Rev3 Part 2

or, If I could just dive through it, it'd be so much easier.

We left as I got out of the lake with a minute or so PR.  I trotted into T1 and in 4 minutes and 56 minutes I was on my bike (a PR by 30 seconds ... ha, ha. Go me!) ....

THE EPIC BIKE

And I peddled and peddled and peddled and then peddled some more.  We drove the course the day before and I obviously looked at the elevation profile but nothing prepares you for being at the base of a mountain on your bike until you are in fact at the base of a mountain on your bike with nowhere to go but up.  

Strangely, it reminded me of playing in the ocean. You're having fun and then a big wave comes and you think "Ok. It was fun but now I'm ready to be done.  I'd like to get out of this ocean."  But you can't because the wave would crush you, so you take a breath and dive through the wave.  It tosses you around a bit but you come out the other side and then ride the next manageable wave home to shore.  On the bike however you would wind a corner and there would be a huge mountain and I'd think "Ok.  I'm ready for T2 now.  Getting off the bike would be great."  But alas, mountains separated me from T2 so I took a deep breath, peddled (very slowly) up the mountains, got beat up a bit and then came out the other side.  And eventually, just shy of 4 hours and 20 minutes later I was done (although, in my defense that included a 2-3 minute pottty break).

And even though it took about 37 minutes longer than the last race of this distance, the course was SO MUCH harder so I still call it a victory.  For example, I initially decided that my goal for the bike would be 4 hours which is only a 14 mph average which considering that I was either going 4 miles up hill or 30 miles down hill for the whole race, was actually aggressive ... I was right on pace though through 2 hours/28 miles and at 3 hours I wasn't too far off at 40 miles.  The next 10 miles were mentally challenging, but I got through them in 45 minutes ... which meant that 4 hours wasn't going to happen but I should have been close.  Except that the last 6 miles is when the course goes from hard to brutal.  The math reveals that the last 6 miles took over 30 minutes and I can tell you that nothing unusual happened in that time - no mechanicals, cramps or bonks.  It was just brutal, grueling, hot, achey and ALL UPHILL and I was so done ... 

I remember early in my college career after one of the first home football games my roommate summed up the day by saying she was hungover before she was even done tailgating.  And sort of, that's how I felt in the last 6 miles of that bike.  Except I was sore before I even stopped working out.  Grinding to the finish my legs just ached.

But I made it and while it wasn't a PR it was a victory.

T2

4 minutes and 13 seconds.  A minute longer than last time but I think its because I had to apply my own sunscreen and wow, thank goodness I did because the few spots I missed were crispy!

THE "ARE YOU F'ING KIDDING ME?!?" RUN

If only the whole run had been downhill ... the first 2 downish/flatish miles were great and ticked off in 9:42 and 9:52 and I thought "this might not be so bad."  And then I rounded the corner and the course became totally ridiculous.  When it was flat or down I ran and I ran well but there were SO MANY portions of the course that were up bizarrely steep hills it was ridiculous.  I held on for mile 3 coming in at a respectable 10:26 but after that finishing became the name of the game.  The miles ticked off in 12-14 minutes each and the goal of finishing under 7 hours and 30 minutes was replaced with the goal of beating my previous Half IM run time.  I ultimately missed this goal by 2 minutes and 30 seconds but the fact that I continued the run after it took me by the finish with 3 miles left is a small victory in and of itself (seriously, that was the cruelest part of the run ... seeing the finish and knowing you still had well over 30 minutes left ... but we got a cool finishers tee shirt so I'm glad I kept going ...).  The last mile of the run was probably the only truly miserable part of the day - I remember seeing some rocks in the shade and thinking that they were probably cool and if I could just sit down and cuddle up to them and close my eyes it would be a nice nap ...thank God I didn't do that;)  

I finished up (finally) in 7 hours and 51 minutes and just wanted for someone to please take me somewhere not in the sun with a place (rocks or otherwise) available for sitting.  Sara was like a mirage bounding (or so it seemed) down the hill and directing me to the shade (and the seats and the food).

And that was that.  Post race thoughts, what I've been doing for the past week and what's next (unlike last year, I actually have some races I intend to participate in on the horizon) are yet to come.  I will tell you now that next year there are going to be some  flat races on the schedule.  Or at least one.  Its pretty much an order from Liz!