This is purely written for me to be able to keep track of my progress and for me to document my learning experiences. That way I can help myself reach my goals and reflect on how to achieve a more successful race. If you’re curious, go ahead and give it a read…but I did not edit it and I wrote it the day after the race so I can recall the event.
Day before: stupid day. 7am swim in the lake (felt great though… omg this really put me in the right mindset). Dropped my bike off at Bike Emporium at 9am to get built. Got groceries. Went to check in at the venue, went to athlete briefing. Got bike. Rode the run course at 1pm (it was crowded and hot) tried to run but made it about 7 minute (was supposed to be 15) before I said “eff this” and checked in my bike by 2. Went home, packed up. Ate 2 rice cakes with 2 eggs, 1 avocado, 4 slices turkey breast. Also a bad of apple cinnamon rice cakes… and some chocolate covered pomegranates. Hydrated with 1X Vega Hydrator. Finally out my feet up, rolled, stretched, movie, in bed by 9pm Arizona time (12pm my time).
Morning: didn’t sleep much at night. Woke up not hungry. Forced 2 rice cakes with peanut butter, a banana and 2 dates down as well as 1 bottle of Vega Hydrator. So nervous!!
- Transition close: I arrived at 5:50, swim started at 6:20. Ran around too quickly and didn’t get my transition smoothly set up. This meant no heart rate monitor out and ready to go. No extra water bottle for transition. But got my tires filled by another athlete (had to deflate day before due to heat and not wanting them to burst). I knew my bike wasn’t quite right… but couldn’t figure out what was wrong. 2 orange cliff blocks before. A swig of Vega
- Swim- 40:45: 35 minute. Met 2 girls from Alaska, one from Mexico. All became friends and kept each other calm and cool until swim. Rolling start, 2 at a time, every 5 sec. didn’t get in until 6:52. Water temp was perfect (), wetsuit was a bit tight around the neck but I quickly forgot about it during the swim. Focus on long strokes helped keep my cool, and breathing every 4th stroke. I felt great in the swim besides the guy with the American flag goggles who kept bumping into me, speeding up to go in front then breast stroking and slowing me down and didn’t give me any space the whole. Entire. Race. My transition was hilarious… got my wetsuit stripped but I went with the wetsuit the first try.
- Transition- 6:18- slow transition. Cleaned my feet nice. Put sunscreen on. Drank 1/2 of my pre workout. Sunscreened over my glasses (that was smart)….. so took ages to clean that off. Put on my ESR bike jersey with preloaded nutrition so I didn’t have to worry about stuffing my tri suit.
- Bike- 3:08:51- I felt great. My legs felt great. Something was up with my bike, but as I said before, couldn’t put my finger on it. Had some head wings and cross winds at 20km/ hr which I felt and one difficult(ish) climb. Also there were 9 U-turns and many sharp turns which slows me down a lot. But regardless… I felt great for what I could control. drank 2.5 bottles Vega Hydrator, 2 packs cliff blocks. 3/4 of my bike bladder. No complaints with the bike. None.
- Transition- 4:02- much more smooth.. much more quick! Quick sunscreen application (it’s 32 degrees at this point) new socks on. Brooks Ghost 10 with quick laces. Visor. Swing of water, 1 cliff block… out!
- Run- 2:27:24- literally the second I stepped past the T2 arch I had an immediate VMO quad cramp on my right leg. I genuinely thought I tore my MCL again… but it hurt more than the time I did. Immediate realization. I was dumb for having NO salt tabs on a 32 degree day in Arizona! Doh!!! Tried to stretch it out and my hamstring then cramped. DOUBLE WHAMMY!!!! So I hobbled to the first aid station where I guzzled 2 cups of Gatorade endurance, 2 salted watermelon cliff blocks. It slightly subsided…. but then my stomach got stitches, yay!! Painful but I told myself no pain no gain… I had zero thoughts of quitting. I knew that if I kept fueling at the aid stations it would at least subside to a tolerable level. I walked/run most of it due to the cramping. I wasn’t the only one. My slowest half marathon time but again… I did everything within my control with what I had so I’m not mad about it. Quite opposite actually! I had Lindsay Cole in my head on loop telling me to tell myself “Katrine, you’re so effing bomb” and it pushed me. Than randy telling me why I’m doing this race, and mike telling me to meditate and think. It worked! Those voices in my head numbed enough pain for me to be able to make it across the finish line.
- Finish- 6:27:24- damn did it feel good to cross. Hand up in the air… big stupid smile on my face. Why am I so happy to have done this? Because there are many triathletes in my life who I look up to as hero’s… all of which are really effing cool. Is it possible to get on their level of awesome? Hell no! There some of the greatest people I know!!! But at least I can try!
- After the Ironman- got a massage at the free massage tent to help flush out my legs. Thank god for that!! I wasn’t hungry but forced a bag of lays regular chips down to replenish and a Diet Coke… don’t know why I had that as I couldn’t phantom anymore sweets. My mom and I were pooped (lucky for her, she got VIP at least!). So we decided to call it quits and head home. I foam rolled.. stretched. Lied on the couch. Then she forced me to go get Mexican… 3 soft chicken tacos and baked beans and tortilla chips! Yum! Then a banana with peanut butter and chocolate covered pomegranates for desert.
- Night time- I was scared shitless to cramp so I didn’t even want to go asleep. Somehow though, I avoided it. Took a coconut water flavour Zero electrolyte additive before bed. Stretched. Rolled. Woke up at 3:30am wired and my brain rolling (6:30am Canadian time so it’s normal). Couldn’t get back to bed.
- Next day- moderately sore but nothing worse than a big leg day. Mostly felt it in the quads, some in the hamstring and some in the obliques and rhomboids and lats. I really need to work on glute recruitment!!! Time to hike and make up for my calories lost from the race.
- Oh yeah! And I’m going to sign up for another. That’s forsure!!
KMS Health 