tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13418242468975175932024-03-13T17:42:53.774-04:00Tri DreamingThey will soar on wings like eagles;they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-8031681879192238872022-02-19T16:20:00.007-05:002022-02-19T16:20:51.001-05:00Florida 70.3 - Haines City 12/13/20 err 4/18/21<p>Florida 70.3 in Haines City had originally been scheduled for April of 2020...and well we all know how 2020 went by now, so it got rescheduled for December of 2020. Perfect, almost in my (new) backyard and another way to have an opportunity to compete in the pro field (and practice believing I belong). I wasn't working yet since we had recently arrived in Florida. I was all in on my training and recovery, managing hip and groin issues with an hour + of work every day and nailing workouts, recovery and sleep. </p><p>Spoiler alert...on 11/23/20 the email arrived, Ironman Florida 70.3 Cancelled. My mom and I had just driven the bike course a couple days before and I was putting in some big workouts to be ready for this when the email came in. I had known there was a likely chance of this race getting cancelled so I let myself be bummed for a day and then made a plan. I did my own little TT effort that same weekend - 2125yd swim on Saturday and Zwift 56mile TT and outdoor 13.1 mile run on Sunday. It was fun to push myself and see some strong numbers on those efforts. It was a great way to go into the holidays with a little bit of decease in training volume for a couple weeks and then transition into a New Year (hello 2021!) and our new puppy! And it gave me hope that maybe my hip and groin issues were behind us or well on their way to being behind us!</p><p>Florida 70.3 was back on the schedule for 4/18/21 and was open to both male and female pros. This was a great 'local' tune up for IM Texas and yet another chance to line up and have another experience in the pro field. I put in some great training going into this race, I had some of my best bike/run training combos in the heat and humidity of central Florida just weeks before.</p><p><u>Friday - Pre Race</u></p><p>I headed out Friday afternoon to packet pickup and to scope out the lay of transition and the finish line. I had bike the course a few times and done a brick on the run course as I was familiar with what was coming my way. It was nice to feel the energy of an Ironman event again (it had been since Kona 2019!) and there were pros and amateurs alike getting in final shakeout and tune up runs and bikes. I completed the check in process and got back on the road to head home as we had some friends in town for the weekend.</p><p><br /></p><p><u>Saturday</u></p><p>Andrew spent a good amount of time the week leading up to the race making sure my Felt was ready to go for race day. After some final workouts we loaded up the bike and headed over to the race site for bike check in. Nothing super exciting here. I did get to see my friend and fellow pro - Sarah Karpinski which was super nice. Her and I did our very first Ironman together (Louisville 2012 - what a doozy!) and after 2 moves on my part and 10 triathlon seasons here we were racing in the pro field together. After saying hi and visiting for a few minutes Andrew and I got out of the heat and headed back home. </p><p><br /></p><p><u>Sunday - Race Day</u></p><p>How wonderful it was to sleep in my own bed. We were up early to get breakfast in before driving over to the race site. Andrew dropped me so I had a short walk into transition before finding a parking spot for the car. I got transition set up and looked over my stuff no less than 1000x. There was a hustle and bustle in the air with decent sized male and female pro fields and a large age group race. Andrew found a great spot to hang out right outside of transition and near the swim exit. With about 20 minutes to go before race start the race officials escorted the pros down to the swim start.</p><p><br /></p><p><u>The Swim</u></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjVkqvM7n8m_ORval53tjzQaAo0sUkIrNslkctSXR5wKjrO-Me9XG9dwJB2xHjpMHf04FxfKCVar2q0DBUGSGKnFJgvS3mLoubHk7Tf4r-puazbCKEX1v2LnQTcBVqsysVuoPeqXaqUI6sxZTq0Ri_dPP_e258ogAJt4MfLZ5RGT0Ufd-_Yuf5Q2_SOw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjVkqvM7n8m_ORval53tjzQaAo0sUkIrNslkctSXR5wKjrO-Me9XG9dwJB2xHjpMHf04FxfKCVar2q0DBUGSGKnFJgvS3mLoubHk7Tf4r-puazbCKEX1v2LnQTcBVqsysVuoPeqXaqUI6sxZTq0Ri_dPP_e258ogAJt4MfLZ5RGT0Ufd-_Yuf5Q2_SOw" width="320" /></a></div>This got more confusing as we were standing on the beach. I believe this swim course has the most turns <br />of any North American 70.3. It was still pretty dark and we could barely see the buoys as we were trying to discuss where we needed to go. Heather Jackson was there and seemed to understand and seemed calm about so I figured, well no way I'll be near the front so as long as they know where to go we'll be good. Also, it's a lake...in central Florida...Alligators live there. I did not want to end up alone during this swim.<p></p><p>I felt great when the start cannon went off. I swam out hard and hung on for the first couple of buoys. As we made it to the first turn buoy I turned hard and got on my way to what I thought was the next turn buoy. I lifted my head to site...crap I didn't see anyone in front of me...and then a kayak coming straight toward me...and the dreaded words "you missed a buoy - you have to go that way". Oi, thankfully I hadn't made it too far off course, but when you're not a strong swimming losing the group and going off course at all seems to exponentially slow you down. I got back on course and got back to work, just telling myself to stay in it and keep doing what I could do. </p><p>The final leg back into the beach seemed like it took forever and I was so ready to get out of the water. This was a bad swim for me and not a great way to start my day, but on with it!</p><p><u>The Bike</u></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhS45xzkcuNvDz5V8yB3paiWMUfuKv9of2arNKKK9mT2beUnCDLZ8HEi4un6BJdOi0buv1zgBsYU4IdXE9LZiiWd8-1U21tRs6DMyDzcrLRdar_re846oUYUYMXeEqPbC29K7o_f1uZSVKxnkX82jz4wnRCH3HWcLomiOTV74uM_ubetWM9jASnmcyLlA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhS45xzkcuNvDz5V8yB3paiWMUfuKv9of2arNKKK9mT2beUnCDLZ8HEi4un6BJdOi0buv1zgBsYU4IdXE9LZiiWd8-1U21tRs6DMyDzcrLRdar_re846oUYUYMXeEqPbC29K7o_f1uZSVKxnkX82jz4wnRCH3HWcLomiOTV74uM_ubetWM9jASnmcyLlA" width="320" /></a></div>I was as quick as I could be in T1 and looking forward to heading out onto a bike course I knew pretty well. I was feeling good and strong the first 20 miles or so and looked forward to feeling stronger as I continued on. Around mile 28 my legs just felt like they were stuck in mud, my cranks didn't want to turn and I was destroying my legs to hold any type of consistent power. I was somehow still managing to catch<br /> some of the women's pro field and thought well maybe I'll be able to have the run of my life off this bike since my power isn't where it should be. It had started getting hot during the bike and central Florida was serving up a classic day for us.<p></p><p>As I made may through the final 10 miles or so of the bike course I was battling headwinds, a negative voice in my head that wanted to analyze how poorly things were going and legs that felt like they were completely thrashed. There was no power coming from my glutes and my hips were aching.</p><p><u>T2</u></p><p>As I rolled into T2 Andrew was right at the dismount line...I jumped off my bike and tried to stand up. I took one look at Andrew and uttered the words "my hips hurt". I couldn't stand up straight. I wanted to cry, I had strung together much longer and harder rides with fantastic runs just a few weeks before. Why now hips? Why? As I made my way out of T2 toward the run course Andrew was right there encouraging me to take it one mile at a time.</p><p><u>The Run</u></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8h0ODzGk0Px2Yoe22eZCx9JNBa1uLubZmc9xN87FAwGfWUCWIObUpm5g2jlIu5fUPbM12syqY-L3MNIXSNkGkbdgOXBzMjZ77bZ5DsPJ0Xf6FgY3gKytMoov__wGk1aH_YNmaoyBGduXnNNfpm2P42K9cSU9Fm564NyxAMAtDUeg5sMLxmSzL60sOiw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8h0ODzGk0Px2Yoe22eZCx9JNBa1uLubZmc9xN87FAwGfWUCWIObUpm5g2jlIu5fUPbM12syqY-L3MNIXSNkGkbdgOXBzMjZ77bZ5DsPJ0Xf6FgY3gKytMoov__wGk1aH_YNmaoyBGduXnNNfpm2P42K9cSU9Fm564NyxAMAtDUeg5sMLxmSzL60sOiw=w240-h320" width="240" /></a></div>As I made my way through mile 1 things seemed like they were loosening up and feeling better. I wasn't quite hitting goal pace but it wasn't a complete disaster. The run course was fun, a good amount of <br />elevation change, some through residential areas with lots of spectator support and 2 loops so back through the park where transition was and the bulk of spectator support. By mile 5 my glutes had locked up, I was running with all quad and I knew it. It didn't feel good, but at this point I wasn't stopping. I managed the heat and ran an ok 13.1. Not close to my best and not near what I was capable of fitness wise, but my body that day said otherwise.<p></p><p>When I crossed the finish line my hips ached. Deep down I knew this was likely more than I could PT myself out of, heck I had been doing great just a couple weeks before and then straight back to painful and dysfunctional on race day despite my best efforts. Back to the drawing board and trying to overcome the hips as I had my hopes set on IMCDA with some great friends. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheIPzw4tm-3DTo5CWeb9Ap__BNbXxveapwDH94k1f4BaANwjdfwB69LTh9gcJF8Hdpi155j41YFXOvSkbTCeF2XI31Sxf9Iv-c7f_MWOfdhY_UkJoYfQsZg30FWOy4eYy2TZyh4peYNkNevRKbfJg5gymj6lHmgqZ3ufIKqJ7zgVvd2zZDHVSyiKmvsg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheIPzw4tm-3DTo5CWeb9Ap__BNbXxveapwDH94k1f4BaANwjdfwB69LTh9gcJF8Hdpi155j41YFXOvSkbTCeF2XI31Sxf9Iv-c7f_MWOfdhY_UkJoYfQsZg30FWOy4eYy2TZyh4peYNkNevRKbfJg5gymj6lHmgqZ3ufIKqJ7zgVvd2zZDHVSyiKmvsg=w240-h320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-22308095952514088362022-01-21T13:47:00.001-05:002022-01-21T13:47:09.179-05:00Great Floridian 1/3 PTO Race - 10/24/20<p> We moved out of Kailua home on September 9th and moved into a hotel in Honolulu for 10 days. We kept the bikes with us and brought the Kickr along as well so I could keep working on the come back. I was figuring out how to run again decently well. It involved a lot of stretching and rolling. We left for the mainland on September 19th, spent a few days visiting with family in LA and then started our road trip to Florida. Needless to say there were a few weeks in there with very spotty and low volume training. I was enjoying running around downtown and had worked my way back up to about 8 miles reportedly "continuing to feel better and better".</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmVA-r3OCMEduz8I4LSLT6fjBA3PQUoLMyN93coBskf0RpyPtZdjfpI1dXWSjFJhVYRxb2ZUQr6hD1UpsUbo25LgnMUhE3p9lh3n8IVZMBVuUZWJC8WZTWRucQjDB_1fVo41chsZDVPWbi4k7Nh9Z9H04xjf6P3yJK7CGk2mNFHmz6su0zgsgaXKXqcg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmVA-r3OCMEduz8I4LSLT6fjBA3PQUoLMyN93coBskf0RpyPtZdjfpI1dXWSjFJhVYRxb2ZUQr6hD1UpsUbo25LgnMUhE3p9lh3n8IVZMBVuUZWJC8WZTWRucQjDB_1fVo41chsZDVPWbi4k7Nh9Z9H04xjf6P3yJK7CGk2mNFHmz6su0zgsgaXKXqcg=w200-h150" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><p>Once we were kind of settled in FL - read we had our suitcases, bikes and the Kickr (none of our actual <br />household goods yet) - I resumed training with the goal of seeing if I could be ready to give things a go at the PTO sponsored pro race at The Great Floridian in Clermont. I strung together 2.5 weeks of consistent training, I did some hill reps and my legs "felt great". The race was free for pros and just an hours drive from home so we said why not, the only way to get experience racing in the pro field is to go and do it.</p><p>Race Morning I was more nervous than I think I've ever been. Maybe I was possibly more nervous for my first ever tri or my first ever Ironman, but I was literally shaking and I could feel my HR creeping up. Andrew was with me the entire time and I saw a good friend near the start line that asked if she could give me a hug. Yes, absolutely yes, anything right now to attempt to calm down. I swam briefly in the lake the day before the race, it was my 1st time in a central Florida lake and I was nervous. The water was murky (this was def not Hawaii!) and the were grasses/weeds off to the side of the swim area...seemed like perfect gator territory. It probably only made me more nervous for the race day swim!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3ARig3pIJ2at-PCS48x4lsrhqI6OurKigP8MCm3Sfgf5wz7x24BHLQ9IlOcKtQKuP19RJ0KbdXXYRs1q5ef5d0etEUTGBgvwacutNPu1S5IXyZ1s-2UoFMjbQYvpl1EMAD_z3HPfzD3yZUW8VYQtOtQ7BaND21f9Wbvs8VNk93ruk3Xu3RGZMExo4bQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3ARig3pIJ2at-PCS48x4lsrhqI6OurKigP8MCm3Sfgf5wz7x24BHLQ9IlOcKtQKuP19RJ0KbdXXYRs1q5ef5d0etEUTGBgvwacutNPu1S5IXyZ1s-2UoFMjbQYvpl1EMAD_z3HPfzD3yZUW8VYQtOtQ7BaND21f9Wbvs8VNk93ruk3Xu3RGZMExo4bQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div>I lined up with the ladies in ankle deep water and waited for the starting gun. With this being a 1/3 distance race there were a # of pros from different backgrounds - short course all starts, long course phenoms ready to battle at this unique distance. The swim went out fast and I help on for the first couple<br /> of buoys. I stayed with another pro or 2 for the 1st 1/2 of the swim and then lost touch. The thought of gators kept me swimming hard! I came out a couple minutes after the next pro, but hey I was content with that. She was leaving T1 as I was getting to my bike. <p></p><p>I headed off on the bike confident in my strength and ready to have fun. The fun was quickly interrupted by the amount of traffic we had to deal with. Some of the bike course had us crossing 4-6 lane roads with minimal traffic control. There was one point where we had to make a right turn and athletes were all over the place compared to the cars in the right hand turn lane - some coming up on the left of cars and other on the right of the cars, all while traffic was coming straight through the intersection. Mind blowing. At that point I think I went to safety over riding hard. This was easily the most dangerous bike course I've ever raced on. At one point going up hill a huge pickup pulling an even larger pontoon decided to start passing the cyclists and giving little to no room. I guess that's Florida roads. Once we were in the hills and on the backroads it seemed a bit better traffic wise. I was having a hard time getting into a rhythm and for one of the few times in my life I could not wait to get off of the bike. As I made my way back toward T2 I keep downhill through a neighborhood the went into a sweeping left hand turn. As I looked ahead while making my way into the turn there was a large landscaping truck pulling a large trailer of equipment that was coming into the turn smack dab in the middle of the road. I didn't even make a conscious decision, it was like my body just decided we were aborting the turn and not getting run over so I hit the curb while slamming on my brakes and flipped over my handlebars. Garmin Fenix 5s+ watchband snapped, handlebars were crooked and my mid back hit the edge of the curb - other than that I was ok. I got back on my bike and peddled the last couple miles into T2, shook up but ok.</p><p>In T2 Andrew and a couple other pro family members were right there as I was getting my run shoes on. I said something along the lines of holy hell, that was the most dangerous bike course I've ever been on. They said they were still waiting for a few more female pros to come and to get on my way. Turns out one got side swiped on the bike course and a couple others rode off-course. I got myself sorted and out to the run course as quickly as I could.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQh-WcsrvQIYOwOKA6W9oJJsH1HteLnG68omT3cpceZdtthpR6myzA7nyS-6LCuypmyNR8bU7RDyBXPe03ealoKPRMB6-T2yGlsV5TByHiBdJ70YMfcbynSzIDaFbgQJXfheJoxOUznr0PMtIZlhdU8lBYDbeOOD7sIYI0Wln6vMGzCRwu0fyeGaDL2Q=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQh-WcsrvQIYOwOKA6W9oJJsH1HteLnG68omT3cpceZdtthpR6myzA7nyS-6LCuypmyNR8bU7RDyBXPe03ealoKPRMB6-T2yGlsV5TByHiBdJ70YMfcbynSzIDaFbgQJXfheJoxOUznr0PMtIZlhdU8lBYDbeOOD7sIYI0Wln6vMGzCRwu0fyeGaDL2Q=s320" width="240" /></a></div>The run course was nice and on a paved trail with a decent amount of shade. I set out running not sure <br />how my hip, pelvis, groin would react. It felt ok, not great, not bad. I couldn't really open up my stride but I was running faster than 'easy' and I was holding it together. The out and back in each direction gave a chance to see other pros (miles ahead of me) and come back through the transition area where most of the support was. It started to get warm out there but I was able to hold onto my pace and cross the line in 1-piece. <p></p><p>Overall, I was super glad to get this race under me and have the experience. It was far from my best day, but it was the best day I could put together at that point. And given that I couldn't run just a few months earlier I was super happy just to put together a decent run after a bike. This race gave me hope, hope that</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiR_EpKTEZc7GaikjLq4rol3Eq9B_ThHaT2UH9XdobXJ40aVbFfLG3IShX17dLBMLinXq6PCUZFohB4EQYfZ_Pdz_q__swMN02VyK7P1f8pZdYWLu6jdej_dijJqIsczg38LyRNyqmzFMbtLg5-vsac_RiJJ9jeiL-Bjg4Qu1K2rkygrXYgMIOyjj3RMA=s960" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiR_EpKTEZc7GaikjLq4rol3Eq9B_ThHaT2UH9XdobXJ40aVbFfLG3IShX17dLBMLinXq6PCUZFohB4EQYfZ_Pdz_q__swMN02VyK7P1f8pZdYWLu6jdej_dijJqIsczg38LyRNyqmzFMbtLg5-vsac_RiJJ9jeiL-Bjg4Qu1K2rkygrXYgMIOyjj3RMA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /> if I kept doing 'the things I needed to and I kept the patience' I would be back. I obviously flared things up a bit because as I read through my TP notes for my workouts during the week following the race I noted "felt fine" - which means eh, it didn't feel good, but it wasn't bad enough to stop me. <p></p><p>This race at least gave me the confidence to proceed onward toward the rescheduled Florida 70.3 in Haines City. I had just about 2 months to get ready for it and I wasn't working yet so I set my sights ahead and vowed to keep up with my hour of stretching/rolling/PT exercises every night to keep my hip manageable. </p><p>Next Up: Spoiler Alert! The reschedule FL 70.3 was cancelled due to COVID...</p><p><br /></p>Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-1533257198001807552022-01-20T13:17:00.002-05:002022-01-20T13:20:17.928-05:00Malaekahana TT Race Report + More - June 6, 2020 and June 7/8, 2020<p>We were lucky enough to still have this individual TT still take place on the island of Oahu amid COVID. It was originally scheduled as the Hawaii State Championship, but with limited and difficult inter-island travel it lost that designation. The course was changed in the days leading up to the race, making it a point to point race instead of an out and back - major bonus! Pulling U-turns in any race are a pain, especially a TT.</p><p>Andrew and I debated about taking the trainer with us in the AM or warming up at home before driving over toward the race start. We ultimately decided to try and get there early enough to just warm up on the roads. We only had 1 dumb trainer at the time and with out start times only 2 minutes apart it would have been difficult for both of us to get in a good trainer workout. Turns out we were running late, took us a bit to find somewhere to park, and our warmups consisted of a few out and backs with pick ups and about a 5 minute spin over to the start line. </p><p>I had a few goals going into this race - go sub 1-hour, catch Andrew (he was starting 2 min before me with only 1 other athlete between our starts), and finish with a power average of at least 230w. I had been feel off at times going into this race, shortness of breath and clamy/feverish, symptoms weren't very consistent and would come and go. I couldn't for the life of me figure out if it was allergies or what. Some workouts were cut short, some were skipped but I asked my body for one more big effort for this race and then promised to back off a bit since all other races were postponed and we had a big move looming and lots of island adventures to have before we left.</p><p>I gave Andrew a good luck kiss and watched as he put his head down and had a great start (no bike holders due to COVID - this was a foot flat start). He'd been training hard and well for Hawaii 70.3 and since COVID hit he'd been doing a good amount of riding with me. I knew I had my work cutout for me if I was going to attempt to catch him. I waited patiently as the athlete between us took off and then I was on the line. I knew I had a couple very strong ladies coming up right behind me, so it was important to get out fast and strong and be out of their sight line by the time they started.</p><p>I was off and the watts came easily. I had Osmo in my Torpedo bottle and a few caffeinated gels stashed in my bento box. I had taken some espresso gel shots right before my start so the engine was caffeinated and ready to work. I had to dial back the effort as 260w was feeling fine and easy in the early minutes but I knew if I held that effort I'd pay for it near the end. I backed it down to a more realistic 240ish and stayed as aero as possible. I began passing other athletes pretty early on. As I made it passed the half way point and the finish line of the youth race things became a bit more desolate. There were a couple stop lights we would be riding through with spotters and volunteers positioned to help us make it through safely. I love working hard on my bike, and the chance to do it on the road with legit competition was awesome. I was in the zone, pushing watts and holding watts that I doubted with the up and downs of the lead up to the race. </p><p>As I neared the 24.9 mile mark (40k) there was no sign of the finish line. That last bit of digging and pushing to the line (only a 1/4 mile down the road) was mentally tough but Andrew was in my sights at that point and I knew I wouldn't physically pass him - I was running out of course - but I had definitely made up the time and beat him. This was of utmost importance because he got me by a few seconds at the 12 mile TT earlier in the year. I crossed the line in 59:12, over 25.1 miles with an average power of 240w and normalized power of 241w. Biggest goal was going sub 1 hour for 40k, and I had gone sub 58:xx for 40k, I was thrilled and surpassed my own power goal (it was one of those racing out of your mind experiences - my body just did what I trained it to do). I was 1st OA female and 10th OA finisher including some very fast men. </p><p>As I coasted around after crossing the finish line I was just following Andrew, when he slowed to pull a U-turn he was shocked that I was right there behind him :P Success! We pulled off by some friends and waited for other friends to finish their TT before heading over to the only resort on that side of the island to refill water. Once we were all refilled Nick graciously decided to pull us the 25 miles home. I was more than happy to suck wheel on the way home. We did eventually fall into a rotating pace line to give him some help. Just a few miles from the cars I lost by big ring - and was stuck in my small ring. Loved that bike (the Felt IA FRD) but good gracious we had a lot of mechanical issues together.</p><p>Andrew and I loaded up the bikes and headed over to pick up a take-out breakfast order from a place we'd been wanting to try. We took it easy and napped before heading over to Kailua Beach Park for a little 1 mile open water recovery swim. My legs and body were tired but I felt good. Sunday was an off day before getting back to the grind on Monday. I had a bit over an hour run scheduled for Monday. I knew going into it that may legs may feel fatigued from the race on Saturday but just listen to the body and do what I can. I held back the first half of the run, planning to pick it up the 2nd half as long as I felt good. We let me tell you after the first 30 minutes or so my legs were shutting down. My notes in TrainingPeaks stated that I felt like I was at the end of an Ironman. My hamstrings and glutes were not working in any coordinated manner and my adductors were trying to help way too much. I didn't have pain, running just felt disorganized, physically uncoordinated and like it was taking a ton more effort than it should. I dodged my way back toward home as I passed the District Park and saw some friends meeting up pre/post run. I was frustrated, I had tears in my eyes and I just wanted to get home. </p><p>Over the next couple of weeks deep hip and groin pain set in to the point I could barely move without pain. Standing up after sitting was excruciating and attempting to run was a joke. I took it easy, we'd try going for walks but even that was painful. I was diagnosed with athletic pubalgia, and at the time I went with it because that would heal, that would get better and I could get back to where I was just a month before at the fittest and fastest I'd ever been. I knew deep down it was likely more but I had to give myself the chance to rehab myself out of it.</p><p>Up Next: My first pro race at the PTO's 1/3 Distance Race at Great Floridian (after a cross country move and working hard on a return to run program)</p><p><br /></p>Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-32968134796287608082020-03-29T00:40:00.001-04:002022-01-21T12:45:17.994-05:002020: Postponed, Rescheduled, Cancelled (Ramblings)What should have been my last big workout before my pro debut became a weekend of baking, riding a more moderate 4 hours on Saturday followed by a run and a lot of puzzle-ing. I'm sure just about everyone reading this has had their plans for the first half of the year up ended due to COVID-19. Yes, it's a disappointing and frustrating and all of the things, but I'd much rather hit the pause button than see even more people sick and our healthcare system even more overrun.<br />
<br />
I had grand plans to make a quick trip to Galveston the first weekend of April for Texas 70.3 followed by a big trip at the end of April to Houston for Ironman Texas, then hop over to St. George to spectate and sherpa Ironman St. George and then hop on over to Virginia to ride Skyline/SkyMass, visit family and friends and cap off the trip with a wedding. Well all of those events have and been postponed/rescheduled. I realize the biggest blessing of taking my pro card this year may be that I haven't really lost any money yet on all these changes, just a lot of airline credit now with United Airlines.<br />
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My last true big training weekend was the day after we found out Texas had been postponed. Andrew had a sprint triathlon that Saturday up on the North Shore of Oahu so I went and supported him for the morning and then rode some Pineapple Hill loops before riding home straight into a headwind the entire time. To be honest watching everyone race had me super mopey. I didn't want to race that sprint, I wanted my races, my shot at toeing the line of Ironman in the professional field. After a bit of mopiness and an exciting race I was at least motivated enough to get my 100+ mile ride done. I was grieving the loss of the plans I had made, the time I had put into preparing for those plans - both physically and mentally. I think effort wise I put more in mentally preparing to show up at that start line than I ever had before. The physical part was hard work, but not much different than the hard work I'd put in all the years before. Sure it was more hours and a lot more time in the pool, but I was enjoying it and looking forward to seeing the results of the work I had put in. <br />
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Just as all the pools were closing we were able to get 1 more swim in at a pool on base and ever since then a slight lingering ear issue became a full on ear infection. After a great telehealth visit with my PCP and some antiobiotic ear drops it's finally on the mend. Since the pools are closed and the water hasn't been great for OWS it has made it a bit easier to stay out of the water and actually let this clear up. But to be honest, swimming is probably the thing I miss the most. Since the end of December I've been doing 3-4 Tower26 swim workouts per week + 2 nights with Kailua Masters. I feel stronger in the water and I'm excited to see how that plays out once we're able to race again. In a few days I should be good to jump in the ocean so I'll hit the open water as soon as I'm able and try to keep some of the swim fitness and feel for the water going.<br />
<br />
So here we are with no races in the foreseeable future and the June/July/August - heck rest of 2020 races -with a big old question mark and potentially on the chopping block. For now I figure I stay the course training wise. Dial things back just enough that I'm not overly stressing the body, but stay ready to put in a couple Ironman builds when the time is right. As for coaching, for right now this is how I'm also handling most of my athletes. Now that we're seeing it's going to be quite some time before any of us race we'll change things up a bit and perhaps spend more time developing their limiters, if that's something that excites them. Unfortunately, for us swim limited folks we'll just keep doing bands and core work like it's our job. <br />
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Earlier this year, we finally launched <a href="http://www.vertexperformancept.com/">Vertex Performance PT</a>. I do offer virtual appointments- just saying. We haven't done much with it since launching the site and doing some 1 off sessions with friends. The ultimate goal is to have a physical space and real business once we settle down back on the mainland. This pandemic definitely has me rethinking. As a business I understand wanting to stay open - but really 1-on-1 hands on physical therapy isn't essential for all that many cases (yes, absolutely there are some scenarios where it's needed) but in a time like there there's not much you can't do for yourself if we just video conference and address your restrictions/impairments. Considering this virus can be transmitted by asymptomatic individuals, working in a physical therapy office becomes slightly terrifying. The outpatient office I work at here on Oahu was closed all of last week, because we had had a patient who was in on the 13th that tested positive for COVID-19. Now I have a moral/ethical dilemma in front of me - do I go in and potentially expose myself, bring it home and potentially expose Andrew, etc etc. Hopefully, we'll both be fine if or when we do come across COVID-19, but who really knows, nothing is for certain with this novel virus and most of all I'd hate to pass it on to someone more vulnerable. Completely TBD yet on if, I'll actually return to work ( I want masks, I want gloves, I want refilled hand sanitizer, I want guaranteed sick leave if myself or one of my PTAs becomes ill, I want screening at the door for incoming patients, I want space to be appropriately distanced from anyone else in the clinic, etc). I probably won't get these answers until or unless I go in on Monday. The other side of this raises a whole new issue to consider when or if we do open a physical clinic of our own on the mainland. Outpatient physical therapy - not quite essential medical services - definitely grounds to build our virtual consult, treatment and coaching services with our online platform.<br />
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Overall, I feel super lucky to be weathering this storm in Hawaii, with my love, and not be in a financial pickle due to all the craziness. If this had happened at this time last year I wonder to myself if I'd sneak over to my friends house and/or just move in with them for ease and practicality. I can't imagine being stuck isolated in my apartment, alone, for an undetermined amount of time in Virginia. If any of you are in that situation hit us up on House Party - we'll hang out with you (just remember we are 6 hours behind EST). There will be a start line to toe, there will be finish lines to cross, celebrations, travel, etc all in our future. What's important in the here and now is staying as healthy as possible, helping keep our communities healthy, and encouraging others to do their part with social distancing, self isolating, etc as needed to help decrease the rate at which this is spready. As an aside, I hope this teaches everyone a good lesson about just staying home when you are sick. I'm sorry I don't find it heroic to push through a day in the office when you are unwell, especially when your job involves touching people, all day! Our finish line looks different than we're used to right now, but we'll get there. Stay healthy, stay happy and do something that makes you smile everyday.Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-21395067987219319802019-11-30T19:16:00.001-05:002019-11-30T19:26:01.608-05:002019 Lessons and Musings and a 2020 Sneak Peak<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking the tape and $$ at MiTi 140.6 '18</td></tr>
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I was fortunate enough to go into the 2019 season with my Kona slot already secured (IM Chattanooga 2018). I was in a calm and confident spot going into 2019. I had figured some things out nutritionally in 2018 that seemed to be an overall win for everyday life and performance. I had a <br />
fun, competitive and successful season in 2018. I had raced with my best friends, I raced with my love, I raced surrounded by family, and I raced on my favorite Ironman course on the North American circuit, and I had fun getting dirty in the Cat3 and Elite Cat 1,2,3 field to close out the year in cyclocross. When I started my training in 2019 I set some goals and I was completely content being patient to achieve those goals - letting the fitness come back, not forcing anything, and enjoying my last months in DC.<br />
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I was in a place where I was finding true joy in the process. I was all in and loving my training. The rides with friends around Mt. Weather, the rides up to Poolesville and beyond, and my time on the trainer or endless loops at Hains Point. One of my challenges for myself in 2019 was racing 2 70.3 races just 6 days apart (Sunday, Saturday) at IM VA 70.3 and Kinetic 70.3. These races were both less than a 2 hour drive from home which made it logistically easy and low stress. Yes that 2nd race at Kinetic was a big ask for my body - but we made it work - and I walked away a stronger athlete than I was before. I think the biggest thing I took away from that was learning to run/race on fatigued legs. I was in a place where I expected the cumulative fatigue to play a role and I was able to mentally work through that and prove to myself that I can continue to run hard on tired legs. It honestly felt like a new level was unlocked in terms of leg durability after this double down on 70.3s. With realistic goals and expectations, as well as a good amount of racing experience I do believe the double 70.3 can be a helpful training tool for Ironman - and fun if you're stoked about both of the races! The downside of this - recovery is tough. The days between the races are all about bringing the body and legs around as much as you can. I had had a few big weeks in a row - Team Camp, 70.3 #1, 70.3 #2 and then back into Ironman training with a long ride at Mt. Weather the weekend after. I ended up with a full blown sinus infection and prescription for antibiotics.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My crew cooling off in a beer cave. So thankful for them!</td></tr>
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Another lesson learned - when you're on antibiotics and recovering from illness (2 days off work and no workouts) don't try to be a hero on your bike, honestly don't expect much from yourself on your bike. I had had plans, for a few weeks, with a group of friends to ride SkyMass in prep for Ironman Ireland. I wanted this ride so bad. I showed up, optimistic of the beautiful day ahead of us. At 15 minutes into the ride and just a short way into the first climb on Skyline Dr. my brain felt like it had a heart beat and wanted to beat out of my skull. My heart rate was skyhigh and I was pedaling as hard as I could and the watts just weren't there. We made a quick stop at the top of the first climb for the bathroom for a few riders and I thought about calling it a day, then and coasting back to my car. I chose to eat a Honey Stinger Waffle, drink some Osmo and continue on my way. Heck my favorite <span style="text-align: center;">part of the ride is the last 40 miles, not the first! I might as well get to my favorite part! We made it to the Wayside and I put down some chips and a coke - hello energy! Too bad it only lasted about 20 minutes. I made it into the valley and through Luray and to the base of Massanutten. Oh I made it up Massanutten, with my 2nd slowest time ever, and multiple times that I felt that my bike was just going to tip over. I was so spent by the time I made it to the top I couldn't think straight, I could barely stand over my bike without falling over. Thank goodness for good friends - we descended and they pulled this hot mess through the valley and back to our cars in Front Royal. There were times where sitting on their wheels should have been easy and I just couldn't do it. It was fun being with my friends, it wasn't fun suffering like that and being scared at times that I didn't know if I'd actually make it back. Lesson learned - let the body rest and recover and antibiotics can really deplete your system! One week later I set out on the same ride with Erin and we crushed it. I felt like a completely different human - I needed that. As much as I should have known it was the sickness + antibiotic, it doesn't stop doubt from creeping into your mind.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indeed it is. My dad's last words to me.</td></tr>
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I also realized in the spring at some point that I was racing in 2 Ironman events with a women's pro field. Qualifying to race as a pro was never anything that was in the forefront of my thoughts and goals. After some Top 3 amateur finishes a couple times in 2018 (at races that didn't have pro fields) <br />
I let it cross my mind, but I was most definitely not going to pick my race schedule in 2019 based on trying to qualify to go pro. It was complete luck that both inaugural races I was registered for had women's pro fields. After the flat and 27+ minutes on the side of the road at Ironman Ireland I finished 7th amateur, had I been 20 minutes faster I would have been in the race for Top 3 amateur. I surprised myself with that one. I kept my focus on the goals I had set at the beginning of the season without much more thought about it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucky to be in love with my best friend.</td></tr>
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After returning from the trip to Ireland I had a few days in Michigan and then I was off to officially move to Hawaii. Lessons #3 and #4 - having a super supportive partner is a complete game changer. Andrew would drive out while I was doing long rides to make sure I had cold water/Osmo when I needed it, especially when I was new to the island. More importantly he biked with me for almost all <br />
of my long runs during the summer months in the build up to Kona. To have cold water, more Osmo, caffeinated chews, etc when I wanted it, was priceless. I am so so lucky. And the other lesson - not working full time can be boring, but man I was sleeping like a champ and recovering between workouts like it was my job. Sleep is so important for your body to adapt to the stress you put it through.<br />
<br />
Lesson #5 - choosing races you're excited about and feel passionate about doing help bring out the best in you. I signed up for Traverse City 70.3 because I really really wanted to race in Traverse City. TC in August is basically the prettiest place you can be in Michigan at that time and it's just hands down one of my favorite places in the world. Mom got us an awesome condo at the old insane asylum and I had a solid support crew - the only person we were missing was Kara. After the travel and taking a couple days to shake things out I was feeling pretty good. When Andrew arrived in TC the day before race day this was the first we spoke about a potential top 3 overall finish. I wanted to go for the age group win to have the opportunity to take a slot to Taupo anything else was just bonus. I had told Andrew I only wanted to know my over all position if I was 6th or better. He delivered <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IM TC Run 2019 + Focus Face</td></tr>
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with all the information throughout the run and when he asked me to drop the pace by 20s, he did it because he knew I was capable. He had watched me do it in every long run leading up to race day. I went into a place the last few miles of that run that I hadn't gone into before during a 70.3 and I am so excited to dig back into that place in 2020. I left everything on that course and came away with the age group win and 3rd overall amateur. Kim and I talked on the phone and briefly discussed if I would take the slot to Taupo knowing that taking both the slot to Taupo and the pro card wasn't very realistic (just the way the schedule and timing is - if I wanted to take the pro card in the 365 days that I was eligible I would no longer be able to race as an amateur at Taupo). I figured I'd keep the focus on having a solid day at Kona and we'd discuss what we wanted to do for 2020 after that.<br />
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I recently published my Kona race report - lesson #6 from that experience - you've got to take care of you and keep the stress low going into race day. There are so many events and things to go to/do/see in Kona that it can be overwhelming. I wanted to be a part of it all in 2017 and it stressed me out and wore be down. With our condo within walking distance to the pier and increased awareness to take care of me we had a great lead up to the race and a great race day in 2019. Some people are built to race on that island, in those conditions, I'm not sure I'm one of them but I pulled the best I could out of my body on the day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 week countdown is on!</td></tr>
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Lesson #7 - oh my goodness wedding planning can be stressful! Vendors want money and numbers and timelines, you start realizing you want this little decoration or that little thing and it all adds up. (Lesson #7.5 doing Whole30 to ensure the dress fits and trying to do hard run/bike efforts is really really hard and depleting! Our Whole30 is over very soon, we've enjoyed it but we're definitely ready to have a bit <br />
more pep in our step during workouts). Our wedding is in 2 weeks, it's going to be amazing and awesome and our families have been so incredibly helpful and supportive. We briefly thought about doing a Hawaii wedding right after Kona - to give our guests that wanted to, a chance to spectate Kona. I'm really glad we didn't do that, my brain may have exploded. I'll just leave it at that. Kind of like a race - slowly the stress is being replaced by excitement for the day!<br />
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I'm enjoying off season, though mentally it's hard to wrap your head around off-season when it's 80 degrees and sunny. It's so nice out I feel like I should be outside working out all the time. I'm getting my plan together for the 2020 season - it's going to be a new challenge and a new journey. I'll be part of the Team Zoot Ohana and I couldn't be more excited to meet the other amazing and awesome athletes. It's an interesting cross roads moving away from your team of 6 years, a large part of your support system and also trying to find a team that will support a rookie pro. I'm excited and thankful to be part of the Ohana. I've got a plan I'm excited about to keep developing my swim and some really awesome people in my corner helping me make some changes. I've got what I think the first half of 2020 will look like race wise - and I'm excited about it. Yes, I'm nervous to toe the line with the best female pro triathletes in the world - but this journey isn't about them, or anyone, but me. We are all on this journey for different reasons and the way we define success is different for each and every one of us. 2020 will be challenging, I'm excited to see how I step up to the challenge - after all if it doesn't challenge you, then it doesn't change you. Since I was about 11 years old I've had a small poster on my bedroom door that says "Have you ever dreamed? Have you ever made it come true?". So there's that :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Off Season Bachelorette Weekend <3 td=""></3></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#ohana</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Off Season Riding with @girlsridehawaii</td></tr>
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<br />Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-57602447552425738582019-11-17T22:05:00.003-05:002019-11-17T22:05:26.434-05:00Kona 2019 Race ReportIt's been a minute since my 2nd trip to the Big Island and as I begin planning my 2020 race season it's definitely time to get this race report out. The trip started out great, with a quick 30 minute flight over to Kona from Honolulu. No disrupted sleep, no time change, no tight hip flexors or sore neck muscles. What a difference that made over the all day journey I took from the east coast in 2017.<br />
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The week leading up to the race was great and it flew by. Andrew and I did the Ho'ala Training Swim on Sunday morning follow by a ride up to Hawi. I'm so glad I did that ride, my experience on the bike course in 2017 was so uncomfortable and just bad that I needed to have some good rides on the <br />
Queen K and up to Hawi to know that this wasn't anything I wasn't capable of. There was a lot of swimming from Dig Me Beach, visiting with friends, hitting up other local beaches and taking it all in. We were lucky enough to have a condo just a couple blocks from the pier which made the logistics of the entire trip so easy (highly recommend staying within walking distance). <br />
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PRE RACE - FRIDAY<br />
Bike check in and gear drop off day. The energy is buzzing and at an all time high for the week as amateurs and pros alike rolled there bikes down to the pier. There were some rain storms predicted for the afternoon so I chose to check in my bike in near the very end of the allotted time. Bike check in went smoothly, we watched some dolphins play off the end of the pier and I found a stow away Forky in my bento box! We headed back to our condo to get the final items prepped for the next day and enjoy dinner. I had left my Garmin bike computer plugged into the charger in the condo since before we left for bike check in. When I unplugged it to pack it for Saturday morning there was an alert "Rear derailleur battery critically low". You have got to be kidding me - one of the reasons Andrew and I switched my bike from mechanical to eTap was to decrease the risk of something going wrong with the shifting (I'd been through 3 SRAM Red rear RTC shifters since 2016 with the most recent one failing in July here in Hawaii). After a slight freak out since at this point transition was closed, I hatched a plan. I had my charging brick with me, so we'd get to transition around the time it opened on Saturday morning and I'd get the battery charged. According to my online research I'd have anywhere from 5-9 hours left of shifting once the alert came on, which likely would get me through the entirety of the bike course but figured I'd charge it as much as I could race morning to decrease the chance of losing my shifting. Once there was a plan in place I was able to calm down and enjoy dinner and visualize my day on Saturday. We reviewed the race plan and the cheer plan and got to bed pretty early ready for the day to come.<br />
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PRE RACE - SATURDAY AM<br />
I got onto the pier after the required body marking tattoos and weigh in and promptly got the battery on the charger while I topped off my tires with air, loaded on my nutrition and hydration and check <br />
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the brakes. The charger wasn't indicating much of an improvement after 45 minutes so I doddled around a bit longer to leave it plugged in - but I was starting to need a porto-potty and they moved them all off the pier this year along with the rule once you leave the pier you can't come back on until T1. One of the ladies racked next to me asked if I was ok and when I responded "oh yeah, I'm just charging my eTap" her response of "Oh Shit" wasn't the most confidence boosting hahaha. After 60 minutes of charging and communicating with Andrew via text I decided to get on with my day. Over to the porto line and then some chill time with Andrew before I was herded into the swim start corrals. This is the first time Ironman has used swim start corrals at Kona due to the implementation of the age group swim start waves. It was a bit crowded and messy getting into the corrals, with some of the later corrals filling up and then having to work your way through all the anxious athletes. As the first wave a male amateurs hit the water things started to spread out in the corrals and we started making our way toward the stairs. I realized one thing I wanted to do was not race with my earrings in and of course I realized as I was putting my swim cap on that I had left my earrings in (mind you these are like $12 cubic zirconian studs). I debated about just throwing them away, taking them out in T1 or trying to hand them off. I figured I'd try to hand them off. As we inched forward I scanned the cheering crowd for mom, Gary, Andrew, Cynthia, Danielle, Ron, Cheyenne - anyone that I knew and it was looking bleak. Then an old DC Tri friend, Christina, appears off to the other side fo the corrals. I passed off the earrings, telling her I didn't need them back. Shortly after the pass off we made our way under the arch and down the stairs. I saw my mom in the grandstands and tried waving and yelling to her but she didn't see me in the crowd of swim skins and purple caps. <br />
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THE SWIM - 1:17:36<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zuqke245phg/XdIJuQ-6CxI/AAAAAAAAIiw/v0sNO3VLP3EEClgWbGk7FTfXFSB6bfKMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Swim.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zuqke245phg/XdIJuQ-6CxI/AAAAAAAAIiw/v0sNO3VLP3EEClgWbGk7FTfXFSB6bfKMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Swim.JPG" width="213" /></a>The water was a bit choppier than it had been in the week leading up to race day and more so than it was in 2017. Thankfully it wasn't anything I hadn't dealt with in the open water swims in prep for Kona. I was able to find feet early and stick on them like glue until we hit the turn at the Body Glove <br />
Boat. After the final turn to begin making out way back in to the pier I pulled ahead of the feet and tried to draft off of some others. There were a few areas of currents and a lot of older men that we were having to swim through. About 2/3 of the way back to the pier my trusty old feet from the first 1/2 of the swim pulled ahead again and towed me into the finish. I'm not sure who this woman was but she was wonderful to draft off of. As we neared he tall gatorade bottle marking the end of the pier I thought to myself, "man I'm really like to be done swimming now". My guess is that was probably around 1:07 (oh how I'd love to consistently swim an unaided 1:07). I was optimistic that on a good day I'd see 1:15:xx for this swim - given the chop and currents I'll take the 1:17. I exited the water feeling great and ready to get on my bike and roll. <br />
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T1 - 5:13<br />
I made my way up the stairs and under the fresh water shower, which felt amazing. I took my time in T1 to get my aero jersey on, dry my feet and put on my socks and bike shoes. I rarely wear socks with my bike shoes (especially during races) but the burning and blisters from 2017 were not something I wanted to experience again.<br />
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THE BIKE - 5:31:51<br />
I used the short galavant around town at the start of the bike to settle in, hydrate and get comfortable. By the time I hit the Queen K to head toward Hawi I was feeling great. I saw Andrew, Liz, my mom, Gary, Christina and others all cheering along Kuakini and Palani. I felt confident in my nutrition, hydration and pacing plan given the training I was lucky enough to do on Oahu in prep for this race. Unfortunately it was evident that my Quarq power meter wasn't quite working, likely due to the downpour Kona got hit with shortly after bike check in had ended on Friday. No big deal, I can ride by HR and feel quite well. About 20 miles in I kept hearing a rubbing sound coming from what sounded like my front tire, I quickly pulled to the side the check for a flat. All was good, not sure what the sound was, but it didn't come back after the quick stop. I continued on, eating, drinking and taking it all in. The lead males started coming by on their way back to Kona on the other side of the Queen K. At about mile 45 I ran over a wad of electrical tape that someone had dropped. It stuck to my front tire. I knew I'd be stopped around mile 63 to grab my special needs bag so I didn't want to <br />
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stop an extra time to pull this tape off. So up to Hawi I went carrying this wad of tape up along on my front tire. Yes it made an annoying sound the entire way up. I hit the turn around in Hawi, restocked my nutrition and hydration and settled in for the ride back to Kona. The descent from Hawi was the first time in the day where the winds and heat were extremely noticeable. The breeze was no longer cool, rather more like a hot oven directly on your face. The winds made things difficult, I watched as people in front of me were blown sideways - more than once almost causing a bad accident amongst cyclists. I knew that when I was going to pass these people, to do it with authority, since I didn't want any wind gusts blowing them into me. From my pre rides and from race day I will hands down say the most difficult part of this ride is the short section from the bottom of the descent back up to the Queen K. It is slightly uphill, often hot and and into a head wind. Mentally you just want to be back on your way on the Queen K but you're not quite there yet. Once back on the Queen K I took some Coke in a sport top bottle and kept myself cool with cold water at aid stations. I was feeling pretty good, just working into some wind at points and managing the elements. My plan was to leave whatever I had left on the bike out the course once I hit the airport. Well, let me tell you riding back to town from the airport with no wind is far different than riding back to town from the airport with a headwind. I did what I could on that last section and was feeling pretty good, despite hot as I rolled back into transition.<br />
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T2 - 4:39<br />
Long time DC friend Pam promptly came over to assist me once I was in the change tent. I didn't want to rush this change, I wanted to cool down a bit, make sure my socks and shoes were on properly and hit the run course as comfortable as possible. Pam helped me achieve that and made sure all my things made it back into my gear bag once I took off.<br />
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THE RUN - 3:59:04<br />
I hit the run course feeling good. Legs were ready to run, body and mind were ready to go. Up over and down to Ali'i and oh man the energy on Ali'i was great. I saw all the people and some people that I didn't have a clue who they were but they knew me and were cheering for me by name. Great chalk art from Christina, cheers from Whitney and Liz and others from DC and Hawaii and everywhere in between. I hit the turn around on Ali'i still feeling good and running strong - this was already a huge win over 2017 when my feet felt like they were raw and bloody by this point in the race. As I headed back toward Palani I saw all the familiar faces including Andrew, mom and Gary cheering before I came through the hot corner and made my way up Palani. Close to the top I looked to my left and <br />
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saw Crowie cheering me on. My response was "is that Crowie?" to which he said something along the lines of "yes, now get on your way". Shortly after making the turn onto the Queen K you run by the Base tent, alway a pick me up and I was looking forward to getting a fresh tube of salt. Matt spotted my quickly and ran alongside me with the camera before passing off some Rocket Fuel as well. It took me another 5 minutes to process what he'd likely do with that video, but I figured he'd send it to my crew back on the east coast, which he most certainly. did. I could feel the fatigue of the day and the undulating and never endingness of the Queen K getting to me. My pace started to slow and I took a quick stop in a porto for comfort's sake. I was running well for the most part and staying consistent. I made the left hand turn into the beginning of the energy lab and knew exactly what to expect thanks to having run it earlier in the week. It was in the energy lab that I finally let myself take some caffeinated gels - I definitely should have taken these earlier. If I could change one thing I did that day, it would be taking one on my way up Palani and consistently every 45 or so minutes after that. I grabbed some Osmo at special needs after the turn around in the Energy Lab and let the energy of some of my dear friends carry me back to the Queen K. With the caffeine in me and the words my dear friend Ellen told me repeating in my head as I exited the Energy Lab I was ready to to rock the last bit of this marathon. I was able to pull my pace back to sub 9, and run down a lot of people during the final 10k or so. My legs felt good, my body felt as good as it could, things were going well as long as I kept fueling properly. With a couple miles to go I saw Andrew over on the other side of the Queen K running along and cheering me on. I kept wanting to try and drop him, apparently my tired legs weren't quite up to the task. I took in every step of those final few miles on the Queen K. The energy at the Aid Stations, the volunteers dancing, screaming and cheering as they blared Livin' On A Prayer. My day had gone almost as well as it could have, sure maybe we left 20 minutes or so on the table with slightly better (perfect) execution but on this day for this race I gave everything I had and left it all in the lava fields of the Big Island. The final turn onto Palani and one last time through the hot corner, I smiled and was grateful for every step, every cheer and the support from everyone over the past years. I'm not sure when I'll be back to race Kona again, it's not likely in the next couple of years (though I won't turn it down if the opportunity arises). More on that to come on the blog in the near future. The final run down Ali'i was unforgettable, lined with people, friends both new and old, the energy and lighting (golden hour) was perfect. I made 1 last pass before hitting the red carpet and slowing to let us all have our own moment. I raised my hands and enjoyed that finish line arch for one last time in my DC Tri Club kit, one last time in the 30-34 age group, and completely satisfied with the day I put together on the Big Island. I got to cross the finish line into my DC friend AJ's arms and into my mom's arms who then gave me my lei. What a memory and what day!<br />
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FINISH TIME - 10:58:23<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ABN3G6Cg1Sc/XdIKBp46dxI/AAAAAAAAIjA/teAbT1hE7x0hVEkSQr0ApKruC7W2xEMUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Finish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ABN3G6Cg1Sc/XdIKBp46dxI/AAAAAAAAIjA/teAbT1hE7x0hVEkSQr0ApKruC7W2xEMUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Finish.JPG" width="213" /></a>Yes, I said above there were maybe 20 minutes left on the table with more perfect race execution. That being said I historically don't do well in hot, humid environments like Kona usually blesses us with. I have a high sweat sweat rate, I lose a lot of sodium in my sweat and I couldn't be more thankful for the recommendation from Michelle to try The Right Stuff. I started training with it about 5 weeks out from race day, it was a game changer and helped me come off the bike during training and on race day not feeling depleted. I had said in a post in the days leading into Kona that this race <br />
would be a bit of swan song for me - I'll still be racing, just not sure if/when I'll race in Kona again. It was also my last race as part of the DC Tri Club Elite Team - this club and this team have truly helped me develop both as an athlete and as a person since 2012. I was lucky enough to spend 6 years as a member of the Elite Team, meeting new friends and training partners. Always having someone there to push me, encourage me and support me. Alas, with a move to Hawaii and no longer being local to DC it's time to let the team environment help raise up another athlete. So thank you, DC Tri Club for helping me figure out this whole Ironman thing, for taking a chance on me on the Elite Team in 2014 and for all the support since the beginning. Happy to have you all out to Hawaii for training camp in 2020!<br />
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Thank you to my #1 squeeze, Andrew. He biked with me on long runs as an aid station and moral support, he made sure my bike was ready to go for training and racing and he supported me every step of the way to get back to Kona. He was out there ALL day on race day, cheering, smiling and giving me high fives (and information at all my other races). His support and belief in me help make doing this at a high level possible. Now we're and the throws of wedding planning which is kind of worse than overload for Ironman, but the end is near and we can't wait to celebrate in just 1 month.<br />
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Thank you to my family for being supportive and coming out to cheer me on in person. A big thank you to my momma, who hasn't missed a full Ironman race! They all wore matching shirts this year with my picture on it, cheering from near and far. Thank you to my dear friends - those of you from the DC area, my friends back in Michigan and my new friends in Hawaii. Your cheers and your support do not go unnoticed. My dear friend Erin for the pre race pep talk before race day, my friend Ellen for giving me some mental tricks as I came out of the Energy lab. To my girls Heather and Shannon for always believing in me - what a difference it makes knowing your friends and training partners want the absolute best for you. To all the TriGirls in DC and all of those who helped me learn some training routes in Hawaii a sincere and big thank you.<br />
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And of course, thank you to coach Kim Schwabenbauer. We've been on this journey since February of 2014 and we're not done yet. The gains of made not only physically but mentally are in no small part to Kim's coaching, prep work, and own experience racing Ironman. I<br />
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Thank you to all my wonderful sponsors including Alt-Red, Osmo, Gu, Louis Garneau, Rudy Project, Xterra, Zealios and Boca. You help make training and racing consistently possible and fun. <br />
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If you're still reading keep an eye on this space in the near future for a look at my 2020 plans!<br />
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<br />Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-23627973463935046972019-09-23T20:29:00.002-04:002019-09-23T20:29:24.022-04:00Making Magic Happen - Traverse City 70.3 Race ReportIn summer of 2018 the rumors began and the official announcement was eventually made that there would indeed be an Ironman 70.3 Traverse City. I'd been going up to the Traverse City area pretty regularly ever since I was very young, with my family. In the beginning it was most often for a winter ski trip, then as we got older we also started going in the summer and as we became more familiar with triathlon we always thought how cool it would be to have an Ironman event in Traverse City. So naturally, I registered for the event pretty much as soon as I got the email for priority registration. Little did I know I would be moving to Hawaii in the summer of 2019, I briefly considered getting a refund or transferring my registration, but that was just a fleeting thought as I knew in my heart I wanted to in Michigan for the Inaugural Ironman Traverse City 70.3.<br />
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The transition to living in Hawaii went about as smoothly as it could have. I headed out just a couple weeks after Ironman Ireland and began laying down the miles on the island. It took a bit of time for my body and my heart rate to get used to the conditions but everything fell into place. I put in some big weeks and some big workouts (Kona prep) en route to TC 70.3 and was heading into Traverse feeling confident in my training (albeit slightly exhausted).<br />
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Logistically, traveling to northern Michigan from Hawaii wasn't too difficult, it just takes time. It you're good at sleeping on a red eye it definitely makes the time pass more easily! Overall my travel went smoothly and no bike fee (thanks American Airlines!).<br />
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PRE RACE<br />
We arrived in Traverse City on Thursday afternoon and checked into our condo at the Traverse City State Hospital. The old insane asylum has been renovated into shops and restaurants on the ground floor and condos on the floors above. We had a great 3 bedroom condo with large chef's kitchen and plenty of space for 4 of us and all the triathlon things. We enjoyed Thursday evening walking around downtown and grabbing dinner at The Blue Tractor.<br />
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Friday morning, Rory and I woke up early to hit Lake Michigan for a practice swim. It was perfect, water was like glass, nice temperature (wetsuit legal, but fine without a wetsuit), and clear. After a short swim we headed back for breakfast and to drive the bike course. After returning I headed out to do a shake out ride on the first few miles of the course - mainly to check out the climb we'd be hitting in the first 3 miles. It was long, but nothing too steep and the cool temperatures made it quite pleasant! We did some more race things Friday - like checkin/packet pickup and the underpants run!<br />
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Saturday was the regular big breakfast - at The Omelette Shop and then picking up Andrew from the Traverse City Airport before bike racking, pre race briefing and go over race day logistics with the sherpa crew. We put our chef's kitchen to good use and even use the pot filler to help us make our pre race dinner.<br />
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RACE MORNING - Pre Race<br />
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Up early with applesauce, banana, protein powder and osmo for breakfast. I gathered my things and Mom, Gary, Andrew and I headed out in the car for transition. Rory slept in a bit and walked up to swim start in the morning. We found a great street parking spot (free) and began walking the couple blocks to transition. Traverse City Tourism had their building open with heated restrooms so we stopped there just across the street from transition. I barely had finished my business when I bolted out of the stall to tell Andrew he had to go back - I had forgotten all of my bottles (I haven't pulled this stunt since my first Ironman in 2012). Thankfully Andrew and Gary headed back to get the bottles (pre made in the fridge) while mom and I hung out in the heated building for a bit. It all worked out and I went to get my bike set up and when I was just about done they had returned with the bottles. We then headed over to the Infinite Mulitsport Club (mom's tri club) team tent to stash my bag and get my wetsuit on.<br />
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THE SWIM - 1.2 Miles - 37:48 - 26th<br />
I lined up with the 35-37 minute group and we were swiftly moving toward the water once the age group race started. I hit the water with a few dolphin dives and got into a good rhythm rather quickly. I felt great, was sighting well and passing some people while maintaining a draft for most of the swim. It took doing the North Shore Swim Series in Hawaii for me to appreciate the buoys and course markings Ironman uses for the swim course. It is so wonderful seeing right where you need to go and knowing pretty much exactly where you are on the course (the NSSS used like 2-3 buoys for a 2.5 mile swim). After hitting the 2nd turn buoy I was trying to pick up the pace to the finish but made a small sighting error that took me off course just a bit (I maybe lost 30s-1min). I exited the water feeling good and ready to hit the bike course.<br />
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T1 - 3:21<br />
I utilized the wetsuit strippers and then headed under the pedestrian tunnel to my bike. A quick pause to put shoes and helmet on before grabbing Rinster and hitting the bike course.<br />
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THE BIKE - 56 Miles - 2:37:23 - 1st AG (1st Amateur)<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-79NCPrYRLP4/XYlicMG0NHI/AAAAAAAAIes/KS22eq0cU6EaBgj9v_vAuqtWLC-5LISXwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_2505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-79NCPrYRLP4/XYlicMG0NHI/AAAAAAAAIes/KS22eq0cU6EaBgj9v_vAuqtWLC-5LISXwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_2505.JPG" width="179" /></a>This bike course had pristine pavement for 55 of the 56 miles. I'm talking fresh, smooth, blacktop. It<br />
was lovely. This bike course also had a 3 mile climb in the first 5 miles followed by rollers, that by car appeared to be such that I could likely carry momentum through them (similar to Chattanooga) and have a freakin glorious ride. Well let me tell you, these rollers were mostly momentum killers. lots of climbing, lots of pushing the descents. About 15 miles in I caught a man (here we go again) that tried to hop on my wheel. He'd hop on for a few minutes then pass me in which he's almost immediately slow down and I'd have to repass (FYI to the dudes, the reason it feels easy on my wheel is because you're drafting and saving 30% of your energy). I somewhat politely asked him to either drop back or go, but don't stay with me. He told me we were riding the same speed, after which I broke it to him I caught him from significantly further back and I'd appreciate it if he didn't mess with my race. He went away eventually (saw him on the run course where he made a comment of oh there's my DC Tri Friend, yup here I am, now 4 miles ahead of you, hiiiiii!). <br />
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We made the turn up M22 and then back right to start heading back towards Traverse City...holy headwind batman! Thankfully pretty much every long ride I do in Hawaii the 2nd half is into a fairly strong headwind. So I put my head down and focused on the power. I was thankful for the short out and back for a brief relief from the wind. The short out and back (maybe 2-3 miles out, then back to the main road) had a U-turn at the end of it. I went into the U-turn following one man with a man I had passed about a 1/2 mile back behind me. I took the turn carefully and was waiting for the straight away to pass the man in front of me - oh well the man behind us had other plans. Without any vocalization he cut inside on the apex of the U-turn and then swung out, cutting me off and running me towards the gravel shoulder in the process. Yes, I vocalized my displeasure. He apologized and said he owed me a beer as I rode off, I never saw him again. I dug in finished out the ride with an effort I was happy with, but I wasn't sure about the time. With this being a new course, and thinking it'd ride more like Choo I was thinking I'd ride in the 2:25-2:27 range. I kept reminding myself, if I'm riding a 2:37, everyone else is likely riding slower. Just keep on it. The last couple miles bring you down a nice descent and then a flat mile of a bit rougher pavement into transition. <br />
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T2 - 1:48<br />
Nothing special here, except that there was such a quick lead in after our last turn to the dismount line that I didn't yet have my feet out of my shoes on the bike, so I rant into T2 with shoes on. Not my usual MO, but it worked and thankfully I had a VERY short run to my bike rack. Helmet off, visor, sunglasses and sock/shoes and race belt on. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SFZQgUbTtRM/XYliS6NOwWI/AAAAAAAAIeo/aMF3aRy_V5o1VVsuAoE5E8vANjFENSYnQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_2541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="994" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SFZQgUbTtRM/XYliS6NOwWI/AAAAAAAAIeo/aMF3aRy_V5o1VVsuAoE5E8vANjFENSYnQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_2541.JPG" width="320" /></a>THE RUN - 13.1 Miles - 1:40:21 - 2nd AG<br />
I hit the run course and had a bit of difficulty getting my last Alt Red out of the little torpedo it was <br />
stored in. After shaking that around and hitting it against my leg enough it finally came loose and I could stop looking like a complete weirdo. I saw Andrew and my mom shortly into the run course and heard Andrew tell my I was 3rd and the girl in front of me was actually behind me by 2 minutes. I wasn't quite sure he he was telling me I was 3rd overall or 3rd age group, so I figured he must mean age group. I went out a bit fast for the first mile, but was able to reign it in and settle into a solid pace. The course had a couple hills along Boardman Lake, but those were over powered by the sheer amount of energy from the spectators all over the run course. After my first trip along the lake I saw Andrew and Rory again, this was where Andrew told me I was 3rd overall. This was also where I was starting to feel less than awesome. Hearing that I was 3rd overall lit a fire under my bum and I got to work. A short jaunt on the road to the turn around and then back up to the lake to do the horseshoe on the path. I got some caffeine in me and when I passed my Andrew and Rory around mile 10.5 I knew I was still 3rd overall and Andrew asked my to drop the pace by 20s. Holy crap, I thought, ok we've done this on my long training runs. I can do this, just get to work. I caught back up with a man who had passed me shortly before and ran on his hip up to the top of the last hill and final U turn before passing him for good. One man, around mile 11, wasn't happy with my passing him and even vocalized that I shouldn't pass so close - we're running dude, on a narrow path, with 2 way traffic in a race with 2500+ athletes, I'm not about to expend a bunch of extra energy, it's be easier to get around you if you'd just move to one side or the other.<br />
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The final leg back to town was fun, paved and a shaded road lined with spectators. I saw Andrew one more time and heard him say I had opened up the gap to 4th overall a little bit more. I was feeling good pushing the pace and held it down all the way to the line. It was so much fun getting to see so many friends, both old and new, along the race course. Friends I met in DC, friends from high school, athletes of mine, etc etc and of course having my family all over the course. I crossed the line thinking I had finished 3rd overall and 2nd age group.<br />
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<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CH-4RaKzdS4/XYlis2hjmnI/AAAAAAAAIe4/2yehYGNrPzUJEUqxFf4nro1RJF4Y4TpEgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_2540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="665" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CH-4RaKzdS4/XYlis2hjmnI/AAAAAAAAIe4/2yehYGNrPzUJEUqxFf4nro1RJF4Y4TpEgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_2540.JPG" width="230" /></a>THE FINISH<br />
The finish line is right downtown in front of the state theater and had a ton of crowd support. I was pretty tanked when I got there so the volunteers brought me a chair and gave me a cold water <br />
shower. My Mom and Gary were there, Rory was there and Andrew got there shortly after. We celebrated the 3rd overall finish and I even told Andrew that I was impressed with how fast my age group winner ran (she ended up 2nd in the AG). We shared some race stories with other IMTC finishers that had finished near me before making our way back to the village for food and massages. After food and massages and wiping down with some baby wipes before putting on clean clothes Andrew and I made our way back toward Ironman Village for awards and 70.3 Worlds slots. It was then that Andrew said something about me winning my age group, I was like Whhhatttt!? He said, "yeah you were 1st AG, 3rd overall amateur". Oh my, that's a fun surprise! He and I chatted a bit about what that meant and if I'd be taking a slot to Taupo for 2020 70.3 Worlds.<br />
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I did not go into this race intending to race for top 3 overall. I had told Andrew the night before that if I was in the top 5-6 overall off the bike to let me know, otherwise I just want to race for the age group win. It turns out the bike course at Traverse City was much more difficult than anyone really expected, which likely helped me immensely. I also pushed myself harder in this race than I have ever pushed in a 70.3 and dug into a place on the run that I can only hope to dig into more often, which was evidenced by the level of soreness I experienced the couple days after!<br />
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There's always things we learn from every race experience and this was no different. I wasn't unhappy with my swim, I'm working to get that down to a solid 34 consistently (and lower from there). I think the biggest thing this year is that my swimming was consistent across my 70.3s, in past years it's been all over the board, so at least there's that. We'll keep working - developing that catch, drafting every chance I get, and enjoying the process. <br />
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<br />Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-33960132372204622652019-07-12T00:48:00.004-04:002019-07-12T00:48:38.399-04:00Ah, Sure It'll Be Grand - Ironman Ireland 2019When Ironman Ireland was announced in 2018 I had no hesitations about registering. Years prior, I had said if there were ever a full in Ireland, I would do it. Amazingly a few DC friends also registered and we were all in for the inaugural Ironman Ireland 2019. I think registration open more than a year in advance of the race day - course maps weren't yet available. What we did know is that it would be a "rolling" 2 loop bike course with a steep climb on each loop, a cold Irish Sea Swim and a "flat" run.<br />
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Fast forward to the start of 2019 and thanks to my KQ at Ironman Chattanooga 2018 I knew Ireland could be a pressure free chance to gain more experience racing the distance. 2 of the 4 friends from our DC crew at the transfer or defer their registration so Heather and I started planning our trip. We were both lucky enough to bring our super sherpa mom's along for the adventure. My training cycle and build were pretty decent going in to the race. I had gotten a good confidence boost from my back to back 70.3 success in May, but I also knew that overall volume wise this IM training cycle was on the lower end and I had missed almost an entire high volume week due to illness.<br />
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PRE RACE<br />
I had quite a bit of travel leading into race week - drive DC -> Michigan, fly Detroit -> Toronto -> Dublin, drive from Dublin to Youghal in Cork County, Ireland. Thankfully the big drive to Michigan went very smoothly and I had quite a few days to relax and get organized before heading to Ireland. Once in Dublin, on Wednesday morning, we picked up our SUV rental car - which was definitely a mini van and tackled to task of driving on the left side of the road and driving from the right side of the car. That first trip to Youghal was just a tad stressful. On the motorway, just cruising, it was fine. When we stopped for lunch in a small town the roads were very narrow, people were parked any and every which way and some of the intersections were mind boggling with everything appearing "backwards. Mom and I made it to our BnB (Glen House BnB) mid afternoon. I was feeling good and energized so I headed out for a run while mom napped before dinner. The mid 50 degrees and cloudy weather was perfect running weather and I felt awesome checking out bits of our race course.<br />
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On Thursday we had a classic Irish breakfast before heading out to check out the swim course. Oh my goodness, that water was cold. I was in a full sleeve TYR Hurricane Cat 1 Wetsuit, neoprene cap <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8-OJHB9Inb8/XSgO-zJOTyI/AAAAAAAAIbE/S_Bj04LIusUbQW-IjIjLw2uXy90W0ukaACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8-OJHB9Inb8/XSgO-zJOTyI/AAAAAAAAIbE/S_Bj04LIusUbQW-IjIjLw2uXy90W0ukaACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1957.JPG" width="240" /></a>and neoprene booties. The sun was out and there were plenty of other swimmers testing out the water. We were lucky enough to have 3 buoys out and some lifeguards on paddle boards along the course. The first few minutes were tough, I knew one I got my face in that it would take a few minutes to get my breathing under control in the cold water. Once I was feeling good I swam out to one of the buoys and back for a total of 15 minutes of swimming. By the time I was getting out, I was pretty used to the water and confident if it was the current temp (54F) or any warmer I would be ok. Some of the women getting out weren't ok, people were uncontrollably shivering, soaked and unable to use their fingers. After leaving the beach we were able to go check into our AirBnb on the upper strand, which we would be staying in for the remainder of our time in Youghal. Our hosts were amazing and made sure we knew where everything was and helped us out with things like outlet adapters and tips for groceries, restaurants, etc in town. I got my bike built and headed out on a little cruise while we anxiously waiter for Heather and her mom to arrive before going to race check in. I had fun exploring the first 20k or so of the bike course. I got a little lost on my way back, but everyone in Ireland was so nice. An older gentleman could tell I was trying to figure out where to go and he pointed me in the right direction. While I was building my bike I got to meet our neighbor, Norma and her son John. They were absolutely amazing and we saw them a lot throughout race weekend. Everyone in Youghal was excited about the race and you could feel the energy building. The local residents were spending some of their time (if not most of their time) volunteering with race stuff and they were all excited to meet an athlete. Once back from my ride it was time to head to race check in! Our house was almost smack dab in the middle of Swim Start and the Finish Line (Athlete Village) so we set out on a nice walk to check in. We made it at the end of check in hours so it was not busy at all. We breezed through the check in process and picked up some Ironman Ireland swag in the store before heading back towards the house.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heather and I with our neighbor, and biggest fan, John.</td></tr>
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Friday was another swim, this time with Heather, and the water felt even colder. Once back from the swim we had planned on riding easy for a bit, but it took us almost 2 hours to get our feet to warm up before we could head out on our bikes. Aside from the water temperature the sea was lovely. Relatively little chop (less than many lakes I've swam in), somewhat clear water and jellies floating by, but nothing that seemed to sting. Once on our bikes I took Heather through town to have a go at Windmill Hill. Her decision to go with an 11-32 cassette for the year paid off as she cruised up the hill. We did a short out and back on the first section of the course after the descent from Windmill Hill - which took us right by our AirBnB. Once home, we headed into town to meet with the Mom's for lunch and do some more swag shopping, then hit the grocery store to get the necessary items for pre race dinner and big breakfast on Saturday.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comfortable and cute IM gear, well done.</td></tr>
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<br />Saturday was your usual pre race shenanigans. We had pancakes, eggs, and sausage for breakfast and then set out on foot to rack our bikes and drop our gear bags off. We decided to drive the bike course (thank you Heather for driving) and oh my. What we found were not what we would consider roads. Maybe cowpaths, driveways, multiuse path, etc would be a better name for some of what we would be riding on. There were roads that were no wider than Mt. Vernon trail and crazy rough, but they were all gorgeous. There were descents into hard turns, into climbs. There were steep climbs and less steep but longer climbs. There were towns almost every 10k that were excited and ready to cheer for us on the day. Signs hung, bikes painted, flag strung across mainstreet, I've never seen anything like it for Ironman. At one point we were so lost on what looked like it definitly wasn't part of the course a policeman came by, rolled down his window and said "Ironman? Follow me!" So we ended up with a police escort for about 20k, which made the route finding much less stressful! Once home, it was time for rest, relaxation, hydration, and topping off the energy stores.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super Sherpa Mom's!</td></tr>
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RACE DAY 6/23/2019<br />
We were up early (3:45am) to get in our pre race breakfast and make our way to transition for a 6:35am start time. It was pouring rain, it had been pouring rain for about 3 hours. The much anticipated storm was indeed blowing across the Irish Sea right into Youghal, on race day, nonetheless. Four meter swells were anticipated, and they didn't disappoint. Ironman had notified us the night before that the swim would be shortened/altered due to the cold water temperature and a final decision would be made by 6am race morning. Well 6am came and went and absolutely nothing had been said about the swim. Looking out at the sea you could sea the buoys that the swim course buoys were not even in place and the waves coming in were making it difficult for the water safety team to even get out onto the course. I took one look and told the man beside me, "if we were in the states there is no way they'd put people in that water". He replied with, "well this is Ireland and an inaugural event, there's no way they can cancel the swim". I headed into the open loo and enjoyed the few moments of being dry and out of the wind. Heather and I went back and forth, going into transition, sitting outside transition on the curbs with our Mom's, then trying to figure out if anyone was making any sort of announcement. Eventually, around 6:30am, word started getting around that the swim was cancelled and we all needed to be standing by our bikes by 7:20am to get into the change tent and prepare for a TT bike start. I'm no stranger to this methodology - 3rd times a charm or so they say. My 10th Iron distance race and 3rd with no swim. To say I was relieved that I didn't have to swim 2.4 miles in the angry Irish Sea is putting it lightly.<br />
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The Bike - 180km - 6:25:22<br />
I was cold standing in line to start the bike, but as soon as I crossed that timing mat the shivers disappeared and I was so happy to be racing. I dialed in the my effort and power as I knew heart rate might be funky with the cold and windy conditions. The first portion of the course was pretty fast and I was passing many of the 300 or so people that had started in front of me. The roads were completely closed to traffic, thank goodness considering how narrow some of them were. There were rough patches, that seemed to get a little rougher when covered in water, but it was gorgeous and it was an adventure riding on the left and passing on the right. After overbiking the crap out of the first <br />
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56 miles at IM Choo last fall my main goal was to hold back on the bike and nail my marathon. I was feeling great, eating, drinking and not cold at all. I had chosen to wear my Rudy Project Wing57 aero helmet with visor. This thing was awesome at Kinetic Half in May, I could barely tell I had anything on my head. It was awesome for a bit in Ireland until it just started to fog, and fog more and more and more, until I was peering out of a thin slit of unfogged visor at the very top. The rain and technicality of the bike course were difficult enough so I ripped the visor off, and not wanting to lose it, shoved it between my jersey and my sports bra. Shortly after this one woman flew by me, I was shocked and pretty much knew she was likely over biking so I let her go - noticing she was in my age group as she passed. I was confident I'd see her again. I made the hard right hand turn at Dungourney and was leap frogging with an Irish man who clearly didn't like being passed by a woman. I would pass him every downhill/flat section and he would come up absolutely mashing his pedals while standing on the uphills to pass me. As we made our way through Inch and toward one of the final descents before hitting Murphy's Hill I had moved right to pass him. As I completed my pass the dreaded sound happened - BOOM! - I knew instantly it wasn't his tire or the man behind him, it was mine. I was able to safely make my way to the left side of the road, into a pile of sandy dirt surrounded by waist to head height weeds. I calmed myself, reminded myself this would only take 5 minutes max, removed my front wheel and removed the tire and tube. I got the new tube in and as I was having trouble seating the tire back into the rim an official came by and offered help. He got the tire back on and I inflated with my CO2. Air was going in and everything was awesome, until, BOOM! Nooo, my spare tube just blew** (see note at end for further details). The official didn't have any spare tubes, so he was radio-ing in for a bike mechanic to come to the descent just after inch, as another guy came down and hit the same sharp object I hit, blowing his front tire as well. He only had one spare tube. As athletes wizzed by that I had passed miles and miles before hand I thought about throwing in the towel. A few athletes came by asking if I was ok, but with the descent they didn't stick around long enough to actually hear that I needed a tube. I knew Heather would be coming by as well and when I saw the DC Tri Club Elite Team Red, White, Blue and Yellow I raised my arms in joy. She promptly stopped and gave me her spare tube. I told Heather she should go, that this was her race too, and she insisted she stay and make sure I was ok. I was covered in dirt by this point, she looked down and saw the shredded tube and exclaimed how shocked she was by the appearance of the tube. We got the tube started and I then gave it to the official who was nice enough to finish the job and pump it with his hand pump that he had in the rear gear box of his motorcycle. Getting into his rear gear box was another adventure, since he was on a downhill, he couldn't get off his bike so Heather and I had to get into the box, which in the process we unlocked the entire thing from the bike. Thankfully Heather figured out how to reattach it before all was said and done. She noticed when she gave me her spare tube that she had lost the top to her QR speed box, and CO2 and likely whatever else was in there on top of the tube. 27 minutes, YES 27 minutes later, I was back on the road. I was on the road but my Garmin 500 bike computer was donezo. Turns out laying sideways in a downpour doesn't do good things for the screen. The computer would beep as if it were turning on, but nothing on the screen. Ok, no big deal, ride by feel and start you watch up so have a timer to help with fueling. I thought maybe I'd just ride with Heather for the rest of the 62 or so miles. As I made my way up the much under valued Murphy's Hill (not as steep as Windmill, but much longer) and back into town and up to Windmill Hill I started to think gosh I owe it to Heather and myself to actually keep racing - if she flats she's pretty much done - No tube, no CO2 and if I flat again, I'm likely done ( I did have another CO2 but wasn't confident in it seeing what happened the first time around).<br />
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Windmill Hill was bloody amazing. I've never seen anything like it in a triathlon. We approach windmill hill from a small residential road the runs perpendicular to the hill. We made a blind right turn and then wham, you were climbing, there were spectators 3-4 deep lining the entire 1/4 mile climb, an announcer, a drum line and beautiful arches at the top to signal the end of the climb (the steep part of it that is). The only thing that let you know you were approaching Windmill Hill was the increasing roar of the crowd as you made your way along the narrow residential street on approach. At times the crowd would come in so close I was slightly praying for a little push. I saw a couple athletes walking and a few in front of me also rode up. The chants from the crowd were amazing and with less then 20% of the race females they were ecstatic to see the women that were racing. They cheered for everyone like you were winning the whole thing! As I made the left hand turn at the true top of the climb I began the descent that would bring us right past our house for the long weekend. I was confident I would see the mom's there and try to relay the information that I had a flat and some back luck. The mom's indeed were there, problem is they were cheering so loudly I couldn't get a word in edge wise!<br />
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A quick stop at special needs as I was just about to start my 2nd loop. I grabbed one more bottle of osmo, restocked my Honey Stinger Waffle Supply, and lapped my watch so I'd have decent data for the 2nd loop, and took off, knowing I had work to do. I also took a moment to move my visor down around my hip - and it fit like a glove (so well I almost forgot to ditch it in T2). I passed a good amount of people that I had lost time to during my flat in the first 20k or so. The roads seemed to open up a bit and at times I felt as though I were riding alone. The crowds in each small town were just as awesome on the 2nd loop. People getting soaked to the bone, others staying dry in the tailgate of their SUVs or minivans, while others were hanging out doors/windows of shops or homes. At times the rain came down so hard it hurt my face. I was nervous about the descent after Inch where I had flatted during the 1st loop. I spent a good 15k or so before Inch thinking about my plan for the descent - stay left, as far left as possible. Heather rode the left edge of the road and was fine. Myself and the other man who flatted right after me were both riding right to make a pass. Thankfully when I got to the descent I was pretty much alone and there was plenty of space for me to stay left without having to slow down. Some fun curvy back roads led us to Murphy's Hill - still hard and seemed even longer the 2nd time around (maybe because I hadn't had a 27 minute break before going into it this time). My favorite sign on the bike course was on Murphy's Hill - Humpty Dumpty Had Wall Issues Too, as well as one of my favorite spectators. A man in a yellow poncho, sitting in a camping chair at the end of his driveway enjoying an Irish beverage. He was there just cheering, giving us energy and entertaining everyone that came by. After Murhpy's Hill I knew there was one test left - get up Windmill Hill one more time and then it's downhill for a couple miles into T2. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-48vjQuJkvek/XSgQOdFRh3I/AAAAAAAAIb8/wCjwJ_8uyBMHW6SY64BeAH2kDMugOs7lACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_2150.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-48vjQuJkvek/XSgQOdFRh3I/AAAAAAAAIb8/wCjwJ_8uyBMHW6SY64BeAH2kDMugOs7lACEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_2150.PNG" width="179" /></a>Windmill Hill was even more amazing the 2nd time around. Thanks to the crowd the path up had narrowed even more. There were 3 men in front of me and as the spectators saw a female coming up they started with their cheers of "Go Girl Go" and "Put the Men to Shame". One by one each man in front of me dismounted his bike and walked up - thankfully they were far enough ahead when they dismounted that it didn't cause me any issues. Sorry dudes, just had to chick you on that climb. The energy of the crowd definitely helped lift me up through the climb. It wasn't easy, the road was soaked, traction when standing was low and my legs were just a bit tired from the 110 miles I had already ridden (with approximately 6900 ft of climbing). The 22% grade is no joke, it was intimidating to look up at just standing at the bottom of the hill in the days leading up to the race. I can only thank my dear DC friends for going to ride SkyMass with me multiple times in the lead up to this race. 34r - though not as steep is much longer and probably the best training we could have gotten in/around DC to prepare for Windmill Hill.<br />
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T2 - 5:28<br />
One of my slower T2 times for Ironman, but relatively quick for T2 times at this race. Many people spent upwards of 20-30 minutes in T2 trying to warm up. I stripped off my latex gloves and arm warmers after racking my bike. Changed my socks and shoes, grabbed my nutrition and headed on out.<br />
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THE RUN - 42.2km - 3:51:28<br />
I came out of T2 with a small group of athletes - one other female and a few men. Our first stretch of boardwalk wasn't too unpleasant - light rain, some sand, and light wind but I held what felt like an easy pace and had to reign myself in a bit as I was actually running way too fast. As we made our way off the boardwalk and up lighthouse hill for the first time our group started splintering. I saw my mom on the right hand side and finally had a chance to run over and tell her that I had gotten a flat - apparently Andrew had already figured out that I likely flatted due to my bike splits that came through and the pictures he had seen of my kit still being in one piece. <br />
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As I made my way done lighthouse hill and past the finish line the crowds thickened and it was then that I realized I had a shadow. The other female I had run out of T2 with was on my shoulder like glue, and she was a local tri club member so it seemed like everyone knew her and cheered their faces off for her as she ran by. I soaked in the energy and enjoyed the company as I knew we weren't in the same age group. We made our way down to the turn around and back through town to run back up lighthouse hill (I got to see Alistair making his way down the red carpet to his first Ironman victory and Kona qualification as I was running) and along the back entrance to transition to claim our colored wrist band for each lap. I was feeling strong, fueling consistently and not bothered a bit by the weather. It was perfect running weather in my opinion.<br />
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Loop 2 was more of the same. I still had a shadow, the crowds erupted for her, and I was nailing my fueling plan like a champ. I surprised a volunteer when I got a cup of cold water and threw it on my face. It felt great! As we made our way towards the run turn around Mary, my shadow, started showing signs of tiring. We had passed a few of her friends and they were telling her she was 2nd in her age group and to just stick with me. She responded with something along the lines of I'm trying but my legs are getting very tired. Been there, done that, tired around mile 9/10 of an Ironman marathon makes for a tough 16 more miles. As we made our way back up lighthouse hill (mind you, you will run up this hill 9 times - so the course is not flat - like Maryland flat - it's mostly flat. It just has one hill...that you run up 9 times!) Mary fell off my shoulder. I was somewhat relieved to just be on my own for a bit. As I came around for the start of loop 3 the wind had picked up a ton along the board walk. It was a tough head wind exaggerated by the sand blowing in your face. Back up lighthouse hill and then down and out to the run turn around. Still feeling strong, kicking along and loving the growing crowds along the entirety of the run course. The most barren place was the boardwalk, but the energy of starting a new lap and people coming out of T2 helped liven up that stretch. As I was finishing loop 3 I started having that feeling that I needed to go to the bathroom. It would come and go, and had I been racing for a place or a slot at this point I probably could have held it. Knowing there were at least 5 amateur women ahead of me I made the choice to stop by a porta potty at mile 19. It was the best 75 seconds of my day. Dry, stomach felt better and I was looking forward to running again. Sorry to whomever when in there after me, as I blew that thing up, but it was well worth it.<br />
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I claimed my 3rd wrist band and headed out for the 4th and final complete loop. My legs were tired, I was hitting the caffeine hard and I knew I would be ok - legs just seemed to not want to bend quite as much and my glutes were tired. I started feeling some small rubbing on my left heel but didn't think much of it. All to be expected I suppose. One last time through the run turn around and I knew I was on my way home. Dry clothes and warm food would be waiting for me. Lighthouse hill was feeling pretty big that last 2 times up it - yup that 4+ loops includes one more trip up lighthouse hill after completing the 4th loop. It make for a wonderful downhill finish. I was running near 2 other man as we crested the hill for the last time - one man sped up so I let him go, the other just kept near me so I sped up in order to each have our own 15 seconds of glory on the red carpet. There's nothing quite like an Ironman Finish line with Mike Reilly on the mic, especially an inaugural Ironman backed by the entire local town. It was an amazing experience so I took a moment to take it all in and enjoy my finish.<br />
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I made my way to the indoor food tent and it was great. The volunteers were amazing, upon entering I was asked if I'd like a massage, I responded yes and was led to a table. I was wrapped in a mylar blanket, given hot tea, pizza and a dry t-shirt (my race shirt) all while I was on the massage table. The massage therapist had me flip on my stomach and promptly said "Oh, no. I'll clean that up for <br />
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you and then you'll need to go to medical". I had no idea what she was talking about, but ok. The message was great, the pizza was delicious and the warm tea was superb. After finishing the massage I took a look at my left heel and oh my dear god, my shoe looked like a murder scene. Let's just say I'm glad I didn't feel that.<br />
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Finish and Post Race Thoughts - 10:22:18<br />
This is not a fast course, not a PR course unless the only other races you've done are maybe Lanzarote and Wales. The feedback I've heard from people who have done both Wales and Ireland is that Ireland is a tougher course, so take that as you will. I used to dislike "tough" courses - I just wanted to go fast and PR every race. This was the first time I can honestly say I truly enjoyed the challenges the difficult course and the day threw at me. It was everything I've trained for - physically, mentally, emotionally, etc. More than 1000 athletes did not start on race morning that were registered, a whopping 37% of women that started the race did not finish. Those are crazy statistics. It speaks volumes to all those who persevered through that day. I went into this race with a somewhat silent goal of going top 3 amateur. I knew the fitness was there and that if I controlled what I could I would be in the race for a top 3 spot. I ended up 7th amateur overall, and 4th AG (30-34 ladies killin' it at Ireland!) just 25:18 behind 3rd amateur female (remember those 27 minutes I spent on the side of the road - doh). I was bummed for a bit about my flat fixing failure** that kept me sidelined for so long, more importantly I was so freakin' thankful to have an amazing best friend and teammate that stopped her own race without hesitation to help me get back on the road. I'll let you all check out @ironvet's blog post when she writes it, she had a great day despite freezing on the bike. <br />
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I would hands down do this race again. The people of Youghal were nothing short of Amazing. The course is challenging - it will be a cold sea swim, the bike will not be fast - you have to be smart, strong, and willing to adapt and the run course is 42.2km with 9 hills and lots of flats. The course rewards those who are smart and patient. It's unlikely that Youghal will have another weather day as poor as on race day 2019 but there's always a chance. That being said the days on each side of race day were picture perfect this year. Personally for me I perform well in the cold/rain so I wouldn't mind similar conditions, though they make for one heck of a clean up job post race! I realized after this race that the success and joy is in the challenge and the journey, and this race was challenging. Sure every Ironman is challenging, but some are more predictable than others, and Ireland was not predictable one bit. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner with our neighbors (John and his parents)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post race with neighbor, John.</td></tr>
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**I know you're all wondering what those asterik's were about. Well let me tell you I was the luckiest girl on the Emerald Isle that day. In my haste to change my tired (and the torrential down pour) I failed to notice, as did the official who change the 2nd tube, that I had actually blown my sidewall of my tired. It looked as though someone had scored my tire with a razor blade and then boom at one point the sidewall had a whole in it. I'm not sure what I hit, I know it was likely the same thing the man who came down shortly after me hit, and I surely hope someone swept the rode and that it didn't claim anyone else's front tire. Had I known my sidewall was blown I would have attempted to support it with a gel wrapper and been a nervous wreck riding another loop on those roads. Probably best I didn't know, but a DAMN MIRACLE that tube held through another loop. I discovered the blown out sidewall once I returned to the states and put my bike on the trainer - my bike was sitting on the trainer - I touched the handle bar and the front tube blew again. It was then that I knew something was up and sure enough I found it. So I'm not quite as bummed about my CO2 failure - just that much more thankful for Heather and the official that helped save my day. <br />
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A VERY special thank you to friend and teammate, Heather Prochnow. There's not a lot of people in this world or sport that would have done what you did. The sport is lucky to have you, DC Tri Elite team is lucky to have you and I'm blessed to call you one of my best friends (now get to Hawaii to visit already!). I am so proud of the day you put together despite all your challenges, you'll get to Kona - it's coming for you. And another very special thank you to both my mom and Heather's mom for being super Sherpa's all week long. Thankfully they had an awesomely located home base on race day to dry clothes and what not, but they didn't miss a beat when we were coming through town on the bike or run. And they were up with us in the downpour at transition all morning. Best travel partners and race sherpa's ever!<br />
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Thank you to DC Tri Elite Team - for pushing me, challenging me, and changing me. Thank you to our sponsors - Osmo Hydration, Gu Energy Labs, Louis Garneau, Rudy Project, and DC Triathlon Club. Thank you to my sponsors AltRed and Honey Stinger Nutrition. Huge thanks to my coach Kim! And a big big thanks to my love Andrew! I am currently writing this blog from our new home in Hawaii - quite different than Ireland! Now this truly is the Road2Kona and I have the biggest and best supporter I could ever ask for.<br />
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<br />Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-17862284335010169852019-01-25T20:35:00.001-05:002019-01-25T20:35:27.461-05:00Ironman Chattanooga 2018 Race ReportFlat out...I was in it to win it. I was going into this race fit, confident, and hungry to claim a slot to the 2019 Ironman World Championship. I was coming off of the excitement of winning Michigan Titanium as I went into my final build block for this race - patience paid off and my body came around in time to get a couple weeks of quality work in. Andrew was on the road for work for the majority of September - which means less deliciously cooked for me meals, but no less support. I can't even begin to explain how supportive this man has been from day one. Early on while we were dating he asked me what my goals for the year were. Without hesitation I told him "win Michigan Titanium and punch my ticket to Kona at IM Choo". He never doubted me or even brought up 'what if I didn't achieve those things' - he 100% devoted himself to supporting me to achieve them, whilst training for his first Ironman. Anyways, back to IM Choo 2018.<br />
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PRE - RACE<br />
We left Wednesday after work and drove about 4 hours before staying at a hotel for the night. We woke up and hit the road on Thursday morning - arriving in time to get in some easy workouts, check-in and relax in the afternoon. Unfortunately, after hearing murmers of a swim cancellation on Wednesday, I heard "officially" on Thursday that there would be no swim. Yes, I was bummed since I was ready for a current assisted swim PR - but let's be honest, no one does Chatt to set themselves apart on the swim. I shrugged it off and was thankful I did MiTi the month before in order to get in a full 140.6 swim, bike, run. <br />
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On Friday we moved into the house we had rented with the DC Tri crew. This was the first time I'd stay in a house with friends while racing an Ironman. It was great, I'd do it again in a second. It was laid back, supportive and exciting with friends racing their 1st, 2nd and returning to Ironman after a few year hiatus. Not to mention our super sherpas in Ron and Andrew. Some shake out work on Friday on the bike and run and then settled in and had a relaxing night starting to pack gear bags and prepare the bike for drop off on Saturday.<br />
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PRE-RACE SATURDAY<br />
BIG BREAKFAST. That's really all you need to know. Aretha Frankenstein's is where it is at, and yes it is true, the blueberry pancake is at Aretha Frankenstein's is one reason I chose to go back to Chattanooga. After big breakfast I did some final gear bag prep and then headed to drop off while Andrew headed out on his last long ride before IM Louisville. We also got word that we would be starting the bike in TT format based on bib # - thank gosh for AWA and bib #250. <br />
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I was lucky enough to be able to visit with my cousin's on Saturday afternoon for a bit and just chill out. No worries, Sunday was going to be like every other training day. Nail the heart rate, nail the power and be confident in my training and race plan. Once Andrew was done with his ride we packed it up and headed back to the house for a nice evening with friends...and sorting out Garmin issues with Angela :)<br />
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RACE DAY SUNDAY<br />
Early morning wake-up - but not as early as most Ironman races! Due to the cancelled swim we got about an extra hour of sleep in the morning. It was great. The race day vibe was a little different as people were all about and in and out of transition getting ready for the day - which would still be great than 140.6 thanks to the lovely 116 mile bike course at Chattanooga. After getting everything set up I found mom, Andrew, and Gary and we camped out near the port o potts. As the time was nearing I realized I forgot my Turbine (nasal dilator) but thankfully had previously thought ahead and packed the non sport version in my transition bag for just this type of scenario. <br />
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I headed into transition and soon the line started rolling. 2x2 athletes went off. Since Ironman is 70-75% male dominated I was surrounded by mostly males, who were also AWA. Now AWA can mean a couple things - either you did really/pretty well in 1-2 races or you race A LOT and just got points that way. Either way the egos were out and big!<br />
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THE BIKE - 116 miles - 5:18:48<br />
I was thankful that I had practice in this situation at Ironman Maryland in 2016. I knew my HR might be crazy high at first from the adrenaline hit of starting on the bike. And high it was! I headed out holding goal power and let me HR start to settle down and settle into it. It felt easy and there were packs forming - so I stepped on it a bit. I knew there were some girls that I'd be competing with not far ahead based on their bib numbers. Just over 10 miles in a passed a pack of 4 ladies, at least 2 of whom were in my age group. I nicely looked over and said respect the rules as I passed by. I was yo-yoing with a couple men who were absolutely horrible at riding their momentum on the rolling hills. Before the 20 mile mark I came up on another very strong athlete from my age group. There was a man in front of me that as he passed her slowed to exchange a couple words with her - as I passed she was looking over at him saying she didn't want to be doing this today. It was a great confidence booster for me and I used that motivation to keep me going on the first loop. As my first 28 mile split came in I knew my power was too high to sustain for the full 116 and I needed to keep my HR in check for the hilly run. I rolled through special needs and unfortunately had to wait a bit longer and yell a bit more than ideal to get my bag brought to me. As I got rolling again I rolled through Chikamauga and got a nice pick me up and some info from Ron and Andrew. A small climb, descent and left hand turn to start loop 2.<br />
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I knew by this time I was very near the front of the female race. I backed off a bit because I knew I wanted to finish the bike course strong. The headwinds picked up and the majority of people I began passing were those still on loop 1. I rode most of loop 2 alone with the occasional pass or passerbys of a group of drafting men. I kept the nutrition in, the HR in check and let the power do what it needed to do to not blow up my HR. It was getting warm, warmed than the weather predictions had stated. I made one more pass of a woman as we rolled in during the final couple of miles and another final pass at the dismount line...boom! haha.<br />
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T2 - 2:19<br />
A quick run in to the change tent to put on my run shoes, visor, and race belt before hitting the run course. <br />
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THE RUN - 26.2 Miles - 4:08:23<br />
I felt good and I knew the run course would be lonely for the first lap. Due to the flooding of the river more of the run course was diverted onto the wide open industrial highway - not may favorite part but it was ok. As I was running in the concrete desert I heard my name and some yelling - I looked across the 5-6 lanes of road and there on the other side was Andrew, on a bike share bike - yelling "you've got a 20 minute lead on your AG. Keep your pace and you got this!" Alright, I'm pretty darn good, I know this course and I've been running well. A mile or so later I got passed my Matt Russel - who then stopped in a porto potty and I passed him - and then he passed me again. I got to see the front of the male pro race play out as it passed by me. Including Snapple and Virginia local Adam Otsot near the end of my first loop and near the end of his marathon. During the small section where we overlapped on the concrete desert I was able to see both Paige and Courtney looking strong and solid.<br />
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Finishing my first loop and coming in to special needs I still felt pretty good. I took my 5 hour energy and saved it for a few miles later as I headed back out onto the concrete desert. Near mile 17 Andrew appeared on his bike share bike again - this time the news wasn't so good. I was getting run down and my lead had widdled down close to 2 minutes and my pace was slowing. The first round of hills had taken it out of me. I held on, I found a running partner who was doing his first IM and I told him I had to get my ass to the finish line fast and punch this ticket to Kona. Near mile 23, uphill, it happened. She had bright green on and I couldn't miss her. I knew she had started in front of me (bib #) so I tried to just keep her in sight, but she had a motor and got up that hill and out of sight so fast. It was a great pass and I knew at this point I needed to finish strong and as fast as I could. Up, down, Up, and down and across the bridge and into the finish line. Oh that finish line felt good, the temps had gotten into the 90s and people were suffering out there. It wasn't my best IM marathon, or even my 2nd best, but it was my best on the day. I probably overbiked - and maybe backing off 5 minutes on the bike would have gotten me another 10-15 minutes back on the run. You never know. What we did know was that I was 2nd in my AG and that it was going to be a close call as to if F 30-34 would get 1 or 2 Kona slots. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best Finish Line Catcher in the Sport - My Momma!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Midnight Finish Line</td></tr>
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POST RACE<br />After some chicken broth and massage I got cleaned up and headed back out to cheer in Angela and find Courtney and Paige. We shared our crazy stories from the day and Angela and I headed to get her cleaned up and get a pizza before the midnight finish line. I was happy with my overall race and I knew I just needed to cross my fingers and know that if my AG only had one slot we would be the first to get a re allocation.<br />
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Sunday morning - awards and Kona Slot allocation. We did the usual pro awards and age group awards. Took pictures with Courtney, Angela and Paige, took more pictures yada yada. Sat through the race video and the volunteer video - all the while just wanting to know if I was headed back to the Big Island. After a 30 minute or so break before the official start time of slot allocation it was finally time. And guess what...the very first announcement was that there was a re allocation from the oldest female and that slot would be going to F 30-34. Yes I shrieked and I shed a tear or two. I was so damn happy and excited. I was going back to Kona!<br />
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We celebrated that night with tacos, margaritas, and ice cream as our time in Choo came to a close. Tuesday morning everyone headed out and Andrew and I were in for one long drive from Chatt to Arlington. Our road trip was great and every hour spent in the car getting to and from races with him in 2018 was great - at times we were both sad when the road trips came to an end, but not that sad as we were usually getting hangry. Once home it was time for sherpa duties, cyclocross and planning for 2019 :) <br />
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Special thanks to those who have supported me from the start and those who put their hearts into helping make my dreams a reality. Thank you to Andrew, Mom, Gary, Rory and Kara - hopefully we can have a strong sherpa squad in Kona 2019! Thank you to DC Tri Club and the DC Tri Elite Team and all of our sponsors - Louis Garneau, Osmo Nutrition, Honey Stinger, Rudy Project, xx2i Optics, District Taco, Rose Physical Therapy Group and also to UltraGrain, SBR Sports Inc, AltRed, and HaloSport. Looking forward to building on the momentum of 2018 for 2019!<br />
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<br />Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-41384422019844358222018-09-09T19:21:00.002-04:002018-09-09T19:21:31.906-04:00You Shoot Me Down, I Won't Fall...I AM TITANIUM. MiTi 140.6 Race ReportWhen I found out about Michigan Titanium (MiTi) I knew I wanted to race. Race day would fall on August 19, 2018 - the day that would have been my dad's 65th birthday. It was only a couple hours from my hometown, registration was very affordable, and there was prize money, now I just needed to figure out what race to do! One of the great things about MiTi is that almost any variation of triathlon is available to race - Triathlon, Duathlon, Aquabike - and all of those races are available at 3 different distances - Full Iron, Half Iron, and Olympic distance. I knew my late season goal race of 2018 was going to be Ironman Chattanooga, I knew my heart wanted to race the full but I was weary that I might trash my legs before Chat. I sat on it for a couple of weeks and decided to go for it, knowing that my history plays in my favor. My 2nd full of the year, on the 2 occasions that I've done 2 in one year, have been my best executed fulls. Also, MiTi was almost 2 years to the day of IM Mont Tremblant while IM Choo would be almost 2 years to the day of IM Maryland (the double I did in 2016 that got me a KQ). And that was that - let's get on with this race report!<br />
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PRE-RACE - FRIDAY<br />
Andrew and I rolled into Grand Rapids Friday afternoon. We got checked into the hotel, took some things inside and got ready to do a little shake out bike/run. We actually had a nice loop near the hotel with minimal traffic that was perfect for a shake out ride. I felt good, the cooler temps and lower humidity were very much appreciated. Once we were done shaking out and feeling good we got cleaned up and headed into downtown GR with Mom and Gary for some dinner. This is my first time since my first Ironman that I stayed in a hotel. I usually prefer AirBnB during IM week so that I can cook my foods and keep my routine as close to normal as possible. The hotel worked out great and wasn't too far from the race site or race check in at the YMCA.<br />
<br />PRE-RACE - SATURDAY<br />
We woke up and met up with the crew at Anna's House for BIG BREAKFAST. If you're in Michigan and looking for a good breakfast I highly recommend this place. They were perfect for big breakfast and for some lighter fare for those in our group who wouldn't be racing 140.6. After breakfast we headed to the race site for the practice swim. Water temp was announced at 78.0 and wetsuit legal. I happily donned my wetsuit and went off to follow Andrew's feet. I felt awesome, swam well, swam fast and was feeling confident for the following day.<br />
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Mid-Day we headed over to the YMCA for packet pickup. The entire gymnasium was set up for the race - including the expo, packet pickup and a curtained off section for the athlete meetings. Packet pickup seemed to start earlier than originally planned due to athletes arriving early and seemed a bit disorganized for the first bit (small thing but definitely noticeable in that the volunteers doing check in didn't have time to go over all that needed to be gone over - including giving full athlete's their transition bags). Athlete meeting was good and actually "mandatory" in that you had to attend in order to get your blue athlete wrist band that allowed you access to transition in the AM. After the meeting we checked out the expo portion, grabbed some sandwiches and headed back to the hotel.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VY5SgGHNrkY/W5Wd7G1TtVI/AAAAAAAAILY/klBNi4JuZLkMwdvYNNgGjXUpnEOegQMngCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VY5SgGHNrkY/W5Wd7G1TtVI/AAAAAAAAILY/klBNi4JuZLkMwdvYNNgGjXUpnEOegQMngCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_0437.JPG" width="240" /></a>Kara helped me pack my transition and special needs bags. She's pretty much become a pro at it after helping and watching my do it over the years. Once the bags were packed and bottles were full, Andrew and I went over to the race site to rack our bikes. We were able to grab a close and easy parking spot, get the bikes rack, walk through transition and get outta there in time to drive the bike course before dinner. Now, on paper, the bike course doesn't look bad. 3,500ish feet of climbing <br />
over 112 miles. Less climbing than on my usual Saturday long ride route and much less than Kona, Tremblant, Placid, etc. There was talk of newly paved roads on the Facebook group. The 3500 feet of climbing was spread out in such a way that I never really felt like I was on a flat. I was either going up or down. Sadly, the new pavement appeared to be new chip seal. I guess this is better than torn up, pot hole covered concrete but I was hoping for fresh smooth black top. Such is life, everyone would have to deal with it.<br />
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After driving the bike course we headed back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner. Met up with the entire crew for a pasta filled dinner before retiring for the night.<br />
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RACE DAY - MORNING<br />
Usual morning routine - wake up, eat the traditional Apple Sauce, Banana, Osmo Protein Powder breakfast and down a bottle of Osmo Active. Pulled the hydration bottles out of the fridge and distributed them to there proper bags, got the race day braid in the hair and hit the road. We used the athlete parking lot and caught the shuttle to transition. It was simple and easy and I'd definitely do that again. <br />
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Once at transition I took my bike over to the mechanics to top off the tires with air, loaded her up with nutrition and hydration, and ran through the brakes/gears to make sure all was well. Calibrated my power meter and made a couple obligatory port a potty stops before heading out of transition to chill on the bleachers near the finish line. This was the most calm I've felt before a full - and I think with the contrast of my last full being Kona the difference was stark. I was calm, I was at ease. There was a buzz in the air and energy, but not a crazy-nervous-media-covered event type of energy. Nothing left to do but execute and see where the cards fall. <br />
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Water temperature was announced at 78.0 again, and wetsuit legal. I was thrilled and donned my wetsuit excitedly. As the sky lightened and go time neared I made my way to the water after morning hugs and good luck wishes from my crew.<br />
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THE SWIM - 2.4 Miles - 1:23 (1st AG 30-34, 10th OA)<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kqa7W5bPe1Q/W5WZ4yB8xZI/AAAAAAAAIKg/hax8xg9CnyY-exVl4Jf3argVEZlmBUY7QCLcBGAs/s1600/39514876_1445748252236602_2841134584429543424_o%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kqa7W5bPe1Q/W5WZ4yB8xZI/AAAAAAAAIKg/hax8xg9CnyY-exVl4Jf3argVEZlmBUY7QCLcBGAs/s320/39514876_1445748252236602_2841134584429543424_o%2B2.JPG" width="214" /></a>So much to say about this. I position myself near the front, on the buoy line. Confident I would be able to have a strong swim. The water was calm, the buoys were easy to sight and I was feeling good. I swam in a pack for most of the 1st loop and I was through the 1.2 mile mark on pace for my goal time (1:13). Once we neared the orange turn buoy that marked the start of our 2nd lap it seemed <br />
like people started swimming multiple directions. Some straight towards the line of site buoys for the 2nd lap, some towards the finish and a couple of us towards the actual turn buoy. As I started my 2nd lap I was still with 2 men that I'd been trying to swim with/near then a couple buoys in they were gone. I made my way down and around and eventually to the back 1/2 of the 2nd loop. I got too comfortable and super warm and slowed waaaaayyy down until a pack of people caught me a few hundred yards from the finish. I pulled my head outta my bum and swam it in with them. <br />
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Looking at this after the fact I would never wear my wetsuit in 78 degree water again for a full. It was way too warm. It dawned on me during my 2nd loop that I wouldn't be in a wetsuit if this were Ironman (and I shouldn't be in one now). If I had to do this over I'd wear my speedsuit or even a pair of buoyancy shorts (that I don't own) but probably the perfect situation to wear those. <br />
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T1 - 3:39 - (1st OA)<br />
I utilized the wetsuit strippers before making my way into T1 to grab my gear bag and hit the change tent. There was 1 female finishing up in the change tent as I came in, much more empty than I'd expected it to be given my not great swim time. As I was departing a small group of women were headed in and I overheard them discussing the swim distance they got...2.7 miles! Well at least I'll forget about my crappy swim time...<br />
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THE BIKE - 112 Miles - 5:24:38 (1st OA)<br />
I was off on the bike and ready to get to work. The skies were overcast, the temps ideal. I dialed in my heart rate and power and started hydrating like a maniac to replenish fluids from the hot swim. The first 10-12 miles were on a rolling, gradual uphill. I was catching many people here including duathletes (started at 8am), aquabikers, and full triahletes and maybe even some Olympic Distance athletes. Thankfully we were easily identifiable with tattooed markings on our calf for our race and different colored bike # stickers based on race. About 20 miles in I had to pee - earlier than usual but ok, I guess I've replenished the fluid. But then it never stopped - I was peeing every 20-30 minutes. I backed off on hydration because it got uncomfortable and annoying to be going that much. Out to the loop around so Western Michigan farmland before heading back in to complete the first loop of 56 miles. The newly paved road turned out to be chip seal, which was fine, just annoying. There weren't any real big climbs just more of a constant undulating up and down that never really allowed me to get into my rhythm completely. As I was making my was back towards the turn around after coming off the loop I started picking off some more full triathletes. At one point a spectator told me I was 2nd female. I took his info with a grain of salt because I didn't know how closely he was paying attention to what races people were in, but either way I least this let me know I was near the front. A few mile later I made the pass for first. There apparently was an aquabiker or 2 still ahead of me, but not to worry about them. They aren't in this for the long haul. As I came in to the turn around and special needs I heard Rory and Kara cheering! I made my usual quick stop at special needs to replenish my Osmo hydration bottles and restock my Honey Stinger waffle supply. While I was refilling I heard Rory and Kara cheering and asking how I was feeling, I responded "Great!" and was off on my bike as I heard Kara tell me to go get the Thousand Bucks. I then pondered what they would have done if my response would have been "shit" when they asked how I was feeling. Haha, at least it kept me entertained for the next 20 miles or so.<br />
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Shortly after the turn as I was headed back out I saw Andrew headed in for the 1/2. He was looking strong and smiling. Out on lap 2 I started to feel like my saddle had slipped down. I was not feeling as powerful on the climbs and my hips just felt real low. Nothing I could do about it so I focused on my posture and for and just kept at it. Then my heart rate started dropping. I was eating, I was drinking (again) and my power was staying the same but down goes my HR. Similar to what happened in 2016 at Mont Tremblant (also a race where I couldn't stop peeing and I was on my period for both of these races). Granted Mont Tremblant had illness, bike mechanical, etc but nothing I did kept my HR up where it should be. I decided not to worry about it since I was able to hold my power. Around the loop, through the manure and through the aide stations, back past the old people cheering mid course and finally to the main road. As I made it to mile 84 I was mentally ready to be off the bike - I was no longer very comfortable due to the saddle and rough roads and we now had full sun. Gone were the overcast skies and cool temps. Things were heating up and quickly! The temperature had gone from 70 at the beginning to 73 by 3.5 hours in to 80 by the 4 hour mark and 88 by the time I was dismounting my bike. As I approached mile 110 there weren't anymore cyclists in sight - behind me, in front, etc. I was alone and just working to bring this thing in and run. I saw to motorcyclists sitting off in a driveway on the left side of the road. They pulled out in front of me which I thought was weird since I was literally the only one in sight - vehicle or bike! One moto was wear a rider instructor shirt and the others shirt said something about a motorcycle school on the back. I figured they were just out for a lesson and enjoying the otherwise low trafficed roads. They seemed to slow up and I was figuring out how I was going to pass them if need be - they were riding <br />
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side by side - is there room on the shoulder for me to pass right? But passing right seems wrong, but to pass left puts me almost on the double yellow. I saw one guy looking his mirror and gradually speeding up to match my speed. As we approached the road closed section he gave me a hand motion to move left and this is when I realized - "Oh they're part of the race and escorting me back to T2 because I'm in the lead! Sweet". We made the left hand turn onto the main drag and I saw my mom and one of my sweet best friends jumping up and down and screaming as I came in with my moto escort. <br />
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T2 - 1:50 (1st OA)<br />
I quick run in after my flying dismount and handed the bike off as a volunteer grabbed my T2 bag off the rack for me. I changed my shoes, switched out my helmet for a visor, snapped on my race belt downed some water and got some ice before heading outta there.<br />
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THE RUN - 26.2 Miles - 4:11:12 (1st OA)<br />
As I made the turn out of the park and onto the main road my lead bike escort joined me - not a moto this time, just a normal bike. I had convinced my brother to volunteer for this role a couple weeks before the race, so yes my bike escort just so happened to be my brother. The energy was contagious and I felt awesome starting out on the run. Andrew was there and let me know what he thought my lead was on 2nd place. I tried to settle down and take water and ice at every aid station and keep with my fueling plan. The run course was out and backs or "laps" as I'll call them. The first lap was fun, I was picking off a ton of half athletes, and enjoying having a bike escort. The back half of the lap was shaded which was much appreciated. There were some wild and crazy fans about midway down on the lap. The aid station volunteers were attentive and helpful in giving me what I needed as I called it out while approaching the station. The long part of each lap was more rolling than I'd expected. The course map made it look like we'd be along the water which I thought would be flat, haha, we weren't quite and never had a view of the water. We made our way back toward the park and around the turn around cone where my crew was cheering and ready to give me more info. My lead was growing and I was looking solid, or so they said. I had the opportunity to get into my special needs bag at this <br />
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time but chose to make myself only access it 1x (near the 13.1 mile mark) to better simulate Ironman. I still felt good during lap 2 - continued with ice and water and started taking soda at every aid station. The course now had more full athletes on it and some 1/2 athletes still out there. I was able to get a glimpse of the women in 2nd and 3rd and cheer them on during the out and back. As we made our way back to the turn around cone near the park I let my bike lead know I was stopping at Special Needs. I had the info that my lead had continued to grow and knew I had time to grab my refill of chews and a small bottle of Osmo mix. I attempted to grab some cold water from the special needs table on my way out...unfortunately it wasn't water. It was luke warm pickle juice. I promptly spit it all back out and said "what the f*ck was that?" as I ran off. Lap 3, not feeling as awesome, legs felt more like I was at mile 20 than 13. Just kept my head in it and kept on moving forward but knew that I didn't need to dig deep as those behind me were slowing even more. I also knew I had to do this again in Chattanooga 5 weeks later. 88 degrees was hot for a marathon especially after 112 on the bike. As I made my way back toward the park to make my final turn around for lap 4 I was excited but also ready to be done! Now that the 1/2 athletes were off the course the crowds were thinning out a bit. I made my way down the long stretch of road and got another glimpse of 2nd place...I was putting in huge time still and decided at mile 22 to just use a port a potty and be comfortable for the last bit. I was also feeling horrible for how slowly my brother was having to ride a bike, hahaha. AS we got to mile 25 the two motos joined us for the final 1.2. OMG I though they were going to tip over trying to ride slow enough to escort me. As was made the final right turn back onto the main road that led to the park I started to let myself believe it. I was going to break the tape, I'd thought about it, I wanted it, I'd even dreamt about it, but 140.6 is a long way to go and it seldom goes perfectly. The moto's peeled off, my bike escort peeled off and I made the final right hand turn into the park and had the finish chute all to myself.<br />
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FINISH TIME - 11:05:10 (1st OA)<br />
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It wasn't a PR and it wasn't what I know I'm capable of but given the conditions of the day it was a great day. Overall I loved the experience at MiTi and if it fits into my schedule in the future I will likely go back. Like I said earlier, given the conditions I would never choose to wear a wetsuit in 78 degree water again. I also think being prepared for what the bike course consists of (and not having a slipping seat post) would be a huge advantage for this course. Just knowing times will be slower than a smooth 112 across the board. Having the opportunity, as an amateur, to have lead motos, a bike escort, break the tape and take home money is rare these days. All of the event staff were great and communicative and working with much less man power than the big brand. Given that, I'd say they manage to pull of a great day. One of my biggest suggestions would be to have a proper awards ceremony in the evening. As the top overall females we had to find each other and help ourselves to the podium for pictures. When my crew asked if they were going to do awards they said no, just go to the awards table and collect your award. Thankfully, the other 2 ladies were hanging around and once we all approached the podium the man in charge of awards did a small announcement/ceremony for us. <br />
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Thank you to everyone who made this race and journey possible. Thank you most of all to my amazing family and friends that were there to cheer me in person and from afar. Thank you to DC Triathlon Club, The DC Tri Club Elite Team and all of our sponsors including TaveKaan, Louis Garneau, District Taco, Osmo Hydration, Honey Stinger, Rudy Project, xx2i optics, Xterra Wetsuits and to SBR Sports Inc, AltRed, and Rose Physical Therapy Group. Huge thank you's to Fuel Your Passion Coaching and to Andrew who raced a phenomanal 70.3 and then was the best sherpa, info relayer, stuff gatherer, and support man ever.<br />
<br />Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-19714843056134043112018-07-11T21:46:00.002-04:002018-07-11T21:46:39.505-04:00Rev3 Williamsburg 2018 Race ReportI've always had Williamsburg in the back of my mind as a race I might like to do at some point. With a July race date and being even further south than DC I knew the weather was highly likely to be very hot and humid. At DC Triathlon Club's annual meeting in 2017 I won a free race entry for the 2018 race. I already knew my 2018 race schedule was going to focus more on local/driveable races with friends, free on top of checking the other 2 boxes was ideal. It also fit nicely into the calendar with the races I had already planned on registering for.<br />
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Williamsburg was also announced as the goal race for many of the DC Triathlon Club's programs. Racing predominately long course it is not often I end up at a race with a strong contingent of club members. I was excited to be at race with my teammates, fellow club members and friends and less stress about winning, slots, etc. This race fell nicely at the end of a recovery week after a big build block, so with not much of a taper this race was purely on the schedule as a training race.<br />
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Pre-Race: Saturday<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike racking with Prochnow</td></tr>
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I drove down to Williamsburg from DC early on Saturday morning. Traffic was surprisingly somewhat heavy but moving well by 7am. I stopped for my traditional BIG BREAKFAST on the road shortly before getting to the race site. Once at the race site I met up with Heather and did a little<br />
shakeout workout - bike/run/swim. The weather broke just in time for us and it was actually cool (low 80s but with what we had the weekend before 107, it felt perfect) and not humid! I felt awesome during our shakeout and had a really good feeling about the race. Race check-in was simple and quick. Once we had our bib # stickers we got our bikes all stickered up and dropped them off to transition before heading to the condo's our team had rented for some R&R.<br />
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RACE DAY<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Transition set up with Ellen</td></tr>
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Pre-Race: Sunday AM<br />
I woke up at the usual race day time of 4am. Did all the important things like braid my hair and eat some applesauce before making sure I packed everything up and heading on out to the race site. Parking was ample and close to transition. I immediately went to transition and took my bike to the mechanics to get my tires topped off with air - I used to haul my pump around and do this myself but <br />
it is far easier to not lug around a pump and have help with the disc wheel/crack pipe that I can have a hard time inflating on my own. I then loaded on my nutrition and hydration, calibrated the power meter and made sure my bike/run stuff was all set out and ready to go. I had some time to head over to the DCTC tent and relax for a few before getting into my Xterra Speedsuit and walking over to swim start.<br />
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THE SWIM - 1.2 Miles - 36:41<br />
My shakeout swim on Saturday had gone well. I was going into this race calm and confident with realistic swim expectations. I knew that I might have a "fast" swim based on prior years results and the current that you *may* get to swim with. We had a time trial swim start this year. I put myself near the front but back enough to be away from all the super fasties. The first 1/2 of the swim was great, I felt awesome, everything was clicking. I was sighting well and swimming straight and swimming more or less with those who also started near me (instead of getting swam over). Once I made it to the turn buoy shit got crazy, no joke. I made the turn and attempted to sight the next buoy - between the glare of the sun and that fact that there wasn't a buoy I was clueless as to where to go. I looked for heads and there were people swimming in literally every direction. I could hear water support people telling swimmers "you're ok, you're ok, just keep swimming" to other swimmers. I knew from the course map it was pretty much a 160* turn so I went with my gut and started swimming. I stopped multiple times to attempt to sight a buoy and ended up just relying on heads. It worked out fine, but I was nervous and not thrilled. The sun beating into our eyes didn't help either. Eventually I saw the swim exit, I'm not sure I've ever been happier to see a swim exit.<br />
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Turns out a sighting buoy floated away. The current of the river + the current of the creek (after the turn) + the tide cause a whirlpool effect and was pulling people back out to the river and limiting forward progress. Apparently a good number of athletes were unfortunately pulled from this swim due to the currents.<br />
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T1 - 3:02<br />
This was a long run up the boat ramp and then up the park road back to transition. The pavement was smooth and nice enough to run on. As I attempted to peel my speedsuit down the quick release zipper flipped down and got stuck. The shoulders of the suit were stuck over my upper arms and I felt like I was hostage in my speedsuit. I asked another woman also running up to transition to flip my zipper up. Once she figured out what I meant I was able to peel it down and pick up my pace to transition. A quick shoes, helmet, sunglasses on and I was off on the bike.<br />
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THE BIKE - 56 Miles - 2:30:39<br />
I had heard great things about this bike course - a rolling country course that rides fast. Sounds like my dream bike course. I hit it hard out of transition and passed a good amount of people within the first 5-10 miles. I also got stuck behind a very hesitant old man driving a large pickup truck and stuck behind some slower cyclists. I was very frustrated - then when he did pass I was basically riding the same speed he was driving so when he got to another hill I got stuck again. Like stuck to the point where I almost had to unclip. I was trying to beg him to pull to the right and let me (us) pass. He didn't. Eventually we got around and all was better in the world. About 20 miles in I got the info from a volunteer that I was 7th female. I figured I was in a good spot, not even 28 miles in, I knew I'd be catching at least a few more ladies on the bike before we got to 56 miles. After the first 15 or so miles this course felt empty. I was riding completely by myself for the most part, I'd pass a lone cyclist every few miles, maybe. Just before the 28 mile point I passed a middle aged man. He apparently didn't like this move, sat on my wheel for a few minutes and passed me back. I dopped back and tried to let him go. Before I knew it I was passing him again (easily I should add) - again, he didn't like it. He sat on my wheel for another couple of minutes and then passed me again on a false flat. As soon as he got in front of me he was moving WAY slower, I wanted to yell at him to stop F*cking with my race, but kept it in. I sat up, stopped pedaling and the officials came by on the moto. I stayed back and again tried to let him go. As we got to a right hand turn up the road I made the turn and stepped on it. As I passed him he said "damn girl you do work on that bike". No shit sherlock, I caught you and passed you from who knows how far back. Let me go.<br />
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Once around him it was some more lonely miles as I counted each female that I passed. A lot of the roads weren't all that smooth so there was a lot of vibration out there. The back half of the course had a bit of a headwind and merged with the Olympic Distance race for the last few miles. By the time we had merged with Olympic Distance I knew I had moved up to 3rd female and I knew who one of <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming into T2, Gu wrapper in mouth</td></tr>
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the females ahead was, as well as knowing 4th wasn't far behind me. I had passed her around mile 45 and she hung on for a good bit. <br />
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I had nailed nutrition, hydration, and HR plan for the bike so I was pretty pumped about coming into T2 in 3rd OA.<br />
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T2 - 0:56<br />
Flying dismount and a super quick run in to swap shows, grab my race belt and hydration bottle. I had a little trouble getting the belt on as I ran out and I dropped the plastic bottle so had to stop and back track a couple steps. It all worked out, I was just a bit of a mess initially.<br />
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THE RUN - 13.1 Miles - 1:40:46<br />
I hit the run course and was with another female (Jenn) instantly. She had been in 2nd OA. I stuck behind her for about a mile. I then decided it'd be fine to just make the pass and that I didn't think she would hang. Oh boy, was I wrong. She stuck to my shoulder like glue. Every time I thought I was opening a gap she's reappear on my shoulder. The double out and back run course that was also the Oly run course was fantastic. We got to see all the other athletes and cheer for each other and watch the race unfold. What was happening in front of us, what was happening behind us. 4th place had put in a hard effort early to catch us around miles 3 or 4 but she was breathing very heavy when she caught and passed us. We ran on her shoulder briefly before making the pass for good, she had spent too many matches catching us. Around mile 7 or so I decided to run on Jenn's shoulder for a bit. As we made it to the turn around on lap 2 I noticed that we were actually making up a good amount of ground on 1st place. I never would have thought we would catch her on the run. That helped mentally give me a boost and keep pushing for the last 3 miles or so. As we made back towards the park and headed up and over the bridge 1 last time Jenn tried to get me to pick it up with her and kick it in (we were still at least almost 1/2 a mile from the finish). Jenn put in some work and started opening up a gap as we rounded transition. I had to let her go, but when I looked up there was the woman who had been in 1st, I made the pass and finished as hard as I could but wasn't able to close the gap Jenn had opened up.<br />
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FINISH (unofficial): 4:52:03 - 2nd Female, 1st AG<br />
We shared some finish line hugs and respect for the shoulder to shoulder race we had just had. It was the most fun I've had on a race course in quite some time. When I came out of T2 I chose to compete. I could have settled in to a slightly easier pace and let her go. I was fearless and took a chance to see what my body had on the day. I'm so glad I did, it was awesome. I a ton about myself and racing. I got to see some of my best friends multiple times on the run and cheer for them and encourage them. This was a huge race for me with a 70.3 run PR and an all around solid day (as well as 70.3 unofficial PR).<br />
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OFFICIAL RESULTS/AWARDS - 4:56:03 - 4th OA, 1st AG<br />
Just before awards we checked results again and my finish time had 4 minutes added to it. At first I was like "WTF" and then I remembered the moto from the bike course. Crap, crap, crap. I spoke with the head referee in which he said "it looked like you were really trying to drop back, it just took 5 seconds too long to get to 3 bike lengths". Wow. Ok, my bike is pretty dang small and I was certain I had made back far enough it in time. But thanks for realizing I was really trying and still nailing me with a penalty (I guess when you stop pedaling and sit up it's a good indication that you are trying, I wasn't going to hit the brakes, nope nope nope). Had the moto come up just a couple minutes earlier it would have been the egotistical male age grouper getting the penalty. Oh well, not a big deal - no cash, no slots or anything up for grabs at this race. It bumped me down in the overall results a couple places to 4th but also meant that I got to stand on the age group podium with 2 of my best girls. Podium sweep for us, and it was amazing! My first and only penalty in 9 years of racing - and a silver lining with an age group podium sweep. Lesson learned pass the dude with authority and tell him the first time not to f*ck with my race :P <br />
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Thank you to all of my sponsors for the continued support - Xterra Wetuits, Rudy Project Helmets, Louis Garneau, SBR/Triswim, District Taco, DC Triathlon Club, Tavekaan, Rose Physical Therapy Group, UltraGrain, XX2i Optics, and Louis Garneau. And thanks to all of my DC Tri Elite teammates that made this weekend so much fun.Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-70650572501461477622018-06-05T22:26:00.000-04:002018-06-06T11:00:21.916-04:00The Big Dance on The Big Island: Kona 2017 Race ReportIf you follow me or are a somewhat regular reader of this blog you probably know that I got my first KQ at Ironman Maryland in 2016. I had a year to plan, to get fit, to try and prepare for the conditions, to watch all the prior editions of Kona that I could get my hands on. You might be wondering why in the world it had taken me so long to write this race report given that I had the opportunity to see one of my goals and dreams through to the end. Well...life happened. In that year I fell in love, completely and selflessly in love with my best friend. He came to Kona and we had the the best time and the best post race vacation. And not too long after it was over, I was heartbroken and for awhile didn't even want to think about the trip/race. So now that we've covered that I'll say the Big Island is absolutely amazing. We spent 10 days in Kona and then about 5 days traveling around other areas of the island and I feel like we could have easily spent another 2 weeks exploring, hiking, snorkeling, etc. It's definitely worth a visit (hello Volcanoes!) whether or not you go for a triathlon.<br />
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Kona Bound<br />
Getting to Kona from the East coast isn't quick. It was relatively easy, just time consuming. We had a 2 leg journey - Baltimore - LA and LA - Kona. With quite the long layover in LA. Upon arriving in Kona the airport is pretty much all outdoors and it was gorgeous! We decided to divide and conquer to get the checked bags and rental car as quickly as we could so we could just get to the hotel for the night and get some sleep. Thankfully my bike bag fit nicely into the trunk of our Buick rental car! Quite seemlessly we were off to the King Kam for the night.<br />
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Ho'ala Swim<br />
I had decided to go out to Kona 8 days before race day so that I could participate in the 2.4 mile practice swim one week out from race day. Race start was literally right out the door of the King Kam. I was super nervous about swimming 1.2 miles out into the ocean and turning around and swimming 1.2 miles back. The water was crystal clear, everyone was just happy to be there and no one seamed to be overly physical or anything. I tried to just dial in a comfortable effort and stay steady. For my first non wetsuit ocean swim and taking it relatively easy I felt great and was happy to have done this before race day. I came out of the water with the star of the week...Bob Babbit of Breakfast with Bob.<br />
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Race Week<br />
The week leading up to race day is crazy busy! You can book yourself full of activities if you want to but I prefer more of a low key and relaxed lead up to race day and this week in Kona and on Ali'hi Drive may have been a bit over stimulating for me. We moved into a great condo just above the Poke Shack for the week and the rest of the Sherpa crew arrived. I was lucky enough to be joined by the best crew ever. Mom, Gary, Rory, Kara and my best friends Erin and Brian all joined the party and made for an awesome week in Kona. There are breakfasts, parades, runs (undie-run), coffee boat swims and parties hosted by all the big sponsor companies and no shortage of fellow athletes/friends to catch up with everyday, not to mention putting the final touches on the training. Erin and I biked almost the entirety of the bike course in different segments leading up to race day, including the climb to Hilo and back. It was hot, windy and hard. We started from Waikoloa, not Kona, and it didn't seem so bad when it was only a 40 some mile ride.<br />
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Pre-Race: Friday<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kEWHzSb81Ao/WxcyJm4PZZI/AAAAAAAAIGk/hC9C4gfM8oE_-9f35i4XkNPR2UGDx88WwCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_4761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kEWHzSb81Ao/WxcyJm4PZZI/AAAAAAAAIGk/hC9C4gfM8oE_-9f35i4XkNPR2UGDx88WwCEwYBhgL/s200/IMG_4761.jpg" width="200" /></a>Erin and Kara helped me organize and pack my transition bags, we made sure my running shoes were laced how I like, nutrition was sorted and packed, bottles were filled. I biked down to the pier for bike check-in and bag drop off while Rory and Kara had walked down a bit earlier to work on some<br />
chalk art and catch Breakfast with Bob. I got in line and walked through the bike check-in area, <br />
which is completely lined with bike reps frantically calling out and scribbling down your components, sponsors, helmet, saddle, etc. One did make special note of District Taco, I can guarantee I was the only District Taco sponsored athlete racking my bike that day. As I approached the pier I was partnered with another athlete who would be racked near me and we were paired with a very nice volunteer. I was paired with Lectie Altman, if you follow Coeur Sports or the age group triathlon world you may have heard about accident she was in and her hard fought recovery she is currently taking on. This was not her first Kona, she was calm and confident <br />
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Race Day: Saturday AM<br />
Rory and Kara volunteered for body marking on the pier so they were the first to head out. I was up and had my classic pre race applesauce breakfast before getting a ride down to the pier with Gary and Mom. I got in line to head into the athletes only area on the pier. I was able to spot Rory and Kara for my body marking, then it was on the get weighed and then a stop for some pre race hydration before heading out onto the pier to make sure tires were pumped, nutrition and hydration loaded onto <br />
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the bike and bike computer was ready. Once the bike was good to go, I got into my speed suit, turned in my morning clothes bag and was happy to take a few moments to attempt to relax with Lori and Brian. I was so thankful to have them near as I was getting quite anxious. We watched the flyover, the pro men, the pro women and then sent Brian off with the AG men as we waited for the final wave of the day - the AG women.<br />
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THE SWIM: 2.4 Miles - 1:17:24<br />
I lined myself up to the right and a couple rows back. I knew I wouldn't be contending for a spot at the front of the pack with this crew. This swim is amazing, crystal clear water, scuba divers, helicopters, drones, the iconic turn around at the Body Glove sailboat and of course the famous steps bringing you out of the water and onto the pier for the rest of your day. I was able to find feet and stick with them for about 30-40% of the swim. We had relatively calm waters and though I had been warned that it would likely be a very physical swim I didn't experience much more than a couple taps or bumps. I don't say this often, but this was hands down my most favorite part of the day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out of the change tent and to my bike!</td></tr>
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T1: 5:02<br />
Up the famous steps and under the fresh water hoses as I peeled down my Xterra Speedsuit. Into the change tent for a quick slip on of my LG aero tri top, put on my LG shoes and get covered in sunscreen before heading out to my bike and running out of transition. Ellen was just behind me in transition and we were able to share positive vibes on the way out.<br />
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THE BIKE: 112 Miles - 5:58:54<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JlWBQ5ly7jc/Wxc0kMl46fI/AAAAAAAAIHQ/VpweqKsltmAf6lMpiXqVVHQeYDiMyNMKwCLcBGAs/s1600/finisherpix_1835_116434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JlWBQ5ly7jc/Wxc0kMl46fI/AAAAAAAAIHQ/VpweqKsltmAf6lMpiXqVVHQeYDiMyNMKwCLcBGAs/s320/finisherpix_1835_116434.JPG" width="320" /></a>I headed out on the bike feeling good and confident as I made my way up Palani toward Kuakina Highway for the prelude to the Queen K. As I attempted to make my first shift for the short climb up Palani my worst fear came true, my rear shifter didn't work. I quickly pleaded with Madame Pele, if there were any day and any course I needed my bike to work properly it was now. Today. In Kona. Hundreds of training miles with no issues, I needed 112 more miles out of this shifter. And that's exactly what I got. Crises averted. The out and back on Kuakini was just a quick trip but brought up back through the "Hot Corner" to see all the spectators before sending us out to grind away on the Queen K up to Hawi. I knew within the first 20 miles or so that this may not be my greatest day. I couldn't get comfortable on my saddle at all. I hunkered down as best I could and executed the plan - HR, hydration, nutrition, enjoy the day. I make it up past Waikoloa and knew the cross winds and climbing to Hawi were only about to pick up, as the air temperature and pavement temperature continued to heat up. The commentators say is every year "112 miles of heat, hills, and humidity" well they aren't wrong. I made my way to the turn around in Hawi and hoped for a bit of a tailwind on the way back to Kona, nope, no such thing. I took 3 fresh, ice cold bottles of Osmo from my special needs bag and headed south. I had done a decent job of keeping myself cool, I was drinking gatorade and water from every aid station and taking an extra water to cool myself with. Around mile 75 or so the soles of my feet began to burn. I had never experienced this before - not even during 140 mile rides of constant pedaling around Cambridge on brutally hot and humid days. My HR began to drag a bit so I started taking Coke (with a sport top cap) at the aid stations. My stomach wasn't feeling awesome but I knew I needed to continue to eat if I wanted to have a shot at running 26.2 miles. I reach my hand into my bento box (new top thanks to Felt during race week) to grab a waffle...all I could sense was waffle mush. I paused...and then went in for a full scoop and put if down the hatch. I knew there wouldn't be another aid station for 15 or so miles and I needed calories to keep the engine running. The thought it now makes me want to vomit, I don't know how I didn't vomit then. I continued on my way back to Kona, reminding myself that Kona isn't about fast, it's about steady and consistent. As I approached town I was able to see the front of the women's pro field on the run course as well as some of the top finisher's from the pro men's field. I made the turn back down toward the pier and heard the cheers from my crew as I approached the dismount line. I've never been happier to pass off my bike to the volunteers and get on to the run. I kept my bike shoes on as I dismounted as I had been cautioned the heat from the pavement would likely burn my bare feet should I decide to leave the shoes on the bike.<br />
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T2: 4:34<br />
A quick run into the change tent - put on run socks and shoes, changed into my sleeveless tri top and grabbed my racebelt. Got another slather of sunscreen before heading out for the final 26.2<br />
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THE RUN: 26.2 Miles - 4:58:42<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bbNYa51j_1Y/Wxc0jAnE-jI/AAAAAAAAIHc/XaFJWaRtDj0mWcl9vZAZenyz3Fm7-_bxgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_4858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="638" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bbNYa51j_1Y/Wxc0jAnE-jI/AAAAAAAAIHc/XaFJWaRtDj0mWcl9vZAZenyz3Fm7-_bxgCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_4858.jpg" width="212" /></a>As I exited the pier I heard the announcer call out the top 3 male finishers - oh boy, they were done and I still had a marathon to run. I dialed into my HR and started getting my bottle of Osmo pre-load/active in to help keep me hydrated. I headed out on Ali'l Drive, past my friends and family and out past our condo. I was able to see some friends on this out and back and new full well some of them were putting together darn good {AMAZING} days! Icey sponges were available at every aid station and I took advantage of every single one. The first few miles ticked off, I was feeling good, I was sticking to my nutrition and hydration plan, I wasn't moving "fast" but I had a steady and consistent pace that I would have been thrilled to hold on the day. By mile 7 my feet were on fire, the soles of both feet just felt like they were going to rip off. I pushed the pain aside and told myself to just keep running, that way I'd be done and off my feet sooner. I made my way up Palani, past my crew and past Lee, whom I told "I'm never coming back here again". I got a little pick me up at the Base tent around mile 12 or so with some cheers and rocket fuel as I carried on toward The Energy Lab. I had used The Energy Lab as a specific visualization exercise many times during long runs, knowing it wasn't going to be easy, and I looked forward to putting in the work in the actual Energy Lab. I promised myself I wouldn't look down at my feet as they felt like they were covered in blood. Any other race and I would have stopped to look and assess the situation and maybe DNF if it were a major heealth concern. But not here, not on the Big Island, not on this day. As I made the left hand turn and headed down I knew my feet were not in a good place. Holding run form and pace was extremely difficult, by mile 16 or so my stomach had started to revolt against anymore sweet sugary things. I kept moving foward and after what felt like forever got myself out of The Energy Lab. As I turned back onto the Queen K my feet were killing me - I had started to do some weird hobble-run on the outer most edges of my feet to attempt and dull the pain. The sun was setting quickly and any hope I had of a daylight finish had diminished. It was not completely a manage the day, manage the conditions and get yourself to the finish line in one piece kind of day. Around mile 23 Pete was waiting for my on the Queen K - it was so nice to have someone to listen to my complain about my feet! I told him, completely seriously, that we would be spending the night in the hospital because I likely needed a skin graft for the soles of my feet. I trudged on back toward Kona, past the Base Tent, past Palani, past Rory and Kara, until the right hand turn that would take me back to Ali'i Drive. That final downhill was the worst! I used my chews as a bite stick, as the friction between my feet and shoes was about a 9.7/10 on the good old pain scale. One last right hand turn onto Ali'i Drive and I soaked in that final stretch. I knew my crew was waiting for me at the finish line. I took in the chute, I raised my arms, thanked my Dad, and celebrated.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Focused and Forward in The Energy Lab.</td></tr>
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FINISH: 12:24:36<br />
This was not my best race, not my worst. It was an incredible experience, a learning lesson and the culmination of an amazing journey. The island is careless with people's dreams, even the best of the best will crumble in the conditions the island throws at you. Having experienced it firsthand, it makes it all the more amazing what the top pros and age groupers can do. We stuck around the finish area to cheer in the midnight finishers and went back the following day for the awards banquet (highly recommend if your travel schedule allows). I then took a week off, of pure vacation, no bike, no running, so swim workouts, just relaxation. No thinking about what the next race was or when it would be. Honestly I didn't know if Ironman was in the near future, distant future or ever again at the point. I spent entirely too much time at the local pharmacy buying all the blister care and protective products I could find to give me a fighting chance at walking normally for the rest of our trip. Spoiler alert, I didn't need a skin graft, my feet weren't bloody, but the soles of both feet were completely blister covered. From the tips of my toes to my heels (thanks humidity, salt water, and sockless bike!). A few days out from race day and I already knew I wanted to go back to Kona - maybe not immediately or relatively soon but I needed to come back to this island. I prepared as best I could, but there is nothing to prepare you for that course and those conditions other than being there and racing on that course, in those conditions. Now more than 6 months out, I have 140.6 #8, #9, and #10 on the schedule. I know that I want more than anything to get back to that island, to feel the energy, to take on one of the hardest single day events in the world. Stay humble, stay hungry.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Crew <3 td=""></3></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast with Bob, Poncho Man and Rinny</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heather Jackson at bike check-in</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy Potts at bike check-in</td></tr>
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<br />Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-7514394172959266122018-04-19T18:13:00.001-04:002018-04-19T18:13:47.782-04:002018 Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Race ReportI opened my 2018 race season with classic runner's rite of spring here in DC - The Cherry Blossom 10 miler. The 6 weeks or so leading up to CB10 I was feeling great and training was going really well. I was optimistic that a 10 mile PR may be in the books, but hesitant, knowing my previous PR was something I pulled out of nowhere on a blustery day in 2016. More so than a PR I just wanted to have a performance I was truly capable of and proud of - unlike 2017 when I completely blew up just 3 miles into the race.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race Day Magic!</td></tr>
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Finally, race week comes around and I'm excited to get out there and see what I have in the tank! Early in race week my body had a different plan - hello Cherry Blossoms and every other blooming thing and HELLO allergies. Oh my goodness I've never had seasonal allergies that knocked me on my butt and made my face want to explode. Thankfully with some flonase and time they mostly passed other than leaving me with a weird dry cough and discomfort with deep breaths (turns out that's not ideal for running hard).<br />
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I hit the CB10 expo early on Friday and just in time to catch Meb giving a talk. If you ever have the opportunity to listen to this amazing person and athlete talk about his experiences - GO - you won't regret it. I picked up my bib and was slightly excited to see I actually go myself into the Yellow Wave this year - which is the very first wave, including the seeded runners. I was hopeful that there would be a bit more room to run in the yellow wave. I took it easy the rest of Friday and Saturday and prepared for Sunday's race. Pre CB10 dinner of spaghetti and meatballs (100% homemade folks - yes even the noodles).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grabbing the final necessities!</td></tr>
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Race Day - Sunday! My usual go to is biking to this race but with post race brunch plans downtown and a hot shower available at my office I decided to drive in and job down to the start. I was able to avoid the usual bag check disaster and just jog down as my warm up before shedding an excess layer and jumping in the starting coral. Once the layers were shed and we were just waiting in the coral, it was cold. Very cold. I couldn't wait to start running.<br />
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I had a conservative race plan and knew that the key to me running close to my PR would be smart racing. The gun went off and I nailed my first mile just under 7:20. Now the plan was to stay right around 7:15 until about mile 6 or 7. Well, I got excited, I felt good, the energy was awesome and it was PEAK blossoms! I dropped the pace for miles 2 and 3. And 4. I was feeling awesome, thinking this just might be a great day. <br />
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Then mile 5 - I held on to that 7:20 and kept fighting to hold on to it for miles 6 and 7. And even 8. Then we rounded Hains Point, which was in full bloom and gorgeous, and also found ourselves running dead straight into a headwind. And that aggressive pace during miles 2 and 3 came back to bite me. As always the hill during the last 400m was hard, but I crossed the finish line feeling good and proud of the hard effort I put forth on the day. <br />
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The finish area was fun and I quickly found many fast friends and stopped for pictures before deciding we were all too cold. We grabbed heat sheets - which weren't working too well in the cold and wind that was whipping around, before each heading our separate ways. Finished up a solid race which ended up being about 1 minute slower than my 2016 time (PR) with AYCE brunch at The Hamilton with a group of friends. Great way to kick off the 2018 race season and I'm looking forward to opening my tri season on Sunday at Rumpus in the Bumpas. #readytorump<br />
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Proud to represent DC Tri Elite and our sponsors including Road Runner Sports - Falls Chuch, Teveekan, XX2i Optics, Louis Garneau, Rose Physical Therapy Group, DC Tri Club, Xterra Wetsuits, Rudy Project, Osmo Hydration, Honey Stinger, Base Salts, and my sponsors AltRed, Cercacor, and SBR!Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-18709008555717498042018-03-16T22:31:00.000-04:002018-03-16T22:37:28.616-04:00Never Let Your Dreams Go to DieJust this past week I took a moment to look back through this blog and look at the goals I had listed out more than seven years ago. Three longer term goals were set, some of which were a shot in the dark, and three longer term goals achieved. Each one a stepping stone and a part of my journey. Each year my coach has me do my own goal setting specific to that season - including process goals, targets, and some outcome oriented goals.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Training Weekends with Friends <3 td=""></3></td></tr>
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There have been times each season I've thought that I should just throw in the towel. Things weren't going well, the goals wouldn't be achieved, and it'd be easier to just walk away. Instead of walking away, I've adjusted expectations, focused on the process and bringing the joy back to why I do what I <br />
do. Sometimes it's taking away the watch, not looking at power or not even glancing at the pace clock. Other times it's signing up for races with friends, planning a training weekend with my best girls, or planning a weekend that has nothing at all to do with triathlon.<br />
<br />
Honestly, when I set the goal of qualifying for and racing in Kona (the Big Island) I'm not sure I believed it was truly possible. I knew I wanted it and that I would work for it but I also knew it was an outcome goal that wasn't fully under my control. It took a bit of luck, 6 full Ironman races (3 in which I knew the tools were there and I just had to execute) and a support community that runs deeper than the Chattahoochee. I look back at my finish line pictures when I qualified and can feel the emotion that is written all over my face. The day was everything I had asked for and more - and I had stopped asking for an outcome goal for that race, all I wanted was the opportunity to execute the best race I was capable of. Ironman Mt. Tremblant just 5 weeks earlier had been a bust, I had also solely been focused on an outcome goal for that race. That experience built character and helped me to realize what was important to me - the process and utilizing what I worked so hard to build over the entire year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post IM Lou</td></tr>
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The first long term goal I wrote in 2011 was to become an Ironman before the age of 26. Bless my naive heart and determination that got me to that starting line and through the finish line at Ironman Louisville in 2012. It's amazing how much I've learned and grown as not only an athlete but also as person through this sport since then. I was optimistic going into that race, clueless but optimistic that I could finish top 10 in my AG. I had to settle for top 20 and a soul crushing death march of a marathon. What I don't share often is that I wasn't sure I'd ever toe the line of an Ironman again after that experience. I sure as heck wasn't going to put myself through training like I did to feel let down at the finish line again. I had written my own training plan, followed it to a T, and added extra since I was between graduation and starting my career. Simply, I was overtrained when I got to the start line, I didn't know it back then, but looking back it's very obvious. For the remainder of 2012 and 2013 I only wanted to focus on getting faster at Olympic and Half Distance racing. For most of the year after IM LOU I wanted nothing to do with the full distance. So what changed?<br />
<br />
I went to IMLP in 2013 to spectate and sherpa for Adam and a ton of other DC Tri Club members. I also went up earlier in the summer to do a training weekend with a few friends from DC Tri and fell in love with the Adirondacks. Mirror Lake is clear and crisp, the bike course was fun and scenic, and the entire town came out to support Ironman. While sitting at the awards ceremony with Adam and knowing on-site registration was opening in just a few minutes I had stated I would register for 2014 only if it fell on my dad's angel-versary. We pulled up the website and sure enough, there it was, July 27th, 2014. I grabbed my wallet and walked over to registration, and never looked back. I committed to doing things "right" if I was going to do this again and hired my coach, crossed my t's and dotted my i's throughout the whole dang training plan and loved every second of training and racing (ok if you've read every post on here you know I didn't love <i>every</i> second in the moment). I finished 6th in my age group at IMLP, 3 slots away from a KQ, and an uncomfortable but tangible dream was born.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IM TX 2015</td></tr>
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If I've learned one thing in this sport it is that progress is not linear. There will be training blocks where everything clicks and all goes well - the paces drop, the watts go up and our body feels good. And there will be training blocks where nothing comes together - we get sick, our HR seems out of control, life is happening all around us and the body carries too much stress to make the physical adaptation. It's the consistency of putting in the work day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year that we start to see the major differences physically, mentally, emotionally. The journey from Placid to Kona wasn't smooth - up, down, sideways. You can read the race reports on the blog but IMTX - huge lessons learned, IMCHOO - amazing day, amazing finish, no KQ, IMMT - more lessons learned, BUST, IMMD - dream come true. And then there is Kona (race report coming soon) the place Ironman athletes dream about, the place that breaks even the toughest of competitors, the place that can steal your drive or light a fire under your ass.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kona Start List 2017</td></tr>
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Walking away from Kona on October 14th, I didn't know what would be next for me. I knew the immediate future was complete vacation mode for one week on the island with my #1. Triathlon wise - I wasn't sure and I was ok with that. I needed time to process - th<br />
e race, the training, the entire journey and where this journey was headed. I wrote out some goals early in 2017 - some achieved, <br />
some not yet, some huge goals that I may never achieve but I'm all in and fully committed to doing everything I can to see if I can get there. Not every goal is triathlon related - some are just general life goals - but if there's any other lesson I've learned in this sport it is that the perseverance, grit, strength, determination, friendships, and support that I've gained from this sport is exactly the same stuff I need to be successful in every other part of my life.<br />
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So I'm holding on to the big goals, the scary goals, I'm embracing them and going full throttle ahead into this 2018 season. A little dirty double 140.6 action to highlight the season and some local racing to kick things off has me excited to race and train, to beat yesterday, to find faster, to find joy in all of it and to have no limits. One of my goals is to just blog more - and be real, open, humble about this life and this journey. As for the other goals, I'll write about those soon and update the tab that says "GOALS". It's not always easy, but it's worth it.<br />
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Don't give up on your dreams because of the time it will take to get there, the time will pass anyways.Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-52732230864306209132018-03-13T21:11:00.003-04:002018-03-13T21:11:38.060-04:00Maine 70.3 Race ReportBy the time August rolled around I was feeling much more fit and excited to get another shot at 70.3 before Kona. And honestly, I needed it. With my 2 less than stellar runs at the early season 70.3's I wanted to put together the race that I knew I was capable of. Beyond that, there was a super fun group heading up to race, how could I not be excited?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand written Rev3 love at this 70.3!</td></tr>
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We opted to drive up on Thursday and crash at a hotel just south of Old Orchard Beach. Great decision as we had plenty of time Friday to check in for the race, find our house, and do a some shake out swim/bike/run action. The weather was absolutely ideal, which was a welcomed change from out 90s and super humid in DC. Once everyone was back from jogging and what not a few of us headed down to the ocean for a quick swim. Oh my, that water was freezing. Somewhere between 57-58 degrees is what I heard. Tom, Heather, and I swam out just past the first turn buoy. It wasn't too bad, more rough than a lake swim, and the salt took some getting used to but all in all not bad. Tom and Heather decided to cut straight back toward the beach from our turn around point and I decided to follow the L shaped course markers. About 30 seconds after them going their way and me mine, I slightly freaked out about what I was going to do all alone out there if I saw a shark. I wasn't that far from shore and it's not like they wouldn't have been able to do much if we were all together but for some reason this became 'a thing' and I couldn't wait to get my ass back to the beach.<br />
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Maine also happens to be the home state of super-sherpa, Pete. Saturday was a perfect pre-race distraction day of big breakfast with the crew, a quick bike check over and drop off and then heading out to Freeport for a few hours. It happened to be LL Bean's Dog Days of August and there were a ton of dogs and dog events all over the place. We watched some dock diving and police dog demos between checking out all the LL Bean stuff you could ever want with Pete's sis and BIL.<br />
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Back in OOB we had grillin' and smore eating to do for our pre-race dinner. Super sherpa Pete took on the roll of grill master while just a few of the athletes sat in the hot tub prior to cooking up some pasta, sweet potatoes and whatever other yumminess we all needed. We had a wonderful dinner and relaxing evening rolling, stretching, and enjoying each other's company as well as our hand written notes in our bags (still waiting for Lisa's Pizza but whatever).<br />
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SUNDAY - RACE DAY<br />
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Up at the normal race day time of 4:30 to eat and get my stuff together to walk over to transition. Let me tell you the porta potty lines at transition were ridiculously long! I went to pump my tires and had a slight issue getting air to go into the disc. Tom was helping me and we couldn't get it, at all. Thankfully Pete was waiting for my at the exit of transition and I was able to take the bike over to him in order to help me out, the darn crack pipe was just being feisty. I was freaking out that we would need to replace the tube and race day morning but thankfully all was fine and we got it pumped up.<br />
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Once Tom, Heather and I took care of setting up transition and waiting in the porta potty line we gathered and walked over to swim start together. Once we were at the beach we stuffed ourselves into our wetsuits and merged into the growing line. It was a nice crisp Maine morning and the ocean water actually felt nice compared to the air. I was feeling good about this swim and looking forward to the day. We started 2x2 on the beach, so Tom and I entered the water together and I just took off running as far and as long as I could run until I was forced to swim.<br />
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THE SWIM - 1.2 Miles - 39:15<br />
The swim felt good - a bit choppy at times but pretty much what I expected an ocean swim to feel like. I chose to wear my sleeveless wetsuit so that my shoulders wouldn't have any extra restrictions to overcome. After the first few minutes of feeling like my arms were going to fall off my body got used to the water temp and all was fine. I was on and off feet most of this swim and feeling good with my effort. I wasn't thrilled with the time, but it was my first ocean swim and there was still a lot of racing to be done to just rolled with it and ran my way into T1.<br />
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T1 - 4:31<br />
This transition involves maybe slighty longer than 1/4 mile run from the water to the racks. The run was lined with spectators and the energy of the day had me feeling optimistic.<br />
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THE BIKE - 56 Miles - 2:32:39<br />
I got on my bike with the main goal to be smart and set myself up for a good run. I knew Heather and Tom would likely be ahead of me on the bike and that I might catch them depending on everyone's day. The course had 8-9 miles of pristine new pavement which was super fun. I stuck to my nutrition/hydration plan and executed my HR/power plan as best I could for the day. Power was 5-10 watts lower than I'd expected but no big loss there. About 15 miles into the course a man started leap frogging with me. He'd sit behind me (don't draft guys just don't do it) then come out and pull ahead, usually just to sit up a few minutes later and take break. Once I'd pass again this scenario would repeat itself. I knew if I dropped the hammer for 10 minutes or so I'd be rid of him but I also know that move would cost my some precious gas for the run. I just kept racing my race and let him do whatever it was that he was doing. He did actually find me on Strava (stalker) in the days after the race and apologized, saying he wasn't trying to mess up my race and it was his first non-drafting race. I managed to stay even most of the course and increased my output just a touch near the end. I was feeling good coming in from the bike and excited to see what I could do on this great weather day on the run.<br />
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T2 - 1:26<br />
A very quick in and out to rack the bike, grab the race belt, and step into the run shoes!<br />
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THE RUN - 13.1 Miles - 1:44:44<br />
At this point I had not yet seen Tom or Heather, I was slightly worried, but just figured they were having great races! As I came around the exit of transition I looked up and there was Tom running step for step with me. Ten seconds later Heather was running with us - barefoot- I was confused. As Tom and I settled in to a manageable effort Heather relayed her unfortunate series of events that caused her to DNF on the bike course. Tom and I ran together for the first few miles until he slowly pulled away. Overall this was the best I felt on a run course all year. Pete was at the end of the trail just before the last couple miles to tell me I was in 9th. Ok 9th overall, I thought, not bad. The last couple miles of this run course is slightly rolling and with a fun flat into the finish line.<br />
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POST RACE<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9-RRX0c0Qo/Wqh1vRGW8xI/AAAAAAAAIAQ/Mrjwi0NutkYX1f5Cp9a2jJYqzB4zgKYOACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_4510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9-RRX0c0Qo/Wqh1vRGW8xI/AAAAAAAAIAQ/Mrjwi0NutkYX1f5Cp9a2jJYqzB4zgKYOACEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_4510.JPG" width="240" /></a>Our house was close enough to the finish line that I was able to have some post race water and snacks and then walk back to get cleaned up before cheering in some more friends and collecting our things from transition. And of course hitting the post race lobster bake before awards. Upon checking the official results I ended up coming in 13th OA, 9th AG. Talk about a stacked AG. I would have been top 2 in any other AG on the day. Overall it was a great race and tune-up for me and I was focused on process goals for this race, and I nailed what I needed to nail going into my last big build for Kona. Once everyone had crossed the finish line and regained their wits we all hit the post race Lobster Bake (so Maine). I tend to shy away from shell fish and the like but seeing everyone dig in and enjoy I mustered up the courage to try some lobster meat. It wasn't bad, mostly tasted like butter. We had one more night in the house with the crew before seeing some more of Maine and visiting Pete's family. Old Orchard Beach, though slightly tacky, was a great host town and I think our entire group loved everything about the race. I'd highly recommend it and would be willing to go back. There's not much better than a Maine Summer (just a Michigan summer :P)<br />
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<br />Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-42042500437345917062017-12-12T21:35:00.000-05:002017-12-13T16:26:23.971-05:00Adventures in Cross...<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After Kona I wanted to continue to use all my hard earned fitness. I signed up for the now annual tradition of the Annapolis 1/2 Marathon and had thoughts of running a full marathon 2 weeks after. Other small detail, I bought a used Cyclocross bike about a month before Kona. I went over to Erin's backyard a couple times and practiced riding around in the grass, jumping over things and jumping on and off my bike. Ready, set, CX!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Silly me, I thought I would pick a few races and test this sport out to see if I liked it. **News Flash** you can race a couple times every weekend! I went all in and signed up for 2 races the first weekend after I returned from Kona (2 weeks post IMWC). When you're used to training for 40 weeks for just one race it's kind of like being a kid in a candy store when you can race 2 times in just one weekend. I'll admit I wasn't coming into cyclocross completely clueless - I'd been working my ass off on my bike for the past 6 years and went into Kona holding the highest power #s I ever had - so let's just say the fitness base was strong. Erin saw the posting the my CX bike and Pete made the connection to actually get it which certainly helped all this fall into place. Erin had been filling me in on tips and tricks each weekend she would race and even coached me through the basics in her backyard (don't ever ask me to dismount while holding the top tube).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Off I went, rolling up to the start line. It had been a long time since I'd put myself on a line as a total newbie, feeling clueless, excited and terrified all at the same time. I was literally shaking. The whistle blew and starting off fast was lost on me. When I get on the bike at Ironman no one cares how strong that first pedal stroke is and if I can get out to the front off the line (heck there is no line haha). I can't wait to go back to that course because at the time I found it terrifying. Steep descents and off camber turns that had me squeezing the brakes and just hoping to stay upright. Thankfully I did and in the end I had a blast.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The learning curve in this sport for me was steep but I put myself back on the line the next day (on a slightly less terrifying course) and actually felt like I was racing. I was able to slightly improve my start off the line, carry some speed through some turns and actually race enough to land on the podium. One of the most fun things throughout the (short) season was my own skills and confidence developing. With more than enough fitness to race for for 30-40 minutes the great potential improvements for me were in skills and learning to read and pick better lines. Once I had 5 races under my belt I was able to upgrade to and race in 2 separate fields, if I so desired. I had so much fun the few times I got to race twice on a course. I rode faster and more confident in the 2nd race of the day each time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the best parts of this whole adventure into cyclocross was getting to race with friends. Erin and I haven't raced together since some weird swimming thing way back in the day and though we ride and train together all the time we go our separate ways to race. Off she goes to kill it at road races and I go on my merry way to triathlon. We had just a couple races where we got to actually race together and many more to come next year! The last couple weekends of the CX season we got some more triathletes to test out dirt and wider tires. Turns out they loved it and hence started #tricross. We even got SuperSherpa, Pete, to get out a race a couple times! Don't let him fool you, he's pretty talented on 2 wheels. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention all the new faces and wonderful ladies I met who were at almost every single race with a smile and words of encouragement. It was a total breath of fresh air after a very long triathlon season.</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Below is a short race report on each CX race that I did this year as there's no way I'd ever get around to writing individual entries for each.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Biketoberfest</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span class="il" style="color: #222222;">CX</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> W4/5 (8/18) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">- This was my first</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span class="il" style="color: #222222;">CX</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "cambria";">race so I will fully admit it probably wasn't as terrible as I remember. Technical off cambers, steep descents, and a small wooded section. All I remember from this race is being terrified and pulling the brakes on all the descents and being disappointed that I didn't come to any barriers other than a big log in the woods. I was literally shaking standing at the start line. Once the whistle blew the nerves subsided and I just focused on staying upright. It was a beautiful day and we had a ton of fun hanging out and watching the other races.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">W4/5 Podium at the Ed Sanders Mud Fest</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ed Sanders W4/5(2/19) - This was fun - albeit a SERIOUS mud pit. There was nothing too crazy about this course except it turned to complete mud and we were running tons of it! Lots of tracks around little lily ponds and what I can only assume are fun off cambers when you aren't running them. I just focused on moving forward as quickly as possibly (on foot or bike). I was super surprised to hear I was in 2nd as I was midway through my 2nd lap. Had an awesome remount fail and I basically flew over the bike, but the mud was soft and I entertained a spectator or two! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Germantown W4/5 (1/20) - Really really great race for us triathletes - lots of areas to just go fast. The small up/down section was fun and the woods were great. I wasn't a huge fan of the log coming out of the woods. Started learning how to ride those after this race but just ran that section every time. Took the lead within the first couple minutes and just kept after it. Rory, Kara and Pete were all there to cheer and we headed out for cider and donuts after. Best day ever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rockburn CX W4/5 (1/11) - This may have been one of the most fun courses of my mini CX season. A little bit of everything, including a sandpit (the only one I encountered this year), a fun up/down W thing, a couple wooded sections and some screaming descents. Not too mention meeting some super awesome youngins' from BYC that I'd see at a few other races.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Winchester Applecross W4/5 (1/4) W3/4 (3/10) - HOLY TECHNICAL. Fun course and event with apple cider, apple butter, fireplace etc. I just don't even know where to begin other than thank god this wasn't super wet/muddy. Lots of steap little hills that were run ups, 2 Belgian walls and this weird off camber thing between 2 run ups that turned out to just be faster to run unless you could mount your bike from the right side. It's one of the further away races from DC so the 8am races didn't draw a huge crowd. First time racing in the 3/4s and learning some lessons in pedaling despite not being clipped in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Taneytown (MABRA <span class="il">CX</span> Champs) W4/5 (1/8) W3/4 (2/9) - Another fun course with some fun </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">up/down thing, long grass/gravel sections to really push, and a bit of technical stuff around </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">trees. Pete, Mom, Rory and Kara all came out as well as Erin and Brian (Erin raced the 3/4). Racing the 3/4s and just trying to stick with her seemed to work out all right!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Capital Cross W4/5 (2/41) W4 (1/20) - They did a huge push to bring beginners out to this race, which worked! Tons of Cat 5 men and women came out which was awesome. Unfortunately, with the size of the men's field starting in front of us it made things a bit more difficult. Decided to not burn too many matches and not even worry about chasing down 1st since I had another race later in the day. Way more open space and room to race in the W4 race, which was nice. A fun course with the chutes, stairs and climbs through the woods. Super happy to get Pete, Katie, Beckie and Shannon out before the end of CX season at this one!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bike Doctor <span class="il">CX</span> @ Red Shedman W3/4 (2/8) - I warmed up at 7:45am and the course was fun and fast. Then snow started to fall around 9am. By the time noon came around for my race it was slick and I knew it would be a race of who could manage it better. Well managing mud, snow and slick conditions don't seem to be my strong point. I took a turn too hard warming up </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and hit the ground pretty hard. I know this made me a bit skidish going into the race. Enough open space and climbing in this race to let me use my fitness to chase down some others. Cool location at a brewery and probably really fun it it isn't freezing and snowing all day!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bikenetic <span class="il">CX W3/4 (5/17)</span> - Super fun course and last race of the local season. This year it turned to a snowy muddy mess yet somehow still managed to be fun. As I stated above managing mud and slick conditions are not my strong point. Started out well but fell back in the field as we hit some of the muddier areas of the course. I Was surprised to see that I held on for a podium spot.</span><br />
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Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-9355204233589059902017-12-11T21:33:00.001-05:002017-12-11T21:33:25.785-05:00Eagleman 70.3 Race ReportA classic - everything about it. Classic Eagleman temps, winds, humidity, etc. My training came along well after White Lake and I was feeling pretty good going into Eagleman.<br />
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Pre-Race - Friday<br />
Heather and I headed out to Cambridge Friday afternoon and took care of all the pre-race jazz. We opted to book a local hotel rather than stick to our original plan of camping, which I'm super glad that we did. I think everyone involved was much more comfortable in the hotel rather than the alternative. We hit up a local hot spot, Jimmy and Sooks, for dinner before calling it a night.<br />
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Pre-Race Saturday<br />
A short ride/run with Heather on the course and BIG breakfast at Cambridge Diner were really the highlights here. More pre-race shenanigans - like Heather fashioning the longest straw I've ever seen out of some rubber hose she got at the expo and a sing along party. Super Sherpa, Pete, had arrived Friday night and was along for much of the fun Saturday. Once bikes were racked and we were settled in we ate dinner in the hotel room and fell asleep to Titanic. The laughs and fun I had with these 2 kept the feeling light and the stress at bay, which was so nice!<br />
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<a href="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/19598907_10104331492845464_8823872452229395786_n.jpg?oh=3d7c90d591d7ab1c53ef8cd773a5ed73&oe=5A903189" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/19598907_10104331492845464_8823872452229395786_n.jpg?oh=3d7c90d591d7ab1c53ef8cd773a5ed73&oe=5A903189" width="320" /></a>RACE DAY<br />
The Swim - 37:42 - 1.2 Miles<br />
Wetsuit legal and I felt pretty good about my swimming going into this. I knew I didn't need a fantastic swim just a decent swim. I got into a rhythm rather quickly and was sighting well. On the <br />
2nd leg of the swim (After the first turn buoy) we were swimming directly into the sun. It wasn't too bad, except you couldn't really tell what colors the buoys were until you were right at them. I kid you not, more than 1/2 the field turned a buoy early on this leg. I continued swimming to the proper turn buoy in hopes the course cutters would be sent back (which it doesn't seem they were). I came out of the water with Ellen and zipped into T1.<br />
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T1 - 3:21<br />
Nothing special here - wetsuit off, helmet/sunglasses and shoes on. Go time.<br />
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The Bike - 2:30:16 - 56 Miles<br />
Felt really good and temps were fair for the first 90 minutes. Got into a strong rhythm and was loving riding one of my favorite courses. Being a younger female the heat can hit us hard on the bike since we are one of the last waves to start the swim. And oh did the heat hit us hard. A bit past the 1/2 point I started to tell that I was cooking but went with my gut and kept my effort steady and strong. I made quite a few passes and knew that I was on pace to go sub 2:30. Well, not when there's a no passing zone and messy bike traffic a few miles from transition. I had to let sub 2:30 go in order to not burn anymore matches.<br />
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T2 - 3:03<br />
Quickly in and out.<br />
<br />
The Run - 1:56:50<br />
Felt good heading out to run. Was told I was in 1st off the bike - my reaction a laugh and ha let's see if I can hold it. I've never raced exceptionally well in the heat, 60s and rainy tends to be more my jam. I kept the fluids coming in and stuck to my nutrition plan. The inevitable started happening on <br />
mile 3 - ladies seemingly flying past me from my AG. The heat was melting me and all I could do was hold on the best I could. I tried to get the pace back and it took until about mile 11 to bring it down again. I ran a bit with another woman headed to Kona and she fired me up to finish strong. I was able to get to the line just in time to hold onto a podium finish.<br />
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FINAL THOUGHTS<br />
<a href="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/19029644_10103707595920181_3155662366508445274_n.jpg?oh=19a9f6ca259531942fbd57bcb3e0dede&oe=5AC57CD8" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/19029644_10103707595920181_3155662366508445274_n.jpg?oh=19a9f6ca259531942fbd57bcb3e0dede&oe=5AC57CD8" width="320" /></a>I have a love-hate relationship with this course. I love the town, I love the course itself and that I can train on it but it's oh so much better when the temps are at least bearable. It's pretty much a home-town race for DC Tri and there is tons of support in the crowds and amongst fellow racers, which you don't get at many other M-dot events. The swim here is never fast, but it's not fast for anyone so it's fine. I'll probably find myself at this race again at some point...not sure how soon. It's hard to subject yourself to conditions you know your body doesn't thrive in year after year.<br />
<br />Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-23803862579519125462017-10-02T21:38:00.000-04:002017-10-02T21:38:21.605-04:00White Lake 1/2 Race ReportI was pretty excited to be kicking off my tri season early and heading down to NC for a 1/2 Iron distance race. Two years ago I kicked off with an early season half with a solid PR in SC so was hoping for something similar this go 'round. Seasoned members (Mom and Gary) were making the trip down from Michigan and Pete and I would drive down from DC. We had a nice house with some friends right on the lake and just a few hundred yards from transition. Seemed like a perfect way to kick off tri season.<br />
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In the couple months leading up to race day I unfortunately had an increasingly worse rash breaking out on my neck. I had been to the doctor and had an appointment scheduled with the dermatologist (a month down the road). The doc prescribed an antibiotic 10 days out from race day - it was a 7 day course of meds. Ok, great I thought, I'll be off the meds by race day (and hopefully this unsightful thing all over my neck will be gone). Well spoil alert, the rash didn't go away <i>at all</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/17991179_10103573893411081_4851091206574698807_n.jpg?oh=1ac45fab63fc5ee8ecbd14917da21afe&oe=5A8067D3" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/17991179_10103573893411081_4851091206574698807_n.jpg?oh=1ac45fab63fc5ee8ecbd14917da21afe&oe=5A8067D3" width="240" /></a>We packed up and made the drive down on Thursday as it was a Saturday race. The lake and house were beautiful and we spent a good amount of time enjoying the dock all weekend. I went for a short<br />
out and back ride on what would be the end of our bike course on Saturday. A few miles out I hit construction :/ and a completely milled lane in the direction we would be biking on Saturday. I optimistically thought oh maybe they'll close the road or shift traffic so we can bike on the smooth new stuff and the cars can drive on the horrible surface.<br />
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We had a relaxing day Friday which involved a lot of relaxing on the dock and a quick trip to packet pickup before getting everything ready for Saturday. I was able to meet up with a fellow FYP athlete at packet pickup and chat for a bit. After packet pickup it was back to the house to start getting all the things ready for race day. It always seems daunting the first race of the season and easy breezy by the the end of the season.<br />
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Saturday Race Morning - PRE RACE<br />
A quick walk over to transition and a close racking spot to bike out was perfect. Didn't take long to get set up and take care of all the pre race needs. I spotted Carrie again said hello and quick good luck wishes before heading over toward the water to get into my wetsuit. The sunrise was absolutely gorgeous. There was a small delay in the start time as we waited for emergency personnel to get in place and then it was time to go.<br />
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THE SWIM - 1.2 Miles - 41:46 ( OA 19/51)<br />
<a href="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/18033152_10103573893416071_5633373338027350413_n.jpg?oh=b2f1d66afdcf001954263693ac9248fa&oe=5A4A8CAE" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/18033152_10103573893416071_5633373338027350413_n.jpg?oh=b2f1d66afdcf001954263693ac9248fa&oe=5A4A8CAE" width="320" /></a>I had been feeling good about my swim going into this race and was definitely feeling good about the wetsuit legal swim. I tried to hop on feet at the gun but the lead group took off and then everyone else seemed to be randomly spaced out and going all over the place. I felt good in the swim but upon exiting the water I was quite (unhappily) surprised by my time. Oh well, move on there's still a lot of racing left to do!<br />
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T1 - 2:30<br />
Wetsuit off and and quick jump onto the bike. Nothing exciting here, but that's how we like it.<br />
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THE BIKE - 56 Miles - 2:35:35 (OA 1/51)<br />
I started out feeling great on the bike. I figured I'm make up more than enough time to negate the subpar swim. By the time I hit mile 30 I felt like I was working really hard - I didn't want to stay aero, I had to used a lot of self talk and dig in and I didn't want to eat my food. This has never happened to me, not even in a full. Usually at a half the bike goes by so fast I don't want it to be over. I felt like I was riding in to a headwind with every turn we made - well we weren't, I just felt like crap. Then I made the final turn on to what was supposed to be the newly paved road - well nope. The cyclists were indeed riding on the milled pavement for a good portion of that segment. Talk about a power suck.<br />
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T2 - 1:31<br />
Off the bike, visor on and onto the run course.<br />
<br />
THE RUN - 13.1 Miles - 2:04:27 (OA 15/51_<br />
I was feeling decently confident in putting down a solid 1/2 marathon. My body let me know early on that wouldn't be happening. There was no energy, it felt like the closest thing to a death march I've ever done and it's the slower 1/2 marathon I've run since my first ever 70.3 race. All I wanted were cold sponges, I couldn't find a cold sponge or ice until almost mile 7. Overall the run course was a flat out and back mostly following the shoreline. It was hot and it was sunny especially for an early season race. I got myself back to the finish line and for maybe the first time ever, sat down and said "that wasn't even fun".<br />
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Results - 5:25:47 (OA 7/51, AG 2/5)<br />
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<br />POST RACE THOUGHTS<br />
Well hindsight is 20/20 but looking back at it now my body was just depleted from the meds and whatever else it was fighting off since the meds clearly weren't working (didn't work). Antibiotics wipe out your system and I'm pretty sure I started feeling the effects on the bike. This was an early season race or me and I took a legit off season after a big year in 2016 so there was a lot of work to be done. Good thing is this race lit a bit of a fire in my belly to get after it in all ways.<br />
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Overall it was a gorgeous venue and now that the paving is refinished on the bike route probably a super awesome course. I could be convinced to go back again, not sure if I'll be back soon but I know I can do a helluva a lot better than the time I put down in this performance.<br />
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Huge thanks to the great sponsors that have been with me throughout 2017 including Cercacor, Osmo, DC Tri Club/District Taco Elite Team, Rose Physical Therapy Group, Ultragrain, Louis Garneau, Rudy Project, Honey Stinger, Base Performance, XX2i Optics, and Xterra Wetsuits.<br />
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Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-33674169084874534162017-09-10T22:10:00.000-04:002017-09-10T22:19:53.948-04:00#R2K: 5 Weeks OutWe're just under 5 weeks out from race day on the big island. There have been some big training<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tDLlXKSCRs8/WbXw_DoAaDI/AAAAAAAAH7I/TRo7riQoOsEqckDr4IzYr_-O3-v30DCggCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_4536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tDLlXKSCRs8/WbXw_DoAaDI/AAAAAAAAH7I/TRo7riQoOsEqckDr4IzYr_-O3-v30DCggCEwYBhgL/s200/IMG_4536.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="150" /></a>days, yet as I write this I'm sitting here staring down the barrel of overload. I'm cleaning, cooking, doing laundry and trying to get as much as I can situated so I can use any free time during the next 2 weeks to sleep (in the boots). My body feels strong and healthy, ready for what is coming our way. <br />
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Many have asked if I'm ready for the big dance? In short, the answer is no. Sure, I could toe an Ironman start line and finish (probably decently well) but I need these overload weeks. For the fitness, for the confidence, for the chance to push myself, to break barriers, to have quality time with<br />
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training partners that inspire me, to learn. I am confident in the plan and in the process. I will come out on the other side with a more confident answer to that question. To steal a line from Jesse Thomas - No expectation, doesn't mean low expectation.</div>
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I've started executing a sauna protocol, I've fine-tuned my nutrition, and I've been doing the little things to take care of my body - weekly PT, daily rolling/stretching, core work, taking time out to relax in the boots, and sleep (lots of sleep). I spent a good amount of time researching and talking to <br />
others who have executed the sauna protocol - there really was no good evidence against it, so I carved out the time to make it happen. We were blessed with a hot and humid DC summer, that abruptly turned to fall right around Labor Day weekend. I don't want to complain, but last I checked Kona isn't the most brisk of places - so into the sauna I go. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeping the body balanced</td></tr>
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<br />I've been fine-tuning my nutrition with the help of Inside-Tracker and Osmo Nutrition and Base Salt. I was lucky enough to win a free analysis from InsideTracker at Maine 70.3. Thankfully there wasn't anything super alarming or surprising but little tweaks and suggestions to definitely get some numbers into the optimal range to really get the most out of my body. Osmo has been in my bottles for the past 3 years and is part of a solid hydration plan that hasn't failed me yet. I'm complementing my hydration with Base Salt on the both the bike and the run to help prepare for the high sweat rate we're likely to see in the conditions on the island.<br />
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<br />
I'm excited, I'm nervous and most of all I'm thrilled to have this opportunity. I can't wait to see what my body can do over the next couple weeks in prep for the big day. And of course I can't wait to put it all out there when I get to toe the line on October 14th with the best in the world. Keep your eyes on the blog - as I plan to do a series of race reports this week.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NBM1dA7zLNk/WbXwxwYAH0I/AAAAAAAAH7U/P6aLOumgRZM_ex9lpveIwfz4wn5JKXiXQCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_4560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NBM1dA7zLNk/WbXwxwYAH0I/AAAAAAAAH7U/P6aLOumgRZM_ex9lpveIwfz4wn5JKXiXQCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_4560.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The BIG Cheese for the beginning of Overload!</td></tr>
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<br />Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-28767858448389939702017-06-25T21:39:00.000-04:002017-06-25T22:09:09.681-04:00#R2K: 4 Months OutFor so many months it seemed so far away, just off in the distance. This intangible thing that I was piecing together but not letting myself focus on. Well guess what...the time is coming. Training is slowing building to look more like 140.6 #s and less like 70.3 #s. The spring season racing is over - lessons learned, podiums conquered, tears and smiles, to put a wrap on the early part of the year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast on Aerobars</td></tr>
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The training load is building and finally beginning to look like those Ironman training weeks that I remember oh so well. My mind has completely warped, and I'm well aware, that what I consider a normal training week is likely what some others peak out at for Ironman. And I felt like I had a ton <br />
of free time when I was cranking out 14 hour weeks. With the increasing training volume recently I've come to realize I can't do ALL the things ALL the time or see ALL the people. Lucky for me I get to head to Michigan for a recovery weekend and party with the best of friends for a very sweet 1 year olds birthday. <br />
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I've been slowly finalizing all the Kona plans. Organizing my sherpa team, making sure flights and cars and all the logistical stuff is booked. Not so covertly encouraging my sherpa team to volunteer on or before race day...and when I googled Ironman World Championship to get to the volunteer page, you know what showed up? Google pulled up my registration confirmation for the 2017 Ironman World Championships...holy crap...it hit me. That dream that was so far off in the distance, that even once the ticket was punched and coin collected still seemed unreal is getting very REAL. We're going to Kona to race. I am going to Kona to race. I'd be lying if I said it doesn't scare the crap out of my when I think about it a lot. I'm choosing to focus on the process, channeling my *get to* attitude and having fun.<br />
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My comments on my workouts have recently read something along the lines of...I'm terrible at dissipating heat, this makes me super nervous for Kona....We're pushing through what looks (and I hope) to be a hot and humid DC summer. Learning how to handle the heat, getting used to being comfortably uncomfortable again, and putting my head down watts out. I'm racing one more 70.3 in Maine pre-Kona. While *fingers crossed* the conditions won't mimic Kona, I'm excited for would could be a PR type of course and conditions. <br />
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The early season saw 2 70.3 distance races (which I need to write race reports for) White Lake Half and Eagleman 70.3. Great opportunities to get some racing under my belt again, get Pete some experience attempting to use the Ironman tracker and give me info and deal with all my pre-race, race day, and post race emotions/shenanigans. I must say he did a great job and was right there at Eagleman to tell me my position coming out of T2 (1st).<br />
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This is the part of the process I love - the daily grind, the stacks of laundry, the adrenaline, the fatigue, the empty fridge, the big grocery bill, the choice to rise up and push and see what you're capable of. It's coming and I'm ready for it.<br />
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<br />Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-59839233665295506882017-03-10T10:03:00.001-05:002017-03-10T10:03:47.566-05:00#R2K: Getting There<br />
So how did I get from one of the most disappointing and frustrating races of my time as a triathlete to punching my ticket to Kona in 6 weeks time? It wasn't easy and it wasn't a sealed deal that I'd even be racing until about 3.5 weeks out from race day of the 2nd Ironman. Physically and physiologically we had to make sure my body was up for the challenge. Recovering from a full IM can take 3-4 weeks in itself and tapering takes another 2-3 weeks...if you do the math that doesn't leave much time for training, let alone peak training. Mentally we had to make sure I was ready to get back out there, put in the hours, make the sacrifices and do the work.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2dT-iK3132M/V_jqcMV5YlI/AAAAAAAAHwM/yAAxag5xeyg0wQidz8B8iBTZVZF39rGxgCPcB/s1600/received_10154533427534909.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2dT-iK3132M/V_jqcMV5YlI/AAAAAAAAHwM/yAAxag5xeyg0wQidz8B8iBTZVZF39rGxgCPcB/s320/received_10154533427534909.jpeg" width="320" /></a>Priority #1 was making sure I was healthy coming out of Ironman Mont Tremblant. The first week was a mandatory recovery week - 3 days completely off, some easy swimming, some easy cycling and some very easy running. My body felt good and not nearly as sore as I usually am post Ironman. Likely attributed to the inability to push hard and race to my potential due to illness. Physically my body was feeling good and ready to take on more training after the first week of recovery. I attribute this in large part to weekly physical therapy sessions at Rose PT.<br />
<br />
Upon returning from IM Mont Tremblant and knowing I wanted to try again (likely at Maryland) we resumed weekly PT sessions - working on mobility, stability and anything we could to get me through the training and racing with no pain. I committed to daily mobility sessions, on my own, post-workout between the 2 races, knowing if I couldn't stay healthy there wouldn't be a start line for me for race #2. There's no denying that training and racing 2 Iron distance races (as well as a couple <br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4W5ZBnnA7Bw/V1V5TWMNnII/AAAAAAAAHVs/QX5YPGZh6tAipQtNWPYsSnoOAV_bgP2GACPcB/s1600/13221273_1033500836686825_2133530775924832621_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4W5ZBnnA7Bw/V1V5TWMNnII/AAAAAAAAHVs/QX5YPGZh6tAipQtNWPYsSnoOAV_bgP2GACPcB/s320/13221273_1033500836686825_2133530775924832621_o.jpg" width="320" /></a>of 1/2 distance races) can take it's toll on the body throughout the course of the season. Due to some strength imbalances my left shoulder had been starting to bother me with swimming and my left hip with running.<br />
<br />
I was fortunate enough to have access to the best treatment in town with my coworkers. We used dry needling, biofeedback, active release, and manual joint work to help decrease pain and discomfort and normalize and maximize the efficiency of my movement patterns as much as possible in the time we had. As my training load increases this year I've continued with PT to ensure I stay healthy throughout the year. We're working on run mechanics, posture, breathing patterns and shoulder mobility to get started. I'd rather put the preventative time in now rather than try to recover from in injury in the middle of a training cycle.<br />
<br />
There were a lot of pieces that all fell into place to make the turn around happen and happen successfully. A huge part of that was the support system I had behind me throughout both races. I surrounded myself with training partners that believed in me, pushed me, and were some of my <br />
biggest cheerleaders going into both races and on race day itself. My coach was on board and family was on board. The rest was up to me, to listen to my body, be smart with the training, and gain get as much fitness back in the tank as my body would allow. I prioritized sleep and recovery more than I ever had before during those 6 weeks. I aimed for 8+ hours of sleep every night and time in the NormaTec Recovery Boots after key sessions. I focused on my nutrition and made sure my body was getting what it needed to recover and adapt.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14462956_10103852100566408_9209995216749522465_n.jpg?oh=7943a1e17bd67a8006b0fc32afbf1872&oe=596FB280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14462956_10103852100566408_9209995216749522465_n.jpg?oh=7943a1e17bd67a8006b0fc32afbf1872&oe=596FB280" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite photos - so many emotions.<br />
Best friend/training partner watching my finish at IMMD.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-60255822819009279682016-12-21T16:03:00.000-05:002016-12-21T18:25:53.929-05:00Looking Back through the Looking Glass<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If anyone had asked me early in my training cycle during
2016 what might happen I would have responded with I don’t know and I’m just
trying to get through the year healthy and happy.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It was a rough start to 2016 with slow paces,
high heart rates and low power #’s, which arguably all had to do with the
Mirena IUD (<a href="http://hollimarie.blogspot.com/2016/03/trust-your-gut-mirena-iud-story.html">read about it here</a>).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">That
wasn’t my plan for 2016 but we all know the saying…the best laid plans of mice
and men…I committed to the process and enjoying the journey day by day, trying
to forget about result and time goals.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One year ago I closed out 2015 in Taiwan with 2 of my
biggest supporters – Rory and Kara.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
evening we headed out to a small village and bought a Chinese Wish
Lantern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent a little while writing
our goals and wishes for 2016 on that Lantern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In big letters I nervously wrote “2016 Kona”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earlier in December I set my 2016 intentions
to start each day fearless and confident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Little did I know how much these two things would play into my season,
my life, and my journey through the year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a few months of frustration and aggravation through
training with the IUD I got that thing out and things changed for the
better…almost immediately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although all
my run training had been pretty much at ZR paces I somehow dropped a nice PR at
Cherry Blossom 10 miler despite cold and windy conditions on course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This helped change my mindset for the better,
and propel me into each day fearless and confident, committed to the process.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A hell of a start the triathlon season followed a couple
weeks later on the heels of a big training day on the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Breaking the tape with a strong all around
race at Rumpus in Bumpass Sprint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
led into a season of solid training, gains all around and progress – all I was
asking for was progress at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Two strong ½ Ironman races later I was feeling ready for IM Mont
Tremblant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was excited about the
possibilities and opportunities that lie ahead.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mont Tremblant – the land of lessons and looking back now I
can’t believe how many lessons slapped me in the face during this week in
Canada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t thank my dear friend
Angela nearly enough for standing by me, becoming an Ironman for the first time
and still making sure we had a fun time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You can read about the race experience in my race report but looking
back I want to highlight the lessons learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I lay sick on the couch in our condo, less than 24 hours
before the cannon would sound I didn’t know if I’d even make it to the starting
line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything I’d put my time and
energy into up to that point had been for this race and it was slipping away
before I even got into my wetsuit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laying on the couch and trying to muster the
energy to just go rack my bike and drop off gear bags something was said to me
– and it mentally broke me down even more. “Don’t blame me, blame yourself.” At
a time when all I wanted was to be able to race to my potential, to show what
I’d worked so hard for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A time when my
heart was breaking because I knew it was highly likely that if I did make it to
the start line it wasn’t going to be the day I had trained for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rest of the crew didn’t dare suggest that I not race,
they pretty much knew I was going to toe the line and hope the body would come
around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toe the line I did – the body
coming around not quite (not to mention the bike mechanical 20 miles in).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every pedal stroke and every step I
contemplated quitting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This wasn’t the
race I had trained for, I was better than this, but something kept pushing me
to make it just one aid station further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m so thankful for the perseverance to continue that day, to fight just
to get to the finish line and for best finish line catcher in the sport to to
be there as I came across the line (my mom).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not to mention, witnessing Angela crush her goal with time to
spare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I struggled through accepting (or not
accepting) the fact that my dad wasn’t there cheering for me, heck he’d never
been to a triathlon and this whole Ironman thing came about because of his
accident – my therapy, my release.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Five
years later and emotions and memories are still there and they’re still very
real.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Would I toe the line again in the condition I was prior to
IMMT – probably not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was borderline
stupid, and I feel lucky that I didn’t come out worse for that decision.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The silver lining of racing an Ironman almost completely
with your heart rate in zone recovery is that it doesn’t take too much out of
you physically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somehow the fever and
chills and illness didn’t get worse despite the cold rainy conditions and 11+
hour day of racing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I talked with Kim,
we had a plan and let a couple weeks play out to see how my body would take to
that plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All systems were go and I got
the green light to register for Ironman Maryland – not a race I ever really saw
myself at, despite the course favoring my strengths but an opportunity I was
ecstatic about.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I spent 5 weeks with my head down and focused, getting every
once of strength and power back that I could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I developed and nurtured some awesome friendships with my teammates and
training partners over the course of the year and leaned on some of these
pretty heavily going into IM MD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From
dinners, to riding partners, to pouring out my heart and soul to you ladies
(and guys), thanks for being there and supporting all of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To have you all next to me willing to grind,
suffer, persevere and push was and is amazing and I can’t wait to see what 2017
brings for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I consciously started the
process of surrounding myself with those people that build me up and cutting
out the other relationships during this time period (I believe I subconsciously
started this earlier in the year).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I kept Ironman Maryland on the quiet side compared to IM
MT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mom came out and we headed out to
Cambridge with one main goal – to have the best day I was capable of
having. Adam joined us and made sure to keep everyone who was following along virtually up to date on my whereabouts. Apparently the first person texts were quite a hit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew that for me this day
would be a success if I could stay focused on the process and stay present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day so full of feeling and emotion that
it could last a lifetime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went into
the day fearless and confident and when my HR monitor went on the fritz and the
power meter decided to go haywire I honed in on what Ironman effort felt like
and trusted the process – confident and fearless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had friends and teammates come out and they
were everywhere on the course cheering, giving splits and information on the
run and the best part was hearing at mile 23 from another friend that everyone
was headed to the finish line to cheer me into Kona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said it in my race report and I’ll say it
again – there’s nothing like crossing the finish line knowing that you’ve
punched your ticket to the big island.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am so thankful that my mom made the trip out to witness
that race and the awards ceremony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who
knew that Chinese Wish Lantern and those intentions would come full circle by
the end of the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the moment at
Mont Tremblant I wasn’t thrilled with how things had gone but I am beyond happy
with the way they’ve worked out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
couldn’t have written it better myself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Little did I know the most difficult part of that week still
lie ahead, perhaps the most difficult part of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d be lying if I said this came out of
nowhere, maybe we both knew it was coming and delayed the inevitable because we
were comfortable or because we had hope that things would change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just days after Ironman Maryland I learned
just how meaningful those bonds with my close friends are to me and how hard it
can be to remain fearless and confident when everything seems to fall
apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended a 4.5 year relationship (even
though I knew it was the right decision for me it was one the hardest things
I’ve done) – a time filled with awesome memories, experiences, countless races
and training sessions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: red;">Some people come into our lives and quickly go, others stay
for while….</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That same night I went to dinner with a dear friend and got
a tattoo I’ve wanted for 4 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
been on dates, I’ve gone on adventures I’ve always wanted to go on, I’ve moved
into my own one bedroom (no more roommates!), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and I’ve enjoyed the crap out of off
season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s been pure joy,
happiness, heartache and everything in between and I can’t be more thankful or
grateful for all of the support from friends, family, coworkers, and training
partners - especially those who listen to my stories that usually start with
#datingat30 (not quite 30 yet!).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve got two weeks left before the training starts and the
head goes down – focused, fearless, confident, present and authentic on this
#roadtokona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Biggest of thanks to some
of my rocks through the entire year – Erin and Brian, Big Ron, Heather, Bryan,
Shannon, Paige, Rachel and Kendall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may have
leaned on you more than is fair this year, but I hope if you need it, I can repay
the favor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The day that you stop looking back, is the day that you start moving on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
#beauthentic <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
#bepresent<o:p></o:p></div>
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#fearlessandconfident<o:p></o:p></div>
Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-58520717263814147362016-10-08T09:07:00.000-04:002016-10-08T10:02:55.519-04:00IMMD 2016: Dreams Do Come TrueIronman Maryland was not really on my radar this year. I had loosely talked about it with my teammate Heather if we hadn't KQ'd earlier in the year, but I was leaning more towards doing a late season 1/2 and attempting to punch my ticket to 70.3 Worlds 2017. Well, IM MT came and blew up in my face and I was left with a burning desire to use the fitness I had spent the long hours working so hard for over the year. A few days passed after IMMT and I noticed Maryland was still open. I talked about it with my coach, signed up and told about 2 people, mostly wanting to keep this a bit more low key.<br />
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My body came around and the last couple weeks of training went really well. I rode the bike course two times during my last training block and was confident with where my running was it. I was much more careful to listen to my body, sleep a full 9 hours and cut workouts short when I needed to as we got closer to race day. My body had been good to me and I was doing my best to take care of it going into my second IM in 6 weeks.</div>
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PRE-RACE THURSDAY</div>
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<a href="https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14520587_10154215771056144_3413266309887304656_n.jpg?oh=41cb8172b93c04d071c3a2118c0f818c&oe=586C0AF8" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14520587_10154215771056144_3413266309887304656_n.jpg?oh=41cb8172b93c04d071c3a2118c0f818c&oe=586C0AF8" width="320" /></a>A mostly non-eventful day - I was able to work 1/2 day and then pick mom up at the airport before heading out to Cambridge. I loved having an IM so close, it felt like much less of a 'big' deal and just heading out to Cambridge for another long day of training. Mom and I picked up my packet, checked out the Choptank Lighthouse and the aptly named Choptank River before heading to dinner. We ended up with a ton of free time on Thursday evening so I decided to start getting my gear bags ready, which I figured wouldn't be a big deal since this was my 6th rodeo and I have photo references of what I like in each bag. The ever so prepared Holli had prepacked nutrition for each segment of the race into Ziploc bags the week before...and...OH SHIT...my heart sank when I realized I left ALL the nutrition in the bags on my shelf, in DC, almost a 2 hour drive away. It was 7:30 in the evening, I was on the verge of getting in my car and driving back to DC, though I knew that was not a smart move. I started getting in contact with everyone I knew still in DC that was heading out to Cambridge. My lifesaver of a teammate and friend literally saved the day. She was just getting in her car to head out and drove straight into the middle of the city to get my nutrition - there are not enough words to express my gratitude. So thank you, Heather, for being the best friend, teammate, and cheerleader I could have ever asked for. A huge thanks to Paige, Bryan and Adam for also offering to help however they could to prevent me from driving back to DC.</div>
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PRE-RACE FRIDAY</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A relatively calm Choptank on Friday afternoon.</td></tr>
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After a good night of sleep I got in my final 2 workouts - an easy swim and bike. I headed down to the Choptank, got into the wetsuit and jumped in. It was a solid 20 minutes of getting thrown around by the river, and this was in the protected cove. I was somewhat relieved to see that there was a small craft advisory when I got home and I knew the swim was unlikely to take place in the conditions I had just faced. A quick and easy ride to check out the far end of the run course and I called it. It was rainy and nasty and I was ready to go out for pancakes.</div>
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After big breakfast we swung by the Base Salt tent to say hi to Heather and grab my nutrition. Then it was back to the house (2 blocks from the village/finishline) to finish the gear bags and clean up the bike before heading to check it all in down at Great Marsh Park. With bags checked and bike racked it was a very lazy afternoon with my favorite movie, Cool Runnings. Mom and I made a simple dinner and lounged around while Adam made the drive down to Cambridge. Friday evening an official announcement was made that the bike course had to be shortened by 8 miles due to flooding. While not a major deal this would take away from the time I could put into my competitors as the bike is my strongest discipline.</div>
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On Friday night I told my mom I wanted one thing out of the race the next day, and that was to experience every feeling and emotion possible while I was out there. To be present in every moment and enjoy the day.</div>
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RACE MORNING - "Rise and shine it's butt whipping time"- Cool Runnings</div>
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Normal pre-race breakfast and Adam and I were off to wade through the tide waters to get to transition. The tides had come up and some roads were flooded but it wasn't raining so at least we were staying mostly dry from the knees up. I made it into transition, inflated my tires, calibrated the power meter, loaded on my nutrition and hydration and then made may way to a lili pad on the playground to sit and wait.</div>
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I told a good friend a few days prior to race day that I was racing with 3 angels. An angel for the swim - my uncle John, an angel for the bike - my dad, and an angel for the run - my friend Brady. </div>
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THE SWIM - CANCELLED</div>
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I was ready to go wetsuit and all, in line ready to get this show on the road. I had been watching the water all morning and I'd be lying if I said I was excited to swim. The water looked rough and I was convincing myself it was going to be ok, a slow swim for everyone, just get out there and get through it. Just a couple minutes before we should have entered the water the announcement was made to delay the swim by 30 minutes. I was relieved and I knew if the swim had to delayed anymore than 30 minutes the course would have to be shortened due to time restrictions and course cut offs. Back <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14568019_10154219974811144_6210324801538200659_n.jpg?oh=5af6b7613bdad1a202e99b887053d52b&oe=5871D760" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14568019_10154219974811144_6210324801538200659_n.jpg?oh=5af6b7613bdad1a202e99b887053d52b&oe=5871D760" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just sitting on a lili pad.</td></tr>
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to the lili pad, watch the water, text coach, and chill.</div>
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As 7:15 approached I zipped back up, made my way back towards line and didn't quite get there before they made the final announcement. I thought we'd be doing a shortened swim, but was surprised to hear the swim would have to be cancelled. I had a great 2.2 mile OWS just 1 week before and was excited to see what I could put together for a full 140.6 on this day, but looking at the water conditions there's no way you could have sent 2500 athletes in there and be confident you'd get 2500 athletes back out. The call was made and we were all sent back into transition to the change tents in order to get ready to start the bike in time trial format. I had registered very late and was bib 2593, pretty much almost the back of the pack. I had plenty of time in the change tent to prepare for the race - just about 2 hours. Thankful to have friends Mack and Hilary starting at the back of the pack as well to hang out with in the change tent as we watched everyone else file out to start, mostly in the triple digits.</div>
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T1 - DID NOT EXIST</div>
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THE BIKE - 4:37:16 - 100ish Miles</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3zVVs_dcICc/V_juVn56i6I/AAAAAAAAHwY/EaVERJUiAnsFc6WHvkZUFagiJsLkQSVAgCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-08%2Bat%2B8.57.17%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3zVVs_dcICc/V_juVn56i6I/AAAAAAAAHwY/EaVERJUiAnsFc6WHvkZUFagiJsLkQSVAgCLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-08%2Bat%2B8.57.17%2BAM.png" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pure joy. This bike was built for this.</td></tr>
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The course apparently had to have a couple more miles taken out of each loop due to flooding. I started out on the bike with the goal building into and holding IM effort through the first 90 miles and then pushing hard at the end if I was feeling good. As per usual my electronics started going crazy on race day. I backed off for a few minutes and tried to straighten things out (as best one can while riding 21+mph). I had riden the course two times in the prior 3 weeks at Ironman intensity so I focused on what that should feel like, checked in on the data to see if it might be working and kept at it. Nutrition and hydration were on point and the weather was fantastic. </div>
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As I came around to start my 2nd loop, I pulled up to special needs to restock. BSN looked like a complete clusterfuck. The entire beginning of the area of bags was backed up with lines of athletes. I contemplated just rolling through and using aid stations for the rest of the ride. I knew that wouldn't be ideal so rolled on past the crowd toward the end of the bags (thank you high bib #) and started shouting my number. Thankfully DC Tri had a good number of volunteers working special needs and Pat quickly hurried over with my bag. No waiting in any lines for this girl, mostly because there weren't any lines at the back of the pack for bags yet.</div>
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Second loop was more of the same, head down stay aero and just get it done. I actually love this course and didn't find it boring at all. The amount of men I passed that were drafting was horrid (yes you #2053), but not my problem. My bike was built for the conditions in Cambridge - flat, straight, shifty winds. I was loving all of it, at some points thinking, what head wind? As I made the turn off of the loop to head back to town I started to pick it up. At this point folks were fading and I was feeling the best I'd felt all day. I pushed it and enjoyed the ride back into T2.</div>
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T2 - 3:37</div>
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Tried to be as fast a possible. Flying dismount at the line, had to rack our own bikes and into the change tent. Socks, shoes, visor on and race belt in hand and I was out of there.</div>
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THE RUN - 3:52:03 - 26.2 Miles</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14463144_10154221858631144_5380387910676188035_n.jpg?oh=61ea19934c62541a73227373c3fe0bb0&oe=58622C49" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14463144_10154221858631144_5380387910676188035_n.jpg?oh=61ea19934c62541a73227373c3fe0bb0&oe=58622C49" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parting the waters.</td></tr>
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My legs felt good and I tried to settle in to a steady cruise as soon as possible. I saw Adam soon after exiting Great Marsh Park. I knew by my bike split that I was probably doing pretty well, but pretty clueless about my position within the age group at this point (especially since most of my AG started 90 minutes before me). Around the 1st aid station I saw Lauren and crew from District Multisport. I love having familiar faces cheering on the run course. I kept a steady intake of water and gatorade at every aid station as I ran through. Around mile 2 I passed 'the lead female', she was on mile 11 or so and probably not in the lead time wise, but she was physically so she had the lead bike. I calculated the time difference compared to my pace as best I could and figured I was doing quite well. I felt great through the first out and back and was enjoying seeing so many friends racing and cheering. I came back through Great Marsh - got a good kick in the pants from Heather and Ellen at the Base tent and headed out to Water St. to make my way to the downtown turn around. Water street seemed to be taking on a good amount of water, but luckily had some high ground left to keep the feet somewhat dry. My #1 cheerleader, my mom was out there taking videos and pics every time I went by. As I made it into downtown I was greeted by more great cheerleaders from District Multisport (Jen and Daren) and was happy to see Melani and Malissa out there as well. As I approached the turn around I heard a chant start up, it took a few seconds, but then I realized almost an entire block was chanting my name. Thanks to my coworkers, Rachel and Kendall, for getting this crowd fired up!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14563496_10154462173036346_1037753069089795075_n.jpg?oh=8f70dfc57db408b602ebd615a8da73eb&oe=58663925" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14563496_10154462173036346_1037753069089795075_n.jpg?oh=8f70dfc57db408b602ebd615a8da73eb&oe=58663925" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swim or Run? Still not sure.</td></tr>
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Back around for the 2nd loop and still feeling pretty good. I felt good through about mile 16, started feeling the fatigue set in and kept grinding it out. I used Brady here, whatever he was going through one year ago was nothing compared to the pain I was feeling in this moment. Keep digging, keep grinding. This time through Great Marsh was more fun, passing through the Base area and then Water Street...oh Water Street. It was completely flooded. Most people were walking through, I powered through with the run and didn't mind it too much. Friend and teammate Bryan got himself a lawn chair and relaxed in his speedo, ass deep in street water. It made me smile and laugh, it was great. Down through town again, more chanting and smiles and I knew I had a shortened loop ahead. Got some encouraging words from Darren as I came through and then more wading through Water Street before wading through Great Marsh Park. The swim didn't really get cancelled, the race just got reorganized. The final 'loop' is modified and much shorter, such a good mental boost. I knew I was in good position and was told just to hold my pace. Ellen and Heather had given me the best pep talk as I came through around mile 19. Hold the pace, got it, in my mind this made me think my lead wasn't all that big and I just had to get my butt to the finish line as fast as possible. Made the turn around, more wading into Great Marsh Park and down Water Street. Matt from Base told me Heather and Ellen were making there way to the finish to bring me in to Kona as I passed through one last time and I started getting very excited. One final turn around in town by the brewery and it was downhill into the finish. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming in to the finish!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-44s23Al25Wk/V_juV6xQzRI/AAAAAAAAHwg/oNqeL3iX4fEeX42nylpk5NuW0TUZk58WQCEw/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-08%2Bat%2B8.58.14%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-44s23Al25Wk/V_juV6xQzRI/AAAAAAAAHwg/oNqeL3iX4fEeX42nylpk5NuW0TUZk58WQCEw/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-08%2Bat%2B8.58.14%2BAM.png" width="214" /></a><br />
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I smiled, I pumped my fists, I jumped (even if Mikal says I barely left the ground) and I celebrated. I was fortunate enough to know that I had punched my ticket to Kona as I crossed the line. A little collapse beyond the line and I was dragged off to the med tent for a short while. Luckily my support crew busted in to start the celebrations early. Adam told me all of the news on my results and then the</div>
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girls came in to celebrate.</div>
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FINISH TIME - 8:32:56 - 1st AG - 10th Female Overall</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friends, training partners, teammates. </td></tr>
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I can truly say I was present in every moment. There was enough feeling and emotion to last a lifetime, and that's what I had asked for. I had the best, and one of the biggest, support crews out there. Big thanks to my mom for making the trip for #6, Heather for getting the nutrition I left in DC, and Adam for making the trek out to stand in water and keep me going. A huge thanks to my Coach, Kim Schwabenbauer of Fuel Your Passion, for believing in me to make the turn around from IMMT and setting me up for success going into Maryland. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about it. There were a couple of times on the day that I thought I'm either having a great race or about to have an epic blow up. Thankfully there was no epic blow up.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's excited to go to Kona!</td></tr>
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I'm excited and ready for a few weeks of off season, planning out the 2017 season, and a trip to Kona to cap it all off. After Mont Tremblant I started doubting myself big time, wondering if I wasn't really sick and just making excuses, considering hanging up the bike for a few years and focusing on things I 'should' be doing (relationships, family, kids). I can assure you I was more sick than I thought in Canada, IMMD showed me that. I love the journey I'm on, the relationships I've forged through triathlon, the places I've had the opportunity to see and the life I'm living. Here in lies my passion and allows me to thrive in all aspects of my life.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14457500_1120826961287545_6195233562566089673_n.jpg?oh=852bb6f8d3156ea2de80df9a6d795c99&oe=586D410C" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14457500_1120826961287545_6195233562566089673_n.jpg?oh=852bb6f8d3156ea2de80df9a6d795c99&oe=586D410C" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating with Rachel and Kendall!</td></tr>
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Thank you to all of you that have been a part of this journey, it's been an awesome ride, and I wouldn't change it for the world. To be able to have the race I've been training for in front of a 'hometown' crowd and so many friends was very special. Thank you to my Snapple Teammates, DC Tri Teammates, District Multisport friends, athlete friends (old and new) on the course, and my amazing coworkers. Your cheers did not go unnoticed, I wish I could take you all to Kona with me.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Thank you to my newest sponsor, Ultragrain, for helping to incorporate healthy whole grains into my diet (#haveagrainday). Thank you to my sponsors DC Tri Club, Snapple Triathlon, Team, District Taco, Xterra Wetsuits, Rudy Project Helmets, Louis Garneau, Pierce Footwear by Seven Dynamics, and Rose Physical Therapy Group and thank you to Base Salt for being on the course (#saltsaves)! I missed you at IMMT!</span></span>Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-81226983234646564852016-09-04T12:13:00.000-04:002016-09-04T12:13:12.198-04:00IMMT 2016: Perseverence, Heart and Grit<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "San Francisco", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: -0.2pt;">It wasn't the day I trained for or planned for, but it sure was a day. I made a lot of sacrifices this year and prioritized training, recovery, and nutrition to prepare for this race. I spent way more time in the pool, improving my swim more than I ever have before. I was prepared mentally and physically for the course and for the day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z5SDP5EXt0M/V8xEigb1_cI/AAAAAAAAHlw/LxLR0A9Lg0AeaRfKDP-ObGuaXwmr-eE_wCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160819_124121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z5SDP5EXt0M/V8xEigb1_cI/AAAAAAAAHlw/LxLR0A9Lg0AeaRfKDP-ObGuaXwmr-eE_wCLcB/s320/IMG_20160819_124121.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Texting Kim, assuring her I feel 'fine'.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: -0.2pt; line-height: 14.5pt;">Unfortunately, my body had other plans. Early on in race week I noticed a scratchy throat, I didn't think much of it other than allergies. I took some airborne and continued on. We traveled, quite smoothly with our bikes, to Tremblant on Wednesday and by Thursday I was completely congested and had a nice sinus headache. I was still convinced this was just allergies and a non-issue. We swam every day in Lac Tremblant, I did a couple of runs, and had a nice 2 hour ride on Thursday. Everything still seemed on point, the cooler temperatures and lack of humidity helped me hit some good numbers power and pace wise in those lead up workouts. I exchanged a few texts with coach on Friday, still sure I was just having</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: -0.2pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: -0.2pt; line-height: 14.5pt;">some allergy issues. Then Saturday rolled around, and I was a hot mess. Literally hot - I was flat out on my back for most of the morning with a fever. I didn't want to take meds due to the effect they can have on HR, but I had to give in. If I didn't start feeling any better I knew I wouldn't have the energy to make it down to rack my bike that afternoon, let alone see the start line on Sunday morning. A cold washcloth and a cocktail of vitamin c and zinc later I had the energy to get up, pack my gear bags and make it down to bike check in. I did a short swim and then laid low for the rest of the day.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: -0.2pt;">Best sleep I've ever had the night before an IM! I woke up feeling decent, went through the pre-race routine and got a ride to the bottom of the hill to take care of business (load food on bike, pump tires, setup Garmin, etc) in transition before walking to swim start. There was energy in the air and excitement all around me, but I could tell something was off inside me, yet I remained hopeful that my body would perform once the cannon went off. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">Swim – 2.4 Miles - 1:26:11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">I was feeling good and confidant going into this swim with the work I've done in the pool. I felt fine during the swim and was even able to draft for a good portion of it. I was surprised – not in a good way - by the swim time, we were thinking I'd be in the 1:16/1:17 range with a decent swim and even be sub 1:15 with a good swim. This was a total crap swim for me, yes the water was rough out in the lake, but I should have swam sub 1:20 at least. Maybe it was my body being low on energy or who knows what but it was disappointing and frustrating. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">T1:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">A decently long run from swim finish into the change tent. Moved as quickly as possible through here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">Bike – 112 Miles - 5:44:37</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Fantastic race day weather.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">I was able to quickly put the swim behind me, and was excited to get out on the bike course and do some work. It started out fine and I was feeling good, then just before the turn around on 117 my return to center shifter (bar end shifter on a tri bike) stopped working and any attempt to shift made the chain jump around but ultimately stayed in my hardest gear. Luckily within the next mile or 2 I was able to wave down a bike mechanic. He tried for about 8 minutes and was able to at least get the chain to stay on a cog when I would shift, but I had to hold the shifter in place in order for it to <o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">stay in anything other than the 11 in the rear. As I got back on my bike I figured I'd finish the first loop and see how things were, hopefully see Adam at the U-turn and ask him to call coach and ask if I should DNF. At around mile 40 my HR just stopped responding, it became increasingly hard to even keep it where it was at, and got to the point where I felt like I was fighting just to get into zone 1.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">Cue my body stopped sweating and the feverish chills came back. The kickers on the 2</span><sup style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">nd</sup><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"> half of the ‘loop’ didn't seem so bad, though with the shifter issue I had no choice but to remain seated and it made U-turns, eating, and refilling water much more difficult than it should be. Every time I had to use my right hand for something other than holding the shifter I dropped into the hardest gear, not ideal. In order to set yourself up for a good run you do a lot more than just ride your bike in an IM and a lot of it requires use of your right hand.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">From mile 22 and on I had a decision to make – was what I wanted to do with my right hand worth letting my bike drop into the </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BWhZ_WTuIIM/V8xA7PDgdqI/AAAAAAAAHlg/6OJSIm4OY4U_PJINe6gYZZueoCmKdkgAwCEw/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-09-04%2Bat%2B11.40.04%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BWhZ_WTuIIM/V8xA7PDgdqI/AAAAAAAAHlg/6OJSIm4OY4U_PJINe6gYZZueoCmKdkgAwCEw/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-09-04%2Bat%2B11.40.04%2BAM.png" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">At least my bike got washed.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">hardest gear and/or crushing my legs for a minute or so? Refill front bottle, take water at an aid station, and eat all required this decision to be made.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">On a course like Mont Tremblant with 5000+ feet of climbing sometimes the answer is keep the shifter in place and take care of food/water etc when you get to a downhill.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">Then there were times where I just had to let go of the shifter because my right forearm was killing me.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">Needless to say, not my best bike split.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">I was very happy to hand her over to the volunteers at the dismount line.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">At this point I figured I would get through T2, start the run and see what I could do.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">I was hopeful that since I basically just did an IM bike in my recovery zone, perhaps I was setting myself up for a PR marathon.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">T2: 2:37<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">In and out for the race belt, shoes and visor. I love bike handoffs at IM dismount lines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">Run – 26.2 Miles – 4:36:48</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">I came off the bike and was running decently and figured I'd hold it there and slowly bring up my effort after the first 6-7 miles. I was very very wrong, HR started dropping again despite all the caffeine I could handle, I also was pee-ing my pants literally every 10-15 minutes. Anything hydration wise I put in came straight out. And not pee-ing resulted in a painful bladder. As I came through the village around the halfway point I told Adam, I’m sick, but I’ve made it this far so I might as well finish. I wanted to quit multiple times, I wasn’t a happy camper on the run course and I think my face showed it. I actually managed not to walk at all, though I really perfected the Ironman shuffle by the last 4-5 miles, and it wasn't much faster than walking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">Finish Time: 11:56:14 (9th Place AG)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;">Final Thoughts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: -0.2pt;">Bike mechanical and illness tested me throughout the day. I had planned on DNF-ing about 6 times out there. When I got back on my bike after the mechanic 'fixed' (not really) the issue I remembered what <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rory.finneren"><span style="color: #365899; text-decoration: none;">Rory Finneren</span></a> told me years ago while playing yard soccer...'you can't just quit whenever you aren't winning'. I’m so thankful I was able to remember that in the moment when my day was falling apart in front of me. On the run, since my body wasn’t having any of it, I had the opportunity to cheer on friends and patients, many of them to their first Ironman finish line. There were moments during that 2<sup>nd</sup> half </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">There must be giants in Mt. Tremblant, the chairs are huge!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: -0.2pt;">of the run where I was reminded, this is Ironman and if you’re capable, you get yourself to that finish line. There are people who would love to have this opportunity, don’t take if for granted. In the end I was very happy to not have a DNF next to my name. <span class="textexposedshow">Mentally and emotionally that was the toughest finish line I've gotten myself to, so thankful for the opportunity to once again cross IM finish line #5 and see what I'm capable of. Thank you to everyone who tracked, cheered, and supported - you all played a part in getting me there. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: -0.2pt;">Now the door is closed on this race. It happened, I was lucky to come out of it healthy. A small silver lining - since I basically did an Ironman in zone recovery, my recovery has been smooth and it looks like I’ll have the opportunity to race another full this year. An opportunity to really see the culmination of the training I put in this year, an opportunity to have the best day I’m capable of having, an opportunity is all I’m asking for.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: -0.2pt;">**...I don't really care if nobody else believes, 'cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me...**</span></span></div>
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<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: -0.2pt;">To answer the most often asked question: Placid or Tremblant? Hands down for me it’s Placid. My view of Tremblant is tainted, I know that, but I love Placid, and would go back in a heartbeat. </span></span></div>
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Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341824246897517593.post-68415578885580089752016-06-27T12:38:00.000-04:002016-06-27T12:41:31.091-04:00Syracuse 70.3 Race ReportI had decided pretty early on that I wanted to put Syracuse 70.3 on my race schedule...again. I had done this race back in 2014 as prep for IMLP. It was a fine race but I was left knowing that I needed <br />
to come back to the course at some point, ready to give it everything I had. This year I was actually able to convince Adam to race with me, which helped make for a fun weekend all around.<br />
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Pre-Race<br />
After a short day of work on Friday we were Syracuse bound by mid morning. We arrived with enough time to head to packet pickup and visit with friends at the race site before checking in to our Air BnB in the quaint town of Tully, NY. I'm so glad we stayed in Tully instead of Syracuse. We were a quick/straight drive from the race site, only a couple miles off the bike course and right across the street from 2 excellent restaurants.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JUGTvijthPw/V3FQu_4AccI/AAAAAAAAHX0/HPb3JRY2wkQjP5LvGY_gjdUcS27tm6sRACLcB/s1600/IMG_1297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JUGTvijthPw/V3FQu_4AccI/AAAAAAAAHX0/HPb3JRY2wkQjP5LvGY_gjdUcS27tm6sRACLcB/s320/IMG_1297.JPG" width="320" /></a>Saturday is one of my favorite days pre-race, because it means big breakfast! The few mornings per year that I *have* to eat pancakes..schucks. We started our Saturday with a nice easy ride on a bit of the bike course and checked out one of the awesome descents that we would get to speed down the next day. We saw some beautiful log homes, barns and lakes that reminded me of my roots and why I love "up north". After our ride we quickly headed across the street for breakfast. It was glorious and I think the waitress was slightly concerned about the amount of food 2 relatively small people just ordered and consumed.<br />
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The rest of Saturday was filled with bike racking, a short on course swim (thanks to some locals that live on the swim course), preparing nutrition and laying around trying to watch soccer and succumbing to my guilty pleasure of The Mindy Project. With the predicted race day temps I made sure to snack on salty pretzels and hydrate with Osmo all day long. We headed across the street for our 2nd dinner at Sweet Basil before calling it a night.<br />
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Race Morning<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Rinster ready to fly. Undefeated in AG bike splits :P</td></tr>
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I was happy to have slept well and woke up to my alarm bright and early ready to slam some sauce for breakfast. We were very lucky that our host was flexible on checkout time, so we didn't have to pack up everything pre-race. We headed over to the race site and arrived with plenty of time for transition set up and all the usual pre-race routine. While bike racking on Saturday I had noticed the<br />
bike next to my was racked incorrectly, thankfully a kind volunteer noticed and flipped the bike. On race morning the bike on the other side of me was racked correctly but she was setting up her transition area on the completely wrong side - basically where my stuff was supposed to go. Unfortunately she wasn't actually there, all her stuff was everywhere but she was nowhere to be found. Thankfully, again, a race official noticed something was off and came and straightened things out. Not that these things are a huge deal, but it was definitely flustering me.<br />
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THE SWIM - 39:56 (36th AG)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go, feeling strong.</td></tr>
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I've been putting in some good work in the pool and making some pretty big gains there. Unfortunately, we haven't really seen these gains translate to the open water yet. I've got some ideas to really try to help myself here over the next couple of months. I felt strong during this swim and I was able to hang on to some feet for most of this swim. Hoping to take the good from it and build on everything else pre IM MT.<br />
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T1: 3:45<br />
A quick stop at wetsuit strippers and quite a long run into T1 makes for a long transition here. Once at my bike it was a quick stop for shoes and helmet before running out.<br />
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THE BIKE - 2:51:16 (1st AG)<br />
After having raced here in 2014 I knew the bike course would be challenging, then they announced a new bike course. There were rumors that the new course was more challenging but I wasn't going to make any judgements until seeing it myself. Getting out onto the course you have a couple miles to get comfortable and let your HR settle before starting into some extended climbing for 10-11 miles. My legs felt great, my HR was coming down nicely and before I knew it I was catching a lot of my competition within the first few minutes on the bike. I had a few weekends of some nice hill climbing on my tri bike in May - including 92 miles in the hills of West Virginia with some awesome teammates. My climbing legs were on and ready to rock on Sunday and I was quite happy. I spun up every climb I could on the bike course never really having to come off the saddle. I was happy to do a lot a passing on the bike course, specifically to the cheers of crazy spectators and never once got passed by another female on the bike course. As we approached mile 45 I knew I'd be in for a treat with the descent that was soon coming. I tucked in and pushed my cranks until I spun out, hoping that maybe I could break 50mph, alas I hit 47.6, one day perhaps I'll hit 50. There was one more decent climb before heading back into transition. I had hit my nutrition and hydration plan spot on as well as my bike execution plan. Though the time was far from what I usually do on a 56 mile bike course, I had stuck to my plan and I was confident things were going well (turns out I had the fastest bike split of my AG and most ladies were 3+hours). That was one tough bike course but I was ready to see what I could do on the run (PS it was a solid 91 degrees when I dismounted my bike).<br />
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T2 - 1:29<br />
I came into T2 neck and neck with a fellow AGer (we'll call her alligator jersey). Helmet off, socks and shoes on and a quick spray of sunscreen and then I was off. I alligator jersey run out of T2 maybe 10-15 seconds ahead of me. She came out on fire, getting into the applause of the crowd and taking off.<br />
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THE RUN - 1:51:30 (5th AG)<br />
Coach Kim and I had talked a bit about this run. We knew it was going to be hot, we knew it was a tough run course, coming off of a tough bike course, and we knew that there would likely be carnage on the course. I watched alligator jersey open up the gap between us as I settled in, getting in my bottle of Osmo+Pre-Load and getting my legs under me. The first mile or so of this course is awkward - grassing on the side of a hill awkward. It kind of makes you feel like you're going to have the worst run of your life as you're running uphill on this weird angle in the beating sunlight. As I ran through the first aid station I took every cup of ice and water I could get my hands on - in the mouth, over the head, down the jersey, down the shorts. I knew if I could keep myself as cool as possible things would go better. As I made it out to the road me legs felt much better running on the pavement and I was able to find some shade. Running through the 2nd aid station was a repeat of the first, with a couple swigs of gatorade added in. I knew it was after this aid station I'd have a bit of flat before the climb up to the turn around. As I started the climb felt strong I saw alligator jersey and a fellow AGer heading down. Alligator jersey had opened up a sizeable gap and looked strong and the other AGer was far enough in front of her I was left with hope that I was at least in podium position and just wanted to hold onto where I was. I stuck to the plan, I kept cool through aid stations and I took in my nutrition as planned. Coming through the 1/2 point and starting my 2nd loop I was feeling good and had noticed that the gap was not any bigger, and maybe, slightly smaller at this point.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Tank empty, crash coming...</td></tr>
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Again through the 1st 2 aid stations staying cool and getting in hydration. As I made my way to the turn around both alligator jersey and the other AGer were considerably closer to me. As I made that turn around and headed past he 10 mile marker I knew it was time to put in work. Time to drive the HR up and leave everything I had on that course. Through mile 11 I was pushing but still in control and feeling good, I looked up ahead and there was the fellow age grouper who had started out pretty far ahead, she didn't look great, had been reduced to mostly a shuffle, and I quickly caught and passed her. At this point I was pretty sure alligator jersey had passed her too and I as probably well ahead - then I look up as I start the last significant hill, and there she is mid - hill just past mile 12. I put my head down, told myself this was good practice for IM MT and if that could be a Kona spot I need to go and get it. I put in enough work to catch her on the downhill portion of the awkward slanted grassy section. I sat on her heels for just long enough to pull myself together and get ready for a hard effort into the finish line about 1/2 mile away. I pulled out from around her and never looked back, just putting everything I had into that last stretch. I was so relieved to see the finish chute and finish line and not hear any foot steps or breaths behind me. I raised my arms in celebration the best I could as I crossed under the arch before stumbling towards the cameraman and taking a rest on the hot black pavement. <br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13501608_10153904960541888_4587879318760603425_n.jpg?oh=f72affab02935191cbc7c2efa42c7ab1&oe=57FB3665" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13501608_10153904960541888_4587879318760603425_n.jpg?oh=f72affab02935191cbc7c2efa42c7ab1&oe=57FB3665" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">5th, 4th, 2nd Place F 25-29</td></tr>
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OVERALL FINISH: 5:27:56 (2nd AG, 9th OA)<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQNTzUDvvHk/V3FQt7F3LPI/AAAAAAAAHYM/BFYvbIXDoGUDsp2BPVXyN5DAMoetrL6fwCKgB/s1600/IMG_1284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQNTzUDvvHk/V3FQt7F3LPI/AAAAAAAAHYM/BFYvbIXDoGUDsp2BPVXyN5DAMoetrL6fwCKgB/s320/IMG_1284.JPG" width="240" /></a>This race was one to remember. Though a far far cry from a PR time, this was a tough course and definitely not a PR type of course for someone who has done quite a few 70.3's. For the first time I felt completely in control of pushing the pace towards the end of the race. Usually I 'pick it up' and really just hold a steady pace or go slightly faster. For the first time I used some tactics on the run course as I made those final 2 passes. I saw competition in front of me, believed, and executed. I know how frustrating it can be to be running, holding on to a certain place/slot/etc and get passed near the end when you just have nothing more to give. This race was about being confident in the plan, being patient, managing the day/conditions and digging deeper than I thought was possible. On a day that presented a course that doesn't suit my strengths, in conditions that are difficult for a big sweater, I was able to manage and execute well enough to finish hard and run myself from 4th to 2nd. Bigger and better things are coming - 8/21/16.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q5375tLj-0A/V3FQuf9VVtI/AAAAAAAAHYM/99oiv04_WSIoerhc5QO1ToEP1fJpxmgKACKgB/s1600/IMG_1293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q5375tLj-0A/V3FQuf9VVtI/AAAAAAAAHYM/99oiv04_WSIoerhc5QO1ToEP1fJpxmgKACKgB/s320/IMG_1293.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Ultragrain FYP Kit by Coeur Sports</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you most of all goes out to Fuel Your Passion Coaching, I was well prepared and confident in our plan, Adam and my family. Thank you to my newest sponsor, Ultragrain, for helping to incorporate healthy whole grains into my diet (#haveagrainday). Thank you to my sponsors DC Tri Club, Snapple Triathlon, Team, District Taco, Xterra Wetsuits, Rudy Project Helmets, Louis Garneau, Pierce Footwear by Seven Dynamics, and Rose Physical Therapy Group. Thank you to all the DC Tri athletes racing and cheering at Syracuse, it was great to be pushed by friends on the course! Looking forward to a big chunk of prep work coming up to set the stage for the rest of 2016.</span></span><br />
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<br />Holli Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696800085985770873noreply@blogger.com1