DUKE 70.3 race report

this race came out of no where. here i am talking to jen about wanting to do it back in May and BOOM its today. where does the time go? anyway, i had been having a rough month with fatigue, travel and just plain blah. not to mention the mechanical and medical issues (ok so the ankle wasnt medical since i never saw a doc...) but the taper was good to me and i felt rested and ready to go. i was ready and wanting to get past all that and put a good race together.

so we arrive at Jordan lake this morning about 545 or so. I had already gotten my packet the day before so i was happy to head straight into transition and get set up. my newest purchase - a bento box- was neatly placed on my bike and i was giddy about getting to use it. after my experience at worlds and dozens of gels hanging out of every part of my uniform i was so excited to have them all packed neatly into one little place. already opened even! eating today would be a breeze!

the morning flew by, including a trip to the unlit, completely pitch black bathrooms.. and before i knew it we were down by the lake awaiting the non wetsuit start. a bitter pill as i'm always for a suit! they said the water was 79 but i wanted a second opinion.. i got in a quick swim and felt really good in the water. i finally feel comfortable out there. which for me is a really nice place to be. yet i was yawning. sleepy. not a good sign 10 minutes before the race.

i am the fifth wave. its an in water start and the first few minutes are pretty crazy with bumping and hitting and choppy waves right into the face.. ugh. but soon it clears out a bit and i find some clear space. its a good swim for me. good not great. but i feel ok the whole time. comfortable. i see a lot of white caps around me so i know i'm in the mix. note to self: learn how to draft. at one point i was about 6 or so feet behind someone and i couldnt decide if this was helping or hurting me. so finally i got up beside her.. anyway an uneventful swim . i find out later from bobby i was 40th out of the water. Huh. not so good. total middle of the pack. looks like its going to be a long winter in the pool trying to find the inner fish..
ok so the bike. i love the bike. i love my bike. i was ready. then, less than a minute into it i drop my chain. total panic. i know nothing about repairing or fixing or fiddling with bike parts. here i am on the side of the road cursing up a storm. thinking this cannot be happening to me. (thoughts of charlottesville come flooding back..) thank god a spectator gives me a play by play and after a few minutes i get the thing working again. ugh. the rest of the bike was awesome. i felt great and rode well. passed alot of people and really ate up the hills. my nutrition was spot on and i felt really good. i played back and forth, pass me, i'll pass you with this one guy on a totally tricked out bike. finally i got pissed off and just flew by him. by that time i was calling him "daddy warbucks" assuming he paid to much for his wheels! yes thats mean, but it got me thru. side note- i do make some of the time go by naming the other participants. perhaps thats mean, petty, but it gets me going and gets me motivated. take leg warmer girl.. :) or grunting gerda... i think sometimes i talk to much on the bike. i talk to people that i pass and those who pass me. i talk to myself. maybe i should be riding more and chatting less. but isnt the "talk test" a way to guage heart rate??
this is me telling bobby about my chain.. and just starting the run, so there is some spice in me. that quickly went... :) i look like a linebacker with the hunched shoulders..
the inside of my visor...

so right, good bike for me. 20 mph average, im proud of it over all those miles and hills. so the run. by now its a scorching carolina day. i felt the heat on the bike and i knew the run would be tough. but how tough i could not imagine. the course was 2 loops of mountain trails. ok so it wasnt a mountain but these hills were long and they were steep. like i needed a carabeener to scale them. i promised my self i would not walk, except thru the aid stations. tough promise to keep, but i did.. it amazed me how many people were walking. i think many had just given into the elements and were going to forgo running the rest of the way. the aid stations had become party central and it was tough to actually get what you needed. i would easily say that was the toughest 13 miles ever. tougher than the last 6 of a marathon, tougher than sub 5k pace on the treadmill. in those miles i swore to myself never ever will i do an ironman. kudos to those who do, but man o man that is one tough cookie! my whole day over again? no way jose.

happy to be done!

i ended up 7th over all. 4th in my age group. darn it! stupid age group. i'm pretty happy with the finish, being my first half. i had hoped for top 10. seriously the toughest thing this body has ever been through. i think i'd rather be in a bar fight. or be a tackle dummy for a day.

my boss told me that if i came in top three i could take tomorrow off. but i think i'll just take it anyway. my car smells like an arm pit and the girls will love the company :)

now off to eat my surprise from bobby! he went to DQ and got not one but THREE blizzards so we can make a monster mix of m&m, oreo and cookie dough. yum~~~~~~