Brenda Ross - White Mountain Half Iron
White Mountain Race Report:
Short version – I got it done. First HIM under my belt. Slowest HIM I have ever done, but still proud of myself for finishing.
Long version
My training this year has not been feeling good. Was not sure what was going on, but thought it might be a nutrition issue, so started to work on that, but still my bike numbers and run numbers were the lowest they had ever been. I then thought that maybe it was because I am working 20+ hours a week outside the home and most of that time is spent on my feet. Regardless, I kept on trucking away at my workouts, but my motivation was wavering and I was tired a lot, then I developed a post workout cough. Actually, hubby pointed it out to me. I thought it was just allergies, but he reminded me that I get a cough when I am iron deficient (NOTE: I have dealt with iron deficiency on and off for so many years I have lost count). So, I book an appointment with doctor to get blood work done. Just two days before I leave for White Mountain I get the news that no only am I iron deficient but Vitamin D as well. My blood pressure is 90/40 and my cholesterol is very low. Well, nothing I can do about changing any of that before I leave, so we pack up on Friday and head up to the White Mountains.
Trip was uneventful. Arrived around 2pm and headed over to get the route for the bike course so we could drive it. Glad we did. Roads were not the best and the road out of transition was a 10% hill, going down with huge cracks in it, so it was good to drive it so we could pick a route down it when we raced the next day.
Had dinner with Simon “The English Beast” and his Buddy Denis and then we headed back to the hotel to set up for the next day. I have been making my own fuel , so I mixed up my bottles of coconut water with cane sugar and loaded my home made gels on to the bike and then hit the sack. Had an okay sleep, but kept dreaming about missing the start and about the swim.
As, with a lot of us, it has been unseasonably cold, so I only got two swims in open water under my belt. I have been swimming all winter with a masters club, so I knew I had the endurance, but I was worried about the cold. I got some good advice from a triathlete friend about putting a bag on my torso under my tri kit and I also borrowed a neoprene cap and booties from a friend. I second guessed the booties after two people told me that they created drag, which is something this slow swimmer did not need, but I also wanted to be warm, so I kept them in the race plan.
We woke up at 5am and left for transition around 6am. Shortly after we got there we were informed the start had been pushed back by 30min to let the fog that had settled in surpass. Transition closed at 7:40, so around 7:30 I got into my suit and walked down to the water with hubby and Simon. Not sure where Denis was.
Down at the water they had a heating tent and an area to hang a bag that you could put running shoes in to run up to transition. The transition area and swim are ¼ of mile apart with the run from the swim being up to transition. They also provided an area for you to take your wetsuit off and put in the bag and they would bring the bags up to transition for you. This was a nice thing to have.
Swim: uneventful. It was a two loop course. This was a first for me. All the women started together at 8:03 and it was easy to find your grove and get the swim on. I had hoped for a better swim than I got, but I felt comfortable in the water and never felt tired. Peed twice during the swim. Time: 51:13
T1: 10:32 (had issues getting my booties off and it was freezing)
Bike: It was a two loop course with an out and back added on the second loop. After driving the course the day before I thought I would come in somewhere around 3:45. There were a lot of hills on this course. My plan was to take it easy coming out of transition. This was easy to do because the fog had rolled back in and you could not see a thing, so I rode my breaks on the first loop down, to make sure I got down safely. I ended up having to wear gloves and my EN jacket the whole ride. My gloves came off on the second loop on the out and back and my baggie that was on my torso did not come off until 30km in to the ride. My plan for execution was to peddle easy up the hills, try to gain some speed on the downs and just stay steady with the watts. My fueling plan was to ingest fluid at 10min intervals and gel at 30min intervals. This all went as planned. I peed once on the bike. Time: 3:38:48
T2: 2:51
Run: We were unable to view the run course, but we knew it was 3 loops. This is where my iron deficiency has really been bothering me. My easy pace feels like Zone 4 and my chest hurts, so I was not sure what I was going to be able to do, so I just kept on telling myself to put one foot in front of the other and run aid station to aid station. My first loop took me 43min and change. At the top of the hill before you start the 2nd loop I see my hubby. I stop to do a quick chat. His hamstring that he has been dealing with for the past couple of weeks acted up and he decided to shut it down. 2nd loop I was feeling better and came around to start my 3rd loop around 1:21, so I thought that I might be able to pull off a 2:15, which would be really good for me considering how I have been feeling. 3rd loop, I ended up having to stop for a porta potty break and also had to walk 3 of the hills, because the pain my chest was getting severe. Time:2:17:27
Overall finishing time: 7:00:48, slowest HIM eva, but I got ur done
Next up in three weeks: Tinman
Comments
BUT...PLEASE check with an MD before attempting another hard effort. This is what I' m concerned about. If you have anemia, low blood count, then of course you are bringing less O2 to your muscles with each heart beat. Your heart knows this, and tries its best to answer the call by working harder. But people with anemia can actually induce what amounts to a heart attack. I'm not saying this will happen to you, but the chest pain deserves a conversation with your doctor, to get the go ahead to race again in 3 weeks, IMO.
Thanks Al, she forgot to mention her cholesterol levels are undectable via bloodwork and her blood pressure is tanked(hypovolemic), clutches her chest when running hard as well ! But in all a good race in unhealthy conditions !