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.
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.
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.
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".
swim: 1:01:01
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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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!)
