First off, let me say that both the venue and the race itself were AWESOME. The Woodlands is probably one of the best locations for a Triathlon that I could possibly imagine. Just North of Houston, the Woodlands is a very picturesque, very wealthy, neighborhood that is free from heavy traffic and nuisance. The town clearly takes a lot of pride in maintaining its landscape which made it a beautiful, relaxed course.
Thursday:
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| Chilling out showing off my sexy ride |
My Boyfriend and I arrived in Houston early on Thursday morning, picked up our rental car, and headed up to the Woodlands to go and pick up my race packet (of course we had to stop for slushes as Sonic first). When we got up to the race site, we were able to find parking quite easy and took a relaxed stroll around the expo and down towards transition. Later we had some lunch before I set up my bike to be dropped off at Tribike Race Wheels for some bike pimpage. Tribike was nice enough to let me keep my bike there overnight so that I didn’t have to worry about lugging it back to the hotel. That made life super easy. Thanks Tribike!
Friday:
Friday:
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| At swim start for the practice swim |
I woke up at 7am in order to head down to swim start for the 1.5hrs of designated practice swim time. They had about a mile of the swim course mapped out for swimmers to get in and to get a feel for the water. .
The practice swim was run very smoothly and was a great opportunity to get in and stretch out. Repping my Swim Fort Lauderdale cap, I swam my first practice lap with my heavily tinted goggles. Although it felt nice to get in the water with it being at the perfect temp of 75.7 degrees, I was still having some chest pains.
NOTE: About 3 weeks prior to Texas, I fell off a curb at the St. Anthony’s Triathlon and had severe chest pains and some breathing difficulties ever since. I had gone to the doctor a few days before leaving for Texas and had some x-rays taken just to make sure nothing was broken. The doctor told me if there were any fractures, they were too small to see. They said I should be fine to compete and gave me an inhaler just in case I had any more breathing problems.
However, even with the chest pains, I decided to swim an extra lap with slightly less tinted goggles to see which would be better for race day. I wound up going with the less-tinted because I was worried about seeing the buoys so early in the morning.
After the practice swim we went back to Sonic for some breakfast (yes, I have a giant fixation on sonic) before hearing to transition to rack my bike and gear. Up until this point, it hadn’t really hit me that I was about to do another full Ironman. But once I got all my gear in transition, I was ready.
We just relaxed in bed the rest of the night and shut off the lights nice and early. I got a solid night’s sleep and felt refreshed and ready to race in the morning.
The practice swim was run very smoothly and was a great opportunity to get in and stretch out. Repping my Swim Fort Lauderdale cap, I swam my first practice lap with my heavily tinted goggles. Although it felt nice to get in the water with it being at the perfect temp of 75.7 degrees, I was still having some chest pains.
NOTE: About 3 weeks prior to Texas, I fell off a curb at the St. Anthony’s Triathlon and had severe chest pains and some breathing difficulties ever since. I had gone to the doctor a few days before leaving for Texas and had some x-rays taken just to make sure nothing was broken. The doctor told me if there were any fractures, they were too small to see. They said I should be fine to compete and gave me an inhaler just in case I had any more breathing problems.
However, even with the chest pains, I decided to swim an extra lap with slightly less tinted goggles to see which would be better for race day. I wound up going with the less-tinted because I was worried about seeing the buoys so early in the morning.
After the practice swim we went back to Sonic for some breakfast (yes, I have a giant fixation on sonic) before hearing to transition to rack my bike and gear. Up until this point, it hadn’t really hit me that I was about to do another full Ironman. But once I got all my gear in transition, I was ready.
We just relaxed in bed the rest of the night and shut off the lights nice and early. I got a solid night’s sleep and felt refreshed and ready to race in the morning.
RACEDAY:
Pre-Race:
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| Craig, practicing his cheering |
We got to transition right about the time it opened. I was worried that we would have a hard time finding parking. However, it wasn’t a problem in the slightest. In fact, all my pre-race prep was pretty easy. I got my gear set up in transition and had a bike tech help to pump up my wheels (wasn’t quite sure how to pump these Zipps with valve extenders) with plenty of time to make the long walk over to swim start.
Once at swim start, I immediately got in the looooooong bathroom lines and then headed straight towards the water. Because this was a mass start, I had to make sure that I was in front of the pack. So, I kissed my boyfriend goodbye, said I’d see him tonight, and got in the water about 20 minutes before the gun. I wound up treading water right next to the only other people I knew who was competing. It was nice to wish them good luck since I didn’t think I’d ever see them amongst the masses.
Once at swim start, I immediately got in the looooooong bathroom lines and then headed straight towards the water. Because this was a mass start, I had to make sure that I was in front of the pack. So, I kissed my boyfriend goodbye, said I’d see him tonight, and got in the water about 20 minutes before the gun. I wound up treading water right next to the only other people I knew who was competing. It was nice to wish them good luck since I didn’t think I’d ever see them amongst the masses.
The Swim:
Swim Split: 1:05.38
I started sprinting the moment the gun went off. However, there were so many large men around me that I just got clobbered. As a stronger swimmer, I knew that I had to somehow make it out of this sea of people before the first turn buoy. But, this was easier said than done. Because there was so many people, I was just sucked right into the draft making it pretty hard to accelerate out of the pack. I managed to break away a bit by the time I reached that first turn buoy. But, there was just too many large men swimming on top of me making it hard to find a solid pace and a consistent breathing pattern. It was then that I made the decision to swing out far right of the guide buoys to give myself a bit of space. Once I was off to the side, I was finally able to extend my arms and breathe regularly. I know that I sacrificed some time and energy by intentionally swimming a bit out of the way. But, it made the swim far more enjoyable and less painful considering my chest issues (my chest problems made it very difficult and painful to breathe to one side). So, it was worth it.
T1:
T1 Split: 4.59
I ran out of the water and into the chute where our bike gear bags were located. I saw my boyfriend waving frantically and screaming my name which made me pretty excited. The set up of transition was very well organized. I never had a doubt of where to go and was out of T1 in a respectable amount of time.
The Bike:
Bike Split: 6:07.15
Right after hopping on my saddle, I felt a little bit ‘off.’ For some reason, I felt like my body was more scrunched up than usual…my knees felt a bit too close to my chest when I pedaled. During the first few miles, I tried to convince myself that I was just a bit out of it from the swim. I tried to convince myself that it was all in my head and that I was going crazy. But then I looked down between my legs at the bike number that I had stuck to my seat post. It was all scrunched up. I kept biking and looked back a few minutes later to see that the number was now only half visible. OMG, I thought….MY SEAT POST IS FALLLING! Being the ‘excellent’ bike mechanic that I am, I obviously failed to tighten the seat post screw enough. Thus, little by little my seat post was getting shorter and shorter (I KNEW I WASN’T CRAZY!!!).
I came across the first aid station at about mile 15. I pulled off to the side near the porta pottys and asked a volunteer if there was a bike tech nearby. They pointed to a red tent towards the start of the aid station. So, I ran with my bike to the tent and told him my problem. It was a good thing that I has stopped. By the time I reached that tent, my seat post had slid all the way down to the point where I couldn’t even see the marked numbers anymore (several inches). We tinkered with the bike for a few minutes and made sure it was fixed before I ran back to the road and hopped back on to continue my ride. I wasn’t very upset about the incident and the time lost though. I was just glad I was able to get it fixed and figured that now I know to check the screw for next time. You live, you learn.
The rest of the bike went great. I was holding a MUCH better pace than my last Ironman and really enjoyed the course. The rolling hills and wooded scenery were almost soothing. I didn’t even mind when I hit some windy patches around mile 70. I just felt so relaxed. In retrospect, I think I could have biked a bit harder (I also kind of knew it at the time). But, the sun was already beaming down on us with full force and the temps were already climbing upwards of 90 degrees. Since I knew I was going to have a VERY ROUGH run ahead of me, I didn’t want to push myself too hard. I was already going to take an hour minimum off of my previous Ironman bike split. So, I just tried to keep consistent and to enjoy the ride. And enjoy it, I did. The bike course was one of the best I have ever biked and had fantastic support with aid stations every 10 miles or so. I almost can’t wait to go back to Texas again just so I can re-ride this bike course.
I came across the first aid station at about mile 15. I pulled off to the side near the porta pottys and asked a volunteer if there was a bike tech nearby. They pointed to a red tent towards the start of the aid station. So, I ran with my bike to the tent and told him my problem. It was a good thing that I has stopped. By the time I reached that tent, my seat post had slid all the way down to the point where I couldn’t even see the marked numbers anymore (several inches). We tinkered with the bike for a few minutes and made sure it was fixed before I ran back to the road and hopped back on to continue my ride. I wasn’t very upset about the incident and the time lost though. I was just glad I was able to get it fixed and figured that now I know to check the screw for next time. You live, you learn.
The rest of the bike went great. I was holding a MUCH better pace than my last Ironman and really enjoyed the course. The rolling hills and wooded scenery were almost soothing. I didn’t even mind when I hit some windy patches around mile 70. I just felt so relaxed. In retrospect, I think I could have biked a bit harder (I also kind of knew it at the time). But, the sun was already beaming down on us with full force and the temps were already climbing upwards of 90 degrees. Since I knew I was going to have a VERY ROUGH run ahead of me, I didn’t want to push myself too hard. I was already going to take an hour minimum off of my previous Ironman bike split. So, I just tried to keep consistent and to enjoy the ride. And enjoy it, I did. The bike course was one of the best I have ever biked and had fantastic support with aid stations every 10 miles or so. I almost can’t wait to go back to Texas again just so I can re-ride this bike course.
T2:
T2 Split: 6.09
I ran into some problems here which were completely unanticipated. After I dismounted my bike, a volunteer offered to take my helmet and shoes for me as well. Not knowing this would be a problem, and happy to get those damn bike shoes off my feet, I gladly unstrapped my shoes and handed them over. I started to run over to the asphalt area where our run bags were sitting. The second I stepped on the asphalt, the bottoms of my feel started to BURN. What nobody realized was that the sun had been beaming down on the blank asphalt for hours already which made it EXTREMELY hot. Had I known this, I would’ve held onto my shoes a bit longer.
When I got into the changing tent, I took a quick glance at the bottoms of my feet. They were bright red and burning. But, I quickly slapped on my shoes and headed out onto the run course, catching a glimpse of my cheering boyfriend as I left.
When I got into the changing tent, I took a quick glance at the bottoms of my feet. They were bright red and burning. But, I quickly slapped on my shoes and headed out onto the run course, catching a glimpse of my cheering boyfriend as I left.
The Run:
Run Split: 5:34.45
It wasn’t an optimal situation to have my feet already blistered an sore at the start of the 26.2mi run. But, I tried to suck it up figuring that my feet would’ve been blistered and sore by the end anyways. The run was a 3-loop run course that started by taking us out onto the neighboring streets towards swim start before veering off into a small neighborhood and then finally taking us back towards the heart of the woodlands with all the restaurants and bars where all our family would be located.
By the time I hit the run course, the temperature was nearing 100 degrees with not a single strip of shade throughout the entire course. Thus, this run was BRUTAL. I immediately started out at a very very slow pace. But, I tried not to bee to concerned with it given the intense heat and the fact that I saw so many athletes (and volunteers and spectators) getting sick and seeking medical help along the course. Given the heat, I immediately made the decision to stop and walk all the aid stations so that I could be sure to hydrate enough to at least be able to finish. Yes, my run split was pretty miserable. But, given the conditions, I don’t think anybody had an amazing run that day.
The run course itself was probably one of the best possible courses for spectators. There were groups of spectators scattered along the neighboring roads which was nice. And, once you made the turn back towards the restaurant and bar area, you were completely surrounded on either side by spectators who provided A LOT of much needed mental support. What was also pretty great was that my boyfriend was holed up on the porch area of a bar on the finish line side of the channel. This meant that he could see me (and scream for me) when I passed him on both the opposite side, and his side, of the channel. I really looked forward to passing this point every loop. One, because I needed the motivation. And two, because I was glad he had something to do for the billion hours I was out racing.
By the time I hit the run course, the temperature was nearing 100 degrees with not a single strip of shade throughout the entire course. Thus, this run was BRUTAL. I immediately started out at a very very slow pace. But, I tried not to bee to concerned with it given the intense heat and the fact that I saw so many athletes (and volunteers and spectators) getting sick and seeking medical help along the course. Given the heat, I immediately made the decision to stop and walk all the aid stations so that I could be sure to hydrate enough to at least be able to finish. Yes, my run split was pretty miserable. But, given the conditions, I don’t think anybody had an amazing run that day.
The run course itself was probably one of the best possible courses for spectators. There were groups of spectators scattered along the neighboring roads which was nice. And, once you made the turn back towards the restaurant and bar area, you were completely surrounded on either side by spectators who provided A LOT of much needed mental support. What was also pretty great was that my boyfriend was holed up on the porch area of a bar on the finish line side of the channel. This meant that he could see me (and scream for me) when I passed him on both the opposite side, and his side, of the channel. I really looked forward to passing this point every loop. One, because I needed the motivation. And two, because I was glad he had something to do for the billion hours I was out racing.
The Finish:
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| A 2x Ironman |
At the start of the race, I had hoped to get as close to finishing in 12 hours as possible. But, once I hit that run course, I knew that goal was shot. So, in calculating it out in my head, I thought that there was a good shot I could at least make it to the finish line in under 13 hours. That would be my new goal.
As I got closer and closer to the “finish this way” sign, I knew that I would be cutting it VERY close to my goal. I had accidentally paused my Garmin at some point during the bike so I wasn’t entirely sure what the race clock was at. But, I knew I couldn’t stop if I wanted to have a shot as squeaking in under 13.
FINALLY, I saw the finish line sign. There wasn’t anybody else around me. The chute to the finish line first took you past the line to a sharp turn around before heading back to finish. I caught a glimpse of the clock as I passed the line towards the turn around…12:58. So I muscled up all the strength I had left and booked it around that corner and back to the finish line to just make it in under my 13 hour goal.
I’m a little sad that I never got the chance to see my boyfriend after finishing but I wasn’t feeling all too great. Right after I finished I told the volunteers that I needed to go to the med tent. I was so dehydrated that I could barely stand. They immediately brought over a wheel chair and wheeled me over to the med tent where I spent the next hour with an IV in my arm. Although this slightly ruined by post-race celebration, it did make me feel MUCH better.
After I was released I met up with my boyfriend and called my parents. Although my boyfriend had actually missed me finishing (because the finish line area was so mobbed) my parents had watched me finish on the Ironman online streaming. I chatted for a few minutes and snapped a single pic at the finish line, elated to have finally finished. Then we headed back to the hotel (with a pit stop for chicken nuggets and a slush at Sonic, of course) thrilled to have been done with this very long, but pretty awesome, day. Will I be ever going back to the Woodlands for a round 2? Definitely!
Overall Time: 12:58.46
Place: 19 in AG
As I got closer and closer to the “finish this way” sign, I knew that I would be cutting it VERY close to my goal. I had accidentally paused my Garmin at some point during the bike so I wasn’t entirely sure what the race clock was at. But, I knew I couldn’t stop if I wanted to have a shot as squeaking in under 13.
FINALLY, I saw the finish line sign. There wasn’t anybody else around me. The chute to the finish line first took you past the line to a sharp turn around before heading back to finish. I caught a glimpse of the clock as I passed the line towards the turn around…12:58. So I muscled up all the strength I had left and booked it around that corner and back to the finish line to just make it in under my 13 hour goal.
I’m a little sad that I never got the chance to see my boyfriend after finishing but I wasn’t feeling all too great. Right after I finished I told the volunteers that I needed to go to the med tent. I was so dehydrated that I could barely stand. They immediately brought over a wheel chair and wheeled me over to the med tent where I spent the next hour with an IV in my arm. Although this slightly ruined by post-race celebration, it did make me feel MUCH better.
After I was released I met up with my boyfriend and called my parents. Although my boyfriend had actually missed me finishing (because the finish line area was so mobbed) my parents had watched me finish on the Ironman online streaming. I chatted for a few minutes and snapped a single pic at the finish line, elated to have finally finished. Then we headed back to the hotel (with a pit stop for chicken nuggets and a slush at Sonic, of course) thrilled to have been done with this very long, but pretty awesome, day. Will I be ever going back to the Woodlands for a round 2? Definitely!
Overall Time: 12:58.46
Place: 19 in AG
