressure sucks.) and only flooded when i got in, i suspected it was the overflow part of the tub that leaking.  i stayed in the kitchen while brian confirmed and to my delight, the waterfall from the ceiling resumed.

we contacted the landlord for the 6th time and he sent some people over to assess.  by that evening, there was now a square cut out in the ceiling, a dehumidifier and three industrial fans in the kitchen.

the following day, the plumber showed up, replaced the gasket which was totally shot, and we repeated our experiment.  my job was to hold the bucket to collect the water while brian showed him what we had done the day before.  as a sidebar, i had just made tea and the electric stove was still quite hot.  i placed the bucket on the stove and smelled burning plastic and observed a fair amount of steam.  a couple seconds too late, i realized that i had slightly melted the bottom of the bucket.

11. plastic bucket melts when exposed to hot stove.

so... um, i'll take that one.  sorry stove.  sorry bucket.

the washing machine guy showed up and did a bypass action to replace the job of the door switch and pronounced the machine fixed.  apparently switching the hoses fixed the issue and brian is now a legitimate handyman.  trusting that we could replace the broken door switch, we paid the man and thanked him for his time.

that night, we decided to order food since the fans in the kitchen were loud and stressing everyone out.  we ate in the basement and at some point i glanced at the ceiling and noticed it looked a little odd but i was too tired to really make a solid mental note of it.

the next morning, bri and i were having coffee in the basement and i looked at the ceiling again and that initial picture flooded back to me.  "does the ceiling look different to you?" i asked him.  in my head, the area of concern was larger than it was the night before.  he cocked his head, got up and touched the spot (since hes over 6 feet tall, apparently he can touch the ceiling without a step ladder).

it was damp and sagging.

12.  water damage in the basement ceiling - no where near the initial waterfall in the kitchen.

i sort of blacked out and lost it for a few minutes so im not sure what was said.  but the spot was right over the brand new couch so we disassembled the sectional and moved it out of harms way and brian taped garbage bags to the floor with that trusty - still functional - plastic bucket in case the ceiling decided to cave in and create a second water feature in the basement.

i basically said eff this, and went to work completely forgetting about breakfast for probably the second time in my life.

when i returned home, there was a second square cut out of the basement ceiling and a single industrial fan.  apparently it was a slow leak from the masterbath plumbing and completely unrelated to the first water issue.

curiously, we noticed the ceiling had previously been repaired - you could see the slight step in the drywall and the slight difference in paint in that area.  same with the area in the kitchen ceiling.  im not sure if the repairs were just quick bandaids from the previous tenants or the landlord or what but it is what it is at this point.

a couple days ago, the ceilings were repaired over the course of a day in quite the dexter-like plastic sheet fashion.  ive never seen an entire room wrapped in plastic other than on the murder showtime serial killer series.  it was awesome.  you know what else is awesome?  we now have a normal ceiling and we can fully open both cabinet doors without specks of drywall falling on the stove.

ive noticed a few more issues (13. broken drawers in fridge 14. broken silverware container in dishwasher 15. broken rail on the top rack of the dishwasher 16. broken cabinet rack for the pots and pans) but if you are gentle in opening/moving things, none of these issues are a significant problem...

---

in all seriousness, i actually really like this house.  its finally feeling like home and we are fully moved in and settled in.  so, come visit!  i sort-of promise the ceiling won't fall on your head.








Wednesday, February 5, 2020

a letter and reflections of a decade

dear family and friends,

i've been trying to write this for a month.  i got distracted.  as i do.  i made a resolution to blog more.  i already failed.  but who cares?

if im being completely honest, i'm not sure where the past 10 years and 1 month have gone.  im sure the same holds true for most of us - it feels like a lifetime and maybe a year at the same time.  where were you 10 years ago?  what was important to you?  were you happy?  how do you think you have changed?

the end of a decade begs for retrospective thinking.  i saw the standard #topnine and i love seeing a snapshot of the year my family and friends had.  social media isn't really a balanced representation of who we are as humans, but for the most part, its at least postive.  thank you for sharing your happy days with me.  feel free to share your realities too.  im here for all of it.  

as for me - 10 years ago, i was 25.  i was in veterinary school.  i was in love.  i think.  or i really wanted to be in love.  i was infatuated with the unknown.  it was a new town, new way of life, and new partner.  i wasn't going to get what i wanted in the relationship that i was in when i went away to school but i never fell out of love with that first man - at least, not for awhile.  i think that set the stage for confusing and muddled relationships for years to come.  i rushed into something new - with someone i thought would give me everything i ever wanted.

i was wrong.

but i learned a lot.

and when my future was staring me in the face - the thought of starting a family with someone i was no longer in love with - i knew what i had to do.  it took a long time to come to terms with my decision.  i did a lot of soul searching.  a lot of biking and running and soul searching.  at the end of the day, there were fundamental issues that neither of us were willing to budge on.

i decided to leave.  it was time to start over.

i did just that.  with zero regrets.  its the scariest and bravest thing i ever did.  and i did it big.  i had to change jobs and i took the opportunity to make a half-a-country-away leap of faith and move out of the state with a moving truck and my dog.  that last morning in illinois, my family and friends helped me pack up my life into a u-haul that my dad would drive across the eastern states while i followed with Jasmine in my cobalt.  dad helped me set up my new life in virginia and mom arrived a week later to put the finishing touches on making that new life beautiful.

i thrived.  i found myself again.  i found a tribe of people that supported the new me.  i kept my loved ones that were there for the hard parts - my family and a few friends - but it was hard to keep the friends that knew me as the girlfriend or wife of my ex-husband.  it was a constant reminder of him and i didn't - no, couldn't - handle it.  to those that i cared for and who cared about me - i'm sorry for shutting you out and not including you in my present life.  im sorry i fell off the planet without explanation.  i'm sorry if i hurt you or you felt i didn't care.  from the bottom of my heart, i cared.  and i still do.  and i think of you and smile.  thank you for being there for me when you were.

i don't have many regrets in the past 10 years but i have done things i wish i could take back because people were hurt.  im sorry if you were one of those people.

in this age of what feels like a whole new beginning - be it metaphorical or not - i ask myself what people will say about me when im gone.  i know that seems dark, and trust me, i don't plan on going anywhere for a very long time, but i listen to a lot of true crime (*insert lighthearted laugh*).  i want to be a person that leaves a mark and whos actions speak the most about her.

so, at the start of this - a new decade - i think the most important question we need to ask ourselves is a simple one: 

how can i make a positive impact on the world?

or better yet - and more tangible -

how can i make a positive impact on the world around me?  

actions speak louder than words.  the simple adage is so true.

i hope this year and this decade brings you happiness.  love.  laughter.  fulfillment.  in a world that sometimes seems scary but can be so beautiful - be kind to one another. 

smile.  

please share your light with me and with others.  we need more light in this world.

share your triumphs.  own them.  remember how awesome you are.

be proud of YOU.  did you win an award?  high five!  did you get out of bed?  high five!  each day doesn't have to be worthy of a parade, but if you feel like you accomplished something - be proud of yourself.  stop comparing youself to everyone else on social media.  don't be embarassed for being who you are.  i bought a my little pony on ebay the other day because it made me smile and reminded me of being a kid.  and because i have a job that im proud of and i made my money.  high five!  so, now its my pain cave mascot.  what random thing have you done recently that made you smile?

share your struggles if you need support.  we all struggle.  its all relative.  don't feel like your struggles are less important or less real.  

cheers.  and many, many blessings. 

xoxo,
heather

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Race Recap: Ironman Mont Tremblant - MAGIC

i love and hate double ironman years.  i love the challenge, i love the training and i love the puzzle that is an ironman race.  but sometimes... i hate the challenge, i hate the training, and i hate that ironman IS a puzzle and a balance board and that so many things have go right to have a good, if not great, day.  IM Ireland was crazy.  it was a lesson in survival and mental toughness - it wasn't a typical IM day.  but then... is there a typical IM day?

in my world, Mont Tremblant is a magical place.  i had an amazing IM day there four years ago - it was my first IM podium and first realization that kona could one day be a possibility.  it was an incredible day racing with friends and developing those friendships and being grateful for where the sport had taken my life at that point.  in the weeks, months, and years later - whenever i looked back at that weekend, it was always a happy, shiny memory and i always wondered if my brain was just manufacturing those memories into something bigger and better than they actually were.  

when i met Brian at the end of 2017 (can you believe that?!) and learned that he had signed up for IMMT, i was so excited for him and it seemed like fate.  as race day grew near and i decided to sherpa his race, i was looking forward to seeing if he would enjoy it as much as i had.  and he really did - he loved the town, he loved the race and i got to see it from a different point of view as a spectator.  i got to train on those roads in the days leading up to the race and in the days following the race (that long run following a spectated IM day is not easy!).  and i found that it was still a magical place.  

not long after we left canada last year, we decided that we wanted to return to do the race together the following year.  i had already signed up for ireland and IMMT was scheduled for 7 weeks later.  it was a few weeks closer together than i would have liked, but i couldn't pass up this opportunity to do two epic races in the span of two months.  id done it before - and id done pretty well in the 2nd race in years prior, so i threw myself back into training after i returned home from ireland.  my coach wasn't super thrilled (chattanooga was actually a smarter option) but he was supportive and encouraging nonetheless.

for the first time since i'd started triathlon, i was finally developing confidence in the bike.  i always told myself i wasn't a strong cyclist - look at who my friends are! its hard not to compare yourself - but this year, i was getting stronger and faster and having that confidence and belief in myself was making a world of difference in training.  ireland hadn't been a great representation of what i felt i was capable of and i was eager to throw down on a course that i had ridden before. 

fast forward weeks - it was finally time for another road trip to canada.  we did our usual - listened to music, listened to MURDER podcasts, ate road trip snacks, stopped at starbucks 15 times, and before we knew it (13 hours later) we were pulling into the airBNB - the same building we'd stayed in the year prior.

Tacos in Saratoga Springs

we immediately got dressed for a shakeout run and the sun had set by the time we headed out.  i wasn't feeling great - my heartrate was up, the hills were taxing, and i felt exhausted.  BLEH.  we headed out to casey's for a quick dinner and went to bed way too late, but DAMN, it was a really nice mattress and i slept like the dead.  

view of lake from shake out run (right out of transition on run course)


friday morning, we got up to go swim and i was looking forward to the COFFEE BOAT.  swimming felt fine and i did about 30 minutes - the water temp was beautiful in the low 70s and the ironman vibe was growing strong.  we met LL and Finn for coffee and crepe breakfasts and caught up on life.  bri and i headed to check-in and got to bypass the loooooong time thanks to AWA status.  check-in was done in 10 minutes and we headed to the IM merchandise tent to pick up our backpacks (meh) and spend money.  i only ended up with a new pair of goggles so i actually think thats the best i've ever done in the IM tent.

view from our balcony


COFFEE BOAT SWIM

then... MORE COFFEE

i'm not sure what to do with babies, especially when they are eating blue shaved ice

it was time for bike riding, so we got our lives together and after starting/stopping a few times to get various technologies, brakes, and saddles adjusted, we finally headed out.  we went straight to duplessis to ride the hill - and to my delight, it was not as bad as i remembered it.  about half way up, we saw a couple of dudes outside their car cheering for us.  i was so excited - i told you this was a magical place! - that complete strangers were out days before the race just to cheer on cyclists riding the hill!  turns out - it was mike teske and alan, iowan love shacker extraordinairres and i was thrilled to see them.  lets recall that teske was a major factor in me signing up for my first ironman in 2014.  we would get to share another IM experience together!  we exchanged hugs and laughs for a few minutes and bri and i left to finish our ride.  

ready to roll thanks to Liz B for the hot wheels


we ventured to the little town of tremblant (the non-ski resort area) and it was adorable!  we had a delicious charcuterie board and pizza and cokes and left full and happy.  the rest of the night passed uneventfully as we ate dinner and binged on Mindhunter season 2 (amaaaaaaazing).  we also attempted numerous times to learn the "Git up song" line dance and listened to Ed Sheeran's colab album on repeat.  i don't wanna brag but.. we're super cool. 

YUM

saturday morning involved packing transition bags, more Git up song, double and triple checking transition bags, more Ed Sheeran, and bike check-in.  we watched more Mindhunter (seriously, so good) and dined on pesto chicken pasta before heading to bed.  And maybe more Ed Sheeran.  Defnitely more Git up song.  i think we were both in a good mindset, pretty relaxed, and looking forward to the day ahead.  plus, that mattress was amazing and perfect for binging TV shows and normatec boots. 

standard pre-race rack shot

RACE MORNINIG! 
we woke up, had leftover coffee from the day before, and dined on Picky Bar Oatmeal (apple, if you're curious).  we loaded up the car with our stuff and drove to the bottom of the hill to leave the car so that we could avoid the steep uphill with our bikes many, many hours later following the race.  #protip

in transition, i struggled a bit with the pump and had to take it to the mechanic to inflate the tires.  this was an improvement from 4 years prior when i arrived to my brakes dangling from my bars and the mechanic having to do a quick repair... this was a low stress morning compared to that!  i loaded up my nutrition, checked to make sure i was in a reasonable gear and eyed the pro racks like a creep.  lionel sanders was pumping his tires and cody beals was attending to something on his bike.  the stars... they're just like us!  i didn't see sarah true, but i was giddy just seeing her bike.

im a loser.  

we headed to swim start and positioned ourselves in the spot we had last year, a stoop right outside the beachbar area.  wetsuits on, i downed a redbull i'd picked up along the way - YUM - and we headed to the water after throwing our morning clothes bag into the dump truck.  the male pros were lined up under the arch and we had front row, swim-side seats to their start.  we watched the pro men start their day and a familar pang started to rise in my chest - that panicky, chest-tightening feeling without the crippling anxiety - its the perfect state of mind in the minutes before the swim start. 

view from the stoop, putting wetsuits on

bri and i waved to teske and alan and wished them both a safe and fun day.  the pro women were now lined up at the start and brian pointed out sarah true.  i watched her for a few seconds and that panicky feeling went away.  then...

i cried.  

wait, what?

why am i SUCH A CREEP?  you know why i cried?  i don't.  but the best i can figure out is that all year long, i've watched her try... and fail... and try... and fail.  and its not even that they are failures (if you can even call them that) - its that she tries SO DAMN HARD and goes SO DAMN DEEP into the darkness just to have it slip away for reasons beyond control.  its awe-inspiring.  its gut wrenching.  its incredible.  its raw.  and ive seen this in other athletes, but with her - its in the public eye and the triathlon world has watched her try and try all year long.  but here she was on the start line again, ready to give it another go, tough and fierce.  as i watched her and the amazingly talented women in our sport - i decided to be like them.

tough as fuck and fierce as hell.  

mental state now decided - i relaxed.  i kissed brian good luck - so FREAKING proud and happy to be towing the line with this human, this man that i couldn't be more in love with at this very moment.  i hoped that we would see each other often on the course and be able to lift each others spirits and use that as motivation at different points during the long day ahea---

seriously, what is happening to me.  find me my old sarcastic, self-deprecating self because prochnow-the-sap is scaring me.  WTAF.  this isn't why you came here, is it?  well friends, you are in for an interesting ride.  

the cannon sounded again and the crowd started to move forward.  brian was a couple people ahead and as he hit the water, i focused on myself.  beep... beep... beep... GO!  

SWIM:
i ran into the water and did a sad excuse of a dolphin belly flop.  i started swimming with a few hard, strong strokes, and i was on my way.  i felt good, smooth, and enjoyed the temp and feel of the water.  it wasn't crowded (the benefit of the rolling start) and i started passing people with each stroke.  i started to pick people to draft off of, but nothing was really panning out and i ended up swimming around them.  i counted buoys - there were 13 on the way out and 14 on the way back - and i zoned out.  someone started tapping my foot and i knew they were drafting off me.  which was fine - but i got angry each time they nailed my toes with their hands - so i kicked them hard a few times and tried to zig zag around but they were persistent.  

there was a lag around the turn buoy and i thought my drafter was gone, but lo and behold, the foot tapping started again through the second turn buoy.  i always breathe to my right and i was doing a pretty good job of sighting, but out of the corner of my left eye when i lifted my head, i recognized the familiar silver sleeved wetsuit with clear swedish goggles - it was Brian!  

also, the foot tapping had stopped, and i realized that it was probably him the whole time... and that thought made me laugh because i wasn't sure if i had actually nailed him during one of my kicks.  he pulled ahead and i knew it was my turn to draft off him.  it was definintely effective - i saw a girl creeping up on me to my right but after i got into the draft zone, she quickly fell behind and we started passing more people.  legal teamwork for the win!  this was great for a short while until i realized that bri was zigzagging all over the place and i decided to pull up along side him.  we swam mostly side by side until the finish and we ran out together, laughing about the swim and feeling giddy about our time, exactly 1 hour as we stood and ran out of the water.  we chatted and jogged to transition, stripping off the wetsuits and taking advantage of the wetsuit strippers.  into T1 we went, throwing out "i love yous" and "have a great days".

he always looks good.  i look like i just got caught in a rainstorm while sprinting for the bus.
thank you finisherpix.


swim: 1:01:01

T1: 
pink BASE socks on, Specialized cycling shoes, RudyWing57 helmet with visor and it was time to ride.  no dillydallying here!  i ran out to my bike as brian ran past with his bike.  i quickly grabbed Daisy from off the rack and headed to the mount line, just steps behind him.

T1:  6:45

BIKE: 
i got into a rhythm early with the goal of keeping brian in my sight for as long as possible.  we set out on montee ryan and i settled in for the 112 mile ride.  after a short bit, i decided to pass Brian and lay down a tiny bit of power - i knew this wouldn't last but i thought i'd let him chase me for awhile. montee ryan always seems so long, but 16ish minutes later, i was at the left hand turn for the highway.  after a short out and back with a u-turn, we set out for a long haul on the open road.

the highway is quite lovely.  its a closed course and the roads are smooth.  after a handful of miles, the male pros and female pros started to fly by on their way back to town.  i concentrated on racing smart and taking in calories and nutrition.  a pretty girl in a cool gray kit (from Mexico) passed me and i upped my power a bit more to keep up with her.  Brian passed me at some point on the way out and we exchanged hellos.  45 minutes into the highway ride, i was at the turn around, just a hair behind brian with a few people separating us.

there is an uphill portion on the way back that is deceivingly long and steeper than what it looks like (it certainly doesn't feel that fast coming down it on the way out).  i rode up alongside Bri as we slowly climbed the hill, trying to spin and keep heart rate in check - and at that moment a peloton of 20 or so men flew by.  i know women draft and cheat too - but this is so typical and was so blatantly obvious on the big open road.  not too long later, brian and i had separated and i was back to keeping an eye on his back and we passed the yellow penalty tent, now full of the drafting men.  this race (more than other IM races ive done) has a solid official moto presence on the bike course and routinely nails people for drafting and other violations.  i appreciate this.

ghetto screen shot - thank you finisherpix.


very quickly, it was back to montee ryan and the first trip up duplessis.  i could still see brian but he'd gotten a little further away because of the hills.  i kept my cadence high and spun around other people mashing the pedals and standing... they would pay for that later.

the climb is not that long and there are parts with downhill sections so its not a straight climb and very do-able.  i hit the u-turn at the top just behind brian and enjoyed the first descent down duplessis.  my bike handling skills were improving and i spent a lot of the downhill in aero, zoom zoom zooming around the more cautious athletes.

just after the bottom of the hills is the turn around and i pulled up a bit behind bri and yelled at him as we turned.  our split time at the half was roughly 2:45 and i was shocked but thrilled about making good time and setting up for a very solid (PR) bike split.  the music was up and the crowd was energized as we began lap 2.  i saw some familiar faces and waved, still feeling really good and pumped to be more than halfway through the longest leg of the day.  special needs was early on montee ryan and i stopped to replenish my stores.  i exchanged bottles and refilled honey stinger gummies and continued on, spending less than 1:30 in special needs.

shortly after the turnaround, thank you Jolene!


i had lost my rabbit/Brian so i rode "alone", continuing to pass athletes and keeping HR and power in the targeted range.  not too long later, i was back on the highway but something had changed.  the winds had set in, the temperature had increased and suddenly, biking wasn't as easy as it was the first time through.  still... i rode smart and didn't fight the wind and continued the constant intake of fluids and calories.  i started to slowly approach a pair of men - one who was riding very close to the man in front of him and would swing wide as if he was going to pass but then he seemed to change his mind and tucked back in behind the other man.  after his third time of doing this, i rolled my eyes.  pass the guy or drop back, but quit messing around and sitting on his wheel.  i was close enough now to pass the pair, and i did, without exerting a lot of effort.  i continued on without a thought, riding all the way on the right side of the lane.  all of a sudden the drafting clown pulled up - on my right - and passed on the right.  it startled me because he shouldn't have been there, and it made me swing left.  thankfully, no one was to my left.

all of a sudden, a moto came up and spoke to him, but i couldn't tell if he had been tagged with a penalty.  the moto slowed and as i passed them, i acknowledged the rule breaking cyclist in front of me and told them not only was he obviouly drafting but that he was passing on the right and riding erratically.  they thanked me and rode on, but slowly.  ive never called another athletes out on course to an official, but he was riding like an ass.  we don't need more bicycle accidents in this sport.  be an advocate for safe riding and we will all have safer, happier races.

*steps down from soapbox.*

after this series of events, it was back to the turn-around and i caught a glimpse of brian again just behind me (he had briefly stopped).  i was excited to see he was back and we were "together" again.  i figured our friends and families were probably getting a kick out of seeing us crossing the timing mats within seconds of each other and that made me smile.

it was time to go back up the long hill and descend fast and aero back to montee ryan.  i was mentally gearing up for duplessis and starting to get antsy to be done with the bike and onto the run.

duplessis part two was okay.  i knew i was getting a little tired, but i took controlled the climbing and didnt burn any matches on the incline.  i wasn't sure where brian was at that point but as soon as i rounded the u-turn, he was behind me - YES!  he passed me and i tried to stay with him, taking the descent smart but enjoying the free speed with a higher cadence to keep the legs rested but fresh and ready to start the run.

at the bottom, i hit the right hand turn and transition lay before me.  i pulled up next to brian at the dismount line and we giggled like children.  we were both thrilled with our bike splits and surprised that we had done the entire race together up until that point.  we handed off our bikes to the bike catchers (thank you!) and paused to take off our bike shoes for the long, but quicker run-sans-shoes around transition.

bike: 5:38:39

run bag collected, i headed into the change area.  i don't do a lot in there - just put on shoes and sunglasses and grab my visor, bib, and handheld and head out.  i met Bri exiting the change area and  paused for sunscreen as the sun was out and it was warm.  i started to run and looked back to see what he was doing and he waved me on because he wanted to get himself situated, throw out trash, etc.

T2: 3:31

RUN:
so, i took off.  i wasn't sure what kind of run he had in him with his back issuess and i knew he wouldn't want me to wait.  i actually knew he would get mad if i waited for him.  i didn't look back as i took the first left onto the road and into the first hill.  it was go time, FUN time, and i was on pace for a solid IM PR if i could pull together a respectable run.

i had legs but i was feeling more fatigued than i had off the bike in Ireland.  crazy how different it feels when you actually bike versus playing around a course in the rain for 6 plus hours.  i started off at sub-8 pace - way too fast - but the hills in the first few miles helped to slow me down and keep HR in check.  i think LL told me i was in 5th, but i may have dreamed that when i saw her on the first hill. 

straight out of transition, BYE.

the course is delightful - it is rolling until the paved trail and there it is an out and back to transition that you repeat all over again.  by the time i hit the trail for the first time, i had settled into a pace.  i was taking in fluids and ice at the aid stations, but thankfully it felt pretty shaded for most of the trail.  i kind of knew who was running ahead of my in the age group but i couldn't know for sure.  everytime a female passed me, i looked at the left leg.  the good news was that i was't passed by tons and the ones that did were either older or younger.  one of my goals was to not get lapped by the female pros but i ended up getting lapped by carrie lester and i "held off" the rest of the female pros, including sarah true.  but - this time the lead female passed me much closer to transition so i was ahead of the game from IMMT 2015 when mary beth ellis flew by me on the trail!

thank you finisherpix


i saw Bri on my way back into town and he was running but he had fallen a bit behind.  i felt relief in seeing him and my spirits lifted as it was then that my legs started to feel a little tight.  i enjoyed the net downhill back to town and waved at the Base tent as i went by.  a couple more ups and downs and then came a short, nasty steep up to the hotel (where special needs used to be, i believe) and a hard right and quick left.  i felt the cobblestones beneath my feet and saw the finish line ahead of me.  unfortunately, i had to take the right and do it all over again!

i ran through special needs without stopping (my bag contained a 5 hour energy drink, pepto, and a tablet of ondansetron in the event of GI upset that i luckily didn't need).  whenever i get to a halfway mark, i always picture myself running downhill - as if its just going to get easier from that momet on.  its never gotten easier, but that mindset helps me when my legs are fading.

special needs proof of life... guess im not getting that 5 hour energy drink back...


and they were definitely fading.  my pace had slowed, but i was maintaining.  i had gone out in 1:53 for the first half and i just told myself i only needed to run 2:06 to be under 4 hours.  the hills were tougher the second time through and as i approached the small village before the trail, i ran up on teske.  i could see his love shacker colors from aways out and he was holding a great pace.  my pace quickened in response.  we exchanged hellos and ran side by side for a short spell.  he looked so strong, but he laughed because it was his first lap.  he told me to "go get it girl" so i ran off.  i hit the trail for the last time and focused on passing people and tried to take my mind off the hurt.

hurt locker... with TWO FEET OFF THE GROUND.  thank you finisherpix.
also... new midriff kit fashion icon... AWESOME


i looked for dogs.  i did running math.  i read spectator signs.  i tried to smile (THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN).  and the miles passed.  or rather, the kilometer markers did and those came quicker than miles so it gave me benchmarks to pass.  i loved passing the single digits and then the teens, because they didn't apply to me and made me feel like i was so close to the end.  i saw Bri again and he was walking.  he was hurting but he was still in good spirits and i knew the finish line would again be his.

ironically, the last hour seemed to pass quickly.  i kept singing "one foot in front of the other" (i actually don't know any other words to that song so it was a quick repeat over and over) and i approached the water and the low bridges.  only a mile or so to go!  i passed the base tent for the final time and dragged myself up the steep hill to the hotel.  once on top, i took the final right turn and straightened my race belt and pulled down my kit that had turned into a midriff top.  i knew my parents were watching and didn't want to look as crazed as i looked in ireland!



the split in the cobbles came quickly.  i took my left, and took in the crowd; i high fived and i smiled big as the finishing arch got closer.  the downhill finish on the red carpet is amazing and its a finish unlike any other with the lights and people up on the balcony and in the stands.  i ran up and over the finish and threw my hands up in sweet, personal victory.

FINISH!  thank you caitlin for capturing this.


i didn't know my overall time but i knew i was under 11 and thankful that i could finally check that off my list.  its been way too many low 11's - 11:05, 11:06, 11:08, 11:11, 11:13 - consistent AF but quite the plateau.

run: 3:56:32

i made my way past the food to the morning clothes pick up and retrieved my crocs (shut up, they are the best post-race shoes) and my phone.  i opened IM tracker to check on Bri and then i looked at my stats and my ranking.

the best shoes.  i'll fight you on this.


overall: 10:46:28, 5th AG

3rd-5th were separated by 5 minutes and i knew i could retrieve those minutes somewhere next time.  but it wasn't time for "what ifs" or "next times".  it was time to fucking celebrate that 19 minute course and overall IM PR.  i called my parents and relived the day with them as i slowly wandered around.  i met up with LL, Matt, and Finn in the VIP area and had a glass of wine as i had the awesome opportunity to watch brian finish from the balcony.  i met the race director and thanked him profusely for organizing what continues to be my favorite ironman.

but there was no time to waste - i made my way through the building (an escape route i perfected last year while spectating) - in order to intercept brian in the tent.  we hugged, we took pictures, and then we sat for a bit and took in the aftermath of what we had just done.  we shared our different perspectives from the day and i reveled in being able to share this with my person.

---

awards took place the following morning.  we were moving painfully slow, as expected, and met LL and Matt and Finn for - you guessed it - starbucks and more crepes.  we headed toward the tent for awards and kona allocation/roll down and grabbed a couple of seats near the stage.  as i waited for my turn to go on stage, brian caught a glimpse of talbox cox and lionel and i joked that he should go talk to talbox.  brian then nudged my arm and pointed toward the table in front of us.






sarah true was leaning over and filling out kona paperwork a few feet away.  i looked at bri and he shook his head - he couldn't believe i hadn't noticed her literally standing feet away.  after much debate, i decided to be *that girl* and talk to her.  i congratulated her on her kona slot (YAY!) and we talked about the day and I told her about ireland.  we laughed over how crazy it was over there and brian took our picture.  i was giddy.



that was the icing on the cake for my magic weekend.  i knew kona would be a long shot - suprise, no roll down - but i got to meet one of my idols and that was enough.  more than enough.  i love this sport.  i love how personal it is and how much we learn about ourselves and how far we can push ourselves - and each other.

---

thank you to brian - for being there day in, day out.  for being my training partner and real-life partner.  im so thankful to do this life with you.

thank you to my family.  your endless support and belief that i can do anything is unaparalleled.  the older i get, the more grateful i am to have had the upbringing that i had - you raised me to be a strong woman with big dreams.

thank you Drew and Crew racing - it takes trust in a coach and trust in the process to succeed.  you gave me the tools to lay the foundation and continue to provide the bricks to build me into a better athlete than i was the day before.

thank you friends - both in sport and out - you inspire me.  you make me laugh, you make me happy cry. you care, and that is more than enough.

thank you to my teams, DC tri club elite - for your continued support and believing in me through the ups and downs the past few years and BASE performance - for being an amazing presence and forging meaningful friendshps.  Thank you honey stinger, xterra, osmo, rudy project, louis garneau, district taco, xx2i, zealios, boco gear - awesome sponsors and super lucky to represent you.

and finally, thank you sarah true for lifting me up this year and for showing us that showing up everyday and working your ass off pays off.  that it pays to dig deep and when you feel like you can't any more - dig deeper.

and that you need to be a fucking force of nature.

---

with that, the bulk of the season is over.  i raced a 70.3 "for fun" a few weeks after IMMT but it wasn't one for the record books.  its time to embrace the "off season" with unstructured workouts (i.e. zwifting and listening to crime junkie on long runs) and lots of pumpkin spiced goodies.  and bloody marys. all the bloody marys.

thanks for joining me, negative 3 readers - a sincere thank you if you are still reading this - im grateful for you.  lets go play bikes or do monument runs (its been too long since i did a phallic run around the mall...)!

next up... IM St. George and IMMT (AGAIN!)