Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Ironman...A year in Making.




I will start with this...Ironman wasn't difficult physically...it was mentally draining for me...not just the race but everything it took getting me there and through the race. I have had some serious personal issues and have been trying to balance the emotions of that along with the amount of training and effort an Ironman takes.

Here is how my race went....I am using the word "race" loosely! ;)
Got into Couer D'Alene around 5:15AM race morning...with my sister, Kathy (both 2 time Ironman) and Monica...her first Ironman...like mine. Last minute bike adjustments, water bottles, etc...put some more nutrition in my bento and also in my run bag. Dropped off special needs bags and headed into the village area to put on the wet suit and get ready to roll. AT that point I was beginning to freak out...
BOOOM...
the pros start and NOW I am really really nervous...
Wet Suit on...we all head down to the lake. It was a little choppy...and I am a shitty swimmer anyway so I was really getting freaked out...5 mins til go time...went to the water edge and cleaned my goggles...went straight back to the back of the pack for swim entry. I knew my plan was to go outside and try to stay away from all the masses...NOT possible...BTW! The cannon boom went and everyone was off...BUT Monica and I...we counted to 20 and made our way into the water...promising to stay with each other....headed straight into the masses...and about 200 meters in panic set it....breathing got completely out of whack...I wanted to quit...people on top of me...hitting me...pushing me...I knew it was going to happen this way BUT I was FREAKED! I rolled over onto my back...stared into the sky...and prayed to God to strike me with a lightening bolt! I waited for it...and when it didn't happen I knew I had to get thru the swim...Monica and I stayed together... we needed to...or we both might have quit. The turn around was choppy as hell and I tried to site as much as I could...we made the first loop in 49 mins and I knew then that I would make the swim cut...YES...I really am that slow of a swimmer! Second loop was even more choppy and lots of swells...I knew I was going to make it and that was the only thing pulling me thru...
made it to shore with a 1:49 swim I think...AND headed to T1.

Changed into the bike clothes...sunscreen on....and ready to roll...Quinny was ready to go...I thought...HOPPED onto my bike...and headed out on my 112 mile ride. Feeling great the first 20 miles or so....and then my inner thighS started to burn....hit the Hayden Hills and more leg issues...I ride hills...I have only felt this way once before...that was when I did my century and my air was low in my tires...Uh huh....I was having some issues...I checked the tires in the morning so I knew it wasn't that...checked my brakes and for some reason my brakes were squeezing my back tire rim....FOR about 45 miles.... I have no idea what happened...I couldn't get them to loosen up...took me like 20 mins to figure it out...and then I was off again...NOW being lapped by the pro's....which was cool as hell BTW! Started feeling better on the 2nd loop of the ride...BUT I lost about 20 mins and change and was frustrated as hell and my nutrition was jacked looking back! Need to get that figured out by next year....91 miles in I threw my chain...went to get off the bike and my seat fell off...(when they put my profile design water cage on my seat they forgot to tighten my seat back up)....THANK GOD a dude on the side of the road had wrenches and fixed it for me! His party was drinking Corona's and I have to be honest...I thought about just staying there!
I was sooooooo happy to hit t2...
AND MENTALLY I was done....

So...I hit the run...I ran about a mile and pretty much said screw this...couldn't get past the bike issues...and really had nothing to prove...HERE is where Ironman got me....I could have run. I looked for every reason to walk...and when I found my friend Cheryl...who wanted to quit...I made her my reason. We stayed together...walked the entire first half and then did the galloway method the 2nd half...I drank cola and ate potato chips...because I had no idea how much I screwed up on the bike...I could have ran...my body was saying yes...my head said HELL NO!

I (we) finished Ironman...15 hours later...I am trying to not have regrets...I learned a lot about that race and that distance. I learned a lot about me...could haves exist at every distance...I could have been 3 hours faster for sure...What's exciting...I can do it again next year and RACE my own race. Get my personal drama dealt with and move on...I still have the Ironman title...NOW to go back and feel like I really deserve it...

Today...I'm sad...cry a few tears a day...I think post Ironman is like postpartum depression...
The build up is a year in making...and it's over in less then a day...
I will never trade the experience...just going to learn and build on it.

I am an Ironman. =)
Align Right

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

SVIT Olympic Distance Triathlon

First...I haven't updated my blog for sometime...lots happening in life...lots of training for Ironman...a lot of new distances reached in the pool and on the bike! Did a century ride in headwinds for the first 50 miles and swam 4100 meters a few times....finished up strong and barfing in Boston in April just completed my first Olympic Distance Triathlon....
June 13th...represents a few things for me...good things and things that didn't last...So this day was a good day to accomplish something...
something NEW to make an anniversary...
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Got to the Tri site at lovely Lake Almaden in San Jose...I have swam there before...not exactly the purist water to mankind...met up with Tara and headed to the bike transition are where we set up our crap...invaded some dudes space...BUT didn't really care..we kinda went about our business...finally got all of our stuff set up and headed over to the marking line...WHY I didn't bring my own black sharpie...beyond my control...next time.

All marked up...put the wet suits on and we headed down to the scummy lake...Being that I am old...I got to sit in anticipation and watch all the waves go...AND also being that I am slow in the swim the only thing going through my mind now...I'M GOING TO BE THE LAST ONE OUT OF THE WATER! So...I resolve to the fact that I can't be in the top of my age group for everything...I also am feeling more calm in the water then I thought I would...because I hate the swim so much and panicking means they will pull me out, right? BUT I'm not freaked....AND then the horn sounds....7:36AM...and swimming or trying to at least...

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The swim starts....and I try to hang back and just kinda get into my thing...WELL...as you know the wave start in a swim is a mosh pit...I am being swam into, over, under...(I forgot about this from 15 yrs ago!) kicked and all I could think about was my teeth...I just wanted teeth when I got out of the water...then I started to wonder WHY the hell I was even in the water at all...and I know I am a better duathlete for sure...YEP...this was the second I wanted to quit...then I pulled it together...moved to the outside and just put my head down and swam...The swim course had many turns and was confusing...I tried to keep a few neon pink caps in my view at all times...I was also encouraged when I was passing caps from the waves that started before me....rounded the last turn and headed for shore...this felt like a long stretch...finally I hit the shore...YAY! 1500 meters DONE in the open water! I put my foot down and my left calf got a bad cramp...walked up the beach and was feeling pretty sea sick...I know...weird huh? Got to the bike transition and felt better...bike gear on and I was out of there....
(I was 32nd out of the water in my AG...LOL...I am that slow)


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Headedout on thebike...feeling happy that I didn't drown and that I finished the swim without a complete freak out...first 10 miles weren't as fast as I wanted them to be...there was a head wind and I couldn't get moving...my avg mph was probably around 17.2...then about mile 14 there was a hill that was completely understated on the course info map...I was passing lots of people in AG and lower that were way faster on the swim...so I knew I was making up for that crappy swim...Came off the back side of that hill going about 40 and stayed about 2o the rest of the bike...sorta took me that long for my legs to remember what they know how to do...hammered out the last part of the bike at a nice pace...felt awesome.... got to the transition and Tara was heading out onto her run and yells "Come and catch me..."
(Bike rank 13th..I can bike better then this!)

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Run start...was an easy transition....course was flat and I fast...could have been a faster run for me...it was hot and I didn't have any electrolyte drink on my bike..I only had water...FAIL. AND the course aid was JUST water....caught up with Tara and had a little conversation with her...then took off...knocked out my first mile around 7:10 and then sorta just got into my happy pace and stayed there...I was passing lots of people...at the 4 mile mark I picked it up a bit and just stayed focused on picking people off...
At this point I just wanted to finish around 3 hours... :)
(8th in the run...we know I am faster!)



MY RESULTS:

Place

Place

Name

Bib No

Age

Rnk

Time

Time

Rnk

Time

Time

Rnk

Time

Time

13

88

Shelly Centis

129

42

32

35:17.5

3:06.7

13

1:23:49.9

2:28.1

8

50:37.4


2:55:19.6


Had a great time...learned a lot...Next up Ironman...What the hell am I thinking?