MKT 5.33.21 6th place - make that 5th place due to some wonky timing of the girl in front of me.
The night before the Lonestar Half my jitters were still there, but significantly less than past races. My training had built up my confidence as well as the pep talks of my fabulous friends and family. So, I set out my kit for the race and “tried” to fall asleep as best I could. Race morning came before I knew it and I robotically slipped on my tri gear and double-checked that I had everything I needed, pumped up my tires, and then headed out the hotel and to the race (it’s a definite plus to stay right by the start, one less worry). Everything from here on out seemed to go as planned. I laid out my gear in transition and chatted with some of the girls around me, which helps to alleviate some nervousness. I played the mantra “this is just a training day no biggie” on my internal tape player, pulled my wetsuit half way up and sauntered over to the swim start. The swim was in Galveston Bay and was shaped like trapezoid. I watched Robby’s wave go and subsequent waves hit the water as I waited for my start. Two girls around me started talking about how nervous they were and calming them down seemed to help me as well. I looked around to see if my parents had made it to the swim start and before I knew it my group was heading down the dock and into the water for the start of the 2008 Lonestar Half Ironman. I swam to the outer edge (a trick Lovato told me about years ago). The signal went off and this was it. It felt good to just get started and then the swirl of thoughts that wash over me along with the water at the beginning of a race came over me. This was going to be a long haul, but just take it in baby steps. I tried to keep my stroke long and efficient while at the same time keeping the buoys in sight. The shape of the swim made it easier to navigate and the bay had minimal chop so after bouncing around a few people, the swim exit manifested itself before me in no time. It was hard to tell where I came out compared to the rest of my wave. I saw my Mom as I came out which was uplifting gave her a high five and then ran over to the suit strippers. This is the first time I’ve ever had suit strippers at a race and they are the best thing ever! I had pulled off the top of my wetsuit as I exited the water, so I just plopped down and two girls grabbed either side of the suit and within a second they were handing it to me and I was off and running over to my bike. When your heart rate is going a mile a minute I slowed down a second to make sure I have everything. “helmet, shoes, glasses, is that all I need?” I shoved some banana in my mouth and headed out on the bike. As I was riding, I started to feel the stinging on my neck as salt water hit the wetsuit burn I got from my suit, it went away as I rode on, but the ride was a bit uncomfortable the first loop I think due to the salt water mostly. I tried to remember what everyone has been telling me and started drinking as I rode. My second lap I went for the water handoff. I had some trepidation when it came to grabbing a bottle while on the bike because it didn’t work so well for me at Eagleman where I missed the handoff. This time, the volunteers were great. I shouted that I wanted water, they shouted my order to one of the other volunteers and they ran along next to me handing it up. My first successful handoff, I was so relieved! I pulled into the transition feeling okay, racked my bike, pulled on my running shoes, made sure my helmet was off, clicked on my race number and was off. I ran toward the bike exit and then quickly realized my error turned around and headed for the run exit. My legs were exhausted at this point and I felt like I was dragging a sack of potatoes. I knew at this point that if I could run a 2 hr half marathon I would be around 5 hr 30 min, well below my PB. This kept me moving, while at the same time I was frustrated my legs felt like jello. I kept pushing and after a couple of miles and convincing myself this would be easy, my legs began to loosen up and I found more of a rhythm. The run took us throughout Moody Gardens with people cheering the whole way. I ran by a guy rocking out on guitar, a clown making silly comments to everyone, a whole section of people dressed like pirates, a steel drum player and tons of cowbell ringers. That is what makes these events so great. Once I got over my initial brick legs, I just tried to keep it steady, running by my parents cheering me on as well as seeing Robby out on the course kept the fire strong. The last couple of miles I used Paula Radcliffe’s technique of counting to one hundred to step up the pace and bring it home. It worked. I felt great as I ran through the finish hearing my name called and feeling outstanding after the whole experience and with a new half ironman personal best. What did I learn I need to work on?
- Practice bricks more
- Get on the bike more
- Keep working on nutrition during long training
- Figure out a way to prevent wetsuit chafing
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