Part of me doesn't know where to start writing. Lake Placid was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but also perhaps the most rewarding. I've always sort of scoffed at people who made Ironman out to be this journey of self-discovery. Perhaps to some people - but for me, it was fun. Last year was fun. The training was fun. The race was SO FUN.
This year was different. I didn't enjoy the training. And to be honest, I never fully committed to it. And when I had to deal with a foot/ankle injury that sidelined running the 2-3 weeks leading up to the race, I really had no clue what to expect come race day. I wasn't excited. Honestly - I was scared to death. A few pre-race swims with Dan helped to calm the nerves and confirmed what I was expecting out of the swim. But even up until the night before the race, I was sitting in the hotel, preparing my bottles for the bike, and thinking 'I don't really want to do this.' Not the best mental state to be in 8 hours before you embark on 140.6 miles. But the race this year showed me how Ironman can teach people about themselves, about their limits, and about what your body and mind can handle.
I had trouble falling asleep the night before the race (which is not like me), but when I woke up I was more at peace. There was no amount of stress or fear that would change the outcome of the day. I decided to be patient and be brave, and those two words stayed in my mind the entire day.
Swim - 1:03:25
I knew this swim wasn't going to be as solid or fast as last year. I simply didn't put in the training this year. I can count on one hand the number of swims I did over 3k, and the only time I swam over 4k was with girlfriends in February. Clearly not enough to swim a strong 2.4 miles - but thankfully due to a lifetime of base fitness, I knew I could get through the swim. Once the start loosened up, the first loop was fine. I swam next to another girl for way too long, and with about 200 left I decided to ease off a bit and get on her feet.I swam the first loop in 30:44, second loop in 32:41. I was proud of myself for not dialing in the second loop - I kept focused on finding fast feet and tried to keep pushing the entire way.
A funny note about the Lake Placid swim. The cable line is great. I was able to swim right on the cable on the way out for both loops. Which means you don't need to site. However, the buoys are also attached to the cable line. Which means I swam directly into at least 5 of the large buoys. It was hysterical because I kept doing it - every time I came up from having to duck under a buoy the safety paddle boarders would be laughing at/with me :)
Some thoughts on the new swim start: I HATED IT. The start was 10x as rough at the mass start at Mont Tremblant last year, and last year I started in the very front row. People (men) did NOT seed themselves correctly or honestly, and from the very first stroke I was swimming over people (men) doing breaststroke sideways. Everyone was fighting for the cable line and it was miserable for about 500 yards. And the worst part - on the way back during my second loop - starting at about the 3rd of 9 buoys back to the finish, I ran into a WALL of people doing breaststroke, sidestroke and doggy paddle. It was miserable and impossible to find space to move. They repeatedly warned us that Age Group racers were not allowed inside the buoy line (the pros could), so after a while of trying to find space to swim, I gave up and swam really wide.
I am not sure it really slowed my swim down too much - my time is a direct results of my lack of swim training this year - but it definitely was exhausting and just plain annoying to have to deal with after 50+ minutes of swimming. I do not think this swim felt any safer than last year - in fact I think it was way worse - and hope Ironman doesn't make this a standard process, at least for 2 loop swims. I really think they took one of the most classic and fast Ironman swims and ruined it.
T1 5:52
I decided to take my time jogging to grab my bag, changed my shorts like last year, and let the awesome volunteers spray my with sunscreen even though it was starting to rain.
Bike 6:37:45 (16.9 mph average)
I'm not going to dwell on the bike. From mile 1 out of town, I felt AWFUL. My legs felt heavy and my quads were achy. It was raining and I wasn't having fun. I tried to spin up the hills out of town, but even my easiest gear didn't feel easy. I tried not to get into a negative mental space, but I started to fear it was going to be a really long day. My nutrition was going down fine (200 cals/hr of liquid calories and a few bites of solid food every hour), but I felt HUNGRY. In fact - I was going through my calories faster than I planned, but knew I could supplement with gus at the aid stations. I was able to pee a bunch of times in the first 30 miles, but my bladder just never felt fully empty or comfortable, so I stopped about mile 35 for a real bathroom break. I started to see friends and teammates on the out and backs and tried so hard to just quiet my mind.
I didn't have my garmin on my bike, and didn't start my watch, but this year I couldn't get away from doing mental math about my race time. I was convinced I was riding a 3:30 first loop and my bike was going to be 7+ hours. At the very top of Papa Bear, both Katie and Caroline passed me. It was SO GREAT. It was just the boost I needed and at the same time I realized I actually came through the first loop much faster than I was anticipating (First loop 3:15ish). Caroline and I chatted a bit, and it made me SO SO happy. Katie, Caroline and I rode into town and special needs in a little row and it was perfect. Caroline didn't stop at special needs, and Katie got her stuff way faster than me, but I was hoping that seeing them (plus the huge swigs of coke) was just the mental boost I needed.
I tried not to burn my engines through town, but the atmosphere was amazing. I smiled and waved and focused on spinning back out of town. My legs were feeling a bit better, but still not great. My lower back was getting tight and I was hungry. I was really trying to get down the calories. About mile 80, I had to pee again and there was an aid station and I just needed to get off my bike. So I took a little break. At the time it felt like 15+ minutes, but in reality it was maybe 3-5 minutes. I went to the bathroom, took some aleve and chatted and cracked jokes with the awesome volunteers. I got back on my bike and just focused on getting to Wilmington to see my Dad who was cheering and taking pics at our hotel.
My legs did seem to come around a bit and loosen up, but I never felt that happy awesome comfortable place on the bike. In the last climb back into town, I still couldn't believe how hard even my easiest gear felt, and I looked down to realize my bike wasn't shifting into the easiest gear in the back. So no wonder my easy 28 didn't feel so easy - I couldn't get to the easiest gear! Grrr. I tired not to let it bother me, and was just ready to get off the bike. I also saw up in the distance that I was catching back up to Katie and we ended up at the dismount line together. We jogged/waddled to the changing tents together and joked and going to run a marathon (Second loop 3:22ish).
Even though I didn't feel great on the bike, I am proud that my two loops were only 7 minutes apart, including a stop at mile 80.
T2 3:43
I again tried not to rush it here. My toes and foot that I had been having trouble with were already feeling a bit sore towards the end of the bike and I seriously was afraid to stand up and start the run. I just didn't know what was going to happen. But I knew that I had enough time to walk the entire marathon if I needed to and I was GOING to finish.
Run 4:32:42
I have tried to write this a few times and the joy, pain and every emotion in between is impossible to capture in words. I learned more about myself in these 26.2 miles than I have in the entire past 2 years of Ironman training. This marathon has also made me realize I am ready to commit to a future Ironman with the goal of making it HURT, not just finishing happy. I don't know where or when this will happen, but this run has caused much reflection, emotion and rawness in the past few days.
From the very first step, I knew this was going to be a battle of mind over matter. My foot hurt, my calves were rocks and my back was so sore. Upside? Aerobically and tummy wise, I felt GREAT :) I saw Dan, Dawn, Mark and Miles right away and stopped for some smiles and a kiss. I ignored my pace out of town (all downhill, just tried not to fight it and tear up my quads) and focused on running from aid station to aid station. When I was running, this year, I really let my pace come naturally. Last year I really held back on my pace and focused on my Garmin pace. This year, 8:-- on my garmin didn't scare me.
I wasn't sure how long my foot was going to be able to take the running, so I figured I may as well as run strong until I couldn't run anymore. The first goal was just to run/walk as planned until Mile 6ish (the first turn around) and see how it felt. I made it there and made the new goal to run until the half marathon. I just focused on the mile I was on, running to the next aid station, and walking when I needed to. I walked almost every uphill, and tried to work the downhills as much as my feet and quads allowed.
I ran through town with a smile on my race and was FINALLY having a ball. My foot was on fire, but I decided I was going to finish the marathon running. I didn't care about finish time at this point, I was already doing better than I my wildest expectations for the day, and I was FINALLY happy and smiling and remembered why I was doing this. I saw so many people on the run, tried to smile and wave and encourage everyone and acknowledge all the cheers from the crowds. It truly is amazing what a smile can do.
I believe I came through the half marathon right around 2:11ish and really couldn't believe I was still running. My running pace had definitely dropped, but on the second loop I tried to just keep moving forward. I was running about 10:15 pace and tried to walk a bit less. The second loop of the run was the HARDEST thing I've ever done. My foot was on fire, and my toes were numb, but I made the decision I was going to do it and I did. I kept repeating 'be brave' in my head. Once I got to mile 16, mile 17, I just wanted to see Mile 20. At mile 20 I did the mental math and realized if I kept under 12/min pace I could finish under 12:30. I hadn't seen a 12:-- mile yet. But then I decided this wasn't good enough I wanted to see how fast I could get back into town. It was the second time of the day I decided NOT to dial it in and settle- I wanted to see what I was made of.
Dan was waiting at the HUGE hill through town (so cruel) and I was SO SO happy he walked up the hill with me. He couldn't believe I was still running (neither could I) - and I got a huge rally from Coach T. It was amazing. I was able to hold it together this year in the last mile and ran strong to the finish line.
Ironman Lake Placid 2013
12:23:27
I honestly am a bit shocked that this race came together the way it did. If you asked me the week before, the night before, or even at mile 80 of the bike how the race would turn out, I could have never predicted being able to pull of a 4:32 marathon and a strong finish. And it further confirmed that for me, Ironman racing is not about finish time. To put together a solid, well paced race, and more importantly, finding my joy on the run makes the experience even more sweeter than last year, despite finishing 30 minutes slower. Sharing the course with so many teammates and friends was amazing and I wouldn't trade a moment of the day.
This year was different. I didn't enjoy the training. And to be honest, I never fully committed to it. And when I had to deal with a foot/ankle injury that sidelined running the 2-3 weeks leading up to the race, I really had no clue what to expect come race day. I wasn't excited. Honestly - I was scared to death. A few pre-race swims with Dan helped to calm the nerves and confirmed what I was expecting out of the swim. But even up until the night before the race, I was sitting in the hotel, preparing my bottles for the bike, and thinking 'I don't really want to do this.' Not the best mental state to be in 8 hours before you embark on 140.6 miles. But the race this year showed me how Ironman can teach people about themselves, about their limits, and about what your body and mind can handle.
I had trouble falling asleep the night before the race (which is not like me), but when I woke up I was more at peace. There was no amount of stress or fear that would change the outcome of the day. I decided to be patient and be brave, and those two words stayed in my mind the entire day.
Swim - 1:03:25
.JPG) |
| Swim Start |
A funny note about the Lake Placid swim. The cable line is great. I was able to swim right on the cable on the way out for both loops. Which means you don't need to site. However, the buoys are also attached to the cable line. Which means I swam directly into at least 5 of the large buoys. It was hysterical because I kept doing it - every time I came up from having to duck under a buoy the safety paddle boarders would be laughing at/with me :)
Some thoughts on the new swim start: I HATED IT. The start was 10x as rough at the mass start at Mont Tremblant last year, and last year I started in the very front row. People (men) did NOT seed themselves correctly or honestly, and from the very first stroke I was swimming over people (men) doing breaststroke sideways. Everyone was fighting for the cable line and it was miserable for about 500 yards. And the worst part - on the way back during my second loop - starting at about the 3rd of 9 buoys back to the finish, I ran into a WALL of people doing breaststroke, sidestroke and doggy paddle. It was miserable and impossible to find space to move. They repeatedly warned us that Age Group racers were not allowed inside the buoy line (the pros could), so after a while of trying to find space to swim, I gave up and swam really wide.
I am not sure it really slowed my swim down too much - my time is a direct results of my lack of swim training this year - but it definitely was exhausting and just plain annoying to have to deal with after 50+ minutes of swimming. I do not think this swim felt any safer than last year - in fact I think it was way worse - and hope Ironman doesn't make this a standard process, at least for 2 loop swims. I really think they took one of the most classic and fast Ironman swims and ruined it.
T1 5:52
I decided to take my time jogging to grab my bag, changed my shorts like last year, and let the awesome volunteers spray my with sunscreen even though it was starting to rain.
Bike 6:37:45 (16.9 mph average)
I'm not going to dwell on the bike. From mile 1 out of town, I felt AWFUL. My legs felt heavy and my quads were achy. It was raining and I wasn't having fun. I tried to spin up the hills out of town, but even my easiest gear didn't feel easy. I tried not to get into a negative mental space, but I started to fear it was going to be a really long day. My nutrition was going down fine (200 cals/hr of liquid calories and a few bites of solid food every hour), but I felt HUNGRY. In fact - I was going through my calories faster than I planned, but knew I could supplement with gus at the aid stations. I was able to pee a bunch of times in the first 30 miles, but my bladder just never felt fully empty or comfortable, so I stopped about mile 35 for a real bathroom break. I started to see friends and teammates on the out and backs and tried so hard to just quiet my mind.
I didn't have my garmin on my bike, and didn't start my watch, but this year I couldn't get away from doing mental math about my race time. I was convinced I was riding a 3:30 first loop and my bike was going to be 7+ hours. At the very top of Papa Bear, both Katie and Caroline passed me. It was SO GREAT. It was just the boost I needed and at the same time I realized I actually came through the first loop much faster than I was anticipating (First loop 3:15ish). Caroline and I chatted a bit, and it made me SO SO happy. Katie, Caroline and I rode into town and special needs in a little row and it was perfect. Caroline didn't stop at special needs, and Katie got her stuff way faster than me, but I was hoping that seeing them (plus the huge swigs of coke) was just the mental boost I needed.
.JPG) |
| Coming through town at the end of Loop 1 |
My legs did seem to come around a bit and loosen up, but I never felt that happy awesome comfortable place on the bike. In the last climb back into town, I still couldn't believe how hard even my easiest gear felt, and I looked down to realize my bike wasn't shifting into the easiest gear in the back. So no wonder my easy 28 didn't feel so easy - I couldn't get to the easiest gear! Grrr. I tired not to let it bother me, and was just ready to get off the bike. I also saw up in the distance that I was catching back up to Katie and we ended up at the dismount line together. We jogged/waddled to the changing tents together and joked and going to run a marathon (Second loop 3:22ish).
Even though I didn't feel great on the bike, I am proud that my two loops were only 7 minutes apart, including a stop at mile 80.
T2 3:43
I again tried not to rush it here. My toes and foot that I had been having trouble with were already feeling a bit sore towards the end of the bike and I seriously was afraid to stand up and start the run. I just didn't know what was going to happen. But I knew that I had enough time to walk the entire marathon if I needed to and I was GOING to finish.
Run 4:32:42
I have tried to write this a few times and the joy, pain and every emotion in between is impossible to capture in words. I learned more about myself in these 26.2 miles than I have in the entire past 2 years of Ironman training. This marathon has also made me realize I am ready to commit to a future Ironman with the goal of making it HURT, not just finishing happy. I don't know where or when this will happen, but this run has caused much reflection, emotion and rawness in the past few days.
.JPG) |
| Very start of run, seeing Dan, Dawn, Mark and Miles! |
I wasn't sure how long my foot was going to be able to take the running, so I figured I may as well as run strong until I couldn't run anymore. The first goal was just to run/walk as planned until Mile 6ish (the first turn around) and see how it felt. I made it there and made the new goal to run until the half marathon. I just focused on the mile I was on, running to the next aid station, and walking when I needed to. I walked almost every uphill, and tried to work the downhills as much as my feet and quads allowed.
I ran through town with a smile on my race and was FINALLY having a ball. My foot was on fire, but I decided I was going to finish the marathon running. I didn't care about finish time at this point, I was already doing better than I my wildest expectations for the day, and I was FINALLY happy and smiling and remembered why I was doing this. I saw so many people on the run, tried to smile and wave and encourage everyone and acknowledge all the cheers from the crowds. It truly is amazing what a smile can do.
.JPG) |
| Coming through town with a SMILE! |
Dan was waiting at the HUGE hill through town (so cruel) and I was SO SO happy he walked up the hill with me. He couldn't believe I was still running (neither could I) - and I got a huge rally from Coach T. It was amazing. I was able to hold it together this year in the last mile and ran strong to the finish line.
Ironman Lake Placid 2013
12:23:27
I honestly am a bit shocked that this race came together the way it did. If you asked me the week before, the night before, or even at mile 80 of the bike how the race would turn out, I could have never predicted being able to pull of a 4:32 marathon and a strong finish. And it further confirmed that for me, Ironman racing is not about finish time. To put together a solid, well paced race, and more importantly, finding my joy on the run makes the experience even more sweeter than last year, despite finishing 30 minutes slower. Sharing the course with so many teammates and friends was amazing and I wouldn't trade a moment of the day.
.JPG) |
| Clean and chaffed post race with one of the best friends I could ask for !! |
Congrats! Finishing an Ironman is a huge accomplishment, PR or not. And your time still rocked!!!
ReplyDeleteOf course it is the dudes getting in the way and f'ing up the swim. Of course.
ReplyDeleteI HATE being behind slower swimmers, it was so frustrating at IMKY last year because all I did was swim over/around/under people who had lined up at 3 am because they wanted as much time as possible to complete the swim. I was looking forward to a mass start to alleviate that problem, but NO, not this year.
I'm glad you were able to have a great run out on that course and used your awesome mental strength to keep yourself going. You look SO happy in those run pictures.
Oh Sarah! I loved, loved, loved reading your race report! I had looked forward to doing IMLP with you and Katie since the moment we all signed up last year! Looping into town with you guys on the bike was the highlight of my day and it was a big mental boost every time we passed by each other on the run - you looked SO strong and SO happy and I was SO thrilled for you! This was not an easy year of training and you absolutely crushed that course! I can't wait to ride bikes with you again when we are both home! And I love that picture of the two of us - you are one of my favorite people!
ReplyDeleteI want to hug you NOW and tell you how wonderful you are! So happy to have met you on that trail two years ago...destination IM sometime in the next 5 years? Oh, and we still need to make our C&O canal camping/biking trip happen! wahoooooo
ReplyDelete