The Ultimate Goal: Finding Aloha & the Ironman World Champoinship

In January I declared my intentions for the year in this post.  It was fun to reflect on the original post and see how far my year has come, but here is the important part.  This is where my #findingaloha came to be...

This year my focus will be on creating an environment of authenticity.  I want to be intentional in my relationships and the way I choose to spend my time.  Remove the drama.  Remove the excess baggage.  I have often thought back to the Ultraman Canada awards banquet when the Hawaiian words Ohana (family), Kokua (help), and Aloha (love) were used to describe the Ultraman experience.  This is what I hope to build into my life in 2016.  Surround myself with family, both blood and chosen, in relationships through which we can love, support, nurture one another.  Strive to be true to my passions rather than feeling obligated to continue down the path that I've been following because it's convenient. 

In 2016 I am going to cultivate the spirit of Aloha to:

- get my finances in order and create a sustainable vision for the future
- be intentional in my training, getting the most out of myself every session, every day
- make myself and my health a priority, starting with my nutrition (or lack thereof)
- learn to say no to things that don't enrich my life or make me happy
- begin to pursue my true passions both in my career and personal life

When I run down Ali'i drive in October, I want to feel true happiness, the kind that only comes from devotion, sacrifice, and dedicated pursuit of my full potential.  I want the warmth of the sun to embrace me in my journey, the pavement to radiate encouragement, the wind to blow away my fears and doubts, and my Ohana to celebrate with me at the finish line. 

Aloha.

First off, *goosebumps* to read my dream for my race in Kona, and then to have experienced how near to reality that was on the day.  And second, I am so glad that I chose #findingaloha as my pursuit in 2016 because it made all the difference in Hawaii.

All week long in Kailua-Kona, I looked for beauty and comfort in the harshness of the environment.  The Island of Hawaii is different from the other islands-- and my best friend and I remarked that it is a lot like the desert we live in-- beautiful for sure, but it is the sort of stark environment that one really needs to appreciate in order to see the beauty.  It's easy to post a photo of a palm tree at sunset.  But good luck finding that postcard perfect palm tree.  It's easier to find a photo outlined by the darkness of lava rock and desert landscaped mountains.  The landscape is hot, and windy, and lonely.
Two things in my week prior to race day stood out to me that enabled me to appreciate the beauty that is the Island of Hawaii.

On Saturday (1 week before), Coach Alyssa biked with me from the Mauna Lani (near Waikoloa) to Hawi and back.  It is the only part of the course I had not previously ridden and it is the site of the notorious crosswinds.  It was important for me to see this prior to race day.

Alyssa knows of my fear of winds.  She rode behind me all the way up to Hawi, which was not terrible but the winds were definitely strong and gusty.  At the top we refilled water at a grocery store and then she gave me a few tips.  She told me to stay low.  And that she would sit behind me unless she thought I was being "too much of a pussy" and then she'd go around me and that would be my cue to follow her lead.

We started down and for about 1 mile I was like, cool, we're descending.  And then the crosswinds started blasting us and for the next 10 miles I whimpered and cried like a baby.  I was terrified.  I was being blown all over the place.  It was everything you hear about the winds x 10.  No amount of training could have ever prepared me for that.

After the first 10 of the 20 mile descent, it got marginally better and I was able to get into my aero bars some.  Tears dried up.  I didn't die.  When we made the left hand turn to head through Kawaiihae Alyssa pulled up beside me and gave me some race-day tips.  She said this climb back to the Queen K is nicknamed the death zone because it's often very hot, with no breeze, and it's uphill.  She warned me not to feel shocked if I didn't feel great in this section on race day.

So, hold that thought and in a few more minutes you'll see how this has anything to do with #findingaloha.

Second thing was, I really wanted... needed... to run the energy lab.  I ran the Kona Marathon in 2005, which is the same course only you start/ finish at the Ironman turn around on Ali'i so it's a single out and back.  I am familiar with the course.  But, when I ran the marathon, I was a runner.  I had barely heard of Ironman, let alone Kona.  There was never any superstition or aura surrounding the Energy Lab the way there is in Ironman.  I thought maybe I had blocked out of my head what it was like, or maybe since the marathon is run in the morning it's not super hot then, or whatever.  Anyway, I *needed* to see it for myself, and I *needed* to see it at sunrise.  I don't know why.  It was just important to me.

Race week flew by and I never had a chance to get out there to run as most everything was run straight from my hotel door.  On Friday morning (1 day prior to race day) I had a 20 min jog, and a 45 minute bike ride.  I convinced my #bff to pick me up early and drive me out the the Energy Lab to see the sunrise.  It was just starting to rain when she pulled over on the Queen K to let me out of the car.

Mauna Kea at sunrise.

It was dark when I started down the hill toward the Pacific Ocean.  Cool rain touched my skin and it was absolutely silent minus the sound of my own breathing and foot steps.  About a mile down the hill, the road makes a 90 degree right turn, to parallel the ocean.  Straight in front of you is a small beach with a picnic table.

Energy Lab

I sat down at the table and just looked at the sea.  The sun was just beginning to light the sky behind the mountains.  The rain steadily fell.  As I looked out over the water, I talked to God or Madame Pele or Mauna Kea... whoever was listening.  I promised to give all of myself-- my passion, my joy, my talent, my hard work-- in exchange for safe passage.  I was overwhelmed with calmness and a sense of peace.  I got up and ran back up the hill to where my #bff was waiting.  I was ready.

RACE DAY TOP 10!!

10.  Crying makes nausea disappear... almost instantly!
The calmness in my heart lasted until race morning.  I slept well and when I woke up I got ready and managed to get a little bit of breakfast down before I started to feel nervous.  I always have butterflies on race morning.  Today was worse than usual and my heart was racing and I wanted to throw up.  This was the closest I've ever been to not keeping my pre race fuel down.

We left the condo around 430 am to walk the half mile to the start line.  As soon as we rounded the bend in Ali'i drive and the finish line came into view I burst into tears.  Everything that I wanted and dreamed about for so long was right there in front of me.  The only thing standing in my way was 140.6 miles.  I had done it 20 times before, but you never know what will happen on race day and I didn't want a mechanical or dehydration or ANYTHING to get in my way of getting to the finish line.

Finish line on race morning.

But you know what?  The minute I started crying my nausea disappeared.  Whatever hormones are released in the body when you have that emotional release must override the hormones that contribute to nausea.  So rather than fight my emotions, I just went with whatever I was feeling.  I cried all the way through body marking, and through transition to check my bike and gear bags.  I cried listening to my ipod while hanging out waiting for my wave to be called.  I cried when my friends from Smashfest Queen came by to wish me luck.  I cried when my friend Chris hugged me just before I went into the water.  I cried until my feet hit the water and I swam out to my place on the start line.... and then I looked out over the crowd gathered around the pier, the thousands of spectators and family members and volunteers... and the beat from the Hawaiian drums filled the air... and peace once again settled in my heart.  This was it.  This was everything.

9.  Swimming with strong women is AMAZING!!
The cannon blasted and a wall of pink caps blazed a trail through the water.  Every time I breathed all I could see surrounding me was pink caps.  We were on a unified mission.

Normally I don't get to swim with women.  Most Ironman events have a single start-- so men/ women all start together.  Being a stronger swimmer, I line up in the front and am usually surrounded by men, which is fine- but you have a higher likelihood of having the crap beat out of you with some 90 lb arm.  This was the first time that I got to swim with a pack of strong women and it was the coolest thing ever.  I was laughing and smiling as much as I could while trying to keep salt water out of my mouth!

I lined up far left, because I still don't like contact and I wanted at least a little bit of open water next to me.  And I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the kayakers didn't force us into as narrow of a lane as I had envisioned.  We had plenty of room.  We did start catching the men after only a few hundred yards, but it wasn't too bad until we made the turn to come back to the pier.  Then it was dodging swimmers every stroke.

Swim exit!

When I got out of the water to run up the steps and glanced at my watch I laughed out loud because I had destroyed my predicted swim time.

Happy happy 1:00:58 swim!!

8.  Sauna training works.
About 6 months ago I asked Coach Hillary about how we were going to prepare for the heat and humidity.  I perform notoriously poorly in these conditions as evidenced by my three attempts at Ironman Texas.  I suggested Bikram yoga.  Hillary thought better and sent me a 28 day steam sauna training plan with a link to some information on the Badwater website.

For anyone not familiar, Badwater is a 135 mile run through Death Valley.  It is very very hot.  Often dry and windy, but there are some points that could be more humid.  The author of the plan explained the rationale, the method, and the benefits.

I was told there was no way I could do it.  I wouldn't be able to last more than 5 minutes in the steam room.  They said I couldn't do it.  I started on September 1 so that I would finish 2 days before I left for Hawaii.  I began with 15 minutes and worked my way up to 45 minutes.  Every. Single. Day I sat in the steam room.  It was like adding another workout to my already crammed schedule.

On day 1 I thought I was going to die after 7 minutes.   On day 2, it was a little bit better.  On day 3 I figured out a way to pass the time quicker by putting my ipod in a ziplock bag with an ice pack.  Some days were easy.  Other days I begged for mercy.

When you hit the button for steam it runs for about 10 minutes.  In case you didn't know this... every single person who enters the steam room pushes the button-- whether it needs to run or not.  Literally I watched some people push the button, walk into the room, turn around and walk right back out.  Because it really is that bad in there.  

I figured out the best timing for steam (50/50 is perfect) and sometimes I literally begged people not to push the button.  One day in the first week I had to leave the room half way through to grab more towels to cover my body.  With the steam running constantly after 15 minutes you start to get steam burns.  After that day I made sure I always had enough towels with me when I went into the sauna.

I figured out the best set up for surviving.  Two towels on the bench, one towel as a pillow, ipod in ziplock near head, sprinkle a couple drops of doTerra Breathe Essential Oil Blend onto another towel to drape over my face, 1 liter bottle of ice water and 1 liter bottle of electrolyte drink, 2 more towels to cover body to protect skin, stopwatch running.  The room was small, and gross, and I was sure I was going to get ringworm, or MRSA, or some other nasty funk from sitting in there so often.

I got stronger.  And as the time built, and I survived 45 minute session after 45 minute session, I got tougher.  Only one time in 28 days did I leave the sweat box early (by 5 minutes) because I was seeing spots and thought I was going to pass out.  I had visions of the CSI episode where they find the girl melted in the sauna after she died in there.  I didn't want my body mopped up from the steam room.

When it was done, I thought, well, this is either going to have been the biggest waste of time... or it's going to work.  It fucking worked.  I never once felt hot the entire time I was in Hawaii, including race day.  I thought oh, we're having a particularly cool year.  Until I talked to people post race who had completely melted down in the temps and my family told me the high for the day.  I was like, BOOM, all the time in the steam room paid off.  It fucking worked.

7.  The bike ride is really fucking hard.  And really fucking amazing.
The bike course in Hawaii is deceivingly difficult.  On paper, you think it's not so bad.  But you add in the winds- headwinds, crosswinds, more headwinds- and you've got a challenge on your hands.  There is over 5000 ft of climbing, rolling hills- reminiscent of IM Texas- which again is no big deal, but you ARE working.

For the first 60 miles I focused on staying within my watts.  The aid stations were about every 5-7 miles so it was perfect for taking in nutrition.  I would take a big swallow of calories as I was entering the aid station, grab a bottle of water to chase it and then hose myself down with the cold water.  Over and over and over this was my rhythm.  The miles ticked by and before I knew it I was climbing up to Hawi.

Fav bike pic of the day!  #lovemybike  Bike time: 5:56:07

As I climbed, I watched the athletes descending on the other side of the road.  Every single person was in their aero bars and I didn't see anyone being blown across the road.  For the first time all day I let myself hope that there wouldn't be a wind on the way down.

I turned around in Hawi, grabbed my special foods bag to replenish my nutrition bottles, and started down the hill.  I talked to myself... out loud... You're fine.  You can do this.  Trust the athletes in front of you.  You're fine.  Over and over and over to keep myself relaxed and in aero.  We did not have the crosswinds that I anticipated.  It was a smooth ride back to the bottom and I could not have been more relieved.

Just a long ride by the ocean... no big deal!  #findingaloha

I turned left into the "death zone" that Alyssa had warned me of.  It was warm and there was no breeze to speak of, but it was also quiet and the view of the ocean was so beautiful I almost cried, and I was overwhelmed with the same sense of calm that I experienced in the Energy Lab the day before.  THIS was #findingaloha.  There was joy here.  And beauty.  And I was racing from the heart, fulfilling my passion.

As I turned back onto the Queen K, the Smashfest Queen support crew was there and I shouted out THIS IS AMAZING!!  I was so incredibly grateful to be racing and to be enjoying every single minute.

Smiling as I was about to be back on the Queen K.

The final 35 miles of the bike ride were hard.  I felt like I was pedaling uphill into a head wind, but I also knew that the hardest part was behind me and I was 2 short hours from being home free.  No chance of not finishing if I got off the bike safely.  This was happening.

6.  Having your Ohana there to support your dream is the best ever.
When I got off the bike I was a little bit dazed.  I had a sharp pain in one of my toes which made hobbling through transition a little bit awkward.  I got in and out as quickly as I could and as soon as I took the first step in my running shoes I forgot all about the toe.

I knew my family was going to be waiting somewhere in the first couple of miles.  The crowds were thick and loud and I kept scanning faces.  As I ran down Ali'i, a teammate popped out and ran next to me for a second while trying to capture video.  I was all smiles and laughing and we managed to capture it on camera!

Teammie!!  #supportcrew

A few moments later my husband was there and I stopped to give him a quick kiss.  A little further down the road my #bff was there and I ran straight into her arms for a sweaty hug.  She screamed how much she loved me and I think we were both crying a few tears of joy.  And my family was there with their Team #FindingKona T's and big lime green posters!  This was the best day ever!!

Support crew!!  Only one camper not happy here.  :)

5.  Having a one-of-a-kind kit is the best feeling ever, and makes for some awesome photos!!
Several years ago, Michele (co-owner of Smashfest Queen) promised that when I qualified for Kona she would make me a lime green kit (because #limegreenismysignaturecolor!).  After I qualified at Arizona, I used every opportunity to remind her.  About a month ago, I received a package in the mail with MY kit.

MY kit!!

My kit (as you've seen) is beautiful.  The pattern reminded me of a palm tree which I thought was so inspired for this course.  Palm branches, in pre-Christian times, were a sign of victory.  And palm trees, with deep roots, are meant to bend with the wind but never break.  I hung the kit in my trainer room and imagined strengthening my roots with every workout so that like the palm tree, I would not break.  I couldn't wait to show the world my kit and race in it for the first time.

#findingaloha

The Saturday one week before race day, Michele picked me up to do a photo shoot with my new kit.  She had a couple other surprises for me...  A Finding Aloha trucker hat which I absolutely LOVE... and the new Smashfest Queen Kona kit was named after me!!  The Finding Kona kit was up for sale race week and will be available on the website!

4.  The run course!!
When I left transition, my legs settled into a pace right around a 10 minute mile.  This wasn't what I wanted or what I am capable of... but honestly, I didn't even care.  I knew I could hold that pace, and if I did I was going to achieve every big and small goal I had for the day.  I know part of me was afraid to push outside of that comfort zone because I was still waiting for the heat to get to me.  I was certain that at some point it would all catch up and I would melt.

At every aid station, I dumped ice down my shorts (thank you Chrissie Wellington!) and into my hat.  I drank, ate, and poured water over my kit.  Somewhere around mile 7, a rep from one of the race partners was handing out towels on the sidelines.  I can't remember the brand name (sorry!) but it's one of those towels that stays cool as long as it's wet.  She draped it over my shoulders.  My family said when they saw me again around mile 9 they thought I was overheating since I had a towel and no one else did.  She was offering them to everyone but maybe people just weren't taking them?

I kept the towel until mile 18.  I never felt hot but I kept thinking, everyone says the Energy Lab is hot so I might need it then.  When I turned around at the bottom of the Energy Lab and it wasn't hot, and there was a nice breeze I tossed it.

Running back down Ali'i around mile 9.

With 2 out n back legs, you see everyone out on the race course, and there is so much crowd support!!  I saw all my Team HPB teammates, SFQ teammates, TriScottsdale teammates multiple times.  We all cheered each other on, and got support from each other's support crew on the sidelines.  It was so fun to high five my friend Scott -- we have raced almost every Ironman together so it was fitting that we race Kona for the first time together.  Seeing my friend Cris having as much fun out there as I was -- so amazing, and she even stopped to hug me in the Energy Lab.  And the last few miles I ran in with a girl I shared the podium with at Oceanside and CDA 70.3 earlier this year.  She KQ'd in her first IM race in CDA and had an awesome day in the lava fields.

Run time:  4:26:11

3.  Bad patches are only bad patches if you think they are.
Somewhere around mile 8 or so my stomach started feeling a little sloshy, like I wasn't absorbing.  I kept eating and drinking and waiting to see the BASE salt booth.  At the top of Palani, Matt was there with his team.  I looked at him and it was like he read my mind-- he ran to grab me a bottle of BASE Hydro/ Aminos/ Salt.  In CDA I was struggling with hydration/ energy on the run and he mixed me up this concoction that literally saved me, brought me back from the dead.  My energy levels were fine, but I figured his magic potion could fix me once again by clearing up my stomach.

I drank the bottle between mile 10-12, and as the mile 14 aid station approached I slowed to a walk and gingerly tip-toed my way to the porta-potty where I had blow out diarrhea and immediate relief.  BASE to the rescue once again!  My stomach was cleared out, I felt fantastic and I kept on my merry way.

When I talked to Hillary post race she said she kept waiting for me to go through a bad patch but it seemed I never did.  I was like, well, I did have to hit the porta potty but it really wasn't a big deal.  And I felt fantastic afterwards.  I honestly was so happy to be there, and to be racing I didn't even care that my stomach felt less than perfect for 4 miles.  I was still running, right?

2.  This is the World Championships.
Guess what?  In Kona, people don't walk the marathon.  Crazy, right?  I can get off the bike at IMAZ, literally mile 1, people will be walking.  I don't get it.  I can count on one hand the number of people I saw walking on the marathon course in Hawaii.  I was running a slow 10 minute pace and people were passing me the entire time.  I did pass a couple of people too, but it was so amazing racing with the best of the best.  This is THE World Championships!!!!

Oh, and Peter Reid handed me water at an aid station in the Energy Lab!!  I asked for chicken broth, and he was like, no I have water.  I was like, OMG ARE YOU PETER REID?  And he was like, Yes, keep running.  HA!  I was a huge fan back in the day.  So incredible to have a former world champion handing me water in my world championship race!!  Totally made my day.

Me, the #bff and PETER REID!!

1.  It really is a big deal.
Guys... the finish line...

But before I get there, I forgot one more #FindingAloha moment.  As I was coming out of the Energy Lab the sun was just beginning to set.  I had 6 miles left to get there.  And I could not stop smiling.  I was laughing and announced 5 miles and a victory lap! to anyone who was listening.  I was so incredibly happy and having fun and loving this crazy Ironman thing.  I kept looking for my friend Scott because I knew he'd be getting to the Energy Lab soon.  He was going to see the sunset there and it was incredible.  I got goosebumps thinking of our journeys to get here.  For a second I thought, wait, isn't this the first sign of heat stroke?

But no, it wasn't heat stroke, it was Aloha.  It was racing with passion.  And fulfilling a dream.  And being so close to the finish line that I could taste it.  And being surrounded by the love and support of everyone I love.  It was countless hours in the pool and 4 am wake up calls.  It was lonely miles on the bike and mountains worth of climbing.  It was trails and track workouts, and tired legs, and heartache, and feeling like you might never get there and then one day you do and suddenly everything, all the sacrifices, and the work, all of the early bedtimes and skipped parties, it all makes sense because this is the one thing that has kept you going for the last 4 years and then it's there.  In front of you.  And there is nothing left but to raise your hands.

Finding Aloha in 11:33:22

Finding Aloha: Ironman St. George 70.3

Since my one and only dnf in 2012, I have owed revenge on the St. George Ironman course.  This weekend I got my chance.

To say that I was anxious would probably be an understatement.  In 2012, I dropped out because I was unable to adjust my expectations when mother nature dished out some horrendous conditions.  I was completely fine, physically.  But mentally I gave up in the swim.  I honestly was shocked that I didn't drown that year.  That no one drowned.  And over the last 4 years, my mind has turned that epic day into a blockbuster movie reel.  One in which the fish are six times larger than reality and the waves could easily swallow up Noah's ark.

Wind, in its greatest power, whirls.

We arrived into Utah on Thursday afternoon and headed straight to Sand Hollow Reservoir to swim before checking into our hotel.  The winds pick up as the day goes on, and so by the time we swam at 2 pm it was fairly choppy.  I was glad to experience that chop before race day and start to put some of my demons to rest.

The swim takes place in the reservoir at Sand Hollow.

On race day, I did not have my usual confidence jumping into the water and even though the water was relatively calm, I had to continuously remind myself that I was OK.  That I could breathe.  That I was going to make it through the swim.  One girl in my age group took off so fast at the gun that no one could go with her.  I settled into a rhythm with another girl and pretty much stayed with her off to my left until the final turn buoy.  At that point I tried to pick up the pace a little and worked on safely dodging slower swimmers ahead of me.  I was thrilled to see a sub-30 coming out of the water.

We had been following the weather for a couple of weeks as I'm sure everyone was.  Rain and 50 degrees were predicted for race day, and that's pretty much exactly what we got.  It was raining by the time I exited the water.  Knowing how my body reacts in cold weather, I had packed my Smashfest Queen vest and arm warmers into my T1 bag.  With wet skin it took me longer in transition to get my arm warmers on, but it was worth the extra minute to be comfortable during the bike ride.

All smiles at the start of the bike ride!

The bike ride was everything you dream about.  It was beautiful.  And challenging.  And fun.  And totally awesome.  I focused on holding my watts according to my race plan.  With the rain making it difficult to see at times, and the wet roads, I was definitely not as aggressive on the bike as I would otherwise have been.  The one thing my husband had said to me on Friday was that he didn't want me descending from Snow Canyon on wet roads.  With Kona coming up in just 5 short months, I cannot afford to crash out and risk my only real goal for the year.  As the miles went by I laughed to myself that, like it or not, I was going to be descending Snow Canyon in the rain.  I really wasn't bothered by it at all.  I was mentally prepared but it was just ironic.

Don't worry, I didn't stop mid race for this photo op!

In fact, coming into this race, I prepared for the absolute worst possible weather conditions.  In my scenario it was more of a repeat of 2012- wind, heat, and more wind.  The cold and rain was much easier to deal with as I can just put more clothes on.  I never felt chilled until the final descent and when you're flying downhill at 44 mph for 8+ miles, it doesn't matter that you have layers on, it's darn cold.

Running into T2.

T2 was once again super long because with cold hands I had a hard time changing into my running shoes.  I was super excited to be off the bike, not because I was happy to be off the bike but because I felt like no matter what happened now I would get to the finish line.  I took off out of transition and saw my #bff about 2 blocks up just as you start the first 3 mile climb.  She got this awesome pic of me as I'm shouting to her:

# whatthefuck #frozen

Apparently I got a good laugh from all of the spectators in her vicinity as they heard me yell #whatthefuck?! #frozen!  In reality, I was staying plenty warm working my way through 70.3 miles.  They were standing for hours in the pouring rain, wind and cold.  Thank you #bff for doing just that!!

There is basically no flat ground on the St. George run course.  You're either running uphill, or coming down.  The good news is that the first 3 miles are uphill, which means that the last 3 are downhill!  In between it's a nice mix of climbing and descending to break up which muscles are being taxed.  I actually really like hills.  And I think this course favors strength over pure speed.  With my experience on trails, I definitely fall into the "strong" category and felt like I was running strong the whole way through.

Running downhill toward the finish!

I decided at the beginning of the run that I was not going to look at my Garmin.  Coach had told me during our pre-race briefing that on this course, it's impossible to sustain a specific pace.  (For example, at Oceanside the plan was to dial in a certain minute-per-mile pace and hold that throughout.)  With the ups and downs, my pace would be all over the place.  Rather than worry about it, I decided to just not look, and hold constant effort.  When I hit 2 miles to go I glanced down and realized that I was going to be well under my goal of 5:30 for the day I was ecstatic!

The camera man caught me running into the finish line... you can see me with 1:17 to go on the highlight video below!  

Happy camper!

Even though I didn't land on the podium at Ironman St. George 70.3, I accomplished all of my other pre race goals:
*Survived (and thrived!) the swim (Swim time: 29:50)
*Held goal watts on the bike
*Finished the bike under 2:55 (Bike time: 2:54:04)
*Finished under 5:30  (Total time: 5:20:09)

And I crushed my goal for the run course finishing the run in 1:47:37!

Post race!

After the race we relaxed and at dinner.  On Sunday morning we slept in and went for a nice easy bike ride with the only goal of capturing some of the gorgeous scenery in Utah.

I had to bike up a 12% grade for this photo op.  #totallyworthit

Our bikes are enjoying the view.

After our ride we had an hour to pack up and check out of the hotel.  This was our starting point...

Help!  A hurricane hit our hotel room!

Up next:
Tempe International Tri (local olympic distance race for fun!)
Ironman Coeur d'Alene 70.3

Ironman 70.3: Galveston

The Ironman Texas 70.3 in Galveston has been on my calendar for almost a year.  I had booked my hotel room months ago.  My usual method of bike shipment wasn't going to pan out for this race because my bike wouldn't have made it back to Phoenix in time for me to send it on to Ironman Texas in 2 weeks from now.  So I put off thinking about transportation until the last minute, expecting that I would just make the drive.

As the race got closer and I started to think about it, 18 hours each way in a car by myself did not sound like much fun.  I thought about begging my mom to fly down and drive with me, but my sister had her baby and needed some extra help so my mom was staying with her.  I ended up purchasing the Hen House from Ruster Sports to pack my bike and bought a plane ticket.

On Friday evening April 17th my husband and I were having a conversation about the trip.  You do realize that you're going to have 3 suitcases plus your carry on bag to schlep through the airport by yourself, right?  Well, yes, I did know this but I didn't actually think about this fact.  Crap.  Suddenly I'm imagining myself hauling my Hen House, plus my suitcase, and my carry on bag and wondering how much those wheeled carts cost and crap, I can't take them on the escalator or the Sky Train anyway.  Maybe you should ask someone to go with you, he suggested.

Immediately I thought of my friend HHV.  She would be perfect.  So on Saturday morning April 18 (our flight left on Friday April 24...) I messaged 3 friends, KJ, HHV and SE.  Any chance you're up for an all expense paid trip to the beach... next weekend??  Within a couple of hours HHV responded back-  she was in!  After about 10 minutes of texting back and forth excitedly she asked, where are we going?  Talk about the ultimate Sherpa!  How many people are going to commit without even knowing where we were headed!

So I cashed in some of my gazzilion points sitting in my Southwest bank and bought another ticket.  Suddenly my weekend in Galveston got a whole lot more fun!

Wednesday prior to leaving I met with the owner of Two Wheel Jones, my local bike shop.  He had built my bike when I first got it and he spent 2 hours (!) walking me through how to disassemble it, pack it safely and then reassemble it on the flip side.  In the age of digital-everything, I will ALWAYS support my local bike shop because you cannot buy good customer service online.  (Plus virtual group rides don't sound like much fun.)

We have arrived in Houston!

 After a smooth flight with no delays, we arrived in Houston and quickly got to work.  Well, actually that's not entirely true.  We couldn't check into our hotel for another 5 hours so we ate lunch, went through race registration, bought CO2 (can't fly with them!), drove the bike course, and THEN checked into the hotel and set about rebuilding my gem.

Before... during... and after!  Rebuiding Hope.

Thanks to the detailed instruction from the master at Two Wheel Jones, we had her up and running in about 20 minutes.  HHV neglected to tell me (until after) that she hadn't run since January, but she happily joined me for a 30 minute shake out run before dinner.  We ran along the gulf boardwalk and enjoyed the crashing of the waves.

HHV is one of those people when you meet her, you feel like you've known her forever.  I actually only met her last May at Ironman Texas but we instantly got on like peas and carrots.  She totally gets my sense of humor AND laughed at all my movie quotes (cause there is literally a movie line that fits EVERY situation!).  I was so glad she flew to Texas with me cause I'd have been bored out of my mind by myself.

My sister from another mister.

On Saturday it was raining cats and dogs.  A massive thunderstorm brought rain, lightening, and power outages all morning.  We got tired of sitting in the hotel waiting for it to pass so we drove to Starbucks and chatted the morning away while sipping versions of highly caffeinated beverages.  Eventually, the lightening stopped, and even though it was still raining I decided I better get my butt on my bike for a test ride before it got any later.  HHV drove me out a few miles onto the course where the road widens and there's a nice shoulder.  I hopped on and rode for 15 minutes, just long enough to make sure everything was in working order and get completely soaked.  HHV leap-frogged me in the car and picked me up.  Naturally the minute we pulled into transition to drop my bike off the skies cleared and the sun came out.

Bike check in.  I seriously had the sweetest spot in transition!  

After bike check in, I threw on my ROKA sim shorts for a quick swim in the gulf.  I hate getting into my wetsuit prior to race day because it doesn't dry out quick enough.  Sim shorts are perfect because you get the buoyancy of a wetsuit with the freedom of a swim suit.  Whenever I'm instructed to do a practice open water swim in my wetsuit I grab the sim shorts.  The water was rough because of the storm and winds, and I was having a blast in the waves.  My 20 minute swim was half warm up sprints, half playing in the surf.  Afterwards we hit up our new favorite restaurant for our pre-race dinner and headed to bed early.

Dinner on the pier overlooking my swim spot.

Race morning!  I manged to choke down my entire breakfast before I had a chance to get nervous.  Due to the parking situation, we decided to get to transition early and then just chill in the car with any extra time we had-- I didn't want to end up parking a ways away and walking.  It worked out perfectly.  As I was pumping my bike tires in transition the announcement was made that the swim would be NON- wetsuit as the water was too warm.  This was my reaction to the news...

Yay!  Non-wetsuit!!

I got everything situated on my bike and we had about 30 minutes to nap in the car before walking to the swim start.  Since everyone was expecting a wetsuit legal swim very few people thought to bring a speed suit.  I only saw about 4 other people with speed suits on.  Add another point to my swim advantage!  HHV snapped this photo of me....

At the swim start. 

... and instantly we both burst out laughing because it was totally a fake smile.  At this point, nerves had set in and I was getting anxious for the day.  Once again, she made me laugh and took my mind off of the pain I was about to endure.  She gave me a big hug and sent me off to line up in the swim corral.

I love swimming.  I love open water swimming.  I love flying by people when I swim.  It was so much fun.  I was catching the wave ahead of mine by the first buoy and continued to pick people off the remainder of the swim.  I exited the water in 32 minutes and 18 seconds, 3rd in my age group.  Dodging people in the swim was only mildly annoying, though given the chance I'd gladly start in an earlier wave to avoid this.

After a quick transition I was onto the bike.  I have to admit, I have never had this much fun on a bike before!  The course is flat and fast.  Very fast.  The first couple of miles are a bunch of turns getting out onto the highway, but once there you bike out 25 miles and turn around and come back.  Weather was perfect, overcast and no winds to speak of.  It started raining on me when I got about 10 miles out from the turn around and continued raining on the way back.  So many people were sitting up out of their aero bars, but honestly, the road conditions were perfect and even with the rain I've never ridden a safer course.  I was hauling the whole way.

For the first time, my coach had given me very specific power numbers to hit on the bike.  We wanted to test my fitness and find out what I can plan to execute at Ironman in 3 weeks (I'm still very new to power so this is a work in progress).  It was awesome to ride at that level and see just how much I CAN push the bike.  And I had so much fun doing it!  I was like a freight train!  I seriously was flying past people like they were standing still.  I counted less than a half dozen men (and NO women) that passed me the entire 56 miles.  I was smiling and laughing and having the best time riding my bike.  My total bike time?  2:24-- 13 minutes faster than any previous half Ironman, and 2nd off the bike in my age group!

Coming back into transition the sun was intermittently peeking out and it was heating up.  Thankfully I love the heat and when the breeze hit me just the right way I actually was a bit chilly.  Coming off the bike I could feel the effort in my legs immediately.  What we wanted to see was could I run my pace for 13 miles?  Or would I fade?

This must have been loop 1- I was still smiling!

The run course was 3 loops.  3 very crowded loops.  With 1 U-turn per mile.  And a football field long gravel pit each loop.  Football field long gravel pit with mud puddles.  And even though it was extremely flat, I could feel every single slight pitch upwards.  I dialed in my pace and I ran.  HHV was cheering for me on course, and passing on text message instructions from my coach.  It was so awesome to have her there and I looked forward to seeing her every loop.  When I passed her the last time I shouted "see you at the finish!!"

I ran a 1:47:55, about 2 minutes slower than Oceanside but after a significantly harder (effort wise) bike ride.  I was thrilled and happy to cross the line in 4:48:14.  HHV walked me around a little as my asthma threatened to flare up and got me into the food tent.  Once we were finally able to remove my gear from transition we went back to the hotel to pack up.  In 60 minutes we:  disassembled Hope and packed her in the Hen House for travel, took turns showering and packing our luggage, loaded our rental car, and drove back to the venue for the awards ceremony.

4th place, 35-39 age group!

I took home the 4th place age group award (again!)!  I am hoping to move up to top 3 for IM Texas in a few weeks but was thrilled with this considering where I'm at in training and the competition that showed up in Galveston.  Top 3 girls in my age group ran a 1:30 half marathon...  my half PR (for running race, not post 56 mile bike ride) is 1:35 so I really can't beat myself up about losing to that kind of effort!

We hit the road pretty quickly after awards because we had a flight to catch out of Houston.  I'd like to say I slept like a baby but I couldn't get comfortable on the flight --everything hurt... and I didn't sleep well that night once we got home either.  But all is well and good and now I'm down to 12 days to Ironman Texas.

Best. Sherpa. Ever!!

Huge thank you to HHV for agreeing to go with me on such short notice.  I could not think of anyone I'd rather have had with me in Galveston!  Thank you Chris from Dimond Bikes/ Ruster Sports for being available and for letting me borrow a couple of tools and your hat for the podium.  I'll see you in the Woodlands!  Thanks Larry and the team at Two Wheel Jones for everything you do to keep my gem up and running.  You are much appreciated.

Next stop:  The Woodlands!!

Thank you Dimond Bikes for making the BEST bike on the market!!!

#IamUNBREAKABLE

Recently Smashfest Queen announced a contest of sorts when they shared this post:

"We chose the name Unbreakable for our kit because we believe that, like the diamond, our strength is created under pressure. We believe that the bigger the challenge, the greater the opportunity for strength. We believe that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.We would love to hear your story of a challenge you had to overcome in training or racing that ultimately added to your arsenal...an experience after which you emerged feeling Unbreakable."

Unbreakable kit shown here!

Instantly upon reading of the contest, I thought of my friend Shayna.  Many local people know Shayna personally or have seen her story either on the news or through a friend.  I messaged her and said:  THIS IS YOU!!  and encouraged her to share her story one more time.  Though the contest winners are chosen at random I believe Shayna is the definition of Unbreakable.  I am honored that she chose to share her story on my blog and I hope that I can represent her well.  Most of the story is written by Shayna unless I've noted otherwise.  I recommend grabbing a box of tissues...

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June 30^th, 2012 a beautiful morning for a bike ride with friends. Myself and five others head out for a ride called ‘Around the Mountain’.  After a bit of a warm up, Kata takes off quickly, Maria is in pursuit and I am trying like hell to keep up. The others are behind me. We all get separated about a mile apart. With my hands in the drops, my legs going as fast as I could, I look down at my Garmin to see my speed at 25MPH, when I looked back up I saw the car. I do not know if she saw me immediately, but I was told she never hit her brakes. A drunk driver in a Jeep (on her way home after a long night out) had pulled in front of me.  I did not have time to hit my brakes and we collided.

I remember seeing the Jeep, I remember feeling my body slam into the car and then I woke up. I was confused and not understanding what had happened. I turned my head to see my wrist had spun around and popped out of the skin, I couldn't move. I knew. My lungs had collapsed, I could not breath well and started to panic. I don’t even have words for the pain. I hope to God no one has to ever feel that. I hate that memory.

I was evacuated by helicopter to St Joseph’s hospital where I spent four and half hours in surgery. I shattered both wrists, collapsed my lungs, broke my pelvis in three spots (millimeters from my spine, so lucky!), broke my SC joint, tore the ac joint in one shoulder, tore the rotator cuff in the other, compound fracture on right knee.  Coming out of surgery every limb was covered in ace bandages and Velcro wraps, except for my left knee. After a few days I would try and walk on that leg but it hurt. Finally after a few days of complaining they x-rayed my knee. I went into another surgery lasting over 4 hours. Every ligament was completely torn, tendons ripped, knee dislocated and meniscus was displaced. For anyone that has had this type of reconstructive surgery, I am sorry.

I stayed in the trauma unit for 9 days. Maria never left my side, friends were always coming by to see me, and to help. So many people to thank! I will always believe in my heart that I had such a fantastic recovery because of the love I was shown from so many people.

After the hospital, I went home for two weeks were I stayed in a hospital bed. Friends would take shifts taking care of me and bringing over meals. After the first week I could move my arms but I could not weight bear. I was completely reliant on others.

Shayna one month post accident.

I spent the next two months in care center. I was unable to move my legs and still had no weight bearing on my wrists until the last week of my stay. I learned how to get in and out of a wheelchair, shower myself and finally got to take my first steps. I had a goal that kept me positive. I wanted to do Ironman 2013. I had been training for the Mountain Man triathlon when the accident happened.  Ironman was not on my radar at that time, but having finished Ironman Arizona 2011, I felt like that was the pinnacle of health and fitness that I wanted to get back to.  

Shayna 2 months post accident.  Learning to walk again.

I left the care center at the end of August 2012. I finally got to go home to continue my rehab there.  September, I had to have two more surgeries on my neck to repair the broken SC joint. I was unable to move my left arm for weeks. Feeling frustrated, scared and like I had another setback, I refused to let this get the best of me. On the positive side, I was able to walk more.

In mid-November 2012 I remember going down to watch Ironman Arizona at the bike course on the Beeline at Shea. Later that evening as I watched my friends finish Ironman, I made the decision. First thing in the morning I waited in line and signed up for IMAZ 2013. I signed up for Ironman so I would have a reason to get out of bed. (I could easily get depressed.) I signed up to prove to myself that the drunk driver did not get the best of me. I would not let her take anything more from me. I signed up because I just wanted to be me again.

Shayna promotes bicycle safety and law.  By law, vehicles are required to give 3 feet when passing a cyclist.  If there is not enough room to allow 3 feet, it is illegal and unsafe to pass.

The journey began. By December I learned how to walk some distance without a walker. Who knew that walking down a set of stairs required so much balance? January my goal was to ride my bike again. I don’t know how many times I ‘tried’ to ride but it was too much for me emotionally. Sometimes I would just look at the bike and cry. When I finally got that first ride in, I was so happy!!! I did it! Physically it was difficult as some days I had trouble getting my leg over the bike frame, or after a ride I would be stuck and couldn't get off without help.  Still to this day not every ride is easy, I get scared. Sometimes I can’t get on the bike because the fear is paralyzing.

Shayna's bike frame - destroyed when she was hit by a car.

February I started running. My runs were slow, painful and frustrating. I could barely run a 15 minute mile pace and only for a few minutes at a time. After every time I tried to run, I would have to rest and stay off my legs for days. My knees were so painful. It took months before I could go 3 miles without stopping. I tried everything I could do to make it easier to run. I went to physical therapy, I got my knees taped, I took Advil, I used compression and still to this day, I wear pain patches.

Over the next few months I got stronger on the bike and my muscles started to return. Every time I rode, I felt protected. My wife and my friends would ride next to me and behind me, helping me feel safe from cars. I had a goal and I was not going to stop till I got there.

I struggled, mentally and physically every time I ran. Looking back now, I am pretty sure I cried on every run.

My longest run before Ironman was 13 miles, most of which was walking. My plan was to run to each aid station then walk through.

Ironman morning I prayed to God.  I asked him to please just for this one day, allow me to be pain free.  I don't know if it was the endorphins, or everyone smiling and cheering me on out there, but He answered my prayers and for that one day, for those 12 hours, I was pain free.

I knew what my times would be for the swim and bike from training.  The run was unknown, but I just wanted to get through it and enjoy being out there.  Ironman is a good day, that's what sucks you in.  The training is awful and hurts, and then you get to race day and everyone is smiling and cheering, you just have to smile back.  

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Shayna crossed the finish line of Ironman Arizona 2013 in 12 hours, 51 minutes, and 29 seconds.  A PR at the iron distance by an hour.  Doctors told her that if she hadn't been in such great shape when she was hit, she would have been dead.  Since November 2013 she has taken on the Tahoe Rim Trail 50k, Silverman 70.3 - a notoriously difficult half ironman, and the Tour de Scottsdale- among other smaller feats.  And recently she ran a half marathon NONSTOP, the first time she's been able to run more than 9 miles at a time since the accident.  

I asked Shayna what unbreakable meant to her.  She replied, "unstoppable, strong... determined."  She then asked me what it meant to me.  I told her that when I close my eyes, and I imagine her lying on the side of the road, shattered into a thousand pieces and then imagine her body knitting itself back together, healing, over months and years... that is unbreakable.  Not that we are never broken, but that when we are broken, we come back together stronger than we were before.  Shayna is UNBREAKABLE.  

Shayna in Orange Crush, smiling on her bike ride!