We ain’t TRIppin- We were more hot less mess!
6:56:31
Swim: 42:18 (1.2 miles)
T1: 5:12
Bike 3:45:52 (56miles)
T2: 5:21
Run 2:17:48 (13.1miles)
With a time like that, you would think I was a hot mess, but sometimes goals aren’t about the time, sometimes the goals are about other things. This was definitely a race of more hot less mess. My goals in this race were 1) Come up with a new rendition of a song, because it’s been a year and that’s fun 2) Make the half ironman something I can do without focused serious training 3)End Happy- Have FUN!
If my transition times don’t give it away that this was a fun race, I don’t know what else would. Those are some LONG transition times.
Training for this wasn’t really focused. I’ve been trying to go on long rides every other weekend, though this hasn’t fully been the case. My bike friend Mark, does a good job keeping our rides changed up and just fun. In January we did an organized 200K ride, that ended up being about 130 miles with us getting lost at one turn. Our average was over 17.5mph. This ride started in Sonoma and over the mountain to Napa with Lunch in Napa and then back (so 17.5 mph with a huge climb 2 ways (and slow on the down bc of the switch backs) is pretty great.
Then in February I had too many guests to bike.
In march we rode with the Santa Rosa bike club, which was also a fast ride, but it was the day after a rough 16 mile run (noted in my Eugene write up), and so as I started to slow a bit on that ride, I felt a little defeated.
The day after Ben took me on his trail run ( also talked about in the last write up) I completed a ride in Walnut creek, my legs were stiff and sore and I really was in a bad mood the first 20 miles, low and behold I didn’t realize we were climbing so much until we hit the top and then had a lot of down. We also added 4 miles of up on Mt Diablo, but at a slow and steady and fun pace, so I ended in a good mood at least.
The week before the Marathon we went on one final ride which was a pretty typical ride for us, we started in Sausalito and climbed Alexander Drive, then more climbing up and over Mt. Conzelman and then descended back into Sausalito where we did an extended version of paradise loop this run had a 10 mile run to follow it.
It’s either the hills or I’m not riding enough but rides lately have just been rough. I also haven’t been doing a good job during the week going to spin, though I love to spin on my own - my gym only has one decent bike not in the spin room for this, and when I say decent, it really is not that great but I make it work (umm Equinox- I pay a lot of money for you, this should not be the case).
I’ve managed to keep swimming 2 times a week but I think this year I’ve only done maybe a few 2k swims, nothing more and most just 1k or 1mile each time. But, again, I’m trying to just do my thing without being too focused and have a balance of other stuff.
When I have expectations I have issues with making a race fun, instead I stay focused on the expectation. So, to be in line with my non-focused training. This was a non-focused, no expectation race.
So you ask- why did a put a half ironman a week after a marathon? Because, this is what I do. How do you test your limits without pushing it, and really I have recovery week down to a T (for Tara) - so with 5 days recovery, I felt ready. Also, Veronica suggested it, and if a Chicago friend is going to travel to California for a race, I’m there- I have to remember that I haven’t forgotten how to swim bike run :) (since i'm already an Ironman and all- don't want to become a has-been ;) )**Recovery the last 7 days consisted of:
Sunday- Eugene Marathon
Monday 2 mile run- every half mile I would stop and stretch
Tuesday: Arms and Core in the morning, Swim a mile, stretch at night
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Run 6 miles in the AM, Spin for 45 minutes in the PM
Friday: 10 minute swim, 30 minute bike - light.
Saturday: Wild Flower Half Ironman
I picked Veronica up from the San Jose Airport on friday and we made the 2.5 hr drive to Bradley, Ca. It was quite the event getting into the park and then once you parked your car, you had to walk a mile DOWN a steep hill to get to the expo. This would be known as a climb I would have to do many times- getting to the start and finish of the race, on foot and wheel.
On Friday, we managed to get a swim in to test the water (which is the first time in awhile I have swam in something without salt, it’s just different). Then we went for a half hour easy bike, though the only way to bike was up that hill so we got to experience what we would be facing the next day.
We got to race grounds early on saturday. A few interesting things to note:
1) They never close transition for the athletes. They watch over it and monitor so you don’t get in the way of those racing, but you can come and go as you please (as there were wave starts).
2) Unlike most half ironman distances, they did not have coke at the running aid stations (seriously biggest issue for me).
3) Cal Poly was the official volunteer of the event. The kids were pretty cool- high energy on the course . But every girl looked the same- super long straight hair with oversized baseball caps on. They also weren’t the brightest, From counting change to body marking- not knowing numbers.
**Also Ben’s lunch running friends told him this race used to be all party and less race. On the run, there were aid stations with topless women but someone was once offended and said something so that was stopped. Well….on the run, hidden on a trail, there was a college guy trying to keep the nude tradition alive. He was 100% naked in the middle of the course, trying to hug the girls and high five the guys. It was quite the site.
**Back to the race:
At 9:15 Veronica and my wave started. The swim was very relaxed. Though I’m not swimming much, I am improving- maybe by a few seconds, but since my fastest half iron man, I swam about 2 minutes faster on this race (the only thing that was a PR). I seem to have an issue with goggles but at this point, the millions I’ve tried, these are my favorite kind. They happened to fall off (like the strap came off from around my head), which meant I had to tread water to fix. That’s a little annoying, but I managed and went on my way.
Next was the bike. I decided with the climbs, to bring Alexander instead of Alejandro. The first hour, I seemed to only travel 12.25 miles! It was rough, and we weren’t even at the hard part. The next hour I managed 17 miles, which was decent, but I do think I could do better with Alejandro on this race. There was enough opportunity to get in aero bar position and just cruise, and the climbs are going to be slow regardless…so…next time, Alejandro is going.
The wind was also strong, I remember going down one hill thinking, why am I pedaling so hard for a downhill? Then the infamous mile 40 hit. I knew what I was expecting “Nasty Grade” as they call it. I have a song for it- which really isn’t much of a change of words, I just like the instrumental part being stuck in my head pushing on up. “Nasty, Nasty Grade don’t mean a thing ….all you nasty grades” (Nasty Boys- Janet Jackson).
I ended up making a friend on the climb, we climbed together, which made it a lot of fun. We were surrounded by fun people so we all just laughed and joked together…all 5 miles up. When it was time for down, it was great, but it wasn’t the end of the climbing. I was very happy for our last mile of decent, cruising into the finish of the bike. (Oh and the roads…not smooth so that’s always fun too).
For nutrition, I had 2 packs of my energy gels I like, 8 electrolyte pills and as I only bring one bottle of perform (the Ironman Drink) I like to drink at almost every station on the course- I’m pretty good at grabbing a bottle on the go, and I’m not racing too fast where I can’t take the 2 second slow down to do that.
Then it was time for the run. I was starting to get sun burn out there so I reapplied some sunscreen and went on my way. The run was mostly on trails which I was hoping would be in the shade, but this was not the case.
I started very strong, feeling great but then my stomach started to bother me. As I was running, I was passing people on some of the climbs, but I also was getting bored. When I noticed all in front of me walking, I figured, why not walk with them. So I did. I’m a fast walker than many, so I still passed people on the walks, and around mile 4 we hit the infamous climb. This climb reminded me of Ben’s trail runs- he has 3 real bad climbs, and maybe it was the point of the race, but I might have to say the mile 4 mile long climb was worse than Ben’s 3 bad guys. Overall the full distance wasn’t as bad, but this spot- was horrible. Veronica stayed running the entire time- no matter how slow, so I’m impressed she made it up this (when she said that was her plan, and I hit mile 4, I thought- no way is V running this thing! …but she later told me she did).
Around mile 7 I spotted a girl ahead of me that was real strong on the bike and we exchanged a few words. I thought- let’s catch up to her and exchange a few more words. We ended up running the rest of the race together which was so great. Tony had run the Eugene Marathon with someone and chatted away, and when we talked about how he was having fun and I was focused, I was a little envious where I wanted to do the same as him. So, here was my opportunity. My new friend, Rachel, is also from San Francisco but a true Midwesterner at heart (though you would never tell with her English accent). She is like me in the sense, she likes to train, but her training team is “Me, Myself and I“ no training groups and intense discussions about lactic threshold and the latest technology (this is a rare type of Training Team, I think Maria and Tony S & K, and my original inspiations are my only other ironman friends that belong to it). So, I think I have a new friend to join me on some of my slower long training runs for the 100 miler.
We laughed at the naked guy together, I took a beer at one water stop as my coke replacement and i hesitated but passed on the beer bong at another station. We had our butts checked out by some old men on the course and we passed many on the down to the finish.
Overall I accomplished all my goals, and Veronica did as well, so you could say We were more hot and less mess. And don’t you worry- Nasty Grade wasn’t my only rendition- that was a weak one but I have two other songs:
1) My overall endurance song- which- I only have 1 verse done and no change to the chorus- with time I’m sure I can get the song complete: (Katy Perry- Part of me)
Days like this I want to run a race
Pack my bags and check another state
I like to train, endure long rides
Recover fast & push my stride
You don’t get it, you say slow down
But this is me, forever now
Now look at me
This is a part of me that you’re never gonna ever take away from me
This is a part of me that you’re never gonna ever take away from me
Throw your stick and your stones and your bombs and your blows
But you’re not gonna break my soul
This is a part of me that you’re never gonna ever take away from me.
2) The wildflower song- just the chorus but…sometimes just parts is all I have (Wild one by Flo Rida)
Have you heard I did the wild one (ooohh)
I climbed those hills and told them I owned them
I’ll show you how it’s done
I want to shut down the course, it’s so much fun
Have you heard I did the wild one
