My journey from 0.0 to 140.6 began less than 2 years ago, and little did I know I’d end up an IRONMAN! This is a long post, but I had a long day, and a lot to reflect on…thanks for reading!
I’ve been avoiding writing this race report because I’m kind of in denial that my first Ironman is over (mostly just sad its over after so much work, preparation, and anticipation), and I have so many thoughts surrounding the entire race and experience that are so hard to put into words. It does not mean I’m done with triathlon or Ironman (I’ll be back!), but the experience, emotions, and everything else about training and racing an Ironman for the first time is something that I’ll never get to do again, but is something I will remember and cherish forever. I have gained so much more than a finisher medal, I have proven to myself I am capable of more than I ever thought possible, I have gained confidence, I have gained fitness, I have gained a supportive community, I have gained great friends, and I have gained a sport that has and will continue to challenge me.
Realizing how far I’ve come in less than 2 years is kind of surreal, but it also proves that anything is possible. So, just to recap where it all started 2 years ago…0 – 13.1 – 26.2 – 70.3 – 140.6…
- August 2014: I could not run a half mile. I didn’t exercise. Dan convinced me to sign up for the Richmond half marathon & join the Half Marathon Training team.
- November 2014: Ran my first half marathon in 2:17. I thought, if I can do that, why not train for a full marathon!
- May 2015: Ran the Buffalo Marathon in 5:05 which I took pretty casually with the goal of simply finishing, which included stops to talk to friends and family, drink a few mimosas, etc.. After thinking a marathon was the peak of my goals, I signed up for marathon #2 (Richmond) to see if I could actually race a marathon.
- July 2015: I went up to Lake Placid to cheer Dan on as he raced IMLP and casually mentioned I’d like to do that one day – it is SO inspiring to be there. Without owning a bike, or being able to swim a lap, but with the reassurance from Dan that he could train me and get me there, I was officially signed up for IMLP 2016. People thought I was crazy. I thought I was crazy.
- August 2015: Bought a bike, got in the pool. Finished my first sprint triathlon in 1:30.
- Fall 2015: I continued marathon training, and adding swimming/biking when I could. I also did an Olympic tri (turned duathlon -2 mile run, 25 mile bike, 10k run) in 2:44:31.
- November 2015: I ran the Richmond marathon in 4:26 – a nearly 40 min PR from Buffalo, and something I am still so proud of.
- December 2015: I began officially Ironman training!
- March 2016: Half marathon PR – 1:55 – 7 minute PR, and 12 minute course PR from the previous year, which was huge.
- May 2016: Raced my first 70.3 – Kinetic Half Ironman in 6:19
- June 2016: Raced my 2nd 70.3 – Eagleman in 6:45
- July 2016: Ironman Lake Placid – I AM AN IRONMAN
Taper Time!
After overload, I had 3 weeks of taper. I didn’t get the taper blues as bad as some people describe, but with taper co-insiding with classes ending for the summer, all of a sudden, I had so much free time that I wasn’t used to. Of course, a lot was on the line, so I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worrying constantly. Dan reminded me daily to not waste energy worrying about things I can’t control, like the weather, getting sick, hurt, or bike issues. But, it was easier said than done. Luckily, the one thing I wasn’t worried about was my preparation. I was 100% confident in that, which was an awesome feeling. I had some over/under workouts (over and under IM pace) and some other tune up workouts, but the hard work was done.
Race Weekend in Lake Placid, NY
Lake Placid is one of the most iconic Ironman races – it was home to the winter Olympic games twice, is the second oldest Ironman in North America (besides Kona), and is known as one of the most challenging Ironman courses.
I am so lucky to have such supportive friends and family, and even luckier that some of them were willing to make the 10 hour trip to cheer me on and support me every step of the way. Dan, Dana and I drove up Thursday.
At this point I was getting excited and the nerves were totally in check. In fact, I never felt super nervous, maybe because I felt so prepared. We met my mom, checked into our hotel, and immediately got on our bikes and rode the last 8 miles of the course out and back.
Dan wanted me to get a feel for the types of climbs I’d see at the hard back end of the course. We ate dinner at the Lake Placid Brew Pub and the town was starting to buzz with people.
Margaret got in Friday morning, and we all headed to Mirror Lake to do a tune up swim.It was gorgeous, and I surprisingly couldn’t wait to swim again! Dan also wanted me to
practice riding one other part of the course – the infamous Keene descent. It was the fastest and scariest 6 miles of my life. There were 20 mph cross winds, parallel cracks all over the roads, and even riding my breaks, I hit 40 mph. I was going so fast that my bike was shaking and I thought I’d lose control at any minute. Thankfully, I made it to the bottom safely, with tears in my eyes. I wasn’t trying to be dramatic, in fact I was trying to hold it together, but I was truly terrified. My mom later told me it was the one moment she was actually truly scared for me. Dan wanted me to do it again since I was so uncomfortable, but I said absolutely not. I didn’t want to end my day before it even began. We drove the rest of the course, and I remember zoning out at some points being in awe that I had to ride these hills not once, but twice, before running a marathon. That night we had an awesome BBQ dinner overlooking the lake, and went to the opening ceremony.
Saturday was the day to get everything taken care of, and get off my feet. I went with Kyle, one of Dan’s training partners, to the QT2 (Dan’s team) breakfast where they broke down 
the course and gave us some helpful racing hints. It was really helpful, but it was mostly stuff Dan had already taught me – never hurts to hear it again though! Then, we drove up to the top of Whiteface mountain and got back to the hotel to get final prep done. I had packed all my bags in Richmond according to T1, T2, Bike special needs, run special needs, and my morning bag. I simply checked everything again, got my bags packed, had Dan do a triple check, and headed over to put my bike in transition – the next time I’d see it was race day!
Once my brothers left for their campsite, while Dan made pancakes, I got in the Normatec recovery boots, quietly sat on the bed and relaxed, reflecting on the weekend so far, reading my race plan a 100th time, and getting mentally prepared for the day ahead of me.
I got up feel fairly rested, and my nerves were in control. I was mostly just excited the day was finally here, but I knew I’d have a long challenging day to tackle. I stuffed my face with as many pancakes as I could eat, then Dan and I walked over to transition where I got body-marked, pumped my tires, did a final check and got my nutrition set on my bike.
We met the rest of the crew by mirror lake where I had some time to relax, joke around, get some pictures, and get a practice swim in before lining up in the corrals.
At that point, I don’t think it had really hit me that I was about to race an Ironman, and it was the day that I finally got to reap the reward of all the work I had put into training. As confident as I was, I was nervous about 2 parts – the swim, and the Keene descent (and getting through the bike in general with no maintenance issues). But, I gave my family and friends big hugs, they gave me encouraging words, and I knew I’d see them on the course throughout the day. I just had to swim 2.4 miles with 3000 other people first.
Swim (1:24:21)
The swim is 2 loops in Mirror Lake and a rolling start, so I lined up around the 1:20 group. Triathletes are all so friendly, so we made casual conversation as we stood like sardines
in the corrals. I knew I could do the distance, but the swim in open water with 3000 other people swimming around you, on you, over you, kicking and hitting you is really nerve-wrecking, especially for a relatively novice swimmer like me. Over the course of the spring, I’ve gotten stronger and more confident in the water, and just set the mentality to try to find space, even if it meant swimming a bit far outside the group, and to swim defensively. I got in the water and my heart rate spiked as I tried to navigate the splashes and bodies around me. The air was super foggy the first loop so I couldn’t even see to sight the first buoy, which is usually my mental game “make it to the next buoy.” I had to rely on the masses of people to guide me. It was packed and it wasn’t until probably about 300 yds out that I was able to really get into a rhythm and start swimming like I knew I could. My stroke felt strong, and I felt like I was putting forth just the right amount of effort. I was even able to “find feet” and draft a little bit, which I have never really been good at. Loop 1 came and went, and we had to get out of the water just to get back in to do it all over again. Mirror Lake has an underwater cable so you don’t have to sight. It is great, but it is very thin, and you pretty much have to be right under it to see it…same idea everyone else has! So, once I felt like I could hold my own, I got bolder and headed toward the cable and crowd. I actually was able to stay close to the cable pretty much 3/4 of the race. My Garmin read 200 extra yards, and a 1:50/100 pace, which was awesome for me, especially in open water. As I hit the last few buoys on the second loops, I could hear the crowds, and I couldn’t believe the swim had gone by so fast!
There is a Facebook group for IMLP, and people were commenting after the race that this year’s swim was the worst they’ve ever experienced, even worse than mass starts, which I thought was interesting. In addition, there were reports the water tested high for a chemical used to treat the roads – safe to swim, but not to swallow, which may have been the culprit of my stomach pains coming out of the swim…
Overall, I am most proud of the swim portion of this race – to me it went really well! My family told me later that they saw many people being pulled out and with medics, so I was thankful to be out of the water, and onto the bike!
T1 (7:06)
off, and jogged up the carpet as people cheered like crazy. It was such a cool feeling. I saw my family and friends right before I entered the tent and they gave me tons of encouraging cheers! Some people change for the bike, but I rocked my Grn Mchn tri kit the whole day, so all I had to do in T1 was “Think slow, act fast.” I grabbed my bag, dried my feet, got my bike shoes on, grabbed my helmet, and I was off to find my bike. I shouted my number and a great volunteer met me at the end of the row with my bike. The mount line is right before a sharp hairpin turn, so I carefully got on, clipped in, and saw my friends and family one more time as I headed out for the long ride.Bike (8:11:04)
The bike course portion is what makes this race one of the toughest. One of the reasons I chose Placid is because Dan knew this course inside and out, and would teach me how to appropriately ride and pace it. It is known as a beast of a course, but it is VERY well known fact to take the first loop extra easy, and to spin up the climbs instead of powering up them which would quickly burn out your legs. Yet, many people still did not follow these rules of thumb.
To be honest, those 8 hours flew by, and even on the slow tedious climbs, I never once had a dark moment, and I don’t remember many specifics about the bike. I had a lot to focus on and I broke down the course mentally into 4 sections…the climb out of town, Keene descent, flatish out and back, and then the longgggg climb back to town…TWICE.
I had my nutrition planned nailed down, and knew I had to focus on making sure I was constantly fueling. I had an ultra concentrated bottle of Infinit, and I would squeeze some into my aero bottle right before the aid station, grab water on the go, and fill the rest, in addition to my approximately half a power bar every hour. This is what I had practiced every long ride, and knew it worked. So, besides focusing on HR and nutrition, I made sure to enjoy the day and ride, take in the scenery, and be s
o thankful I was able to do this. I can’t tell you how many people were saying things like “definitely f’d up my nutrition on the bike” telling me they had water and some gu’s – absolutely not enough calories, let alone salt and electrolytes. I’m so thankful Dan puts such an emphasis on nutrition and knowing how to fuel correctly, and that I had trained with the nutrition I was going to use during the race.
As I left T1, my entire torso had sharp stabbing pains, just like Eagleman. It was pretty unbearable, but there was nothing I could do about it, and I knew I had to try to block it out and keep fueling. Unfortunately this pain (which felt like my entire torso was filled with gas) didn’t let up until halfway through the ride, so those 4 hours were not comfortable at all. My HR was hard to settle as the climb out of town starts almost immediately. Dan warned me that if people were passing me, I was doing it right. As mentally hard as that was, I kept a slow but steady climb, finally hitting the Keene descent. I was terrified of this based on my practice run, but somehow the adrenaline kicked in, and I was braver this time. Traffic was closed on this section, so I was able to navigate the road conditions, and was able to again hit a max of almost 50 mph. The next part of the course was relatively rolling/flat-ish, and I took this time to eat some of my powerbar, and enjoy the ride. I tried to entertain myself looking at people’s bikes and kits, as well as the beautiful mounta
in backdrop. Before I knew it, I had hit the start of the never ending climb for the remainder of the loop. Everyone always talks about the last 12 miles of the loop being horrible. They aren’t fun, but to me, the climbs around Wilmington, right after the Ausable out and back, was much more relentless and difficult. I spent a lottttt of time climbing – I don’t hate climbing, I just have to be patient to do it correctly, knowing it will be slow. I was finally on the last 12 miles of climbs known as the cherries and 3 bears. The last big climb, Papa Bear, was lined with spectators, and although it would have been easy to get caught up and power up that, I took it slow and controlled, and got a burst of energy seeing my friends. I finished the first loop feeling extremely fresh, and mentally strong. It was fun to come through town and see the crowds, but before I knew it, I was back out onto the second loop.
My first and second loop splits were almost identical, which meant I paced it really well. My stomach issues had finally let up, and I was passing people all over the pace – the people who were passing me on the first loop. That was a confidence boost. There was nothing really much different about the second loop, other than being able to look forward to seeing my family who was volunteering at about mile 30 at one of the aid stations. I remember seeing my parents and brothers holding the signs they made and giving me some awesome encouragement. I even made a friend named Lindsay on the climbs of the second loop, and we kept each other company all the way back into town. Boy did it feel good to have made it off the bike safely, and know all that stood between me and the Olympic Oval finish line was a marathon.
The bike was slower than I anticipated and wanted, but I stuck to the HR plan, my nutrition was perfect, and I paced it exactly how I was taught, so all in all, I’d call it a success. So, although I wanted to and felt like I probably could go faster, I knew I had 112 mountainous miles to ride, and a marathon to run, so I stuck to the plan. I got off the bike feeling like I had done nothing all day – aka my legs felt fresh, I felt very little fatigue, and I was ready to tackle the run. Dan and I discussed this after the race, and he said that he intentionally planned my pacing conservatively because there would be nothing more detrimental than over killing it on the bike, especially on this course.
T2 (5:40)
Run (5:40:14)
I remember leaving the tent on my way to start the run, and just thinking how surreal it was that at this point, I had safely survived the swim and bike, and I had plenty of time to do the run before the 17 hour midnight cut off. It was at that point that I knew I’d be an Ironman that day. As I ran out, I saw my family and specifically remember seeing my brother Peter who gave me a giant high five, had the proudest smile on his face, and even ran down to give me a second high five a few seconds later. As silly as it sounds, this was one of my favorite moments of the day.
The look of pride on his face, and in his words hit me pretty hard. It was cool to know how proud he was of me, and that I had the support of my friends and family all the way.
The run course is two 13.1 mile loops (pretty much out and back). Not much to say about the first loop of the run. I easily settled into high Z1 pace, and my legs felt awesome coming off the bike. I made sure I didn’t go out too fast, especially with the energy of the crowd. I passed the BTC tent and saw my friends cheering before heading down the big hill. I saw Dana and Margaret a little bit outside of town around mile 11 or 12, which was a good pick-me-up as the majority of the course had no spectators. I made my way back up the big hill back into town and saw family and friends again. I had run the whole first half and felt pretty good physically and mentally. Then, my dreaded stomach problems hit. It was pretty hot (I definitely felt the heat, but it didn’t feel unbearable because I’m used to training in 90-100 degrees), but regardless, mid 80s and sunny stresses your body more than you realize. Although I had stayed hydrated and fueled really well on the bike, and did my best the first half of the run, I started to feel extreme nausea, had painful stomach cramps, and was not able to keep any fuel down. This was not good. I started to feel dizzy, and I knew that my day could be over if I wasn’t careful – there were ambulances all over the course. I made the hard decision to start power walking so I could eat and drink. This was probably the most disappointing part of my day because my legs felt like they could run forever. A few miles into the second loop, I saw Dana and Margaret, and apparently I was on the verge of tears. I had dropped my base salt, and was feeling pretty crappy at that point. They gave me encouragement, and ran to get more salt for me. It was getting dark by the second loop, and everyone around me was walking. I tried jogging here and there, but my stomach rejected that hardcore. This was the only point in my day where I was in a dark place, mostly stemming from disappointment that my stomach wasn’t allowing me to run like I knew I was capable and prepared to do.
Up until that point, I had done everything almost exactly according to plan. I had set a goal of sub 15 hours, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to do that. I tried to fight those negative thoughts that it wasn’t good enough, or that I was letting myself and others down – I was still about to finish an Ironman with plenty of time to spare. I tried to remind myself to be thankful I was out there, and to envision that finish line. I thought I would be much more emotional, but the only feeling I had at that point was fatigue. My legs weren’t tire
d, but my body in general was exhausted. All I could picture was collapsing on the grass and falling asleep. I remember making conversation with other athletes and noticing their Ironman tattoos, and asking them what makes them keep coming back, because at this point, all I could think was, “this is brutal, I never want to do this again.” Those 6ish miles out felt like an eternity and I wondered if I’d ever get to turn around to head back to town. I was power-walking as fast as I could, while the majority of people around me were walking like they were taking a stroll in the park. Although my body wasn’t allowing me to run, I sure as heck was going to move as fast as I could in any way, shape, or form. I tried to focus and just take it mile by mile putting one foot in front of the other.
Finally, I made my way back into town. I saw my family one last time before the last mini out and back, and knew the next time I saw them, it would be at the finish line. Dana and Margaret ran along side me briefly and were giving me words of encouragement, telling me how proud they were of me, how all of my hard work was worth it, and how I “looked pretty.” This was an ongoing joke when I told my mom and friends that I prefer not to hear “good luck,” so Dana said that she’d just tell me I “look pretty.” I heard this many times throughout the day, which always made me smile, especially when I knew I looked the opposite of pretty 14 hours into my day. While Margaret was braiding my hair the night before, we were joking that I had to look good, feel good – feel good, race good. I tried to reflect those last few miles on all the work I had done – the early morning trainer sessions, hot hill bounders, hours in the pool, other sacrifices, etc. It really would be worth it. At this point, I started running the last mini out and back, and saw Diane and David, friends I knew from high school, and they sent me onto the finish with some great cheering. As I headed down the final hill and I saw the Olympic Oval, it was the best feeling ever.
Overall (15:28:25)
The turn into the Olympic Oval was something I’d visualized so many times, and I honestly felt like a celebrity running down the finish chute. Everyone was cheering for ME! I was worried I wasn’t going to be able to spot my friends and family, but they made it very obvious 🙂
I gave them all high-fives and ran the rest of the way through the finish line as Mike Reilly announced those famous words…”Meghan Wright from Richmond, Virginia, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN.”
The crowd was so loud that I barely heard it, and those last few seconds crossing the finish line are a blur – I wish I would’ve taken it a bit slower and soaked it all in. I was not as emotional as I thought I’d be, mostly just happiness, but it was a feeling I wish I could bottle up and re-live over and over. A volunteer handed me my medal and asked if I was ok. Some p
eople cross the finish line hobbling and about to collapse, but I felt great – tired, but stable and good! I was in a slight state of shock, and I had a one track mind – I really just wanted to see Dan to be able to thank him, and everyone else who had been my
support system all day. I had made it a point to thank
every volunteer I could throughout the day, but forgot to thank the volunteer at the finish line, who was making sure I was ok. Not soaking in that finish line and thanking the volunteer was one of my few regrets of the day. I got a quick picture and then saw Dan. I gave him the biggest hug and thanked him for everything. That was one of my other favorite moments of the day, because I knew that none of this would be possible without his coaching, guidance, and support.
now knew exactly why people come back here every year. It truly was the experience of a lifetime. I was definitely sore, but mostly stiff , especially given the 12 hour drive home. Thank goodness Dan was willing to drive most of the way, because I was useless – I was so exhausted that I couldn’t keep my eyes open.There are too many thank you’s in order, but thank you to my mom, dad, and brothers for supporting me through this crazy journey and making the long trip on race day. Thank you for volunteering, and being the best support on the course – your smiles, pride, and cheers meant the world. Thank you to Dana and Margaret for driving all the way from Richmond, running all over on race day, calming my nerves, bringing humor and laughs, lots of “that’s what she said” moments, being so encouraging, and for telling me I “look pretty.” Most of all, thank you to both of them for being awesome training buddies. Thank you to Stephanie, Wills and Kevin for being a friendly face on course, and for being great company all weekend! Thank you to Kyle for taking me to the QT2 breakfast and cheering. Thank you to Taylor, Kevin, Diane and David for giving me motivation to keep moving on course. Thank you to my co-workers who all signed a card, and sent me off with best wishes. They have been super supportive and always made a point to ask me how my training was going even when they probably didn’t care how my 5 hour long ride went 🙂 Andddd this will have to be a whole other post, but I’ll keep it short and sweet for now…the biggest thank you to Dan for everything. He introduced me to this crazy sport, and I’ve never been more thankful. Thank you for your unwavering encouragement, support, expertise, coaching, time you spent planning and giving me feedback on workouts, and everything else that I can’t possibly list here. I am forever grateful to everyone.
Big news, I got my first (and probably only) tattoo!! That was one of the most 
common questions I got prior to the race – was I going to get the tattoo – getting an M-Dot tattoo is a pretty popular thing to do after an Ironman. I was honestly very undecided until afterwards, but I realized that I wanted it for 2 reasons …I love everything that my training and racing IMLP represents, and I always want to be reminded of those things. In addition, it is a great conversation starter. I know when I see an m-dot tattoo, I know they are a triathlete and it always leads to an interesting conversation.
A week later, I did a short run, and this past week I have gotten back into kinda sorta training. I ran with Dana on Wednesday, ran again Friday and with my dad on Sunday, and did a “long” ride on Saturday with my mom for almost 2.5 hours – she did awesome!
was crazy too, but it was a challenge I wanted to take on with the reassurance I could do it from Dan who is extremely knowledgeable about triathlon (specifically long course Ironman coaching), as well as the IMLP course as he had done it many times before. If I hadn’t gotten that reassurance from him, I wouldn’t have signed up. I know my limits, but I also know when to reach and accept a challenge. I can truly say that I have learned so much about myself through this journey, and that in itself is priceless.
, nap (if I can), HW, maybe something low key Saturday night like game night, and be in bed early to get up and ride and run more on Sunday. Weekends with late nights and free time to pick up and do whatever I want don’t exist at this point, which to be completely honest, is starting to wear on me. Don’t get me wrong, part of me likes the routine of my weekends, but part of me does miss the freedom to do what I want without having to consider a 5 hour ride on a Saturday. The light week after Eagleman did not include a long ride, and workouts during the week were limited, so I actually had some free evenings and time on the weekend. I didn’t realize how much I needed time to hang with friends, catch up (and not feel like I’m drowning) in school work, and have some time to do whatever I wanted. I went to an end of the school year party with friends and a cool rooftop bar Friday, a BLink 182 concert Saturday, kayaked for an open water race and aw Finding Dory Sunday. It was an awesome weekend. I like training and I know it’ll be worth it, but at this point I’m feeling it.
I knew it’d be a longggg day out there all by myself (bc we all ride our own pace), but luckily it was beautiful and a day full of adventure. The night before, I had changed the stem of my bike to adjust the height of my aero bars, and clearly had not tightened them enough. When I got on my bike, I realized the bars were slipping down, so I spent the first 3 hours of my ride pulling up on the bars, hoping they wouldn’t fall down. I usually carry a multi-tool with me but had taken it out before Eagleman and forgotten to replace it. It was scary, especially 
going 35 mph on descents. What I didn’t realize was the stem was loose too, so essentially, my front wheel could have turned any way it pleased. Long story short, I was lucky to not crash. I headed back to the van halfway through the ride and tightened it. This terrain was double as aggressive (in terms of elevation gain/climbing) as the IMLP course, so although it was slow, it gave me the pract
ice and confidence of doing some LONGGGG 20-30 min climbs & covered almost the entire elevation gain of the IMLP course in half the distance. My last long run and hill repeat intervals on Sunday went awesome, and it was great to end overload on such a great note. That evening, I crashed and napped instead of helping with food prep…
et up in transition, relaxed, watched the pros start, got our wetsuits on and headed to the water for our swim warm up. The second I got in the water I felt a pain on my foot. I had sliced it on something (rock, metal?)…it was pretty painful and a pretty good sized cut. I was bummed because I could only imagine running on it. Dan reminded me that if that was the worst thing that happened to me, it’d be ok. He was partially right because although nothing disastrous happened, the rest of the day would prove to be tough, and starting like that didn’t help. I tried to ignore it, and we got lined up in our swim waves. We were 2 of the final waves, starting an hour after the race start. That can be hard mentally when you’re the last people on course. Dan and Brian were in the wave right before Margaret and me. It was go time! I knew we would have a challenge in front of us, but we were ready.
ring/exiting the water, and getting used to not being able to see in murky water. The one issue I had was that the water was choppy and I actually felt a little sea sick! A few days later, Peluso Open Water was holding another open water practice, this time at a lake. I again knew I needed every opportunity to practice in open water, especially around other people, so with my new-found tiny bit of confidence, I showed up. I was pleasantly surprised when I got in and didn’t feel anxious! We did some steady swimming, tempo and above tempo work to simulate a raised HR at the swim start, and some race simulation drills like mass starts and drafting. The swim totaled almost 1.5 miles, and my average pace was 1:36 (my 400 time trial best effort pace in a pool is 1:43)! The wetsuit makes you a bit more buoyant but I was glad to know that not only could I do it, it was at a good pace! I hoped that confidence would carry over to my 70.3 race the following weekend.
ally have pre-race. I was only worried about the possibility of some weird mechanical problem on the bike, which I knew I couldn’t control, so I tried not to worry. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m all about organization and lists. For my own piece of mind, I made myself a list and checked it a million times while I packed. I spread all of my gear out by swim, bike, run on my dining room table to ensure I had everything I needed. Dan and I made a ton of PB banana pancakes to take with us for our race day breakfast. We then dove up to a camp site Friday evening, near the race and stayed in a cabin with our friends Kevin and Taylor. It was great to see them and distract myself from thinking about the race the next day. We went to bed at 10:30ish, only to have a 4:00 am wake up call! We ate tons of pancakes, packed up and headed to Lake Anna.
armed up in the water, and it was almost race time! I had a few nerves but knew I had done the work, and was confident in my preparation. Dan wrote me a detailed pacing plan that outlined where my effort should be at each point of the race which I read over at least 10 times so I had it drilled into my brain. One of the biggest mistakes triathletes
lt comfortable maintaining, and knew full well not to go out too hard. I still had to run 13.1 miles. At this point in the day it started to get hot. I maintained my steady pace, and stuck to the plan of walking a few steps each aid station to get some nutrition down, and dump water on my head to keep myself cool. Margaret and Katelyn were at a perfect point and I saw them twice per loop, and I also saw Dan, Taylor, and Kevin a few times as well! They were great cheerleaders and gave me just the encouragement I needed that late in the race! Dan warned me there would be walking all over the place, and he was so right. By loop 2 there were so many people walking. I was shocked by the lean, tall, athletic looking guys that I was lapping and ultimately beat because they walked the majority of the half marathon due to pushing too hard on the bike. Loop 1 and 2 came and went, and I was confident in my pacing. I felt like I had just enough left in the tank to give it my all for loop 3. By loop 3 I was definitely feeling some fatigue, but maintained my pace and has some nice negative splits towards the end. Running down the finish chute, I saw Dan, Margaret, & Katelyn. I couldn’t believe I just finished a half Ironman! I felt pretty good – drained, fatigued, but still smiling. We got some food, water, and waited for the award ceremony for Dan and Kevin to be recognized.
lounging in a pool, making whirlpools with friends, and doing hand stand contests. I think I had a crazy moment when I signed up for an Ironman knowing I had to go from 0-2.4 miles of swimming in a year,but somewhere deep down, I knew I could do it, just like I had showed myself I could run a marathon. It was definitely a leap of faith, and when I literally jumped feet first into the pool last August, I couldn’t even swim one 50 yd lap down and back without stopping at the wall. In the past 8 months, I’v gotten more comfortable in the pool, learned better technique, etc. Anyways, because of my lack of swimming experience, swimming that 3600 yd set was a huge accomplishment for me.
get to Z2 – that hurt), and was introduced to PPT intervals which was now my Sunday ride. I realized I only have 10 or 11 more “long rides” (not including races) before Placid…I think I can do that!
2 PR. This block, we decided I’d do another 5k to test progress from January. Brian and I were both set to run a 5k, so we signed up for a local race. Although it was a PR (24:02), my splits were 7:13, 7:28, and then 8:40…womp womp. I wasn’t satisfied with this race, and I know I could have done so much better. Late into mile 2, I got a nasty side stitch which was not just an annoying cramp, but a shooting pain. I stopped a bunch of times the second half of the race to try to work it out, andpart of me regrets not sucking it up more, but I can’t dwell on that. Progress is progress, and it is a good sign that I know I could have done even better.
The minute we got out of the car we were soaked. Not going to lie, I wasn’t thrilled to be out there, but I reminded myself the reason I was there, and to suck it up, and give it my all. Dan nicely reminded me that “the human body is waterproof” and to “run fast, get dry.” That’s exactly what I had to do – run fast, and the faster I ran, the quicker I’d be done. I set up around the 2 hour pace group with the hope of breaking sub-2. This was my 6th formal half marathon, but I actually PR’d my half marathon time during the Richmond full – 2:02. Since I ran my first half, sub-2 has been a goal. I knew I had solid training in me, and although the conditions were terrible, this was my chance. Dan warned me not to blow it in the first 5k and go out too hard. So, I held the pace I felt comfortable with maintaining, and stayed a little conservative my first mile or so. I was feeling great, and I hoped I’d be able to hold on. The most I had run since the marathon was 8 miles, so I obviously could do 13.1, but the question was, could I hold that pace. Again, I pushed it as much as I could without overdoing it, and I was pleasantly surprised by the 10k mark, I was feeling great, and was actually descending in pace. I saw Dana and Mile 8ish and she said that I looked “in good spirits” and that many of the people ahead of me looked miserable – that was reassuring, but I still had the toughest 5 miles to go. The wind was wicked at this point in the race, but I powered through and held steady. I’ve never been good at pacing long runs, and in previous half marathons, I’ve flopped at the mile 8-9 mark. I still felt great, hold 8:40-8:50 miles. I continued this until my stomach started churning at mile 11. I even stopped to the side of the road and thought I was going to puke. Anyways, I reminded myself that at this point in the race, it was alllll mental, I knew I’d go sub-2, but by how much. I finished the race strong in 1:55;44, a 7 minute half marathon PR, and a 12 minute course PR. I had no regrets about how I executed my race, nutrition, pacing, anything, and I was most proud of the fact that I stayed strong and held my 8:50 avg pretty much the entire time. I met up with Dana and Becca to watch Brian finish his half – he did awesome too! I was so cold, and soaked that I didn’t really care to hang around, so we headed home. I could not have been happier with this race, and it again reminded me how far I’ve come, and how the way I’m training is paying off. I can’t thank Dana enough for being an awesome friend and helping me through this entire race weekend!
because I know I’m training smart, but sometimes it seems daunting. That long ride reassured me that I’d be totally fine. I have a speed sensor on my bike for trainer rides, which is pretty accurate (of course not as exact as an outdoor ride), but it was approximately 56 miles which is half Ironman distance! In jsut 3 short months I’d have to do that after a 1.2 mile swim, and follow it with a 13.1 mile half marathon. Luckily, I felt great and didn’t have much fatigue. Lastly, I decided to run over to some hillier parts of the city for my long run on Sunday. I’ve been sticking to flats so far just because it is easier to keep my heart rate steady, and the first few blocks, it is critical that I learn to control my heart rate. I decided that if was time to stray from the flats on Sunday’s 1.5 hour long run, because Placid is hilly and I need to used to it. It went well, but it was definitely hard to stay in zone, and bring my HR down after the uphills.
since I started formally training in December, and like I said, the speed sensor on my bike is pretty accurate, but I was really curious to see how fast I could ride outside at a given effort. I was very pleasantly surprised to see that I could easily hold 18/19/20 mph with not a ton of effort. My HR was definitely way high, but that was because I was so nervous to be on the roads, but the effort felt minimal, and my legs barely felt like they were working. It was very reassuring! Richmond is pretty bike friendly, and I rode primarily on a road that is designated as a bike route, and I stuck as close to the shoulder as I could without hitting parked cars. I followed all the rules of the road, and still got beeped at. I was frustrated, because i was already nervous to be out with traffic, and that didn’t help. I plan on doing most of my rides on the Capital Trail without traffic, so that should help!
100%. So, Dan had me cut my ride by an hour…still a 2.5 hour ride was solid, followed by a 25 minute transition run. I felt a little sluggish but I didn’t feel worse – that was a good thing. I am so glad that he told me it was ok to cut it short, and that I wasn’t being lazy, I was being smart. After my run, I rode alongside Dan with music and nutrition while he did a 5k race. It was so good to be outside on the bike, although I am still very nervous about traffic. I can only imagine the looks people were giving us…Dan crushed his 5k, and I looked ridiculous following behind him riding my tri bike, with multiple waterbottles in the back of my jacket, a huge portable speaker strapped to my bike, and a go-pro strapped to my head. To say I was decked out is an understatement. He wanted to have video of analyze his run form, so I sucked up looking any sort of normal for that hour 🙂 I can say from experience, having someone there for support makes you more likely to push yourself, and the music helps too!
Even my pup is getting used to me being on the trainer, and actually settled down during one of my rides.
o she would run ahead, then run back…we joked it was like a little kid running circles around a parent. We have been logging our miles because the two of us are “running the year 2016″…running a combination of 2016 miles throughout the year. I have no doubt we will do it. My long run on Sunday was in the snow! I was so cold, but it was awesome.
meghansmiles 