 |
| LOL, I'm sure everyone took this advice |
First I want to say thank you to everyone that sent messages, texts and cheered me on during the race. The Landrunners did a great job at the water stop, I felt like a rock star every time I ran (ok....walked) through the aid station. It was last year when I was passing out water at the Landrunner's stop that I decided to participate in 2012. At the time, I didn't know what to expect, but as race day approached, I set a few goals to keep me on track. I wanted to finish (with a smile and injury free), complete the 1.2 mile swim in 40 minutes, the 56 mile bike ride in 3 hours 30 minutes and the 13.1 run in 2 hours with and overall time of about 6 hours 30 minutes, but no longer than 7 hours. I didn't have a specific training plan and didn't want to back off marathon training, so my workouts were heavily focused on running. My weekly mileage peaked at 2 miles swimming, 60-80 miles biking and 50 miles running. I also lifted weights 2 days a week, kayaked and played indoor soccer. Altogether, I was working out about 12-15 hours a week. At times the commitment seemed overwhelming, but race day made all the hard work worth it. Crossing the finish line was one of the best experiences and my results exceeded my expectations.
 |
| At the start with Katie, Bill Stacy |
The morning of the race, I arrived early to set up my transition. I've never done a triathlon this long, so I was nervous about fueling. I wanted to make sure I took in everything I needed on the bike, so I taped 4 GU's and 2 salt tablets to my frame along with 40oz of water and 20oz of Gatorade. I set up my cycling shoes, running shoes, number, etc. and headed for the start area. The air was chilly at the start, so I put on my wetsuit to keep warm. Unfortunately, the cool temperatures didn't last long, it was over 90F when I finished.
 |
| Landrunners water stop |
I was in start wave 6 with about 150 other women. The water was shallow and when we started, the red clay on the lakebed was turned up making the water cloudy. Despite this, Lake Hefner is the cleanest lake I've swam in (or at least it looked that way). I started up front, but out to the side because I don't like the "washing machine" affect near the crowd. Luckily, I was able to make it through most of the swim without being kicked too many times. The water temperature was perfect for a wetsuit. I relaxed during the swim, maybe too much, because my time was 4 minutes slower than practice. Oh well, I survived and made my way to transition.
 |
| At the finish with Cat |
If you ask people I train with they'll tell you I was most worried about the bike portion of the race. My training rides were between 30-50 miles and at about 12.5 mph. I was very worried I'd be the last person off the bike. Turns out, I rode faster than I thought and should have been more worried about the condition of the roads, not my pace. Waterloo was full of small holes that made the ride bumpy. A lot of people were losing water bottles and I passed 3 people with flats. After a long ride, I made the final turn toward Lake Hefner and have never been more excited to see the dam. My lower back was killing me and butt hurt. I crossed the line in 3:12 (17.5 mph average) for the 56 mile ride, far faster than I expected.
 |
| Results |
By the time I started running, it was hot. My plan was to start at 8:45 minute pace, but 2 miles into the race, I realized that wasn't going to happen. The sun was out in full force and the 56 mile ride took more energy out of me than I expected. The course was a 2 loop run on the east side of Lake Hefner. It was nice running at such a familiar place. The run seemed to go by so fast (despite my pace) and when I started the 2nd loop, I couldn't believe the race was almost over. The experience was so incredible that I almost wanted to keep going. Almost that is....I was very happy to see the finish line. I crossed the line 20th out of 33 in my age group and 86th out of 203 in the female division. I can't wait for next year; I'm crazy enough to be considering the full distance!
 |
| Finishers Medal |
After the race, I walked back to the Landrunners water station and relaxed with wine, blue cupcakes and a burger. After a long race, I can't eat right away, but a few hours later I was starving and the food never tasted better. Actually, I was starving for days. I burned about 4000 calories throughout the race, that's a big deficit to overcome. I was basically a human eating machine for the next 3 days. Almost a week after the race, I'm feeling good. To my surprise, I wasn't sore, but I am tired. I've been trotting around the last few days and can't run faster than a 10 minute pace. 70.3 miles defiantly takes it out of you. I'm now looking forward to my next marathon in a few weeks. With a few days of recovery and a little luck, maybe I'll PR :)
