To here………..

1. Be kind to yourself and your body.
2. Communicate with your coaches and listen to your body (especially when it hates you)
3. REALLY enjoy yourself……Don’t just say you do
4. Look outside yourself when your inside won’t shut up
5. Set some goals for yourself that don’t have a number attached to them
6. Share in someone else’s journey
7. Make someone else’s day
8. Realize that no one cares about your finish time but you, and if they do, they really don’t care about YOU
9. If it isn’t fun……It isn’t worth it!

I promise they work!  4^th place age-group finish and a slot (not even a roll-down) to World Championships doesn’t lie.  For once in my life………..I think I’m starting to figure out this life we call TRIATHLON!

Instead of a lengthy race report…….I’ll let the photos tell the story!

Marci, Me, Sarah, and Mindy! Tattooed and ready to roll….

I will probably never get an M-Dot tattoo, but I’ll use temporary ones any chance I get

One of my favorite pics! I’m pretty sure I’m telling Debbie that I was peeing in my wetsuit…..RIGHT THEN! She doesn’t seem impressed

Boy am I one attractive swimmer….YIKES! Little water in my sleeves…..Aqauman is sending me a smaller size

If only you could hear the sound of me squeezing my brakes while making this turn….Still gotta work on that. My helmet ROCKS though!

Here is Sydney screaming her guts out for me! She said after I finished, “Wow Mommy! You run really fast!”

I haven’t seemed to have fixed the “elbow thing” when I run. Trevor we need to still work on that!

And once again I win for most awkward finish line photo! Good Grief!

Me and Craig! I beat him by a solid 3 minutes…..Score one for me! He runs me down in every other race….It’s about time

Happy girls on the podium! Of course Sarah’s was just a bit more impressive than mine with her 2nd place/2nd amateur finish….But I’ll take my 4th place age group finish!

Adam and I posing with my World Championship Qualifying paperwork! And it wasn’t a rolldown, Tony

And this is how we celebrate and recover. Family, friends, s’mores and a backyard movie!

HUGE THANK YOU to all my supporters!  It is overwhelming!  Thank you for all the love!  Special thanks to Altra Running for amazing shoes and HK Cycling for always keeping me rolling!

Sunrise over Tempe Town Lake

Ah Leadman!  Last year you about killed all of us in Las Vegas with your fierce winds and soaring temperatures.  This year you ducked down to Tempe, Arizona to dodge Mother Nature…………..Note:  Never try to dodge Mother Nature!  It does not work, usually, and she will just get her revenge, though not this weekend

The weekend of April 13th, I headed down to Tempe with friends, Amber, Laura and Sarah and, just for the heck of it, we threw Coach Heath into the mix.  St. George to Tempe is A LONG DRIVE.  Utah County, where Amber, Laura and Heath are from, to Tempe is even farther.   We had A LOT of driving ahead of us on our journey.

Trailer full of crap….Expensive crap

The trailer full of bikes and gear left Utah County on Thursday morning and headed to St. George to pick me up.  From there we drove up and over the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (of course you can’t see the darn thing unless your toes are hanging off the edge) and down to Flagstaff to pick up Sarah.

After a quick night in the Flagstaff LaQuinta Inn and Sarah’s bike nicely squeezed into the trailer, we headed south to Tempe.  Heath was a rockstar and chauffeured us ladies all around.  Good thing, because the first thing I said upon entering the vehicle in St. George was, “I’m NOT driving this car with the trailer attached!”  :)

I haven’t spent much time in Arizona and was excited for a new venue, new scenery and new athletes.  As much as I LOVE St. George and all it has to offer, there is just something about being away from your comfort zone and racing as a stranger.

Though Leadman 2012 was one of the HARDEST and races of my life, I fell in love with the LifeTime Fitness brand and the distance of this new triathlon.  Leadman boasts a 125K race:  1.7 miles of swimming, ~70 miles of cycling and ~8 miles of running.  The swim takes place in Tempe Town Lake (which is a damned river or sorts).  The bike course is a 4-loop urban jaunt.  The run is 80% trail, single-track and gravel path.  Very different from your traditional Half Ironman!  I LOVED IT!

Perplexus Anyone? We have to keep Heath busy when he’s not driving!

Going into this race, my expectations were to go out and shake off the cob-webs.  This was my first long-course attempt in 2013 and I just wanted it to be FUN, keeping with my goals for this year (2013 THE YEAR OF FUN!).  Though Ironman St. George 70.3 is only a few weeks away, neither Leadman, nor IMSG are an “A” race for me this year.  They are merely a means to a Vineman (140.6) end.

Race morning, the water temps were in the upper 60s and the water was like glass.  We dove off into the lake to the start, pleasantly surprised that we were comfortable and not cold.  After final high-fives with my favorite ladies (who were all starting in the same wave), we put our heads down and began swimming the 1.7 mile course.  My swim was nothing spectacular, but it was a good first-time out.  I loved the swim venue and the out and back, rectangular course was nice.  I found it more difficult to spot than I had anticipated with such a straight swim.  We were swimming directly into the raising morning sun (WHICH WAS GORGEOUS!) but I couldn’t see a darn bouy in front of my face.  Of course, the water isn’t crystal clear in Tempe Town Lake……nor even close to clear……but I managed along, coming out of the water in 45:29.

On to the bike……

Now let me be honest for a minute.  I love to bike!  Biking tends to be my strongest sport in a triathlon.  The Tempe course…….Was not built for me!  With 16 turns per loop (remember we do four loops), I was in for a technical challenge.  I don’t handle my bike well.  I never have.  It is laughed about.  It has been discussed at length with Coach M.  In a nutshell…..I AM A CHICKEN!  When it comes to descending and cornering, I struggle!  I was going to have to really pull up my big-girl pants on this course and make it work.

Laura and Heath eating AGAIN

In the days preceding the event, I was nervous about the bike.  I new that the course would be crowded.  Not only were there going to be 600+ Leadman athletes on this loopy course, but there would be another 600+ Sprint and Olympic distance athletes.  YIKES!  Most of the time it is not me that causes my anxiety…….IT IS OTHER PEOPLE!  I don’t know what they are going to do.  I don’t know if I can trust their handling skills.  The last thing I wanted was to be scrapped up off the side of the road because of all the turns.

Heath gave us ladies a cornering lesson in the days before the event, but I was still nervous.  To my surprise…..It was all okay.

Loop 1:  I decided to go into this course broken down by loops.  I knew that the first loop would not be as crowded since we started an hour before the Olympic distance race.  My job was to get a feel for all the turns and out and backs, so the next two loops I was ready as the traffic increased.

Each loop is 17 miles and was taking under an hour to complete.  Surprisingly, I started to feel okay.  My anxiety started to dissolve and I just went into myself.  I road my own race.  This is SO very important for me.  I do much better when I maintain MY paces and MY plan rather than someone else’s.

Lots of race prep!

Loop 2:  There was a marked increase in traffic on the second loop, but I felt ready for it.  I was actually beginning to enjoy the course.  I could break the loops into pieces and take small bites out of the 70 miles I needed to complete.  The course made it difficult to maintain speed as every time you got comfortable you had to prepare to turn (okay……I needed to prepare to turn).  I started to realize that it was hard to pass people.  I would gain on them or even pass them in between turns, but I was being DROPPED on every corner.

Loop 3:  Things were good on the third loop.  There was still a lot of traffic, but it was manageable.  I tried to be the very friendly athlete, who announced my presence and communicated with those around me.  This helped to settle my nerves as well.  As I chatted with a few athletes I realized that it was VERY APPARENT how poor my technique actually was.  At one point one lady turned to me and said, “You would be killing me right now, if you knew how to corner better!”  Ya think!  Ha!  I laughed it off.  I thought it was hilarious.  I stayed in my own head and started into the final loop.

Loop 4:  I was digging this loop course.  I knew what was coming.  I knew every bump, crack and crevice by the time we were on the 4th loop.  The traffic had almost completely cleared and just Leadman athletes were remaining on the course.  It was blissful!  My nutrition was good and I was feeling like I was riding well.  I was holding a 20 mph average, which I was ecstatic about, considering the less-than-favorable circumstances.  I couldn’t wait to get off the bike and start the run!  Bike time:  3:24:45

I LOVED THIS RUN!

Recovery Boots!

The run was the highlight of my day.  Since September, I have been STRUGGLING with a hip/hamstring/back issue with running.  I actually didn’t run for the majority of the winter until March.  It wasn’t until I started going to a local RunnerFit class that focused on running strength and technique that things started to improve.  As my technique changed and my strength increased, there was a MARKED improvement in my injury.  I was loving to run again!  I may not be at my fastest, but I am getting healthy.  This run in Tempe would be a celebration of an end to this injury.

The run course took us into the Papago-area around Tempe.  I honestly don’t know what the “Papago-area” is……but I LOVED IT!  After starting out on a traditional paved bike path, the terrain turned to a gravel path and then rocky single track that climbed into this Papago park.  I was passing people like crazy as they were walking the hills.  I was in my own joyful place in my head.  It is funny the thoughts you have when you are 5 hours into a race.  All I kept thinking was “This is awesome!’  ”I feel great!”  ”My Altra shoes are MADE for this stuff!”  Honestly, it was getting pretty funny in my head

I carried my own nutrition and water with me in my UltrAspire MBS waist pack.  I love to have control over my “stuff”.  The aid stations were awesome and I took Coke, water and ice at each one, but in between I was sucking down water like crazy…….It was getting HOT!

The daytime temps reached 92 degrees that day, so during the race it was probably in the toasty upper-80s.  I handled the heat really well.  My nutrition must have been spot on.  The entire run, I felt like I had energy and was making good progress.  I was running just over 8:00 miles and holding them steady.  I was thrilled.  Definitely not my fastest run, but considering everything……..I was content with the performance.

All the Ladies!

The only part of this course that I didn’t like was a long mile-ish stretch along a canal.  It was exposed and it seemed to go on forever.  I just kept thinking to myself that after that, I was back into single-track and on my way home.  And home I was headed.

Before too long I was back along Tempe Town Lake and headed to the finish.  Run:  1:08:26

Sarah and Heath were at the finish when I got there and it wasn’t long before Amber and Laura came along.  We were all happy to be done and ready to be out of the heat.  I ended up 2nd in my new “old lady” age group (35-39).

So fun!  Bring on IMSG 70.3!

Ryan Hall has AWESOME technique! One day so will I!

I am so grown up now that I try to learn from all my experiences  Take this silly, nagging hip/hamstring/glute “issue” I’ve been having.  Quite frankly, I’m sick of it!  It has been sticking around since Ironman 70.3 World Championships in September.  I denied it entirely through September and October. November I got serious about making it better and started Hot Yoga.  By December, I was at a loss for what more to do……….then I realized, there was PLENTY I could do.

We are so fortunate to live in Southern Utah.  We have beautiful weather almost year-round.  We live in a big enough community to have everything we need, but small enough to benefit from some spectacular services.  One of which I needed to take advantage of to help this injury heal.

Enter the Dixie Regional Medical Center’s  (our local hospital) LivWell Center…….

The LivWell Center includes the Athlete Republic Acceleration Program.  This place is the home of sport and performance training in St. George.  If you are an athlete and want to improve your performance………These are the trainers you hire! (I would LOVE to work there!).

A few months ago they started a new program called “RunnerFit”.  This program is designed by exercise physiologists and physical therapists to make runners strong and efficient.   I fit the bill.  I’m neither a strong, nor efficient runner……..especially under my current circumstances. I started the program last week.

Let’s be honest for a minute…….I’m not the kind of athlete you are going to find in the weight room.  It is not that I don’t like to strength train.  I  just always have an excuse.  I don’t have enough training time with my other sports.  I never have time to recover the soreness of a strength workout.  I’m working on changing my thinking….I need to change my thinking.

In the two weeks that I’ve been to this class (I go twice a week), I can already see HUGE benefits.  There is something about getting yourself on a state-of-the-art treadmill for an interval and then watching the replay on the television to evaluate your form.  Just when you thought you were in perfect position, heeding the trainers cues, you SEE you are CLEARLY NOT!

In just four, 1-hour sessions, I can feel myself starting to connect the necessary technique to what is really happening with my body.  THAT KIND OF INFORMATION IS INVALUABLE!  In addition to the treadmill intervals they guide you through plyometric and strength training exercises targeted to work the areas found to be weakest and most necessary in the sport of running.   This isn’t just doing some bicep curls.  These are dynamic movements that make you STRONG!

Once again, I find myself out of my box and loving it!

Coming Soon! Part Four:  Grown-Ups Eat Like a Caveman?

In November I started to attend Hot Yoga classes at Be Hot Yoga Studio here in St. George.  I was in love after the first class.  Talk about out-of-the-box…..This was so far out of my box and it felt so good to be there!  I have a dance background.  I have danced since I was 4 years old and all the way through college.  I’ve always been fairly flexible with a strong core.  With all that, yoga never appealed to me.   I figured I didn’t have time to sit and meditate.  I couldn’t waste precious energy on something that didn’t get my heart rate up and burn serious calories.  I was already flexible.  I didn’t need it.  I was COMPLETELY wrong.

I find myself  needing to apologize to all the “Yogis” in the world for the way I thought about yoga for the past……well……30-something years.  Yoga is not only one of the toughest strength workouts, but it has a way of centering its participants and bringing them to a place of clarity and relaxation……all while kicking their butts and causing  pools of sweat on those sticky mats.

Yoga is different.  It is empowering.  It is hard.  It creates strength.  Yoga has brought me a new level of understanding and acceptance of myself and my abilities.   Yoga challenged me in such a different way than I am use to being challenged.  I wasn’t the instructor.  I didn’t have the answers.  I was a student of something entirely new to me.

Recently, I’ve come to appreciate my need for more mental training.  You know…..that training that you have to draw from when things get hard…..when the forces around you threaten to take away your goals….when the demons inside your head beat on your heart to get out.  With out a mental center an athlete can only be so good…..go so far.  Yoga has given me a new lens to see myself through.  I know I will be draw from this as things get tough this season.  I need to draw from this……I don’t know if I have anything else.  I’m dedicated to continue practicing yoga as part of my regular training schedule.

Please “Yogis”……Accept my apologies

Read Part Three:  Grown-Ups Run Correctly

When we are 18 years old…….nevermind…….16 years old, we all think we have life figured out.  There can’t be a curveball out there we haven’t seen.  Yet, as we hit our 20s we realize that we haven’t even begun to live and experience life.  By 30, we are living a life we once thought was only reserved for those old enough to be our parents……. most of us are the parents.  Every curveball imaginable is thrown our way and we are suppose to handle it like a “grown-up”.  At first our 30-something-self wants to resist this growing up.  We tell ourselves we are still young.  Then one day we look at a 16 year old (or even a 20-something year old) and see that WE ARE DIFFERENT and different is a pretty good place to be.  That may not be your take on life, but it most certainly is mine right now.

I mysteriously grew up over the past few years.  I shake my head at “kids” and tell my own children to turn the television down.  I roll my eyes at the disrespect of the teenie-boppers at the park.  I remember my parent’s birthdays when I made them a cake eerily similar to the one I just blew candles out on in August.  I AM OLD!  Sure, those of you in the 50 and older group are rolling your eyes at my 30-somethingness…..It’s all I got…..bare with me  The funny thing is, I’m sort of embracing this “old”.  With this “old” comes a newfound confidence that is tough to crack.  I don’t care that my pants came from Wal-Mart.  I’ll tell you proudly where I bought them and how much they cost.  I don’t care if I’m wearing workout clothes all day long.  It suits me and my schedule, plus my husband think I look good.  I don’t have time to worry if you are judging me or not.  Quite frankly…..I’m trying hard to quiet that kind of noise around me. Here I am World…….ALL GROWN UP!

I remember this from Middle School…..at least I learned it in Middle School

This self-actualized-sort-of-place is the thing that has pulled me out of a tough (and long) off-season from triathlon.  It is like all of the sudden I find myself content to be the athlete I am RIGHT NOW.  I am the only one who matters.  What I think and feel in my head and body is good enough for me.   I do like this place!  I desperately needed this place!  I can’t wait to see what comes from being here.

I’ve been suffering from this nagging injury in my hip/hamstring/glute area of my left leg.  Instead of fighting against it, I’ve decided to completely embrace it.  I’m not denying anymore that something isn’t quite right.  I’m looking at it head-on and taking care of it right now.  I’ve grown-up enough to know that just running the training plan that I have always done (or think I “should” be doing) is not going to get me one step farther towards my 2013 goals.  What will get me there is persistence in making my body FEEL GREAT!  So I’ve stepped out of the box for 2013.  That is HUGE for me……

Read Part Two:  Grown Ups Do Yoga

It has been a LONG time since I sat down to post.  There are lots of reasons why, but the biggest reason of all was I NEEDED A BREAK (and you didn’t need to hear me rant and rave)!  Mentally, physically, spiritually……in every aspect of my triathlon and real life……I needed a break.  With 2012 being the biggest and longest season of my entire triathlon career, I found myself barely hanging on come mid-October.  Even easy days and trying to relax didn’t help.  I needed to step away.  And that is what I did………

……….But 2012 is history…………..

That being said…….I hereby dub 2013 “THE YEAR OF FUN”.  Nothing but good times.  Less stress.  Less pressure.  Less Fuss.  It’s that simple.  I’m taking the “hard” out of hard-core  It is not that I want to have an “easy” season or reduce my training.  I just want to handle it with wink and a smile.  If I learned anything in the past 12 months, it is that all we have in our lives are our memories.  Sure, life sucks sometimes……but we choose…..I choose…..how to deal with it.  When we listen to our bodies and our spirits, we can weather the storms with grace and sanity.  Ears open.  Eyes wide.  On to a fresh start!

Things are shaping up on my 2013 racing calendar.  I will continue with my coaches at HT Training, Mahogani and Heath Thurston.  This week I started teaching my High Intensity Training Indoor Cycling Class (HIT for short) with over 40 AMAZING athletes from Southern Utah.  For the next 13-weeks we will be hammering it out, whipping my out-of-shape bottom back into shape (and maybe their too)!

I’m dabbling with doing an early season Duathlon, the Road Rage Duathlon, in February here in St. George.  Between hot yoga and lots of running rest, I’m hoping to be on top of this stiff hip that keeps being such a running PAIN (pun CLEARLY intended).  I may jump onto the triathlon scene this year with Leadman 125 in Tempe, AZ in April.  Then on to Ironman St. George 70.3 in May.  All this early season racing are “B” races for me.  Just for fun.  The purpose to shake off the cobwebs and play with my friends.

I will focus my efforts this year on Vineman (full distance) in July.  I’m SO EXCITED for the chance to train for another full iron distance event again.  I had the time of my life last Spring training for Ironman St. George.  The long distance, moderate intensity training suited me so well!  I LOVED IT!  I can’t wait to be in that place again where I enjoy every workout…..well almost every workout

After Vineman I’m going to bring my focus to the St. George Marathon.  I need another stab at Boston and we all know the St. George Marathon course is the one that will tear your legs off, but give you a great chance at your qualifying time.  I will probably do some late season triathlons, such as the Utah Half (one of my yearly favorites), but my focus will be on the marathon.

Probably the most exciting news for 2013 is my partnership with Altra Running, the creators of Zero Drop Running Technology.  I will represent Altra this year as an “Altra Ambassador”.  This is a company I love, I trust and truly believe in (no shamless plug needed!).  If you haven’t heard of them, make sure to check them out.  If you have an you aren’t running in their shoes………..Send me a message.  I’ll convince you of why you need to give them a shot and also a discount code for your purchase!

So here we go 2013……….I’m excited to see what you have to offer!

It’s the off-season!  I’ve been feeling so good.  No pressure.  No Garmin.  No training plan.  Just me doing whatever floats my boat at whatever speed (typically VERY slowly) that feels good.  It has been pure bliss.  In this blissful state, I thought that it would be a mighty smart idea to sign up and run the St. George Marathon!  Of course!  Yes!  Why not?!?!  I missed last year’s race and with all my endurance from this past season I can just jump in with both feet……….and so I did……

Honestly, this whole ordeal was Sarah Jarvis’s idea.  Remind me the next time her birthday is coming up to head for the hills, hide her on Facebook and not answer ANY text messages  Sarah was turning 32 this year and the marathon fit perfectly into her birthday “celebration”.   We triathletes have really funny ways of celebrating.  Of course, I said “yes” without the slightest thought of the quad trashing I was getting myself into.  How can I pass up an opportunity like that?!

My Marathon Outfit!

Saturday morning, I stood at the dark, cool start line wearing my Zebra print shorty shorts from Salt to Saint (it’s a party right?) next to Superman (aka Heath Thurston wearing Superman boxer shorts…..with compression underneath), Sarah Jarvis (always looking like a professional athlete and making me look like a hobo) and Jess Perry (one of my most favorite people on this earth).  We were off!

Heath’s Marathon Outfit!

Being this was my 4th St. George marathon, I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on how the course is going to play out.  You go down.  You go up.  You go down, down, down, down……..you cramp and finish.  Luckily my only goal for this race was to have a FUN and finish in good shape.  I had 26 miles to just enjoy being with these lovely ladies (Heath is not a lady, but just far too quick to stay with us today.  It would be the finish line before we saw him again).  Of course, I had things prepared for our journey.  I had my UltrAspire Revolution Pak (Click here for my Product Review) that I was testing out loaded with Roctane, water and salt pills.  I had friends strategically placed on the course to offer me Coke (soda….not drug) since doing something long without Coke is just a travesty.   Mark.  Set.  Go!

Just after half-way. Tell me THAT isn’t BEAUTIFUL!

The miles kind of trotted by without too much fanfare.  The downhills of the early course felt wonderful though it did take just a bit to hit a good groove.  We were up and over Veyo Hill in a heartbeat and even got to chat with my Facebook friend Michael Richey on the way to the top.   We settled into the rollers through Dammeron Valley consistently holding a 4-hour pace.

The halfway point came and went and we began the steep descents to the City.  Sherry was there with a big smile and a can of Coke that tasted amazing!  The crowds were great.  The volunteers SUPERIOR.  The scenary……second to none.

Marathon race director’s please take an example from triathlon…..COKE IS NECESSARY!!!

As we began to close in on Mile 18, I announced to Sarah that my legs were hurting……in case she was wondering  I just had to clear the air on that point.  I could tell that she was itching to go faster and by Mile 20 she was off.  I was SO VERY happy to just maintain my pace.  I was in the middle of beautiful, blissful runner’s high.  At one point I remember almost shouting for joy about how much I LOVED RUNNING MARATHONS.  I wanted to do another Ironman…..right then and there.  I loved the pace.  I loved how my legs ached, but I was okay.  I was doing something amazing and loving every minute of it.  I loved that moment because so many times I’ve hit the wall and fallen apart……No wall today!  Others were falling apart.  It wasn’t like I wasn’t feeling it.  My legs hurt, but mentally, I was floating!  IT WAS SO COOL!  To people who say they don’t like to run…….you just haven’t run far enough yet

My good friend Paul (who is my own personal  SUPERSTAR spectator) called me and would meet me as I entered town at Diagonal……Sweet.  My runner’s high was beginning to disappear and the last 4 miles of the marathon were still ahead.  Paul was there as I made the turn and greeted me with a smile and a bike escort for a few 100 yards.  I was in familiar territory.  I was back to the Ironman Marathon.  It’s all I could think about and it helped so much.  I knew where I was going and I knew what it was going to feel like and how long it would take.  I just chugged along through those last tough miles.

Sarah, Jess and Me at the FINISH!

As I approached Mile 24ish, I came upon another friend, Judd Burkett.  Judd was out to break 4 hours and he was doing it.  I told him to stay with me and we would get him that 3:??.  I chatted with him until he probably wanted to slit my throat.  I began to pull away as we approached the final .75 miles before the finish.  I knew that I was just barely going to be breaking 4 hours and my hope was that he would stay close and meet his goal.  He did and now owns a pretty cool PR.

I turned the final corner to the finish and just enjoyed the ride.  It was strange almost.  This was the 10th time I have crossed a marathon finish line (11th if you count Ironman).  In a way it was “old hat”.  I was actually a bit emotionless, whereas, I usually shed a tear or two.  I was just kind of satisfied.  Mellow.  Peacefully done.  My legs hurt and I knew that I was going to pay DEARLY for the last 4 hours, but it was all worth it.  I felt so grateful for a body that can toe the line of an event like a marathon…….an event that most people will never complete in their entire life.  I had signed up just weeks before and because of all my experience, endurance and strength, I could just go out and enjoy a 26 mile party.  That is almost as cool as my runner’s high.

I miss Craig Coats so much!

Finisher’s medal in hand, I found Heath, Sarah and all my St. George friends.  We celebrated.  We laughed.  We limped……I limped A LOT!  By the time the other’s were ready to head home, I was on my way back to the finish line.  My dear friend LaRae and Emily were still yet to finish.  I knew they were out there battling their own marathon demons.  Injuries, blisters, emotionally spent.  I found a little shade under the balloon arch and just waited.  I had the pleasure of being next to the sweetest old women waiting for her 80-something-year-old husband running his 22nd St. George Marathon.  That brought a tear to my eye.  I looked at her and told her how much I wanted to be just like them when I grew up.  She giggled and told me how young I was (clearly, she doesn’t know my actual age)

These are the BEST friends a girl can have! Heath T, Sarah, Me, Jake, Craig, Kristie, Heath B.

Soon, Emily began running into the chute with LaRae not far behind her.  Emily was hurting and LaRae wanted nothing more than to be done.  I grabbed each of them and held them.  We cried.  They cried because it hurt and they were done.  I cried because I was so proud to be a part of something so WONDERFUL!  I dropped them off to their respective significant other and decided it was time for me to head home and sit down.

Best. Picture. EVER! So proud of these strong ladies!

The post-race party continued at home with friends and icecream for Sarah’s birthday!  It was the BEST way to end the day!  News of friend’s marathon times and experiences kept trickling in by text message and Facebook.  Everyone had made it.  Some with PRs.  Some with better races waiting in 2013.  Judd made his sub-4.  My neighbors found their first finish line.  Heath’s legs almost exploded.  Jess continues to be my running hero with a Boston Qualifying time.  I WAS SO SORE THAT I COULD HARDLY STAND IT……Sarah was not

I think these guys are pretty proud of these ladies as well.

The next morning was awful…..the past three days have been awful.  It was my first post-marathon since I’ve been this sore (I was NOT properly trained for this race).  My legs hurt so badly that I was grumpy.  Ibuprofen wasn’t touching the pain.  I took ice baths and hot baths.  I went for bike rides and sat perfectly still.  Nothing calmed the revenge my body was having for my 26 mile party.  Finally on Wednesday and after a great massage, I got out of bed without falling to the floor or needing support.  I’m still sore and have plenty of recovery in front of me……..but it’s the off-season.  What else do I have to do……………..

I had the opportunity to test out the UltrAspire Revolution Pak during a photo shoot back in September and since then have been itching to give it a “real” test during the St. George Marathon.  I did just that this past weekend.

During the photo shoot, the first thing I thought upon seeing this pak was “no way”…..I’m not running in that.  Way too big.  Can’t be comfortable. I WAS VERY WRONG!  I slipped on the lightweight pak and was shocked as it basically disappeared on my body.  The shoulder straps are constructed of super light, well-ventilated mesh.  It sat on my tank top in the perfect position without any worry about chaffing on my neck.

On the front of the pack there is a zip pocket on the left side, a drawstring pouch and waterproof smaller pouch on the right.  The zip pocket was perfect for my set of headphones and IPhone 4.  The drawstring held six packs of GU Roctane easily and I had a nice handful of salt pills in the magnetic pouch.

The rear of the pak is all about hydration and storage.  The Revolution allows you to carry one full-sized bottle with the option of an additional bladder and hose.  If you didn’t want the bladder, the back large pouch would be perfect for lightweight gear or additional fuel.  For the marathon, I chose only the full-sized bottle as I was always close to an aid station.  The bladder would be an excellent addition for long, unsupported training.  First seeing the bottle system, I again, was a bit surprised at how easily the bottle slipped in and out just under my right arm.  It was single-handed in and out and when it was in, I couldn’t even tell it was there.

Having always been a Fuel Belt owner, I was impressed.  I’ve never really liked having a belt around my mid-section.  With my shape, anything around my waist always ends up inches above my belly button which looks and feels awkward.  With the Revolution Pak, I found it sitting perfectly still.  No bouncing.  No squeezing.  I LOVED IT!  There were straps to adjust the first on both sides and in the center across the chest.  I really never thought I would love a pak…..but I do!

Temperatures during the marathon reached into the 80s and I never once felt “hot” with the pak on.  I actually hardly noticed it was there.

The only complaint I had was the front closure system.  It is a hook and eye system which was secure and solid.  The adjustment strap however, seemed to slip too often and I was continually needing to readjust for the appropriate tension to keep the pak solid on my back.  When the tension was right, I was super comfortable.  When it wasn’t it started to feel a bit sloppy.  I’m not worried about this problem, as UltrAspire is always testing and tweeking their products.

The Revolution Pack gets two-thumbs up from me.  It is definitely going to be my go-to training and racing hydration system for longer events and races.

*I am NOT sponsored by UltrAspire or their affiliates.  I’ve always been impressed by their company and the people who design their products.  UltrAspire is a local Utah company who deserves a look by runners everywhere.

Our Salt to Saint Relay Team minus one. Lyle, Paul, Cherie, Colleen, Anji, and Ryan (missing Taylor)

I’ve decided to appropriately write this post I must be comfortably sitting outside in the dark of the night under the moon.  That helps bring back all those memories of last weekend and riding 430+ miles across the State of Utah with a group of 6 AWESOME friends.

A few months back my good friend Paul offered me a spot on the STG News Bike Relay team.  The event date was after World Championships and I knew I would need something fun to look forward to after a very hard season.  I was in!  Our team was slated to be an 8 man (and lady) team who would ride from Salt Lake City to St. George in just over 24 hours.  The team was filled with other athletes who I had the pleasure of getting to know over the last few years and was SUPER excited.

I’ve always been a bit hesitant when it came to 24 hour relays.  I REALLY LIKE MY SLEEP!  It has been ages since I have stayed up all night long and my recollection is still very clear as to how crappy I felt afterwards.  I actually believe I swore never to do it again!  I figured it was my time to be baptized into the relay and what a better opportunity.

Preparation for this kind of adventure is a bit insane.  Running relays are one thing.  Biking is an entirely different ball game.  We had to find a way to transport not only 7 of us across the State, but all our bike gear and the gear to fix our bike gear in case it broke.  That is really no easy task.  Since we have a small box trailer at home, I offered that up.  UltrAspire (the makers of AMAZING hydration gear) came through for us letting us use their Excursion.  We were set………..hardly…..

There’s Adam wedged in the trailer trying to get all those bikes in place!

The night before our trek North to the start we realized the trailer wasn’t quite as large as it has seemed sitting in the driveway.  It was going to be quite a squeeze fitting 7 bikes inside.  We did it with Paul’s poor brand new Blue triathlon bike dangling from the ceiling with the rest of the front wheels.  Luckily we made it sort of unscathed.

We met as a group at the finish line in St. George to load up and head out on Thursday.  We were slatted to start at the state capitol in Salt Lake City at 10:00 a.m. the next morning.  We drove to our teammate Taylor’s house in Springville where we would stay the night.  It was clear in this 4 hour trip that we were in for the time of our lives.  Lyle had a story for EVERY topic under the sun.  The man has more life experiences in his little finger than I do in my entire body.  Not only does he have stories, but he tells them in such a way that I actually believe my abs were sore from laughing so hard.  Anji and Ryan are married and both have laid back personalities with plenty of stories of their own.  Let’s just put it this way…….Anji can neuter small dogs with her bike and Ryan may have some dark secrets.  Paul is one of my very good friends and knows how to keep the party rolling, he wasn’t feeling on the top of his game, but my abs hurt enough from laughing……had he been “on”…….I would have been in trouble!  Cherie is the master of the one liner.  She can place those one liners so appropriately that you almost miss them if you don’t pay attention.  She was our driver extraordinaire since she works for UltrAspire and we were in their vehicle  Let me just tell you…..She’s got mad trailer driving skills  By the time we picked up Taylor, I wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to hold his own in this group.  Alas, he rose to the occasion and was the Taylor we all know and love who doesn’t pass up an opportunity for comedy.  As you can see………There was nothing but fun to be had!

The Rig!

Since we knew we weren’t going to be the fastest team out on the road we decided to be the most…….colorful  We themed ourselves around “The Zoo” and animal print designs.  I’m just going to let the pictures tell the stories on this one.  Really, what can be said when you see three men walking around in animal print leotards, vests and arm sleeves.  Priceless I tell ya…..just priceless.  The ladies went for a more colorful, edgy approach with strategically placed lingerie over bike shorts and torn fluorescent tights.  We were a ZOO and we were a sight to behold.  I used my crafting skills (or lack thereof) to create animal print cat ears and Zebra tails for each team member.  The pieces coordinated so well with the rest of our attire.  The best part about our outfits………WE WERE THE ONLY TEAM WHO DRESSED UP!  Yup!  Apparently bike relays are NOT like running relays.  People don’t dress up.  They wear team jerseys and traditional gear.  Ha!  I’m just so glad we know how to lighten up a stuffy group

The Ladies!

The relay itself is comprised of 26 legs of distances ranging from 13-23 miles.  We would each rotate through the legs, sometimes riding with a partner, sometimes riding solo.  The later in the night it became, the more solo riding occurred.

I rode 5 legs of the course (I think….).

One of these teams is not like the others

My Leg #1:

My first leg I rode with Lyle and it took us out of Salt Lake County and into Utah County.  It happened to be the 2nd leg of the course.  In order to get over the “Point of the Mountain” to Utah County we would have to climb Traverse Mountain to Suncrest (anyone from Utah or Salt Lake County know what I’m talking about).  I have heard about this climb millions of times.  I knew it was steep, but had never seen it for myself.  I volunteered for the climb since no one else other than Lyle was jumping out of their chairs for the opportunity.  Lyle and I took off under the Fall Colors blanketing the Wasatch Range and began to climb.  Oh did we climb!  When I turned the corner and looked up and saw the Traverse climb I couldn’t believe my eyes.  There were motorhomes barely moving towards the summit.  Holy Cow!  This was a big one.

I had decided to ride my triathlon bike for the weekend because I knew most of the course was not steep and I would benefit from my tri bike position and comfort……..except for one this climb.  IT WAS SO STEEP!  I cursed my gears and wished for just a few more to help lighten the load.  I had to just put my head down into the downhill wind and climb.  The climb is roughly 3 miles long and it is probably one of the steepest climbs I’ve done (for sure on my tri bike).  I was so glad to get to the top and start to descend that I didn’t even think to take a picture of the BEAUTIFUL fall leaves!!!!!  They were absolutely gorgeous up there, but you will just have to take my word for it.

Oh Lyle! You made leopard leotard look so good!

When I finished this 17 mile leg, I felt great!  I hadn’t worn my Garmin.  I hadn’t worried about my climb.  I was just out there riding my bike and loving every minute of it.  It was then that I settled into my off-season  At the end of that leg, I realized that I really did love to ride.  I loved going up…..I still didn’t particularly love going down……but I loved being on my bike!  It’s been a long time since I felt that way and I have my awesome team and this great adventure to thank for it.  What was even better, is that there was more great riding to come.

My 2nd Leg:

I got to ride my second leg from Elberts to Nephi with Ryan.  This was a road and area I was completely unfamiliar with.  It wound up out of Goshen into a canyon that made me feel like I was back in St. George on the early parts of the Veyo loop.  I LOVED it!  Ryan and I worked together on the rolling hills until finally hitting the flats and a good stiff headwind for the final miles into Nephi.

Cherie and Anji AND their ears!

While fighting the wind I saw another rider who I had seen on my previous leg.  How strange that we are on the same leg again?  Not really……I found out he was a solo rider.  Out there covering the entire 430+ miles course ALL BY HIMSELF.  He was from Germany and was in the States for a vacation.  I want THAT kind of vacation.  I had a bit of a hard time understanding his broken English so we didn’t talk, we just worked together.  He was a great guy and such a GREAT rider.  I was glad to have him out there not only to work the headwind, but also to inspire me!  VERY COOL!

My 3rd Leg:

By my third leg, night had fallen.  This would be my first time ever riding in the complete darkness.  Taylor and I were on for the ride from Salina to Richfield…….about 20 miles.  I didn’t really know much about the course and didn’t really care.  I was just excited to be on the bike again.  This would turn out to be one SWEET ride!

Me and Lyle rocking Leg #2

Taylor is such a strong rider and I was excited to be able to ride together.  We suited up with all our reflective gear and lighting and were off into the darkness.  As my eyes adjusted I got more comfortable.  I had been worried about animals and such jumping out in front of us, but it just seemed to be us and the white line.  There was a bit of traffic still out since it was fairly early in the night and that seemed to make it harder to see.  The more light that hit my eyes, the more blind I became.  Note to drivers……please dim your lights when you see cyclists……if you don’t, you might as well just blind fold them

I settled into this leg well and felt strong.  I was hesitant to be in my aero bars because of the dark, but finally warmed up to the idea as I got more comfortable.  Taylor and I were cruising.  I still don’t know what the profile of the ride looked like, I just know we rode well.  I would shift when I felt like I needed to shift, I wouldn’t when I didn’t need to.  Taken the sense of sight essential out of the equation made the riding very intuitive.  I had to trust what my legs were telling me……not what the road ahead seemed to be dictating.  It was VERY cool!  I seemed to let go of everything in my head.  For the first time in a VERY long time…..I was just riding…..I WAS LOVING IT!

My 4th Leg:

The fourth leg I rode will be a lasting memory for many reasons.  I got to ride with Paul on this leg.  We were to ride a double (two legs at once) from Circleville to Panguitch…..approximately 34 miles.  Paul and I rarely get to ride together and I had made him promise me that we would have at least one leg on this adventure together.  This would be it.  It was about 3:00 a.m. and pitch black.  There was little if any traffic……mostly just other race vehicles.  It was getting cooler so we suited up and lit up.  We were off and rolling into the darkness.

Crazy eyes in the middle of the night!

It was an AMAZINGLY beautiful night.  It was a Lake Powell kind of night.  If you’ve never been to Lake Powell on a summer’s night……let me explain.  It was one of those cloudless nights when you look up and the ENTIRE sky is filled with more stars than you’ve ever seen in your life up to that point.  You actually didn’t know the sky could look like that.  The constellations you are use to finding are impossible to find because there are so many other stars covering their outline.  The milky way is so close…..you realize why it is actually called the milky way as it streams across the sky.  There was not a light for miles that would obscure our view of this sky.  It was breathtaking………….I was experiencing a little piece of heaven.

Sadly, Paul was just getting over a cold and had not been feeling in tip top shape.  He was such a trooper to be out there in the first place.  It was kind of a blessing though because we got to just ride nice and easy and enjoy that night.

Turn off the LIGHT!!!! Sleep is elusive, but we tried…..

As the first part of the leg climbed out of Circleville it started to really cool down.  We stopped for a quick snack and upon starting again it was DOWN RIGHT COLD………FREEZING!  I couldn’t feel my hands, my feet, nor my chin.  My teeth were chattering and the wind from our speed just made it worse.  I can honestly say that as we approached the half-way point of our 34 mile ride, I was colder than I have ever been on my bike.  Temperatures could not have been above 40 degrees and it was pitch black……there was no sun to warm us up.  I wasn’t dressed appropriately and if I was going to continue I was going to need a few more layers……PRONTO!

We figured that our vehicle would stop at the next leg exchange just to check on us.  We forgot that they needed gas and had to get to the next town (the end of the 2nd leg) in order to make that happen.  Paul and I rolled into the exchange point and stopped.  We couldn’t continue.  We were just too cold.  I was shaking so bad I didn’t think I could keep my bike upright.  When we realized our vehicle wasn’t there we didn’t have another choice other than to just wait.  We were lucky to get a call through to the vehicle and they were about 20 min. away from us.

Paul suggested we find another team and ask them to sit in their vehicle just to warm up for a minute.  What a great idea?  Thanks to the kindness of a team from Ogden we warmed up for a few minutes.  Unfortunately, we had to kick two of their team members out of the car just to sit down.  We stayed for about 10 minutes and then let them on their way.  It seemed like forever before I vehicle got back to us.  We walked up the road, jogged in place…….did anything we could to just stay a little bit warm.  I have never shivered so bad as at that moment.  Grateful our team was quick to find us and once again we were warming up inside.

Anji and Cherie taking us to the FINISH!

There was no way Paul and I could continue the second of our 2 legs without more clothes and a few minutes to stave off the hypothermia that I’m sure was setting in.  Taylor suited up and took off instead.  He should be sainted for his actions.  Not only did he have to ride in those freezing temps, but his light stopped working and he was in the dark for the majority of the way.

Note to self:  When riding at night………carry extra clothing!

My 5th Leg:

The last leg I got to ride will go down as some of my favorite miles EVER!  The sun was just barely starting to break the horizon when I took off up the hill out of Carmel Junction for Kanab.  I had a long 2 mile climb ahead of me and then a descent into town.  The hill was just about perfect (I LOVE TO CLIMB!) other than the fact that I was WAY over dressed due to Leg 4′s experiences and had to shed more than half my clothes just 10 minutes into the climb.

As I crested to the 6000 foot summit the sun had broken the horizon and I didn’t need my light anymore.  I clicked it off and started down this AMAZING descent.  If you know me at all, you know that I would much rather go up than down on my bike.  Down is scary.  I feel very out of control and don’t trust my handling skills.  Fortunately, this hill was made for me.  No sharp turns.  A wide shoulder.  No traffic.  No crazy pitches to the road.  I was FLYING!  Literally……I felt like I was flying.  It was some of the smoothest riding I’ve experienced.  This leg sealed the deal………I LOVED BIKING ONCE AGAIN!

And we are DONE! Team STG News!

I sailed into Kanab with a smile on my face.  Not only was I done with all my legs for the relay, but I just reignited the spark in my head.  My body felt so good.  For once, NOTHING hurt.  Nothing was hard.  I was just doing what I loved.

***********

It is hard to recall the entire experience of this relay because it just went on and on and on.  Let’s just say there were a lot of laughs, no sleep, amazing riding, and GREAT FRIENDS!  You learn a lot about yourself and the people you are with when you are in a car laying all over each other for 24+ hours.  It’s a GREAT thing.  As I sit here with all these memories fresh in my head I’m sad that they are now memories.  I want to go again!  Right now.  Strap on the lights.  Let’s go ride!

Huge shout out to the sponsors of our team:  STG News, UltrAspire, and HK Cycling.  You guys made the ride that much more AWESOME!

en·dure

[en-door, -dyoor] Show IPA verb, en·dured,en·dur·ing.

verb (used with object)

1. to hold out against; sustain without impairment or yielding; undergo
2. to bear without resistance or with patience; tolerate
3. to admit of; allow; bear verb (used without object)
4. to continue to exist; last
5. to support adverse force or influence of any kind; suffer without yielding; suffer patiently
6. to have or gain continued or lasting acknowledgment or recognition, as of worth, merit or greatness

WELCOME TO LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas is known for its glitz and glimmer……heat and hangovers.  Vegas rarely disappoints those who visit. It’s a crazy city that rarely sleeps and likes to keep plenty of secrets.  Ironman World Championships 70.3 moved into town in 2011 adding a little bit of “Vegas” to one of the most challenging events in triathlon.  WTC (World Triathlon Corporation who owns all things Ironman) must have kept good secrets last year and forgot to tell the 1800+ participants in this year’s event how brutally tough this course and conditions were last year.  I was a spectator last year…..I really should have known better.

Sydney making her “cheering poster”!

I qualified to race World Championships at a prior 70.3 race in Lake Stevens, Washington.  (Click here for race report)  Since then, I’ve struggled.  Mentally I have had a very long season and it was a bit daunting to build for another major race.  The mental fog began to lift in early August and I was good to go and started to really find the excitement of actually being able to toe the line at a World Championship event! World Championships……..That means the BEST triathletes in the WORLD!  Pretty awesome!

My little family, Adam’s parents, and my parent’s all joined us in Vegas for the festivities.  The race anxiety was in full swing and I was SO HAPPY to see my good friend Sarah Jarvis who would also be racing.  She is a blast to hang out with at races.  She gets me.  I get her.  We are quirky and crazy when it comes to pre and post race “activities” and are just two peas in a pod in these situations.

Outdoor Expo….Temperature 104

The Expo was just right down the street from the hotel and it was HOT, HOT, HOT!!!!!  Seriously, Vegas in September is really not a pleasant place.  In the days preceding the race it was well into the low 100s and EVERYTHING for this race was outdoors.  There are many very nice places that have air conditioning in Las Vegas……..we didn’t have the pleasure of using any of those for the race   I was dehydrated and needing to supplement electrolytes just to get through packet pick-up and gear check.

Lake Las Vegas Start! Doesn’t get much more perfect than this……minus the 83 degree, murky water

HAVE YOU EVER SWAM IN PEE?

Being at a World Championships Event is SO VERY COOL!  Everything is on a grand scale.  You realize very quickly you are not experiencing some small local race.  You are on the world stage and it shows.  I love the swim venue for this race.  It takes place in Lake Las Vegas, a beautiful, out-of-the-way resort “town”. Spectators get awesome views of the multi-wave start and the backdrop is just AMAZING!

Sarah and I were competing in the same age group (Female 30-34) and our start time was slated for 7:05……35 minutes after the actual pro start of 6:30.  The only drawback with such a huge race is that things take A REALLY LONG time.  With transition closing at 6:00 a.m, we would have a solid hour of just standing around in our swim skins waiting.  Not the most fun.  The goal is just to conserve as much energy as possible.  It was perfect to be with Sarah.  We were low-key and just kept to ourselves.  I really didn’t get nervous until about 6:45 when my stomach started to flip-flop  We spotted Coach Heath and Coach Mahogani along with fellow athletes Tony and Matt cheering us on at the swim start.  It was so good to see them!

Purple Cap Wave Females 30-34

Our toes hit the water and the fact that the water temperature was 83 degrees started to sink in……literally. There was no chill-factor to the water.  It was just warm.  Pleasantly warm.  Not a good thing when you are about to push yourself to swim over a mile as quickly as possible.  I get hot during hard workouts in an 80 degree indoor pool.  We had to wade in the water for another 10 minutes at least.  No wetsuit to help us there. This was a swim skin only race.

We had a fairly large wave of about 120 women in our age group.  Last year Sarah found that this was an aggressive group of ladies in the water, so I braced myself for impact and a very fast start.  I got off the line well and was comfortably in my own bubble by the second buoy.  With the rectangular swim the traffic wasn’t bad at all.  We did start to catch up to other waves who had started before us, but for the most part I was feeling like I was swimming pretty well………other than the fact that I was melting!!!!  IT WAS SO HOT!  My head was on fire.  Usually the swim provides you with cooler temps that you warm into by the time you finish.  Not here.  It was hot and the water was dingy.  There were quite a few times I grabbed something in my hands and just quickly shook it off not wanting to even know what it was.  There was no visibility in the water.

I exited the water in just under 35:00.  I was happy with that considering that in a skin suit race just 2 weeks before I was knocking on the 40 min door…….clearly, I was tired 2 weeks ago and today was a bit better.  Not my best swim, but not bad either.

Swim Time:  34:52
T1:  4:04

HILLS, HEAT & NO RELIEF

I really like the bike course for this event as well.  It takes place out along the shores of Lake Mead and then moves into downtown Henderson.  Lake Mead is a nicely paved road with lots and lots of rolling hills.  Not the Lake Stevens rolling hills I experienced in July, but the rolling hills that I’m use to.  I REALLY WANTED TO HAVE A GOOD BIKE.

That’s a BEAUTIFUL site!

T1 is SUPER LONG.  You exit the water on one side of the lake and have to run all the way to the other side to get to your bike.  Once you have retrieved all your bike gear it is up a steep hill to the bike mounting line. From there you have a steady incline out of Lake Las Vegas.  My heart rate went through the roof.  SUPER HIGH! When I looked at the upper 170s blinking on my watch I was flabbergasted (isn’t that a great word?).  I figured I would settle in a the top of the hill when we descended into Lake Mead.

I was being passed like I was standing still…………….This was my first indication that this bike ride was not going to be what I expected.

I began to take my nutrition as planned and was really trying to monitor my electrolytes since it was so hot. The outside temperature when we hit the water was 87 degrees……..it was just going to get hotter.

“The Princess” (as Tony would call me) exiting T1

On the bike I felt like I was in an oven.  I WAS HOT!  Usually on the bike, you are fairly comfortable with the wind in your face and the moisture of your own sweat.  No such luck.  I was taking in tons of water and my planned nutrition…….but I was still off.  My legs had no power.  I continued to be passed by more and more people.  I knew I was riding with some GREAT athletes, but I’m a biker.  I can do this.  I’m familiar with this course and was ready to ride.  My legs weren’t coming to play.  After the turn around I really tried to enjoy the beautiful course, but the moments of feeling good were fleeting and I would once again be talking to myself about what the problem was.

I ran out of all fluids just outside of the final aid station.  I had to ride about 5 miles before I could get water.  I needed water.  That aid station just couldn’t come fast enough and I couldn’t ride fast enough to get there.  As I approached the aid station, I had to throw two of my VERY FAVORITE Camelback water bottles and take two pop top water bottles just to get me to T2.  I was not going to take the chance of running out of water again.  As we climbed out of Lake Mead, my left quad started threatening to cramp……..I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE CRAMPED ON THE BIKE………What was going on with me?!?!?!?

In for a LONG ride…..

The final 10 miles or so into Henderson and T2 are a gradual hill.  My average speed continued to plummet and I was hotter than if I was standing on the surface of the sun……I actually wondered if I was standing on the surface of the sun.  As I approached the final miles I saw Heath and Mahogani and just shook my head and told them, “I’m dying!”  All I could think was about the run……

I had two thoughts…….
1)  I’m going to have a great run because my bike legs didn’t show up so I should be in good shape to run….
2)  It is going to be A VERY long half marathon…

I was really hoping for Option 1.

Bike Time:  3:07:03
T2:  1:52

WHEN THINGS GO BAD……REALLY BAD

Within the first few 100 feet of this half marathon I knew that the rest of this race would not be what I wanted.  It is hard to explain what I was feeling.  I wasn’t overly tired.  I didn’t feel like my nutrition was crappy.  It was that continued feeling that there was nothing in my body to give.  I was running, but the resulting average speed was unbelievable to me.  I was lucky to hit a 9:00 mile.

Holy crap I’m dying…..

This run course is HARD.  It consists of a triple loop where you go down 1 mile, up 2 miles and down 1 mile. Nothing flat.  It is one way or another, repeated over and over again.  I was so excited for this course. I had visualized myself working hard for the uphills and then flying on the downhills.  I was prepared to dig deep to finish, I just didn’t realize HOW deep that was going to have to be.

I was mad and disappointed the first loop.  I had accepted my fate on the second loop.  I just wanted to be done by the third loop.  I would not have made it through this race without MY SPECTATORS.  Holy moly!  Once again, my friends and family (who I won’t name for fear of missing someone VERY important) were out there cheering and encouraging me the entire way.  I saw SO MANY familiar faces who seeing the pain and distress on my face and body lifted my spirits to continue on.  As racers a lot of times we don’t look like we are paying any attention, but believe me WE ARE.  We here every clap.  We feel every cheer.  We want to work harder for you.  We look to you to carry us through.  I was a ROCKSTAR out there to my friends and family………at least, that is the way they made me feel.  Thank you in this situation just isn’t appropriate.  There are no words of gratitude that can be expressed.

Super rag-head supporters…..I was hot, but I can’t imagine just standing there in it WITHOUT aid stations!

I was suffering.  Coach Heath told me to get out of my head.  Find a different focus.  Someone in front of me. The sound of my feet.  Something to take the place of the disaster that was playing out in my mind.  I wanted to stop.  There were times it didn’t seem worth it anymore………..then I started to see other athletes around me suffering too.  I saw Meredith Kessler, the professional athlete, walking up that two mile hill.  I saw looks of pain, anger and agony everywhere.  It wasn’t just me out there.  This was ALL OF US battling for the same fate………THE FINISH LINE!  I had found my new focus………other athletes in need.

When I would see someone cramp, I would stop to prop them up.  When someone would be walking with their head down I would tell them “good job”.  When someone seemed to feel sick, I would ask if they needed anything and offer a salt pill or two with a swig of my water.  For some reason, this made me feel so much better.  I was back in control.  I could help.  I would run when my legs would let me run and I would walk when I couldn’t run anymore.

Subtract 40 min from that clock time…..

I FINALLY made it to the last turn around and the home stretch to the FINAL mile.  I walked the turn around and coaxed myself to run to the aid station ahead.  The aid stations had been out of Coke for miles, but that final station had some and it tasted good.  I kept running and finally took my turn running in the chute.  I hit the finish line and it was done.

Run time:  2:16:14 (OUCH!)
Finish time:  6:04:05

SUPER SUPPORTERS and super sad

THE END

I had staved off the really negative mental space for the run and it all came crashing down the moment I hit the finish line.  I stopped running and started sobbing.  Sarah appeared right in front of me and I fell into her arms.  We cried.  I cried hard.  She just hugged me.  I cried harder than I ever have at the finish line.  In my exhaustion……in my anger…….in my embarrassment over my performance…….I fell apart.  I was just so disappointed.  I had just completed the longest half ironman I’ve ever done.  Run my worst half marathon ever. The realization that my season was ending like this was crushing.

I walked out to the arms of family and friends.  It was just painful and raw.  So many people were there supporting me and pulling for me.  They had driven all that way.  I felt like I had let them down.  In contrast, Sarah had just had an amazing race, finishing 3rd in our age group (in the World mind you) and 11th amateur overall.  AMAZING!  We should be celebrating her accomplishment and not my disappointment.  Nothing made me feel better.  I just wanted to be out of the heat and not on my feet.  Sarah and I walked back into the finish line area.  The food looked disgusting other than a slice of pizza.  There were so many sweaty athletes in the food tent (which was air conditioned), I left as quickly as I entered.

My feelings after finishing would vacillate between feeling guilty for my selfishness…….to being utterly ashamed and angry about my efforts.  I just couldn’t come to grips with what had just happened.  I tried to suck it up and celebrate a season of racing and the huge accomplishments of my good friend.

Sarah and I went to the post-race banquet which was low-key and fun.  Good food.  Good friends.  Great athletes! We smiled and laughed a lot and it kept me occupied and out of my own mental space.  We topped the night off with a 1/2 gallon of Dreyers ice cream and a bedtime of almost midnight  Family and friends had all gone home and it was just us.  It was a good way to end such a hard day.

GREAT post-race food!

EPILOGUE

The next morning I woke up to a Vegas-style hangover.  I was beat.  I was glad I had packed most of my stuff the night before and after a very gluten-filled bagel and cream cheese I was in the car headed home.  It was just me and my box of tissues.  I’m not a pouter.  I don’t usually stay emotional about things for very long……..I cried almost all the way home.  I cried because I was tired.  I cried because I was mad.  I cried because I was happy such a hard season was over.  I cried because I didn’t want to hear the congratulations which I didn’t feel like I deserved.  I cried because I was being so hard on myself.

You know those moments when you are almost seeing yourself from outside of your own body.  Those moments when you hear the words coming out of your mouth or the thoughts in your head as if you are an outsider looking in. When you are saying to yourself that you are being silly and point out the err in your thinking, but you just can’t accept that truth.  You need to have your moment.  You need to suffer and endure for just a bit longer. That was my drive home.

Then a verse of one of my favorite songs came on my IPod………”you wouldn’t believe the most amazing things that can come from some terrible nights.”  That was it!  That was my perspective shift.  Yes.  This race was hard.  Really hard.  But I can take those terrible things and turn them into something amazing!

I’ve talked with my coaches and evaluated what “went wrong”.  It’s hard to find an answer to that question. It’s been a very long season for me.  It’s actually been a very long 2 years.  My body has stuck with me time and time again.  It has stepped up to the plate and been there when I needed it most.  Right now it is done.  I have robbed the bottom of the bucket one too many times in the past two months.  There is nothing left, it is time to step away for a while.

As the distance between me and the race grows, I’m filled with more and more gratitude towards myself, my husband, my friends, my family.  They put me on a pedestal that I have a very hard time putting myself on.  They don’t look at times without understanding the race.  They see me for the person who I am the hours of the day when I’m not swimming, biking or running.  Is there anything more a person can be grateful for than to be surrounded by people like that?  In Coach Mahogani’s wisdom she said this, “The people who love you, don’t ask for your time.”

So here’s to a swift kick in the butt.  I am such a blessed person and athlete.  To those who love me…….THANK YOU!  To those who just want to look at my times………YOU JUST WAIT!