Steph Stevens at IMBoulder
Ironman Boulder 2014 (sorry.....long)
It is still hard to process this race and this season for me. I found myself in the outseason with on and off again motivation for hard workouts as life was beginning to get very busy and crazy for me. But I had a nice kick start with the “Tour of Sufferlandria” bike challenge at the end of January. I’ve had some ITB and knee issues in the past, so I was very careful this outseason to always run on somewhat forgiving surfaces. I had a very hard time in the time leading up to IMSG 70.3 getting in enough volume. Too many time constraints. I entered that race knowing I was not well prepared, but ready to go with some friends and have a good time anyway. I did.
The next few weeks included some big things with work and a trip out of town to the wine country with several girlfriends. After I returned, I had a new sense of motivation and excitement about my upcoming season. I headed out for a moderate ride on Memorial Day and the day started great. With about 10 miles to go on the return trip to home, I hit some gravel and my bike slid out from underneath me. I landed hard on my right shoulder and the right side of my head. The rest of the day was in the ER. Mild concussion, mild AC joint separation, lots of road rash and bruises.
I knew I needed a new helmet, mine had a big crack through the side. My bike, however, had the worst diagnosis. A crack through all the layers of carbon on the head tube. Unsafe to ride outside again. No way.
I was two weeks out from Boulder 70.3 and five weeks from IMCDA. And I had no bike.
I spent two weeks with my arm in a sling, trying to work and start some physical therapy. I also ordered a new bike. I cancelled the 70.3 race and hoped that I would be able to go to CDA.
Three weeks before IMCDA, I started to do some spinning on my broken bike on an indoor trainer, but I wasn’t able to ride with any pressure on my right arm for about another 1-2 weeks. I started to do some pool running. The week prior to IMCDA, I started to do some easy running outside, and several days before the race, I went on a bike outside (a borrowed bike) for the first time since the accident. Two days before the race, I put on a wetsuit and tried to swim in Lake Coeur d’Alene.
I showed up to the start line at CDA with a lot of trepidation. I was not sure if I would be able to swim, let alone bike or run. I had no time goals. I didn’t even have a goal of “finishing” because I knew that if I needed to quit, I could with my head held high. It was a long race. My longest IM distance race by about one hour. But, I as happy with the result. I was really happy that I had decided to do the race even though I knew I wasn’t ready for it.
After IMCDA, I switched my focus to IMBoulder, although that race was only another five weeks away. It was hard to train, knowing that I didn’t have the arm strength yet by a long shot, and knowing that I didn’t have enough time to really build some good endurance.
I arrived in Boulder late Wednesday night after a very busy day at work with my new bike in my car (I had had her for about two weeks). Thursday, I checked in, worked at the expo all afternoon for Kompetive Edge, and met my Endurance Nation teammates for dinner. Friday was a short swim in the reservoir and a bike ride on the run course. Saturday, bag and bike drop off. That took all day! I tried to really hydrate, which I think I was really successful at doing as I had to pee in the night before the race and several times that morning.
Up at 4am, breakfast of applesauce and protein powder, UCAN drink as I made my way to the school to get on a bus, and sipping on electrolyte drink through the morning festivities. I saw so many friends who were racing, volunteering, or spectating as I got my bike set up, wandered around shaking off the nerves, waiting in line for the porta-potties and putting on my wetsuit. I waited by the edge of the chute into the water until my 1:15 – 1:30 group came through, and I joined them going into the water.
The rolling start is so different from the mass start of some previous races I have done. Although it still feels like there is plenty of body-contact, it is not near as treacherous as it used to be. I felt ok for most of the swim, but it seemed like it went on FOREVER! It was a long time before I could even spot the red turn buoy, then a long time again before I could spot the second red buoy for the final turn. I definitely had some stomach upset during the swim, wanted to vomit several times, but found myself just spitting up a little instead. I peed a few times during the swim, and tried to pee a little more just as I was about to exit the water. My shoulder hurt, it felt like I was out in the water for so long, but in reality, it was a 1:26 swim (much faster than my 1:35 just a few weeks earlier at IMCDA). Not where I used to be, but so happy with the progress I have made.
I took time to really dry off my feet in transition so that I wouldn’t have any grass/rocks in my socks on the bike ride. I also took a few minutes to put on my arm coolers, which I am so glad I decided to do. I had the sunscreen volunteers get me covered (I had already done a layer on Saturday night and again Sunday morning). It is a long run through the transition zone, but soon I was headed off on my bike with friends cheering me on.
I really tried to watch my power meter carefully on the bike ride. I had not been on much of the bike course, and I knew I didn’t have the fitness to push anything hard on the bike. I also really tried to drink a lot, getting in my 1.5 bottles of perform every hour, 1-2 salt tabs per hour, and ½ of a “Picky bar” every hour. I started to feel like I was in trouble about 60 miles in to the ride. I usually need to stop and pee sometime in the first 30 miles of the bike, but I had had no urge to pee. Around mile 70, I actually started to get really sleepy. Like, really sleepy. I felt like a “drowsy driver” and I stopped at the aid station at mile 75 just to walk around and wake myself up. I tried to pee….nothing. I tried again…..nothing. The rest of the bike, I stopped at each aid station to take in extra fluids while I wasn’t biking, to try to pee, and to make sure I was staying alert.
Coming into Boulder was a very welcomed site. My bike time ended up being 6:42, which was fairly close to what I had expected given my level of fitness. Again, a monster-long run through transition, so glad I had kept my shoes on as I hit the hot black track of the bag pick up, then into the tent to change shoes and stuff. So many friendly faces in T2! It was a huge boost to get a few hugs from friends as they sent me out of the tent and off on the run. I had taken off my arm coolers in T2 as I knew a lot of the run course would be shaded, so I again got covered by the sunscreen volunteers. I tried in vain to pee as I left T2.
The first mile felt horrible. The crowd was absolutely amazing, but I did not feel well. I felt a little light-headed and disoriented. I was having a hard time running. About two miles out, I crossed paths with a friend that gave me a hug. I complained that I felt awful and the answer I got back was “you are absolutely on fire. Seriously, you are totally overheated”. I was. More than I realized. At the next aid station, I sat down in the shade (tried to pee but could not) with four cups of fluid (two full cups of perform and two of water) and just drank. After a few minutes, I felt like I could try it again, and I started jogging away.
The rest of my run is somewhat of a blur. I tried to drink as much as I could. I poured water on my arms and legs to cool off. I took in two packs of gel blocks, more perform than I could stomach, and started some caffeine with the coke at about mile 13 or 14. I slowed down and walked when I started to feel lightheaded, but I ran as much as I could. Somewhere around mile 15, I again felt awful and I sat down in some shade to rest and cool off (and to try to pee again). An athlete from Mexico saw me and said, “oh no, you have been ahead of me this whole run, I am not going to pass you now”. He got me up and I ran with him for about 2 miles before he stopped at an aid station and I lost him. Every time I went through the “hot corner” aid station, my teammate JT walked me through the aid station, made sure I had things to drink and encouraged me to keep going. It was a huge boost for me to see him.
The crowds on the run were simply incredible. Many people I knew, but many people just lining the streets and pathway. My boys jumped out at me every time I passed through the zone they had staked out, and ran/walked with me for a short time each time. Boulder showed up for this race and it was amazing. I was very happy to see the finisher’s chute, and very happy to cross that finish line. I gathered up some food and went to find my kids immediately. Once I found them, I collapsed in the grass. I drank ½ bottle of chocolate milk, and tried to eat some pizza, but could only stomach a few bites. I didn’t end of peeing finally until about six hours later. Crazy.
Overall, it was a great day. Not a PR by any stretch, but I did accomplish many things, and I mostly proved to myself that I can overcome a lot of crappy things.
What went wrong? I’m not totally sure. I don’t know if it was lack of training, lack of hydration/dehydration, poor nutrition, inability of my body to take the heat (I ended up with some pretty significant sunburn on my shoulders, low back, face and legs despite all the sunscreen), or loss of mental focus.
I have a lot to learn. I have a lot to improve upon. But, I really do enjoy this sport!
Comments
Stephanie - What a crazy season! Good for you for even getting to the start line given your bike crash and coming off CDA just 6 weeks prior. Not sure what may have went so wrong. It sounds like your were hydrating and drinking regularly once you were on the bike. I originally thought low sodium, but your were supplementing with salt sticks so probably not sodium related. Maybe taking precautions early in the bike to keep cool. As you know the dry heat can sneak up on you throughout the morning and maybe your body was just holding on to water trying to keep cool. I think you showed great mental toughness to find a way to get it done despite very challenging conditions. And i love your last sentence. That's what keeps me coming back
Steph - given your leg issues of the past several years, your crash and shoulder injury in May, the loss of your bike and the really minimal training you've been able to get in, as well as that finish in IM CDA five weeks before … just toeing the line at the start is an impressive feat. Add in the number your body was playing on you with fluid management, and getting thru to the finish line - well, it's beyond impressive. I can't wait to see you on a day when you've had six good months to prepare; like say from Jan - July next year?
Random thought about what was going on with your fluids … were you too saturated the day before, and pee'd off too much the night before and morning of the race? Dunno, just a thought. Just … please don't ever cook your innards again.