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.  

The Bolder Boulder

You can't live in Boulder, Colorado without running in the Bolder Boulder 10K at least once. The BB is the nation's largest citizen's race and had over 52,000 participants this year. The spectacle - and it is that - with bands playing everything from oldies to rock, to jazz, to Elvis; people dressed in all kinds of costumes from ridiculous to risqué; and every block armed with squirt guns and hoses ready to soak anyone who runs near enough - is a chance to welcome summer with open arms and also pay tribute to our service men and women.

My mom, Ione Norby, began running the Bolder Boulder when I was still in college. She taught English at a middle school and the gym teacher talked a bunch of the teachers into driving up to Boulder and running with the pack. At that time I had no idea what a 10K was but I knew my mom got up at 3:30 A.M. every day to run around the lake in our neighborhood park before going off to instill the finer points of grammar on unsuspecting teens. My dad worried about her being all alone and running in the dark, so he would drive the car up to the park and sit in the parking lot to make sure she was OK. He didn't really have to worry though, my mom found a group of like-minded runners at the park, (one of them was a nun!), and they would lap the lake together.

I ran the Bolder Boulder this year with my mom, my daughter Berkeley, and her boyfriend Tim. My first 10K was the BB when my kids were toddlers and my mom introduced me to it. Now, 20 years later, my mom's still doing it and at 83 years of age, she was given the 'Age Group Champion' tech t-shirt for winning her age group last year. (The folks at BB described it as being the equivalent of the yellow jersey of the Tour de France.) She was thinking about maybe calling an end to her career but when that letter and t-shirt arrived from the folks at the Bolder Boulder, I told she had to wear it and she had to run the race again!

She walked more than she ran this year but she is one fast walker. I lost her 3 times going through the water stations. I looked ahead, but at 4'9" she's tough to spot in a crowd. Then I pulled off to the side thinking I'd be able to see better but no luck. Finally, I ran ahead a couple blocks and saw her fluff of white hair bobbing ahead. When I caught up with her I said, "Mom, I lost you! Weren't you going to wait for me?" And just like when I was a kid she said, "I knew you'd find me." (When she took us anywhere when we were children we had to pay attention and keep up for fear of being left behind and lost!)  But while running after her this year, I realized she had inadvertently taught me skills that I still use to this day. Pay attention, keep up, run hard, keep going, don't quit, don't give up.

We finished the race in 1:49:41. My mom won her age group again this year and is still the champion of the 83 year olds. I hope I'm still charging along at full throttle when I'm her age!