For those of you who just want a brief synopsis: here ya go! For the rest, read on.
Swim: Canceled due to strong winds, choppy waters, and rip-tide warnings.
Bike: Fast and fun!
Run: Slow and painful...
Total time: Just under 6 hours, which was my goal (without the swim).
I did this race in 2009. Actually, that was the last triathlon I did. I had hoped to worked my way back up to the half-Iron distance in the early part of this season, but my plantar fasciitis issues prevented me from doing so. (My PT recommended that I stay focused on my main goal, my "A" race, Ironman Florida, and give my foot time to heal before pushing too hard.) But as the summer wore on, I was still battling the PF, and I knew I wanted/needed to attempt the 70.3. I had two main reasons.
First, I wasn't feeling much like a triathlete. I hadn't completed a multi-sport event in two years, and I kind of forgot that part of my identity. I didn't remember simple things like how to set up my transition area, but even more importantly, I didn't remember why I loved the sport. I needed to get that back.
Second, I've sort of come to accept the fact that running is just going to hurt, at least for now. I don't think there's any way my foot pain is going to simply go away before IM Florida, even with the custom orthotics I've ordered, so I really needed to see how bad it would be and if I could manage it.
So... I got up at 4:00 this morning, showered, and headed off to Jean Klock Park.
There were so many cars pulling in to park. Everyone was getting out of their cars, gathering up their gear, pumping up their tires, and heading to transition. Excitement was in the air. There were a few raindrops, too, and LOTS of gusty winds, so we were speculating that Lake Michigan was probably not going to cooperate for our morning swim. Sure enough, one of the first things we learned upon entering the park was that the swim was, in fact, canceled. Fortunately, however, they were NOT replacing it with another short run; we would just do a bike-run event.
I found my spot in transition and started chatting with some of the other ladies on my rack. We were still awaiting news on how the time-trial start of the new duathlon would work, but we knew we had a bit more time to get settled. I started feeling like a triathlete again (even though I wouldn't actually BE a triathlete today) as I laid out my gear and talked with the other women. A couple of things I could have done better, though: I should have brought long sleeves and pants. It was pretty chilly out that early, especially with the strong winds! I should have brought a morning water bottle to keep hydrated before the race, especially since we were going to have to wait in transition longer without the swim. And I should have brought more pre-race food for the same reason. Lastly, I should have brought some tissues/toilet paper, since those porta-potties tend to run out at these things. Anyway, nothing major, but just a note for next time. (I also forgot my sunglasses - boo! But Hubby was awesome and totally surprised me by going all the way back to the car to get them for me!)
The race finally began a little after 7:00 with the pros going off at 30-second interval. That took quite awhile. After they were all out, they had the age-groupers start lining up in twos by race number. I'm not sure how quickly they were sending them off, but it was pretty slow-going at first, and considering my number was 1904, I settled in for a long wait. They made an announcement at one point saying they'd have people go off one-by-one, but I don't think that lasted very long. Things started picking up really fast a bit later, and all of a sudden our row was scrambling to get everything together to head down to the start. They weren't paying much attention to our bib numbers or anything at that point, and were sending two riders at a time every few seconds. I'm guessing they just realized it was taking too long and that they needed to get everyone out there.
And so, I was off! I felt good on my new ride, and I was passing a lot of people right from the beginning. I got passed a bit too, by strong guys on fancy bikes with deep-dish rims or disc wheels, but I was o.k. with that. There were just so MANY people out on the course, though, that it was pretty congested! Drafting is not allowed in these things - you're supposed to have at least four bike distances between you and another rider, and you must complete your pass within 20 seconds - but there was just no way to avoid it at times today. For awhile, I was riding in this big clump, trying to get around people, but stuck. I commented to another rider that I didn't realize I'd signed up for a road race, only a road race where everyone was in aero - not so safe! He said the difference was that in a road race you couldn't cross the yellow line. I didn't think we were supposed to either, but we all did from time to time and never got any penalties.
It started to separate out a little by mile 35, so I was on my own again. I still felt pretty good, although I was missing my more thickly padded cycling shorts... I fueled well, I think, drinking Gatorade instead of water and eating a Clif bar at mile 40 or so. By the end, I was definitely ready to get off the bike, but I was very pleased with my 21+ mph average and my time of less than 2:40 (I was really only hoping for sub-3:00!).
Into transition... and out again a few minutes later. Not sure how long I took, but I'm sure it was less than the almost 10-minute T2 I had two years ago!
So, yeah. I started my watch on my usual 3-and-1 run/walk interval. My legs felt slow and heavy coming off the bike, and my foot hurt already. (It actually hurt before the race ever started with all the walking we had to do to get to the park, and it hurt throughout the bike leg, too, though not unbearable so.) Still, I managed close to 12-minute miles for the first two miles, which was my goal. Shortly after that, however, I started to lose it. My right (PF) foot was hurting pretty bad, and it wasn't long before pain appeared in other parts as well. Most notably, my left knee and hip started hurting, probably because I was running funny to keep some pressure off my right foot. Anyway, it wasn't fun.
I switched to a 2-and-1 run/walk interval and I slowed way down, but it didn't really matter since walking and shuffling and jogging and everything all pretty much hurt the same. People were passing me left and right, and I'm sure the grimace on my face spoke volumes. But still other athletes and spectators shouted words of encouragement like "You're looking great!" and "You can do it, you're almost there!" I get pretty bitter on long, painful runs like this, and these people irritate me a little. I think (but never say) "I do NOT look strong! I look like I'm in a crapload of pain, because I am!" And "I know there are only two miles left, but that is NOT almost done, and I really don't know if I CAN do it since every step hurts." But thanks anyway. Actually, the only people I like at that point on a run are the ones who are in just as much pain, though there weren't many people left out on the run course with me by then...
Anyway, the run today was more a lesson in pain tolerance than anything. There were definitely a few tears, a lot of self-talk, and some honest prayers. But I finally finished my 13.1 miles in 3:10 or 3:15. I should have been able to do it in 2:30, or at least 2:45, but I've never run through so much pain before, so I really didn't care about my time after a certain point. I am pretty worried about the full IM now, because I really don't think I could suffer through 26.2 miles in that much pain. So, not sure what will happen with that, but for now I'll wait for my orthotics and just pray they help at least a little. At this point, I have no plan for my run training between now and November. I'll talk to my PT, try out the orthotics, and see what happens. Even if I have to walk the entire marathon, I could probably still finish the race, but it would be close and definitely not at my 15-hour goal.
Anyway, it was nice to hear my name at the finish line. And I wasn't even too upset with the Hubby for not being there. I got in line for my free post-race pizza, then sat on the sandy sidewalk somewhere to eat. Goodness, it was so nice to just sit... I still couldn't find the Hubs, so I went to collect my bike and everything from transition. I hobbled through the crowd, but he was nowhere to be found. I finally asked a random girl if I could borrow her phone, and luckily I remembered Derek's phone number! (It's hard to remember people's number these days when you never have to actually dial them...) He was just arriving, parking, and walking over, so I rode my bike down to meet him. Unfortunately, we didn't have time at the point to go back to the motel for a shower, but at least we could start the long trek back to Cincinnati.
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