Seaside Heights Triathlon

Tom Manzi twisted my arm on this one.  One week after my first 70.3, I wasn't so sure... but when he mentioned they were raffling off a free wetsuit (which I was planning to purchase anyway), I couldn't resist. Plus, Darren Freeman is a huge fan of DQ events. And considering I wasn't sore or injured from Princeton, and I had no other solid plans, I ran out of excuses.

Can I say I am so glad that happened?

"Hello, there, podium!"

Being a sprint, I wasn't so concerned about pre-race prep. I gathered my supplies according to my packing list and went to bed. Greg Kasko picked me up at 5:30. So glad I didn't have to drive and we could register race morning! Breakfast was an apple with peanut butter and water.

The Swim:
Beautiful, 60 degree morning, not a cloud in the sky.

Ocean swim. I got a short warm up swim in. The water seemed calm and relatively warm (high 60s?) but it was still the kind of cold that knocks the wind out of you and takes your breath away (aka your nipples hit the diamond cutting phase). I refused to leave my warm up swim until the initial shock wore off. This was a very good plan and seemed to work well for me. The place we entered the water had a deep drop-off followed by a huge, waist-deep sandbar, so we fought the waves to get in, and then fought the waves a second time getting in. I am not experienced with ocean swims and it was rough having to continually dive under the waves. Every time I did, my goggles got knocked around and filled with water. For a bit, as I struggled to get through the waves, I took them off but then decided I didn't want to lose them and soldiered through. A lifeguard asked if I was ok. I questioned if I really was. This was a rough start to a race and I felt like I fought those waves for an hour. But I refused to give up. "I can do this!" So I assured him I was ok and he, in turn, assured me I was almost through the tough part.

He was right. Once I made it past the break, I started passing everyone. The swim was easy and gentle. Even getting out was a piece of cake with a little patience and body surfing. Jogged up the beach and felt strong. 13:24, 3:10, 153/167

T1:
I forgot a bucket!!  I didn't have baby powder either. This meant the rest of the race would be completed while receiving a sand-blasting pedicure since I had no way of removing said sand and the towel I had wasn't gonna cut it. Better run fast before my skin wears off. 3:29

The Bike:
This is where I gained some ground. The course was three loops, straight down a road with a u-turn at either end. Not my ideal, but I managed not to crash. And I was passing people. Into the wind, I appeared to be averaging around 16.5 mph, with it, I was averaging 17.7. Fun to feel like I got a super speed burst. Looking forward to the day when that's my normal riding speed.  Suspect that course distance was not accurately reported due to discussion overheard when looking at results. Stayed in aero for the majority. Drank on bike. Did not fuel due to the distance. 49:45, 16.6 mph avg, 114/167

T2:
Started to feel hungry. Drank water and took three Stinger Chews (pink lemonade). 2:06

The Run:
Run was great. Flat. On the boards. Started feeling a right sided shin splint kicking in at mile 1 so slowed

"Mike, you just got chicked!"

down a bit. First mile was about 8:53. Turnaround was poorly marked and a number of people passed it. Thankfully, I caught them as they were getting back on course so I did not add mileage. Started keeping pace with Mike from Freehold. Mike and I encouraged each other and helped pass the time for the last 1.5 miles. I chicked Mike. Sorry, Mike. 30:50, pace 9:57, 123/167

Post Race Highlights:
A bit of GI distress. But I placed third in my age group and finally met the podium firsthand. Also won a wetsuit! Woot! Felt something dripping on me while checking race results and looked up to find a fellow athlete's sweat raining down. Gross. Met Rob from PA who had run Princeton as well. He placed default second in the Clydesdale division while Greg placed default first due to a skinny guy masquerading as a Clydesdale taking first. Finish: 1:39:33

My pint glass trophy

Ironman Princeton 70.3

What better than to do my first race report upon completing my first half ironman at the first Princeton 70.3?!

When I began training, my goal was to finish in 6:30 but heading into the race, I was more realistically aiming for 7.

Pre-Race:
Two words: Hectic and stressful. I was in Montana for hiking and business and decided to change my flight home at the last minute to avoid running into problems at bike check in.  (Note to self: Ironman always requires check in one day before for 70.3 and two days before for 140.6.) Missed two out of three days at my seminar and paid $500 to change plane ticket. At least the resort didn't make me pay for the nights I was missing. However, being in Montana allowed me to meet my spirit animal, Clifford, who loved to charge up hills, and I planned to channel him on the bike course.

Running on minimal sleep, it was great to finally get home and crash Friday night, and I slept like the dead for eleven, heavenly, uninterrupted hours. Perfect for two days before showtime. Getting home earlier allowed me to hydrate heavily on Saturday. However, thanks to "the sleepy head bob" on the plane, I woke up with a horribly stiff neck Saturday morning. Chiro took the edge off, and I snagged a ten minute massage at the Ironman village, but it was still there when we started the race Sunday morning.

Race check in went well with the exception of hellish traffic and detours getting to the park. Understandable with the road closures due to the race. Also, Google maps kept insisting I could drive across the lake, and no matter how much I insisted I was not Jesus, it refused to agree. Considering the other folks I witnessed scratching their heads with bikes on racks trying to figure out how to get across, I know I'm not the only one. Maybe Google equates Ironmen with Messiahs.

It was great to bump into Danielle Armus, my roomie for the evening and closet photographer (thanks for the finish line preview snap!), and future triathlete, Colleen Sullivan, at check in. (Good job Colleen on Volunteer position selection.  Timing chips requires EVERY hot triathlete to come your way. Brilliant.)

After dropping off my two-wheeled, mute best friend and tucking her in for the night, I headed off with Mark Oliver to the Salt Creek Grille where I joined IMSers Chris Mann, Michele Herman, Bill Quinn, Jaime Gallagher, and Barry Barone and consumed with complete and utter gluttony the tenderest pork chop in existence with some kale and butternut hash. Was also force fed french fries completely against my will. Was nervous about the salt intake/dehydration factor but I hoped the salt would actually help in the long run. (literally.) Discovered the Rukkus app (Cards Against Humanity, anyone?) and Bill Quinn will never see gravy the same again. Highly recommend.

Afterwards, I headed to the hotel and met up with CJTC (first in our division!) members. Ventured out with a few to a convenience store to attempt to find breakfast supplies and ended up with a peach chobani, a banana, two hard-boiled eggs, and a white gatorade (who ever remembers the artificial flavor names??? maybe it was glacier cherry??).  This actually seemed to treat me pretty darn well during the race and I was pretty happy with my choices.

Race Morning:
An eerie calm had settled over me.  Was this really the day I had been anticipating for so long? I felt TOO calm. As I was walking up to get marked, I had my earbuds in... I had planned to continue listening to my motivational mix as I got set up, but I heard heavy sighs coming from the hottie walking in step next to me. I took my earbuds off, looked at him, and said, "You're gonna be fiiiiine." He laughed and seemed surprised I could hear him. Dave and I made small talk as we approached body marking, and I hope it helped him chill out a little. He was too adorable to be that stressed.

I was happy to see yet another friendly face as I got marked by Bill Quinn, who, overwhelmed by my makeupless beauty post 4:30am wake-up call, couldn't help but turn my race number from 2547 to 2457. I won't hold it against him, but he now owes me off-season martinis and the right to tease him about it mercilessly. I'm glad he can take the heat.

My neighbors at transition were super friendly and chatty. One pumped up my tires, another offered her waterproof sunblock for me to use. I love triathletes. Once I was set up, I grabbed my espresso love gu, my gatorade, my goggles, and cap, and headed down to the swim start for our CJTC (did I mention we were first in our division?!) photo.Then realized I was early and headed back to transition to call my parents and tell them my race number so I would be easier to spot.  Bumped into Chris Mann and his Sherpa, Alison on the way back up.  As the nerves started kicking in, I grabbed my phone, I saw a little notification with my daily Bible verse:

Phillipians 4:6 ^"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Thanks, Buddy. ;) 

The Swim:
Since transition was closed and there was over an hour wait before my swim wave went out, it was nice to bump into David Avery and Gappy Tjan while I was waiting. I was also really glad I had taken my gatorade and gu to the water instead of finishing it earlier. I took the gu about 20 minutes before the swim started and finished my gatorade with it.

I was so amused by the "NO SWIMMING" sign at the water's edge, I had to point it out to my wave before we started, and a little burst of chuckles erupted. Oh, the irony. 

The swim was a floating start but required us to swim all the way across the lake (at least 50 yds) before the gun even went off. Because of this, I bailed on my warm up swim. Perhaps that wasn't the best idea. The water was COLD.  They said surface temp was 70, but it felt colder. The kind of cold that makes it hard to breathe. And when I made it to the swim start, I was still struggling to catch my breath. I was one of the very few without a wetsuit. Treading water for 5-10 minutes while waiting for the start, coupled with my nerves had me starting my swim feeling a little off. I couldn't find a good rhythm and my siting was horrible. My stiff neck also threw things off. I felt like I couldn't swim in a straight line no matter how hard I tried and a swim angel actually had to get my attention to get me back on course. There was one point where I had someone swimming on top of me and I finally looked up to assess the situation and they literally shoved me. Wondering if it was someone I know?? Hard to recognize people with caps and goggles. But when I yelled at him, he laughed and swam away. At that point we were more than halfway done and I was focused on the swim finish. I came out of the water to a guy I dated last year cheering me on. Don't think he realized it was me. Final swim time: 52:11

T1:
If anyone has any info on how to find transition times, that'd be swell, as I could not locate them. (Ed. Note: Thank you Chad Nordby for sharing them!) I was pretty lackadaisical about it, sitting around, getting my bearings, chatting with the other girls there. I was definitely not focused. There were very few bikes left in transition and I was not feeling very competitive in that moment. Must work on this for next time. Downed a gu, a bar, and a water, and got on the bike. 5:36

The Bike:

I don't know what is up with the new trend of people shouting from cars during the bike portion of my races... but at about mile 10, an eldish woman screamed angrily from her car, "WHY AREN'T YOU IN CHURCH!?!?" I chuckled to myself as I thought, "I am!" and then, for the next 5 miles or so, at all the other silly little things I could have said in response... and eventually at the irony of who was telling who to go to church... seemed she needed that building that day much more than me.  Then I spotted the G.O.D. delivery truck parked on the side of the course and thought, "See? God is EVERYwhere!"

My spirits stayed high throughout the bike. I was catching up to other riders. Passing many people. Gaining the ground I had lost during the swim. I didn't stop at any of the bike aid stations. I didn't want to waste time and I felt with the 60-70 degree temps and overcast day, I had plenty of hydration and nutrition on my bike to keep me going. I did grab a water when I flew by the last aid station but lost it shortly thereafter when I bumped over a ridge in the road. On the bike, I think I ate three gus and an almond butter packet. I'm glad I had the almond butter... It was filling... but tough to get down due to the thickness. Perhaps coconut butter will be better. Have to experiment here.

Ironman did a pretty good job of cleaning up the course, patching potholes, etc. Though if I had a dollar for every sharp turn, I'd probably be able to cover my race entry. The hills were bearable. I barely noticed the scenery. But I did think of Clifford with every hill, and every horse I spotted. (I especially loved the mini horse!!) I was happy not to pop a tire, as the course was still pretty choppy. I came upon a ridge where a pile of water bottles and gus told of the previous incidents at that particular spot and noted that there were two women currently changing flats shortly after said garbage pile. I made a friend who eventually passed me (and the guy in front of me). A spectator (a white haired man probably in his late 60's) said to the guy in front in typical Jersey style, "Wassamattawityouuuu? You gonna let her pass you???" I assured him that there was absolutely nothing wrong with him... but I was sorry to inform him... that he just got chicked again as I sped by.

I bumped into Tovah, passed, and continued along my way, reminding my fellow athletes that, "OMG! Can you believe it?! We're doing a half ironman today!!!" and one rider said it was really nice to hear some laughter on the course.

There was a mild metaphorical rain cloud that popped up when some large SUVs decided to take over the road, blocking the shoulder and the course and going about 10mph. After trying to get around them on both sides, I finally yelled loud enough for them to hear through their closed windows to get out of the way and they obliged. If you're going to pull onto a race course mid race, the least you could do is leave room for the riders to get by. The anger gave me an extra burst of energy and I charged up the next hill.

The course is rumored to be about 60-61 miles as opposed to the official 56. But given my record (for me) time of 3:26, I won't complain. The last few miles were hella bumpy. Hoping they fix up those roads for next year. Just really grateful I didn't get a flat. Must brush up on tube-changing skills as well. My quads were feeling pretty beat up by the time it was done, but ain't nobody got time fo dat! I got a half-marathon to run!

T2:
Who can move fast in bike shoes???? 5:10

The Run:
I have to admit... I was feeling a little weird at this point. Like a lost little kid on the first day of school who has no idea where to go or what the routine is. Not sure if this is normal or if blood sugar was low or dehydrated? In any case, I grabbed half a banana and I think it helped? Maybe? Didn't want to eat too much solid food right before the run. But the run is a bit hazy in my memory.

Can I just say I hate courses with multiple loops?  It was so discouraging to pass mile marker 7 when I hadn't even hit mile 1. I also started too fast again. Didn't even know until I saw my splits. I think it was an 8:30 pace on the first 2 miles? Way fast for me. And once the sun came out I really got slow. It was nice to see my dad at the bike in. And both 'rents camped on the run course and cheered me whenever I passed by. Stopped for a pee break at mile 6 (by the award winning CJTC aid station) and had people saying, "You're almost done. It's just around the corner!" and I thought, "No. I have another %&$^& loop to go!" Can't remember when the left IT band started whispering cries of rebellion... perhaps it was mile 8.5.

Is that Eye of the Tiger I hear?

I caught up with Chris Mann on my first loop and his second. I caught up with Mark Oliver around mile 7.5 maybe? Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster I saw Colleen Sullivan at mile 4? and 9? because Eye of the Tiger was the only thing that gave me extra energy for those last 4 miles. I busted out with an Eye of the Tiger Singalong at mile 9 and my newfound friend I was schooling on the fine art of belching insisted that if I could sing, I could run faster. At least it was relatively flat. Indigestion was annoying but not deathly. Blood sugar begged for three chomps at mile 7. Must have gotten behind in hydration because I started fantasizing about water around mile 10. Chugging water and taking a long shower has amazing appeal when it seems sooooo unrealistic and unattainable in the present moment. Talk about playing hard to get! Orange wedges were my best friends on the run. Must use them more in the future. Sprinted the finish with a smile which thankfully made for the first good race finish line photos I've ever had. Nice to see Michele Herman at the finish as well.

Recovery:
After being held captive for an hour by Patrick Lerouge of Evolve Restorative Therapy post race, who made all my hurts go away,  I bumped into the aforementioned guy I dated and caught up for a bit.  Then picked up the two-wheeled best friend and stopped for a quick bite at Mediterra on the way home which unexpectedly turned into oysters on the half shell, a great locally grown salad, paella, a glass of sangria, and ice cream from The Bent Spoon. The waitress was kind enough to comp my drink and the owner came to share his congratulations and hear about the race. What a pleasantly unexpected heroes welcome! (Note: ALWAYS WEAR FINISHERS MEDAL POST RACE. sidenote: wearing race medal after race day makes you a d-bag)

Came home to an epsom salt bath.

The morning after I was foggy and stiff but otherwise ok. Woke up with a headache that got worse as the day went on. Suspect mild dehydration. Caved and took an advil. Got adjusted. Pulverized phone screen by running it over with my car in a moment of brain mush. Phone returned by Bill, the awesome garbage man. Must track him down and send a thank you. Hope he didn't look at my photos. Most stiffness was gone by Tuesday and headache had cleared.

Did I mention my tri club won an award?

I want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who donated to The ONE Foundation as well as all those who cheered, prayed, made signs, etc along the way. The support for the event has been incredible and has made the journey so unique. I am happy to say that I EXCEEDED my fundraising goal and I am so grateful to have encountered so many incredible people along the journey. Overall, a great first and looking forward to improving for Eagleman! My sleep has never been better!