Heather LaF's IM-Moo Race Report
This was my second attempt at this event and let's just say that I had very high expectations. My goal was to put together three very strong legs, in particular the run, and make a go at top 3 in the AG for a Kona slot. I was extremely nervous, when I first heard Mike Reilly on the PA my breath caught and I teared up. No pressure.
The swim start was fine, I wouldn't call anything that occured between the ramp and the first turn buoy anything like swimming (see photo) but after that first turn I found open water and had a very comfortable swim the rest of the way.
Swim: 1:02, 2nd in AG
T1: 6:35
Bike: My nemesis and as a result the reason I joined EN, to improve the bike. Coming out of the water so early means you get eaten up and spit out the back behind all the fasties on the bike. I tried my best to stay in my zone and was awed to see people out of their saddles on the hills on the stick! Felt tired and quads were sore (had been all week) and then started having stomach cramps early. I finally gave in and stopped in Mt. Horeb as i figured I was wasting a lot of mental energy on the discomfort. After the pitstop felt somewhat better but the cramps came back shortly thereafter, stopped again at the start of the second loop, again the time trade-off was worth it if I could lose the pain. At this point I'm not taking fluids because it hurts too much. Bad sign.
Did anyone else notice what a draft-fest it was out there? I found myself stuck in a group of guys that a) wouldn't just let me go but b) wouldn't go ahead and drop me. My new "friend" Sean rode my wheel into Cross Plains on the second loop and pulled in front as we got close to the turn into the aid station. I'm in the gutter at this point so I sit up and go through the aid station, on the other side the motorcycle dings me for drafting!! This would be laughable if I didn't feel so bad while still having a chance at a good day. I pull into the penalty tent for my 4 min penance, there isn't even a bluehouse to make it a productive stop! I start sobbing uncontrollably, yup, the girl wearing 'no crying in Ironman' all week is sobbing.
I exit the penalty on fire, blind with tears, and try to settle down so I don't blow the whole race at this point. Finish very strong, catch all those silly boys that put me in that tent and leave them far behind. Stomach not well enough to take Gu pre-run so I figure I've probably spent some much needed stores.
Bike: 6:21 (including the 4 min penalty, we think, the stopwatch stopped during my time there so the guy guessed when I should head back out, nice). Normalized Power of 127 (goal 130) and TSS of 290 (goal 300).
T2: 3:32 no time to waste, sunscreen and pee (only a little)
Run: Brutal from the start. Garmin doesn't get satellites until turning off State St. at which point I'm about 15 sec/mile too fast, have been doing my best to run stoopid slow and feel like I'm crawling. See the hubby at mile 3 and my feet are numb and I feel awful, want to stop. He says to me "it's a long day, find a groove, things will change" so I keep running. I see the EN guys, music blaring and pink everywhere - LOVE the pink boa! Decide to try the Gu and suddenly I'm feeling good, I found that groove and I'm running. All is well, miles ticking away until shortly after the start of the second loop. Start to get tired again. Walking aid stations, thinking of Chrissie W "Everyone suffers on race day". This becomes the self-talk. See the family for the last time at mile 21, hubby says "find that groove it's just 45 minutes" and about a minute later my quads go. Never felt that before. Walked through the mats at the turnaround back by Picnic Point, start running and miraculously, I can! Tell myself, we will walk at the aid station by the car wash, have a little Coke and then it's just a half an hour to go. You can run 30 minutes in your sleep. C'mon! Then I hit Breese, ah that little hill that gets no respect. A volunteer makes a comment at the bottom by the stadium and it motivates me. I'm now turning onto State St. and the spectators are yelling like crazy, I sooo needed that! I see mile 25, I see the Capitol, I think "10 more minutes, c'mon!!!" but now I can't feel my arms, I don't understand. I walk. I am crushed. People are yelling, I start running again, get to Square, walk, so angry. Start running again, tell myself 'run to the finish, you baby'. I tell the catchers that I can't feel my arms, they hand me to hubby and friends, Dr. friend can't find pulse, go directly to medical. Legs seizing, cramps are so large they are visible to the naked eye (if yours are open, mine are not at this point, I am in agony). My BP is 80 over something and I'm down 6 lbs (starting at 111). It takes them 30 minutes to work out the cramps and get my breathing and BP back to somewhere close to normal. They give me broth, I walk out an hour later.
I think this face and the saltlick on my shorts about says it all.
Run: 4:08
Total: 11:41, 10th in AG
Hats off to everyone out there who enjoyed their day and to Linda for surviving an awful crash! My pity party will end, the clouds will lift, but I would by lying if I said that I wasn't disappointed with my day. After all the work but hey, such is Ironman.
Good luck to everyone with the rest of the year. I'm looking at a January OS after the Chicago Marathon and some rest.
Comments
Heather- Not to diminish your dissapointment, but to go through ALL that and come out 10th AG ???!! That is just HUGE given your level of dehydration. You are one tough cookie. Congrats on the race that you DID have in the face of much adversity !!
Thanks you guys and I know I sound like a big whiner and I'm trying to stop.
Marianne your comments about labor are so funny except that during labor they give you an epidural. What's the Ironman equivalent??? The Gu was not having anywhere close to that kind of effect on me!!
It's OK to be disappointed. Feel it, own it, wallow in it, then I hope you can let it go. You are amazing. What you did is amazing to most of us. We roll the dice and just getting to the finish line is never a guarantee--but if we do get there, it's a gift, each and every time. Your strengths and tenacity are the real story of the day. You should be proud of yourself like crazy. We are. Congratulations, my friend. You were incredible.
Linda, once again, you rock. Your words mean a lot to me, especially with all you went through this year, I use your strength through adversity to help me overcome my silly little worries. You are my inspiration and I can't thank you enough.
Heather you are a rockstar chica to me! I know u wanted that Kona slot...I was pulling for you and wondering where you were on the course. Then I finally saw you. I was heading out must have been loop 1 and you were coming in. The main thing I noticed was all the white stuff on your shorts and I thought OM...wonder how she is doing! Now I know...what an ending for you! So glad u made it in ok...kind of scary to get that dehydrated! But give me this ok....10th in AG!!!! Really is something to be proud of
Have a great Chicago Marathon and see u in Jan for OS!
Thanks Michelle, saw you out there running through the EN pink party and you were smiling ear to ear, it made me smile through my grit! Thanks for all your help and support throughout, I just came back from the post-race massage,apparently its the rhombus (? sounds like a geometry thing) is my real trouble, holy cow did she work me there! Now by work I mean tiny little finger tips using my own body weight for pressure, but man did it feel good!! Take care.
Love the pics in the report!! Happy recovery!
As for the disappointment, what Linda said: Let it wash over you and don't hold back the tears. That's how to finally let it go. I completely understand where your head and your heart is--I was there 3 years ago and it's taken that long to come back to an IM start line. While the expectations that we put on ourselves can be a great motivator to train, there are so many variables on race day that are out of our control---the trick is to not let those expectations crush us mentally and emotionally on race day and when we don't meet them.
I was really hoping you'd get that Kona slot. You're so close! Master the nutrition/hydration piece and you'll be there. I know it.
Until then, rest up and recover---especially in your heart.
Thanks Kit - I saw in your report that you got a penalty too, what is that about? Of all the mini-pelotons out there they grab a couple gals with their heads down working hard? Whatever. Great to see you and all throughout this season I enjoyed your swimming commentaries. I would think of you often when my mind would wander while training and smile, all your stories of pretty fishies and the like, too much fun. Congrats to you and hope we cross again.
10th in AG rocks. I'm looking forward to seeing what hydrated Heather does in her next race. Fortunately, the eating and drinking game is one you can definitely master.
And you do know the Chicago Marathon is soon, right? You are a braver, tougher woman than I!
Wanna join us in 2012 for the revenge tour in LP? :-)