2015 Best in the West HIM report
I am sharing my folly in the hopes that someone MUCH smarter than I will share some insight for the next time I decide to be crazy.
Well I did my "A" race but ended up with DNF at mile 8.5 on the run. So here's the details. Weather was projected to top out at 90+. Ended up being 93 degrees. Slight breeze which we lost on the run.
Swim: 00:52:23. PR the distance by 12 minutes.
T1: 00:02:41 Stomach cramping. Smooth transition. No problems.
BIke: 04:21:54. Distance 56 miles Ascent 2657 Average speed 13 mph.
T2: 06:24.65 Not feeling good. Did the T2 towel pee trick.
Run: 02:17:19 Distance 8.71 miles
Nutrition: Bike Plan Bike did Run Plan Run did
Calories 438 440 280 220
Sodium 1090 1580 1030 980
Started out with my plan of riding slower and letting my heart rate drop. Goal heart rate was low z3 (128-134). I new there was a lot of hills. There was a 17 percent climb at mile 7. Another large climb at mile 25. Honestly there was very little aero due to all the hills. Very rolling. My stomach was cramping coming out of the water. Took in my first hour nutrition per plan. Noted that stomach was getting worse. So I backed off the Gu and salt tabs for 30 minutes and started drinking a lot more. Took another 30 minutes of just liquid and my stomach settled and my heart rate started to drop into zone. Speed was good going out. Average speed going out was 16+. Felt ok. Never felt strong though. Training has been very hit and miss for the last month. Since my Mom's diagnosis my head hasn't been where it needed to be and I knew it. To try and keep my stomach settled I increased my elixir intake. I took in 5 bottles. I stopped taking in the shot bloks because of the increase in sodium from the elixir. I also new that the run was going to be very hot.I kept repeating "Patience, eat for the run". Was able to get in all my Gu and doubled my fluid intake. I was thirsty so I drank. No further problems.
T2- For once I actually peed volume. That's a success. Or so I thought.
Run: I new leaving T2 things weren't good. But I laced up and headed out. Heart rate z2-3(126-140). I wore a marathon camel bak with 67 fluid oz. For heat management I wore an extra sports bra, it's great to have cleavage for holding ice in front. The camel bak trapped ice as well. Wore a white hat that I put ice under. The volunteers were also spraying us down with water. Was carrying all my nutrition/fluid with me. I now in RR I never peed. Well, I fixed that problem. I peed at mile 2,4,6. When I started out of T2 both my calves were tight. Not that unusual for me. Stopped and stretched. Right calf released. Left didn't. This is a very hilly course. There is only one short flat section. It became very apparent that my left calf wasn't going to let me run up hill. Had to walk the ups. Was able to run the downs. Walked the aide stations. Took ice and water for showering at each station. I was actually surprised how quickly the aide stations arrived. I tried to stay relaxed and let the race come to me. It is a 2 lap course. I was on track with my nutrition and fluids. Because it was hot I increased my liquids. I was also concerned about my frequent porta stops. I've never peed like that and I was concerned about the lost volume.
On the second lap, I new I was in trouble. My heart rate started spiking into the 170. With walking my heart rate wouldn't drop below 130. I started to feel really rough. Dizzy, the top of my head started to pound and my left leg cramped up bad! I made a very difficult choice to stop. I cried. I know I made the safe choice. The mile 8 crew drove me back and took me to medical where I spent the next 2 hours. My core temp was elevated. I had the pleasure of having ice packs placed in my groin and arm pits. Oh ya. 
Still trying to figure out where things went side ways. I know that I wasn't feeling good before the swim. I was faster on the swim than planned. I was 60 minutes slower on the bike than predicted. My pace was terrible but what I could do. I was all in.
I'm not proud of not finishing but I know that I gave it all I had. I've injured my left calf. 2 days later I can barely walk. Until I did the numbers I didn't realize that by doubling my elixir intake on the bike I increased my sodium that much. If I was ahead in sodium that much why did I cramp up so bad?
I guess I have a while to figure it out. Thank you, everyone for your teaching, support and advice. You all are the bomb!
~ Jacklyn
Comments
Wow Jacklyn, that sounds tough. That is a very hilly course and with that kind of heat it's really hard. While most people think that sodium, or lack thereof, causes cramping, if you look at the studies you see that no one knows for sure what causes it. When I was doing the Vineman last year the temps were in the 90’s for the first 2hhours of the run. My quads started cramping so I stuffed ice down my shorts and the cramping stopped. I was in full fledged heat management mode for the whole run with ice under my arm pits, in my singlet, down my shorts, on my back, etc.I was taking in salt tabs, Scratch labs, water, and Margarita Shot Bloks with extra sodium and still surfing on the edge of cramping. I can't say what kept me from seizing up, but I didn't.
It could be that those steep climbs early in the bike tweaked your muscles enough to set up the cramping later on. One theory on cramping that I've seen is that it's caused by asking your muscles to do more than they've done in the past. So while you may have done that much work in the past, the combination of the race stress and the heat may have taken its toll. If you figure it out, please let me know.
As far as not having the day that you wanted, I am right there with you. This year I had high hopes for Raleigh but the heat and hills and my execution combined to give me an outcome that was significantly slower than I was hoping. BUT, that is where experience comes from and if you look around the team and read the race reports, some of the best lessons come from the times we don't have the race that we had hoped for.
So now repeat the mantra of the University of South Carolina football fan - "Just wait 'till next year".
Thank you both! The venue is amazing. The people and volunteers are wonderful. I had the pleasure of spending time with family and friends. Met another team mate, Tom Box. He smoked the OLY the next day. I'm glad I did it. My daughter and hubs are proud of me. I guess that's what really matters. I faced my fear and didn't finish. Oh well.
As usual I ended up helping others on the way. I can't leave people stranded just because i'm racing. I helped one man get to a kayak after he was kicked really hard in the chest and couldn't raise his arms to get help. I ended up stopping, during the ride, because an athlete was in the ditch. Shared my salt and elixir and rode with him to the next aide station. Luckily I didn't get spotted by the ref. He found me on the run to thank me. That was neat.
I have all of you to thank for pushing, shoving, encouraging and inspiring me to this point on my long journey to IM glory. Wisdom is not free and dues have to be paid. Have a beautiful day everyone!
Sorry to hear about your race. When it gets hot like that it can be just brutal. Forcing yourself to settle in as quick as possible on the bike while sticking to your nutrition plan in temps like that is very hard but about the only way I can survive. Maybe you sorted out the fluid just a little too late? If you dropped the blocks for the liquid were you still getting enough calories overall? My only solution to the heat is ice in my shorts and slow down. It is a hard deal, but the lessons you learned about yourself from this will make the next time all the better!
I would also encourage you to switch to BASE salt over salt tabs. Long and the short of it is, I believe in this product. It works, Ive seen it first hand.
take time to prepare your body for the OS and crush it like the awesome EN chica you are. You're a rock star EN'r and I'm honored to know you. Keep it up!
Mariah,
Thank you. I actually have base salt. But I only got it a couple weeks ago. I wasn't going to switch just before a race. That's going to be my go to when the OS starts. My rear cassette is perfect for climbing. I love to climb. The power meter is on my christmas list for this year. I used virtual last year with TR. Loved it.
You got me through the last 2 miles. I was thinking of you during your HIM this year. I kept seeing your smile as you crossed the line.
Have a wonderful day! Rock'n it EN style. With CLASS!
Jacklyn,
That right there in bold is why you ARE the best in the west even if you made the tough but necessary decision to stop. You do something that so many cannot - you race with your HEART. That means you race listening to your body - you race to cheer others which you are struggling yourself.
Most think that the art of racing is all in the numbers, but I say the art of racing is being able to lift up our community under the most stressful of circumstances. The help you gave during the race is something that so few would. Your achievement in this race has nothing to do with crossing that finish line - you won the moment you started.
Thank you Doug. On a rough day at work, your words of encouragement were a blessing.
Still dealing with the injury to my left hami and calf. I hope to be full speed ahead for the NOS. Are you doing the NOS?
Have a great week, my friend.
Rehab that calf and hami and get ready for the NOS. That will play a huge part in getting ready for next season. After all the work you did this year, I think you have a better perspective on how to get yourself through a training plan and will see some great results.
I think I will be doing a run focus the next few months and joining the January OS folks. But i'll be around the forums and Strava to see you crushing it!
Thank you, I hope your week gets better!