IMTX Race Report

[kams]

Just like chw57, my secret goal had been 14 hours. So, you read about her amazing race, which brought her across the finish line about 1:10 faster than her goal. Here is my account of going about 1:10 past my goal! But, I'm still an Ironman Skip to Saturday if you don't care about preface stuff. This is seriously as long as the race, so hopefully the bolded allows you to skim a bit if you want. I see why the girls with blogs split this up into 3 or 4 posts!

Thursday:
Athlete check in. Ironman has it down to a science. The lines were long, but I had fun meeting people and taking pics. The Woodlands is spectacular, and the weather was shaping up to be perfect. Salted all of my food and drank a lot. Athlete banquet was Thursday night, and my H and I sat with chw & her H and DD - it was so fun to have some time with them! The ironman videos made us cry and Mike Reilly made us laugh.

Friday:
Practice swim and bike check in. I ate a big carby breakfast (a texas waffle, some oatmeal, 3 hb egg whites, a yogurt) - my biggest meal of the day pre-race. I met up with the guys I swim with at home for a practice swim. Our spouses and the kids played in the park while we swam around and then floated on our back for awhile to take in the scenery. We were so excited, and so excited for each other. Then, we headed down to check in our bikes & Run & Bike gear bags.

Leaving my bike and bags was so scary (because I couldn't do ANYTHING to them until it was race day!), but also a relief that I didn't have to think about them. We headed over to Chipotle for a dinner-sized lunch (chicken burrito & a few chips/guac). Got back to hotel, double checked my special needs bags that I would turn in in the morning, checked all of my clothes and morning bag goodies one last time, and then rested in bed with DD while she napped. Dinner was panera, half of a turkey avocado sandwich and a cup of lemon orzo soup. Sipped a bit of tailwind (this is what I use as my nutrition for everything I do) before bed. Asleep by 9.

Saturday:
Woke up every hour with the nervous feeling that I had missed my alarm. Finally up for good at 2:36. Laid in bed until my alarm went off at 3:30. Don't we all do that?! Went in to the bathroom to get dressed and found a card tucked inside of my kit from my tri club. I was so sassy to have told DH the night before that I was surprised I hadn't heard from a few of them! Ha, teach me! Braided my hair and had a bagel with peanut butter. Wrote PPG on my wrist, which were my goals for the day: Be patient, be present, be grateful. Put on my watch - $19.99 from Target! I decided to go data-free for the day, also. We didn't really need to leave until 4:45, but H was up and ready to roll, so we left at about 4:30. My parents were in an adjoining room, and they were going to get DD up and bring her down to the swim start - a major relief. I left a card for my parents and my sister in their room before we left.

It was about a 20 minute drive from our hotel, so I turned on my music and H and I just held hands. He told me how proud he was and reminded me that there was no pressure today - just have fun. I cried A LOT this trip, lol. Gave him the card I had written for him. 

We parked at transition, which was not at the start. I went in to drop my bottles on my bike and pump my tires. We were there at about 5 (it didn't open until 5:30), so we were at the front of the line. I was excited to be in and out. But, as I tried to pump my back tire, I could hear air leaking and I couldn't get my gauge above 90psi. PANIC. Ran it over to the tech tent, who said my valve extender was leaking while it was being filled, but wouldn't leak once filled. He said I'd be ok, and finished pumping it up for me. I was freaked that I would come in to transition out of the water to a flat tire. Re-racked my bike, and walked the .8 miles down to the swim start. 

Body marking, long port-o-potty lines, special needs bag drops. Found a good place to chill for a bit. Drank 100 cals tailwind, & saw chw57 who saved my ass with a safety pin for my timing chip! Kisses and hugs with my family and DD, and then headed down to the swim start at 6:45.

Swim:
I got in the water and swam out to the far side, as I watched Mike Reilly sort of frantically urge everyone to get in the water, as the gun was going off at 7 whether people were in the water or not. I floated a bit, and kept messing with my goggles because they kept fogging. At 6:59, music blaring, I looked over to see a few hundred people still trying to get in the water. The gun surprised me, even though it was right on time. We were off!

There was a lot (I mean, a lot) of contact for the first few hundred meters. I just reminded myself that it will taper off as the field spreads, and to just stay calm and focused. Before I knew it, it had calmed down to moderate contact - enough to break my stride a bit, but not enough to make me feel nervous. I watched the numbered boueys tick by, and kept saying to myself, " I'm swimming in a fucking ironman!" As the turnaround approached, I could tell that I (and a few hundred others) had drifted way to the left of the bouey. Kayakers were screaming at us to go to the right around the bouey, so I made my way over there to turn around. It was really congested, of course. Once we turned around, it seemed like we were swimming with the current a bit more, and it went by lightening fast. It also helped to be looking at lakeside mansions every time you took a breath.

Before I knew it, I was turning in to the canal. Much like chw, I had heard that the canal would get extremely congested and I would see a lot of contact. I was pleasantly surprised that it was perfectly fine. After a few hundred meters, I could see a bridge up ahead every time I would sight. I thought it was the finish, and couldn't believe it had come so soon. I had reminded myself not to wish the swim away, as it was the easiest part of the day, and I was actually a little sad to see it end so soon. BUT, then as I got closer, I realized it wasn't actually the finish, it was just a turn in the canal, lol. People were lining the canal at this point, and it was so fun to hear screaming at every breath. I could see people out on their balconies above the crowds. It was Ironman and it was everything I had imagined. Swim: 1:16.

I was quickly at the finish and being helped up the stairs by volunteers. I saw the clock and was happy with the time. I had hoped to be between 1:10-1:20. As I ran in, I saw my family, but they didn't see me. I yelled their names and waved like a crazy person until they spotted me. Their reactions were so cute. Ran over to the strippers who yanked my wetsuit off, jumped up and ran through the lines of T1 bags. A volunteer handed me my bag and I hustled in to the women's change tent. Sat down (that was awesome) and dumped my bag out. Shoes on, gobs of chamois butter, sunglasses, helmet. My volunteer stuffed my wetsuit and cap/goggles in my bag and wished me luck! I ran through the sunscreen tent and they loaded me up. Headed in to transition to grab my bike and saw my family waiting at the end of my rack. They were pumped, and H yelled "stick to the plan!" T1: 5:17

Bike:
The plan was for an effortless first 40 miles. First 10 miles, stay in small ring and focus on getting calories in and my legs settled in.

Based on the fact that I was one of the first bikes off of my rack in transition (or it appeared that way, I was actually right at the top 1/3, but the racks were crowded!), I knew I had had a good swim and anticipated being passed quite a bit. I also knew that I wanted to hang back, and pass a few of those people who went out too hard on the back side of the course. I tried not to let it bother me, but it was seriously crazy to me how much I was being passed, and how slow I felt. I was data free, though, so I didn't know my mph. I tried to not think about it and enjoy the scenery.

They had mile markers every 10 miles, so I was able to segment the course into 10 mile blocks, which was super manageable. At the first aid station, I was ready to refill my aero bottle. I carried 3 bottles of super concentrated tailwind, to which I would dilute with water at each aid station. So, I filled my aero bottle with a third of a bottle (300cals tailwind), and then took the first hand up of water to fill my bottle the rest of the way. Took a sip, sprayed myself off, and tossed the bottle. The first aid station was pretty crowded, and I was nervous about it, but it went well and the volunteers were amazing, of course.

This pattern continued. I was a little bit nervous in the beginning, because my hamstrings and hip flexors felt a little tight and tired. Everyone had told me I would feel tapered and perfect and have to hold myself back from hammering at the beginning of the bike, but I did not feel that way and it scared me. The scenery was incredible though, I was so thankful that the humidity was relatively low. At the 4th aid station, around mile 40, I needed to take my first bathroom break. Swapped bottles, went to the bathroom, sunscreened, and took off again. Now, it suddenly felt effortless. Effortless, but I knew it was way slower than my normal.

Then, we hit the chip seal. It was terrible pavement. I knew my speed was slowing down, but I also assumed it was slowing everyone else down, too. At mile 50 we came up on special needs. I didn't need spare tubes/co2, and I had a bit of chamois butter in my bento box (on my bike), so I decided to bypass it. I was surprised it was so early in the course.

I started to get a bit of a dull headache, which I worried was dehydration, even though I was super consistent with my nutrition. The rest of my body felt great. I turned the adjuster dial on my helmet to loosen it a bit and immediately felt better. 

At mile 69, we still were on some nasty chip seal, and I thought for a moment I might have a flat. I actually said out loud, "is this rough road or am I flat?" I was flat. I hopped off my bike and grabbed a co2. I knew that the shop had put sealant in my tubes, and so I decided to spin my wheel to let the sealant fill in the hole, and then I added air. I knew it was risky, but would be awesome if it worked. It has worked in the past. Tire felt full, so I jumped back on and took off.

Mile 73, I heard it blow. RIGHT after the aid station! Dammit! This time I grabbed a new tube, but I was on my last co2 and a little panicked about blowing it. As I removed the side of my tire, the entire thing popped off. Usually, it stays attached on one side. So, I was a little nervous about that (I was using rental wheels, so it was different than my normal rim), but I proceeded to change the tube. As I tried to get the first side of the tire back in to the rim, I just couldn't do it! I tried everything I knew to try, and nothing was working. I started to feel panicky and my hands were shaking. A few more seconds and I was crying. I stood up and realized that I had been kneeling in a huge pile of dog shit. I kid you not. It was on my leg, and in the crevices of my shoes. It smelled so awful. I lost it. I felt so incredibly defeated. People were riding by me without a word, I couldn't fix this tire, and I was 99% sure that my race was over. I started thinking that maybe I could take my shoes off and run my bike forward until tech comes. I also knew that my bike time was LEAPS slower than I anticipated, and I didn't know why, and the cutoff was looming. What if sag came? It was really a terrible feeling.

I actually started begging for help. Finally, a guy stopped and said he could try. He messed with it for a few minutes before he realized he couldn't do it, either. Then another guy rode by and yelled that tech was at the last aid station and would be coming soon. So, I told the guy who stopped to keep going, and thanked him for being so generous. Tech arrived a few minutes later. As he tried to work the tire back in to the rim, he told me that I would be ok. He also said that those tires should have never been put on those rims. I was FUMING at my bike shop, but also thankful that I would be able to keep moving. I felt like I was down for hours, but when I looked at my watch, it had actually been 35 minutes. The tech was amazing. He also reminded me that now my legs had had quite a bit of rest, and this will help me as the day goes on. I took off with a lot of anger and sadness, and I really pushed it. Because I was garmin-free, I don't know what my speed looked like, but it was finally better, and I was consistently passing people. I did have to remind myself that I still needed to run a marathon.

As the miles ticked by, I still felt really good. I never entered that black hole between miles 80-100 that I had heard so much about. I think it must have been because I was down for so long. Every few minutes my eyes would well up and I would cry a little bit. I was really sad. I knew I would be pushing 8 hours. I did have a little bit of a sloshy tummy feeling at mile 90, so I decided to slow my nutrition intake just a tad. It subsided within a few miles. 

I was finally rolling in to transition, and hopped off my bike. I handed it off to a volunteer and almost wished she would steal it so I never had to see it again. I started running and felt the life still in my legs. It felt so good, and I started to feel a little bit of hope return. I realized I should take my bike shoes off, so I did that, and then ran the rest of the way in to the change tent. Bike time: 8:04

Came in to the change tent and sat down to a sweet volunteer. I told her with tears in my eyes that there was poop all over me and it wasn't mine. She laughed and it made me laugh. She helped me despite the poop. Socks and shoes on, visor on, body glide, baggie of chapstick, salt tabs, pepto/aleve/bandaids, and fuel belt. I had still only had tailwind all day and still felt great. T2: 5:47

Run:
As I was leaving transition, I saw H. I ran over to him and wanted to tell him everything that happened. There were tons of people around, and for some reason I thought they were laughing at me - goes to show the mental games that begin to mess with you, as H said they were not laughing at me at all. I just said, "it was really rough out there," and I was still crying. I rushed over to sunscreen, and then started running. I felt great. I now had a goal to run steadily through the first timing mat because I wanted to show everyone who was tracking that I was ok, because I knew that most of my friends would know that something might be wrong after my bike split. It was a 3 loop run, and so I wanted to run all but the aid stations on the first loop, give myself a little bit of a break to do whatever I needed to do on the 2nd loop, and then run everything but the aid stations again on the 3rd loop. That is pretty much exactly what I did.

1st loop, I still was only having tailwind and water. Ice in my shorts and bra at every aid station, and a cold sponge in my back. I must have felt hot to do all of that, but I don't remember feeling hot. I was excited to read all of the signs on the first loop, and was hoping to see people I knew. I was totally conversational, so I knew my pace was sustainable, even though I didn't know what it was.

In every loop, you run down the waterway for a couple of miles, which is lined with bars/restaurants, and TONS of people. There was a hippy drum circle, a speedo-clad frat boy section, tri tents, bikini babes, lululemon, and gobs of spectators. Talk about energizing! It was SO FUN! I saw my family, told them a bit more about what had happened on the bike course, got hugs and kisses, and was on my way. 

During the second loop, I decided I would walk all aid stations, walk the couple of uphills, and then give myself another minute per mile to walk if I felt like it. I was still feeling great, and I knew at that point that I could walk the rest of the way and still finish in time. It was such a huge relief. But, earlier than later was still the goal. As I approached mile 16ish, I was actually getting a little too secure - thinking that, with only 10 miles left, a finish was undeniable. Then I ran by the med tent, and saw my friend, who had hoped to finish around the 11 hour mark. It was 12+ hours. He was sitting down on a cot and yelled my name. I stopped to see how he was doing - he said he was cold and dizzy. They had him eating a bonk breaker bar and sipping perform. I knew he would be ok once they got him balanced out, as it was his mile 22. We exchanged well wishes and I took off, with a good reminder that I needed to remain focused on my nutrition, because I still had plenty of time to bonk or twist an ankle or something. Back to the waterway, back to love from my family, and then back out for my 3rd loop. They gave me my glowstick, and sent me on my way.

Loop 3 was just more of the same. Things started to hurt, but not any worse than a stand alone marathon, and so I was feeling really lucky. At this point I was finally getting sick of drinking the same thing for so long, so I started sipping chicken broth and coke at the aid stations instead of my tailwind. It was a nice change. I even had a few potato chips, which were delicious.
There were a few wooded, secluded, sections of the course that I walked, even though I didn't feel the need to walk. But, they were so dark that I was afraid to twist an ankle.

At this point, most people were walking. It was 14 hours into the day, after all! Yet, I still felt ok to run. I was standing up straight, I had no injuries to speak of, my nutrition was working, and I felt lucky. Every time I ran by a group of spectators, they were going nuts for me, yelling about how strong I looked, and how I was going to be an Ironman. It was incredibly energizing, because I did not think I would feel this way, and other people were surprised that I was, too! The waterway had cleared out for the most part (now everyone was at the finish line or home!), so I took a chance to really look around and SEE it for the first time. The trees were wrapped in lights that reflected off the water - it was very pretty. I ran right through the last two aid stations. 

Then, the moment I had been waiting for - a sweet volunteer pointed me to the finish line, instead of back out for another loop. She said, "your party is ready!" The rest of the way I cried and laughed. It was probably a half mile or so? IDK, it's so blurry. But I could hear Mike Reilly and the roaring crowd. I high fived as I ran down the shoot, intensely grateful and relieved. Unlike any feeling in the entire world. "K*** S*** from ***, you are an Ironman! First timer! You're an Ironman, K***"

Run time: 5:39
Total time: 15:11

The catcher held me, and I told her I was fine. She finally believed me! I got my MEDAL, hat, shirt, towel, water, and mylar blanket. She walked me over to get my chip off. I spotted my family and hugged them over the barricade. She held my things so that I could get my picture taken. I finally got out and around to my family, and we were just sort of speechless! We hugged and laughed, and danced to the music. It was indescribable.

We finally moved along and picked up my gear bags and bikes. I walked everywhere and was happy to keep moving. 
The shower that night might have been the most painful part of the day.

The next day I woke up with VERY little soreness. I checked my bike out, and noticed that my front tire was completely worn and was rubbing badly against my brake caliper. There was tons of build up on the caliper. I have had this problem in the past, and the shop assured me they had taken care of it. I think this must have been a contributor to my bike speed even before my flats/mechanical issues with my back tire. 

Still very little soreness. The most pain is coming from the blistered sunburn on my low back, where my top came up off of my shorts while I was in aero.

Now you've all completed your own feat of endurance by getting through this report

Thank you all for the sweet words throughout this entire process. I thought of you every time I crossed a timing mat, and every time I looked down at my running shoes that had an FSU charm attached . ANYTHING is possible. 

[G22]

You are amazing! Way to push through all those issues on the bike part! That would have been enough to frustrate anyone. Awesome job!

[Brit]

Awesome race report! Congratulations! I'm so happy and excited for you!

[coconutbug]

Congrats, kams! I am so inspired by your strength, dedication, and determination. Less than a year after I forced some IM books on you, here you are, an Ironman!! Sorry the bike didn't go as hoped, but you should be so proud that you overcame so many unexpected issues and still did amazingly. So aggravating to hear abt your tires though (I bet I can guess which bike shop). I don't cry often, but your recap brought yet another round of tears to my eyes. So happy for you!

[Mushe]

Wow, kams! I'm sure this is partly my hormones, but I teared up at your recap! What an incredible culmination of all your hard work and training. I can only imagine how wonderful it felt to hear that announcement. You FSU for sure!

[Deleted]

I read every damn word, and I am so proud of you and feel very inspired. Thank you for writing it.

Shut up I'm not crying....

[Susie]

May 21, 2014 12:16:59 GMT -5 kams said:

Came in to the change tent and sat down to a sweet volunteer. I told her with tears in my eyes that there was poop all over me and it wasn't mine. She laughed and it made me laugh. 

I just did too, even though I know how un-funny it was when you knelt in it.  Only in Ironman do you actually have to clarify that there is poop on me but it isn't mine.  

What an amazing race recap.  I loved "your party is ready."  So true.

Was it your front or back tire that blew?  

[sadlebred]

Congratulations, IRONMAN!!!

[runaways]

What a great report - I know you had some really tough moments and I am so utterly impressed at how you pushed through. Congratulations again!!

[kams]

May 21, 2014 12:52:09 GMT -5 coconutbug said:

Congrats, kams! I am so inspired by your strength, dedication, and determination. Less than a year after I forced some IM books on you, here you are, an Ironman!! Sorry the bike didn't go as hoped, but you should be so proud that you overcame so many unexpected issues and still did amazingly. So aggravating to hear abt your tires though (I bet I can guess which bike shop). I don't cry often, but your recap brought yet another round of tears to my eyes. So happy for you!

I took it in to SS several times for this, and then had HTC check it out when they put on the rental wheels

Xoxoxo

[kams]

May 21, 2014 13:02:06 GMT -5 Susie said:

May 21, 2014 12:16:59 GMT -5 kams said:

Came in to the change tent and sat down to a sweet volunteer. I told her with tears in my eyes that there was poop all over me and it wasn't mine. She laughed and it made me laugh. 

I just did too, even though I know how un-funny it was when you knelt in it.  Only in Ironman do you actually have to clarify that there is poop on me but it isn't mine.  

What an amazing race recap.  I loved "your party is ready."  So true.

Was it your front or back tire that blew?  

It is totally funny now .

It was my back tire that blew. I should have known to check out my front wheel also while I was down, but I wasn't entirely rational.

[gt7301b]

What an awesome race report; I cried, laughed, and cried again while reading it. Well done, IRONMAN!!

[mrs.jacinthe]

Way to go, and GREAT report! I may or may not be sniffling loudly. Great job!

[shellfish26]

You know, I have been in awe of your physical toughness, but this report just shows how mentally tough you are. Even covered in poo.

[texassmith]

Tears! The tears are flowing! So proud of you and amazed at your resilience. You Ironman, you

Are you gonna have words with your bike shop? Sounds like they screwed up in a major way.

[greysgirl]

I dont post too much but this made me cry too. I want to channel your badassness

[CallingAllAngels]

You are amazing. Way to overcome adversity and finish strong! I also laughed and cried reading this report. You are an inspiration.

[libbygrl109]

Great race report! I teared up a little, and I tend to not do that. I am so in awe of your abilities, strength of mind, and determination. Congrats, Ironman K!

[skwcm80]

What a great race report, thank you for sharing. I can't say it enough, you are an inspiration!!

[thom]

Epic. Amazing. Fabulous. I don't even have the right words. Congratulations ironman!

I'm so sorry about your bike troubles, but thank goodness it didn't stop you. I suppose even through the awful waiting and wondering if you could continue you still got a break for your legs.

How are things now? (I remember having such a huge emotional letdown after my first marathon was over.) Are you still riding the high or are you wondering what to do with yourself? Hope you're feeling good!

I'm also curious about after an IM...do you take time completely off or do some easy workouts just to keep from getting to sore/stiff?

Congrats again. Simply amazing.

[Susie]

May 21, 2014 13:18:12 GMT -5 kams said:

May 21, 2014 13:02:06 GMT -5 Susie said:

I just did too, even though I know how un-funny it was when you knelt in it.  Only in Ironman do you actually have to clarify that there is poop on me but it isn't mine.  

What an amazing race recap.  I loved "your party is ready."  So true.

Was it your front or back tire that blew?  

It is totally funny now .

It was my back tire that blew. I should have known to check out my front wheel also while I was down, but I wasn't entirely rational.

The only positive thing I can say is that at least it sounds like it was a controlled blowout.  A front blowout is my only blowout experience, and it was so scary.  I remember hearing the loud bang when it blew, and I didn't immediately realize it was my bike that made the sound.  I was going >30 mph downhill, lost control, and went over the handlebars.  It was only a sprint tri, so the DNF was not so bad; it would be heartbreaking in an IM. I could not continue; my helmet broke in several places, my bike needed to be inspected for cracks in the carbon, and I was not really in condition to remain on the course either.  

[jene]

Congrats again! I am in awe of your physical and mental toughness. You are an iron(wo)man!!

[chitownbelle]

So inspiring!! Way to go, Ironman!!!!

[clseale]

I just cried in like 5 different places. I want to give you the biggest hug. Reading that just made me so happy, and sad, and proud, all at the same time. I'm sorry you had those rough spots, but after all of that hard work, you're an IRONMAN! What an amazing journey. Thank you for letting us be a part of it. xo

[shorewife]

Awesome race report!  Your flat tire on the bike sounds terrifying and would have put me over the edge too.  But your story brought tears to my eyes.  Amazing accomplishment - I am very proud of you!

[chw57]

You are such a badass. You had to overcome so much during that bike and you were still upbeat and kicking ass on the run! You FSUd for sure and YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!

[shauni27]

blubbering all over again with pride and excitement for you. thank you, Mrs. Ironman, for sharing your experience with us!!

[katandkevin]

Great race report! It made me cry and laugh! I am so proud of you for overcoming everything you had to, you are awesome. Congrats IRONMAN!

[katyintx]

I loved reading your recap! I'm sorry to hear about the bike problems, but your mental strength to keep going is incredible! I'm sure a lot of people would have just quit.

I may or may not have teared up a few times while reading this... And I am definitely in awe of you. Congratulations to you, you BA IRONMAN!

[kams]

May 21, 2014 13:38:57 GMT -5 texassmith said:

Tears! The tears are flowing! So proud of you and amazed at your resilience. You Ironman, you

Are you gonna have words with your bike shop? Sounds like they screwed up in a major way.

I took it in yesterday to return the wheels. I told him the story, and he just said "ironman is tough." I pried a little more about the things that went wrong, and I told him te ironman tech even said it was bad, but he accepted zero responsibility.

I kind of felt like he thought I was making excuses for the bike split, and blaming equipment instead of my fitness. That's a big pet peeve of mine, and I already was really emotional about it, so I dropped it.

Our triathlon community is really small, so I didn't want to go bananas on him. I just won't ever go back, and can be hopeful that the next ironman has a PR in store for me