Ironman Chattanooga Part I: The Devil Went Down To Georgia

I knew as soon as Ironman Maryland was over that I wanted to do a second one and within a few weeks I was signed up for Ironman Chattanooga.  I missed the training in the off season and was ready to get back to it when we started up at again at the end of May.  I am good at training and I'm a geek for the whole "process" thing and the weeks flew by fairly quickly until the last few - at that time I was ready to just race already...time to get the show on the road.

As Erik, Baha, and I headed to Chattanooga, we learned that the swim had been cancelled due to high and swift moving water on the Tennessee River (not to mention elevated levels of E coli).  I was bummed to hear the news because I started working on swimming on January 1 and I had made some good improvements.  I was also looking forward to the swim because I have heard that it is just downright fun with its downstream current.  I didn't fret about it long though because I knew that the day would be long and hard enough already.  The swim is such a small fraction of the experience.  Not to mention that this race would still be 142.2 miles - two miles longer than the standard Ironman due to 4 additional miles on the bike course.

No swimming in this very flooded and swift Tennessee River

Along with the bad news, we also got the very good news and that our friend Goat would be coming to spectate.  Goat is a very special fellow to all of us, a multi-time Ironman and one of the nicest guys that you will ever meet.  He was diagnosed with cancer in 2017 but that hasn't stopped him from chasing some goals of his own and from supporting his friends.  

We arrived in Chattanooga on Thursday afternoon and had plenty of time to settle in, explore a bit, and to give all of our bikes and gear a final test before race day.  I'd never been to Chattanooga before and I was surprised at what a cool place it was with so many small shops and restaurants all in walking distance.  And did I mention the race was sponsored by Little Debbie? All of the snacks that I cared to eat were available in the Ironman Village.  Those oatmeal cream pies and nutty bars were a taste of my childhood!  

We drove the bike course on Saturday afternoon and that is when I got really excited.  The course was beautiful with rolling hills, lots of farms, and a few small towns with many small churches.  The route crossed into Georgia early on and remained there for the majority of the ride. I didn't know how my ride would go, but I knew that I would enjoy the scenery.

Race morning had a much more laid back feel since there was no swim.  They were starting us on the bike in a time trail start with 2 cyclists starting every 5 seconds.  We started in order of bib number and since my bib was the lowest of Erik and Jason I got to start first.  They hung out with me at my rack until it was time for me to roll out.  Just like at Ironman Maryland, I got all teary eyed at the beginning of the race.  It isn't fear or sadness, but realization that I am about to embark on something huge and that everything I worked for the last 4 months was about to come to fruition.  It is one of those moments that is larger than life.

I have never started a race in time trial fashion before and I gotta tell you, it was pretty fun! I was worried that the roads heading out would be congested, but it wasn't a problem at all.  Wouldn't you know it, the last person I saw as I rolled out of the start area was Goat.  I gave him my biggest smile and right then I knew that I was going to race my heart out on my bike.  Goat is a helluva cyclist and I wanted to make him proud on this day.

While I am bummed that we didn't get to swim, I am thankful that I got to experience this type of start.  For the first 20 miles or more, it was all women who are in my age group.  I've never been in a more positive and supportive race environment before with everyone working together to help each other pass and sharing good thoughts for the day.  A real women's bike race! I may never experience anything like this again, it was just the coolest thing.

I was watching my power numbers and my speed and I could tell early on that this was going to be a strong ride for me.  I wanted to keep everything steady and strong for as long as I possibly could.  As expected, the scenery was absolutely gorgeous.  I made sure to thank every officer and volunteer that I could along the way, I'm not sure I've ever felt more grateful on a ride before.  About 40 miles in, I decided that I was going to do my best to stay on my bike the entire 116 miles.  I did not do that in Maryland and I took a break at the halfway mark and I also stood for a bit at a couple of aide stations in the second loop.  I have been thinking about and working on taking more risks and I was prepared to do that one the bike today. I had aches and pains here and there, but they came and went throughout the ride.  

Towards the end of the first loop we passed through the town of Chickamauga, Georgia.  There were crowds lining the streets to cheer and it made me feel like a pro - what a great scene!  Speaking of pros, a few of them passed me on the first loop and it was a little bit terrifying as it felt like they were only inches away from me and my bike.  I've never seen anything like it before, those guys are simply amazing.

I was happy to start the second loop, but forgot some of the early climbs - must have blocked those out when I was all pumped and excited at the start.  My power and my speed were holding strong and consistent and I just kept pushing.  I think that I did a good job with eating and drinking too and I felt so pro taking water bottle hand-ups from the volunteers at the aide stations.  It was a really great feeling to make that right turn at the end of the second loop and head back towards Chattanooga. I noticed the time as I got closer to town and hoped I could pull off a sub-6 hour finish. I knew that I was on the cusp of a huge bike PR, even with the four extra miles, and I was so happy.  That was the most fun I have ever had on my bike! I completed 116 miles and rolled into transition in 6:01:45 - an average of 19.2 mph.

As I unclipped from my pedals and the valet whisked my bike away, my knees nearly buckled and I felt like a baby deer standing on wobbly legs.  I had every intention of running through transition to grab my gear bag, but I found that I could barely shuffle along.  Did I make a big mistake and bike too hard? How in the world was I going to run a marathon on these shaky legs?  This was my first sign that I was in for the hardest run of my life.