#20 - Ironman Arizona, Part Two: Coolest Day EVER

Let’s back up just a smidge, after I raced Vineman for the second time in July, and my swim time did NOT improve at all, Hillary ordered five weeks of “swim camp”, which meant hours and hours of swimming every day for five weeks. This daily fun time in the water luckily coincided with Hannah’s gymnastics Summer camp that was a few miles from a splendid outdoor pool that I could swim in while she flipped and cartwheeled herself through another adolescent Summer.  I know it sounds decadent to be able to train all day long, and it is, but it does still require some masterful time management skills in order to plan 4-5 hours of training around a child’s Summer schedule. I did enjoy my long hours in the pool, I think I got faster, but I would not really know until race day a few months away in November. I did put in lots and lots of riding and running as well, but it was the swim that I was most nervous and excited about.

The night before the race Marion and Hannah flew in from LA, the plane was late, but it didn’t really matter, I never get more than a few hours of sleep the night before an ironman, but I was envious that they were fast asleep just a few minutes after hitting the pillow. Lucky. Oh well, they had a big day ahead of them, too.

I was up and out EARLY, and thankful to have found a prime parking spot close to the start/finish line, and to make some fantastic conversation with a fellow athlete, and mother of four, in my age group in the transition area. This is usually my favorite time of the day, just a few thousand athletes squirming into our wetsuits awaiting a whole day of exercise and self-exploration.

 

We waded together in Tempe Town Lake awaiting the cannon for the start, it was the most beautiful morning I had ever seen, the sky was slowly lighting up, there were spectators everywhere, and I was pumped to put my extensive swim training to the test.  The swim is one big loop, my favorite, because there are only a few turns, and less chance to get mowed over by faster swimmers careering up behind you on their second loop.  I had my fair share of elbows to the head, and knees to the ribs, but I felt amazing.  I climbed out of the lake and looked at my watch, 1:12, “YES!!” I executed my swim correctly and achieved a two min. PR:), then smiled frigidly all the way through transition to the change tents.

I started the three loop bike course confident and ready to unleash the long-legged beast that I had been feeding and coddling for months, it was time to show up.  As luck would have it, we had a wretched head wind on the way out to the turn-a-round spot, and the roads were VERY crowded, but we did have a killer tail wind on the way back to town, which was helpful.  There were also more than a few sprinkles of rain mixed in for good measure, so even though it was a flat course, it required skill and grit.  Hillary had me well prepared, I maintained my pace throughout each loop, and drank up the roaring cheers from my family at the turn-a-round spot in town, which may have been enhanced from there encampment at a local bar during the five plus hour bike leg, whatever makes the team happy. Meanwhile, I kept grinding away with each pedal stroke and before I knew it, I was rolling down to transition, hopping off my bike and asking the volunteers in the change tents, “How many girls have you seen come through so far?” They were lovely and replied, “Just a couple.”  It turns out I was 28^th in my age group after the swim, bummer, then moved up to 7^th place after the bike, sweet.

 

I started the run quicker than prescribed by Hillary, about a 8:40ish per mile pace, but I knew that I needed to feed on the adrenaline while I had it, so I just planned to maintain it for as long as possible.  As I rounded the first of three loops on the run course I heard Marion yell out, “You did the bike in 5:43!” That was a HUGE personal best for me, and gave me an added “pep in my step”, but nothing could compare to the ultimate shot of adrenaline, seeing Hillary cheering for me around mile eight of the run. I had yet to actually meet her in person through the whole year that we had been working together, and we kept missing each other during the days leading up to the race, so to hear and see her rooting for me was pretty much the coolest thing ever, I just hoped that she was proud of me.

 

As I was finishing up the first of the three loops of the marathon, I heard a motorcycle with a cameraman on the back seat speed around me, yep, Chrissie Wellington was closing in on her LAST loop of the race and onto a record setting Ironman time.  I gave her a shout as she passed me, but she was in a zone, and I respected that, plus I had my own race to focus on. The next sixteen miles or so were a grueling tug of war with the fading sunlight, ergh, I did not want to finish in the darkness of the desert night.  However, as I was rounding mile 25ish let’s say, I thought I was flying like a cheetah, not quite, my pace was about 9min. miles, maybe more actually; either way that pace would not have me reach my goal of finishing under eleven hours.  Then a cool thing happened, I looked up to the fresh moon blazed night sky above me and smiled wide and said “thank you.” I accepted that it was almost over, this singular race which I mounted with so much stress and distress wrapped up and fried into a giant ball of self-inflicted expectations that were not going to be met.  However, I felt relieved and excited more than depressed because I realized my journey was far from over, I had too much to learn, and way too many memories left to create, adventures to conquer, and races to race.  Thankfully, along with this exhaustive state of euphoria came a laser like focus to finish with strength and class, and as I rounded the last dark left corner before the brightly lit bleacher flanked finish line I smiled wide, raised my arms, and ran through the finish line into the arms of a very proud coach. 

The next morning I followed my last bit of training from Hillary and rode the stationary bike in the hotel gym to flush out my legs, and gain a bit of perspective about what happened the day before. I finished the race in 7^th place in my age group, which meant no Kona slot for me, but I gained a thirty five minute PR, was thrilled with the day, and planned to spend another six plus hour car ride home devising future ironman strategies… Sadly, I could not keep Hillary as my coach because I am simply not THAT much of a Baller, but she still checks in on me, has become a true friend, and continues to inspire me every day. 

One more thing, I ran my 20^th marathon in 4:07, not my best time ever, but by far best marathon within an ironman, and one of my favorite marathons EVER....