And Now For The Rest Of The Story...

The Decision

I just couldn't let it go.

I couldn't let my Boulder Ironman experience be the end of the journey. I couldn't let all that training go to waste. I couldn't let all those hopes and expectations go unfulfilled. I couldn't let all the love and support I had received be for naught...

Truthfully, I moped around for a couple weeks trying to convince myself that it was OK. It was OK that I had signed up, trained for 7 months, made it thru the swim, rode a majority of the bike section, and raised a ton of money for Doctors Without Borders. But I just didn't believe it.

I knew I had unfinished business and I wasn't going to feel better until I did something about it.

I went to the Ironman website and looked at next year's Boulder 2015 registration. There were still spots available so I signed up (and paid the cancellation insurance just in case:). I felt a little better. I had a plan of action but the reality of starting to train from square one in March or April wasn't too appealing.

I went back to the Ironman site and looked for fall races that still had openings. Maryland and Wisconsin were available but it sounded pretty cold to swim in a northern river or lake in October. Cozumel and Cabo were available in the spring and swimming in tropical warm water sounded pretty appealing. But did I want to train for another 6 months waiting for spring? No.

Finally, I narrowed it down to Florida in November. It was 3 months away, plenty of time to tweak the training program and make a few changes. Not so far away that it would seem like an eternity. I took a leap and registered and got one of the last spots.

The Training

I knew I wanted to change a few things so I met with the God of Ironman - Dave Scott. (If you don't know who he is, google him. He won the first Ironman and went on to defend the title a total of SIX times!). He reviewed my training log and nutrition plan and told me I needed to increase my workout intensity with intervals and decrease the calories. Get rid of the Carbo Pro, get rid of the big race day/training day breakfast, take in about 1/2 as many calories during training sessions, and drink less water/sports drinks. Everything he said was counter intuitive to what I had read and what I had been told to do. But he's the man and he's got the experience to know what he's talking about.

Dave was also very scientific in his approach to calculations (anaerobic threshold or lactic threshold also known as VO2MAX, resting heart rate, metered power output, watts, GPS). He used these numbers (or at least the ones I could supply) to calculate my exertion rate with the corresponding caloric and sodium levels I would need to replenish. He gave me an exact fueling plan for the day of the race and I followed it to a T.

In August I picked up training where I had left off and kept at it for the next three months. Every week I swam 2.4 miles one day, I rode 65-80 miles one day, and I ran 13 miles one day. On the other days of the week, I'd swim, bike, or run shorter distances and sometimes I'd BRIK them up (do 2 disciplines one right after the other). I made sure every workout in every discipline included intervals.

Another change I made was kept up my Kaia FIT schedule during the Florida Ironman training. I had dropped Kaia 2 months before the Boulder IM and I just didn't feel as strong as I wanted. For the Florida IM I felt strong, lean, toned, and flexible - all thanks to Kaia. We had a Kaia BRIK (fitness + nutrition) during Sept/Oct so that really helped me pare down excesses - NO starch, NO alcohol, NO sugar, NO dairy, and minimal grains. When the Kaia BRIK ended, I just kept up the nutrition plan. I was almost 10 pounds lighter than I had been for the Boulder IM and I felt 10 times stronger for the Florida IM!

The Florida Ironman Day

When we flew into Florida on Wednesday, the air temp was 70F and the water temp was 76F - perfect! The sun was shining and the water was calm. My practice swim in the gulf was amazing, you could see the sandy bottom and fish swimming through the crystal clear Gulf water. My practice ride along the beach was smooth and quick. My practice run through town was flat and fast. I pictured myself blazing through the course and got greedy thinking about how much time I could knock off...

Then on race day, the cold front hit... The forecast called for a high of 39F, predicted high winds, and forecasted a windchill of 29F. That morning, walking to the start line at 5:00AM, it was still pitch black but the wind was already whipping through the trees. I told myself it would calm down when the sun came up but I was wrong. I hadn't brought any of my winter gear with me - we were in Florida! - so I wore my wetsuit walking the half mile to the starting line. Once there, I rechecked my bike and run bags, filled my tires with air, and kissed Charlie goodbye. He was going to track my progress on Ironman's Athlete Tracker so I'd look for him along the course as I passed by.

The pros were set to start at 6:50AM so I headed down to the beach at 6:40. The sun was just beginning to break the surface and I could just barely make out the water. In front of me I saw the white foam of the wash zone, 10 foot waves, police rescue boats bobbing wildly, and rescue kayaks tumbling and spinning sideways. I told myself it was going to be like a surfing day,  paddle-paddle-paddle and turtle under the waves to clear the washing machine zone. I checked out the buoys and counted  5 of them. Five out, one across, and five back. I'd just have to do that twice and I'd be done. I was torn between that butterflies in the belly feeling and just wanting to get in the water because it was freezing standing around on the beach.

At 6:58AM they announced the swim portion was CANCELLED due to high winds and rip currents. I was dumbfounded. Now what? What does that mean for the day? Will this still count as an Ironman? A  woman next to me, who was competing to win her age bracket and gain a Kona spot, reassured me that it would count as an Ironman. She said, "You're going to go 138.2 miles today and missing an hour or hour and half of swimming is not going to impact that. You are going to feel like you've gone the distance at the end of the day."

So with that, we all ran to grab our bike gear bags, change, and get ready for the bike ride. They used a Time Trial format sending riders out every 5 seconds in pairs according to their registration number. I was lucky I had a low number, 501, and got on the road early. Once we started pedaling I warmed up a little and with fresh legs, I was ready to roll. But did I mention the wind? It would blow a steady 20mph all day and gust to 30mph. We had headwind for 90 miles and finally got a tailwind for the last 20 miles into town. 7 hours,12 minutes, and 37 seconds later I was off the bike and on to the run.

I had worn everything I could find in my bag for the bike and I was still cold. I had thrown in an extra pair of socks in my run bag thinking I would change into dry socks for the run. Forget that! My feet were like blocks of ice so I put on both pairs of socks just to keep warm. (I'd later lose two toenails to boot bang because the socks made my shoes a little too small but it was a small price to pay compared to numb feet). I wore my bike sleeves, my tri top, a long-sleeved swim top, a long-sleeved running top, and my running jacket for the run. Did I mention it was COLD?

The 2-loop run course took us east through town, then along the beach to the State Park and back. The course was lined with fans, many of whom were still dressed in their Halloween costumes from the night before:) In my mind I broke the run down into 1/4s. State Park - town - State Park - town. There were aid stations every mile so I sipped on water, flat Coke, and warm chicken broth as I went by. It started to feel like a pretty long day when the sun went down around 7:00 and I knew I still had about 3 hours to go...

Finally on the last lap as I headed back into to town, I could hear the Ironman announcer calling out every name of every person who crossed the finish line. I wanted to hear my name. I kept moving forward. It wasn't fast and it wasn't pretty but the miles kept ticking down. It took me 6 hours, 14 minutes, and 44 seconds to run the marathon but I made it.

The runway was lined with fans and people I didn't know but they all cheered me on just the same. It felt wonderful to see the end in sight. I just kept moving toward the lights and then I heard it,  

"KAY NORBY FIAL - YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!" 

Those were the sweetest words I could imagine at that moment. It had taken me 13 hours, 41 minutes, and 49 seconds to get there but it was worth it!

The Road Ends Here

"The thrill is not just in winning

But in the courage to join the race"

My Ironman Journey ended 8 hours and 53 minutes into the race when I missed the time cut-off at mile marker 85 by 6 minutes...

2,500 people swimming in the reservoir whipped up more chop than I would have ever thought possible and created 'perfect storm' conditions for a sensitive inner ear that has waylaid me for days after sailing or diving trips. I made it through the 2.4 mile swim in just under 2 hours but when I tried to run up the boat ramp at the waters edge, I weaved and bobbed like a drunken sailor. If one of the helpful volunteers hadn't grabbed my arm, I'm sure I would have splatted face down on the concrete. Still trying hard to focus and shake off the 'ick' feeling, I found my bike bag and headed toward the changing tent where the medic came by twice to check on me. I told myself I could get thru this and hoped for a clear head once I got in a few miles on the bike. I continued changing, put on my bike socks, shoes, helmut, and gloves, sprayed on some sunscreen and went to find my bike. My transition time, from water's edge to bike mount line, took 13 precious minutes.

Once on the road I was so happy to see my family, Taylor, Charlie, Berkeley, and Berkeley's boyfriend, Tim, who had all volunteered to work as sector 1 bike course marshals.  I had to give them each a quick fly-by hug and an "I love you, thank you for being here!" The first 20 miles of the bike course were lined with friends who had volunteered and it was such an amazing boost to my energy level to see their smiling faces and hear their words of encouragement. But the seasick feeling was not going away and by the time I came to the first aid tent at mile 10, I had to stop and get off the bike. I was still pretty wobbly, so the volunteers grabbed my bike and lead me to a chair. I sat there for a few minutes and tried to compose myself and talk myself through it while I took a couple bites of banana, "Come on, you're only 10 miles into the bike, you've got a long way to go. Get back on the bike and pedal."

I'd love to say that my head and stomach miraculously cleared up and I went on to have the ride of my life. But that's not what happened. Unbelievably, the roads that I had trained on for months and knew like the back of my hand all tilted up, up, up. The downhills that I would usually jet down became slow as molasses. What was happening? Each time I tried to drink the sports drink, it tasted like rotten eggs. Each time I tried to sip water, I could feel it bubbling in my stomach threatening to come back up. I knew I'd get dehydrated if I didn't drink but forcing liquids down was miserable.

My only thought was to keep going, if I could just get through the bike maybe I'd feel better on the run. At some point, out on the open plains east of I-25 one of the other riders asked an aid station what the cut-off time was, made a quick calculation, and stopped riding. I thought he was crazy. It's only 10 miles away, of course I can ride that in 40 minutes. As I made the final turn westward I could see the I-25 overpass, I told myself I just have to clear that and I'll be heading to the finish line... As I crested the last of the false flat rises, I saw the flashing lights of the sheriff's patrol cars under the bridge and as I pedaled forward, I saw them raise their hands flagging me down. My race was over, I had missed the time cut by 6 minutes.

Riding the sag wagon to Boulder High School was the hardest part of the whole day. I had tears in my eyes seeing all the Ironmen on the course pedaling and running their hearts out. It's going to take awhile to get over this one but I'm glad I gave it a shot. On any given day, chance and circumstance can trump training and preparation and today was not to be my day. 

Packing the Gear Bags

The World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), official owner of all things related to Ironman, is a model of efficiency and a logistical marvel. Every step of the process has been thoroughly vetted and proven and is a wonder to behold. In case you can't tell, I'm pretty darn impressed with the whole thing!

The bib number becomes your identity and you are literally attached to it once the athlete wristband is affixed to your wrist. From then on out, you are number ----, and I am #354 for this event. The race bib, gear bags, helmet sticker, bike number, and bike check-out ticket are all printed with your number; the swim cap is marked with marker, and the timing chip is assigned electronically.

Planning and execution are critical before you even step foot on the course. It starts with the 5 gear bags - Morning Clothes Bag, Bike Gear Bag, Run Gear Bag, Bike Special Needs Bag, and Run Special Needs Bag.  Following are things you need to pack into each bag:

Morning Clothes Bag - (actually holds all of your swim gear but you put your clothes into it after you put your swim gear on). This bag holds: tri shorts, swimsuit, or tri suit; 2 sets of goggles, swim cap, towel, wetsuit, body glide, an energy gel, sunscreen, timing chip, and bottle of water for after the swim.

Bike Gear Bag - This bag holds: helmet, cycling shoes, socks, sunglasses, disposable water bottles, nutrition, salt tablets, tool kit, tube, CO2, levers, multitool, floor pump, jacket, and sunscreen.

Run Gear Bag - This bag holds: running shoes, race belt, hat/visor, sunscreen, nutrition, and fuel belt.

Bike Special Needs Bag - This bag will be waiting for you at the half-way point of the bike course. You can use it for anything extra that you think you might need. I packed a few more gels and chews, more Carbo Pro, more sunscreen, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a few Justin's Peanut Butter Cups for a treat:)

Run Special Needs Bag - Holds anything extra you thing you might need half-way thru the run. I packed more gels and chews, more sunscreen, and a jacket.

Once everything is packed, take it to the correct transition areas i.e. bike bag goes to T1 at the Boulder reservoir, run bag goes to T2 at Boulder High's football field, and the special needs bags are brought the morning of and dropped at Boulder High. You keep the Morning Clothes Bag with you for the morning of. 

Whew! Now all you have to do is enjoy the race!

Ironman Village and Athlete Check In

Over night an entire mini-city of tents sprang up on Boulder High's soccer field and on Thursday morning athlete registration opened for business. Walking under the village arch for the first time made me giddy and as I made my way down the concourse the excitement mounted. Vendors lined the walkway with the newest and brightest wares for everything triathlon related. As I approached the registration tent, the energy was palpable and there were big smiles all around. Check-in was seamless: show ID, receive athlete number, sign waivers, pick up athlete information packet, pick up gear bags, check out timing chip, and then go the the merchandise tent to receive Ironman backpack. This is starting to feel real, I'm on my way!

Stroke and Stride #2

SO MUCH BETTER!!! Lily at Fleet Feet showed me the proper way to put on a swim wetsuit - basically, put the suit on, then lean over so your torso is at a 90 degree angle from your legs (think sun salutation), and then grab the wetsuit near your hips and pull upwards. Repeat again and again as you inch your way up your torso until it feels like the wetsuit is up to your ears. Then slowly stand up. The wetsuit around your chest and shoulders is now somewhat loose and you can inhale and exhale deeply. Use the same grab and pull technique on the arms and you'll have even more range of motion in the shoulders. Lily said 75% of women during their first open water wetsuit swim don't pull the wetsuit up far enough and they feel constricted. That is exactly what happened to me! I felt like I was swimming in a straight jacket which didn't help my overall panic breathing any. This time I had full arm motion and I could inhale and take a deep breath - wonderful!

Another difference was my starting position strategy. At the first Stroke and Stride, being a newbie, I started in the back of the short course group and was way behind from the get go.  I hate to be the last one in anything, it just seems futile. This time, (as a seasoned pro - haha), I lined up in the front line of the long course group and even though people passed me, I knew I wasn't the very last one. It made a world of difference to my motivation and I was able to focus on swimming and appreciate the forward progress I was making in the water. I swam freestyle about 1/3 of the way  and swam the breast stroke the rest of the way.  I remembered to set my watch this time so I got an accurate time.  I was surprised that I actually did it in 20 minutes!

I ended up buying the rental wetsuit so I can practice with it some more. I've come so far and I'm not going to let a piece of neoprene stop me:)

 Da Beast

Stroke and Stride #1

Stroke and Stride is a group that puts on an open water swim and 5K run at the Boulder Reservoir every Thursday evening throughout the summer. Both my swim coach and my triathlon coach suggested I should try it to get used to open water swimming. I thought, no problem, I'm a scuba diver, windsurfer, and surfer - of course I'm used to open water.

OH MY GOD! And I do not say that lightly! I had no idea what I was in for.  I had rented a wetsuit earlier in the week and had done a few laps in the swimming area at the rez a couple days before. For my first Stroke and Stride I signed up for the 750 vs. 1500 swim figuring I should see what it was like before going overboard. I got to the reservoir in plenty of time to get registered, set up, and see what the deal was. Even though it was 6:00PM, the sun was in the west and on it's way down and the shadow effect made the water look black. A breeze was blowing from the east making the water choppy. There were about 200 triathletes in the water when the gun went off and we started swimming.

That first dunk underwater was colder than I was expecting and I came up gasping for breath. I tried to swim a few freestyle strokes but I couldn't get my breathing under control. My goggles were so scratched up that it was hard to see the giant orange buoy floating off in the distance. When I put my head down all I could see was murky green water. When I turned for a breath of air all I could see were flailing arms and kicking feet. I went into panic mode. I didn't want to turn around but at that point the swim distance looked overwhelming.

I decided if I was going to keep moving ahead the first thing I had to do was breathe. I resorted to the breaststroke and little by little I inched toward the buoy. I had forgotten to set my watch so I had no frame of reference on how fast I was going. I was just praying not to be the last one in the water. I got to the the first buoy and made the turn. The second buoy wasn't too far away and I kept propelling myself forward. When I was about half way there, I decided to try the crawl again. This time I had the mountains on my right and it was so comforting to have a familiar landmark to sight off of. OK, so far so good. I made it to the second buoy and headed for the home stretch. I switched off between the breaststroke and crawl but my breathing was still desperate gulps instead of controlled inhales.

I passed a girl who had stopped dead in the water, was treading water, and looked near hypothermic. Her boyfriend or husband was yelling at her to put her head down in the water and swim. I was so  thankful that wasn't me me and I realize things could be worse. I made it to the beach and crossed the tracking tapes. I was so glad to be out of the water! I looked at the clock, I think it took me 20 or 22 minutes to swim the 750. In my muddled mind I think 750 is a quarter mile and that I will have to do 10 laps the day of the Ironman. I am despondent - I'm too slow, it's too long, what have I done?

It's almost a week later when it dawns on me that 750 is actually almost half a mile! I'm elated! It's not as bad as I thought. I think I can finish in time:)

Pearl Izumi

One of the benefits of all the training I've been doing is that I've whittled my body down to perfect size 10. Perfect that is according to Pearl Izumi's Fit Model Standards for height and body measurements. Pearl Izumi, a premier cycling and running wear manufacturer, has been my number one go to for cycling gear for years so when I had heard about PI's fit model opening I thought it would be a great opportunity to see their new designs and maybe even have some input on the final product.

I applied for the job online and after a few weeks they asked me to come in for an interview and a measure. I passed the first hurdle and was asked back for a follow-up meeting with the designers. I was given a set of accessories, a cycling short and top, and a running short and top to try on. The designers all asked questions about the various outfits - were the sleeves and leggings long enough? was the chamois in the bike short too big/too small/in the right place? did the liner in the running short ride up?

I answered all their questions and they thanked me for coming in. They took one final measurement of my torso running the tape measure from the front of my neck, through my legs, and up to the back of my neck. The results showed that my torso is 2" shorter than that perfect size 10. 

At that point I figured I'd be disqualified and that would be the end of my fit model career. No amount of  exercise could change my skeletal structure. Needless to say, I was ecstatic to get an email from PI the next day offering me the job!

I can't wait to get started! I am so excited to be a part (even a small part) of the Pearl Izumi design team! The design process from concept to manufacture is a long affair so the gear that I'll be modeling will be available in 2 years.