My IM Swan Song...

In case you missed my last installment, I almost didn't start IM Chattanooga. You can read why here. But I did...

You know I'm pretty lousy at keeping my own good news a secret so I'll tell you that once again I crushed the Shawna Block division. I was a favorite going in and I did not disappoint.

There were quite a few things different about this Ironman event. First and foremost, when I signed up for it I was painfully single. When race day came, I was engaged. I don't mean engaged in the event, I mean engaged to be married. We can all take a moment and let that sink in....If you are totally good with this concept, you should go read some of my earlier posts. Otherwise, we are all now on the same page....This race weekend I traveled with a different support crew. Stacy, my long standing sherpa, project manager, and BFF was there with me but my parents were not. My 15 year old niece, M, came with me for the weekend for her first long course event. B drove in from Indianapolis on Saturday as he refused to take my very genuine pass on this event.

How does being engaged make this event different than the other two? When I was single:

• no one else lost sleep when my alarm went off at 0430 or 0445
• no one else had their vacation plans altered by my training schedule
• no one else lost out on socializing because I was in Ironman training
• no one else had dinner plans with their family delayed because I had a long run
• no one else was physically invested in my training

I felt like I went into the event with more pressure to succeed for the above reasons. Also, I made it very public that no matter what happened, Ironman Chattanooga was going to be my last full for awhile if not forever. I really wanted to go out on a high note. 

Brent of Dynamo Multisport has been my coach since March 2015. When we first started to get ready for another full (I took 2016 off from fulls) we had goals of really pushing IMChoo. As a matter of fact, after Half Ironman Chattanooga we even discussed some targetted running paces. As life happened and I challenged Brent to get me ready while I traveled every.damn.weekend of the summer, we both knew the goals for me needed to be adjusted. That didn't mean he pushed me less. He just had to push differently. Once worked kicked up, he had to push a little gentler. (Overwhelmed and Stressed, Party of 1 your table is ready!). Everyone but me knew going in I was set up for a most amazing day. 

Me and Coach Brent

Race Day:

I woke up early to eat and then go hang out at swim start. Stacy and Maria were already there when M, B, and I walked up. The attitude in the air is a mixture of joy, excitement, and terror. I'm fairly certain I went through all 3.

Stewing in my own thoughts.

A few rounds of tears were shed on B's shoulder and then we were up and moving towards the water. There was no turning back. Besides, I had two friends racing with very heavy hearts, I had no excuse.

It was announced early that the swim would not be wetsuit legal and I have yet to invest in a swimskin. Since I knew I was doing a full change in T1, Coach said to swim in a swimsuit to cut back on drag. So I did with my sports bra already on as I was concerned about the acrobatic moves it would take to put on a sports bra on a wet body. The swim is straight down river and the river was moving. Swim PR by about 30+ minutes!

Those are ear plugs. I started swimming with them after my dance with Bronchitis/Ear issues last year.

Out of the water and up the ramp. EVERYONE is there cheering! I got to see Stacy, M, and the rest of the Dynamo cheering crew. I was also able to stop and give B a kiss. Dynamo has a family first philosophy and I have been told to always stop (even if briefly) to thank those who are there supporting you and who helped you get there. 

In T1 I grabbed a volunteer and got into my KPeasey Cycling Kit. It was time to ride.

Photo Cred: Nadya

I never did get a chance this summer to come up to preview the course but I have ridden the loop many times at Dynamo Camps in 2015 and 2016. One my way out, I was to only drink water for the first 15 minutes. I had a water bottle and was about to take a sip when I saw railroad tracks. Holding the bottle against my handle bars as I went over the tracks, the bottle bounced right out. The volunteer  hollered at me to let it go. Buh-bye water! Otherwise the first loop went well. My watch chirps every 5 miles on the bike. When it chirps I look at how long those 5 miles took. I don't ride by pace. I ride by heart rate, cadence, and most importantly power (but I manage that metric the worst). However, I know if the watch chirps less than 20 minutes, than I am riding faster than 15 mph. I was crushing the first loop. On the first loop, I grabbed a bottle of water from the first aide station and used it to sip as well as pour on myself. A quick stop at special needs to switch out my nutrition bottles and I was back rolling. (I also used the bathroom, but I didn't make a special stop just to pee!)

The second loop was tougher. Same course but more sun and more winds. I expected this. I knew this would happen. When I slowed down, I just rolled with it. By mile 70, the pain I had been experiencing in my feet on the bike was rearing its ugly head. In full force. Tear inducing pain. Knowing the course well and remembering the advise Coach has been giving me for 3 seasons: I needed to focus on small chunks. First target was up to Hog Jowl to turn left on to some rollers. There would be recovery time there on the down hills. Then I told myself to get to the pavilion. From the pavilion it was get to Chickamauga. From Chickamauga it was get up the last long climb because the reward is WEEEEE all the way down. After the WEEEEE we turned right and had about 11 miles back to transition. That's when I bumped my watch and screwed up all my data collecting! ❅ and I have an on-going joke about #brackets, but it was how I got through the 116 mile ride. Small chunks. (See Coach, I have been listening to you!).

In to T2 and my awesome support crew from swim start has been joined by Coach and Ty. I'm back sooner than I anticipated and everyone, including me is thrilled with my bike and Coach yells at me to take a bow. I bow. I courtesy. I head towards the tent to change yet again, I see Stacy. I tell her about my feet and assure her I have taken advil already and I'll take more. She yells at me to get my shoes off and give my feet a chance to spread a little. She's been through this with me before.

It's time to run. I get to see B, M, and Ty on my way out as well as Coach. He reminds me to walk the hills. I get my feet under me and I start my run. I've never started my run this early in the day! My feet still hurt. It's not going away. I walk up the first hill and I start running. I loved all the support on the course. The aide stations were great and every mile as promised.

I was holding on until about mile 9 when the hills really started. The pain in my foot just wouldn't release. I'm not running the plan. I'm run-walking and walking more than just the aide stations. I get out of the hills and I'm having a lovely pity party in my head when I am about to cross the pedestrian bridge to start the second loop. I have my speech prepared for the next time I see Coach. And I see Coach at about mile 12. And before I can say a word, he starts talking: 

Second loop is when it hurts. Second loop is when you dig deep. Everyone is out here cheering for you and pulling for you. Get it done. 

He never gave me a chance to reply. As I crossed on to the pedestrian bridge, I walked. I shed a few tears, and I muttered a few choice words for Coach. Then a guy comes running up to me and says, "Hey Dynamo, I didn't catch your name, but I hope you saw your cheering squad back there on the corner!" I assured him they were hard to miss and I started running again.

In special needs I pulled my gels and decided I didn't want my long sleeve shirt. It was still daylight and I've never hit special needs in broad daylight. Thankfully Laura was standing right there and I was able to give her my bag so I wouldn't have to leave my shirt behind and lose it forever. Michael and Lorilyn ended up helping me and it's always great to see them volunteering and cheering on the course.

It's very easy to get caught up walking at this point of the day. I was trying to keep my head about me and luckily landed in a group that was doing what I was doing: run - walk - run. It's much easier to keep running when everyone around you is doing it. I had no concept of time or how long I'd been on the course. I knew I would finish, I just didn't know when. Everything from my waist down hurt.

Around mile 20, M and B were at the bottom of a steep hill and they walked up it with me. B is trying to talk me up. I snap at him. Telling him how much I hurt, tearing a bit, telling him I hate him right now. He took it well. I took a gel. They left me and told me everyone else was up on the bridge waiting for me.

At the top of the hill I start running again and I see Stacy. She stays with me for a brief moment and gives me a pep talk and tells me Coach is at the end of the bridge. I cross the end of the bridge, no Coach. A few minutes later I hear him calling my name and he rides up next to me. He asked how I was doing. I gave him an honest answer: Everything hurts and I'm dying.

He asked me if I thought it would be easy. I snapped that I knew it wasn't going to be easy but that my feet have hurt since mile 70 on the bike and he asked how I was feeling. He asked when I ate last and I told him mile 20. I was at mile 21.5. He asked me what was I going to do. I told him I was going to finish it. He said of course you are, but are you going to walk it in or run? I told him I was still in it. He told me to start running again at the top of the hill and then at the next aide station to get chicken broth (nectar of the gods, I swear!), coke, and pretzels. Well, the next aide station didn't have chicken broth or pretzels so I had a handful of chips and a coke.

I finished the last five miles or so walking the hills, running the downs, and run-walking what flats were left. I crossed over the pedestrian bridge and as I came around the corner, EVERYONE was there.

I stopped and hugged Stacy, my sister-wife.
I stopped and hugged Ty, my tri-wife.

Missing 1 to share with you my amazing bridal party!

I stopped and hugged Coach and thanked him for everything. He asked for a hat tip at the finish. I did my best, but I think my hat tipping needs work.

I high-fived other friends on the fence.

I stopped and gave B a kiss before I crossed the finish line.

Screen shot thanks to Karen!

Then I ran to the finish line with my shoulders back and a huge grin on my face.

 Mike Reilly announced I was an Ironman!

Grabbed a selfie when we returned for final finisher.

I had no concept of my time. I had no idea what time of day it was or how long it had taken me to complete the 144.6 miles of Ironman Chattanooga. I just knew I did it. When M and B caught up with me, B showed me the tracker.

Holy Hell....I went out on a 13 minute Personal Best from IM Louisville in 2015.

It was a good day. It was a tough day. That's Ironman for you. It is an emotional roller coaster from the time I wake up until I put my head down on a pillow for the night. Success for the day is managing the emotional ride. I am retiring/taking a leave of absence from full distance for now. I'm an excellent sherpa and am available for hire! I am already signed up Chat 70.3 in 2018 and we have every intention of voluncheering Kona 2018. I'm not giving up triathlon, just reallocating some of the time I spent training for the longer distance.

While triathlon is an individual sport, I would never get through it with out the support of my family, my team, and my friends. You all mean so much to me and I am ever so thankful to the sport for bringing (most of) you into my life.

Bracelet is off, tri tats removed. Time to look to the last event of the year.

2017 has been a heck of a year and it isn't over yet. I have one more big event that I could still use your help with! Naomi and I are so very close to our fundraising goal for the Marine Corp Marathon, and if you would be so kind as to donate just $10, you would put us that much closer to hitting our goal. You can make your tax deductible donation here. Remember: Where there is a wheel, there is a way!!!

Naomi, my running partner for MCM 2017!

The Start Line That Almost Wasn't...

For the past month, I had legitimately considered not staring IM Chattanooga. I'm not injured. No one in my family is gravely ill. My training is right on schedule with the usual ups and downs and seemingly more ups this cycle than downs. I had a fantastic race at Ironman Chattanooga 70.3. For all intents and purposes, I had no real reason to pull out.

Except I didn't want to do it.

I just didn't want to race. I didn't want to do more long bike rides. I just didn't want to. 3 weekends ago when I did a random gravity check off my bike (I tipped over, no big deal) the thought ran through my head: If my wrist is broken, I don't have to do Chat. Y'all...talk about an unhealthy place to be!

I'll spare you the bloody knee and elbow.

A few people knew about my angst, but really not the right people. I didn't tell my coach, I just got whinier in my debrief post workouts. I didn't talk it over with my fiance. (That still seems so weird to say!). Until I finally did.

Many things are different this training cycle.

I switched jobs in December 2016 to coaching at the collegiate level which is anything but 9-5 like the last job. The summer was easy to train as while every weekend was taken with traveling, I had a teammate who works weekends and we did our long stuff together mid week. (Hi Snowflake!!!). But then school kicked back up and I'm experiencing "off season" for the first time and all the meetings and responsibilities that go with it. And the stress.

And I started dating someone who is crazy enough to want to marry me. I'm still wrapping my head around that. I digress. I have someone else who wants my time and more importantly, I want to give my time to. I want to give my time to him and my future stepkids.

I was pushing through because I thought everyone would be disappointed in me if I didn't finish what I started.

Seems I was wrong. Coach and I had a long conversation and he gave me his blessings if I wanted to DNS (Did not start) Ironman Chattanooga. I told Coach I'd discuss it with B.

So I did. B and I spoke for a while about it. I just couldn't wrap my head around quitting. If you've been around long enough, you know that I DON'T QUIT. I might be the last one in off the ride. I might be the last one running. I DON'T QUIT. I wasn't going to start now. There were so many reasons I couldn't throw in the towel. I push my athletes to find a way and get through the suck. I spew positivity in Ironwilled: Women Who Tri. I have kids (some younger some older) who are amazed at what I do. I couldn't come up with being okay with telling any of these people, or my own ego, that I was going to tap out.

I went to Dynamo Camp last weekend and ran 16 on Friday, rode 115 on Saturday, did a tri (750m swim, 18 mile bike, 4 mile run) on Sunday. I needed to find a way for one more long workout. It should have been next weekend, but the only weekend I could rerate for my lacrosse officiating is then in Nashville. B and I talked it over and instead of a leisurely vacation in Jacksonville Labor Day weekend, I was bringing my bike. Yup, B said Sunday's a perfect day for you to go do your race sim.

We (with the kids) headed to Jacksonville Friday night and Saturday enjoyed the beach, a trip to watch the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp play baseball and before any of that, we drove the route I was going to train so I could see where stores were if needed.

It's challenging to get a picture with everyone looking in the same direction.

On Sunday, with the full support of B, I headed out to go ride 100 miles and then run for 90 minutes in the middle of our weekend vacation. He brought the kids to my 70 mile sag stop, and then cheered me on a few more times on the loop. Then after the day at the beach with them, he and the friends we were visiting went to the ball park. All the time I'm out riding and then running. When I finished he even gave me a pass to skip the ball game and just veg for the night. I met them at the ball park. A little tired. A little sore. Very happy I got that workout in.

When you aren't a swift cyclist, 100 miles takes a while!

With support like that, a coach who says scheduling my workouts is like doing a puzzle without a border but gets me ready anyway, and a training crew as awesome as mine; there just isn't anyway I couldn't go jump in the river at Chat.

So let's go! A handful more workouts. A long run or so. And it is race day!!! It's time to complete my last IM for a while. Chat 70.3 will be my big race of 2018 and then I'm pulling back on distance. I have a wedding to plan and a family I want to spend time with. Ironman isn't going anywhere and there are plenty of options within triathlon that will give me more time to spend with them.

I'll say thanks again after I'm done, but a very special thank you to Brent Pease and Dynamo Multisport, Stacy Sims (my roomie, project manager, and Dyna Coach), Snowflake for sharing ride time and poptarts, and B who swears I do actually have a heart. Let's go make my last IM one hell of a good time!