Providence, Rhode Island Half IronMan (Part I)

Or, how I got my hat. If you look at this photo in a mirror, you'll see that is says "Finisher 2008."

So now we know how this story ends.

If you want to know more you can keep reading. I'm not usually a two post race report girl, but I just swam/biked/ran for 70.3 miles. I have a lot to say and I'm tired. Give me a break;)

Two Days Out

Yes, set up for this was a two day affair. Growing up friend, C, had graciously agreed to escort me on this adventure and we started the morning with a yummy local breakfast. We then headed out, sat in traffic and landed at the convention center where I registered seamlessly and bought some salt tabs*, a sports bra to match my awesome racing top and a race tee-shirt (which I was careful to ensure did not say 'finisher'). We checked into our better than the Extended Stay America accommodations, headed out for a quick dinner and were in bed early.

One Day Out

Saturday was the day that the logistics of a point to point race became apparent. I headed out early for the race meeting which reminded me of a grad school class ... lots of questions, many of them inane. After breakfast we headed to T1 to check in the bikes. More traffic. But we got there and I rode around the parking lot a bit to make sure everything was working. Also ran around the parking lot a bit to make sure everything was working. Not the full prescribed pre-race brick but more than enough for me and both the bike and the legs appeared to be in working order. Checked in the bike (got the tires professionally pumped and decided that was more then sufficient than self-pumping on race morning) and checked out the water (looked calm).

Drove the race course back to town and it took FOREVER but looked manageable. I've had some super hilly early races and was not intimidated by any of the hills - the distance maybe, but not any one hill. Back in town we ditched the car with the valet (the VALET) and went to T2 to check in bike gear. Another early dinner and I was home by 7. Decided to shower and was in my pjs contemplating renting a movie when the phone rang and ...

... someone had broken into my car. Yes, the car I had just valet parked. The situation was actually handled very well and it appears that it will all work out ok, BUT, not what I needed to deal with. And thank goodness C was with me. She spent most of race morning getting us a rental car etc. A true lifesaver.

After all that I went to bed for real around 10.

The Big Day

Pre-Race

3 am came early. 3 am is early. But I felt remarkably good. I ate my oatmeal and got ready largely in the bathroom (I had set everything up in there so as not to disturb C) and was out the door in time to get on the bus that would take us to the start.

The line for the bus was long, but moved pretty quickly and at that point, there wasn't much other choice. I was alone and mostly just listened to conversations and observed a few things:

1. Before waiting in line for the bus, you should make sure to put on the t-shirt from the hardest race you've ever done. Seriously, I saw more Boston and IM tee-shirts waiting in line for that bus than ever before in my life. I was wearing a plain tee, thankfully because I might have been openly mocked for my measly olympic distance shirts.

2. If you're not going to abide by rule (1) getting on the bus in ONLY YOUR BATHING SUIT AND FLIP FLOPS is apparently an acceptable alternative (if you're a girl, I thankfully saw no guys doing this). Enough said.

3. Pretty much everyone is talking about whether or not they have pooped. Its ok. Don't be shy.

4. If you find yourself having to take a bus solo to your longest race ever YOU WILL FIND IT INTIMIDATING. Keep telling yourself 'you belong'. It may or not be true and you may or may not believe it, but its the only thing that might, maybe help. It will help more if you say/think this while focusing on the least athletic person you can find (particularly if this person is wearing ... shutter ... street clothes).

The bus safely shuttled us to transition where there wasn't all that much to do since my bike was already there and it was a 'clean' transition - which meant that unless you were physically in transition all of your belongings needed to be on your bike or in a designated bag. I prepared my nutrition, sun-screened up, peed twice and stood around telling myself I belonged. The only familiar face I saw was Liz's husband - I felt kind of like giving him a big hug because I was a bit lonely and full of nervous chatter. But then I realized that while I recognized him (sort of from his blog and from the fact that he already had his race belt on) he has NO IDEA who I am and is super fast and might not want to be seen talking to (much less being hugged by) some random girl with a likely maladjusted road bike and a bright floral racing top. That and I remembered I don't like hugging random people (except, apparently, when I am desperately lonely pre-race).

Eventually I wandered down to the beach and realized that yesterday's calm water had developed waves. Not that big and given the protected nature of the cove they couldn't be that strong, but they would be a small factor. After a quick warm up mostly to make sure that the waves weren't that strong (they were stronger than I thought, but totally not scary) I wandered over to the start (my pre-race consisted of a lot of wandering while trying not to look like I was wandering) and picked out Liz! She really is the cutest and when the gun for her wave went off she danced right into that water and started swimming RIGHT AWAY with this beautifully aggressive swim stroke (I loved watching what I could of the olympic swimming trials because their technique to me is like ballet) and for at least her first few strokes Liz looked awesome. And then she totally got hit by a wave and I got nervous and wandered off (but she ultimately did an awesome job and everyone got hit by that wave, its just that she's little and I have that protective life-guarding instinct ...).

The F 30-35 group was corralled. We watched some guy get 10 feet into the water, freak out by a wave and call it a day. It was sad and odd all at the same time. And then faster than I would have thought, we were off.

The Swim

I dilly-dallied a bit getting into the water because I'd rather swim over/around than be swum over. I should have gotten right in there. But once I did get in there it wasn't that bad. 8 yellow buoys, turn at the orange, turn at the orange, 8 yellow buoys home. I told myself that by the 2nd buoy the water would be calm. That was a lie. But it wasn't rough. It was just up and down, up and down. Made me regret a bit the combos I ate that morning (yeah, don't ask - combos and oatmeal, what can I say?). But I was at all times making progress forward (not stopping to look around and/or freak out) and because the buoys were to the left and I breath left I did not have any issues swimming off course like in previous tris. On the way there I swam around a few people, got clobbered once when the guys in the wave behind us caught us (and then I drafted off of who I thought was the clobberer for what seemed like a bit but was probably 10 seconds and it rocked - might be worth my fear of too much swim contact to find some fast feet to hold onto) and got a face full of seaweed once (terrifying) and at the first buoy almost headed out to sea due to my failure to site (I think this is how I get so off course in multi-turn swims, I need to make sure I have actually TURNED before swimming off). On the way back the waves pushed us and 42 minutes and 45 second later I was done. And it was fine. I feel a bit bad saying that because a bunch of people have mentioned that it was hard ... and sure, it wasn't easy, but it also wasn't 54 degrees and it could have been a lot rougher. A lot. Like my practice swim with the rip tide. I'm just saying. I'm not fast, but I was impressed by my fitness (I could have swam forever) which maybe means I should just go faster and then I would think it was harder, but for now, I keep coming back to "it wasn't that bad."

*Liz introduced me to the idea of salt tabs a few days before the race. Which was fine, I like salt and I could put the tab on my tongue and let it dissolve. Ha! Not sure why I thought you would just let them dissolve on your tongue ... you have to swallow these BIG pills. While on your bike. If you've ever seen me take, say, an advil, you know that it is a process that involves a lot of water and the pill placed carefully in just the right place. This was going to be the end of my race - choking and dying on the bike. But then I was told I could dissolve them in my water bottle and all was well again.