1/2 Ironman RR + Fun Long Weekend!

• On: 09/07/2009 20:03:23

Pull up a chair…because we were on a whirlwind 3 day crazy tour!

On Friday I hit the road with Stacie and Frank and we headed down to central…err…middle of cornfield, Illinois to do a ½ Ironman.  I have done this ½ IM before and it is low key – about 400 athletes and just a good, local race.  It is approximately a 3-3.5 hour drive down and on Labor Day Friday, we thought we would get into trouble…but nope!  Just flew right down to cornfield, USA.  We chatted with athletes, met up with Elizabeth, who was down doing the Olympic Distance (I don’t think she wanted to listen to Miss Daisy for 3+hours in the car, truth be told!).  And, finding a place to eat a “healthy” dinner was a riot.  We ended up in a place where they served peanuts that you eat and throw the shells on the floor.  We scared the waiter away with our “hold everything but the noodles and grilled chicken and vegetables” order x 4.  Oh, and they had cinnamon/sugar butter.  I swear, we went through 2 baskets  of white bread and that yummy butter.  Ha.  Elizabeth and I laughed until I almost peed in my pants. I swear I thought Frank was going to walk out!

I shared a room with Stacie (who was delightful to travel with and this was only her 2^nd ½ IM!) and she was asleep by 8.30pm!  Oh, how nice for her!  Ho hum.  Anyway, we were up at 4.30am and I was so excited to race.  Because this race is small town/small feel I had not seen the start list – didn’t really matter either.  But, Tony, the RD takes good care of me and I bring some of my athletes down and it all works out for all of us.  The water temp was barely legal and I did my little warm up run and got my bike stuff set up and got ready to race my ½ IM.  At the last minute I look over and see Emily Cocks…one of the Pro  Triathletes that swam for Michigan and is a fantastic swimmer – and athlete.  Ok, time to really focus now.  My goal was not to let her get too much time on me on that swim…and bust a gut to hang onto her and have her NOT put minutes on me in that swim.

The men started @ 6.45am and the women at 6.48am – the Olympic Distance was not going off until after 8am…so when we started it was purely chaos because we were swimming over so many men, it was nuts.  I think I came out of the water top 10 overall – and I mean the MEN…so, I had to swim through all of them!  And, I felt good in the water – not super uber fast, but coming out of my base again training (until just a few weeks ago) I was pleased with the swim.  Emily only beat me out of the water by approximately 30-45 seconds.  YES!  HUGE.  Jumped on the bike and took off.  This bike ride is odd.  It is flat and windy and 2 loops and several 180 degree turnarounds.  Ick….and they announced at the last minute they had to change the bike course – so we ended up on CHIP and SEAL for a bit and I didn’t think we could go any slower!!!  My gel flask that was attached to my top tube came undone and was rattling all over !!  I had to shove it down my Tri Suit so I wouldn’t lose it.  Could not do that since they were serving HEED on the course and out of ANYTHING that is one product I do NOT care for at all.  Anyway, I was chasing and chasing and my legs were not there – they were OK..but not like when I was in top shape @ Eagleman.  I will say this for the record:  ALL that computrainer riding I do all winter/spring is really REALLY invaluable for a flat 56 mile race.  I will be spending a lot of time on that Computrainer for the build into flat Worlds in Clearwater! 

Onto the run.  I felt VERY GOOD on the run.  I have been working hard on my run, but it is too soon to see any significant results.  I ran hard and went after it.  I kept thinking I was closing the gap but I was digging so deep – so focused…and I would click the miles away.   Focused on good form and trying to gulp down Heed (ick) and then I decided to move back to water and my gels (I carried my gels in a flask). My stomach was perfect and I felt great.  Not in tip top shape, but enough to win the Amateur race and get 2^nd behind the Pro.  She ran a 1.29.  I tried!  Haha, I ran a 1.36 and that was not fast enough.  I went 4.50...  But, I was pleased and had SO much fun.  I got to see so many do well – and some first-timers:  Judie, Stacie, Frank, Tiffany and her friends, John and Michelle, Amaris & of course ELF!  We had a great time!  Here is a picture of Judie and I after the race.  It was Judie’s 1^st ½ IM!  Yay! 

 

From the ½ IM we drove home – after making a necessary stop at DQ for a chocolate M&M, Peanut butter cup blizzard!  YUM!  I dropped off Stacie and headed straight to our friend’s house for a surprise 40^th birthday party.  Thank GOODNESS they are triathletes b/c I showed up – unshowered and in my triathlon gear – 6 hours after I finished my ½ IM!!   Yummy food and more cake and more chocolate.

On Sunday my parents had a BBQ and we celebrated my nephew’s birthday and my Grandma was in town….good times – more chocolate and BBQ food!

Then, today, Labor Day, I got up before 5am to head to the lake to do some Open water swimming – easy!  I knew it was going to be one of our last OW swim opportunities and definitely for the IM WI folks that race this coming weekend!  So, we were up early (gasp!) on the holiday and off in the lake at dawn.  AWESOME!  I came home and worked and then went grocery shopping to prepare for an Ironman Wisconsin Carb-Loading Party that I hosted at my house for my local IM athletes and their spouses.  We had spaghetti and all the works!  Even this awesome IM cake!  We had a great time & it is IM fever here! 

 

And, no...I did not make the cake...COME on friends!!!?  But, we did make all the food and Jerome made home made french bread, big pretzels - yum!

And, now it is time to rest!?  I will have to say that I had some girls come up to me after the ½ IM on Saturday and tell me that they follow my blog and that they read the blog. I was happy to hear this b/c sometimes I think I write and only my close blogger friends read this (you know who you are! xo)…so it IS nice that others read my blog and we all keep things in perspective, have fun and realize there are SO many of us …. that are more alike than not!

Good luck to all IM WI athletes this weekend !!  See you all up in Madison.  Can’t wait to spectate!