Augusta 70.3

What a weekend! My half Ironman in Augusta was finally here. I wanted to head down on Friday so I wouldn't be too frazzled on Saturday from driving 8 hours and rushing to get things done. Thankfully Jeff & Dave were able to head out as well, so we left early Friday morning. Road trips are always fun & this one was no exception. I laughed more than I have in a while & it helped to keep my mind off of Sunday's race. When we arrived, we headed straight to packet pick up & breezed through. They put an Ironman wristband on my arm (with my number to get me into transition) & I thought to myself - Shit just got real. This is really happening. What am I doing? Then the thought passed & I headed into the Ironman store. Shopping is always a good distraction. I saw a great finisher's shirt, but steered clear of it because I didn't want to jinx myself. Picked up a great bag, shirt & jacket along with a few other must haves. After I finished shopping, we headed to the swim start. There were a few people doing a practice swim & we walked down to the dock. The Savannah River is beautiful.  The water temp was 71 on Friday

and it was so peaceful. Dave had mentioned that there was an alligator that lived on the banks (yes, apparently it's true). Thankfully I didn't see any (wasn't really looking), but... Besides, like the weather, it wasn't something I could control, so there was no point dwelling on it. I stared down river for a few minutes & visualized myself jumping off the dock & having a strong fast swim.

Our hotel was less than a mile from Augusta National. So on Saturday morning, I got a text from Jeff about going for a run. I headed down to meet up with everyone & we headed over to a road near the course because you can't be that close & not try to catch a glimpse of where the Masters is played! Of course, you can't see squat because of the bamboo & other trees/bushes they have keeping the course closed off to the public. We ran up the drive to the gate & the security guard came out to chat with us (read - tell us to turn around!) We had a fun conversation & headed back to finish up the run. It is easier to get on base at Quantico to ride our bikes than it is to get on to the grounds at Augusta!  After breakfast, we headed to transition. On the way, we drove past packet pickup & the line was out the door. So glad we were able to get there early & get it all taken care of without a big crowd. We walked from the swim exit to the racks to the bike out - a dry run for the next day. We met up with our friends Kathryn & Jen and headed out to drive the bike course & go for a little ride. Again, doing the course preview pays off on race day. Even though you have looked at the course online & seen other people's data, seeing the course in person makes you familiar & prepares you for whats ahead. After the preview, we took our bikes to transition & racked them & headed to lunch. Nothing else to do now except go back to the hotel & relax. A little more shopping, dinner & it was time to lay out everything for the race. Once I did that, it was time to go to sleep.

Race day started bright & early at 5am. We packed up our bags & headed to the swim start. Since the swim was point-to-point, we took the shuttle to transition. After we set things up, we headed back up to the start. I had about 35 minutes before my wave start, so I headed back to the car to drop off my bag & get my wetsuit. I didn't feel nervous, but know I was getting quieter & closing myself off from the rest of the group. I knew I needed to get back to the docks to get in line. Jen had stayed at the start since she was in one of the earlier waves. I headed off after getting hugs &

encouraging words from Kathryn, Jeff & Dave. I was a little emotional, but since I'm such a control freak, I tried not to show it. I jogged my way back to the start to burn off some nerves. I found my wave & also spotted my friend, Chrissy, who was in the group in front of me. She is a friend of Dave's & I met her in Indianapolis last year. I was relieved to see her & she told me everything was going to be great. Before I knew it, I was back on the floating dock & then I was in the water. A minute later, the horn went off & it was time to swim. I started my watch & started swimming. I'm not a strong swimmer by any means, so I was looking forward to the down stream swim. My HIM pace is 2:15/100 meters. So it usually takes me 45 minutes or so to swim 1.2 miles. I knew this swim would be faster, but wasn't sure by how much. I was thrilled when I exited the water & saw 31:18 on my watch. I ran up to the wetsuit strippers - which are the best thing EVER! I was out of that suit in no time and off to my bike. I won't go into it, but the bike was as good as it could have been. It is harder at times because I am on a road bike, but I was really happy with my performance. My data stinks because I messed with the buttons on the watch & ended up restarting it twice on the bike (FAIL!) At one point I asked a woman in my age group what her overall time was because I had no clue how long I had been on the course. Lesson learned - when in multi-sport, don't ever touch lap unless it is time to transition! Best part of the bike was when Dave passed me singing Oklahoma. I was wondering when he was going to show up & when he did, it gave me a good laugh. At mile 20, I said to myself - this is awesome, I'm ready to sign up for another race!  At mile 45, I thought - what the hell am I doing? After the 56 mile bike, I was heading out on the run after a quick bathroom break. My legs felt good as I started running. My HR was way too high, so I kept an eye on it to make sure it was going back down. Lately, I have had a lot of issues with my shoulder, so I focused on good form so it wouldn't get aggravated. Shoulder was good for the entire run. Problem I had was my feet felt like they had something stuck to them - like there was something in my socks. I stopped at one point to pull them tighter, but I think in the end it was just something with my feet because there was nothing in my shoes or socks after I finished the race. Jeff passed me just before my 4 mile mark & I saw Jen out ahead of me. I caught a quick glimpse of Dave as he had a few miles left. Then on my second lap, I was able to see Kathryn & Jen again. It is always great to know people on the course - especially when (if you are like me) you are fighting in your mind to keep going. Dave & Jeff were waiting for me with about 1/2 mile to go. As I ran by them, I yelled about the struggle being real (sounds off now, but it's what I said) and headed off looking for the turn to the finish line. As I turned the corner, I knew I had 2 blocks left. I had picked up my pace (finally) and said a quick prayer & blessed myself. There were 3 people running in front of me & I told myself to just run a little behind them so that I would cross the finish line by myself. I turned the last corner into the finisher's chute & sped up again. This caused both of my calves to cramp instantly & I said there was no way in hell I was going to stop running and hoped they wouldn't cause me to fall. I kept going & then I heard the song that was playing & I almost broke down. It was Rachel Platten - Fight Song. The words resonate so much with me & has been a favorite for the past few weeks.

This is my fight song

Take back my life song

Prove I'm alright song

My power's turned on

Starting right now I'll be strong

I'll play my fight song

And I don't really care if nobody else believes

Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

I raised my arms & smiled (at least I hope I did) and crossed the finish line. I heard Dave & Jeff cheering for me & after I got my medal, I went over to see them. I was so glad they were there. There is something to be said for your friends who will be willing to give you a hug when you stink! I was so happy that I finished & by the look of the clock, I had done it in my goal time. Official time was 6:25:42.

Thanks to my coach, Dave Connor - I couldn't have done this without you.  Without your guidance, knowledge & patience, I would probably still be standing on the side of the pool wishing I could swim. I am grateful to you for pushing me & helping me become a better version of myself - strong, brave & confident and willing to step out of my comfort zone. Your belief in me makes me believe in myself. I am so proud of myself & can't wait to see what is going to happen next. I have plenty of room to improve, but yesterday was a huge step forward for me. Thanks to my teammates on Team FeXY, my training partners, friends & anyone who has offered me support & encouragement - you have no idea how much it means to me! Oh, if you are wondering, after 70.3 miles, yes, I want to sign up for more!

Race details:

Back in April, I posted my goals:

My swim was much faster than I expected (31:23) & that's what saved my race.  The bike was good but not quite at goal (3:10). My run wasn't as I wanted it to be (2:33). My legs were okay, but as I have in the past, I let myself walk. Then I felt like I had to use the bathroom. I stopped twice at the aid stations. Not to go into details, but it was a waste of time. In the end, I think I took in too many fluids when I got on the run course and it was all sloshing around in my stomach. Total time 6:25:42