Kerrville 70.3 Run: Texas Flood

(Welcome to Part 4 of my Kerrville 70.3 story - make sure you catch up with the Prelude, Swim, and Bike before you read the grand finale!)

I racked my bike in T2 and looked at myself for the first time all day and I saw a filthy mess! Cycling on those roads wet from rain left me with quite a bit of road grime.  My feet were also soaked from all of the puddles.  I had already planned on taking a minute or two to put Body Glide on my feet and change into my toe socks as I had some big blisters by the end of the run last year at Redman. Blisters can be a huge issue for me and I felt it was worth my time to take some preventative measures before I took off.  Looking back, this decision probably saved me a good deal of grief on the run.  As I stood up and began to hustle out of transition, I noticed that my right hip was still a little bit tight from the bike.  I stopped for a moment and stretched and then I was off.

As with the swim and the run, my plan was to ease into the run by starting at a pace I felt like I could hold "all day" and then stay there until the closing miles of the race.  Coach Frank gave told us that the run course started with a very long and very gradual false flat that would make things feel more difficult than they appeared.  I was grateful for that piece of information and kept it in mind as I headed off.  The course was two loops of 6.55 miles, which made it easy to divide up in my mind, and it was along a walk/run path near the Guadalupe River.  I filled my handheld (already loaded up with Tailwind powder) at the first aide station and then did not stop again until the turn around at the far end, somewhere around mile 3.

The weather had already been quite interesting and I could tell by looking at the skies that it was about to get a little bit wild.  The big, dark clouds that were in the distance were getting closer and closer to us.  I prepared myself to run through the rain and just crossed my fingers that there was no lightning or thunderstorms in those dark clouds.  I made it to the turn around and walked a few steps through the u-turn section at the very end before heading back towards transition and the rest of the loop.  It wasn't long after then that the skies just opened up and dumped so much rain on us.  I could hear grumbles from those around me, but I was not about to let the weather ruin my fun.  I couldn't help but to think of the famous quote: Life isn't about waiting for the storms to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain. This rain wasn't passing anytime soon and I was ready to dance!

I saw Mr K heading out on the run as I was making my way back and he called out to me that he lost about 10 minutes with a bike mechanical.  I was bummed to hear that since he is such a beast on the bike, but I was glad to see him safe and sound.  Racing with one's spouse can be worrisome as you just have to hope that they are okay and are having a good day because you often don't see them for hours at a time.

The rain kept coming and coming, it was running ankle deep across the running path in several spots.  I was a little concerned about blisters and the fatigue that running in wet, heavy shoes would bring (not to mention that I hate wet shoes and socks), but I decided not to focus on that and just wait to deal with it if it happened.  This race is especially mean as you run past the finish line four times before you get to turn into the finisher's chute.  Right after the finish line there was a huge bridge and many spectators were huddled under it seeking shelter from the rain.  I later saw an update on Facebook instructing all of the spectators to head to that bridge during the downpour.  It was a fun area to pass through because it was super loud and packed full of good energy.  There was one small out and back after this bridge and then I got to pass through it again on my way to the second loop.

My pace felt great so far, not too fast and not too labored - it just felt like an all day kind of run.  I also saw that my heart rate was staying fairly steady and was in a great range for that point of the race. I was pretty pleased when I finished the first loop in just over an hour.  A quick round of mental math told me...oh, who am I kidding, I'm not great at math on a regular day...but I knew that I was on pace for a really great run and I was still hoping to negative split the second loop.

My run at Redman was just such a mess, I walked way more of it than I care to admit and that hurt my pride a bunch.  I like to think of myself as a strong runner and a 2:54 half marathon was disappointing.  I had some very encouraging brick runs during training and they went a long way to build confidence in my run.  I didn't really have a time goal in mind for this race, I just knew that I wanted to run it well and feel good about it when I crossed the finish line.  I honestly thought that anything in the 2:20 neighborhood would be pretty awesome.

Coach Frank was hanging out in the Tri-Now tent on the course and he made me laugh each time I passed.  My favorite might have been "Hurry up, MK! I'm getting wet here!" As I began the second loop, I told myself that there would be no stopping until that u-turn at the far end, then I allowed myself one very short walk break.  This was probably the longest part of the run, it felt like forever to get out to that u-turn.  It was still raining too, sometimes just a drizzle and sometimes it came down on us in sheets.  It was during this loop that I noticed that the aide station volunteers had all been pulled and the aide stations had become self-serve.  This was one run I would never forget!

I saw Mr K a couple of more times on the run and we cheered each other on each time.  He was looking steady and strong and that made me feel happy.  The second "out" section of this run was definitely the toughest for me mentally - as the middle miles in races usually are for me  - just past the halfway mark, but not close enough to be to the "almost done" part.  I was tired, but felt nice and steady, it was just impatience starting to set in - gotta calm the restless mind.  The nitty gritty, time to dig in and focus on the task at hand.  After what felt like forever I reached the u-turn at the far end and walked about 20 steps.  And guess what? Running felt a lot better than walking so off I went again.

I love the last time through a looped course because it feels a little bit like a victory lap to me.  There is something uplifting about knowing that is the last time you will see all of the landmarks.  The way back didn't seem as long as the way out and as I passed by the finish line I knew that the next time I came by I would be making that turn.  As I approached the final miles, I knew that I had to go for the LOFO (last one, fast one).  My buddy Stude (The Encourager, remember him?) raced up at Redman the day before and cranked out an impressive LOFO despite the rough conditions.  As I made the last turn around and heard mile 12 chime on my watch, I dug in and gave it all I had.  The people under the noisy bridge seemed to know that I was headed for the finish and they gave me extra loud cheers. These are the moments we live for!

Finally, the finish line.  I crossed that line knowing that I had executed the best possible race that I could. I had no regrets and knew that I left nothing out there, my training was solid, my mental game was strong, and my race came together perfectly. That finish was everything that my finish at Redman was not. I had been waiting a year for that redemption, to put together the race that I knew that I was capable of, to live up to my potential. My official time was 6:21:05 - an hour and seven minute PR! Placing in my age group was not a goal, but I was thrilled to learn that I was 4th.

A couple of weeks later, I was talking with Drum while we were running on the beach in Port Aransas.  She shared that she believed that an athlete gets a limited number of "perfect" races in their lifetime and when they happen they should really be savored.  I believe that she is right about this and I know that I experienced one of those dream races in Kerrville. I've been working hard to savor it before moving onto my next big goal.  In looking back over the day, I can honestly say there is nothing I would change or do differently. And most importantly, I had an absolute blast! I can't remember the last time that I had that much fun racing.  I found myself moping about a bit in the days following the race simply because it was all over.  I loved the training and the race so much that it left a bit of a void when it was all said and done.

So there you have it, my Kerrville 70.3 story.  I'm not sure where I am headed from here, but I feel certain that it will involve a fast bike and a pair of running shoes.  Heck, I'll throw in some goggles and a swim cap too, if I must.  I know that this race was not a destination, but a fabulous experience a long the road.  I'm enjoying the ride and I'm waiting to see what is around the next corner.

Run: 2:06:03
2nd AG
Total: 6:21:05
4th AG

Kerrville 70.3 Bike: And She Rides

(Welcome to Part 3 of my Kerrville 70.3 story - be sure to catch up with the Prelude and Swim - I'll wait here!)

The energy coming out of the swim and T1 was incredibly good.  I noticed that the winds had picked up, but there was no rain yet and that was a good thing.  Time to take Vivace and go for a little spin!   The bike course was one giant loop that we rode twice.  We headed southeast along a highway for the first dozen or so miles before turning onto a beautiful country road for the next 8-10 miles then we headed back towards Kerrville on another small stretch of highway.  Once again, I focused on settling in and getting a good, steady pace.  My plan for the day was to not go out to fast on anything, but to get a good solid start.  Coach Frank backed up my thinking when he said these same things at the team dinner the night before.

I passed several people on the first five to ten miles of the bike, while I am a slow swimmer I am not so slow on the bike.  This was a little bit nerve wracking as we were riding on the shoulder of the highway at this point.  There wasn't a ton of traffic, but the surface was rough at times and there was some chip seal too.  Things really settled in for me once we made the turn onto River Road.  I wish that we could have ridden the whole thing on that stretch of road because it was really quite beautiful. We passed through a tiny town, but other than that there weren't many cars or people around.

The roads were wet by then and I could tell that it had rained in some spots, I was extra cautious on the turns and the downhills because this was no time for a crash.  The puddles only got worse as the ride went on, and I got rained on a couple of times.  It sounds like I got pretty lucky though because Mr K said he rode in a driving rain at points.  The last part of the first loop began to wear on me a little bit because I was so ready to see the end of it and be on the second loop.  I knew that this restless feeling might be even worse the second time around and I tried to prepare myself for it.

It was a bit of a boost to ride by the race site and start the second loop - halfway done!  I wasn't sure of my average speed, but I knew that my five mile splits were coming in consistently and at a good clip.  My heartrate was also staying nice and controlled and I knew that would serve me well over the course of the day.  I was eating and drinking on schedule and I felt pretty good, other than starting to get that "I've been on my bike a while" feeling.  My right hip was getting a bit stiff but I was able to deal with it by changing positions on the bike on occasion.

The first part of the second loop was even more treacherous this time because the wind had picked up.  The crosswind was so scary at times that I had to get out of aero just to feel more secure on the bike.  This also happened to be the section where the road was a little bit rough and where some of the faster guys were passing me so it was a bit of a white knuckle ride.  I was very ready to make that turn towards River Road.  I had a huge "heck yes!" moment during this part of the ride when I grabbed a water bottle from a volunteer at the aide station and jammed it into my aero bottle without stopping.  Seriously, that just makes one feel a bit like a badass and it is only the second time I have ever done it.

Now for some honest talk:  triathletes always talk about peeing on their bikes.  It seems to be a little bit of a badge of honor, for some odd reason.  I'd never given it much thought until I was on the backside of the course with no aide station in sight.  I kinda needed to go....could I wait for the next stop....did I want to get off my bike?  I decided just to let it go...and I laughed to myself about it for the rest of the day.  Who have I become?

There was a random guy out cheering on a small out-and-back section and seeing him the second time really lifted my spirits - especially when he pointed out that I had ridden nearly 50 miles!  I was so ready for this ride to be over, but I hadn't really realized that I was less than 10 miles from the end of it.  I saw several people on the side of the road with flat tires and I just triple crossed my fingers that I would make it into T2 without any drama.

I had set some very broad time goals for myself on the bike and on the run.  The bike was the bright spot in my 1st 70.3, which started with a dramatic swim and ended with a tough run.  That ride is still one of my best ever and I rode that one in 3:16.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to top that here, and still have good legs for the run, but I decided that I would be happy to match that time.  Spoiler alert: I beat my previous time by about 5 minutes.

T2 was waiting for us! I still know where my bag is!

I have grown and improved so much as an athlete in the past year, and I think that my biggest area of improvement has been on the bike.  I worked hard and made a lot of gains last summer and I was determined to keep my bike fitness during the off season.  I was fortunate to have discovered the Shawnee Trail Cycling Club and we join the Thursday night rides almost every week.  Riding with that group not only helped me maintain my skills, but increase them as I even moved up a pace group during the off season.  I would be remiss if I didn't mention my new bike in all of this, Vivace is one fast ride!

I had all of these things in mind as I rode back into Kerrville and towards the transition area.  I was having a great day swimming and riding my bike and now it was time for my most favorite of all - the run!

Bike: 3:11:05 (56 miles - 17.6 mph)
4th AG
5:24 T2

Kerrville 70.3 Swim: Take Me to the River

(This is the second installment in my Kerrville 70.3 story, if you haven't caught the Prelude yet you can find it here.)

I felt as if I slept fairly well, albeit lightly, the night before the race.  I was ready to get out of bed when the alarm went off and we quickly went about the business of the day.  At one point, Mr K opened the door of the hotel and it was absolutely POURING outside. We are talking cats and dogs, rain coming down super hard kind of stuff.  This wasn't a total surprise since Mr K told me that it would rain early and then was not in the forecast again until later in the day. We laughed it off and reminded ourselves that the race start was more than a couple of hours away.  It had already stopped by the time we loaded the car and we discovered the streets to be totally dry a mere mile from our hotel.

Team K reporting for duty!

The finish line was about two miles from the start, so we parked near the finish and took a shuttle over to the start.  My incredibly relaxed attitude remained in place as we arrived at the swim start.  I think that the size and energy of the race had a lot to do with it, very little hype - just some folks who were out to have a fun day swimming, riding, and running.  They had divided us up by swim waves and I had plenty of space in my assigned area.  I kept feeling like something was missing and then I remembered that my running stuff was waiting for me down the road in T2.

Ryan, Mr K, & Nestor 

The time leading up to the race start always feels as if it takes an eternity - the hurry up and wait game is hard.  I was very thankful that my swim wave was the first one after the open category simply because I wouldn't have to wait a minute longer than necessary.  The start was in a time trial fashion, meaning they released us into the water one at a time about three seconds apart.  It sure made for a pretty mellow swim start and gave me a nice opportunity to settle in, find my rhythm, and get to work.

The swim was in the Guadalupe River and it was just divine.  I think that I could have swum there all day - the temperature was perfect and it was a little bit clearer than the lakes that I am used to swimming in.  It was super easy to sight to with the banks of the river on each side and the grey sky making the buoys super visible.  I had been told that they were 100 meters apart and I just focused on getting from one to the next.  It wasn't long before I saw swim caps from the wave after mine coming around me. I wasn't too surprised either since I know that I am not a fast swimmer.

I had so much drama during my swim at Redman 70.3 last year - I lost my nose clip early on and ended up swallowing a bunch of Lake Hefner.  I also ended up backstroking about half of it and crawled out of the lake mentally exhausted after an hour and six minutes.  My goal for this swim was to get through it calmly and with no drama.  I'm happy to say that I was able to settle in to my usual breathing pattern and just cruise.  My sighting was spot on and according to my watch I only swam .04 of a mile extra - not too shabby!

Hard to look cute in a swim cap! (Pic: Coach Frank)

I never got too tired, but rather impatient since I was ready to have this part behind me and get on with my race.  Stoke, stroke, stroke, breathe, sight.....over and over again.  I could feel myself smiling under the water as I made the approach to the swim finish.  I had done it, what a relief! I could tell that it was going to be a good day.  I was smiling all the way up the HUGE hill to transition (seriously, that thing was like a small mountain).  I decided not to try to run up it and the guy next to me gave me a big high five and wished me well on my day.  The vibe in transition was super positive, I think that everyone feels relieved to get that swim done.

A shot of the big hill we had to run up to get to T1

I noticed that the wind had picked up quite a bit while I was in the water and the skies were still very grey.  No time to worry about that now, it was time for Vivace and me to ride.

Swim: 53:36  (1.2 miles)
16th AG
T1: 4:52