Here is an (almost) unedited version of the race report I wrote for myself and my coach, Liz Waterstraat. I don’t usually share this much personal detail but why not? Maybe it’s helpful or interesting to some of you…
Preparation:
Training went well. Very consistent. No sickness or injuries. Recovered well from the smaller races before this one. Took care of small niggles. The usual: low back, left glute, right hip. Low back a bit worse than normal. Dr. Troy Davis (chiro) and Elisabeth Larson (massage) were key in this. So is mobility, stability, and strength. No major life stressors.
Had a few really crappy nights and quite a bit of low back pain until we realized that it’s our new mattress that I am not used to and don’t get along with. I ended up sleeping on the floor on a camping pad. Not ideal but better.
From Coach Liz before the race: Your preparation has been so darn good. Freakishly consistent, strong and HAPPY (which matters most)! You have stayed connected to the JOY of training and doing what you love – as well as taking care of your body so it can support you day after day.
I raced a whole bunch of smaller races this spring prior to the 70.3 (race reports here) and that worked great for me. I raced well and recovered well and had a BLAST.
Race Plan
Swim: Go out hard and get with a group. Preferably a fast one. Ha.
Bike: I think I will lap every 30 minutes. Times 5 and not much more hopefully. Going to focus more on SPEED than power. Aero, efficient, good lines, etc. I am thinking somewhat lower power average than last year because I didn’t have the best run in 2017. Also, just depends on how I feel.
Coach Liz: You race extremely well on FEEL. Use the tech to check in that you’re not slacking – if the power or pace is low ask yourself: Can I give it more? But I would say that if you’re feeling good – DO NOT let numbers hold you back! You have the ability to rise up on race day so let your body do just that.
Run: It’s ON! I want a good run here. I am ready for it. Ready to hurt and work this course. No excuses. Wasn’t going to wear my watch but after reading last year’s report, maybe I will. Depends on if I can get it off the bike and on my watch without major issues. And how I feel. Average pace might be nice. I think it might help me on the last 3-4 miles to try to get that down under 7:00. (I’d say the first half is definitely slower than the second.)
Coach Liz: Think about the STG marathon (3:03), the half marathon (1:27), the 50k (course record). Your run is there when you need it. You will need it on Saturday AND you will need to overcome the pain and thoughts in your head suggesting you should back off or not take it to that edge. I dare you – take it to the edge!!!
Main goal: NO REGRETS. I want to leave it all out there, dig very deep, and cross the finish line knowing I gave it all I had.
Dream goal: Top 10. I have the husband out on course to give me splits to other girls etc.
Been reading past race reports of mine. That has been good prep. Other than that, I don’t want any overload of crap I am going to say to myself out there. It’s really pretty simple. But I will remember that FEELINGS don’t dictate OUTCOMES and that the MAGIC happens OUTSIDE of my comfort zone.
Pre-Race
Taper went fairly well. Felt good until about 3 days before the race. Then I felt like CRAP for the last few workouts. But I have enough experience not to let that derail me. It is NO indication for race day. Other than that – only a few hiccups: a flat tire when trying to leave, breaks rubbing on pre-race ride, a blown tire (Karen) at check-in. Karen and I make a good team and we managed it all well. Sleeping was ok but not great. The usual meals and race prep. Nothing fancy, sticking to the plan.
Race morning went well. I felt a bit rushed toward the end because – even after 20+ years – I need ALL the time. I did get in a good warm-up on land and a short one in the water. A good mix of nervousness and excitement. And I love seeing so many friends!
THE SWIM – 0:29:23 (1:31/100m) – 14th
Just about the time that I always swim here but my fastest by 25 seconds! I’ll take it.
I lined up far left. Actually, I was the furthest left girl there was. I breathe to the right, so I don’t like being far right and not knowing what’s going on around me. The middle seemed congested and I really didn’t want to end up in a mess. Both Wurtele and Kessler later remarked how it was a VERY rough start for them. I had clean water at the start but the girls next to me were fast swimmers and although I got out ok, I couldn’t hang with them. There was a group forming on the right, but I was too far away from them. So I did my own thing.
The swim start is always a crapshoot and I still don’t know what’s best. I am just a bit too hesitant to go REALLY hard for a REALLY long time because who wants to feel like death at the start of a 5-hour race? I’ve also swum enough of these by myself to know that I am ok doing so and might be better off solo in the end. I sight well and have no issues sighting a lot. I joined forces with another girl after a while and could tell it was Erin Green. Apparently, I had already pulled her through the entire IMAZ course and I ended up doing the same this time.
I swam well. Felt decent, tried to stay strong and consistent, sighted well, tried to narrow the gap to the next girl in front. No major issues. With about 400 to go, Erin came around me and pulled us past a girl and all the way in.
Water temp was on the cold side (63) but nothing I can’t handle. As long as I know the day will warm up and I will get warm eventually!
T1 – 1:42
I used the wetsuit strippers before the long run into transition. Using them is an advantage, I believe, if they are in the right spot. Had to futz with my helmet visor that fell off and couldn’t get it back on with my cold hands. Other than that, it was pretty smooth and I got out ahead of Erin and the other girl.
THE BIKE – 2:37:07 (21.4 mph) – 14th
Nutrition went well and according to plan. I added 2 HS waffles to the chews and gels that I have used in the past and ate those in the first 30 minutes. That was perfect. 2 bottles on my bike + 2 more from aid stations.
Gear was ok. No major issues.
I did lap my Garmin every 30 minutes which helped to keep my head in the game and have a RESET of sorts. I know this course so well that I don’t need mile markers or time. I divide it up by sections. The age groupers were less of an issue than I had thought. This was the first year here with a rolling start and I thought I would get really caught up in the AG men’s race. This was not the case. I got passed a lot but it was only an issue a couple of times. I saw ONE guy drafting and found him in the penalty box later. Plenty of officials at this race.
I felt ok. Not amazing and not bad. It was fun to ride this course in a race to see how it compares to training. I enjoyed myself. And I was lonely. I got passed by ONE girl and passed NONE. That’s pro racing for you! There really isn’t much to say about this bike performance. It was – average. Power was right where I think it should be and what I have been training for. So no surprises there. I think I executed well.
T2 – 2:01
Smooth. No issues. Different shoes than in the past which require socks. Not as big of a deal as I had thought. I left my Garmin on my bike. A gut decision. One I don’t regret. I just don’t need a watch to race this distance.
THE RUN – 1:32:41 (7:07/mi) – 12th
Not a bad run. I have run faster here in the past (1:29) but the course was slightly different then. I am proud of this run. I worked hard, stayed strong mentally, enjoyed racing, went out of my way to cheer for LOTS of friends, passed 2 girls in the last 3-4 miles, took advantage of knowing this difficult course well, and fueled according to plan.
No major issues here either. Stomach was pretty good. Legs felt ok. No cramping. Not too lonely. The husband was useful for once – he’s finally figuring this cheering thing out better.
OVERALL – 4:42:52 – 13th
Including the men, I was top 5% in the swim and run but only top 10% in the bike. This is interesting to me. Because I would NOT consider the bike my weakness. Turns out, I have gone 4:40 here before in my first pro race. In 2014. The female course record was set then and still stands. So it was a fast year overall. More importantly maybe, I was 8 minutes FASTER than last year on the SAME course. Interesting also is that I have been 15th, 14th, 14th, and now 13th here. I just can’t break into the top 10 at this championship race.
I am happy with my race because I laid it all out there. I swam well, biked smart, ran as fast as I could. So I have NO REGRETS which was my #1 goal. This is most important to me. More important than times and placing. Now I just need to be able to do this at Ironman Boulder. It’s harder for me to race with no regrets in the full Ironman. My head gets into the way somewhere in the marathon…
As always at this race, the crowd support was PHENOMENAL and I am so lucky to call a lot of the people on the sidelines and in the race my friends! It’s a special treat to have the 70.3 US Pro Championship in my backyard and I want to express my deep GRATITUDE to all of you for the great support out there on Saturday. THANK YOU.
SBJ Adventures 