IMWC continued

Dropping off the bike, the day before the race.



The thing about vacation is that you actually believe you will have more time than usual, as if the day expands and suddenly there will be more hours to do everything, including blogging. But alas, time doesn't expand like that, especially when you are vacationing in paradise and want to take advantage of every minute you are there.

This morning we went kayaking to a coral reef, tied up our boats, and snorkeled.
This is my favorite fish:

Its a Trumpetfish. He's very cute close up.

The kids are trashed now, and I think actually, Andy is taking a nap, too!
So I have a second to write about the race.

As I mentioned in my last post, I executed an incredible (because I remained happy and healthy), but very conservative race. It's easy, in retrospect, to wonder whether I should've approached the race differently. I had more in me, there is no doubt. But I also remember, even though retrospect has clouded my memory, that I needed to have a race in which I celebrated my making it to Hawaii. For me, celebrating came in the form of slowing myself down enough to I soak it in and enjoy it, and NOT end up in the medical tent.

I spent the morning of the race hovering. I hovered around Robin, around Ange, around my bike. At some point Robin and I headed to the medical tent to complete some Timex study requirements. We filled out a few questionnaires, listed what we had eaten for breakfast, were weighed, had a cheek swab taken, and were asked to pee in a cup.

As you all know, there is plenty of pee to be released race morning. And, of couse, peeing into a cup is easier if the stream isn't a torrent. I did my best, and came out of the porty john only slightly covered in pee, and with a very, very full cup. I believe I was cursing under my breath when I looked up, cup of pee in hand, and there, standing before me, was Craig Alexander.

I believe I said..... "Oh!" and then, "Oh Oh Oh!" and finally, "Hi!"
It took him a second to say hi-- a shy, amused smile  lingering on his oh-so-unbelievaby cute face--and step around me. As the door clanged behind him I said,  "Good luck today!" I then turned back to see Robin and the rest of the Timex study people snickering at me.

Anyway, I decided to view the sighting as an auspicious start to a great day.

When we finally headed out to the water, I was very ready to begin the race already. I had enough pre-race anxiety, and just wanted to START! My approach to the swim was to go to the far far far far left. I was so far left that I was literally alone, except for a lone kayak who kept telling me to get over to my right.

If you look very carefully, you might be able to see me.... a pink cap just barely inside of the left-hand side of this frame.

After treading water for what seemed like an hour the cannon suddenly, and without warning, went off.  It is possible there was warning, of course, and I was just so far off course I couldn't hear it. Anyway! I swam and swam and swam. I could see the buoys about a quarter mile to my right. I saw fish, some coral, a few competitors, and a ton of kayaks, who kept pushing me toward the race and away from the left.

Here you can see the yellow kayakers. I weaved around them, all the way to the left. You can see the pier and the red buoys to the right.

Here is a photo of the race start.
You may THINK I was stupid to stay to the left, but ummmm.... I beg to differ.

When it was time to make the turn to head back to Kona, I had to swim the quarter mile to the turn buoy. That was unfortunate. I wasn't sure how much time I was losing by swimming so far away from the crowds, but I tried to remind myself... we are not rushing today. We are having a GOOD DAY. When I approached the turn buoy I begin to get crushed by bodies. It felt a bit like I imagine entering a washing machine would feel.  After 10 minutes of it I had had enough, and began swimming to the far left again to come back. I once again found myself alone save the kayakers, fish, and the few swimmers who were aiming away from the crowds, like me.


At one point I looked down, and I saw them. DOLPHINS! They were gently swimming... so soft and graceful. I thanked myself for swimming so far away. What an amazing thing! Dolphins! Obviously I did not take this picture during the race, but this is what it looked like:

Eventually I heard the loud noises that signaled the end of the swim. The problem was... I couldn't see the ending because I was so far to the left I was on the other side of the pier! So I swam back around the pier, and finally found myself close to the end. Final time 1:13:40. Yep. That is my slowest IM swim time by 7 minutes--and that includes non-wetsuit swims! oops.

But who cared! I saw dolphins! And I had loved my swim and couldn't wait to get on the bike. (I want to thank TriBike here for my super cool new Torque!--sorry I didn't swim fast in it. Next time!)

The run to my bike took forever, but finally I arrived, and I was off! I saw Mark (Ange's Mark) and the boys going up Palani, and in their usual awesome style they went crazy cheering. Thanks, guys! Andy later told me they had just missed me, having spent a very long time looking for me coming out of the swim. They got confused when I was like 10 minutes later than I had told them I thought I would be! oops again.

The first part of the bike on the Queen K is AWESOME--wind at your back, a lot of gradual down hill. It's fun! It's fast! You feel like a rock star! Well, except for the packs of cyclists streaming by you... that doesn't feel so great. But still, this part of the ride was FUN. Can you see me smiling? And look, Kat, the Pumpkinman bottle made it all the way to Hawaii!

I kept my watts pretty low, drank a ton of water, and ate a gel every half hour. I also had a few mini-Snickers, which though totally melted, completely hit the spot. Yum.

Finally I made the turn to climb Hawi. Things stayed easy and calm until about 4-5 miles before the turn around. Gradually... gradually things got windier, and windier and windier, until finally I could barely ride. The palm trees were so bent and blown it appeared we were in the midst of a hurricane, minus the rain. It was insane! I was deliriously happy. Going 1 mph, but happy. How cool! THIS was Hawaii! This was it! This is what everyone meant by the insane winds! And OH BOY did they not disappoint!  Finally we turned around, and then the wind was at our backs. I got in aero, tucked in and flew. Then I started to weave, I panicked, and I got up on my bars and prayed instead.  Here I am heading back down...

 The hardest part of the ride for me was returning to town on the Queen K. It just went on and on and on and on.....  And there was this nasty headwind that made me want to scream. I just kept drinking water and eating gels and hoping someday the ride would end.

I'm sweaty, but I'm headed home! (and still happy...)
I think I forgot to mention it was hot.
Yep. It was hot. Like a bottle of water every half hour, pour water over your head and on your legs, and still feel like you are boiling hot, hot.

Finally finally finally I got close to the end. I took my feet out of my shoes... yeah me! And hopped off my bike. 5:57:40. Okay. I'll take it, I guess! Then I tried to hop some more. ouch ouch ouch. It took a bit until I could stand upright, I admit.  T2 passed in a blur. And then....

here I was... on the run.

I. WOULD. STAY. HAPPY. AND. HEALTHY.

I took it out slow. Then looked at my pace, and went a little slower. I didn't care if I ran nine minute+ pace, as long as I ran the whole thing, and finished strong. That was the plan!

Running down Ali'i Drive it was HOT. Holy mama!   I think I'm squeezing a sponge on my head  here.
I saw my family at the turn around on Alli' Drive and I was so excited to see them. Lara screamed as I headed off again, "Don't end up in the medical tent, Mommy!" and I smiled and shouted, "I won't! I promise!"

Running up Palani to the Queen K I braced myself. I had been warned... the hottest part of the course was coming up. But I felt good. Not GREAT, but good... and I knew if I just kept running at this pace I could run forever. I saw Ange as she headed back on the Queen K and slapped her five... Oh! So good to see her! Then I entered the Energy Lab and Thank God and Heaven Above, the sky clouded up. I could not believe my good fortune. I could do this. I had passed the turn around andwas headed out of the lab when I saw Robin. She shouted and again, AHHH. So good to see a smiling, happy, friendly face!

And then I just had seven left. As I ran on, slowly slowly slowly I thought of something Pat Wheeler said in a interview last week. He was talking about what motivated him on the final 10k, and it was the thought that he only had 6 miles until the off season. And that is what I thought during those last miles... Seven more miles til the off season. Six more miles til the off season... five more miles til the off season ..... 
When I got to mile 24, it hit me. I had only 2 miles until I would successfully finish this race--not sick, not unhappy--just totally happy and alive and thrilled to be in Hawaii. I picked up the pace... and then some more. By the time I turned on to Ali'i Drive I was sprinting.

And I was screaming.... I had done it!

An 11:21:18 is not my fastest IM. It is also not my slowest. But this was the first IM I completed in which I raced within myself and did not allow myself to make mistakes. I did not take risks, but I raced with joy, and I did it at Kona. 

I will compete in my next IM in just over a year from now.
I guarantee I will race it, and I will race well and hard. And I will get back here. I will!

Love and huge thanks to my incredibly supportive family, my amazing friends (especially Ange and Alina and to Robin for spending the week with me!), to my parents, to my awesome sponsor, TriBike Transport, and of course, to my incredibly intelligent  and supportive coach, Kurt.
And to all of you for your support too! Mahalo!