Clermont Intimidator (1/2 Ironman) and Oly Race Report

So on 3/17, after 5 days of working far too many hours to be mentally prepared for 2 races, I drove to Indy to stay at Shelley's house for the night, and we would leave for Florida the next day. Good thing she'd had the foresight to rent a large vehicle (Chevy Suburban) to hold all our crap. I (as usual but I will try and break this habit) brought way too many clothes, and having had race weather change at the last minute, had extra tri crap that it turned out I didn't need.

It was a long haul to Florida, and we were on our way to Clermont, but detoured a few hours out as it turns out our host was in Leesburg. No biggie. We stayed with a pro triathlete that is a friend of Shelley's for 2 nights in Leesburg, then 2 nights in Clermont.

On Thursday, we first drove to Silver Lake where I and our pro ran. I only ran 1 lap plus a little more, about 5K. It was hot. I wasn't dying, but knew the heat was going to be a huge factor for me on the weekend. Shelley stayed with the dog while we ran (she is currently unable to run), then we all drove back and got on our bikes, rode back to the lake and did some laps. The heat didn't feel so bad on the bike, but it was no picnic, either.

On Friday, Shelley and I went on our own to the National Training Center in Clermont. Shelley hit the pool while I did a short run. I had wanted to run on the outdoor track, but it was closed to the public at that time. I ran :20 on the treadmill then hit the pool, which was nice--50 meter outside! I had swum in that pool maybe 8 years ago during a side trip to Clermont when I had been in Orlando on business. I only swam 1000 meters, and I was really slow. The heat and travel was taking its expected toll.

Since it was late in the day, Shelley and I went and grabbed some dinner while we were out and about. In retrospect, I should have eaten more.

Saturday was the 1/2 Ironman. I got myself up at 4AM (for a 7:30AM start) since I like to have my breakfast in me with 3 hours to start for a 1/2 or longer race. I didn't feel particularly nervous, except that I did wonder what I should expect of myself.

I tried to keep things light as Shelley and I drove to the race venue. I know what it's like to not be able to run. There was a year when I was supposed to do a 1/2 IM in Kona, and I couldn't run, but even worse, I couldn't bike except on a cushy bike saddle. I still went and cheered on my friend and others, but it was difficult. I've DNS'ed a number of races when I've been injured or life otherwise got in the way.

I was in the first wave. The swim was wetsuit legal, but the water was warm-ish. I'm sure they dropped the thermometer in the deepest, coldest part of the lake. I wasn't in the mood to swim without a wetsuit, so I didn't. The lake is that black coffee water. I'd swum here in 2005 when I did the Great Floridian (IM), and I am not in great swim shape anyway, but it sure was hard to sight. The swim seemed a tad long, but then again, it probably wasn't!

They had wetsuit strippers, which was nice, except that you ended up with wet grass all over yourself. Oh well, I took my sweet time in transition so I could try and have dry-ish feet and be sure I had my shit together to bike.

The heat just kept on coming, and while it started out with some clouds, the sun came blazing out, and we immediately were into decent rollers. Having not ridden a single hill since...IMWI last September, my hill fitness was non-existent. But, I still remembered how to climb and not kill myself. And it just got hotter. I drank my high octane Infinit and a few bottles of water. I wasn't as slow as I thought I'd be, and in truth, I was trying to keep my pace at or below IM pace in the interests of being able to show up and do an Oly the next day.

Even though I went super easy on the bike, the run was super hot. I later found out it was in the low 90's during the bike and run. I definitely wasn't acclimated to it! On the run, I did a 5' run/1'walk most of the time, just to prove to myself that I could run some of it! Luckily, they had ice and Coke on the run, and I put ice in my hat, my chest and groin to try and keep me cooled somewhat. I don't remember thinking very often that it sucked, because I was doing this of my own volition! My legs never hurt too bad, and my right foot (the one with the Morton's Neuroma) only bothered me once or twice, so I would just stop briefly, curl my toes, and press on.

Before I left for this trip, I was thinking I could manage a 6:30, but with the heat, I ended up at 6:55. Really slow for me, but I have been slower in the same heat and with less hills, so I can't complain too much. Again, at dinner, I should have eaten more, but I think in part that the heat stunted my appetite a bit.  Plus I didn't want to be too big of a pig in front of my host and friend!

Sunday morning I set my alarm for 5, but I woke up at 4 anyway. Race start was 7:30. Shelley did the aquabike the day before, but took me down to the race and stayed until I finished. That was really special to me! My plan for the day was to just go easy and finish well. Kind of like in Triple T. I swam just as slow as I had on Saturday, but biked and ran a bit faster. It wasn't as hot, the bike course wasn't hilly, and...it was SHORTER!

Once I was on my bike, I just decided to enjoy the fact that I was riding outdoors in March in Florida, and so I did. I didn't really push it at all and still rode a bit faster than I thought I would. I had a blast on the bike! A lot of people commented on how cool Skull Kingdom looks, and that made me smile every time. When I got to the run, I knew I was good to finish, and I didn't feel too bad at all. I just thought to myself, hey, I'm an old lady and I did a 1/2 IM yesterday and now I'm doing an Oly! This old bag still has endurance legs! Once again, ice and Coke were my friends on the run, and I actually had some nice conversations with a few other racers. One guy, when I told him I'd done the 1/2 the day before, called me "Double Duty." I love it when other people in a race have a sense of humor. It really takes away some of the pain!

I finished the Oly in 3:24. Pretty damn slow for me, but really not bad considering I was baked in a 1/2 the day before. If I'd had a gun to my head, I could have done a 1/2 on Sunday. So all things considered, the racing was a success--I got a good dose of serious endurance and mental toughness. It would have been easy for me to just give up and completely walk either or both days during the run, but I didn't. It would have been easy to be crabby all day because it was so hot, but I wasn't. Sure, I didn't really like the bike course on Saturday (we rode on open, dangerous roads with semis speeding by at 65mph with a very narrow shoulder), but you can't like every place you ride. I just enjoyed the fact that I was riding.

After the Oly, Shelley and I packed up and headed to my friend's new home in Lithia, where we were treated like princesses--being fed and cared for like hotel guests! The next day, Shelley, Carole (her husband Al did not join the girls) and I went to the Salvador Dali museum in St. Petersburg. It was FANTASTIC! Dali is one of my favorite artists, and I practically salivated over every painting. I learned a bunch about Dali that I didn't know and developed an even greater appreciation for his art and talent.

In summary, my race times were nothing to write home about, but I got a good dose of long course in the sun and some culture! I have to admit I got a huge ego boost about being told by a pro that I didn't look anything like my age. I don't do triathlon for vanity, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit vain. I found I felt very depleted once I got home, confirming my suspicion that I hadn't been eating enough, but I have fixed that. I do believe that the higher dose of Synthroid is kicking in, too, and I've started sleeping more again! All of these things bode well for a slight break and then hitting the training hard again. I did less than I'd planned training-wise last week, and feel well rested and ready to go today, beginning my transition to mostly outdoor biking and running. I'm glad I did the 2 races as an early test of my overall endurance. Now I get to work some more on SPEED!