beach2battleship half ironman race recap
this is a rather long detailed race report, more for my own record keeping than anything.
last weekend i finished my first half iron distance triathlon. i loved it. every second. even the hours leading up to the start when i was nervous and grumpy and cold. and even during my wall, when i was so pissed bc i was realizing it was more than possible, likely even, that i wasn’t going to finish.
first and foremost, beach2battleship was absolutely superbly run. there were very few points during the race when i wasn’t thinking how great everything was being pulled off and how fabulous the volunteers were.
kd, the squeeze and i headed down to wilmington first thing friday morning. 6.5 hours later we were wondering into the packet pickup line. along with our race numbers, we scored some official race socks. i don’t know why, but this really jazzed me. the expo was pretty lame, i’ll say that. but i didn’t spend all my money, so that was a plus.
the forecast wasn’t awesome. rain and wind with some sun hopefully making an appearance during the run. it made for some tough decisions in packing our transition bags. i ended up with long tights, long sleeves, short sleeved jersey and a head band for the ride and for the run i landed on capri tights, sleeveless and a removable long sleeve for the top. for the swim, i had no real choice, i went sleeveless.
the swim was ridiculous. it was FAST. the first iron distance out of the water finished his 2.4 miles in just over 36 minutes and he waved as he passed us at the half distance start, which was quite neighborly of him. kd and i found a car in the parking lot across the street to hide from the wind behind. we chilled there for about 45 minutes before we changed.
early morning cell phone pic thanks to kd and the hippie triathlete in the parking lot with us.
then we dumped our pre/post event bag (that would be waiting for us at the end) in the bus and wondered to the start. my heart was in my throat, but i managed to tuck away a PROBAR, a banana and a last minute Gu before we hit the water, which is more than i have ever been able to eat before any race. so far nutrition plan was on target.
only one word to describe the swim —> FAST.
it made me wish i had tried a little harder and swam a little more during training. i slacked a bit those last 5 or 6 weeks. its something i’m working on, but i basically convinced myself that i was in good enough shape to finish the swim without killing myself, but was never going to excel in it, so i kind of quit, or…slowed down. bottom line, i didn’t give it my all during training. i can’t imagine how fast i would have gone had i put in the appropriate amount of time in the pool.
let’s hold judgement on the HORRIBLE swim face, please.
thanksverymuch.
1.2 miles
goal - 40:00
actual - 33:28
the timing pad was about 150 yards (not sure how accurate that distance guess is) off the dock and after wetsuits were stripped. and i still managed to finish in 33+ minutes. i’m kicking myself for slacking. kd finished in under 30!
the truth is, i couldn’t have asked for a better time. let’s be real, there is no way i’ll ever swim 1.2 miles faster than that in any other race. it was a bit of a gimme, but i’ll take it.
oh, and when i was running to transition, i spotted kado! and roosk! and d! they had driven down the night before/that morning to surprise us. it was incredible. clearly it made me tear up, but it also motivated me and gave me a HUGE boost of energy. i can’t express how amazing it made me feel that they took the time to do that. i love those kids and am so thankful to have family like them so close and committed to me. thanks, guys!
in transition, i decided not to wear the coat or booties i had tucked in my bag. it just didn’t seem like it was going to pour and i couldn’t imagine all those clothes if it was just a chilly ride. great decision. except the booties, i wish i had put the booties on.
T1
goal - 10:00
actual - 12:13
i really didn’t know what to expect in T1 or T2. i set my best and worst case at 10 minutes, but with no real expectation. i didn’t rush. i could have gone faster, but i have to say, i’m happy to go slowly and deliberately to ensure i move onto the next leg fully prepared.
the first 36ish miles of the ride were brutal. i’m not too picky about rides either. i love being on the bike, even in horrible conditions. its just tough to wipe the smile off my face if i’m on a bike. period. end of story.
getting out of town was slow, but it was a good chance to eat some. it was misty out and windy, but i was so happy to be in warm, dry clothes, i was not yet bothered by the weather. i was actually feeling pretty great about my clothing choices already and enjoying a delicious PROBAR. and i was on my bike! i managed to catch up with kd and we fist pumped our way into the second leg of our race. life was good.
then my garmin died. this wasn’t a total surprise, but i knew i had to make some mental adjustments and fast. it was going to be a long day if i was focused on being bummed about my watch. without the garmin, i knew i couldn’t worry about my pace goals, which was fine because it was my first race of that distance, and honestly, i was just going to be happy to finish. next time i’d focus on racing myself. i will say that the garmin was going to slow me down, in a good way, on the bike. i wanted it to help me keep my pace at the right level. see, i like to ride fast so a big problem i have is not leaving enough left in the tank to not hate the run. my goal was to stick between 16 and 18 mph the whole time on the bike.
well, as it turned out the wind was going to keep me well under control anyway. and if i was looking at my pace those first 36 miles, i’m certain i would have been pissed and used up more energy than necessary to pick up my pace. we headed out of town via the interstate. in theory, riding on the interstate was kind of cool. but the wind and precip were terrible. there was no protection and a horrible crosswind until we pulled off for the first water stop about 21 miles in. i know i was just poking along, but i was feeling pretty great, knowing that we’d eventually be off the interstate and soon enough after that, the wind would be at our backs. i was trying to keep my pace consistent and i was slow, but i was passing people pretty consistently. i was also being passed, don’t get me wrong.
it just wasn’t terrible. until it was. at a certain point, i was damp and my legs were TIGHT and every muscle in my body was super tense. the last half mile-ish was over a bridge and i went over some bumps and with each bump, i realized that my hips were in PAIN. i also had to pee. the stop couldn’t come fast enough. i pulled in, super excited to switch out my fingerless gloves to full gloves, stretch out my hips and empty my bladder. when i went to put my feet down, every fiber in my hips tensed up. they completely seized up and froze. the pain was something i had never experienced before. i ended up on the ground and with the help of another racer, massaged them enough to stand up again and pee. they still hurt like a bitch though. in the port-a-potty i had to hold on with both hands to bend over. i was on the brink of tears because i really was not sure i was going to be able to ride again that morning.
i knew that i was going to try though. so 10 or 15 minutes after i stopped, i got back on the bike. it hurt and i was barely pushing the pedals. this was really not like me and i was severely pissed off about it. the wind was now a head wind. with tears in my eyes, i was trying to determine what my breaking point was. it was horrible because it was something that had nothing to do with training - i was only 21 miles into a bike ride. and had driven 6.5 hours and dragged the squeeze down with me. i made my friends listen to me prattle on about it for months. kdd had traveled down to surprise me. and i just wanted it so bad. i kept peddling.
eventually my hips loosened up as i warmed up. they never fully recovered, but each mile i was going faster and getting more and more comfortable. i knew that the 30 mile mark was coming soon and i’d see my AMAZING cheering squad and i really wanted to be feeling good when that happened so i just focused on loosening up. i looked around and the blue sky was trying to push through. racers were flying down the road in the other direction, wind at their backs…the day was looking up.
then i passed my amazing friends.
and then 6 miles later, the wind was finally at my back. the sun came out. i had been eating according to plan and my hips were functioning. i didn’t tempt fate by getting of my bike at any of the next rest stops, which meant less fluids than planned, but it was a worthwhile trade off. the next 20 miles were SUPER fun!
i was flying. part of me wanted to slow down to make sure i had energy left for the run, but i was having too much fun. i know i was going fast too, bc i was making up time for sure. i have no idea how slow i was going for the first half, but i stopped for a good chunk of time, the crosswinds and headwinds were no joke and it had to have been at least 3-4 miles to recover from my stop. nobody was passing me those last several miles, and i was ticking several people off every mile or so.
56 miles
goal - best case 3:00; worst case 3:30
actual - 3:28:46
i think its safe to say this was a worst case scenario…though, it truly could have been worse. i’m not excited about this time, but given how race day went, i’ll take it.
i pulled into transition feeling good. my bag was easy to identify in the (amazing) volunteer’s hands and the changing tent was warm and wind free. i headed out for the run, giving myself a little pep talk about being without my garmin and crossing my fingers that my hips weren’t going to be a problem into the run. i had decided to just run and enjoy it as much as possible and not worry about time. i’d have all winter to work on my speed. on the bike i made a new run plan - walk every other water stop. eat and drink each time. don’t worry about pace - just keep moving forward.
so i did.
T2
goal - 10:00
actual - 9:10
our amazing cheering squad parked themselves at mile 3 and 10. it was GLORIOUS out. windy, but sunny. all the volunteers and racers were just so happy with the change in weather that smiles were everywhere.
when i finished, i was pretty stoked. i wish i had my garmin bc i had a lot (well, not a LOT a lot, but plenty) left in the tank and i know i could have run faster. but i checked myself pretty quickly. i finished and felt good and was really proud of myself. i hit a highly unexpected wallish type experience on the ride, but pushed past it. i left plenty of room for improvement, but i finished.
13.1 miles
goal - best case 2:00; worst case 2:30
actual - 2:31:20
to say i was disappointed by the run would be an understatement. i’ll say it again though, i had a great day, so in the end, i’m okay with it. still, disappointed. i ended with way more in the tank than i would have liked. i KNOW i could have gone a hell of a lot faster but i pretty much allowed my lack of garmin be an excuse. mentally i need to learn to push myself without the clock on my wrist, plain and simple. i’m capable of a 2 hour half marathon, even with 56 miles in the saddle to start. now i just need another opportunity to prove it. i smell a goal in my future!
and i can’t not say how much it meant to me to have the squeeze there with me.
and kdd there too. for the life of me, i didn’t expect them to be there, but i can’t imagine it without them.
next stop…full distance?
probably.
but first, i’m excited to throw myself into marathon training this winter and to improve my oly and half iron tri distances in the coming year.
kd (left), annejuliet (right): 10/29/11 Beach2Battleship half ironman finishers!
