Bikes & Arizona Riding

As I recover from my first ride of the day before heading out for another ride, it seems like a good time to talk about BIKES! As I said yesterday, I went to Arizona to not only swim but also do other training. For the first time I flew with my bike and after it deciding to take a different flight from me, it arrived in Phoenix hours later and was delivered to the house in one piece. Trying to not let that make me worried about flying to New Zealand with it.

The first two days of riding were easier rides or supposed to be but it takes a lot more work for me to keep up with Katie. But the return ride on a slight downhill on Scottsdale drafting off of her made for a nice ride home at 30W and 30mph. And most important, no cars hit us.

The third day of riding was labeled on my schedule as "so fucking dropped ride" with a side comment of "you'll probably get dropped". There's a nice stretch of road where people like to hammer hard and my only goal was to hold on for dear life and not get dropped. I glued myself to her wheel so I could take advantage of ever drafting watt possible and managed to hang on the whole time. After chatting with some golfers and soft pedaling for awhile we did a steady climb. I felt strong the whole ride and the challenge of keeping up was a good distraction from the fatigue.

The last day of riding was the ride I was looking forward to the most. Climbing Mount Lemmon in Tuscon. Of course at this point my legs were exhausted so I loaded my bottles with caffeine and told Katie I'd see her at the top because there was no way I was staying with her. She gave me a power range to stay in and I was determined to stay in the top half of that range. I spent the first hour fighting to roll down my arm warmers and pulling the zipper down on my jersey while dripping in sweat. Then I rounded some magical corner and the wind picked up and I was yanking all the layers back on.

We knew there wasn't enough time to ride all the way up and back down so I kept praying that I was close to the point of having to turn around. Then I saw Katie pulled over to pee and she told me she was going to have her friend pick us up at the top. Shit. So I shoveled down more calories and counted down how many miles I had left as the very slowly ticked by. It took everything I had to hold onto my power number but I was determined. By the last 30 minutes I was cold, there was snow on the ground and I was seriously lacking in oxygen around 8,000ft elevation. I was cranky and wanted to be done. By the time I reached the end and the Cookie Cabin I was thrilled to be done and enjoy a well deserved cookie and hot chocolate.

That rounded out the week for riding and my legs were happy to be done. I think we were especially all happy to be done packing and repacking and repacking 6 more times the car with 3 people, 3 bikes and a weeks worth of our crap. I left Arizona happy with the work I did, more knowledge stuffed in my brain and ready to keep tackling Ironman training back at home.

Of all the progress I've made this year, riding is by far where I've seen the most improvements. I've been able to consistently ride all year which is a huge part of it. I've pushing myself outside of my comfort zone and learned how to become a better rider. It's about more than how many watts your body can pump out. I've learned how to handle my bike, to become one with it. Maybe one day I'll even learn to ride with no hands #2017goals.

 

When I first got into triathlons I liked riding the least and now not only is it my strongest discipline, it's become a try love for me. I love my bike! Right now my legs might not love my bike because they struggle to push the pedals from feeling so dead but it still makes my soul happy to be free on two wheels. Time to go ride again! Please send more coffee...

Swimming & Swim Camp

Well I've done a terrible job keeping up with this blog since my Ironman almost 3 months ago. I figured as a good way to #1 catch up and #2 wrap up the year, I'd "try" to do a post a day for the last three days of the year. Naturally a post about swim, bike and run. Today is SWIM!

At the beginning of the month I went to Arizona for swim camp and extra Ironman training. Swim camp schedule was officially Friday-Sunday and I stayed until Wednesday. I've talked several times here about how I constantly feel like I'm banging my head against the wall when it comes to swimming. For many many months (probably since the spring) I haven't been very happy with where I've been with my swim and as a result I've had a negative outlook on swimming. I asked Katie before I left Arizona what I did as an athlete that drove her crazy. Her only response was that when I have a bad swim it's like it's the end of the world. Ok I don't think I'm that bad but yes I've gotten pretty down on myself when I have a series of bad swims and my times have gotten worse since the spring.

I knew I had lots of room for improvement in swimming and I needed to change my outlook. On top of that, going to Arizona to train with Katie for almost a week was a great opportunity. I'll admit the pool I swim in at home is very blah so I was happy to swim in some awesome outdoor huge pools despite it not being very warm outside. I thought Phoenix and Tuscon were supposed to be warm, not the same temperature as Greenville. While in AZ I swam 5 days in a row for over 22,000 yards. That's way more than I normally swim in a week.... or at least up until that point. That has certainly changed recently. Swimming was a variety of things... sprinting, descending breaths (ug the worst!), threshold, long recovery, and so on. I spent the first day sharing a lane with Katie and a former competitive swimming and killing myself with paddles trying to not get lapped and I survived. I spent most of the other swims either splitting a lane or having my own lane because my pace was slower than those two but faster than the others at camp. It was a fun challenge while I had feet to chase though.

I also got a swim analysis but another coach/pro that came along for the trip. She even had me try a snorkel which felt awkward af while doing laps and not having a mask that covers my nose. Very different than the snorkeling I do in the ocean. She gave me several thing to work on and I immediately saw an improvement in my pace. Ever swim I do I'm still trying to reinforce the changes. Always working on improving. That's the way it should be.

I was happy with the work I did at camp however I didn't have a good idea of how much that week had improved my swim until I got home. Those were all yard pools and I swim meters at home. I was so happy to get back into my pool and see all of my times drop. Not just time trials but simple things like sets I do during warm up and my "critical swim speed". I'm no longer afraid when I see the harder send offs. Before there would be a sense of panic because I'd convince myself I wouldn't make them. Now I take on the challenge every swim with an open mind. I've also learned the power of coffee before my morning swim and wheeeeee does that light a fire under my ass. I've had fun trying to keep up with the boys in my pool during my hard sets. Some even gave me a look like where the hell did this come from and made comments. I've had lots and lots of good swims since I've been home. Many swims that were tough but I did well because I kept my head in the game. I've also had a handful of bad swims where my body felt dead tired and everything was slow and I missed send offs. And you know what? I was totally ok with it. I'm in Ironman training and my body is exhausted and sometimes that means I can't swim my best. It's ok.

It's been an interesting year from swimming as it certainly hasn't been linear progress. I got better in first few months when I was swimming a lot. Then I got worse. Then I got worse again while training for my first Ironman when I was exhausted all the time. And now, finally, I'm getting better again. I know I can't always get better but damn it feels good right now.

Life’s little adventures

Well it has certainly been a while since I’ve blogged. I could see that happening if I wasn’t training anymore and there wasn’t anything to talk about but that certainly hasn’t been the case. I’ve been busy, been thinking through things and taking a bit of space from this space. But it feels like a good time to get back into it as I’m about to finally jump back into what feels like a normal routine to me. This is a good time to look back on what life has been like these last many weeks.

I’ve spent extra time focusing on my non-training life such as family and friends. My friend and I threw our annual murder mystery party. This year’s theme was 80s high school reunion complete with lots of neon and bad hair. I was going for the 80s aerobics instructor look to go with my character. I somehow accidently bought a thong leotard and did my best to make it give me less of a whedgie. As my husband said, it looked like someone just used body paint on me. I gave a lot of people a good laugh though with my initial panic pictures while trying to figure out how to fix it.  

From a training perspective, I happily got back into climbing mountains on my bike. Have I mentioned I love climbing?! I did a climbing ride up north into NC and did a loop that once scared the shit out of me and forced me to walk my bike a mile uphill. For the second time, I had complete confidence going into it and I once again was no issues doing it. I got the added bonus of enjoying the fall leaves and inhaling smoke from the wildfires not that far away.

 

Then I went up to VA for Thanksgiving. I wanted to try tackling Skyline Drive again since last time it was snowing, I was under dressed and shaking so badly I cut the ride short. Unfortunately, it was about the same temperature this time but not snowing and I was a little better dressed so I was able to get a nice long rides in. I love the challenge of climbing and knowing you HAVE to fight through the fatigue or you will go nowhere. Or maybe backwards. I also love descending but not when it’s 30 degrees at 30 watts and 30mph. That sucks if it’s for more than 3 minutes. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the ride. Maybe one day I’ll do it when there are leaves on the trees, I’m not freezing and blowing snot all of the road.

I also got in some good swimming. I hated the pool down the street from my parents’ house so I found a new pool which is waaaay better. It’s also a SCY pool and I normally swim SCM so it made me feel extra speedy. Seeing those faster times gave me a mental boost which I needed as I mentally struggle in the pool a lot.

I enjoyed the nice change of scenery for running and even got in some family running! I dragged my husband and dog for a Thanksgiving run in between cooking half of the Thanksgiving meal. My dad even joined me for part of a run which I think I’ve only done a handful of times. I’m pretty sure he felt the need to prove something to me because he was running faster than I wanted to but I’ll be damned if I was going to tell him to slow down. Thanksgiving was lots of quality family time and some good downtime away from work and everyday busy life. Nikita especially enjoyed the week of extra running, playing with her new furry cousins and chasing little kids around the house. The cooler weather also means she gets to run further with me since she struggles in the summer heat.

After I got home from VA, I was back for less than a week and then it was off for more traveling. First Arizona for training and then Kiawah Island for a girl’s race weekend. That’s way too much to talk about right now though. The important thing is right now I’m in a happy place and things are going well. I have little body niggles but nothing alarming or holding me back. Training is progressing and building up again. It’s the holiday season. Only two weeks left of work for the year. All is good and I honestly have nothing to complain about which is impressive because I can normally find something. I could complain about the weight I’m gaining but the food is simply too good to care right now. Happy holidays indeed!

Life after Ironman

It's been almost a week since I finished my first Ironman. The primary feeling since the race has been joy. I spent the first week walking around with a stupid grin on my face. I was even overly friendly in the office which is not normal behavior for me (ie office nickname Ice Queen and The Hammer). The first few days were very painful. It took a few days before I could get out of a chair or off the toilet without using my arms to support myself. I walked like I was a 90 year old taking small baby steps at a snails pace. The soreness and pain subsided though. The scabs from my chaffing peeled away. My blisters heeled. Unfortunately the toenail I thought I was losing during the race which I assumed was only the pain from the blister turned out to be both. Toenail is hanging on by a thread and still waiting for that to fall off. I'm to chicken to pull it off mostly because I don't want to be without a toenail... it's very obvious with dark nail polish.

I spent the first week doing only a little movement to help my body recover. The next week some short very easy training. The next week I caught a cold from my husband who gets me sick every year. At least it was after the race. I'm finally getting back into a somewhat normal routine but the rides and runs are still short. I'm very happy to be moving again. I was starting to go a little crazy doing so little after the race. Riding is bringing me the most happiness right now. The weather in the morning is a perfect temperature, the leaves are changing and I can ride without my eyes glued on my Garmin. I take time to enjoy the scenery, take some pictures, even make friends with horses. I'm filled with so much joy on two wheels and my soul is at peace. My fitness still feels like it disappeared but it's coming back slowly. Running still feels like shit and my heart rate is out of control but I'm being patient. I don't expect much from my body right now and I'm pleasantly surprised with what it can do. I even got in a hard hike which is something I can't really do while deep into training.

My eating over the last four weeks has been out for control and I'm ok with that. I watched the scale jump up after the race as expected. Then it dropped once I lost the post race inflammation. Then it went back up from eating a thousand grams of sugar every-signal-day. I had several amazing friends and family members who congratulated me all in the form of sugar. I got fudge, boxes of chocolates, multiple bags of various chocolate and peanut butter candy and cupcakes.

 

That doesn't include all the crap I made for myself. I would wander through the grocery store and grab anything that looked good. I went on a heavy pumpkin kick. It only took a week before I couldn't handle feeling like crap from all the sugar and started putting veggies back into my diet. The last few weeks has been a more reasonable mix of healthy eating and eating and drinking whatever looks yummy. I even got drunk for the first time in verrrry long time at a wedding. It doesn't take many drinks these days. I'm about ready to get into the full blown training and healthy eating routine though. The Halloween candy is finally all gone after all.

Why am I so happy after this race then? I discussed before the race what makes a good race. To me there were many aspects that made it a great race. First and foremost, it was my first Ironman. That is a once in a lifetime experience and it was amazing. I had great support from my family in Louisville and support from other family and friends all over going into the race. Although I didn't go into the race with time goals, I finished faster than I guessed I would. I'm very happy with my times even though the race was not perfect. I don't care though, I wasn't looking for a perfect day. Ironman is simply too long of a day and too many things can go wrong that I believe it's very difficult to have a "perfect" day. To me though, it was perfect experience. I loved it all, even when I felt like complete shit. I am an Ironman... how can someone not be thrilled with that?

Many people have asked me since I finished, will I do another one. My response... yes, I'm already signed up for another. I told myself I wasn't going to make any discussions until I finished Louisville in case I ended up hating the distance. I knew deep down though that I wouldn't. Because of a vacation next summer, I was having a hard time finding a race that appealed to me and worked with that schedule. I jokingly suggested to my husband that New Zealand has an Ironman in March. New Zealand is my #1 destination I've wanted to visit for years. To my surprise, he agreed. So in February I will be traveling to New Zealand for the ultimate racecation! Let the countdown begin... 4 months exactly until race day!

Ironman Louisville Run

Bang your head against the wall
You may feel light headed, but you won't crawl, no, you won't fall
You will rise above it all
You'll find what you're searching for
And you may feel light headed
You think you're gonna hit the floor
Instead you rise above it all

The whole training season there was not one song I listed to more than "Bang My Head". The lyrics were fitting.  I knew the whole song by heart. And yet during the run the only lyrics I could some up with were you might think you're dying but you won't. My brain and body were in survival mode to get through the last leg of the race.

Katie had mentally prepared me for the run best she could but as she said, there's no way to really know what it will feel like until you've done one. She was very right. She warned me how many people would be walking and early on and to not get sucked into it. I could run the whole thing. Months before the race when I was barely running due to injury I only wanted to finish the race, irrelevant of how much walking it took. Weeks before the race I knew I had a chance of running a lot of it. Katie drilled into my head that I did not have to walk at all and with hesitation, I allowed myself to believe it because I knew my brain would be the only reason I'd walk. If I couldn't convince myself to run the whole thing before the race, how would I do it in the moment?

I started the run in good spirits. I got to see family again on the start of the run. As I went past where the second loop starts, I saw my friend/coworker started his second loop and waited for him to pass me. We chatted for a few seconds about how he was hurting and overheated and I got a very sweaty pat/side hug as he passed and then there were no more distractions. It was time to actually focus on the run. My pace was on point and felt comfortable, or at least as comfortable as it can feel after racing for over 7 hours. Then I noticed the stomach pain again from the bike. I don't think it every went away I was just very distracted with transition and the commotion of starting the run.

I spent much of the run trying to figure out what was causing the stomach pain and how to fix it. I realized very early into the run that I had experienced this exact problem at NOLA 70.3 during the run. After the race I even went back to read my comments about that race to confirm it was the same pain. It's a pain I've never experienced during training but I sometimes get it during day to day life. It's normally after I'm very hungry and then I eat a bunch. When I get this pain all I can do is curl up in a ball and wait for it to pass which is normally coupled with farting or burping. It's as if the food and air gets trapped in my stomach and nothing is getting digested. If you look at my profile you can see the top of my stomach is physically bulged out and its hard. So to experience something that normally leaves me in a pathetic ball, it's natural to assume it was difficult to run through. I knew eating was going to make it worse so I held off off on that and only took small sips out of the bottle I was carrying.

The pain kept getting worse and at only mile 2 I was forced to walk because at that point I was starting to bend over to help with the pain. As soon as I stopped running I started burping a ton and that helped out a lot. I was able to get back to work and didn't have to walk again until almost 10 miles in after my bottle ran out and I needed to pee. Once again I have to comment that the weather conditions were great this day. I'd ask a volunteer to throw a cup of ice down my sports bra during aid stations (along with some weird looks) and that was about all I needed to prevent overheating. Although my stomach pain was in check during those miles, I was starting to feel the pain everywhere else. My feet were killing me, my hip was hurting, my muscles wanted to stop. I kept chugging along best I could though and was holding onto a steady pace. I'd occasionally think about form but it's evident from pictures that my tired, worn down body returned to some bad and weird habits such as chicken-wing-mid-line-crossing arms and hitch-hiker thumb and of course, heel stomping.

I knew I'd see family at the half way point and that kept me going. I wanted to look strong and happy for them. Coming back into downtown Louisville the crowds grew and that really did amp me up. My husband ran with me for a tiny  bit while I explained that I was ok but my stomach was giving me a hard time and I didn't know what to do and everything hurt which you can actually tell the story I'm telling through the photos.

 

 

 The one thing I really hated about this course is they run you right past the finish line before going out for the second loop. Not kind of close, so close you can taste of energy and hear the announcer and your body wants nothing more than to go straight instead of turn right to do the run all over again. I passed special needs, got a second bottle but didn't have a need for the extra chews as I was still under eating due to my stomach. Then it was back out on the lonely road.

I was still battling the stomach pain. After I ran out of my first bottle I had some small cups of water mixed with gatoraid and I think that made my stomach worse so I tried straight water and that didn't do me any favors either so I tried coke. That seems to be the best  choice. Once I had my second bottle I kept taking sips out of that but my stomach wasn't having it. I couldn't stop myself from drinking it though. I knew I had to throw it away to stop but it was like this security blanket I couldn't let go. Eventually I forced myself to throw it away around mile 16 and I decided to stick to coke for rest of the run. This allowed me to walk during aid stations to get that down but I was using that as an excuse to walk too much. At first it was walk until I drank and then run again. Then it was walk the whole length of the aid station (which are long). Then I was walking past the aid stations. Then it was walking up the hill that was close enough to flat to not even count as a hill. My stomach hurt. Everything hurt. I was so tired. I'd never experienced this level of fatigue in my life. I just wanted to be done. My mile times went from being in the 10s to 11s to 12s.  Then I had decided to go the bathroom again and I saw a 13. Then another 13.

It was at that time I knew I had a choice. The two slower miles was enough to get my stomach to settle down. I was doing lots of math at this point. I heard someone say what time it was and I thought I could make it under 13 hours. I also kept calculating how fast rest of my miles would have to be to run the marathon under 5 hours. I went in with no goals and no expectations but at that point I allowed myself to make a goal. Under 13 total, under 5 for the marathon. I looked down at my hand which still clearly said "For Mom" and I said ok Mom, let's finish this.

I had 4 miles left. I pulled my visor down so I only could see a little pavement but then I was convinced I was going to run into something during a small out and back. Then I started counting my steps over and over again. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4. I tried remembering the lyrics to that damn song but for the life of my I couldn't come up with them. I thought about everyone who was hitting refresh on the results page and all the people who had supported me on this long journey. I thought about my mom. I still walked a few times but less and for short times. I was able to pull my times back into the 11s even with the walking. As Katie said, it felt like I was running a 10K even though I wasn't moving fast. I stuck to only coke during those miles and was pissed off whenever the aid stations were out which happened often. I was convinced I was losing a toenail but said oh well, that will be fun to look at afterwards (turned out to be a giant blister wrapped all around the toenail). But despite everything really really really hurting, I was happy during those miles. It had been a long day and I was almost done. Almost done with my first Ironman. I was about to become an Ironman. I would only get to experience that once and I wanted to enjoy each of those last moments.

 

The finish line happened all too fast. I remember running harder. I remember being behind a guy who slowed to grabbed a big flag and thinking no you will NOT be in my way while I cross the finish line, this is my time! and passing him. I sort of heard them say I was an Ironman. I do remember being overwhelmingly filled with joy. A volunteer started taking care of me as soon as I crossed the line. She handed me a thermal silver blanket and I was too tired to argue that I was warm and didn't need one. I got shuffled down the long chute, took some pictures and found my family. Luckily I was not the only one tearing up and it made me even more happy to see the acknowledgment on their faces of what I had just done. I am an Ironman.

 26.2 mile run - 4:53:52

Overall Ironman - 12:46:03, 26/75 AG

There is no doubt that the road to becoming an Ironman can be very lonely at times and it is an individual sport. That does not take away the fact that it would not have been possible without the people in my life. Now I'll warn you I'm going into my Emmy award winning speech so most of you can click away. I'd like to thank...
All my friends and family that have supported me along the way. For many, many months you had to put up with me, my training, and my overall lifestyle. Many nights of not going out, saying no to a drink, having to eat dinner early so I could get to bed early to wake up early to train, training while on vacations, always bringing my bike with me when I traveled, being a particular eater, being exhausted all the time and therefore not a lot of fun. The list goes on and on and all of you put up with my ridiculous hobby and I thank you so much for that. 
Big thanks and shoot out to my spectator/sherpa crew at this race! You guys were awesome and having you with me on that day made it extra special. Knowing I'd see you throughout the day gave me something to look forward to.

 Coach Katie... you got me to the starting line not only in one piece, but very prepared to tackle the day. This day would not have been successful without your guidance. I've made huge strides since I've started working with you and I continue to grow as an athlete thanks to you. 
My husband. There are not enough words to thank you for your support and love. You allow me to pursue my hobby and dreams and with full support. You put up with more than anyone else and never complain. I am very lucky to have someone who loves me enough to put  up with all of this and I love you so much for that. 
Thank you everyone!!!

Ironman Louisville Bike

Starting out on the bike, I knew I had this. I felt good, I felt confident. This is where I've made the most progress and riding is now my strongest part of the race. I also went out with zero exceptions on time. I gave rough estimates to family so they would have an idea of when to see me but that was as far so my thoughts of time went. I saw family heading out of transition and knew I'd see them soon in La Grange.

The first 11 miles of the course were pretty flat. I knew I'd have to hold myself back as it would be easy to go out too hard and pay for it later. I had my power range and I did a fairly good job staying in it. I mostly spent those first flat miles settling in, drinking a lot, eating a bar, finding my groove and letting certain body parts go a little numb. It was around 50F when I started and I was under dressed given how I'd normally dress in that weather. The numbness didn't bother me though, I rarely thought about it. Then it was time for the first climb following by rolling hills. Everyone referred to the course as having "relentless rollers". After driving and riding part of the course on Friday, I knew that was an accurate statement. Having seen the course ahead of time made me feel more comfortable on the course. I knew what to expect.

At this point my plan was to start riding a little harder but still nothing crazy. I stayed in my zone during most of the ride. I didn't let other people effect me, even when it was frustrating. The whole ride I would get in a rhythm with one or two other guys where we would keep passing each other back and forth. They would pass me on the uphill when they hammered up and I stayed in control as to not burn up  my legs. I'd pass them on the downhill while they were coasting and I was still applying power to the pedals. I didn't let it bother me and I even joked as I'd pass them that we would keep doing this over and over again.

Unfortunately it only took a few miles in until the chaffing started (some people might want to skip this paragraph). An unhealed saddle sore started hurting at first and then it got worse and worse. I spent many, many, many miles thinking way too much about that particular pain. My legs felt fine. At the time my stomach felt fine. I kept telling myself that I just had to made it to special needs and I could apply more chamois cream. There was only one thing that provided some relief and this is going to sound gross and the opposite of what I at least expected. I am able to pee on the bike as long as I stop pedaling. Lots of downhill makes that easy. For some reason peeing myself made it feel better for at least a few miles. Therefore, I peed on the bike multiple times during the ride even when I didn't have a very full bladder. The only true relief I had though (other than being done with the ride) was finally reaching special needs. It was my savior in a plastic baggy. The male volunteer helping another female who was applied  cream as well told her that was the one thing he wouldn't help with. I joked "what that's not in your job responsibilities". Despite the negatives, I was still enjoying myself and having fun.

As planned, family was in La Grange and I was very excited to see them. I made sure to smile in hopes they would translate that I was doing great and riding happy. I knew I wouldn't see them again for many hours near transition so I soaked up that energy and the cheers from the crowd and on I went on my merry way.

Special needs was 60 miles into the ride. I finished three out of four of the bottles on my bike in a little over 2 hours. I was very thirsty at the beginning of the ride from the swim.  That meant I had one bottle to last over an hour unless I wanted to grab something from an aid station which I did not for whatever stupid reason. It surprisingly wasn't difficult to make that last bottle last though. At special needs I loaded my bike up with 5 more bottles and figured I would need most of that (which I did not). I was eating my normal bars on my normal schedule. However, sometime after special needs I noticed my stomach felt a little off. Nothing horrible, just not great. I started breaking out the Pepto tabs and threw a few back. As the miles went on I noticed it more and more. I made sure to sit up during any uphill as being in an aero position was making it worse. I wasn't throwing up or anything and I knew I still needed to eat and drink so I stuck with it. The low temperatures meant I luckily didn't need to drink a ton and after my super thirty first 2 hours, I was back to drinking about a bottle an hour.

During the second loop I could feel the people around me running low on energy. It was something I was expecting on the run but it was palpable how people were starting to feel run down and were slowing down. I tried to not let that negative energy roll onto me and instead use it as a reason to feel extra strong because my legs really did feel fine. But my brain and stomach were getting the better of me. On the 20 miles back to town I could feel myself slipping away. My stomach really was bothering me but I felt like I was using that as an excuse to go a little easier. My legs could have gone harder. I know they could have. Would that have made my stomach worse? I don't know, maybe. Maybe slowing down a bit was a good idea. I really don't know. Since it was mostly downhill or flat those miles, my average speed was increasing. I was still passing people and no one was passing me at this point. But for some reason I sat behind (legally, not drafting) this 34 year old guy in a black and white kit for waaaay too many miles. It kept me at the very bottom of my power range when I knew I should have been riding at the very top and even pushing beyond it. I had no desire to pass him though. I let him dictate the pace. The fatigue of riding over 100 miles had caught up with me and my negative brain had won at that point.

For some reason in the last 2-3 miles I decided to be that ass hole that waits until the last minute to pass to get in front. I'm not sure why. It suddenly hit me that this was ridiculous and I knew I could do better and at the very least I wanted to finish the ride strong.

112 mile ride - 6:21:53, AG rank 25/75

(Extra note - Sometime during this past week the results page removed my T1 time and added it to my bike time for a 6:31:56 now.)

Although it looks like I'm peeing on my bike like a dog, I assure that I was done before this point.

I saw family right before I had to dismount and they were not expecting me that soon so I caught them a bit by surprise. During this transition I had no desire to move quickly. Like the majority of people at this point, I was walking, not running, through transition. I happily handed my bike to a volunteer (I don't want to see that saddle for a while) and slowly made my way to the tent. Once again I didn't rush to make sure I didn't miss anything but I forgot to get sunscreen sprayed on the way out. After I left the tent I decided it was time to get into the running gear so I finally got to running to  complete what felt like a half mile of transition and out onto the running course... seriously where is the run start line!

T2 - 7:22

The ride was by far the best part of the course and the best part of my day. It was a very pretty ride with some nice shady sections from the trees starting to turn color. I enjoy hills, rollers, climbing, descending so the course worked well for me. The weather was PERFECT! I cannot stress enough how much that helped me that day. The ride was in the 50s and 60s, mostly sunny and not very windy. Despite the stomach issues, chaffing issues (to be expected) and marginal last 20 miles, I am very happy with this ride. I thought I had this ride in my pocket going into it and for the most part I was right. I moved up 13 placed in my AG. Once again I did better than I excepted I would. Then again, it's very easy to do better when you go in with no real expectations.... most definitely the best way to race! My main takeaway from the ride was that I can ride stronger, I know I can. I'm still trying to figure out what went wrong with my stomach and I spent a lot of the run trying to figure that out.