IM Boulder Bound!

The really, short version: bad swim, great bike, decent run.

The longer version: Sunday morning my alarm went off at 4:00am. The family and I were up gathering items we'd need for the long day ahead: me for racing, them for spectating. By 4:40am we were out of the house and heading to Boulder High School to get on one of the dozens of shuttle buses that would drive us to the Boulder Reservoir.

Wearing my one of a kind, custom made Ironman pants.

At the Boulder High School

Parking was plentiful and easy, my special needs bags were dropped off, and the buses were queued up. Let's get on the bus! The drive to the reservoir was easy with the sky starting to lighten on the horizon. I tried eating some of my homemade muesli breakfast but my stomach (and nerves) weren't ready. Instead I just watched the sky become lighter and thought about how it was going to be an unforgettable day.

On the bus, en route to Boulder Reservoir

Race Morning!

Once at the reservoir, I put some food in my bike bag and checked on my bike. I added my bottles, pumped up my tires, and made sure everything was in working order. Word spread quickly that the water was 78o, which meant wetsuits were optional. If I decided to wear a wetsuit it would mean a few things: 1) I wouldn't be eligible for any age group awards or a slot to Kona (where the Ironman world championships are held) and 2) I would be starting at the very back of the swim. There's no way I'm qualifying for Kona as I'm just not fast enough so that was a nonissue but there was something I didn't like about starting at the very back of the swim. So I decided to swim in a Roka swimskin instead of my wetsuit. A swimskin has no buoyancy but compresses and is hydrophobic.

6:20am and I am in the swim chute waiting for the canon to go off. I chatted with a few people around me and we wished everyone luck.

6:25am BOOM and we start shuffling towards the water. Once in the water, I find a groove. I'm a little crowded but nothing overwhelming and the water feels great.  Sighting often, I'm feeling good about the swim and my decision to use a swimskin. 

And we are off!

Fast forward 15 minutes and I'm cursing my decision to forego my wetsuit. Enough time has lapsed and the very fast wetsuit swimmers have caught up to me. I'm now being swam over, kicked, merged into, etc by the very fast swimmers. And then by the fast swimmers. And then by the slightly faster swimmers. After just over a mile, I make it to the first turn buoy. Instead of the turn being a 90 degree left, it's closer to a 120 degree left. This throws everyone off and now swimmers are spread all over. As swimmers are realizing they are off course, they don't merge slowly, they decide to basically make a sharp turn in front of you to get closer to the buoys. This happened to me countless times and really slowed my progress/swim stroke. Eventually I made it to the last turn buoy and was heading back to shore. As this was more of a straight shot, the swimmers were all merging towards the buoys so the water was getting really crowded. There was no space for a smooth, full stroke and with people swimming into me or onto me, it was a battle most the entire time. I knew my time would be slower than I wanted due to the swimskin (no buoyancy) but I didn't take into account the super fast wetsuit swimmers.

Just keep swimming!

Once out of the water I jog to the wetsuit strippers and lay on the ground. Their job is to grab my wetsuit (or swimskin) and yank it off me. Once it's off I stand up and run for my bike bag. Seeing The Boy I give him a kiss and run to the change tent. Some triathletes do full clothing changes in an ironman but I don't because a full change takes more time. A full change would mean taking off a swimsuit and putting on cycling shorts and a bike jersey.  I swim in my sports bra and triathlon shorts so I only add my bike jersey. The difference between cycling shorts and triathlon shorts is the thickness of the chamois pad in the shorts. Cycling shorts have a thicker, more cushioned pad while triathlon shorts have a very thin pad. A volunteer named Susan comes over to help and dumps my stuff out of the bag. Susan hands me items one at a time for me to put on: jersey, arm coolers, gloves, sunglasses, helmet, bike shoes. She puts my goggles, swim cap, and swimskin in my bag for me while I run for my bike.

I’ve got my bike bag and am heading to the changing tent

I see my family and wave as I run by

Cheer squad!

T-1 is spread out pretty far so it takes a while to get to my bike but eventually I'm heading for the mount line. A  mount line is a specific spot you can get on your bike. It's there for safety and fairness. On the bike, smiling and waving to family who are cheering me on.

At the mount line, Mile 0.0

The bike course is beautiful and thanks to my training weekend back in June, I know what to expect. I've told myself that I will go much easier than I want on the bike in order to not blow up on the run. In other words, I'm going to pace myself and race smart. The sun is shining but high clouds are keeping it from being too hot but the air steadily gets warmer. I am lucky enough to have a support crew who spends the entire day moving from spot to spot, shouting and cheering as I ride by. It's a wonderful feeling. While on the bike, I read the funny signs on the road posted by other support crews (a picture of Ron Burgundy and the quote "Ironman means 'Whales Vagina'" or the lyrics to the song "Ice, Ice Baby"), I talked to other LA Triathlon members, I sang, and I absorbed the beauty of the course. The tune that I repeated over and over and OVER again was the Mahna Manha song from the Muppets. You know the song....

Sometimes I hummed this, other times I sang it loudly and proudly. Whatever I need to do to stay entertained and smiling. Smiling, I did this a lot, too. I also thanked volunteers and spectators. Without them, the day would be a completely different experience.

Mile 35

Cheer squad!

Mile 60

My nutrition was planned out perfectly but my stomach wasn't in the mood for what we'd been training with which was homemade cinnamon rolls and pizza rolls, and GU chomps. I improvised by eating bananas from the aid stations and supplementing Gatorade for electrolytes and sodium. These sat well in my stomach and were easy to digest. As some of you may know I taught myself to pee on the bike in order to save time. This was a GENIUS thing to learn. I saved so much time on the bike and it didn't cause any issues for me. The trick is to pee on a downhill and then wash yourself down with water after. No muss, no fuss. At longer races, I will continue to pee on the bike in order to save time. :)

Overall the bike was uneventful, which is a good thing. My support crew helped break up the day by being at seven different locations on the course, including a drive-by photo session by Dave and Kim! I felt great going into mile 100 and did a little cheer as I turned into town. With 0.25 mile left until the dismount line (same as a mount line but for getting off your bike), I took off my gloves and sunglasses, unzipped my jersey, and took my feet out of my bike shoes. These actions make for a quicker transition which means less time racing!

Cheer squad!

On the 2nd to last hill of the course. Mile 90.

Mile 95

Taking my feet out of my shoes so I can dismount quickly. Mile 111.75

As I jogged into T-2, a volunteer took my bike and I ran for my run bag. Across the field, up some stairs and into the change tent (wow, this transition is long!). Once again, I didn't do a full change but only changed from my cycling jersey to a triathlon top, still wearing my triathlon shorts. A full change would entail changing from the cycling shorts to run shorts and also changing my jersey to a run shirt. Put on my shoes, grab my visor and run bottle. A volunteer puts all of my cycling stuff into a bag for me so I can start running.

I exit the Boulder High School and am greeted by hundreds of cheering, screaming, clapping spectators. Everyone is yelling my name and telling me I look awesome. As I jog down the Boulder Creek path there are more and more people. Everywhere you look there are people sitting in chairs, laying on blankets, standing up and high fiving, blasting music, ringing cowbells (more to come), blowing horns, etc as you run by. All are calling your name (which is printed on your race bib) with shouts of encouragement. There are literally miles of people cheering you on. It's like nothing I have ever experienced. I smile and thank them and focus on a pace that I can maintain for the next 4.5+ hours. My goal was to run continuously and walk all the aid stations and steeper uphills of the course. My feet were tired but nothing I couldn't handle.

Stopping to give the Boy a kiss. Mile 0.25 of the run.

It was like this for miles on the run course.

My main concern on the run was my stomach. At IM CdA and my last big training day (5/3 brick), my stomach shut down and I became dizzy and light headed. I knew this would definitely happen, I just didn't know when. As I ran, I ate potato chips cautiously and kept checking in with my body making sure nothing was going wrong. Ben and Trinity were volunteering at an aid station so I saw them at miles 10, 13, and 22. It was really great knowing they were there.

Volunteering at aid station #5. All I could eat were the potato chips.

At mile 10, I became so overwhelmed by the crowds the people cheering, yelling, clapping, cowbell'ing (yes, more cowbell), and encouraging me to keep going that I began to cry. I jogged into the aid station where my family was at and hugged my mom. I wasn't upset, my stomach was doing good but the Ironman can be really emotional. I trained for 7 months for this day and it's here. Not only that, hundreds and hundreds of people are cheering for me. It was a lot to process. I started jogging again and Ben ran with me for a quick second asking how I was and if I was ok. I told him it was all really overwhelming, to which he asks "In a good way?" I couldn't figure that out so I replied "I think so." He kissed me goodbye and I headed off to the next turn around.

Losing my composure at mile 10. This day can be so emotional!

Back at aid station #5 and feeling better. Mile 13 

Since the run course is two loops, you don't really know if people are on their first or second loop. They could be ahead of you by 1 mile or 14 miles. While running I began to see kits I recognized from the bike. These were people who were going faster than me so they passed me on the bike. Since I had previous experience with this course, I knew how important pacing would be. Apparently, they did not. Once I realized I was passing people who had passed me on the bike, it became a game. I lost count how many people I passed up but it was a good feeling knowing my race day strategy had worked: race smart!

Halfway done and Ben is running with me again helping me figure out what time I might finish if I can maintain an 11:45/mile average. Yes, that's slow but sometimes that's how it goes. If I can keep my miles consistent, I'll finish somewhere around 14 hours, which is my ultimate goal. My internal mantra became "The more I run, the sooner I'm done." Around mile 20, my pace began to slow as I needed to walk more of the short uphills. Then my stomach decided it was done playing nice and didn't want to take in any more food. This was probably for the best since the aid stations offerings (water, Gatorade, cola, Redbull) all sounded horrible. My pace kept dropping and I knew a 14:00 finish was no longer a possibility. As I ran back towards the other end of the course, all I heard was cowbell. I tried tuning this sound out because it was becoming too much for my senses. I wanted silence and to only hear the rushing water of the creek and my feet hitting the pavement. NO MORE COWBELL! But I'm still really thankful to everyone who cheered all the athletes on, cowbell or not. As I pass mile 22, I say goodbye to my family because the next time I see them will be at the finish line. 

I am ready to be done. More than ready to be done. The most done feeling ever! You get the point.... I start chatting with two athletes about the swim as we are all walking up the last steep hill of the run. We get to the turnaround and I say "Alright, let's finish this shit." We all start jogging towards the finish together. At mile 25 they both stop for the bathroom and I kept pushing on. I slowly jog up the last two inclines and am being directed towards the finish line. As I rounded the last bend, I see my family cheering me on which definitely choked me up. Holy moly, my night is almost over! 

Cheer squad!

Running down 13th Street towards Pearl people are congratulating me, clapping, and telling me what a great job I'm doing. I see Kim and Dave one more time before getting into the finisher's chute. I tuck my run bottle into the back of my tri top and head towards the finish. I hear the announcer saying my name and that I'm from Los Angeles. I see Ben and he has the camera but I'm not comprehending that my family is right there. I'm like a moth to the flame and the finish is all I can see. (After the race, I asked Ben “Did I stop and hug you guys? I can’t remember, it’s all a blur.”)

I crossed the finish line 14:13:55 after beginning Ironman Boulder, a PR by almost 10 minutes.  

Swim- 1:26:28 (2:14/100m... ugh, so slow!)

Bike- 7:18:34 (15.32mph... faster than I planned!!)

Run- 5:15:53 (12:03/miles... slow but with how I held up, I’m happy with it)

T1- 5:51 (happy since the transitions were so long)

T2- 6:56  (happy since the transitions were so long)

Total time: 14:13:55

Total calories burnt: 8,349

Total calories consumed: countless :)

Aftermath: I can't eat and the thought of food makes me nauseous. I go back to our rental house and change while the support crew goes out to eat. At 11pm, I head back to the high school to pick up my bike and two bags from earlier in the day. I'm walking fine and don't feel sore at all, just really tired. I celebrate at the finish line with other people from LA that I know. We cheer in the final finishers until midnight, when the Ironman officially ends. I'm asleep by 1am and I'm utterly exhausted.

The finish line at 11:55pm

Monday morning: I can walk and sit and stretch and go up/down stairs and feel fine. Actually, I feel really good! So either I didn't race hard enough or I raced really smart. I'm going with the latter. Another amazing thing: I'm hungry! My stomach is actually wanting food! This is such a change from last Ironman. So I celebrate with tator tots and a slushy from my favorite guilty pleasure: Sonics!

Monday evening: Legs are starting to get tight and shoulders are definitely in need of some TLC. Massage is booked for tomorrow. 

A HUGE thank you to everyone who cheered, supported, encouraged, and tracked me on race day. Without my cheer squad and knowledge that so many people were supporting me from afar, it would not have been the same!

Well, tomorrow is the day!! I’ve attended the athlete briefings and I’ve been hydrating.

Athlete briefing.... with everyone in the shade.

Hydration.... in moderation. :)

My bike and bike bag have been dropped off at the Boulder Reservoir and my run bag has been dropped off at the Boulder High School.

Run items at the Boulder High School, Bag #605 at 10:30am

... and then a few hours later!  My bag is the red one. ;)

Bike Bag at bikes at the Boulder Reservoir at 12pm....

... and then a few hours later.

My bike in her spot on the rack.

I’ve swam, biked, and ran portions of the course to make sure everything is in good working order. My nutrition and clothing are ready. Even my race number tattoos are ready. 

And honestly, so I am. I am ready for my victory lap. I have spent 7 months training for this day. During those 7 months, I’ve cheered and smiled in triumph, laughed and sang in happiness, as well as cried and yelled in frustration. During those 7 months, I’ve PR’d and I’ve broken down, I’ve pushed hard and also taken mental breaks. I’ve lived and breathed training which also meant those around me did the same. At times, Ben has lived with a tired, stressed out, fatigued partner. But he supported and encouraged me every step of the way. My family and friends have dealt with me being MIA due to early nights, even earlier mornings, and countless hours spent training. I’m thankful to everyone for the support and encouragement that never seems to stop.

The canon goes off at 6:30am and I should be in the water by 6:35am. I’m hoping for a 1:15 swim, a 7:30 bike (or less), and a 4:40 run. Adding in time for transitions (and they are long transition areas), I should cross the finish line around 8:30pm.... 14 hours after starting.

I have a thing with finishing before the sun sets, which will be at 8:15pm tomorrow. If the heat stays at bay, and the clouds keep the sun off my back, I’ll be aiming for that time. But as I’ve said before, those times are fluid as heat, sun, wind, etc will all play a part. 

I am in Boulder! It’s such a beautiful, funky, outdoorsy place to be. A mixture of hikers, hippies, athletes, wanderers, and tree-huggers. It’s fun and it’s got something for everyone.... especially those who like beer. :)

The first thing I notice about Boulder are the Flat Irons. When driving into town, it’s the directly in front as you start the descent in to Boulder. It’s a view that leaves me speechless every time. 

The second thing I notice about Boulder are all the athletic people. And not just triathletes. Boulder is THE mecca for outdoor sports. Olympians, triathletes, runners, swimmers, hikers, etc all come here to live, train, and become even more awesome at their targeted sport. So a majority of the people you’ll see are fit, athletic, and have a smile on their face. It’s an inspiring place for me.

I’ve checked in to the Ironman Village, signed all waivers, and collected all my cool Ironman swag. I’m thankful that the backpack we received is one of quality. My backpack from IM CdA was so flimsy that’s literally tearing at the seams. :-/ But this backpack is heavy-duty, large, and fun colors. I also got a flag with the Boulder logo on it, which I thought was really fun.

I’m also sporting a new accessory, my Ironman wrist band. This is my official pass into the race and race areas. Look around and I’ll see many people sporting these wristbands as athletes flood into Boulder for the weekend. Another thing you’ll see a lot of are M-dots. Everyone is wearing something M-dot: a race shirt, a supporter shirt, a hat or visor. We are all proudly showing off our feathers in a dance of “This is where I’ve raced” to those around us. 

Being in a town when there is an Ironman is actually pretty spectacular. The place is buzzing with a nervous energy and anticipation. There are so many people here, of all shapes and sizes (but mostly the “I’m seriously fit and athletic” shape/size), who just spent the last 5-9 months training for this one day. The town has discounts and deals for those who are racing or signs out front wishing people luck on race day. While waiting at a stoplight, a man in the car next to me yells “Hey, good luck on Sunday!!”. I have no idea who he was but it was a really great feeling knowing the community supports the race and me. When walking to lunch, a teenager girl asked if I was competing and when I responded with yes she broke out in a huge smile and says ‘That’s SO COOL!’ and then wishes me luck. Seriously, what a cool town.

Last year IM Boulder brought in $6.7M dollars to Boulder and the surrounding areas, including $110,000 donated to not-for-profit organizations within Boulder. And that doesn’t include all the money spent on Ironman merchandise.... I can only imagine how much that amount was. :-/

There are a few different ways you can track me on race day....

1. MyAthleteTracker (preferred): This year I paid for a GPS tracker to be used on the bike and run portion (not waterproof so no swim). Please click on the link for www.MyAthleteLive.com/Events. Select my name in the list of athletes and watch me move through the course. There is also a FREE APP available for both Apple and Android phones as well. 

Since the GPS runs off cell coverage, if I’m in an area of limited cell service, the website will be slow to update. Also, the tracker won’t start working until I’ve started the bike portion of the race. I’ve heard great things about this tracker so fingers crossed it makes it easier for everyone from afar to track me.

2. Ironman.com: The Ironman website will have race day tracking available. Select my race (Ironman Boulder) and type in my name or my bib number (605). The tracking on this website is sometimes slow to update or doesn’t work at all, which is why I purchased the GPS tracker (option #1). 

A really cool thing the Ironman website does have are live video feeds. They are at various points in the race (swim, transitions, etc), including the finish line (in real time!). Hopefully this will be convenient for most people, especially if used in conjunction with the GPS info. Instead of watching the website for an hour wondering if I’ll be coming down the finisher chute soon, you will know when I’m getting close and can jump online to share in the euphoria of crossing that line.

3. My mom’s Facebook page: My family will be cheering me on at the race and will be periodically updating on my status. They will also be using the two trackers listed above so they won’t have much more info than that. But they can help shed insight as to how I’m looking, feeling, etc. 

Below is a breakdown of my estimated time for this race. Please realize that there are SO many variables that can cause changes (wind, heat, flat tires, bathroom breaks, etc) so it’s a very loose timeline, not a rigid schedule. :

Goal Times:

Swim: 1:15 or less (IM CdA swim was 1:14:43)

Bike: 7:20 - 7:30  (IM CdA bike was 7:38:27)

Run: 4:45 - 5:00 (IM CdA run was 5:20:20)

As always, my goal is to finish, no matter what the time. A fantastic day would be a 13:15 finish time. A more likely scenario is a 13:45 - 14:00 finish time. A not-so-awesome finish time is anything longer than 14:23:04 (IM CdA finish time). 

Race Start: 6:40am

Exit Swim: 7:55am-8:05am

Start Bike: 8:00am - 8:10am

Finish Bike: 3:30pm - 4:00pm

Start Run: 3:35pm - 4:05pm

As I sit here writing and reading all of the words of wisdom, inspiration, and encouragement, I am floored by the wonderful people in my life. 

I am lucky enough to have friends who empathize with me and what I’m going through.

I am lucky enough to have friends who have no idea what I’m going through but stand behind my crazy lifestyle anyways. :)

I am lucky enough to meet really awesome athletes who are doing really awesome things in their life, including IM Boulder. 

I am lucky enough to have a family who spend hours and hours waiting and watching for me to come zooming by on the bike or jogging by on the run.

I am lucky enough to have a boyfriend who spends 7+ months cheering me on, supporting me when I’m down, guiding me when I’m lost, and putting up with  repeatedly hearing “I’m tired. I’m sore. I just want to sleep.” 

Thank you to everyone who pushes me to be the best form of myself. 

The words on encouragement from so many people. I will repeatedly read this on the days leading up to Race Day. On Race Day, I’ll have a few with me on the bike and Ben will hand me others while I’m on the run. I look forward to holding these words in my hand and helping me find strength when the dark moments come.

I’m jumpy and anxious, I have butterflies in my stomach, and my hands are shaky. Yup, I’m basically FREAKING OUT that I leave for Boulder, Colorado in less than 24 hours to compete on Sunday in my second-ever Ironman triathlon.

I’m pulling out every trick in the book to help calm my nerves. I’m reading and meditating on the words of encouragement and positive vibes everyone is sending. I’m looking over my past training history and letting it sink in how much I’ve done to prepare. I’m visualizing race day and all the different things that can happen and how I’ll handle. 

I’m prepared. I’m trained. I’m informed and knowledgeable on all things IM Boulder. But that doesn’t change how I feel on the inside: a mixture of fear, nausea, and anxiety. Once I’m in Boulder, I’ll feel 10x better but until then.... I’m FREAKING OUT ON THE INSIDE!!

Last night I packed 99% of what I’ll need for Boulder. I took the time to categorize/separate, label, and bag items. I’m not sloppy or unorganized but when I packed for IM Coeur d’Alene (2013), I didn’t think about putting things together (run stuff, bike stuff, etc). So when it came time to put together my “Day Of” bags for the race, it was a serious explosion of all things triathlon.....

Not this time!! This is what it looked like last night when I was packing....

The organization, the order, the neatness. OMG, it was so calming to my soul. (insert soothing exhale sound).

If it isn’t obvious, I’m trying really hard to keep my stress levels down. One way I do this is by being organized. So scratching items off my list(s), labeling, and arranging in the way I did made me feel so good.... like a weight was lifted off me. And I need that in the worst way.

Oh, since I mentioned carbo-loading, here’s what I had last night for dinner. I wasn’t really wanting the bread but I like to slowly add in carbs versus moving straight to an all-carb, all the time regimen. 

It’s here! It’s here!! In 72 hours I’ll be on a plane heading to Colorado! This week is about packing, eating (carbohydrates!), hydrating, and staying off my feet. 

Packing: I’ve got my lists and much of my stuff is already pulled out but not yet packed. My bike is safely in Colorado thanks to a fellow triathlete who drove out early. I have purchased all the items I’ll need for race day so we’re all good on that front.

Eating: I will increase the amount of carbohydrates in my diet this week. Doing so is called Carbo-Loading. When most people hear “carbo-loading”, they think of eating a huge plate of pasta the night before a race. But that’s not what an endurance athlete wants to do. I will slowly increase the amount of carbs in my meals throughout the week. The purpose is to maximize the storage of glycogen (energy) in my muscles and liver. Glycogen is your body's most easily accessible form of energy. Here’s an example of what I’ll eat in a day, totaling just under 400g of carbohydrates:

Breakfast: Homemade muesli with fresh fruit, honey, and nuts, a banana, and juice. 

Lunch: Homemade “cold cut” sandwich with an apple, peanut butter, and a granola bar.

Dinner: Lean protein with roasted potatoes, rice, and a small salad. 

Hydrating: Hydration, hydration, HYDRATION! This is paramount for any race, especially one at altitude and in the heat (both being Boulder). I’ll increase my water intake as well as the amount of electrolytes. By Thursday, I’ll be drinking Gatorade and Nuun with every meal and throughout the day. The increase in electrolytes will help my muscles perform at their best and stave off muscle cramps.

On Sunday I took part in a local, cheap half marathon race. I did this for two reasons: 1) my training schedule had 12 miles on it and what’s an extra 1.1 miles, and 2) I wanted to PR. A PR is a Personal Record. With all my training (and elevated iron levels), I was pretty sure I could get a new PR. 

7am on the Santa Monica Beach Path, the weather is humid and muggy.  The race is a simple (and boring) three loops on the beach path but my goal is a PR, not the best race scenery. About 100 people line up and we count down from 10, standing behind a chalked line on the ground that says “Start”. And we’re off!

My goal for the first loop was to warm up the legs and find a rhythm. Done.

I wish I could have fun while running. 

My goal for the second loop was to maintain a solid pace of 9:30/mile. And to not melt in the muggy, gross, hot, humid weather that had somehow fallen upon Santa Monica. Done.

A lot more sweat but I’m still smiling as I head towards the turnaround.

My goal for the third loop was to maintain the 9:30/mile pace and speed up the last 2 miles. And again not melt from the horribly humid conditions. Done.

Not enjoying the humidity at all and instead trying to focus on the fact that I am healthy enough to run and be active. Don’t I look stoked?

Coming into the finish!

I crossed the chalked finish line in 2:02:55, a full three minutes faster than my previous PR.... which included stopping twice at beach showers to douse my head in water and fill up my run bottle.  

Little One and I with our new race bling

Some people have asked me what I take with me to an Ironman. Well, it’s basically packing anything and everything you have for swimming, biking, and running. I have multiples spreadsheets that I use, which I find very helpful but some people consider overkill. For me, being prepared makes me relaxed... and anything I can do to lower my stress level is a good thing (just ask Ben). Here is my actual packing list for Ironman Boulder:

Swim Items:

Swim cap, goggles x2, defog, wetsuit, skinsuit (in case water is too warm and wetsuits aren’t allowed), bathing suit, sandals, hair ties, hair wax, sunscreen, and glide (anti-chaffing cream for neck).

Bike Items:

Bike, shoes, helmet, gloves, bike jersey, sports bra, tri shorts, arm coolers, sunglasses, Garmin heart rate monitor, chamois butter (anti-chafe cream), water bottles x4, extra tubes and CO2, chapstick, $1 bill (a trick for fixing flats), sunscreen, bike nutrition, salt, and my inspiration photos/sayings.

Inspirational photo of my mom, dad and me that I had on my bike at IM CdA.

Run Items:

Tri top, run shoes, socks, visor, hair band, run bottle, nutrition, sunscreen, race belt, chapstick, and sunscreen.

Special Needs Items: A “Special Needs” bag is a bag you pack for the bike and the run (one for each). It can include anything you want but you only get access to these bags once during the race.

Extra bike tubes and CO2 cartridges, extra chamois butter, extra chapstick, Tums, Imodium AD (because you just never know), extra nutrition (Fritos, tortilla chips, and gummy bears!), extra electrolyte solution, extra pair of socks, and inspirational photos.

All the bags I need for race day. I’ve decorated and tagged mine for easy finding and quick inspiration.

The above doesn’t include all the items I’ll need the days before the race like an additional bike jersey, run shorts and shirt, sports bra, tri shorts, hat, visor, run shoes, electrolyte tabs, compression tights, compression socks, Road ID and ID dog tag, headphones, sharpie markers, neon pink duct tape, my race number tattoos, GPS Athlete Tracker, and even more nutrition....

When running down an aisle of identical bag, neon-colored duct tape makes yours easier to find.

.... or the items I’ll need post-race like my “TeaM Bashaw” shirt, comfy “I just did a huge workout” shoes, and my massage roller stick.

TeaM Bashaw shirts

Taper is when the hours and distances spent training drop dramatically. This time is important to allow my body to repair any muscle damage and help with muscle fatigue. Basically it’s all about preparing my body for race day. 

Taper = more time for things! I took a boxing class with some coworkers. I’m reading about/planning my trip to Asia. And I’m cleaning items that have long been neglected.

Cycling shoe insoles after 3 years of use (mostly with no socks)

I’m ordering last minute items for the race....

I’m drinking (more) wine!

And eating rich and delicious meals....

Linguine in a spicy pink sauce with chicken

I still have a level of hunger that causes me to eat whatever I can find at work sometimes....

“Pitadilla” (pita and shredded cheese) and popcorn

I get to enjoy fun bike rides with Ben and Trinity.

Months of running usually means calloused feet, bruised/discolored nails, blisters, etc. My feet did alright on yesterday’s 5/3, but not fabulous. I had a hotspot on my pinky toe, peeling skin and some really dirty ankles.

Yesterday was the longest workout of the season, a 5 hour bike ride followed by a 3 hour run. A workout this long is important since it puts everything to the test. You test your clothes, equipment, nutrition, etc. It’s better to know before race day the things that won’t work/need adjustments. 

My bike ride went well with no hiccups. Weather was warm but not hot, my nutrition sat well in my stomach, my legs felt strong, and my pace was spot-on. 5 hours/70 miles later, I was back at my car.

I began the run with the mentality of finding my all-day (read: marathon) pace. As my legs felt strong, it would have been easy to run at a fast(er) pace and potentially bonk later. Bonking = running out of gas on a workout. So I settled into a pace that felt comfortable and sustainable. Around mile 4, I was getting a little dizzy and lightheaded. I felt this was an indicator I should have taken in more electrolytes while on the bike (example: Gatorade). I had a bottle of Gatorade in my car so I made a quick detour and felt a bit better after that. Miles 5-10 were uneventful and my pace remained steady. All was going well until I tried to eat some of my nutrition around mile 11 (two hours into my run). Just the motion of chewing made me feel sick/nauseous so my nutrition wasn’t going to work for the remainder of my run. This really frustrated me since I was less than half way done with what I’d need to complete on race day and was having nutrition issues.

I sent a message to Ben asking him to bring me food. Anything salty, crunchy, and not sweet. I also asked for something to drink besides water. He met me with a variety of items including grapes, goldfish crackers, tortilla chips, lemonade, ice water, and coke. I ate a few handfuls of tortilla chips, drank some lemonade and made plans to meet them a mile up the road. A mile later, I ate more chips, drank more lemonade and shoved grapes in my sports bra for later. I had 30 more minutes to go and needed to keep moving. I thanked Ben and Little One and was back on the move. 

I finished 17 miles and immediately laid on the ground. I must have looked like a wreck as I groaned while stretching on the grass. I was tired, achy, glad to be done, and remembering all too well how bad race day is going to hurt. The good ting about race day is there will be supporters who are cheering, volunteers to thank, other racers, etc to help when the dark moments come... and they will come. 

8+ hours later, I’m done (the smile is forced). Note the grape that fell from my sports bra. 

What I learned from yesterday’s workout: 

1) I need a variety of crunchy foods in my Special Needs bag as my stomach will definitely revolt at some point. I’ll likely pack tortilla chips, Frito’s, and Funyuns. Seriously, you have no idea what you’re going to want.

2) I need more electrolytes on the bike to help prepare for the run. This will be easy to add in on race day since Gatorade will be offered at the aid stations. 

3) Race Day is going to hurt

...is this weekend. Time to put the nutrition, clothes, bike, shoes, etc to the test and make sure all the kinks are worked out.

I’ll bike 75 miles (5 hours).

I'll run 19 miles (3 hours).

As you know, I’ve been eating real food on the bike (versus bars, gels or chomps). I’ve moved from the rice cakes to pizza and cinnamon rolls. These are, in a word, DELICIOUS. The sweet from the cinnamon rolls and the salty from the pizza rolls.