Racine 1/2 Ironman 70.3 Race Summary 2014

Most importantly, I was excited to do this race with a great friend who was doing her first ever, 1/2 ironman race.  This was my 2nd 70.3 distance.  I was happy to have my husband at this race as my number one fan, he is a trooper and I'm thankful for his support.  The bike has some very rough roads, I saw a number of people with flats and if you plan to do this race, be prepared for those roads!

TRIATHLON DATE: July 20, 2014

LOCATION: Racine, Wisconsin

 WEATHER: Sunny, minimal clouds, high 60s to start the day, with the high reaching 79 degrees F and low humidity and not much wind

CLOTHING: Xterra wetsuit with a neoprene hat for the swim, Chattanooga Triathlon kit 2014 top, 2013 bottoms, I added bike shorts over top of the tri shorts for the bike, and then removed them for the run.  In addition I wore a visor on the run and Hoka running shoes along with my Tifosi sunglasses


 RACE GOAL: Ultimately finishing in under 7 hours was my goal, my previous (and first) 1/2 ironman in 2013 had terrible weather and my finishing time was 6:49 and ultimately I was really looking to PR for this race.  However, this race was not top priority as far as racing, it's a stopping point on my way to my first Ironman in Chattanooga, September 2014.  I did have high hopes of maintaining certain heart rates during this race, feeling good and practicing nutrition in preparation for Ironman Chattanooga.

ACTUAL RACE FINISH: 6:16:38

HEART RATE: 146 Average (141-159 range for bike and run)

NUTRITION:
Swim: 1 gel (with water), 15 minutes before the swim start

Bike: One gel shortly after getting on my bike, then every 15 minutes I sipped from my 900 calorie water bottle with carbo pro/cytomax together (700 calories CP; 200 calories Cytomax).  I also had a Honey Stinger waffle and 1 pack of Honey Stinger chews (with caffeine) that I consumed mid-later in the bike ride.

Run: Approximately 1 gel every 30 minutes.  I also sipped on a 16 oz. bottle of cytomax the first 8 miles, I tossed the bottle after mile 8. I had 2 packs of honey stinger chews throughout the run as I felt like it and I also tried cola but it was warm and overly carbonated, not sure it was wonderful so I didn't have any more.  I felt okay but around mile 4 on the run, my stomach was a little uneasy and I was slightly more nervous about my nutrition on the run--thankfully, everything worked out fine and my nutrition continued as normal.

I also took 2 metasalt tablets every hour throughout the race, starting on the bike.


TRAINING:  Coach Robyn from FXMultisport has stuck by my side to get me all ready to go.  (http://fxmultisport.com)

Swim: 45:01

T1: 0:6:32

Bike: 3:14:25

T2: 0:3:53
Run: 2:06:47

TOTAL: 6:16:38

RACE DAY
Note: This might be boring, but I wrote it for myself so I could remember the day...and for anyone who may be considering doing a 1/2 ironman race, because I know you could totally do it!

1.2 mile Swim (45:01)

Time: 45:01        Pace: 2:19/100 meter           Age Group Rank: 73/143         Overall Rank: 1419/2606

My garmin swim distance was 1.25 miles and I actually was able to see on my garmin that I swam fairly straight, which was great since I haven't been able to practice much in the open water.  The start was a beach start into the 62.4 degree F water temps of Lake Michigan, I only warmed up about 10 minutes before the race and just put my face in the water to prepare for the shock.  I started in the middle/more towards the back of the pack on the outside, the swim had 2 right hand turns so it was fairly simple.  With no current and no waves, I stayed towards the outside of the group and had a smooth swim with minimal running into people or getting bummed/pushed under.  I stayed focused but felt like I was swimming forever, I was fairly slow and steady--I only had issues with one girl who was swimming zigzags in front of me--to begin with she was slightly faster than me, eventually I passed her when she became tired.  I really felt like I swam the same pace the entire race, that is fairly typically for me.  The swim was lovely (besides being really cold) and I enjoyed the clean, clear water.

56 mile Bike (3:14:25)

Pace: 17.28 mph               Age Group Rank: 68/143              Overall Rank: 1569/2606

Heart Rate Average: 144       Cadence Average: 85 rpm

There was one hill immediately out of transition, which made it interesting clipping in and immediately going up a hill, no time for a warm up.  It was important to be in a very easy gear before the race began, and so I was prepared for the immediate hill, though I had to watch out for other people.  The bike course roads were very rough to say the least.  Constant bumps, cracks and just plan rough roads.  There were times I had to slow down because it was so rough, there were many turns too.  The only great thing was that the course was very flat (coming from someone who lives in Chattanooga, TN).  It was difficult for me to stay consistent with the road conditions.  I eventually had to make a bathroom stop after mile 43 sometime, but was thankful I was able to made it quick--really I only stopped because there was no line, otherwise I would have kept going.

I had a gel to start on the bike and then sipped my 900 calorie carbo pro/cytomax mix bottle-that worked well!  I also had a pack of honey stinger chews (with caffeine towards the middle/end of the bike for the extra energy).  I only had 1 water bottle on my bike so I took water at each bike hand off and to save time, I drank the water through the aid station and tossed it at the end--Around mile 43 when I stopped for the bathroom, I also filled my water bottle since it was about empty--otherwise my water strategy worked well.  The last 3-5 miles were very very rough on the bumps and I was done with it, I didn't want any more, I really couldn't believe how terrible the roads were.  We only had about 2-3 'kind-of' hills on the course, I would pass people going down the hills because they would not pedal--I took advantage of the hills.  All in all the bike felt fairly easy, I was trying to keep my HR down below 145, my coach wanted it lower but I had the bug to race a bit, I was still mindful of my HR and saving myself for the run.

BIKE Pace Break Down

  1st 5 miles (16:51) 17.8 mph (HR=143)

2nd 5 miles (18:31) 16.2 mph (HR=142)

 3rd 5 miles (17:47) 16.9 mph (HR=141)

 4th 5 miles (17:10) 17.5 mph (HR=143)

 5th 5 miles (15:58) 18.8 mph (HR=145)

 6th 5 miles (16:45) 17.9 mph (HR=146)

7th 5 miles (17:49) 16.8 mph (HR=144)

8th 5 miles (17:54) 16.7 mph (HR=142) BATHROOM STOP

9th 5 miles (17:38) 17.0 mph (HR-144)

10th 5 miles (15:30) 19.3 mph (HR=147)

11th 5 miles (17:03) 17.6 mph (HR=146)

final mile= (4:30) 15.5 mph (HR=144)

13.1 mile Run (2:06:47)

Pace: 9:40/mile                 Age Group Rank: 56/143                    Overall Rank: 1249/2606

Heart Rate Average: 149

I came off the bike feeling great!  I did lose a few seconds in transition, I was almost out and forgot that I left my garmin on my bike, I ran to get it since that was my focus to help me maintain my heart rate.  There was a hill within the first mile that got your heart rate going, and then one not long after that--those would be the only hills on the course, though it was a double loop run course, so we did the hills twice.

My target was to have a gel about every 30 minutes on the run, along with continuing my salt tablets.  I sipped on Cytomax until mile 8 when I threw my bottle out and just ran.  It was fairly hot and so I felt like I may need the extra electrolytes.  I tried to have some cola during the run as an experiment, but it was fairly warm and way too carbonated for it to be okay for me.  Not long after that, I did have one bathroom stop during mile 4, my stomach was not bad, but just a little uneasy, it ended up being a false alarm.  I focused on my run cadence and just enjoying the course and people out there.  It got a little warm out but it was tolerable.  Many people on the race course helped passed the time.  My coach said if I was feeling good after 8 miles, I could go ahead and finish strong, so I did and it felt great!
On the run, I was able to pass 12 people in my age group and 320 people total on the run.

Consistency was the key to this run, and I was thankful I was able to be fairly consistent the entire run, finishing with a negative split.    

RUN Pace Break Down

Mile 1: 10:02 (HR=150)

Mile 2: 9:08 (HR=148)

Mile 3: 9:39 (HR=147)

Mile 4: 10:26 (HR=145) BATHROOM STOP

Mile 5: 9:52 (HR=146)

Mile 6: 9:56 (HR=146)

Mile 7: 9:59 (HR=146)

Mile 8: 9:57 (HR=146)

Mile 9: 9:43 (HR=147)

Mile 10: 9:45 (HR=147)

Mile 11: 9:50 (HR=150)

Mile 12: 8:51 (HR=155)

Mile 13: 8:46 (HR=159)

Post Race picture

TRANSITION AND OTHER NOTES:  They did have wet suit strippers that were right before transition, I utilized this, and they were awesome!  The volunteers at this race too their role serious, and for that I was grateful.  I chose to have my own sunscreen in transition (Spray bottle) and that was a great choice, I didn't feel like I wanted to be nastily slathered.

Same Vocation, New Career

Martin Luther understood vocation as a Christian's place of responsibility before God and for others in the world. One of the critical aspects of Luther's view of vocation was that we represent God to others in our service to them.  My mantra in life has always been to strive to live my life in a way to love God and love others.  Generally speaking, vocation is how Christians are to live in the world.

My mantra has always been, to impact others in a positive way by how I live my life.  After serving as a paid, public Christian leader in the Church for 10 years, I’m embarking on a new career, but the same vocation.  A new career as a flight attendant, but the same vocation to love God and to love all people.  I am thankful for the past 10 years serving in the church (more than that if you count summers working at church camp)—I have learned so much and have been part of many holy moments (joys and challenges) with people from Alaska, South Dakota, Texas, Tennessee, New York City and a few places in between.  I am so grateful for the experiences that I have had and the people who have nurtured my faith and leadership along the way.  My journey and my adventures and my vocational call continues…

 Martin Luther’s view on vocation is that we exercise our priestly vocation by serving others where God has placed us in life: at home, at work, in the church, and in the community. Faith is active in love, in the smallest and most insignificant things in everyday life. 

My flight attendant training in Atlanta, GA begins towards the end of April and will last for just over 7 weeks and then I will be traveling the country and world where my life will intersect with more people than I can ever imagine.  

I look forward to the opportunities I will have to love people where they are, listen, to serve and to live my vocation in this world, literally all over the world.  I’m thankful for supportive family and friends who are all along for the adventure!  

God is already at work in our everyday lives here and now.  All of us have vocations that are truly unique. Our task and challenge is to give expression to our faith in the concrete situations where God has placed us and to not get caught in the mundane tasks in our daily lives.  As I take on this new adventure, my prayer is that I may continue to live my vocation in this world, to love God and to love my neighbor and to keep this as my focus.     

As I go, as you go, as we go onward in life, I share a blessing that is near and dear to my heart:

Life is short,

And we do not have much time

to gladden the hearts of those who make the journey with us.

So . . . be swift to love, and make haste to be kind.

And the blessing of God,

who made us, who loves us, and who travels with us

be with you now and forever.  Amen.

My First 26.2 Mile Run

At the finish line: post race!

MARATHON DATE: February 16, 2014

LOCATION: Birmingham, AL

 WEATHER: 37 degrees F at the 7am start of the race, warming to near 53 degrees at the finish

CLOTHING: Visor, ear warmer, sunglasses, 1 t-shirt, arm warmers, capri's and compression sleeves, with smart-wool socks and my Hoka one one's--the clothing selection was perfect for the temperatures

 RACE GOAL: Stay consistent the entire race and feel strong at the finish, not completely exhausted, targeting 9:45/mile pace (4 hours 15 min)

ACTUAL RACE FINISH: 4:15:05
                                               (9:45 average pace/mile)

Hoka Club

                                     (28th of 72 in age group, 424 out of over 1000 people, 114 out of the women)
                                      10k: 56:29  (9:21 pace)
                                      15k: 1:24:46 (9:26 pace)
                                      25k: 2:22:17 (9:28 pace)
                                      30k: 2:47:18 (9:47 pace)

HEART RATE: Average was 156, consistently 150-160 when I would check.

NUTRITION: I wore a belt with three 7oz bottles of Cytomax (electrolyte drink) and one 7-ounce bottle of water.  I also had one pack of Honey Stinger chews.  I took Gu Gels approx. mile 4, 8, 11,14,18,22.  My First gu was strawberry banana, third was salted carmel and all others were vanilla bean w caffeine.  I would take gel and follow that with a shot of water.  I didn't have a set plan before the race, but a general idea of what I might do--essentially a gel every 3-4 miles and cytomax or honey stinger chews in-between.  I didn't have any issues, but could have had a better plan.

TRAINING: Hal Higdon's Novice 1 plan (HERE)  This was the 'easiest' plan I could find.  I pretty much stuck to the plan, I never did much speed work in this training.  I swam for cross training.

MARATHON TALES

Travel companions and wonderful friends

Almost 10 years ago, I put running a marathon on my to-do list in life.  About a year ago, I was ready to take it off my list, there was no need for me to do that, it was crazy to put your body through that.  This past fall, after signing up for an Ironman, I began to wonder if I should do a marathon, so I would 'know what it feels like'.  After some persuasion from friends, on October 31, 2013, Rob and I signed up for the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, AL.  Rob and I enjoyed our long runs together and had many friends join us along the way... training over the winter was a little rough, with the cold weather, but we did it! Let's go to the race.

Pre-race photo

We traveled with our wonderful friends, Ed and Britta and we arrived the day before the race to check in. We stayed at the Sheraton Hotel, which was a 5 minute walk from the race start, I highly suggest that for future races.  I never had to use the nasty porta-potties before the race, because we stayed in the warm hotel until the last minute.  The night before the race we went to a hole in the wall Italian restaurant called Giuseppe's Cafe.  Thanks to my wonderful friend Marcia and her husband for calling ahead to make reservations at this restaurant that had like 8 tables!  Carbo-load--I had a caesar salad and chicken fettuccine alfredo, which I didn't eat a ton of the sauce and that was a smart choice.

My view before the start

RACE DAY
Note: This might be boring, because everything went well!  
Surprisingly, I had a great night sleep, woke up on my own a little before 5am.  As my usual race routine, I sat in bed and ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (that I made before going to bed), I had a banana and downed some water--pre-race meal at its finest.  We left the hotel around 6:40am for the 7:03am race start--this was plenty of time!  We started the race around the 9 minute pace and of course, we passed many people in the first few miles.  Since my longest training run was 20 miles, I realized that I didn't really have a nutrition plan in place for the last 6 miles, but I made it work fine.

The course is set-up as a 2 loop course--with the majority of the race being people who are running the 1/2 marathon, which is one loop.  The first loop was crowded, but not unbearable.  Rob and I ran together and saw the 4:15 pacers and so we decided that we would try and run with that group. Turns out that pacer was inconsistent and was running an 8:45/mile pace so they could walk through aid stations--sounds like a terrible idea to me... if I'm going to run that fast, I'd want to finish closer to 4 hours.  We decided not to run with that group and Rob and I ran together the first 8 miles and then he went on ahead, which turns out, we were within about a minute of each other the whole race.

The 2nd loop was less crowded and fairly quiet, a number of the spectators left, I was thankful for my head phones and only had one bathroom stop around mile 14.  I felt great after the 1st loop from miles 13 to 17, until the hills began.  I slowed down more than I should have, but wasn't really thinking about pace.  Some of my favorite signs I saw along side the road were, "Your running better than congress" and "smile if you aren't wearing underwear" and many folks were cheer, "Go random stranger!"

I looked at my garmin around mile 20.2, and almost felt emotional as I realized I was going where I hadn't gone before--my longest training run was 20 miles.  I saw a sign that said, "There are doors in walls that you can push through," and I did.  My play listed ended around Mile 23--no more music, just silence, again, I didn't realize that my playlist had an end to it, since I've never ran longer than 20 miles. My lack of music turned out okay--the last song was "It is well" and so my mantra to the finish line became, "It is well with my soul..."and I was full of joy the final miles!  The BUTS (Birmingham Ultra Trail Society) had a cheering station at mile 23, which I knew from my first loop that I could look forward to them. Oh my, did they step it up that second loop!!?  I felt like I was at the finish line there was so much encouragement, cheering, dancing and fun people!  I think they were serving beer and pancakes that day.  They have inspired me to try and do the same at local races in Chattanooga--they were a huge blessing.

Celebration together at the finish!

The course flattened out a little after mile 23, but I couldn't see to dig deep, I was consistently hitting about 10 minute/mile pace.  At mile 25.2, I rounded the corner for the final mile and I felt strong, I dug in to finish with a final 9:23 min/mile, finishing in 4:15:05... right on target of my goal--without a pacer!

I really enjoyed this race, I never had a point where I hurt bad, and that was my goal, I wanted to finish the race feel good and not blowing up.  With this mentality, I was running again about 7 days later without any problems.  I have learned to believe in myself, I've learned that I can do more than I ever imagined and I'm so thankful that I have the desire in me to go where I've never been.  I believe that if you set a goal, if you stay healthy, focused and determined, you can get there.  People often see me as someone who is physically fit, which I am thankful for, but it is only because I set goals and I stay committed.  I encourage you to find that goal within and go for it, I believe in you, and it's time for you to believe in yourself and your abilities to reach your goals.

My post-race reward

Should have, could have, would have?  Yah, I totally thing I could have pushed myself more and had a better time, but I wanted a great first marathon experience and I definitely enjoyed every mile, my motto was, "smile every mile!"

When is my next marathon?  Ironman Chattanooga...2014, I wonder how that marathon will go, I'm sure it will be different, and I'm sure it will be something I've never experienced before and I'm excited.  I plan to eat donuts afterwards too.

Stranded in the Southern Snow

The day before snowmageddon

Two weeks ago I was with a group of campus ministers for a network and collaboration event near Charleston, SC.  I was traveling from Houston, TX, where I attended a meeting for Disciple Project, which is a faith leadership camp I help lead each summer.  I was excited to be in Charleston, staying a block from the beach and networking with other campus ministry folks.

This was the beginning...

I arrived Charleston Sunday evening January 26, the next day, I enjoyed a run on the beach and lovely sunshine, even though it wasn't warm.  Monday evening I received word that my Wednesday flight was cancelled, so I worked to re-book  for Tuesday night, which was later cancelled, so I was moved up to Tuesday at noon, and then I finally caught the last flight out of Charleston on Tuesday at 8:45am, at this point I was excited and confident that I would beat the winter storm, I didn't even pack my carry on bag to be stranded--BIG MISTAKE.  I always pack my carry on in case I'm stranded--except this time.

My Charleston to Atlanta flight was less than an hour long and right on time, I had enough time in Atlanta to grab coffee and a little breakfast, I made it to my gate and boarded my plane to Chattanooga, all on time--I called Rob to let him know we were on our way.  We were cleared to land in Chattanooga, I was excited.  After a few minutes, I knew something wasn't right.  Our pilot then put the nose up and head back into the clouds.   He came on the intercom and said, "Folks, I'm afraid to tell you, we are on our way to Atlanta, the runway in Chattanooga is short and they can't seem to keep the snow off of it."

My view of Chattanooga from the plane

We returned to the gate in Atlanta around 2pm, after waiting around for 30 minutes, we were told our flight was cancelled.  I started calling hotels at this point--knowing I was going to be stranded, everything with an airport shuttle was sold out.  I hadn't eaten any lunch at this point, and I was fairly hungry so I went to find food and decided I would figure out what to do.  Of course because I have a lot of friends who travel often, I resort to making a post on facebook to see if anyone else was going to be stranded in the Atlanta airport overnight.  Not long after that post, a friend responded that her husband would be traveling home from a work trip--he would be on the 9:45pm flight to Chattanooga that I was on stand-by for.

Atlanta Airplanes in the snow

  Since I wouldn't be leaving the Atlanta airport, I decided to hunker down--I saw a few guys getting a stack of Delta blankets, I thought, what a great idea! I asked if they could get one extra--I later found out they were a group from Augustana College in South Dakota (where I went to college!)--I totally found the folks I could hang out with, if need-be.

I made my way to the gate around 8:30pm to see if I could get on the standby flight.  I met my friend's husband and we had a nice conversation--even though we hadn't really ever met, it was great to have someone familiar around.  9:45pm comes and goes, we haven't boarded, 10:30 comes, it was close to 11pm before they began boarding--I didn't even know if I would get a seat.  Sure enough, I got the last seat on the plane!  Super tired at this point but boy I WAS EXCITED!

Rob and I decided that I wouldn't call him until we land in Chattanooga--there had been too many false alarms of him leaving to pick me up that day.  No sleeping in the airport for this girl!  We go through the safety talks, get in line for de-icing and then eventually we were told that there were electrical issues in the plane, so we had to go back to the gate, we are pushing 1:00am at this point.  After standing around a few minutes, they find us a different plane--we re-board once again!  Safety talks happen, It's after 2am, but we are in the de-icing process--this was seaming to take longer than normal.  I decided that I hadn't eating in about 9 hours, so I enjoyed a bowl of lucky charms I had stashed away.  It's now almost 3am and the pilot comes on overhead and says, "The de-icing process took longer than we expected, and I'm not at my limit and no longer able to fly without the FAA taking away my pilots license, we will be going back to the gate."  By this point I was TIRED!  I had been up since 6am the previous day--we were later told that we had to leave the gate area to re-book our tickets since there were no employees left at the airport to handle our ticketing issue.

My friends husband and I stuck together--it's now about 3:30am, we went to rebook our tickets, which we were both rebooked for Wednesday night. We called groome shuttle (a shuttle that runs from Atlanta to Chattanooga) and booked a seat on the shuttle later in the afternoon.  It was also coffee time--I'm pushing staying up for 24 hours.... I haven't done this since my last church lock-in.

We started to research our options of trying to get home, my new friend secured a SUV rental car, we research road continues, planned a route and eventually we decided to attempt to drive back to Chattanooga.  This would be my 2nd road trip from an airport to a destination with people I just met--though this time it was a friend's spouse... but nonetheless... someone I just met.  A couple years ago it was a car with 5 strangers...

The interstate was all ice

We begin our journey with the iPad map and google maps on my phone in hand--I was the navigator extrodinaire.  Of course, upon reaching 285N, there was an accident so we immediately had to go to plan B, which was to navigate the side roads that paralleled the freeway, whatever roads we could find that looked drivable.  It worked.... it took time, but we eventually made it to 285N where there were no cars going north and all the lanes going south were filled with cars, semi trucks and school buses---that didn't have any people in them--it was slightly erie.  We'd occasionally see people walking--but I've never seen anything like this.

Abandon cars were everywhere

Eventually we saw a tanker truck and a couple cars, driving towards us on the Interstate, we assume that this is not good and we follow suite, turning around--this would be the first time in my life that I've rode the wrong way on the freeway.  As we go up the exit ramp, (the wrong way of course) the tanker truck starts to slide backwards... slightly terrifying, but my partner-in-crime had ninja driving skills and as the truck driver told us to come along in between the sliding truck and a cement wall---I'm thankful for ninja driving skills and the fact that he grew up in the Northern part of the country.

Stopped traffic for miles on I-75 South 

Once we hit I-75, we saw miles and miles of people backed up in traffic going the other direction that was not moving at all.  I have seriously never seen anything like this--not moving at all.  Needless to say it was 4 hours later, we arrived Chattanooga, for this I was grateful.

It's one thing to be stranded and have cancelled flights, it's another things to be strung along for hours, changing planes, and then ending up with exhaustion no sleep.

This was a fairly terrible experience, but I chose to keep smiling and make the most of it.  I was thankful to find community with others around me, eating with random strangers at Buffalo Wild Wings, running into the group from Augustana College-- I enjoyed many stories and laughter along the way.  I experienced wonderful hospitality and generosity from others--if you open yourself up to others, you will be amazed at the stories you hear and the joy you'll experience.

After full day travel adventure with a stranger, I'm thankful to have a new friend--If I had been by myself I would have had 2 full days in the Atlanta airport... unprepared to be stranded.  Sure, unfortunate experiences might happen in life, you have a choice in how you respond and you have a choice to make the most of it--in the end, you have stories to tell and you can rejoice that it's over.  To my travel adventure amigo, I say many thanks for the adventures and your generosity!

May my mantra in life continue to drive me as I strive to impact the lives of others by how I life my life.  I've really never had an experience like this, but I'm thankful for safety--staying up for 36 hours was not enjoyable and it took a few days to recharge.  After this experience, I won't get lazy in how I travel, and I will always pack to be stranded.