Kona 23'

It's been a while! I started this blog/journal to document training adventures for my first Ironman in 2007. It was a fun adventure and *back then* blogging was the social media of today. It connected me with so many special people that I met and continue to keep in contact with (albeit, not enough). Life got busy, training was more of a lifestyle then a new adventure and sharing my daily with the world became just, well irrelevant.

While so much has changed since my last post, there is still a lot of the same. My love for swimming, biking and running, dogs and wine is still there, but my desire to keep pushing and find new boundaries has definitely faded. Over 20 years in this endurance world I've found more in myself then I ever dreamed possible. I've met the most amazing people and traveled to beautiful places. 

In 2021 after several years of pandemic chaos, I brought myself back to top end fitness and lined up for my 14th Ironman and 8th IMCDA. I had a solid day, 6th in my AG and enough to secure my first ever Kona qualification. It was a DREAM come true. After 2 postponements due to Covid, I was finally on the island racing in my first Ironman World Championships. 

The week was everything I thought it would be. The fittest, craziest humans all in one place with women and men racing on their own days. I was happy, excited and scared. Tears of joy, accomplishment and fear were shed at bike check in. 

Without going into too much detail, unfortunately the race itself was just a blur. I felt awful from start to finish. Like I knew what to do, but my body just wouldn't respond to my brain. It was the longest most painfully hard day of my athletic career, but I made it to the finish line just in time to puke my brains out and curl into a feverish ball at the bottom of the shower with steaming hot water pouring on my back at the rental. I vowed off Ironman and Kona (which everyone knew was BS). 

As per usual, as the days went on and I realized I had been sick with something during the race and several days after (fever, chills, headache, nasal drip, congestion, sore throat), my brain cleared and of course the thought of a redo was already planted.... 

I had already signed up for IMCDA months before Kona. A plan to try and qualify with my good friend and athlete that I've coached for many years. She raced Kona in 2016 and I was unable to join her. I promised if she got back there I would be there the next time. 

We mad plans to go to AZ in April/May so I could get outside and ride my bike before IMCDA. I got Covid just before while in Boston for the marathon and it knocked me out. I suffered through deep chest congestion and had to be on prednisone for over a week to get my oxygen back to normal. The fitness slowly came and IMCDA was an amazing day for me. I landed 4th in my AG and got that Kona slot. 

The summer was full of some off season fun on the lake but also keeping fitness and then a short re-build to Kona. My cycling felt the best and swim was finally coming back. Run was solid, but not my best. I was excited for a redo on the island. No expectations other than feel better, race happy and stronger than the year before.

Race week was so fun. Sharing the experience with friends and my Wyn Republic family was a blessing. I was calm, happy. I had one little hip niggle that was worrying me, but on race day it was forgotten. It was a week of all women! The first ever women's only Kona race. 

It was special. I remember while standing in line to get my Kona slot in CDA, a woman in front of me was so elated that she got a roll down slot she was just crying her eyes out. I know there was talk about people getting slots that didn't really deserve to be there, but anyone that does the work, gets the opportunity and is THAT thankful DOES deserve to be there, regardless of how they got there or what place they came in to qualify.

Let's lift women up, not knock them down!

Race morning was so seamless. I was in the last wave, starting after 2000 people. I knew it would be crowded, but I wasn't fully prepared for a block wall of people in the swim. I stayed calm, I tried to find clear water. I got stung by something pretty aggressively in the last half of the race, but it was soon forgotten as soon as I was out of the water (until later when I looked in the mirror to find a huge blood/fat lip).  

Swim Time: 1:16:26.  Faster than last year, 3-4' slower than I should have been

I took my time in T-1. I was starving half the swim (probably should have eaten something more while waiting to start) so I grabbed a gel and ate it while running into the tent. I dried my feet, slathered on sunscreen (last year I got SO sunburned) and headed out.  8:30

The first 10 miles of the bike was chaos. There was no space. Bikes all the way across the road and no where to go. I stayed patient, stayed out of aerobars and did my best not to intentionally stay in a draft. 

Out on the Queen K it took about 30 more miles to open up. I felt good, but not great. Watts were about 10w low, but I was passing people the entire time so I just ignored power, started eating and grabbed water at every aid station. The first couple aid stations were so crowded, I had to physically stop to get water. I kept my cool, knowing it was costing me time, but there was no point in skipping the water as it would come back to hurt me later. 

Conditions were super mild. It was warm, but not blazing. Some wind, but not a lot. I knew I wasn't going to have the best bike split, so my focus was now, get all the nutrition in and save it for the run - I NEEDED redemption from last year's 4:40 run split. I stopped for several minutes in special needs and helped someone who's bag was missing - gave her all the extra gels I'd grabbed. Went to the bathroom, applied more sunscreen then headed out. I had some mental lows on the second half. Just didn't have the grit to push, but I stayed in it. It was so fun getting back to town seeing the pros finish the run. By the time I got to transition, Lucy Charles had just finished. Last year I got to see the women running the last 10k, this year they were already finished.

Bike time 6:09:37 - ~15' faster than last year. I definitely had the fitness and the conditions for much faster, but it just wasn't my day on the bike.

Nutrition: 90grams carbs per hour: 1 maurten gel, 3.5 bottles of concentrated Tailwind, 2 maurten bars & 3.5 packages of chews. Water at every aid station

T-2: 8:53.  I used porta potty, slathered sunscreen, downed 1/2 bottle of LMNT to top off sodium and changed my socks.

As I left transition, took in my first gel (of 7) for the run my hip that had been bothering me was in a BAD place. I was so worried I'd end up with a stress fracture. I don't know why my brain goes there. Whenever it's a foot or hip issue I get scared. I've only had one stress reaction in my 20 years of endurance sport and it was training for my first marathon in the worst possible shoes.  

As the first few miles went on, the pain, or feeling rather, subsided. I looked at my garmin and was running WAY too fast, but already I was excited. Last year my effort felt like a 8' mile and I could barely run a 10' pace. First mile clicked at 8:40 - oops. My plan was to avg 10' pace so run 9:30 then add 30" for aid stations. I was capable fo running faster, but I wanted to be conservative and wanted the pace to last. I saw Shane & Mark dressed in their hula outfits. I was happy, laughing and confident. I chose NOT to describe my hip issue, because if admitted it was there, I might just use that later when I was struggling. It was a mental tactic that I chose to use and will probably be proud of that for a very long time.

The hip discomfort subsided and my run stride felt great. I made it to mile 13 on my garmin in 2:01. I thought, even with slowing I could still go sub 10' pace or around 4:15. The queen k felt longer than I remembered, but I was till very much in it. Last year, I walked so much of the false flat out to the energy lab. This year, I didn't walk at all. I jogged, spent more time at each aid station and I cheered for everyone I could. Focusing on others and encouraging is my mental fuel. It FEEDS me an brings me joy.

In the energy lab the sun was setting and it was gorgeous. I never felt too hot. I never felt too tired. I did roll my ankle at an aid station, but quickly ran it off and kept moving forward. I ran with the nicest person, Adrienne. She had a guide and they were so positive and had the best energy. I later found out she was an autistic athlete that had been honored with a chance to race in Kona. It was pure joy running with her for several miles and as she passed me at one point she reached out her hand to me. We grabbed hands for a minute and continued to leap frog back and forth for several miles. It was special.

Back on the highway and while things started to get harder, I was still IN it. I took my last half gel at mile 22 as that's as much as I could get down. I didn't want to fade. Last year, I was so delirious in the dark the lat 10k. I was dizzy and running sideways. This year I used the light ahead to keep moving forward.

As I turned onto Ali'i I felt the most overwhelming satisfaction. Not just in my day, but in my entire journey. I crossed the finish line, not with my hands in the air, but with a big breath of relief. I felt I had done what I needed to do. I felt at peace with the distance, with my not perfect, but damn good day. 

Run time: 4:12:27 - 30" per mile faster than plan, 28' faster than last year.

Total time 11:55:52 - ~45' Kona PR. 

It's been a week and I'm still so happy. Settled. A year or so ago, I thought it would be a fun goal to complete 20 IM, in 20 years finishing the 20th when I'm 49/50. It's been 16 years with 17 Ironman so it's still possible, if I chose to reach for that goal, but I feel no pressure or internal battle to achieve it. 

I don't know if and when I'll do another Ironman. It could be in a year, or 5, or possibly never. I'll let my brain and my heart guide that.