Troika 2014...Three is Better Then One.

The Troika Triathlon is a local Tri that begins and ends in Medical Lake. This year was the 34th annual addition of the event and the first time there were two distances offered, a sprint and a half-iron. I chose the half-iron distance or maybe I should say it chose me.

I have participated in this race a few times over the years, it's a race I love to support. It's local, it's small, it's a race that a fair amount of athletes use to make the leap to long course. Troika was my first half-iron distance race.

When Ironman Coeur d'Alene was moved from Salt Lake, long course or Iron distance racing popped up on our radar. Having never raced long course it was a natural step to a half before stepping up to full iron distance. Troika was a perfect fit to make that happen.

Over the past few years I have raced Troika as part of a team. This year was not to be any different and Team Five Boobs was in place. Earlier in the year race director Scott Ward had spoke at a Tri Fusion monthly meeting about the race. He was kind enough to offer a free slot to both distances for raffle. Well guess who won the half-iron distance slot? That's right, me! I never win anything. Very cool!

I reached out to Scott about the team and he was glad to let us pay the difference between a free individual entry and a team entry. We were set to race as a mixed team. It would be Super Swimmer Tratz with me on the bike and Bootsy on the run. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to race together and liked our chances for a strong race.

Until...

I haven't been swimming much this Spring and my run has been coming along but is not in race condition. However the bike has been good and I was looking forward to a solid bike effort to evaluate my fitness. That was until about two weeks prior to the race when I got a text from Super Swimmer, she had fallen and broken her thumb, she was out. Bootsy has had a few niggles and went to Doc to try to work through them. The decision was made that it wasn't the best time for a race effort, so she was out. Team Five Boobs had been reduced to one single boob.

Once it became obvious that I would be racing solo a change in mental approach was needed. I would go from competing to participating, using this race as a long training day. This race would also serve to draw a baseline on where my fitness is and more importantly, how far I need to progress before Calgary.

In the days leading up to the race I felt no pressure. Just another training day, right? But I still went through the usual pre race prep, securing nutrition and changing out the bike with race gear.

Race morning I arrived a bite later then I had hoped but it was just a training day so my place in transition was of no real concern. I found a spot near the far end of transition with lots of room and athletes with the same mental state about the race as mine. It was a relaxed atmosphere to say the least and very welcome.

I squeezed into the wetsuit and headed down to the water. As the time for the gun approached I moved to the back, I had no interest in a quick start. There was plenty of room on the beach which made it easy to get off to a good start.

The issue with limited swim fitness usually doesn't manifest in the swim itself, my general fitness can carry me through the swim. The lack of swim fitness seems to bite me on the bottom side late in the day. Lack of swim fitness can costs me on the run.

Going into the race I, of course, had a range of times in my head I hoped to swim. Coming out of the water prior to what I thought I would was a highlight of the day but left me wondering if I went to hard and would pay later. Very few blow up in the swim. Everyone has only so much gas in the tank, the swim is the beginning of the emptying of that tank.

Photo by Tom Reisenauer

Out on the bike and I quickly settled in. Again, it's a smaller race so there aren't a lot of people to pass in the early part of the race even for a slower swimmer. There was a tailwind on the way out which pushed us along. It's not as easy to close on other riders with a strong tailwind. We were all moving along well and the miles were ticking off pretty quickly.

The turnaround brought us into a headwind which slowed the field. As we worked our way back toward town I was able to catch a teammate or two. It's always great to see friendly faces as you grind into the wind.

The last 6 or 8 miles I was pretty fidgety on the bike. The floatation of the wetsuit can add tension to my back but with good swim fitness it doesn't seem to bother me much. With limited swim fitness a tight back on the bike is just another price to pay. I would stand to stretch my back from time to time but the stretching and fidgeting were breaking my rhythm. This was costing me minutes not just the seconds it took to stretch my back.

Going into the race I knew the run would be the true test. How my body reacts to the stress of half-iron race pace would be found on the run course and I knew it.

The first loop of the three loop course was trying. My tummy wasn't exactly settled but I controlled it with some nutrition and Gummy Bears. Gotta love the Gummy Bears. I eventually came across friend, teammate, and super fan in Jessi T who had been out on course with her family all day. I was struggling to settle in on the run and when Jessi T encouraged/coached me to "find a rhythm", I had my starting point to build from for the rest of the run.

Photo by Jessi T/Tri Fusion

The second loop went better and seemed to slip by without much trouble. The third loop was a different story. This loop would prove to give me a good picture of where my fitness is currently. There is a lot of work to be done to get to where I hope I can with my fitness, but it was fun to race. With friends and teammates out on course doing the same thing I was, testing their fitness, it felt good to be racing in their company. It was great just to be out there racing with them.

Getting some high fives.
Photo by Reanna Guerrero

I love racing locally. Sometimes I forget just how great it can be. There were so many friendly face out on course with countless cheers of encouragement and high fives. It is a blessing to be able to draw energy from the folks that have come to support you and the race as a whole. And on this "long training day", I can't say thank you enough to everybody out there. My memories of this race will always be filled with your encouragement and smiling faces!

First Love

"I am glad it cannot happen twice, the fever of first love. For it is a fever, and a burden, too, whatever the poets may say." - Daphne du Maurier

There is no second guessing it, you will know. It's like nothing you've ever felt before. You're anxious but nervous, yet completely comfortable. Thoughts bring smiles without realizing it. The feeling never fades and can actually get stronger with time.

Photo by Bootsy

In January of 2010 Bootsy and I were in Tempe for the Arizona Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon. Since we were signed up for Ironman Arizona in the fall we thought we would kill two birds with one stone and preview the IM race course while in town. Renting road bikes to do so seemed like a good idea at the time.

Big mistake! Huge!

Our rentals in Arizona were just the beginning of a love affair for Bootsy, it proved to rekindle an old flame in me. Subsequently, we have rented road bikes on other occasions as well. Once riding the vineyards in the Portland, Oregon area and again locally when our tri bikes were in the shop being tuned.

Bootsy has been sucking around about road bikes for more then a few years now and our foray into rentals had only proven to fuel her fire. I had never jumped on board, always with excuses; "We have races to train for so lets stick to the tri bikes. It's an expense that isn't needed outside of our triathlon pursuits."

The reality is that I know my love for road bikes, with the comfort and stiffness they provide. Just the thought of the ride brings the taste of adrenaline to the back of my throat and reminds me how the road whispers to me as if it were a secret. I simply didn't want my love for losing myself in a ride to interfere with the complexity of triathlon training.

This year we have chosen to race late in the season so we aren't under the same riggers of early season triathlon training. We are training regularly but with a little more latitude and a fair amount of our scheduled rides written as "Endurance Bike - Mountain or Road".

Enter road bikes...

I hate to say it but Bootsy and I aren't getting any younger. We have raced long course triathlon a bit over the past few years and realize we will eventually begin to slide away from the stringent nature of year to year Iron distance training. We can see ourselves moving more toward organized events and away from a regular race schedule.

Grand Fondos and weekend rides through specific areas in our region are things we see ourself doing. Places where we can combine our love for cycling and the intimate views it provides with some photography are things we would like to start knocking of the bucket list. There are plenty of places we've breezed through in the car maybe stopping to get a quick picture or two that we have wondered if we would like to get back to and ride through.

We have the privilege of living in the West. From weekend rides through the San Juan Islands to rides through the mountain of Montana to the rugged beauty of the Badlands of South Dakota, these are just a few areas well within reach. Some of these areas, with their amazing beauty, have pulled us back toward road bikes and the freedoms they provide.

Photo by Scott Jones

So as my Tri bike lies in wait for my return to regular riding this summer, I ride the road and some trails. Yes it's true, I have more then one love and I will return soon enough but first love can be a temptress. A longing can exist for her touch, her feel and how you just may have felt in days gone by.

Bloomsday

The Lilac Bloomsday Run, more commonly known simply as Bloomsday, is one of the largest timed road races in the world. The race is held annually on the first weekend in May. Bloomsday starts and ends in the streets of downtown Spokane, in between is where the magic lies. This 12km (7.46 mi) race was first held in 1977, making this years addition the 37th. running. This year was my 26th. consecutive running.

Photo by Bloomsday Run

There were 50,000+ signed up for this years race. In it's zenith, 61,298 participants registered for this spectacle. With crowds of this size most people fall on one side or the other. You either don't do the race because of the crowds or that's exactly why you do the race. I fall on the latter side.

I first witnessed the race in 1988. I was in photography school locally and some friends were participating so I grabbed my camera and headed down to the race. I found what I thought would be a good vantage point to get some shots and had it in my head that I would be able to catch them as they passed. Needle in a haystack?

My chosen spot was roadside at about the one mile maker of the race. When I say roadside, what I mean is on the curb. There is a 4 to 5 foot grass area between the road and the sidewalk which then leads to an uphill to what has now become the M.A.C.

I took a few photos of the lead runners and the crowd as a whole as the masses grew. Looking through the viewfinder in search of a few images that might tell the story of the race, I failed to understand exactly how the crowd of racers were growing. The race had swollen beyond the confines of the road itself and had quickly engulfed the entire area from sidewalk to sidewalk. This leaving me to find refuge behind a tree, refuge from the race itself. I was trapped on the curb by the shear masses as they passed. I waited, I wondered, I laughed, trapped behind the tree, trapped by humanity. In that moment I knew I had to be part of this.

Fast forward 26 years...

Sunday I was blessed with another Bloomsday. Bloomsday has grown to be much more then just a 12km run through the beauty of Spring in Spokane. It's a tradition. Bloomsday is the only event that continues to be on my must do list year after year. There have been years when my entire training focus has been on this race and that has brought P.R.'s. I have also limped my way through the race after knee surgery. I have raced Wildflower on a Saturday, only to return to Spokane early Sunday morning to complete the race. There have been Bloomsday's in the heat, there have been Bloomsday's in the snow and everything in between. My 26 start lines have brought plenty but not everything. I will continue to race for one reason and one reason only, I want to. I couldn't imagine not doing Bloomsday each year. It's been in my blood since 1988.

Timex Factory Team

It is truly an honor to have been selected to represent the TIMEX brand during the 2014 racing season as part of the Timex Factory Team. I will be joining more then 300 multisport and endurance athletes from across the country and around the world. I am very excited about this opportunity as Timex has a long history as one of the premier multisport teams in the world.

Log on to learn more about the Timex Factory Team and the phenomenal opportunities Timex has to offer.

Teammates: The push and pull.

I committed to doing the Snake River Tri long ago. I signed up on day one of the race.

This race has long been one of my favorite early season triathlons. It's a quirky race for sure. The swim is held Friday night, the bike and run are in Lewiston Idaho Saturday morning. Name another race where a 19 hour T1 is considered a good split.

In an effort to give back to our local community's early triathlon season and to support a great race put on by some great people, Team TriFusion has stepped up to sponsor a swim right here in Spokane.

The last time I was in the water was Sunday, November 19th for Ironman Arizona. I haven't been swimming at all and that's "by design". After a conscious effort to take some time away after IMAZ, my training has been light this Spring. Under the direction of my Doctor, I am to work on my bike and run first. Using those two disciplines to start building a base for the season, the swim will come last. Because of this I had some reservations about signing up for this race.

I got into the pool for a 500 yard swim with the encouragement and some light ribbing from teammates. I knew it would be a challenge. You can't take that kind of time away from the pool, show up to give an all out effort and think it's going to go well. It went as expected. I was out of the water in 35th place...You get what you pay for.

T1 - My favorite T1 in all of racing.

After helping with the timing and recording of other swimmers, we cleaned up and headed to dinner. Eight friends and teammates had a great Mexican meal where I was sure to order a single adult beverage only so I could claim I had a beer in T1.

The following morning Bootsy and I were up and on our way to Lewiston by 6:30 a.m. We arrived in time to find a good spot in transition and time for a quick warm up.

The race was scheduled to start at 10 a.m. but keeping in the low key nature of the race, it started shortly after the top of the hour. And in keeping with the quirky nature of the race itself, the participants line up at the far end of transition and after the gun fires you stand around waiting for the clock to hit your swim time. So if your swim time was 7 minutes 30 seconds you waited at the start line until the clock shows 0:7:30 and off you go. The gun fired and we all just stood around, some of us posing for pictures.

Photo by Fiona Dobbins

As we stood waiting for our individual times to appear on the race clock a few jabs began to fly. Kellee was first to throw the gauntlet which landed squarely at my feet. Just something friends do in an effort to push each other to make sure they are prepared and willing to give their all. She quipped how she would out split me on the bike. Kellee is a world class athlete, qualifying and racing Boston, she has out split me on the bike in other events. At Ironman Coeur d'Alene this past summer I wasn't in her time zone off the bike. The guys quickly picked up on it and the challenge was on.

This race features a 13 mile bike course which takes you 6.5 mile straight up Tammany Creek Grade on an out and back course which naturally comes 6.5 mile straight back down. I settled in quickly and found a good rhythm. Do to my level of fitness (or lack there of) the obvious plan was to race on feel. I would error on the side of over riding in hopes of taking back more time on the bike then I would give up on the run. Never a solid race plan by any means but I knew my run wouldn't be strong whatever the case. I was having some luck moving through the field and when I came upon Kellee my intention was not to lift my effort or rhythm. Passing just off her left shoulder I gave her a "jump on my wheel". Missing my wheel she did lift her effort to match mine. This is another thing I love about small races and triathlon as a whole, pushing each other in an effort to get their very best. 

When I hit the turnaround at the midway point, Kellee was standing right on top of me. I knew she would get me in the run but I was glad I could help pull a friend along on the bike. Turning for the bottom I pushed hard knowing gravity never takes a day off and my oversized frame would need to rely heavily on that. I got off the bike 10th overall.

Bootsy had elected not to race but was kind enough to travel with me. She was standing just out of T2 as I began the run. As I started out I wondered if I were "running" at all. After the race Bootsy confirmed my doubts asking "How was your run? You looked like you were struggling out of T2". Never able to settle into a good rhythm, I used heart rate to control or push my effort, not worrying about pace. Shortly after the turnaround Kellee returned the favor with a quick hand slap of recognition as she passed with a "come on let's run this in together". The only thing I could do was to utter "Go get yours Girl" or I'm all in and there is nothing I can do to match that pace.

I came to this race with some reservation but it didn't disappoint. The Snake River Tri proved fun as always in its own quirky way. I enjoyed spending time with friends and teammates, pushing each other, supporting each other, ribbing each other. I finished second in my age group well behind a teammate who had turned himself inside out in an effort to test his fitness. This guy left it all out there, tromboning what was left of his breakfast just past the finish line. Whether a fellow competitor finishes 10 minutes ahead of me or 20 minutes behind, pushing themselves hard enough to leave the remainder of their breakfast on the sidewalk always leaves me asking if I did enough. Did I leave it all out there? Next time can I go harder, push myself further?

Photo by Tom Reisenauer

After returning to Spokane, Bootsy and I had some lunch and a quick nap before heading down to a local brewery to hear a long time friend play some music and to celebrate a birthday. Bootsy convinced me to ride the mountain bikes down. She thought it would be a good idea to spin out the legs that had tightened up from a sprint effort. This proved to be a great idea and a reminder that we don't do enough of this. With the weather changing for the better I hope we continue to take the opportunity to do more of this kind of thing. It proved to be a great day all around I must say.

Music and a birthday at the Iron Goat

"So many castles to storm and so little time."

A new season has begun and with it comes new challenges and new goals. Because goals are merely dreams that are time bound, I find it easier to compartmentalize and to commit to them. Bootsie and I are continuing in our commitment to Iron distance racing and with any luck we will both compete in two this year. We hope our blessings of good health and a few finish lines will continue.

Iron distance racing provides many life lessons. One of which is how to do more with less. How to squeeze in one more run, one more ride, one more mile, one more minute. Without careful consideration this can become the pursuit of a single direction, a single and consuming goal.

Last year, although I raced very little or almost not at all as far as number of races within a season, I was lucky enough to toe the line twice. In that, I still struggled with the fact that the process of those two events became more then I was comfortable with.  There were other highlights within the calendar year, graduations, trips abroad, and some simpler times spent alone with Bootsie but for me, things outside of racing were a little bent by the process of getting to the next start line. As I saw it, to many things away from racing were controlled by the process of getting to race day. I began to lose sight of my "Castles" or some of my life pursuits as I chased large goals.

So how do I correct this? I will choose to chase smaller goals and to focus on the smaller things within the process. Now, that being said, Bootsie and I are signed up for Calgary 70.3, Ironman Wisconsin and Ironman Arizona. These will be the races we build our season around. Our large goals will lie in these races.

But…

Because of the enormity of Iron distance races and what I would like to think of as respect for the distance, the training it takes to get to the start line and for the other athletes who have done the same, I find I am not very engaging in and around Iron distance races. I find myself focused solely on the event itself. So lately I have been scouring the local race schedules. I have a strong desire to include in my race schedule smaller local events. Events where I can reconnect with my roots, with friends and with teammates.  I have sorely missed hanging out with folks as we set up transition, the post race stories of the day and "refueling" stops on the way home. Races like The Snake River Triathlon, Founders Day Trail Blazer Tri and The Palouse River Duathlon are among the events I am pretty excited about participating in this year.

After IMAZ in November, I knew it was time to take a break from any kind of pursuit both physically and mentally. I wanted to let it come to me. I have been waiting to start any kind of regular training until that happens. I have been doing what sounds good and sometimes that means nothing at all. Truth be told, last weekend I actually built my tri bike which had remained in the bike box since traveling home from Arizona. I have however been riding my mountain bike from time to time.

So it's time to bring this season into focus and get back to smaller and better things.

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” - IMAZ 2013

It is my belief that we all have souls. An essiance deep within us that makes us who we are, makes us different then anyone else. The driving force at our core where "you" are located. Most people don't have reason to give their soul much thought. That's because they have never been tested. Never been asked what they are truly made of; mentally, physically, emotionally. I came to Ironman Arizona this year not only to test my soul, I came to honor the strength in the soul of another.

March 4th 2012, my mother calls to tell me my Aunt has had a heart attack, she's alive but ailing. A week later I get the same call, her heart has stopped as the result of a second heart attack, she's still alive but ailing. Aunt Joanie is someone who has always been active. Her profession as a nurse kept her on her feet all day everyday. As a wife of a now cattle rancher, the mother of two and the grandmother of five very active grandchildren, to say she spends her days on the go is an understatement. We have shared the start line at Bloomsday where in training she walked to and from work, as much as 8 miles each day. Her recovery from the heart attacks would be slow but steady. The doctors said her heart would likely never regain full strength but at 50% she would be able to live her life as close to normal as possible.

February 2013, another call from my mother, Joanie has cancer and it's bad. The cancer has blocked her intestine. It would need to be removed, a very invasive surgery. Post op would bring chemo. Her heart now functioning at or around 50% would be asked to support her body through two rounds of chemo. The chemo, if it works, would reduce that percentage, how much was unknown. The doctors would need to evaluate on a weekly basis if her heart could continue to take the chemo. I don't live close enough to visit as much as I would like but my mother and sister would visit Joanie in what was a long hospital stay. They were left to tell the stories of how awful the chemo was and how backward it can be to pray her heart is strong enough to put her through something so devastating to her body. But the alternative was unthinkable.

I have always been aware of the inner strength my Aunt possesses. But to see her go about daily life with a heart at 30% functionality and to do it with such grace and dignity, that is something I could draw from, something to be honored.

My little February bike accident has been well documented and it's result still lingers. I spent the majority of the last year rehabbing in an effort to get my lower back to calm down. An MRI revealed a 20% deterioration of L5, which has left me with Facet Joint irritation. Rest is commonplace but who has time for that, right? It was decided I wouldn't do any additional damage if I trained through the injury, I would just have to take the pain. I.E. Suck it up Buttercup.

In June I came into Ironman Coeur d'Alene with very little base and under trained. Although I wouldn't say it was a disaster, I finished, I would say it was the hardest race I have ever done. I was left with a IM race I have very little memory of (but that's a topic for another post) and a confidence that had been shaken…badly!

Riverside State Park trails.

When training for Ironman Arizona I do a fair amount on my own. During some of the largest builds for the race most folks have wrapped up their season and are done for the year. This leaves me plenty of solo workouts which I happen to kind of like. Time alone with my thoughts outside in all the beauty Mother Nature provides. The seasons are changing and there truly is beauty at every turn. We live, literally, a stones throw from Riverside State Park, a perfect place for long solo trail runs. I would think this is part of the reason I continue to race IMAZ.

This year was different mentally because of the physical nature of my "injury". Separating the two became a challenge, not letting the physical discomfort become mental discomfort. But I'm human and there were inevitably days of "poor me" workouts where I just wasn't feeling it or was so very tired in a big build. It's all part of the IM process of building a stronger body and mind. With little base training, I found myself needing something else to lean on when it came to doing some of the long solo training sessions my body or mind just don't want to do. I found myself thinking a lot about and leaning on my Aunt with her 30% heart function. I drew strength in the fact that…I could. I could be out running or riding, whatever the day, whatever the distance. If she can get through an average day with such grace then the least I can do is get through a workout the same way. I.E. Suck it up Buttercup.

Leading up to the race I asked if Joanie would send a little something that I could carry during the race as a reminder in hard times. Maybe a small note or a small piece of jewelry. My thoughts were she would send a single earring that she had lost the mate to or something along those lines. Something that if lost in the craziness that is an Ironman wouldn't be missed. Well, it didn't work out that way. In a very "Aunt Joanie" way, she sent one of her most prize possessions. A dime she found on her high school senior picnic and has worn on a neckless for 54 years. "This dime has the power to hold memories. It helps you reflect on happy times. It cannot only show you where you have been, but it can help you find where you are going. It will get you to the end of your race." Yeah...No pressure! But with it safely pinned inside the pocket of my tri top, I felt it would be safe for the entire 140.6 mile journey.

…….

Thursday before race day, Bootsie and I board the plane along with Speedy G and Nat. Triathletes are a strange and odd group of people, it comes with the territory. And as one of the very few B personality types in the entire triathlon field, some of the oddities strike me differently. But there is one thing that is a constant - "We take care of our own"! Yep, the three I sit with on the plane are traveling to Tempe Arizona to support me not only on race day but in all needs I may have surrounding the race itself. The words "thank you" will never be near enough!

Race morning and I'm up at 3:55 a.m. A shower and some breakfast. Yes I'm nervous, I get it. I'm not sure what this day will hold. Will my back stay together or will it fire up in the swim like it has all year? Will the bike eat me up like in IMCDA? Can I finish? How deep can I go and how dark can I get? Lots of questions lead to two things. The first is my snapping at Bootsie about nothing at all the night before the race. The circumstances were stupid but an avenue for a release of tension is needed. The second is my tromboning breakfast on race morning. Yep, it's a two breakfast kind of morning.

Down to the race start at about 5:15 or so. I prep the bike and drop my nutrition for the day. I head over to special needs where Bootsie, Speed G and Nat meet me and thank goodness. I'm unfocused and frankly I'm coming apart a little. Bootsie gathers me in telling me to stay out of my own head. The three of them poke fun at the quirky triathletes and their fans. All good natured fun and all in an effort to keep the mood light. It works and off to the swim start I go.

The swim goes smoothly, it's tight at first but clears by the mid point. There are some low clouds muting the sunrise. Sunrise on race day is actually after the race begins. At IMAZ you swim directly into the rising sun which broke out of the clouds just as I made the turnaround. Perfect! I tried to concentrate on staying long and relaxed in my stroke. Any added effort due to contact with other athletes added tension to my back so I took it very easy and relaxed.

I exited the water at 1:23+ and my back was showing no signs of flaring. A quick wave to my support crew standing on the bridge over looking T1 and into the tent I go. With this race I knew I needed to break it into three completely separate events so I took a little more time (then I probably should have) in T1 to make sure I was stretched and ready for the bike.

Out on the bike and I knew my 1:23 swim was a leading indicator of the day to come so I took it exceedingly easy on the first of three loops. I just cruised, enjoying the moment. When racing Ironman, fun can be a precarious word but I was actually having fun, lots of fun. I had a low spot at about the midway point in the bike but was able to control it. Heading back out for the third loop I felt good. I found a guy with a strong pace about 200 meters up the road, keeping him at about that distance I used him as a carrot to pull me along. We were passing lots of people which can be up lifting. All I was thinking was how I needed to make it to the turnaround at about mile 95 and it's slightly down hill to the finish. Mile 100 and not surprisingly the wheels came off. I blew up! There was no comfortable riding position and nutrition was a challenge. I go away from any solid nutrition supporting my calorie needs with liquids. I had mentally pulled the race into thirds but you can't do that with nutrition so I soldier on, taking calories my body needs but I really didn't want.

The Hot Corner
Photo By Greg Gallagher

Rolling into the hot corner for the final time and there they are, the support crew. Speedy G had, for a dollar, bought a "clown horn" for race day at a local bike shop. Just Speedy G being Speedy G. It was pretty silly and he got a look or two from his wife about the whole thing but as a racer, that horn was perfect. I was able to find them every time through. Be it out of the water where the crowds are huge or speeding by on the bike. Good purchase G!

T2 - Check. I hit the suntan lotion station and pull off to the side of the water station so I can get some electrolytes and a gel before heading out on the run.

Feeling the aid station love.
Photo by Natalie Gallagher

The run…This is where I had no idea what to expect physically and after my implosion on the bike, I had reason for pause. They changed the run course from a three loop to two so I wasn't 100% sure of the course. I previewed it the days leading up to the race but race conditions are always different both physically and mentally. My plan was to break the race in halves, then into quarters and then into miles. So I would be running from aid station to aid station.

I had so much race day support, from the people who had traveled to the race, to the neckless securely fastened to my tri top, to the many people that had reached out to me and were tracking me on race day. I wanted to pick something as a gesture of thank you for all the support they were providing so when I received the following text I knew how I could do just that: "I am with you in spirit the whole race but on the run in a special way....do this for me: Every mile marker you pass so 26 times...while you run past it no matter how you feel..flash a smile and say this is for Kathi…". I found great comfort in counting off the miles with Best and everyone else that were lending their support.

Booties, Speedy G and Nat had volunteered on a run course and were at about the mid point of each lap. When I rolled into their aid station the first time my sugar was a little off so I was at a low point but their enthusiasm helped lift my spirits.

Bootsie working the aid station.
Photo by Natalie Gallagher

On the second loop of the run I felt reasonably good. I was walking the aid stations to be sure I kept my nutrition in line but the concrete was beginning to wear on me. I had a hip flexor that was absolutely driving me crazy and my hamstrings were tightening up to a point where they need to be stretched. Any out right stretching in the latter parts of an Ironman has always proved interesting. As soon as I begin stretching the afflicted area in my legs the opposing muscles would cramp. So I would do a series of high knee lifts as I ran to stretch the hamstrings.

It had gotten dark and for me the course had taken on a different mood. I was slowing down and had time for reflection on what this race meant to me. Iron distance races are often judged solely on time. How fast was your swim? What were your transition times? I do it everyday. But I found what can happen is the way you precieve a preformence or result is different then how others precive it. Judgement is often reserved for when you cross the finish line. Sometime your race day identity can get tied up in that. I hadn't come here chasing a time goal of any kind. I had come to test myself under the conditions I was afforded on this race day. I had come to honor others and to see if I posses the same inner strength when challenged by things that are beyond my control. I pray this, the arena that is Iron distance racing is the only arena I am ever tested in such a manner. But as we know it doesn't always work that way.

The 2013 Ironman Arizona finish line was as different as any other I have been blessed with. This finish line was about reaching a destination both physically and mentally. Yes, I covered the 140.6 miles. And yes, I had found things to lift me when times got tough. I only hope I was able to do it with some kind of grace, some kind of dignity.