Oilman Texas 70.3 Race Report

It's official...I survived!  This race report is long, but then again, so is a half-ironman! :-)

Pre-Race
My alarm was set for 3:45 on Sunday. Yes, that's early, but I like to eat breakfast, plus the race was about an hour drive.  My plan was to leave the house no later than 4:30 am.  For some reason, I woke up around 2:45 and could not go back to sleep.  Maybe it was pre-race jitters, maybe it was the hubby's snoring and the dog's restlessness. Either way, it didn't matter - due to the "Fall Back" of Daylight Savings Time, I managed to get a sufficient amount of sleep.  I ate my usual eggs and steel cut oats, then proceeded to get dressed.  I had on my tri top and shorts, but added a warm fleece jacket and comfy sweat pants.  We left the house around 4:40, but made great time getting to the race start.

I wrote this on my hand to look at while on the bike...later, I had the Hubs write "Calm" on the other hand for the swim.

I was extremely happy to see that there was absolutely no wind as we were driving to the race.  It was about 56 degrees, so once I set up my transition area, the Hubs and I headed to into the resort where the race was located so we could stay nice and warm.  I visited the restrooms a couple of times, as I think the butterflies were finally getting to my stomach.  We hung out in the hotel and chatted with different people for awhile.  Then, about 30 minutes before the race was scheduled to start, I put on my wetsuit and checked my transition area one final time.  That was when I noticed that the wind had picked up a bit...not horrible, but certainly not what I wanted to see!

The Hubs and I headed to the start and met up with several friends, including fellow blogger, Brittney, from The Fit Formula (check out her blog!)  We had actually met briefly the day before at packet pick-up.  It was great to pass the time with friends and just take my mind of the task ahead of me for a few minutes.  I also took a minute to eat a few Honey Stinger Chews. Finally, the race was starting!  The men started first, so the Hubs and I watched as they ran from the beach and dove into the water.  This was my first beach start, so I was a little nervous about just jumping right in...especially since I have had such annoying anxiety issues in the open water!  Before I knew it, it was time for me to start making my way to the start.

Me and the Hubs before the race.  At top, me and training friend, Lea. Middle, me and fellow blogger, Brittney.  Bottom, me and long-time running friend, Kay.

Trying to stay warm before the race....calm on the outside, skeered on the inside!

The Swim
When my wave started, I walked (not ran) into the water.  As the water grew deeper, I felt the coldness and even though it wasn't freezing cold (around 70 degrees), it still made me catch my breath a little.  I had a momentary bit of anxiety and stood there for a second before finally taking off.  I think knowing that my wetsuit would allow me to just lay there if I started to freak out gave me the confidence I needed to get going.  Thankfully, I never had a freak out!  I just kept swimming, taking it one buoy at a time.  I occasionally chanted the mantras in my head that I had used in OWS practice - "I'm an awesome swimmer" and "I'm incredibly calm".  It worked, I was calm. 

A little bit after the first turn, I noticed that the water seemed to be moving...as in there were waves.  I don't know if it was from the wind or from the boats and jet skis that were in the water, but I didn't like it!  There is a reason why I chose this race as my first 70.3 - nice, calm waters!  I tried to take a breath and managed to get slapped in the face with a wave.  I stopped swimming for just a moment to cough and catch my breath.  I quickly figured out that I should breathe from the other side.  (Thank goodness I've been using bi-lateral breathing!)  About the time I figured this out, I felt the faster swimmers from the next wave swimming past.  I managed to get sandwiched between a couple of swimmers a few times - getting hit with an arm on one side and kicked with a leg on the other.  Thankfully, they passed and I only had the waves to worry about.  I ended up needing to sight more often, because the current kept pushing me off.  I also noticed and had to laugh (on the inside, of course), because I burped a couple of times...at it tasted like cherry blossum Honey Stinger Chews!

Surprisingly, the swim seemed to go relatively quickly.  In other words, it didn't feel like forever before I was making the final turn.  I almost didn't believe that I was heading to shore!  The waves were pretty bad as I made my way in, but at that point I didn't really care...I was almost done!  I had to stop and cough again, as I managed to get slapped in the face with yet another wave.  Finally, I could hear the crowds and I was climbing onto the shore!  The wetsuit strippers almost had me out of my wetsuit before I even finished sitting down...they were awesome!  I saw the Hubs and gave him a quick kiss before heading into transition.

Coming out of the water!!!

T1
I took way too long in T1.  I had decided the day before to wear arm warmers, gloves and a light windbreaker on the bike.  I also had my toe warmers on my bike shoes (they've been on since that cold ride on the course a couple of weeks before).  I used a small towel to dry off as much as I could.  I hesitated, because I thought maybe the windbreaker would be too warm.  I went ahead and put it on, but decided against the gloves.

The Bike
To be honest, the bike was one area that I was concerned about. First of all, I did not do enough training on the hills.  Second, the possibility of a mechanical failure on the bike worries me.  Something like a flat tire is pretty much out of my control..and I am a control freak.  And then there was the wind.  I headed out and immediately wished I had not worn my windbreaker.  I also needed to pee, but didn't want to take the time back in T1.  Around mile 10, I saw my friend, Kay.  We chatted a bit until I stopped at the first aid station to use the porta potty.  I also asked what would happen to items left behind (thinking of dropping the jacket).  The volunteers assured me that they would take everything back to the resort after they were done, so I tossed the jacket and made my way back onto the course.  (And can I just say that the volunteers were phenomenal!!!)

Heading out on the bike...so glad I tossed the jacket later!

There was really nothing out of the ordinary on the bike.  I followed my nutrition plan - drinking Perform every 5 miles and alternating between Hammer Gel and Honey Stinger Waffles every 45 minutes.  I encountered a head wind or cross wind at several different places....in fact, it seemed like no matter which way we were traveling, there was a cross wind or head wind.  "Where was the freaking tail wind?", I wondered.  But, there was also quite a bit of wind when we rode the course a few weeks before, so I just assumed this was the norm.  I had a few stretches where I could not seem to go any faster than 12 or 13 miles per hour, but I also had some great, fast stretches and some amazing downhills.  Around mile 38, I was feeling tired and just ready to get off the bike.  I was on a slow stretch and just getting annoyed with the hills.  It's about that time that I starting thinking, "Why the hell am I doing this?"  or "I think a 1/2 is enough...maybe I don't want to do a full!"   Luckily, I got excited once I was beginning to realize that I was almost done.  I pushed out the negative thoughts and found a little more pep.  Another cyclist behind me was whooping and encouraging people, so that helped as well.  She passed me, so I rode behind her for awhile.  When we turned onto the road leading back to the resort, I let out "Woohoo, almost there!" and she let out a few whoops of her own.  I may or may not have let out a "F*CK YEAH!" as I headed down one last down hill going 31 mph. 

 I saw the Hubs cheering as I was about to get off the bike...I've never been so happy to be done with a ride!

T2
T2 was much easier than T1.  I stripped off the arm warmers, sprayed on some sunscreen, traded the bike shoes for running shoes, put on my visor, grabbed my race number and headed out of T2.  I needed to use the bathroom again, but there were two people waiting, so I decided to wait.

The Run
I was so happy to be running.  This is the one area that I have no issues with whatsoever.  Sure I was tired and the temps had warmed up, but it was pleasant and there was a breeze (not great for the bike, but awesome for the run!).  The run route winds its way all through the resort, going past the pool area, through a residential section, on and off sidewalks, over grass and even over some rocky areas.  I made my way around the first loop.  By that time, my parents had arrived with the kids, so I made my way past them.  I stopped at the first aid station to use the porta potty and of course, there was someone inside.  I ended up waiting for what felt like an eternity before finally getting my turn.

Waving to the family...it helped immensely to see them out there!

Once I was on my way again, I noticed that my stomach felt a little weird.  Fortunately, I had put some Pepto tablets in my Spi Belt (thanks to Coach Karen for the tip!), so I took two and kept on going.  I was able to see the family again before starting my second loop - this time I was close enough for some kisses from the kids and high-fives from some friends.  I can't begin to describe how awesome the spectators were!  It didn't matter which club they were affiliated with, they cheered for everyone.  The volunteers were amazing as well and encouraged everyone the entire way.  It was phenomenal!  On the first lap, I also met a woman who was running about the same pace - we chatted for a few miles until I decided to take a quick walk break.

On the second lap, I walked through two aid stations and noticed that my pace was slowing down.  Since there were so many out and back sections, I was able to say hello to friends, including my new friend who I had just run with earlier in the race.  There were tons of people from our local running and tri groups out cheering, so that helped so much with the motivation when I was starting to feel tired.  Again, I passed my family twice more before beginning my third and final lap.

I think this is my "Holla!!! I'm almost done!!!" look!

The final lap was definitely the hardest for me.  I felt my energy levels start to dwindle towards the end of the 2nd lap despite the gels and energy drinks I had consumed throughout the run.  I was sick of the turns in and out of the neighborhood and just tired of running.  I was just tired.  I walked much more than I intended on the final lap.  In a regular half marathon, I've managed to have some really nice negative splits.  In a 70.3, the 13.1 final miles are a whole different ballgame.  A negative split was not happening for me.  I saw one of my friends right before the final turn and she gave me a quick hug and some encouraging words before I moved on.  Finally, I was heading along the final stretch!  Even though I was having the most amazing experience ever, I was ready to be done.  I ran in that final bit.  There were finishers heading to their cars in the opposite direction and I think that every single one gave me a cheer or encouraging words.  Like I said, the people were amazing!  I saw my family one more time.  As I passed the OutRival tent, Courtney cheered and asked if it was my final lap...I let out a "Yes!!!! Thank God!!!" as I ran past and entered the finisher's chute.  I must have been smiling like a mad woman, because the announcer even commented on it before announcing my name.  I gave my friend Nancy a high five and then gave the Hubs a huge hug.

Heading through the finisher's chute...finally done!!!

I did it!  I finished a half-ironman!

Done!  Giving Nancy a high-five!

My splits....the good, the bad and the ugly!

The BLING!!!

Afterwards, I saw lots of friends.  We all congratulated each other and shared race stories.  It was good to hear that others thought the water was rough and there was too much wind on the bike...it was good validation that I wasn't just a big wimp!

Top:  Julie and me...she is the one who talked me into this in the first place!  Middle: Nancy and me, Nancy was a great cheerleader during the race.  Bottom:  Me and Lea...Lea was a great training partner for this race!  She will be racing IMTX 2014!

The Thank Yous
So that was my first 70.3 experience.  I have to say it was an amazing day!  I have to give a huge thanks to the Hubs for being such a great supporter throughout the training, my bad OWS experiences and the good workouts.  He knew that I was capable of doing this, even when I wasn't quite so sure.  He always picked up the slack at home, so that I could focus on training.  He was absolutely amazing! I also want to say thanks to my parents. Anytime we were in a pinch, they were always willing to take care of the kids for us.  They rock!  And thanks to the friends who were so encouraging...there are too many to name!  Of course a big thanks to Michelle and Karen at OutRival Racing.  I often wondered why in the hell I was doing the volume I was doing, but I know their programs are tried and true.  I made it to the start knowing without a doubt that I was physically capable of completing the distance!  And thanks to all the spectators and volunteers out there on race day...regardless of who they were there for, which tri group they were with or how long of a day it had been, they cheered.  They cheered for everyone and they were amazing.  I hope to be out there returning the favor one day!

Fall down seven times...

...get up eight. 
~ Japanese Proverb

No, I haven't literally fallen down.  However, there have been some humbling moments along the way in my recent training.  As a result, I am pulling out all the inspirational sayings I can find and working on having lots of positive thoughts.



One of my favorites...

BIKING LESSONS
The Hubs and I drove the bike course of my upcoming 70.3.  Sure, the Hubs had commented a few times on the "rolling hills", but didn't make it sound too terrible.  Driving the course provided me with a lot of "Holy Crap!" moments.  Yes, there are HILLS on the course.  As in ONE AFTER THE OTHER HILLS.  Needless to say, I became less afraid of the swim and scared shitless more concerned about the bike.  Up until that drive, I had only been training in the safety of a nice, flat neighborhood near my house.

In order to get some time on hills, I participated in a supported  bike ride sponsored by my tri group and another local tri group.  Since it was a "recovery week" on the schedule, my training friend and I opted for the 30-mile route.  (There were 50 and 70-mile options as well.)  Since I hadn't been on a hilly route in well, a couple of years, this was probably a wise decision.  The route was on country roads and was very hilly.  On the way out, I felt pretty good.  The wind was minimal and the downhills were fun.  Climbing uphill was challenging, but I survived. On the way back, it sucked was not as fun.  Coming back, the route was a net uphill and we had a headwind.  The downhills were slower, resulting in not as much momentum when heading back uphill.  Getting uphill was frustrating at times.



They don't call it Chappell HILL for nothing!

I learned all about using my small ring (something I've never had to use before) and I learned quickly that yes, you can run out of gears!  I headed downhill at almost 30 mph at times and uphill at a humiliating 7 mph (toward the end of the route). The route ended up being a little over 39 and left me wondering how in the hell I was going to add an additional 17 miles to that on race day.  Because of this experience, I will probably be riding less in the flat neighborhood near my house and riding more on a somewhat more challenging course until race day.  I did feel better after talking to a few other riders...they confirmed that yes, it had been a challenging ride.  Whew, and I thought I was just being a wuss!

SWIM LESSONS
I have been growing more confident in my swim abilities.  I'm still slow and have a lot of room for improvement, but considering where I came from when I started this triathlon craziness, I've come a long way!  I have been swimming longer distances than ever before, swimming more days per week and even had a very calm open water swim at my last tri.  Awesome, right?

Maybe not.  My tri group was going to be participating in the Snapping Tortuga swim race.  Even though I had reservations and anxiety about signing up for a swim race, I decided to go for it.  I needed open water swim practice.  The distances to choose from were 500m, 2.5k and 5k.  Since there was also going to be a swim clinic right after the race and an opportunity to swim more, I only signed up for the 500m. 

THANK GOD! 

A cool front blew through the night before, so it was quite windy, causing very choppy conditions on race day.  I rode to the race with a friend I made through my tri group.  When we arrived, the athletes swimming the 2.5k and 5k distances were already swimming.  Not long after we arrived, a woman was being brought back to shore on a boat.  I heard her comment on the horrible conditions.  Still, plenty of people were swimming the distance and thought, "how bad could it really be?"  I felt my heart rate go up just looking out at the white caps in the water.  On a happier note, I did run into some friends while waiting for my race to start.  Chatting with everyone helped keep my mind off the choppy water for awhile.



Don't let the pretty water and blue skies fool you...

Finally, after some uncertainty about where to check in and finally getting signed in, it was time for  us to start.  There were only about 15 of us swimming the 500 meter race.  I felt fairly calm when we started, but after only a few minutes, I got my first slap of water in the face. And in my nose. And in my mouth.  The result?  A lot of coughing and a lot of freak out.  A man in a kayak made his way over and I held on for a minute.  I tried to start swimming again, but the damage had been done - my heart rate was out of control and mentally, I just could not remain calm.  I clung to the kayak again.  Finally, I started forward - swimming, side stroking, back stroking, whatever.  A single thought came into my head - "I can't!" 

After feeling like I was getting nowhere, I made my way back towards the shore.  This part should have been much easier, because I was now going with the current and chop.  But I just could not pull it together!  The man in the kayak stayed close the entire time, telling me that I was doing fine and that I only had only x number of meters to go.  He even reassured me that I was not alone, there were a few others out there...even a couple behind me.  I saw a woman ahead of me with a kayak staying close.  Ugh, I think I was doing pretty much everything BUT swimming.  When I finally made it to shore (and I cut the course short), I felt pretty terrible.  Embarrassed.  Humiliated.  Frustrated.  I turned around to see another woman holding onto a kayak that was bringing her to shore.  They say that misery loves company and I'll be honest in saying that I felt better knowing that I wasn't the only one who had major issues in the water.

The swim clinic had started, so I listened to the information and then donned my wetsuit.  I really wanted to cry or better yet, leave! But I managed to suck it up...and I had a friend riding with me, so I couldn't exacly bail.  :-)  I kept thinking, "Why in the hell is this so freaking hard for me?".  But nonetheless, I was going to try this again dammit!  The course for the clinic was only 300 meters...surely, I could handle that. 

Right off, I knew the wetsuit was not going to work for me.  I've hated it from day one and suspected that it was a size too small.  I ended up getting out of the water and taking the wetsuit off. 

I swam 300. 

It wasn't pretty and I stopped a couple of times on the way out to compose myself.  I'm sure my coaches were wondering what the hell I was doing and how I was going to survive race day!  Luckily, coming in was easier, since we were going with the current.  Whew, not great but better. 

After a short rest, I did it again.  On this one, the chop bothered me more on the way out, but coming back in was better.  I had decided not to try another loop, but then changed my mind.  (Big thanks to my tri-friend who was there with me. She was very encouraging and was having an awesome swim.) I did one more loop - still not great, but a million times better than the other ones.  At least the day had ended on a more positive note.  I still left feeling a bit defeated, but also happy that I had not given up.  I know that I am more than capable of covering the half-ironman swim distance.  It's just a matter of getting my brain to believe it!  Stupid brain.

As you can see, the past couple of weeks have been interesting. I keep telling myself to learn from these experiences, that they are making me stronger both mentally and physically.  I will definitely be working on visualizing race day for all three components and working on more positive self-talk over the next few weeks!  The words "I can't" will be removed from my vocabulary from here on out.  They have to be.

Have you had any "I can't" moments in your race training?  What did you do to overcome them?