For my "A" race of the year, there was alot of preparation. Alot more than normal. Since it was in Racine Wisconsin, we had over 6 hours to travel from the twin cities, but I had 10 hours from my cabin, so it was split up over 3 days. Friday came and we headed to Madison to stay at our family's house for the night. In the morning we headed straight to the race venue of North Beach and picked up my packet, looked at all the Ironman Merch and listened to the pre race meeting. It was super windy so I was just hoping it wouldn't be like that in the morning. After the meeting my family and I went and walked around the harbor in racine and looked at all the cool boats and everything! I love that way of life. So it's getting later on Saturday night and we are at the hotel and my mom is taping my knee up with some K-Tape. We are watching the weather, on tv and outside because holy jesus! The weather hit the fan! There was a flag outside our rooms and we were watching it go this way and that way and in circles. The rain was ridiculous too, coming down in sheets, I was trying not to think about my bike at the transition area being tormented by this weather. So I would to wait til morning to see if she survived ok. It was still raining and we headed to Olive Garden, for you know, that pasta pre race thing we endurance people do. I got this seafood thing and was not very impressed, I should have just gotten the good ol Alfredo. Or just eat salad and breadsticks. But let the record show, Breadsticks from OG have nothing on Red Lobster biscuits. After OG the rain had stopped and we went to Kohl's, to get dad a swimsuit to wear at the lake the next day and my sister got some work pants. Who knew she'd get them in Racine? Then went to the grocery store for some lunch for my family while I was racing and then headed to Dunkin Donuts. My dad has had a gift card we have been trying to use up for a longgg time. So we got muffins and donuts, and kcups to spend the gift card. Now we finally got to go back to the hotel and chill for the rest of the night. Laid out all my stuff for the morning to make sure I had it all, and was ready to go. One more sleep until it was go time.
Sunday, July 19th. Its go time. 4:15 rolls around mighty early, but who has time for sleep when it's time to race! The parents had a room across the hall from my sister and I so mom came in and woke us up. My sister had a suprising amount of energy for 4:30 in the morning. We packed everything up and headed out to the car. I made a pit stop downstairs at the breakfast area and got some coffee. Immediately dumped it out outside, really bad coffee. Probably a good thing I didn't drink it. So I got a banana instead and then we were ready to leave. But no wait, my sister forgot her pillow in the room, so we waited for that too. We found our parking spot for the day, which was probably only a half mile from the transition area, so it pays to get there early. While we sat I ate my "breakfast for the day" which was a blueberry old fashioned donut from Dunkin we got the day before. It was mighty tasty and it worked well as I didn't have an upset stomach all day! I waited until 5:30 to get out of the car because I didn't start until 8:30. Headed up to transition and my sister walked my bike up until a little munchkin made her give it to me to into T. There were so many people, it seems busier every year. Body marked and all I set up transition. It was really quick for me, I am simple so I don't need to spend an hour in there. I taped 4 gels to my bike and one bonk breaker. Attached my shoes with bands and made sure all my sensors were working. I pumped up my tires to about 100 psi, which is what I put them at on race day. My helmet and sunglasses on the handlebars. Put my run shoes, visor, socks and race belt on the ground under my bike. No towel, no extra crap, there was already enough sit from other people on the ground. And I left. I don't understand, I was in there for maybe 15 minutes to set up, I don't see how theses people around me took an hour to set up. They stand there and look around while they stand by there bikes, like this is my bike and I'm going to stand next to it as long as I can. Whatevs.
Like I said, I don't start until 8:30, which is a flipping hour and a half after the pros take off. So I got to see them all get on their bikes and go out on the bike. Lionel sanders was looking like a Beast with his 70's porno stache. After they all took off we headed down to the swim start. By the time I started, the pro men were passing mile 20 on the bike already. Its like we weren't even racing with each other! Lake Michigan was a balmy 64° when we started, which was ok, I mean I'm Minnesotan. Horn sounds and we take off on the 1.2 mile point to point swim. I followed my course and stayed right next to every buoy i passed on my right. Now everyone else was way out and and would come straight to the turn buoys where I had been the whole time. It got jammed up alot there. I even swam under one of the turn buoys because of it. Exiting the water in a new PR for that swim was a great start for me, under 32 min. I'll take it. Hopefully the rest of the race would be like that!
Got my wetsuit stripped off, which was awesome. T1 was fast and I felt great running with my bike out to the mount line. I ate my bonk breaker within the first 5 miles, so I didn't have to worry about it anymore. Its hard to breath and eat at the same time! At mile 15 there was the first water station where I tossed my water bottle and grabbed a course bottle. I put that bottle on my down tube and kept on keepin on. About 10 miles later there was some bumps and I lost the bottle, ran it over and was like, oh crap now I have to wait until the next water stop. So I got there and grabbed another one, and about 5 miles later, I Flippin lost that bottle after it ejected out! Mind you, many of these roads were very very bumpy. I was feeling strong through the whole ride and never stopped passing people. That's a good feeling. I felt like some of the people I passed were standing still. Finally at the 3rd water stop I got the bottle and put it in my cage between my hands and moved that other bottle on the down tube. Why I didn't do this earlier, I don't know. But I still have that bottle cap right now, so I didn't lose it! Coming back into T2 I was cruising, with a Tailwind and the the though of the run In my head. I ate 3 gels on the ride about 20 miles apart. Root beer is by far my favorite. It was warm out so I kept spraying myself with the bottles of water to cool down. I did have one problem with my right glute, that killed. It happens when I ride for a long time. So I had to keep stretching it out and tried to use the seat to get it out. Did not happen. Oh well, I dealt. T2 came around and I got out of my shoes and dismounted. I passed probably 5 people standing there and unlcipping their pedals and taking their sweet ass time. And had to run around some people walking with their bikes, like come on this is a race is it not!? Threw my bike on the rack and grabbed my race belt, visor and kslid the shoes on and took off. Tried to stetch the glute but was unsuccessful. New PR for the bike too. I was happy with that.
13.1 miles of pretty flat running. Other than 2 hills through the Racine zoo and down by the beach, we had little variation. I never walk, just can't bring myself to do that. It was a double loop run course, so I saw the same thing 4 times. Started out near 8 min/mile to start the first 4 miles and then slowly slipped to my slowest 933 mile. So not terrible for me. Aid stations were a god send. Cold water to drink and dump over my head. Gatorade some times and cola twice, to mix it up. I got 2 sponges at the start of lap 2 and thank god for those. I could get them wet at every aid station and then put then right in my shirt. There were also a bunch of places with sprinklers and hoses to cool us down. People spraying water and playing music, it was a great atmosphere for a race. The final 2 miles I got really tight in my quads, like they didn't want to work anymore. But they did and carried me to the finish. The crowd at the end was great, alot of cheering pushed everyone to the end. I jumped up and touched the timer like I have done before and finished with a smile on my face. I don't get the whole walking through the finish line thing that so many people do. I mean, again, it's a race! Got my medal, my hat and food. Which I didn't eat to much of and stretched out on the blanket where my family had been set up. They went into the lake a couple times during the day when I was out racing and said it was really refreshing. So we headed back down there, I could walk alot better this year. The cold water felt really good on my legs and my body. I got all the sweat and salt off me and enjoyed the water.
We got out and went back to get my bike and everything else and headed to the car. That was Racine 2015 and it was over!
I swam 19 minutes faster than the year previous, biked 7 minutes faster and ran 3 minutes faster. Now I worked all winter on that swim, so I need to work now on the run. I took 36 minutes off total and beat my goal of 5 and a half hours. By ten minutes! Next year the goal is to get as close to 5 hours as possible, so I can qualify for 70.3 world's! Great race and a great weekend all together and I am super proud and happy with my result this race.
Next up is Hoot Lake Sprint triathlon by my cabin that is always fun. It'll be weird to have that short of a race 6 days later, but I always enjoy it!
