70.3 World Championship

Background

This event is by qualification only. I had been trying since 2015 to qualify for the 2016 World Championship in Australia. I raced OK that season, but it wasn't good enough. In order to qualify an individual has to typically win or take 2nd place in their age group. I had gotten 6th place in the events I raced and hoped for roll down spots. I never got one. Because I raced so much in 2015/2016, I had a very high overall ranking with the points I had earned. This World Championship is the first time they split up the men's and women's races which allowed for more women slots. An organization "Women For Tri" had 200 spots to give to the highest ranking age groupers that hadn't yet qualified. Lucky for me, I got mine in February 2017 while I was 7 months pregnant.

When I signed up for the race, I knew that I wasn't going to be competing for a top spot (with or without being pregnant) because I am not at that elite level, but one day I hope to be. However, being given this opportunity was an honor that I did not want to pass up. A 70.3, or Half Ironman, consists of 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run.

The Stress of the Week prior/ Week of

I was a week away from the race and got sick. Starting back at work took a toll on my body and there were lots of germs floating around. I stayed home 2 days to try and rest as much as I could in hopes I would feel better closer to the race. At that point my training was all done so the couple days I took off weren't a deal breaker. I just needed to keep my body moving once I was feeling better.

The week of the race was such a stressful one. It was busy at school with planning but also our open house at school was one of the nights which didn't help me out at all. I not only had to get myself ready, but I had to make sure everything would be in order for Matt's mom to come and stay at our house with Cade and Cori. I was so grateful she was able to stay at our house with Cade, because thinking of having to relocate the frozen milk she was going to need for the whole weekend would have been stressful enough.

We planned on leaving Thursday night and drive to Louisville to sleep for a few short hours. Once Matt's mom came over, I couldn't let go of Cade. I hadn't seen him all day because he was at daycare and I knew I'd be missing him for the next 3 1/2 days. It was finally time to go and we got in the car and I became emotional leaving. I had wanted Cade to come with us so badly, but I knew that wouldn't have worked out well. So as we drove off, Grandma Schuck brought him to the porch and he waved goodbye, which made me cry a little. I knew he was going to be just fine because he is such a happy boy, but it was the first time being away from him overnight.

On our way to Chattanooga

As we started to drive, I didn't dwell on missing him. I started to listen to a podcast about "going slow to get fast". It was a Crushing Iron podcast and he came up with a great analogy. Our training is like a sword, you have to build the foundation and base of the sword to be strong (going slow), it isn't until the end that we sharpen the blade (going fast). I had been so confident in my training and this analogy helped solidify that. I knew that I put in a lot of foundation work leading up to this race because I had Cade just under 5 months prior. I was just starting to "sharpen" my blade, but I didn't need to be super fast for this race. I was going to be successful and make it through because I had such a strong base. Matt and I swapped driving around 9:30/10 and I was able to lay down in the back to sleep for a little bit.

FRIDAY

We got to Louisville and had just a few hours in a bed to sleep before getting up to finish the drive. I wanted to make sure I would get some swim practice in the upstream river before the race. The swim practice ended at 10:30 so I wanted to be there with at least 15 minutes to swim.

After parking, we made our way to the river for the open water swim practice. I didn't realize they had a small "course" set up for practice. I asked a woman what the water temperature was because most people were in swim skins or just their bathing suits as opposed to wet suits. She said it was 76.2. I was glad I didn't have to put on my wetsuit and get it wet to be honest, but I was also apprehensive what tomorrow's swim would be. Would the temperature drop .1 degrees to be wet suit legal, or will it stay warm and I'll have to wear my swim skin again? All of a sudden a man by the river said on his mic that I had 30 seconds to get in line to get in the water or I wouldn't be allowed to swim. What they heck?! it was 10:10 and it was supposed to end at 10:30....

I grabbed my stuff and ran down this steep hill (as I thought to myself, "be careful be careful be careful, this would be a horrible end to the race before even starting").

So I got in line and was able to get my swim in. I thought the water felt great. I hadn't put my watch on because I was a bit rushed, so I had no idea what pace I actually swam, but I felt pretty good and confident for the next day going against the current.

We had to drop off our bike and transition bags the Friday which was nice to have it done with and not have to worry about it race morning.

I checked in and realized we had to wait until 2 to actually do transition stuff. So Matt and I got some lunch and drove the bike course. My coach had given me a video of the Lookout Mountain section of the course. I had a decent idea what to expect but actually driving it helped put it into perspective much more effectively. As we drove the course I had made up my mind to take it easy out of transition until I reached the mountain. I would need to conserve my energy for that beast.

As we kept driving, the course seemed never-ending and relentless. After getting a downhill, it seemed like it went right back up again. I had thought to myself if I ever got into a dark place on the course, that I would use Cade as my happy thought and tell myself I had to finish this race in order to get back to him.

The bike course drive finally ended and we were back in time for transition drop off. The funny part about all of this is that I was practicing my transitions in the traditional way and this race has a non traditional transition for 70.3. I had to pack up my bike stuff in a bag and my run stuff in a separate bag and leave them at 2 different locations. In a normal triathlon I set it all up next to my bike. So all that practice I had done would not be used for this race.

Everything was falling into place and our day was going smoother than any other race so far.

We were about to leave for the hotel and I had remembered I was supposed to check in with the "Solutions Table". I had emailed the race the week before asking about pumping before and after the race. I am so glad I had remembered to do this because Ironman's solution was wonderful! They had hooked me up with one of the medical volunteers that would be in the med tent all day. She told me I could leave my pump and cooler with her and I would be able to pump right before my wave (which wasn't until 8:43) and right after the race. Knowing I could get this done so close to my start time so I could be as empty as I could for as long as I could was a huge relief!

The rest of the evening went well. Of course I couldn't sleep, but I knew I was going to be ok with little sleep as I was capable of completing my workouts on very little sleep being at home with Cade.

Race Day

I was ready. I was nervous. But I was excited and I knew I was ready for this challenging course. When we got to the race, it was funny hearing people around me talking about how they weren't planning on winning anything and were just there for the experience. I felt even more confident knowing I wasn't alone.

We parked by about 5:45/6 and started heading to transition to pump up my tires and sort out my bike nutrition. The pro race didn't start until 7:30 and my wave wasn't until 8:43. At about 8:00 I made my way to the med tent to pump before going straight to the swim start. I always freak out as I wait for my start so it was nice to be occupied.

1.2 Mile Swim= 37:19

To start the race it was off a dock. I'm not a good diver and I always feel like my goggles fall off, so I didn't even really jump in. I kind of slid in. My first few strokes were strong and I realized I was not sighting well at all... I was too far left and pretty much off course. This is how my swim would continue. I had a hard time seeing from buoy to buoy. I did feel like I was always on the buoy line as soon as I got to one, but in between I think I veered every which way.

Again, I didn't do well swimming off feet. Once I found the buoy line, I was somewhat on the "inside". Everyone was saying that with the current, or swimming against it rather, you should stay to the outside as much as you can. They closed the dam and it didn't seem like there was much of a current so I wanted to stay on the buoy line as much as I could. I noticed a pack to my left (towards the outside of the river) and maybe I should have just gone with them and tried to draft, but I chose not to. I need to get better at that. I always question whether I am swimming too slow behind someone or if I am trying too hard to stay with them so I end up staying at my own comfort level.

I really didn't notice too much of the current, but I didn't feel like I was pushing too hard either. I was staying content and just trying to get to the next red buoy (to indicate the turn). As soon as I saw the next wave swim caps coming up behind me, I got a little discouraged, but I knew that was going to happen.

Once I got out of the water I was greeted by volunteers and wetsuit strippers. I was very glad to have them help me because I am usually horrible at getting my wetsuit off. I hadn't really looked at my time once I was out of the water. At the end of the day when I found out my time, I was a little disappointed. I know I could have been faster. If you look at my garmin map, I was not swimming a straight line. I was kind of all over the place which added time. It didn't ruin my day by any means, but I was still hoping for a little stronger of a swim.

Transition 1= 3:41

After getting my wetsuit off, I ran to get my bike bag. In the transition area I put on my helmet, grabbed my shoes (left them in hand) and ran to my bike. The decision to not run in my bike shoes was one of the best decisions I made. I was overall happy with the transition time as it was a decently competitive time in comparison to others.

56 Mile Bike= 3:04:36, 18.2mph

I took it easy getting out of transition and starting on my bike. As we got closer to the mountain, there were so many people standing and hammering already. I couldn't help but think they would surely regret that. As soon as we got to the mountain it was a strange sight seeing so many people moving so slowly. My average speed went down to 13 mph or something crazy like that. It was unreal while I was going maybe 5 mph, not even... I was pleasantly surprised how good I felt all the way up. My breathing was in control and my watts and cadence were right where they needed to be for this section of the race. My legs felt strong and I never once felt like I was making them burn where it would be hard to come back from.

As soon as we made it to the top of the mountain there was a windy downhill that was SO much fun. I had a huge smile on my face as I gained some speed and felt free. I kept thinking this is a roller coaster. After it sadly came to an end and we were going up again, I said to the girl next to me that I was having a blast and that roller coaster was awesome. She smiled at me like I was crazy, but did agree.

Once we came to the big downhill, I had even more fun. I was tired at the bottom from screaming "ON YOUR LEFT" as loud as I could so that the people I was passing could hear me with all the wind. I didn't trust myself in aero so I stayed up on my handlbars but had them slightly bent to stay somewhat aerodynamic. By the end of it my arms were tired too.

After the downhills to help my average come back, I was thrilled to see 18.2. At Syracuse I averaged 17.5 and they are similar elevations (I feel like Chatt is harder) so I had planned to be around the same for this course. Very happy with this bike.

At 30 miles in, my bike shifter started to automatically downshift on bumpy roads if I didn't hold it in place. That was super annoying and I was terrified it would get worse. This same thing happened to me on the Madison course once, but it was a much worse experience, so I was thankful this time around was manageable. Even with this small issue, I never once had a dark moment on the bike. I was enjoying myself and the day. I would chat it up with people as I passed on the uphills. I met a girl from Canada who had the same bike as me. She came up alongside me and said, "nice bike!" We went back and forth and she caught me one more time and that time said, "Let's go slice team!" (our bikes are Cannondale Slice). It was such a fun ride.

T2= 1:53

My second transition was just ok. I fumbled with my run belt which slowed me down just slightly. As I exited the transition to start my run, Matt was there and I couldn't help but tell him how much I actually loved the bike course.

13.1 Mile Run= 5:41:16, 8:41/mile

This run was a hilly run too. I had done so many hill repeats in my training, I felt really confident about it. I knew I wasn't going to be speed racing, but I knew I could handle it. My goal was to be between 8:30 and 9 min/mile pace after such a tough bike. When I was finished with my run and saw 8:41 average, I was thrilled.

I was so happy the whole time. I never once had a dark moment on the run either. I started noticing my congestion and cough from being sick during the run. It was annoying, but I was still staying positive and getting through. The weather was perfect. It really wasn't that hot at all. I continued to keep my body cool with sponges and pouring water and ice down my tri kit. My stomach handled my nutrition well and I just didn't have one complaint. The miles just kept ticking away. Anyone who offered a high five on the course, I took it.

As I was starting to get closer to the finish, I couldn't help but think, "Wow, I did it!" The anticipation of "what ifs" since February had been answered. When I signed up, I also bought the insurance on it because I didn't even know what the birth was going to be like. I had no idea how my body was going to respond. I took it day by day. There were many days that I struggled mentally to get myself in gear to complete a 3+ hour workout, but I still did it because I wanted to prove to myself that I could. I also felt that I owed it to the people who were investing so much of their time in supporting me. Matt continued to drop everything for me and made a point to tell me to focus on myself. My mom spent one day each week here helping me out. Heck, my own coach took time out of her day to make sure that I could get my workout in while she even watched Cade! I had so many people who believed in me and wanted to see me succeed that I had to power through on those days so I wouldn't let them down. I didn't want their sacrifice to be for nothing.

I not only was going to finish this race, but I was going to feel good once it was done. I wasn't going to feel trashed and depleted. I was going to feel fulfilled and satisfied. Originally, I wanted to be around 5:25/5:30 for my first 70.3 back. Once I figured out this course was going to be a tough one, I decided I wanted to be similar to my Syracuse time. I was about to beat it by about 5 minutes!

And then, there it was.

I was exiting the bridge and on my way to the split off where you can either go right for the 2nd loop, or left to the finish. I was about to go left. I was so excited, I started to pick up my pace. I started getting a little teary eyed as I was coming in to the finish. I heard Matt yell for me. I made eye contact with a woman I talked to on the run while she was on her 2nd loop- she cheered me in too. I high fived the spectators and soaked in every last step.

I truly cannot describe the joy I felt as I came into that finish shoot. I proved to myself that I could do it. I did do it. Before even getting pregnant there are so many questions of what will change and never be the same. I can tell you this: my ability as a competitor has changed for the better and will never be the same again. I am stronger. I feel more positive than ever. I am confident in myself and the support system I have surrounding me. I have the drive to be a role model for my son and teach him what it means to be motivated and chase your dreams.

One of my favorite parts of this race was the volunteer appreciation bracelet. Ironman gave each athlete a red bracelet at check in. Each athlete had the opportunity to give their red bracelet to a volunteer that made an impact on their race or day. I was very worried about going so long without pumping and was hoping Ironman could help me problem solve. Boy, they sure did! They hooked me up big time!

Dr. Paulard went above and beyond. She made sure I had a chair to sit on, she brought me water, gatorade, bananas, asked how my race was and if I was happy with the day. She gave me so many compliments and congratulations for what I had done. She was someone I will not forget. I gave her that red bracelet and gave her a sweaty hug before we left. I am so grateful to Ironman for giving me the opportunity to give her something tangible to say thank you. It was such a small gesture, but it meant something to her too.

For those of you wondering, I pumped almost 100 ounces through the weekend. I kept adding the milk to 50 ounce water bottles and we kept them in a cooler. It was convenient to keep refilling the cooler with ice from the hotels so we didn't have to buy any.

I bought the medela pump cleaning wipes to clean my pump parts in the car without water. It's not fun, but we made it work!

And just like that, it was time to go home. It was wonderful spending my weekend with my main man. He has been and continues to be my comfort, my sanity, my confidence boost, and just the best partner anyone could ask for.

Some people put these big races on a pedestal and when it is over, they don't know what to do with themselves, or what to think. After this race, I felt a sense of peace and knowing everything was right with the world.