Chattanooga 70.3: My 3rd 1/2 Iron distance race

PREPARATION/TRAINING:  Approaching my 3rd 70.3 race, I had high hopes of certain race goals and training properly.  Other opportunities in my life (flying in airplanes for work) led me to train less than I had intended.  I'll never forget, my last bike training ride before the race was in Duesseldorf, Germany on a 3 speed bike along the Rhine River--the bike gears broke and so it became a single speed.  I rode for 2.5 hours and called it quits.

WEATHER: Chance of rain all day and it ended up raining about 30 minutes into the bike course, but it was a nice drizzle.  There were puddles from the rain on the bike course, but I've ridden the course enough that the rain did not slow me down.  The run was overcast and it was mid-70s but was a little humid, no complaints.

Most of my race gear

CLOTHING: I wore an Epix brand, 2 piece, Chattanooga Triathlon Club race kit all day.  I also wore my tifosi sunglasses all day and then my headsweat visor on the run.  For the swim, I did wear my Xterra, long sleeve wet suit.

RACE GOAL:  After my lack of training properly, my race goals shifted to having fun and finish the race strong.   My mantra was to race with a good effort for as long as you can and then I could go as slow as I wanted, I kept saying to myself "go as hard as you can, for as long as you can, and then you can go as slow as you want."

ACTUAL FINISH: 5:50:58 (PR by approximately 26 minutes)

                SWIM: 37:24
TRANSITION 1: 7:08
                  BIKE: 2:59:50
TRANSITION 2: 3:32

                   RUN: 2:03:04

Pre-race breakfast

NUTRITION: I didn't have a big nutrition plan, but followed in my Ironman nutrition that worked well--with an estimated target of 200 calories per hour.  This is what I did and it worked for me, I am not trained and didn't take advice from a professional, but I didn't get sick and finished the race.  I used a combo of cytomax and carbo pro on the bike, supplemented by honey stinger chews and I also use base salt.  Again, I sip the carbo pro mix (made a 700 calorie bottle) every 15 minutes on the bike.  During the run, I did take a gel or two that included caffeine and this is a necessity for me as I need the extra energy and focus.

Chattanooga Tri Club Friends

RACE-DAY BREAKFAST/PRE-RACE NUTRITION:  I started eating carbs more intentionally about 2 days before the race.  On race day I had two 4oz containers of unsweetened applesauce, two pieces of white break with light amount of peanut butter and a regular amount of jelly, and I had 16 oz. of cytomax electrolyte drink and a glass of water, it's possible that I had a banana, but I cannot remember.  I had a vanilla gu (with caffeine) 20 minutes before I got in the water to start the race.

PRE-RACE/RACE MORNING:  Met up with Rebecca and Kelli in transition and then met up with Sarah M. on the bus.  R & K ended up hitting the bathroom, so I went to sit in the line for the swim start with Sarah.  The swim start was rolling, first come, first serve.  I felt like I needed more time to complete the race, so went ahead in the line.  I wasn't overly nervous for this race and felt that I would enjoy the day and give it my best.

1.2 MILE SWIM (37:24) 

Time: 37:24       Pace: 1:56/100m       Age Group Rank: 53/85

Gender Rank: 390/669

Overall Rank: 1372/2181

To begin the swim at 70.3 Chattanooga we walked down the GPS dock, jumped in and swam upstream for about 400 meters (estimated).  I was very unprepared for the swim, I ended up swimming about 1 time per week prior to the race, no more than 2400 yards.  I swam closer to the shore going upstream and then cut across and swam the buoy lines the remainder of the race.  I had some issues with sighting, but no problems swimming straight.  I attempted to have a higher swim stroke going up stream and then remained steady going downstream, and the current helped some, I swam straight and had no issues with the swim, but definitely was tired towards the end and could tell I hadn't prepared properly.

56 MILE BIKE (2:59:50)

Time: 2:59:50      Pace: 18.68 mph     Age Group Rank: 45/85

Gender Rank: 312/669

Overall Rank: 1283/2181

My lap split time on my GPS was every 5 miles and so my every 5 mile pace broke down into this: 16.3, 19.1, 17.9, 17.8, 19.7, 19.5, 20.2, 20.3, 18.6, 21.5, 19.4.  I'm not a coach or professional, but my observations and thoughts include that this is fairly consistent for a course that is rolling hills.  I'm a timid biker, so I would say the initial 5 miles was leaving town, and there were a few railroad crossings and a lot of bikers so the speed was slower.  Six laps (again a lap is 5 miles) were consistently around 19-20 mph average--which I felt was consistent, seven laps were all between 15-17 minutes, with the range being 13:58 to 18:21--again, consistent without being planned that way.    I surprised myself on the bike, because I never road more than 50 miles training and I was very undertrained.  I felt like I focused on a good pedal stroke and my nutrition--with the idea that I would go as strong as I good, for as long as I could.  My heart rate was very consistent 150-156 for each 5 mile lap--with six laps being 153 or less average.    

13.1 MILE RUN (2:03:04)

Time: 2:03:04      Pace: 9:23/mile    Age Group Rank: 35/85

Gender Rank: 206/669

Overall Rank: 905/2181

During the run, I literally focused on one step at a time, with the goal to keep my feet moving at a rapid and steady pace.  I never ran more than 9 miles in preparation for this race, so I was very nervous because I knew the run was hilly.  My goal for a half marathon is always to keep it around 2 hours, and with my limited training, I was more than happy with the 2:03 race time.  I felt consistent and I felt strong at the finish, but I didn't have much more left in my gas tank--I'm slowly learning how to use all my energy during a race to maximize a strong finish and this will come over time and with more experience.

Post Race Smiles

FINAL RACE THOUGHTS

I found more focus on this race--focus for being in the moment and doing the best with where I was.  Thinking that I had 56 miles left when I started the bike, did not work--I had to think about the mile ahead of me and focus on my pedal stroke and that allowed me to have a faster race than I thought I would.  Finding a focus on the technique with the sport I was doing is how I've learned to race faster.  It's about how efficient you can be as an athlete, not trying to just be fast and beat a certain time.  I encourage others to break down your race and focus on the small things to create surprising results.  Enjoy the day, smile and be thankful that you are able to do what you do.

Go for a Run, Make Yourself Focus

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a coach or expert, I'm your average athlete candidly sharing my training experience.

Recently, I had an unofficial Personal best for my half marathon time, 1:50:25 for 13.1 miles, 8:26 average/mile.  3 years ago I ran my old record, 1:54:33, 8:47/mile pace.  I went out for a training run and managed a 4 minute personal best--that was not the goal of my day, I couldn't believe it happened.

I am training for the Dopey Challenge at Disney World (4 days of running, 5k, 10k, half marathon and full marathon) which will be in January--I am behind on my training, so in early November, I decided my training plan would be to just run as much as I could, long slow distances, long ended up being less than 10 miles, but I would run at least 5 days a week, always having one off, if not more.  No heart rate, no coach, no plan, just run.

Since I've been so distracted and unfocused, last weekend before I began my long run, I decided I really needed to have a focus for my run.  My focus would be on the first hour of running, I would think about my posture and my cadence, I wouldn't worry about my heart rate, how far, or how fast--just to keep my feet moving at a decent cadence.  If you think about moving your feet faster, and you focus on that, you can.  They say average/normal runners have a 160-170 cadence, I currently work hard to be at 170, but find it easy to now stay in the range, if I occasionally focus on this.

After running an hour with my focus, I decided to keep this focus as long as I could.  My legs felt great and my mind was focused, and in the end I was shocked by the results.

I wore my cadence sensor on my shoe today, but did not look at it once while I was running 8 miles, and my average cadence was 164.  If you take time to work on your cadence, it becomes something natural and you will in turn be able to naturally increase your speed.

I'm your average athlete--I believe you can increase your speed by taking time to focus on your cadence and how fast you move your feet and this makes it more effortless for you to run.  The next time you are on a run, just think about moving your feet faster and see what happens.  Improving your run cadence will take consistency--how do you begin?  For me, I would go for a 3-4 mile run, and spend half that time focusing on my cadence, and the other half just running.  I would suggest to take part of each run and focus on your cadence and remember, consistency matters.

On the Go: Reflections from a Flight Attendant

Taking time on a layover in Howth, Ireland to reflect
on my first year as a flight attendant

On the Go and Now is the Time: Reflections from a Flight Attendant
Written on April 23, 2015 on my 1-year anniversary as a flight attendant
Year one as a flight attedant includes approximately: 268,025 miles, 67 layovers and 251 flights worked, encountering approximately 44,000 people throughout the year--this is an opportunity to share love and grace with many people, 'I am on the Go and Now is the Time' to impact the world by how I live and how I love.  Layovers in Amsterdam, Anchorage, Vancouver, Calgary, London, Boise, Narita (Japan), Panama City (Panama), Kingston (Jamaica), Honolulu, Dublin, Portland, San Francisco, Phoenix, Sioux Falls, Colorado Springs and Birmingham to name a few--my life has been influenced by the people I've met on my journey, old friends and new friends, strangers and relatives.
By: Noel C.K. Reagan

A month ago I was in Alaska.

A week ago I was in Hawaii.

Today I am in Ireland.

I am blessed.

I am on this earth to love God and to love others.

I am called to love people for who they are.

With each passing moment, I am called to be still, and then go.

I am called to truly go and live in this world.

I am called to hear stories and share stories.

With each passing moment, I am grateful.

I am grateful for the people I've met and the places I've been.

I am grateful for the love of Christ I've been able to share with others simply by treating them with genuine kindness.

With each passing moment, I take time to reflect.

Looking back on the places I've been, and remember the experiences.

Looking back to the people I've met, and remember the stories I've heard and shared.

Looking ahead to the opportunities that come each day to meet strangers who I later call friend.

I live in this world, not for myself but to love God and love others.

Love has no bounds and no walls, we all are called to go beyond our own worlds in order to see differently.

I am on the go in this world.

Yet I live in the stillness of the moments I am given each day, wherever I may be in this world.

And indeed, I truly believe home is where your heart is.

I am on the go in this world to love God and love people.

I am on the go in this world to make a difference by how I live my life.

Now is the time and for that I am grateful.

My first Ironman Triathlon: Ironman Chattanooga 2014

 The truth about my 5th open water swim triathlon; my first Ironman triathlon, which was a confirmed 144.6 total miles, not 140.6.

TRIATHLON DATE: September 28, 2014

LOCATION: Chattanooga, TN

 WEATHER: Cloudy all day, 63 degrees to start the day, with the high reaching mid 70s degrees, not much wind and not too humid.  It did rain very steady the last hour of my bike ride and when I began the run.  Eventually the rain tapered off toward the evening.

CLOTHING: Xterra lava pants and a swim suit for the swim, bike shorts, tri club bike jersey and Tifosi sunglasses (amber lenses) for the bike and Chattanooga Triathlon kit 2014 top & 2013 bottoms.  On the run, I wore a visor, compression sleeves on my legs and Hoka running shoes along with my Tifosi sunglasses--I also started the run with a vest due to the rain, I was worried about my core body temp, ultimately I left my vest on the race course.

 RACE GOAL: Finish in less than 15 hours and really enjoy the whole day, not worrying about being competitive.  I met my race goal, stayed positive and never found a dark spot in the day, and truly enjoyed the whole experience.

This picture captures the finish line emotion

ACTUAL RACE FINISH: 14:26:17  

NUTRITION:

Swim: 1 gel (with water), 15 minutes before the swim start, I also had some cytomax electrolyte drink before the swim since we had to sit and wait awhile.

Bike: One gu gel (salted caramel)  in transition and then every 15 minutes I sipped from my 1600 calorie water bottle with carbo pro/cytomax together (1400 calories CP; 200 calories Cytomax).  I took in base electrolyte salt approximately every 5 miles.

 I also had 3 packs of Honey Stinger chews (2 with caffeine, 1 without) that I consumed  throughout the bike ride, but ended up downing the remaining the last 5 miles because they weren't gone and I knew I needed the energy for the run.  I did eat one pack of those orange crackers with cheese in the middle, I had an occasional cracker when I craved something salty.  I also stopped at special needs and added about 800 calories to my water bottle (didn't use it all, prob. had about 400 calories of that), I also had 4 gulps of coke and took my salt/vinegar pop chips, which were delicious.  All in all, my bike nutrition was a crap shoot, but it worked.

Run: I took a disposable water bottle with a flip top lid, put 20 oz. of cytomax electrolytes in it and put my handheld case around it and that was perfect.  I had a gu gel about every 3rd aid station and attempted to have cola at every other aid station, and sipped on the electrolyte drink throughout the run, I picked up another electrolyte bottle at special needs, where I also enjoyed the best tasting salt/vinegar pop chips and some coke.  I continued to use the base electrolyte salt throughout the run and took this in about every 1.5 miles, or whenever I felt like it really.  I took one additional metasalt tab after mile 1 on the run, because I was experiencing side cramps, I took some tums and I felt good the remainder of the run!

I've met the best people in town
through Ironman training

Many training days with these two

My 1st Chattanooga training partner

TRAINING:  Coach Robyn from FXMultisport has stuck by my side to get me all ready to go.  (http://fxmultisport.com)  My wonderful husband Rob and I did most of our long training rides together; training with him was a highlight, there were stressful moments, but I'm glad we were in this together.  I literally trained at YMCAs all across the USA and Canada, I had long bike rides in Anchorage, AK and Minnesota, long runs in Iowa and Vancouver and time on my trainer while studying, using my computer for flight attendant training.

 Honestly, I missed a few to many long bike rides, but I did what I could and stuck with it--dedication and perseverance is what gets you to the finish line.

Training ride in Alaska

During training I always stopped
to talk to the gas station guys

Swim: 58:26

T1: 10:14

Bike: 7:56:43

T2: 12:21

Run: 5:08:33

TOTAL: 14:26:17

This is where we swim

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 an ironman race, because I know you could totally do it, if you're willing to commit to training, that is all you need to begin--no triathlon experience necessary.

PRE-RACE

Check-in day,
2 days before the race

Check-in was great, I saw tons of friends 

volunteering and seeing these friendly faces added to the excitement.  For Ironman they make you register by Friday and then return to check your bike in to transition Saturday and then the race is Sunday.  Ironman is different from most triathlons, you don't have a transition area, you have different transition bags, this was news to me come race week.  So if you wanted to use sunscreen on your swim to bike transition and your bike to run, you needed two bottles, there was some planning to do.  

Packing race day needs...

I was nervous dropping off transition bags Saturday, but I didn't forget anything.  Laying items out all over the living room and double checking before putting stuff in bags was helpful.  All went well and there was less stress race day, all I had to do was drop off my nutrition and water bottles the morning of the race and double check my tire pressure on my bike.

RACE MORNING
I had a white bread sandwich with a small amount of peanutbutter and then large amounts of jelly, I had a banana and sport drink.  Trying to stay light with the food that would be easy to digest.  Thanks to QT2 systems and their nutrition recommendations the day before, I had a successful pre-race breakfast.  Thankfully our house is 1 mile from transition, so we were able to have an easy trek, we made it to transition with plenty of wait time to get on the bus and then sit at the race start--they could use more bathrooms there, come prepared.  The morning was really a blur, but it all worked out great, I was thankful to have my wonderful sister and mother there as sherpas.

2.4 mile Swim (58:26)

Time:  58:26       Pace: 1:30/100m           Age Group Rank:   49/97   Gender Rank: 267   Overall Rank: 1126/2349

DeLeslyn, Rob & I waiting to swim

4:30am was wake up time!  Race day we found out the swim was not wetsuit legal, the water remained at 77 degrees, however it was wetsuit optional, if you chose to wear your wetsuit you won't be eligible for Kona slots, age group awards and you would have to start at the back.  Well, for the comfort, I wore my lava pants, which help keep my legs buoyant and gives my shoulders freedom to move easily!  Rob and I planned to start the swim together and when we got on the bus another wonderful girl from our triathlon club was there and planning to wear a wetsuit.  D is a joyful person to be around, and we all prayed together before we started the swim and that was calming--I was so grateful, as I was a little nervous.

The Swim start platform

The swim as it happened

I was worried about starting at the back and missing the cut-offs later in the day, but I just trusted in my abilities and we ended up being towards the front of the wetsuit folks.  The water flow ended up being just under 12,000, which was faster than I expected and a contributor to my fast swim time!  

My swim looks fairly straight

Open water swim practice

I can't describe the feeling I had as I was walking to the swim start, it still brings tears to my eyes, I was actually going to start an Ironman race--this was something that I always thought would be neat to do, but didn't think I would ever do because of the training commitment, and the 2.4 mile swim (I use to be very terrified of open water).  But I was at the start line, together with my husband, 

Post swim and still smiling, I did it
in less than an hour!

we were both going to do Ironman, something that seemed so distant and unreal at this time last year.  I quickly got over my emo moment so I could be focused and ready to swim.  The start was a little different, you ran down this ramp, jumped in and you were off, no time to look where you were going--I was thankful that I had a couple practice swims with some local Chattanooga people, I knew where I wanted to go and be in this river--and the water was moving.  All went well and I just kept on swimming--felt great the whole time, no real issues!  I was also thankful to know about the swim exit and the need to swim fast and hard after the last turn so the current wouldn't continue to take me downstream.  Some wonderful volunteers pulled me out and I was off, I utilized some wetsuit strippers and continued to make my way to transition---be sure to mark your transition bag so you can find it easily, I did and it was very helpful--this is a little thing no one really told me about before Ironman.

116 mile Bike (7:56:43) (about 10 minutes of stop time total)

Pace: 14.6mph (moving speed 15 mph avg)  
 Age Group Rank: 88/97       Gender Rank: 620       Overall Rank: 2193/2349

Heart Rate Average: 129       Cadence Average:  no data

With a summer as a flight attendant and commuting, preparing myself for the big was challenging.  I didn’t have enough time to log the necessary miles and preparation.  With the limited training I knew I had—I was estimating the bike would take me 8 hours and I was close to that.  As my 6 year old niece reminded me “You just have to keep going, even if you are slow.”  All day I was slow, but I just kept on going.  I really needed the bathroom after about 2 hours on the bike, and the bathroom stops were full and there were lines—I did not want to take the time for that, so I passed the 1st two stops, thinking I would find one without a line.  I was WRONG—by the time I hit the 3rd stop, I had no choice but to pull over—and there was a line, it set me back about 7 minutes…. that’s depressing.  I reminded myself, I’m here to enjoy the day, I smiled and back on the bike. 

Possibly having too much fun

Downtown Chickamauga,
bike course

The aid stations were well stocked and the volunteers were awesome!  Rolling through Chicakmauga, GA was a treat—-those folks knew how to cheer!  The special needs bags were on the course too early—-I didn’t really need it 50ish miles in…. I was hoping it would be around mile 70-80.  I stopped anyway to refill my nutrition—I’ve never ridden 116 miles, I wasn’t sure if I would run out of my nutrition with the extra miles.  Just before the turn for the second lap was another aid station with a bunch of folks cheering—it was nice to see my friend Jamie Ann out there again!
THE SECOND BIKE LOOP

Special needs stop around mile 56

Since I started at the back of the swim with a wetsuit, even though I had a decent swim time, by the second loop of the bike, there weren’t many people out there.  It was nice, quiet and peaceful and this was actually nice—not over crowded like I was worried about.  I did ride within the same area of 2-3 others from the start of the second lap to just past the end of hog jowl road.  They would pass me going uphill and I would pass them going down hill—this went on for miles.  When we all finally got off the bike, I’m fairly sure that I felt better than them.  Before the finish, I stopped 2 more times for the bathroom…more than I expected.  The second bike loop ended up being a bit lonely, but I didn't mind.

I was anticipating that it would rain at some point throughout the day around 4 p.m. and it was close to around this time when I was on the ‘big’ climb of the bike loop, the skies unloaded and it rain fairly steady… this was extremely unfortunate as I was beyond nervous on the decent, where I was suppose to make up time by a quick cruise downhill…. I was upright and creeping

Around mile 115.5 on the bike, in the rain

down that hill.  The reminder of the ride I was beyond nervous about wrecking…. I made it 100 miles, I was not going to crash in the last 16—it was rough, but I survived with a positive attitude!  Seeing Callie and Shelly across from the Kanku’s on Market St. made my day—this was an odd part of town for them to be in—standing on the corner—but they brought me much joy!  I was thankful for the few folks that were by the bike in area that were still around to cheer me on!  The volunteers were there to take my bike from me and they helped me find my run bag--which transition was fairly empty, so it wasn't bad at all.  Wet, cold and with a smile, I was ready to go on a run!

26.2 mile Run (5:08:33) (actual moving time was 4:59)

Pace: 11:46/mile                 Age Group Rank: 73/96       Gender Rank: 506           Overall Rank: 1889/2349

At the beginning of the 26.2 mile run

Heart Rate Average: 127

I felt great starting the run, after 116 miles on the bike, I was ready to do something different.  I saw my mom and my sister as the run began and that was a joy to see them throughout the day.  I again forgot to ask where Rob was (turns out he was about 15 minutes behind me).  The number of people on the run course cheering us all on was great, and after awhile it was a nice break to go on the River Walk where there were less people and take time to enjoy the stillness.  At the boathouse was the Soddy Daisy band, a group of folks with great energy, a couple miles down the road the Chattanooga Track Club had a great aid station, the energy and encouragement was high.  I also remember seeing a friend not looking so great, so I stopped to make sure he was okay, he was on the final lap, but definitely hurting, he of course finished long before me, as I was on the 1st lap.  I took in a thumb of the Electrolyte salt vial every mile and that worked well.  I didn’t have much for solid food on the run, I was nervous that my stomach would not like it.  

As I began the 2nd lap, I stopped for my special needs bag and enjoy some fresh coca cola and some sea salt and vinegar pop chips—this was a great pick-me up.  I feel like I threw together my nutrition for the run, but it worked.  I walked every aid station and kept a steady pace the remainder of the run. It was a lonely feeling entering the river walk near the Tennis courts on the final lap, so dark, so quiet, but slightly peaceful.  On my second lap My lovely friend Katy was working the Track Club aid station and she pumped me up, I probably shouldn’t have stopped to chat for as long as I did, but it was great!  I did start to feel a little more worn down at the end and on the second lap going up Barton Ave. I was passing by my friend Lynne and decided to join her in walking up the hill and enjoy the moment—she was a friend I met in the last few weeks of Ironman training and a true joy.  The people who lined the streets in north Chattanooga had great energy and it was sure a blessing! I saw my coach (Robyn Wilham, fxjultisport) just before going on the Walnut Street Bridge.  Words cannot describe how it felt to step foot on that bridge and hear Mike Reiley  in the background telling people “You are an Ironman!”  I thought, after a year of commitment to this training and the race all day today, that will soon be me!  Something I once thought was a distant dream was about to become reality.”  As you round the corner for the final turn, there were many, many people and then you saw it, the finish line, now is the time!  As I ran down the finish, the cheers were loud like a football game, it brings tears to my eyes thinking about it!  So many people cheering for me, so many strangers celebrating my accomplishment.  All this brings tears to my eyes, I did it!  “Noel Reagan, you are an Ironman!”  I was tired, but felt fine.  I was unable to make decisions, but was concerned to find out where Rob was, I finished about 15 minutes before him and was able to see him finish. 

I always had ‘complete an Ironman’ on my list of things to do in life, about 6 months before Ironman Chattanooga came into existence I was ready to not keep it on the list.  I am so thankful that I had this opportunity to work towards such a goal I thought was unreachable.  I am  blessed that I was able to share this experience with my wonderful husband.  It was exhausting, stressful and a huge commitment.  Training to be a flight attendant and training for Ironman was one of the most exhausting points of my life.  I’m amazed at the support from my wonderful husband, who drove to Atlanta every weekend for 7 weeks to go on long bike rides with me, I’ll never forget mounting my computer on my aero bars so I could study and ride the trainer at the same time.  I won’t forget my first 100 mile bike ride—and I did it alone, on unfamiliar roads in Minnesota.  I won’t forget long training days at YMCA across the USA and Canada during my first 3 months as a flight attendant.  It may not have been pretty, but I made it happen—thanks to the prayers and support from my family and for my wonderful husband who was by my side each step of the way.

RUN Pace Break Down

They were cheering us on all day!

Mile 1: 10:40         
Mile 2: 12:24

Mile 3: 11:28

Mile 4: 11:38

Mile 5: 10:20

Mile 6: 11:55

Mile 7: 10:59

Mile 8: 11:07

Mile 9: 11:08 

Mile 10: 11:03

Mile 11: 10:20 

Mile 12: 11:53

Mile 13: 12:58

Mile 14: 12:56

Mile 15: 11:48

Mile 16: 13:09

The voice that says, "You are an Ironman!"

Mile 17: 12:49
Mile 18: 12:36
Mile 19: 11:49
Mile 20: 12:08
Mile 21: 11:32
Mile 22: 13:00
Mile 23: 13:19
Mile 24: 12:01
Mile 25: 12:09
Mile 26: 9:29

TRANSITION AND OTHER NOTES:  

I had a spray bottle of sunscreen and took care of myself, which saved me time.  Also, I had

Bathroom stop during both transitions, I really took my time and honestly thought my transition times would be slower than it was.  My bike to run transition was difficult for me to decide what to wear since it was raining and I felt cold, but I didn't know what to do.... knowing I was going to be outside possibly for 6 hours, was it going to be raining??  It was a big dilemma, I ended up wearing a water resistant vest and that worked well—though I did toss it to the side at an aid station later and a friend ‘happened’ to find it.

Swim to Bike: 10:14

Bike to Run: 12:21

FINAL THOUGHTS

Mom and sister Jana, best sherpas!

minutes after crossing the finish line

I went to my first master swim class 3 years before Ironman, swimming in the open water was (and still is) my biggest fear. I was worried I wouldn’t have enough time to train for a big race—I didn’t, but I was able to train enough to make it to the finish line feeling great.  Keeping my heart rate low for the first months of training (and beyond) was crucial to my success—thanks to my coach for her emphasis on this.  Nutrition matters—protein recover was essential to staying injury free.  Sleep, I never had enough.  Friends—they made the preparation for Ironman a joy, I met some of the nicest people in Chattanooga through my training for Ironman and these people will be my friends for years to come.  I have met so many faithful and prayerful people while training for Ironman and that community has been a blessing and huge support group for me—people who pray for one another and support one another in any way they can.  I want to go out there and be that support for others who will be doing Ironman in the years to come.  Ironman is not about a one day race, Ironman is about a lifestyle commitment.  Finally, remember to keep the big picture of your life in perspective, I missed workouts, I shortened workouts, but I still made it—and my relationship with my spouse, my family, my friends and co-workers did not suffer, because they have ultimate priority.  I skipped one 100 mile bike ride to spend the day with my niece Meegan, and ended up riding the trainer the next 

Celebrating with my dad

Custom shirts, family cheer from afar!

 due to bad weather, I don’t regret that at all—I cherish those moments with her.  The key is to find a balance between things that really matter in your life and Ironman, don’t let Ironman take over your key relationships and priorities—it’s easy to do.  Workouts for Ironman matter, they get you to the finish line, but the people that were in your life before Ironman, 
matter more—keep your eye on the finish line while giving time to those who matter in your life.  You do have to complete most of your workouts, but if you miss occasional workouts, it is really okay--this was helpful to know.  Ironman training does not last forever, so make the most of it while you are doing it, if you ride 85 miles instead of 100, you will be okay--enjoy the ride and the moments, during training and on race day.