negative three followers - I'm writing a race report only 3 months after completing a race - WHO. IS. PROUD. OF. ME?
anyway... sláinte!
that's basically "cheers" in gaelic, specifically "good health". we said it many times over the course of the trip and we had so many reasons to say "cheers" and "cheers to good health" - lots of reasons to celebrate and be thankful for the time we spent on the big green island.
first of all, i have to say - i was so lucky to be part of the inaugural Ironman Ireland, Cork. i was also
after many months of planning, reading travel blogs, googling "best things to see and do in ireland", and writing itineraries for travel in pretty new notebooks with pretty new pens, it was finally time for us to leave. the training was done, i was finally feeling strong running and biking and i was excited to see what my body could do with this unknown course. my legs had finally stopped hurting all the time (still not sure what the problem was) with the help of stretching, normatec boots, consistent recovery smoothies, etc. my swimming was eh - its been a struggle to find the motivation to get in the pool this year but i knew i could muscle through the swim.
B dropped me off at the airport after a stop at southblock for acai bowls for pre-flight fueling. my flight was delayed by 40 minutes but otherwise no issues. for the first time ever, i was NOT able to sleep on the plane and instead enjoyed the plethora of films that aer lingus had to offer. i enjoyed the double meals on the flight including a tiny lemon cheesecake that was so delightful, it would follow me into my dreams.
we landed at 5:30 am ireland time (11:30 pm our time) and i was exhausted. i found my gigantically heavy bag and attempted to locate my bicycle. in retrospect, i should not have chosen the gigantically heavy bag WITHOUT WHEELS... oh well. i wandered around for awhile looking for momma p in the nearly empty baggage claim and finally i spotted a women holding an orange sign (i wasn't wearing glasses) and i assumed it was my mom so i ran to her. she had made a fantastic birthday sign (oh yea, it was now my 35th birthday in ireland time - i had forgotten) and an ironman sign on the flip side! we were here and together and it was time to start our adventure!
it even had a DINOSAUR.
this involved picking up the rental car and dropping a paycheck on rental insurance. after choking back vomit on the pricetag, we trudged toward Hertz with our bags and bike bag in tow and located our audi station wagon. we were originally supposed to get an SUV of sorts but the audi proved to be an excellent vehicle. i am now a rental car snob and will refuse to drive anything less than a beautiful audi from here on out. the man divvying up rental cars gave us clueless americans zero guidance in how to operate the vehicle. i cursed his name this was much appreciated when i attempted to drive on the opposite side of the road in a vehicle that was a mirror image of cars back home.
we loaded up the car (plenty of room for all our things) and set out on the open roads just outside of downtown dublin.
in morning rush hour.
with no sleep.
driving on the opposite side of the road. in the opposite side of the car.
friends - it. was. stressful. it was white knuckling, straining to see (SHUT UP, I WORE MY GLASSES), playing follow the leader with the car in front of me, and trying to process how to make a right hand turn. the time finally came when i was at the front of the line at the light.
it was go time.
i would have to conciously make the decision - WHICH LANE TO TURN INTO. some wire tripped in my brain and short circuited and there might have been screaming but i remember little else until we made the executive decision to find coffee immediately (mom gets me) and arrived at a parking garage in the middle of dublin.
i turned in, realized it was going to be 30 euro to park there and immediately attempted to leave while driving in reverse on the opposite side of the road. then, a car pulled up behind me and i lost my mind and wanted to cry. mom then discovered we could park hourly for 4 euro (at that point i was ready to pay the 30 euro just to stop driving) so i went right back up to where i started and discovered the parking spots are half the size of the spots in the US.
i pulled in, turned off the car, and nearly passed out. we laughed instead. "WE SURVIVED!" we exclaimed. we got out of the car and tried to lock it and it wouldn't lock. for reference, i drive a 2011 nissan rogue that i love - its the lowest, most basic version of this vehicle - i dont need those bells and whistles yo!
however, because my mom does drive a fancy car (in fact, the fanciest version of the same rogue I drive), she recognized the car was still running and that i had to push a button to turn off the car.
excuse me, what? whatever happened to those good old fashioned keys that turn on the car?
we walked out into the narrow, winding streets of dublin and had no concept of where we were. we only knew that it said "cafe" on the building outside and we stumbled in, in serious need of provisions. i had scrambled eggs and coffee and i was rejuvenated. i could drive on the opposite side of the road on no sleep in morning traffic! BRING IT ON IRELAND! I CAN DO ANYTHING!
we decided to head out of dublin as we would be back at the end of the trip. we headed in the direction of county cork where the race would be held so that we could meet up with holli, get checked in for the race, and do a little shake-out run. the town of waterford was on the way and we wanted to check out the waterford factory and all the beautiful crystal. i also wanted to try blaa bread (native to waterford) because, carbs.
once out on the open roads, i was feeling better about driving. we parked in waterford along the water and booked a spot in the tour of the factory. it was AWESOME. i highly recommend the tour. the craftsmanship was astounding and incredible - im so glad we made the decision to visit. we had our first true irish meal of the day for lunch - irish brown soda bread, seafood chowder with chips, and some sort of shredded beef on blaa bread. it was delicious. truthfully, blaa bread wasn't life changing but i officially checked it off my ireland bucket list. because, yes, my bucket list included eating bread.
we eventually made our way to youghal (pronounced y'all) and located the airbnb. as we were walking in, an adorable boy was in the yard near where we parked. we chatted with him and his mom and discovered that their names were norma and john. john was SO excited for the race on sunday and he had already met holli and judith and he knew all about us. immediately, i felt like a pro athlete the way that they were talking to us. i got all the warm and fuzzies and was so excited to get settled into our temporary new life in southern ireland.
this is john. john is the best. everyone needs a little guy like this at some point in their life.
pre-run, twins
pre-run, twins
holli and i set out for a quick 30 min shake-out run. she took me past the ironman village and through the town. it was like out of a movie. the narrow roads, the local shops, the clock tower - it was everything i had been picturing in my head for the past year. we picked up the moms back at the house and went to the village to check in. it was the most laid back check in process ever. and all the blue and yellow forms where ironman makes you sign your life away were electronic - so easy! the interesting part was that special needs bags were pre-assigned - you had to register for them ahead of time which i have never seen before. we were prepared and picked up our bags for a total of 5 gear bags, as normal.
modeling kits, twins
brag for the rest of your life, twiins
The mommas were the real heroes of the trip - #1 sherpa mommas
friday morning, we "slept in" and headed to the beach to get in a swim. momma p joined us as the designated talbot cox of the trip and we headed to swim start along the boardwalk. this walkway would later become the initial part of the run on race day. there was a smattering of people in the water. the waves were pretty calm and the water looked beautiful. holli had already warned me that the water was fairly frigid so in addition my xterra pretty purple wetsuit, i added neoprene booties and a neoprene cap to wear under my normal swim cap.
walking to the swim - also the first part of the run course boardwalk
legitimately not emotionally prepared for the cold water
me: holli, its FREAKING cold, this is crazy, my feet are frozen.
holli: dude... you're not even in the water yet.
me: oh hell, WAIT FOR ME.
this was one of the best decisions ive ever made in my life.
we waded into the water, feeling that initial shock of the cold water. in typical holli fashion, she got right into swimming. holli does life at 100%. me... eh not so much. being the temperature princess that i am - i allowed a minute or two to get used to the temperature, but lets be honest, your body doesn't adjust to this level of cold - it just proceeds to go numb. face in the water, i set off after holli. i could swim but i was highly uncomfortable. at least the waters were relatively calm and i could easily sight the yellow buoys in front of me. after what felt like a mile, i looked at my watch. it had been 2 minutes and 13 seconds since i had started my watch. oh hell.
i finally got to the buoy about 5-6 minutes later and turned around to head home. my face was numb and exhaling felt odd since my lips were frozen in place. i was swimming and it was doable but i knew i was going to be nearly frigid getting onto the bike race morning following 2.4 miles in these waters.
our plan was to immediately get on the bikes and head out for 45-60 minutes but we cozied up to the fire the mommas had started in the fireplace and warmed the feet for over an hour before finally getting on the bikes. while we warmed up, the mommas gifted us with signed copies of Mike Reilly's book - Finding My Voice - which was awesome! such a cool and thoughtful surprise. thank you Mommas!
matchy matchy Rudy helmets + "pretty okay at bikes" socks
we headed out on the bikes and tackled the infamous windmill hill first. it is the 21% quarter-ish mile hill that everyone had been talking about for months. it was steep but i had thrown an 11-32 on there (actually i definitely did not do that - Brian did) and i was so thankful for the added gear. it wasn't impossible, but i knew the second time up the hill on race day would be somewhat painful! we then headed out to the beginning of the course - the first 20-30 minutes of the bike were relatively flat (we just did an out and back) but i knew it wouldn't stay this way. we got a little taste of the uneven pavement and potholes, but nothing too significant. the roads were noticeably narrower than in the states and quite technical. by that point - still 2 days out from the race - there were already signs cheering on the ironman athletes and old bikes displayed as decorations. it was amazing, i've never seen anything like it on a course. if this were back in the states - the residents would likely be furious about the massive road closures for the closed IM bike course. but here... they were excited and the excitement was palpable and that was incredible to experience as an athlete.
by the time we arrived home, the mommas had already set out to explore, so we met them in town, shopped, and ate our way around the village. athletes were everywhere and the excitement continued to build - you could feel it in the air. we attempted a grocery store trip to get food and find disposable water bottles for the race hydration - but that proved to be quite difficult. we finally found some fat water bottles that we could jam into the bottle cages and it was mostly okay. i also had an encounter with the company that made the lemon cheesecake that i had been dreaming about - so we bought an entire lemon cheesecake, irish butter, and yogurt to go with our post-race champagne that our airbnb hosts had gifted us.
(later, when race day got hard, it would be thoughts of this cheesecake that would get me through the dark points. legit.)
must hug viszla baby... puppy kisses... pure bliss.
welcome banquet, sitting next to Mike Reilly
saturday - bike and gear check in day! we woke up and had the customary big breakfast of pancakes (premade! how delightfully easy!), eggs, sausage, and toast. we put our gear bags together and made sure our bikes were prepped for sunday and holli and i and the mommas headed over with all our gear. per the rules - we had to wear our bibs and our helmets for bike check. looking superfly with our normal clothes and helmet/visor and race bib number, we checked in the bikes and dropped off our transition bags. we did a leisurely walk back to our place but not without stopping for a bowl of fresh mini donuts - they were delicious.
the coolest.
the rest of the day is kind of a blur - we packed special needs bags and the mommas made food for dinner. we read a little, and finally it was time for bed and time to dream some Ironman dreams before the big day. there was an update online that the swim would be shortened the following day and i wondered how my day would go with my strongest leg getting altered...
Race morning:
got up at 3:45 after a surprisingly good nights sleep. we made sure we had our bottles and nutrition and packed up our gear and walked to transition. it was drizzling but not too bad. looking at the water though... i knew in my gut we would not be be swimming and frankly, as a swimmer - I WAS THRILLED. the waves were large and treacherous looking and i already knew how chilly the water was going to be. a part of me also knew that if they did have us swim, people were going to suffer greatly and possibly die. that is absolutely not an exaggeration.
i checked on miss daisy and loaded up my bottles and nutrition, and filled my tires, already feeling a bit of the chill despite dressing warmly. it was an odd transition vibe - the music wasn't pumping like it usually is, i couldn't hear mike reilly or anyone on the microphones giving their minute by minute updates and mini pep-talks. it was strangely quiet other than the buzz of athletes chatting, the whirring of expensive wheels, bicycle floor pumps - but it was still an ironman morning though the unwelcome sick-to-my-stomach feeling was wonderfully absent.
holli and i met up with the mommas and so began the long wait. we waited... and waited... and the 6 am announcement regarding the swim came and went... and we continued to wait. around 6:30, via what seemed like purely word of mouth - we learned that yes, the swim was cancelled and that we were to wait by our bikes at 7:20 and we would be escorted row by row into the tent to retrieve our T1 bags and get suited up for the bike.
once in the tent, it was a pure clusterfuck. my bag was adjacent to the pro rack and a volunteer stopped us from proceeding further because at that moment, the pros were getting dressed and had to get out of the tent since they would be starting before us. i turned around to assess the state of the rest of the tent and bumped my butt into the butt of the person behind me. Anja Ippach was bending over and putting her things into her bike bag. i had touched greatness and hoped it would bring me luck, ha! i looked over at linsey corbin (squeeeeeeeeeee) and assessed what she was wearing and decided to follow her lead of jersey, arm warmers, and vest. i had my sleeveless top on underneath the jersey for an added layer. i added a neck gaitor and woefully forgot my neoprene shoe covers, but remembered the latex gloves and wore those under a thick pair of full fingered cycling gloves.
it was then that my first flash of stupidity hit me. i had been toting around a backpack all morning (which contained my empty plastic morning clothes bag among other things) and panicked when i realized i wouldn't be able to hand it to my mom as the pros had started and the spectators were now on the other side of a gate. i squeezed back inside the tent (ILLEGALLY since they'd kicked us out to let more people in) and stuffed my backpack into my T1 bag, proceeding to rip it apart in the process. i carefully hung it back up, prayed that it would hold together for the next 12+ hours until i retrieved it, and headed toward my bike, completely overlooking the fact that i had my empty morning clothes bag that i could easily have stowed my backpack in. dumb.
i grabbed my bike and joined the growing line of athletes waiting to begin the time trial start. it was raining and i was shivering significantly and standing still in the cold was not helping. >30 minutes after waiting in line, i finally started.
BIKE:
i tried not to go out too hard and just settle into the pace, slowing bringing my heartrate up to where i wanted it. it was an odd change since normally my HR is sky high following T1. it was raining a fair amount and the roads were narrow in spots. i didn't know how hard to really push so i kept my eye on the power and kept it as steady as i could.
i recognized areas of the bike course from our adventure bike preview a couple of days before. i passed a lot of people, a lot of men passed me but not many (if any) females. i focused on taking in enough nutrition which was a challenge given the rain and being cold - its so hard to make yourself drink in those conditions! there were rolling portions of the course but any descent was hairy with standing water and hidden potholes. i started to get colder and colder but the latex gloves were actually helping - highly recommend!
before i knew it, there were less than 10 miles to go in the first loop. i wasn't going particularly fast, but i wasn't getting passed by tons of women, so i wasn't too concerned. i headed down a pretty steep descent and in the distance, i saw someone on the left side of the road waving - it took a second to register that it was holli! i veered to the left (thankfully i was already pretty far over the left since we were riding on the left side) and hopped off the bike. i saw a shredded tube in the grass and asked holli what had happened. she had a flat after hitting something in the descent and the replacement tube had subsequently exploded and the CO2 cartidge was blown. a mechanic/official was on the right side of the road waiting. i handed my spare tube to holli, then realizing i had lost 2 CO2 cartidges because of the bumpy roads and the lid of my QR box had flown off at some point in the previous 48 miles - thats how uneven the roads were. had i been the one with the flat - i would have had nothing to blow up the tube with! i asked holli if she wanted me to stay and she said "its your race friend." i said "fuck it, this day already sucks, i'll hang out with you until we make sure you're good to go." i was already in pure survival mode and wasn't having any fun so hanging out with my friend seemed like a nice break from a really shitty morning.
the mechanic/official ended up manually pumping up the tire with a hand pump and in the process, holli and i dislodged the motorcycle storage box from the back of the bike. whoops. we reattached it, holli got her wheel back on and away we went! there were a couple of ass kicking climbs that i hadn't really noticed during our course preview but i kept holli in my sight and slow grinded my way through them and made my way back to town. windmill hill was next and it was a page straight out of challenge roth or TDF - lined 2-3 deep with spectators, cowbells, signs, etc - very very cool! definitely a needed boost to get you up the hill and i made it up without too much of a struggle. from there, its all downhill to start the second looop and it was directly past our airBNB. i waved "hi" to my momma in her yellow raincoat and sped away - so happy to see her!
special needs was next and the cold was really starting to hit me. brain fog was setting in from being so cold and as i rooted through my bag, i grabbed my bottles AND LEFT ALL MY NUTRITION BEHIND. i rode away without giving it a second thought. i was visibly shivering by then and i was worried about the next few hours on two wheels, knowing exactly what lie ahead on the course. i put my head down and just focused on pedal strokes, power, heart rate - trying to think about anything else except the cold and my shaking. i had nutrition in my bottles, but its never enough and i always eat real food as well. mid-way through the loop, i started to have tunnel vision and my peripheral vision was hazy and going black. i realized that my left hand was frozen to the point that i thought i was braking when i wasnt - thank goodness i still had feeling in my right hand to control the rear brake. a little bit before the next aid station, i realized that i was seriously bonking from the lack of food. thankfully, there was an aid station close by and i hopped off my bike and grabbed some food. i stood there for a few minutes, debating about asking a volunteer for a phone to call brian or my mom. i didn't want to continue, i wanted to quit so bad because it was so damn miserable to be out there with still 20 miles to go. i drank and ate a little more and decided to get back on my bike. i soft pedaled all the way back to town, my power and heart rate ridiculously low that i wasn't even looking at the numbers at that point - i just wanted to keep the rubber side down and keep moving forward. i ended up peeing on the bike numerous times - i hate doing it but i was soaking wet and its just gotta happen - and i consciously did it the first few times. maybe its gross - but the warmth was actually welcoming. the next few times however, i had zero control over my bladder and was surprised when i realized what was happening. that was the depth of the cold and brain fog i was feeling.
windmill hill
i rode to the dismount line, got off my bike, and slowly walked it to the bike rack. i didn't run as i always do - i couldn't even keep the bike in a straight line because my hands were both non-functional at this point. it was dark and cloudy and it was still pouring rain.
T2/Run:
i ambled into the change tent, grabbed my bag... and sat. after a minute, i made an attempt to take off my shoes but i couldn't. my fingers were actually not working - it was like trying to type on a keyboard with limp noodles for fingers. i tried to unzip my vest and get the cold, wet clothes off - same issue. there were no volunteers as there are at north american races. had there been volunteers, i would have been able to get through T2, but there was no one. after 10 minutes near a heater, i finally felt the tingle and feeling started to come back. i was able to take off my top wet layers (i kept my tri shorts and sleeveless trip top on) and added a long sleeved pullover and my cycling jacket. i changed into dry socks and put on running shoes, and found handwarmers at the bottom of my bag that i stuffed into my cheap 1 dollar mittens. i donned a beanie, added a visor and i was ready to find my mom. i dressed warmly not with the intention of running, but with the intention of finding my mom and going home. the initial run course started on the boardwalk along the beach with a pretty intense headwind that nearly blew my visor off. head down, i literally gritted my teeth and groaned/moaned out loud at the wind - like, for the love of christ, the weather was just continuing to get more and more miserable.
5-6 minutes later, i saw my mom near the top of the one hill on the run course. as soon as i saw her, i broke down crying. "its okay to stop" my mom said. i told her that holli had a flat (they already knew) and i told her how miserable and scary the bike had been. "i think im going to stop" i told mom. she said "thats fine... but you're in second place by 8 minutes."
...
...
"um. okay. i guess... bye!" i said as i started to run away. i stopped crying and knew there was some work to be done. a switch had been flipped inside of me. i went from sobbing and nearly quitting to having hope dangled in front of my face. as i ran away, that was a pretty large pill to swallow - i didn't have the mindset to run - i was supposed to be on my way back to the airBNB to a nice, HOT SHOWER, not preparing for another 4 hours of exercising in the rain. i was also highly overdressed.
i channeled my friends who had raced louisville last year. i channeled my friends who had raced Boston last year. they had done it - and survived - and hell, i could too. "i can be a badass", i told myself. i then followed that up with "hell, I AM a fucking badass." i then started hearing the ironman commentator from the NBC Kona specials talking about Me. i could hear him talking about the lack of swimming being detrimental to my race, my struggle in the bike, my lack of nutrition, stopping to help holli, and putting all of that into the best run of my life. he would say, "passes like these are almost always permanent" among his other quotes that I've heard over and over again in the kona specials and those thoughts actually made me giggle out loud. i was headed straight to crazy town.
the run involved 4 out and backs - i started out WAY too fast at a sub 8 pace on the way out to the first turn around and kept trying to slow the pace. it inevitably would creep down and i'd have to make myself slow jog a few steps to relax. i was feeling pretty good and loose, no big aches and pains so i was happy with that. halfway through the first loop on the way back, i realized i was overheating. i was sweating and then getting really clammy and started to feel a little dizzy. i stopped at an aid station and frantically tried to rip off my cycling jacket to take off my long sleeved pullover. a really kind older gentleman helped me take off the wet clothes and i chucked the long sleeved shirt into the trash. my hands felt pretty warm between the gloves and the handwarmers but i couldn't get the damn zipper to zip. the volunteer tried as well and finally, i said screw it, thanked him, and ran away, my jacket flapping behind me like a sail... as it would continue to flap for the next 21 miles looking like a damn fool.
it continued to rain on the run but the frigid cold i had felt on the bike was gone. i was still cold and i was still unhappy but i wasn't so miserable that i couldn't keep moving forward. i was holding a decent pace and with each passing minute, i was doing a lot of mental running math to see if i could finally break the 4 hour barrier again. it kept my brain occupied. i looked forward to seeing my mom and getting updates on placing - at some point she said i was in third (i wasn't, but because of the time trial start, people were hitting checkpoints at different times) and said i was gaining on first place. eventually i ran my way within four minutes of the leader but i was running out of steam and my quads were getting tight. i also looked forward to seeing holli and she was looking so, so strong.
mike reilly and the female announcer (Joanna, i think?) were calling people across the finish line and during one of my passes by the finishers arch, she said "we've got a runner wearing wooly mitterns!" yep, that was me! and i was definitely not the only runner in "woolies" but maybe the only one with hot pink mittens that looked like a crazy person with an unzipped
i received my last colored bracelet at the final turnaround at transition and it was time to run my way to the finish. the headwind on the boardwalk had really picked up (oh sweet jesus) but i was at 3:45 or so into the run and i knew that sub-4 was mine, even if i chose to walk. head down, i ran into the wind and up the hill for the final time. the red carpet lie ahead and i smiled big and high fived people with my wooly mittens and crossed the line. i saw the mommas and headed to them, medal and various liquids and drinks in hand along with a silver space blanket.
thank jesus the day was over. i finished 2nd and that in itself was a true accomplishment given the events of the day. i was proud of myself for changing my mental game on the fly at the beginning of the run, for not giving up on the bike course, for stopping to give my dear friend a spare tube so she could complete the race that we spent a year looking forward to, and for putting ironman number 8 in my personal mental record book.
i called brian and relived the day to him while searching for holli. there was a serious lack of chicken broth everywhere so i sipped hot chocolate as i wandered. finally, she appeared, we took some pictures and we headed home... slowly... the post ironman legs were setting in and i was thoroughly chilled to the bone. a hot shower has NEVER felt so delightful.
we drove back to transition a little bit later and retrieved our bikes and gear and ended up attempting to find dinner at 11 pm at our local favorite restaurant. sandwiches and victory stout beer was had and we happily headed home to sleep.
awards were nice the next day, top 3 were awarded. we did the now customary wait for kona roll down and as per usual in the races that i attend, it did not roll down. 2nd AG and no KQ since I am a female racing ironmans and not a man. i get that it is proportionally allotted, but it still sucks. and it sucked to look at the final results and see that i had a faster bike and run than the first place girl by >17 minutes, but it was my 22 min frozen transition that stood between me and the KQ.
i let myself be sad for a little bit, and we ended up in cork, ireland at the titanic museum later that day which was really fun. the sting of the lack of KQ and my final results continued to rear up a few times a day... for weeks... (and every so often even now writing this a few months later)... but i had another ironman to look forward to and boy, was that a magic day...
until next time my friends and negative three followers... thank you for following along this crazy crazy ramble of mine. stay awesome!
