IMTX 70.3 Race Report and Experiance

I signed up for this race just after completing Iron Star in November 2010 because I really longed for the MDot race and to feel comfortable wearing the MDot swag. In training for this race I told myself that I would do much better than I had done at Iron Star because I would know what to expect and several people told me this race was much easier. HELL to the NO. It was a whole different experience and the coarse was defiantly not easier, but I will get into this a little later.

I started my weekend on Friday when I did last minute shopping and packing and patiently awaited Logan’s arrival from the golf coarse. We headed out on the road about 1:00pm during the trip down I shared text’s with Lynn and Gena about meeting up for athlete check in and some shopping. We arrived at the hotel and were checked in around 3:00pm so I met Lynn, Leslie and Chris in the lobby and started towards the athlete tent. Just before leaving the parking lot we ran into Gena, Greg and Tammie which were all checking so we told them we would see them there. Athlete check in was very surreal for me signing the waivers and getting my IM wrist band sent chills down my back. We noticed a new wave had been added so my swim time had been moved back another 5 mins. Why they choose for the woman to go dead last is beyond me but my swim time would now be 8:35 which was 1:35 after the first men’s wave would be going off. We got to the Ironman store and I was in hog heaven I did not know which way to turn, I picked up shirt after shirt wondering which one I should get. So just to sum it up I purchased a new pair of shoes, 2 visors, a running tank, a sweatshirt, 4 t-shirts and a coffee mug. After a long day of being on our feet several of us met up for some carb loading at Mario’s.

Saturday morning I woke up and went down stairs to watch part of the sprint race. One of Vanessa’s friends was racing and she tore it up ended up on the podium with a 3rd place in AG. After the race was over Greg, Gena, Lynn Vanessa and I went over to the rv park Brandi and Philo were staying at for an OWS. We wanted to get a feel for the bay temperatures on my way in I slipped on some rocks and cut my feet and thumb on the oyster beds. Thank god for Brandi and Greg hooking me up with cleaning my wounds and helping me put on Band-Aids. After a quick shower we went back to the Ironman store for a few last looks and purchases yes I bought another shirt because I could not resist. After lunch we hit bike check in at 2:00pm and back to the room to put my feet up. Saturday ended with dinner at the hotel and getting in bed early, unfortunately it took me a while to fall asleep as nerves were kicking in keeping me awake.

Sunday morning wake up call 4:15am, I ate a banana and a piece of toast with peanut butter and had a cup of coffee. Dressed got the last bit of my stuff together and headed out to meet Lynn in the lobby, when I got to the elevator I realized I forgot my fluids for the bike so I went back to the room to get them. After getting my transition set up and checking 40 times I went back to the hotel to sit with Gena, Greg and Vanessa until time to get in my wet suit and head out to line up for wave starts. As we waited our turn to get on the deck we talked about the water looking fairly calm, I thought about my swim what I would do, where I would place myself. Before I knew it I was on deck waiting to jump in the water, I saw Mo and Jenny and wished them good luck. And then I was swimming after about 200 meters the currents picked up and I started to feel like I was in a washing machine, when I sighted I drank salt water. Several times I had gotten off coarse and had to swim back towards the buoys, I felt like puking but managed to let out burps instead. I stopped treaded water for about 30 seconds and had a talk with myself, I reminded myself I could do this swim and I would swim smart. Before I knew it could feel the carpet under my hands and knew it was time to stand up. Wetsuit stripper’s rock they had my suit off in seconds and I was running to transition. Swim 49:57

T1 4:29 I took the extra time to re-apply sun screen. I hit the bike on the way out I saw Logan and several teammates that all cheered when I went by. This was a very flat coarse but it was a windy ride out most of the time I felt as if I had a bungee cord strapped to me pulling me back. At about mile 6 I was drinking and hit a pocket of wind and lost my bike, I knew there were several ladies approaching so I shot up grabbed my bike and ran to the shoulder so I would be out of their way. I noticed a bit of blood and scraps on my elbow and knee and I could tell I had scrapped my hip and shoulder. I got back on the bike and started fighting the wind again I kept thinking I would see a medi tent so they could clean me up and send me on my way but that never happened. When I got to the turnaround I was so happy. The wind seemed to be more at my back and I was able to pedal harder and faster; my second bike split was 12:30 faster than the first one. When I made the final turn again my teammates were there cheering me on and my dad snapped a picture. Bike 3:36:52

T2 3:38 took me a minute to get my running legs back but once I left transition I was feeling better, so I thought. Before I hit mile 1 I could feel the pain coming from me knee where I had hit the pavement from my bike wreck, oh and the bottoms of my feet felt like they were on fire from the scraps and cuts I had from the oyster beds. On the first loop at each aid station I took water on the head, water and Gatorade to drink. On my second loop my stomach started feeling queasy and I realized I could not do any more Gatorade. I tried Pepsi but it was hot. I ran when I could and walked when I felt like I could not run and it seemed I walked a lot. I made deals with myself run for 5 mins or run for 2 mins. Minute after minute and mile after mile I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face and my fists in the air. Run 2:41:07

Total time 7:16:03 I hoped to better in this race than my previous 70.3 but it does not always happen that way.

Did I love it? Yes. But I am going to enjoy doing some shorter distances. I will never under estimate another coarse again because you never know what race day has in store for you.