Redman 70.3 Act III: The Run

Welcome to Act III of my Redman 70.3 story!  I just finished was was likely the best bike ride of my life and now we pick up with the final act of the story, the run.  If you missed the swim or the bike you can hit those links and catch up.

Run 2:53:54  - 13:17 avg pace
I rolled into transition and took a few minutes (okay, nearly 7 minutes) to make sure that I had all that I would need for the run, to apply a ton of sunscreen, and to hit the restroom.  I still had that "burpy" feeling from the bike and knew that it could create extra challenges on the run.  The run course was two loops and I had heard that it would be unshaded and lonely in places.  I haven't mentioned what a break that we caught with the weather - almost no wind which made for a calm swim (thank. goodness.) and fast bike, and while it was still warm, it was much cooler than it could have been in late September.  I'm thinking it was in the lower 80s, which is really a blessing.  I walked for the first minute or two, just to let everything settle and to get oriented to the run.

Spotting "my people" for the 1st time on the run (Photo: Baha)

I got a huge boost as I passed by our cheer zone.  My people!!  Mr K ran alongside me for a second so that he could get the scoop on the swim.  Poor guy had been worried!  I could tell from very early on that this was going to be quite the challenge and my main focus became forward progress.  I tried to not let my mind think about how many miles were in front of me, rather I attempted to focus on the present.  My pace was slow and I was running with the occasional walk break.  I was happy to spot Stude early in the run and had no idea how much he was killing this race (I was not surprised...but he had a huge day!).

I focused on getting from aide station to aide station, which couldn't have been much more than a mile apart.  Again, the volunteers were incredible, many of them athletes themselves as this race is put on by the local tri club.  The aide stations looked a little like what you might see at a trail race - gummy bears, fruit, salt tabs, Coke, cookies, ice.  Oh and the sponges....I can't even tell you how many cold sponges that I took from the hands of volunteers that day.

Found 6 of these sponges in my kit after the race

I thought that I hydrated okay on the bike, but now I am not so sure.  I remember feeling thirsty for much of the run and that is a sure sign that it is too late.  And that "burpy" feeling....blech.  I tried some Coke thinking that it might help, but I think that it just made it worse for a bit.  I gave myself permission to walk when I needed to, as long as I kept moving forward.  I usually love running alone, but I was starting to wish that I had a buddy to talk to during this run.  It was a bit lonely and I could have used a distraction.  I crossed paths with Alicia as I was coming in from the first loop and she was headed out for her second.  Her friendly, smiling face was just what I needed to see.

I knew that my people were waiting for me at our cheer zone and I focused on getting back to them. It is amazing how things like that will keep you moving on a hard day. I got to see them on the way to the turn around and then again on my way back out.  They made me smile and laugh and I was so thankful that they were there.  One more loop, MK, just move those feet for one more loop.

The second loop was slower than the first by seven minutes.  Not the negative splits that I typically like to maintain, but what are you gonna do?  By this time, I felt like I was walking more than running and I made deals with myself (run this quarter mile and then you can walk the rest of it).  By the return trip of the second lap I'd settled into a pattern of running a tenth of a mile and walking a tenth of a mile.  At this point, I was really hoping that I would make it in under 3:00 and not so sure that I would.  I saw Alicia at the back of the loop and we agreed that this was a pretty stupid thing that we were doing.

There is incredible optimism when you know that you are covering ground for the last time and I started to tell the volunteers at the aide stations that this would be the last time I saw them.   They were so uplifting and kind and they made me smile when smiling was difficult.  I passed a guy who was 78 years old and I told him how awesome he was.  He called back "you are awesome-er!" No way, dude.  I sincerely hope that I am still doing crazy stuff like triathlons when I am that age. Huge respect!

It would have been a tough day without these folks (Photo: TPG)

Mr K approached on a bike (where did he find a bike?) when I was just about a mile out.  I'm pretty sure that I told him this was the worst idea ever and he kept on encouraging me to finish strong.  I walked a little bit more and then broke out in a run as I approached our cheer zone and the finish line. Just as I did I felt a big blister on my pinkie toe, thank goodness that didn't happen until the finish chute.  Note to self: take the time to put on your trusty toe socks in transition.

Forced smile much?

It always amazes me how I can find just a little bit more when I see a finish line - what is up with that?!  I hit the finishers chute, heard them call my name, and crossed the finish line.  I. Was. Finished.  7:28:03 - a solid day's work.

So many thoughts and so many emotions come with this one.  I try not to have any expectations for myself the first time I attempt a distance.  Finishing is the only goal, no matter how long it takes.  I'm still processing this one and I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't a little bit disappointed in my time...but time is just a number and there is so much more to this race than that.  I'm still pretty amazed that I even did it, heck I'm pretty amazed that I even attempted it.  My first triathlon ever was just six months ago in March - it is not my style to jump into something so quickly.  Remember, this is the girl who ran 25 half marathons before her first marathon.  I'm still pretty amazed that somehow I survived that swim and that I did not freak the heck out.  I'm pretty proud of myself for keeping a level head in the water and working through the newly presented challenge.  Honestly, I'm not even sure how I did it!  I'm beside myself happy that I rode my bike so strongly and that I didn't have to get off to refill or stretch.  It really was my strongest ride ever. The run was tough, but I'm happy that I was able to keep moving forward and that I never let my brain take me to any dark places.  It would have been easy out there with the sun and the heat and all of the walking that I was doing.

Yep, I'll be processing this one for a long time to come.  I enjoyed the training for this race so much that sometimes I can hardly believe that it is over.  While the day seemed long at times, it went by like a blur.  There are so many things that I wish I could take another shot at, I learned so much!  I can't wait to try this distance again, and I would do it tomorrow if I could.  But for now, I'm going to keep letting it all sink in and I'm going to keep smiling when I see that 70.3 sticker on my car.  I'm going to wear my finisher's shirt weekly, I'm going to wish for that first cool day so I can wear my new jacket.  I'm going to keep learning and growing, and I'm going to keep on dreaming big.

Redman 70.3 Act II: The Ride of My Life

Welcome to Act II of my Redman 70.3 story!  We pick up here right after the worst swim ever (okay, maybe not the *worst* since I am alive to tell the tale...but I digress).  If you missed it, click here.

Bike -  3:16:01 -  17.1 mph
I was still shaking my head a little bit as I came out of the water, but there was no time to dwell on what had happened there.  I had a long way to go still and was looking forward to getting on my bike. After the most awkward wetsuit stripping ever, I stuffed my pockets full of food and gels and hit the open road.  I spotted Mr K and the gang and knew that he must have been worried because that swim took much longer than expected.  It is always a boost to see "your people" out on the course!  I also spotted a hot dog and a shark and it took me a second to realize I KNOW THEM!  TPG and Robert always bring the smiles with their clever costumes.  It was a nice shot of energy as I headed out for my ride.

Team Hot Dog - Shark were awesome (Photo: Drum)

I can't remember a ton of specific details about the bike course itself.  There were no monster climbs or super rough roads - just a fast course on some country roads.  I passed a few people in the early miles and then settled in, focusing on my eating plan and keeping an eye on my heart rate.  I had heard so many stories of people ruining their race by going too hard on the bike and I wanted to make sure that didn't happen to me.  I'd also heard many stories of people bonking because they didn't eat on the bike....also did not want that to happen to me.  I did not have the speed displayed on my watch screen, just time and heart rate - although I could get a feel for it as my watch chimed every five miles.  This chime was also my signal to eat and I alternated between Honey Stinger waffles and Shot Blocks.  I tried to drink like it was my job, but I'm thinking that I could have done even more of that.

My face when I saw Team Hot Dog - Shark (Photo: TPG)

I had a yucky "burpy" feel that I've never had before, and I assumed that it was a result of my wild swim.  I've never done any swim to bike bricks and that might be something that I want to consider in future training.  It made eating and drinking a little less desirable, but I powered through. The bike course was mostly an out-and-back and early on I started to see people on their way back.  Some of these people were fellow 70.3 athletes who were finishing up their ride and some of them were doing the 140.6 or the full aquabike and would be starting their second loop soon.  I had an eye out for my friends who were also racing, but I didn't see anyone until I saw Debby heading back out as I finished my ride.

I've probably never ridden more than about 25 miles without getting off my bike and taking a break and I wondered if I would be able to make the whole ride on race day.  I made it my goal to go as long as I could go without stopping, but knew that I might need a minute to refill my bottles or stretch my body.  My right hip started to feel tired and a little tight, like nothing I have felt before.  It wasn't that bad, just annoying and I decided to pedal through it.

The volunteers at the aide stations were so friendly and welcoming, I tried to say thank you to all of them as I rode by.  Somewhere before the halfway point I grabbed a bottle of water as I passed a volunteer and I filled up my aero bottle while pedaling....and this made me smile SO BIG!!!  I FILLED MY BOTTLE WITHOUT STOPPING!! This was a good day, indeed!!

I got such a boost at the turn around part - halfway done and I'd already seen most of the course.  I was having one of my best bike rides ever!  I worked very hard on my cycling during training as I knew that I needed to make huge improvements.  I've ridden a bike for several years now, but I've never really "trained" on the bike like I did this summer.  Bike was always something that I did for recovery or for fun so I was able to make big improvements when I started doing the work.  I could tell that I was having a strong ride while keeping my heart rate in a good working range.

The more positive energy I put out there, the more I could feel it coming back to me.  I tried to thank all of the police officers who were helping with traffic and most of them had a positive word for me in return.  The volunteers on the course were so overwhelmingly positive and I tried to thank all of them.  I also made an effort to say a positive word to the other athletes when I passed them and most all of them had a positive word in return.  I love that about races!

Sometime in the last 15 or 20 miles I found myself stuck behind an 18-wheeler.  Two other cyclists and I were back there for a few minutes, hoping that the truck would turn or speed up.  The truck was "stuck" too as there were bikes before and after him.  We joked about drafting and patiently waited until we were safely able to pass him.  Another first for me!

It was so easy to wish those final 10 miles away, I was growing impatient and my body was tired of being on this bike for approaching 3 hours.  It was then that I attempted to focus and be grateful for the strongest bike ride of my life.  I could hardly believe that I'd done the whole thing without stopping and I was doubly thankful that I had no mechanical issues.

Finally I found myself back on the dam and pedaling towards the transition area.  I marveled at those who were headed out for a second loop, I couldn't imagine doing the whole thing again.  Regardless of what happened on the swim or what was about to happen on the run, I knew that I could be really proud of this ride.  I have improved so much and have so much more confidence on the bike then I did when training started in June.  As a runner, I would have guessed going in that the run would be my favorite part of the day...but I'm certain that the bike was my favorite.

Redman 70.3, A Story in 3 Acts: Act I - The Swim

At long last Thursday afternoon arrived and it was time to head towards Oklahoma City for Redman 70.3.  Race week had left me a bit scattered, I think that it is my least favorite week of the whole training cycle (not counting race recovery...ugh.).  I was terribly distracted all week and had all kinds of thoughts, doubts, dreams, and nightmares.  What was I thinking when I signed up for this?  Do you realize how far 70.3 miles is?  What have I done?!  Add to that apprehension over allergies and a developing cough and I was a hot mess.  By the time we arrived in OKC, I had chills and felt like I was fighting off an illness.  Cue the frantic trip to CVS where Mr K and I purchased all of the decongestants, a Netti Pot (and bless Mr K's heart for helping me use this thing for the first time ever), and Emergen-C.  No time for illness!

I woke up feeling cautiously better on Friday morning and we headed out to the practice swim.  I wanted to see the course and feel the water before the rush of race morning.  It was also the first time I had the opportunity to swim in my wetsuit.  (Nothin like last minute!).  I'm thankful that Mr K was there to help me put it on, I'm sure that looked like quite the scene.  The water temperature was in the mid to low 70s, not super cold but much chillier than the warm lake I swam in during the summer.  It took my breath away at first then I settled in and had a nice swim.  I was one of the last people out of the water at the practice swim and apparently I stumbled upon a wedding as I came out of the water. Who gets married at a triathlon practice swim?  Crazy triathletes, that is who.  My friend Debby, who was also out at the practice swim, pointed out that a 70.3 or 140.6 triathlon would be the worst honeymoon ever.

Big smiles at the practice swim (Photo: Mr K)

I took Friday super easy and was able to nap and rest at the hotel for a good part of the afternoon. I was excited to go to race check-in and tried to just soak it all in.  Athlete meeting, money spent at the expo (all the Redman gear!), and it was time to rack my bike in transition where it would be waiting for me the next morning.  We enjoyed a feast of pizza at Hideaway Pizza, one of our Oklahoma favorites, before heading back to the hotel.  When we returned our buddy Stude stopped by for a pre-race visit and pep talk.  Lights went out early, but sleep was elusive at times.  I felt like I woke up every couple of hours and we ended up getting up before the alarm.

My first 70.3 was also the US National Championship (Photo: Stude)

Race day was finally here!!  We got parked in plenty of time and made the one mile walk to the start area.  The morning was cool-ish, compared the the hot summer mornings, with temperatures in the 60s.  The dark lake looked like glass as there was barely a breeze.  You just can't ask for better weather in late September.  So much excitement in the air, it was going to be a good day.  It was my friend Alicia's third time to do Redman 70.3 and it was nice to see that her bike was racked pretty close to mine.  The transition area was so busy - just bustling with athletes preparing their bikes and running gear for the day ahead.  I checked and re-checked my stuff and then headed out to meet up with Mr K and get into my wetsuit.  Mr K was so patient and helpful as I checked and rechecked my gear. I could hardly believe that it was about to go down!

With my beastly Iron friends Stude and Debby (Photo: Mr K)

I am such a lucky person as I had the best cheer squad out there rooting for me.  Mr K was joined by Drum, Baha, Ninja, Fi, TPG, and Robert - most of them getting up at an obscene hour to drive from Dallas to Oklahoma City in time for the start of the race.  It is a pretty incredible group of friends that I have and I'm especially reminded of this in moments like this.  I got some final good luck wishes from Mr K, the Ninjas, Drum, and Baha just as I was heading into the water.  Alicia and I laughed and talked as we waded into the lake.  It was go time!

It is impossible to look cute in a wetsuit & swimcap (Photo: Drum)

Swim - 1:06:53
I found myself fairly calm heading into the swim, just wanted to get through it as evenly and smoothly as I could. No drama, no wasted energy.  I was glad that I went to the practice swim on Friday because I knew how the water would feel, how it was shallow enough to touch in places, and how my wetsuit could help me out if I worked with it.  My swim leg was next-to-last so I didn't have to worry too much about a pack of faster swimmers swimming over me.  I got off to an okay start - the water was colder than I was used to and their were people all around me.  I tried to find my little "bubble" of swim space.  The course was shaped like a big rectangle that was sitting parallel to the shore.  I was just starting to find my rhythm when a couple of swimmers came around me.  One of them made contact with my face and that is when things went terribly wrong.  My nose clip disappeared into the murky waters and I knew that my race had just taken an interesting turn.  I never, ever swim without a nose clip.  I have plugged my nose since I was a kid, it is just something that I do.  I know that I should have been better prepared and I even had a spare clip....in my bag on the shore.  Womp. Womp.  Never again will this happen to me - huge lesson learned right there in that moment!

And we are off! (Photo: Mr K)

Sooo.....here I was, early into my swim and with no idea how I would finish.  I looked out at all the buoys and had a brief "oh my gosh this is impossible" moment before I took a deep breath and went back to work.  I swam with my head out of the water for a little bit, but that was quite difficult and tiring.  Then I decided to put my face in the water and give it a shot.  It was terribly uncomfortable as I am not used to breathing this way, but I was making progress.  I saw a kayak near the first turn and made it my goal to get to the kayak so I could take a break and regroup.  The kayaker was great, told me that I had great form and talked about how special it was to be doing a race like this, and that he and his daughter did the full 140.6 distance at Redman the year before.  I took the time to catch my breath and gather myself for more swimming.

The look of "what just happened?"

I swam to the next turn (the short side of the rectangle) and took a moment at the next kayak.  While here I heard myself making a terrible cough, you know the kind that sounds like it might be a precursor to barfing? I'm thinking that I was swallowing some of Lake Hefner.  I saw the next kayak 100 yards or away and reasoned that I could just swim kayak-to-kayak all the way through.  A few minutes later I was frustrated and winded and I flipped over on my back to take a break. This is when I discovered that I could make good progress whilst backstroking....so backstroke I did.  I was actually holding a pretty good pace compared to the swimmers around me and those turn buoys were getting further and further away.  Not ideal, but forward progress is the name of the game!

I worried that I might be killing my shoulders for the bike, but kept on going. I think that I might have had a more decent swim time if I'd figured this out earlier. All those hours of training spent swimming and I backstroked half of my 70.3 swim. Ridiculous!  I was never so relieved to get out of the water and found myself laughing and shaking my head as I stumbled to the shore.  What the heck just happened?  No time to dwell upon it because it was time to ride my bike!