IRONMAN FL 2017 Post Race Report

Conditions could not have been any better for the 19th running of IRONMAN Florida. The gulf waters were crystal clear and smooth as a pancake, the winds were light and the heat held back.

This IRONMAN was like nothing I have ever experienced before. For the first time in 15 finishes, I got to race alongside my brother Mike. We decided to do this race together to celebrate my brother's 40th birthday. In addition, leading into the race we spent one weekend a month training together. The miles, sweat, tears, and memories we got to experience are some of the best moments of my life and I will cherish this experience forever! 

Pre-race

This race, I had a much different mental state than my prior races. I was so excited for the day and not concerned at all about time, speed, or pace so the normal pre-race nerves never really occurred. If it weren't for a terrible mattress at the hotel, I would have slept like a baby. Everything went to plan, got my bike and gear dropped off the day before the race, ate a good meal (chicken, rice, black beans and green beans), and got in bed before 9 pm. 

Race Day

The alarm rang at 4:00 am and the coffee button was pushed. We had breakfast around 4:30 am, which consisted of a bowl of oatmeal with fruit, peanut butter and granola and a cup of coffee. We were walking out of the door to walk down to transition by 5:00 am. A slight difference in this race was my swim gear. I decided to wear a speedo under my wetsuit since I knew I'd have a little bit of extra time in T1 to change while I waited for Mike. That sure made getting the wetsuit on and off a lot easier. After arriving at transition, I set up my hydration on my bike, pumped my tires and met my family at the exit to head for the swim start. 

Swim: 2.4 miles

1:03:32, 1:35/100m

With the conditions as ideal as they were and the amount of time I spent in the pool rehabbing my knee, my brother and I agreed that we would do our own swim and meet in T1 to start the day together. 

This was my fastest IMFL swim I have ever had. I felt smooth, strong and totally relaxed the entire time. Some days your stroke just glides and this was the case on Saturday. We lined up near the front of the swim corral and the first loop was clear and smooth. On the second loop, I dealt with some congestion as I caught the people who started later and were on their first wave.

I exited the water on my second loop and took my time getting my Bike Gear bag and changing in T1. I rinsed off under the fresh water showers, changed into my tri kit, packed my pockets, put on sunscreen, ate a stinger waffle and found my bike and waited for Mike to head out on the 112-mile bike. Mikes goal was to swim around 1:30 and he came in 2 minutes under that.

Bike: 112 miles
5:58:31, 18.74 mph

Mike and I had agreed to stick together and switch who lead every ten miles. He started the first 10 so he was in control of pace and lowering his HR to his goal. I watched my HR as Mike led and when we switched I tried to maintain this same effort, to make sure Mike was staying in his goal zones. Looking at his bike data, we managed this very well. We stopped around mile 30 for a potty break and I had to pick up nutrition as I dropped my gel flask around mile 20. After we got back on the road, around mile 35 the lead biker was heading the opposite direction and Mike came beside me to comment how impressive that was and sure enough, he got popped with a drafting penalty for not passing me once he entered the draft zone.

For the next twenty miles Mike road a little higher than his goal and got ahead of me by about a minute. I waited for him when I caught back up, while he served his 5 minutes.

After mile 50, we switched back and forth every ten miles and chugged along steadily. And wouldn't you know it, again, Mike got dinged for the second time for drafting around mile 80. This really frazzled him and the mental side of racing really kicked in. He was having to fight the internal demons and find a way to keep moving forward.

We made it back to transition and Mike again, had to head to the penalty tent. I personally didn't mind as now I got to take my sweet time in T2. However, Mike had to deal with the emotions of disappointment, added time to our race and fear of DQ.

Run: 26.2 miles
4:44:20, 10:46/mi


The first few minutes onto the run course was an emotional moment for Mike and I. We dealt with the bike penalties and put them behind us and focused on the 26 miles ahead. We got to see the family in the first half mile of the run course and this helped to turn things around.

We had a goal of maintaining a 4-minute run and 1-minute walk for the first loop. And that is just what we did. Our pace was consistent and steady. My main goal was keeping my brother's heart rate below 160 bpm. So at every aid station, I was grabbing ice and water and stuffing it down the back of his tri kit and making sure he stayed cool.

By the time we started the second loop, the sun had started to sink on the horizon and the temperatures started becoming really pleasant. From then on, it wasn't about keeping HR down, it was about pushing through the fatigue and trying to maintain that same 4:1 ratio. Besides a sock change and a couple extra walk breaks, my brother pushed and maintained that goal. He fought through some mental struggles and fatigue but never quit. He kept his drive and we clicked off mile by mile.

The final 2 miles we decided to really take in the finish and walked extra, talked about the day and enjoyed every last step we had to go.

We approach the finish shoot and saw that finish line and both of us had smiles as big as one can get. We again conquered a day of testing our endurance. As we got close both of us flipped our feet up over our heads and finished with a cartwheel and a shot of fireball (we carried this the entire run).

Total: 140.6 miles
Mike - 12:33:19
Sandy - 12:33:22

Experiencing this race with my brother is an experience I will always remember. It was one of the best days of my life and I am so thankful for the day we got to spend together. 

Offseason has begun! My goal for the next month is to rest my knee and enjoy life! Sweets, a few bad meal choices, craft beer and staying out late having fun! 2018 season will be here before I know it. I'm putting it out there.....goal is to try to hit the sub-5 hour mark for the 70.3 distance. My running is my weakness and I plan to focus on that during the winter. Thanks for reading! 

Ironman 70.3 World Championship Post Race Report

It is hard to believe that less than four months ago I was recovering from knee surgery wondering if I would be able to go compete in Chattanooga. Saturday, September 9 was a day I will remember forever, I crossed the finish line of the 2017 Ironman 70.3 World Championship!

They say that the races you approach with zero stress or expectations are typically the ones you do the best at. That proved to be true for me on Saturday. My goal for this race was to simply make it to the finish line. I did just that but I also had by far my best performance at a championship event. 

In 2009 at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater, FL I was the last finisher in the 18-24 female age group. 

1321 Sandy Holt W18-24

Age Group: 22/22 

Gender: 337/395

Swim: 33:27, T1: 4:39, Bike: 2:46:13, T2: 3:35, Run: 2:13:21, Total: 5:41:15

2010, I improved slightly and finished 58th of 69 in the 25-29 age group. 

1377 Sandy Holt W25-29

Age Group: 58/69

Gender: 331/487

Swim: 33:26, T1: 3:50, Bike: 2:45:14, T2: 3:12, Run: 1:56:21, Total: 5:22:00

This year in Chattanooga may have been my slowest 70.3 World Championship time; however, I improved in my age group and overall. 

1327 Sandy Holt W30-34

Age Group: 128/243

Gender: 681/1706

Swim: 32:34, T1: 5:07, Bike: 3:05:03, T2: 1:56, Run: 1:58:32, Total: 5:43:12

What stands out to me most and also has the largest impact on me, is looking at the number of female participants. In 2009, there were only 395 female athletes, 2010 increased slightly to 487. The female participation increased by 332 percent from 2009 to 2017! WOW! 

Okay, now for the race. 

I arrived in Chattanooga on Thursday afternoon, got checked in, attended the athlete banquet and spent the evening maniacally checking the NOAA Hurricane Irma advisory updates. I was beyond stressed, worried and concerned for my family, friends and fellow Floridians back home. Friday morning I got a practice swim in, spun on the trainer, drove the Lookout Mountain Climb (Ahhhhhh) and dropped off my bike and gear. Race morning arrived before I even had a chance to blink.

There is always a flood of information, events, stresses, and things going on it is hard to stay in the moment and soak everything in. Walking to transition race morning I heard numerous languages, saw tears of joy, smiles, nerves and every emotion possible among my fellow female competitors. Each of the feelings and emotions fueled my strength and mind. The admiration and inspiration I felt when I looked around are why I do this. 

1.2 Mile Swim: 32:34
30-34 AG: 28/243, Top 11.5%

I lined up in the 27-29 minute corral within my age group. I positioned myself with this group, hoping to be able to draft some feet and gain some time on a challenging upstream section. I jumped off the dock and started towards the turn buoy. Once I made the first turn to head upstream I noticed the field of girls I started with all fight and gun for position on the buoy line, I knew the closer I got towards the shore the slower the current would be, so I ventured off on my own closer to shore. I noticed I was passing groups, I knew I made the right choice and decided to stay wide. Turning to cross the river and then downstream was smooth sailing. Every now and then I would have to go around a small group of prior waves I caught up to but that was all. This was one of the smoothest and non-eventful 1.2 miles swim I had ever experienced. Looking at the results of the race, I exited the water 28th in my age and 207th overall. This was just outside of top 10% of both my AG and gender. I was extremely proud of this swim. 

56 Mile Bike: 3:05:03
30-34 AG: 121/243, Top 49.8%

Climb, climb, climb. This 56-mile course had over 3400 ft of elevation gain. I would consider myself a strong cyclist and someone who enjoys climbing so my thought of this course may differ from many. I LOVED it!!! The climb to Lookout Mountain was amazing! 

Lookout climb (from my data file): 3.17 miles, avg. grade 6.1%

Time: 21:09
Pace: 9.0 mph
Cadence: 73 rpm
Heart Rate: 168 bpm (Zone 4)

The descent into Chattanooga Valley was fun! 3.27 miles, avg. grade -5.3%
Time: 6:08
Pace: 32.4 mph
Cadence: 82 rpm
Heart Rate: 128 bpm (Zone 1)

Total: (51-mile file) - I hit the lap button early and it switched into T2 - doh!
Avg HR: 151 bpm (Upper Zone 2)
Avg pace: 18.1 mph
Avg cadence: 84 rpm

Looking at my data file, I know I could have pushed the effort harder in certain sections to have a higher avg HR. Even though I may have been able to squeak out a little more speed, I am so happy with my performance.

13.1 Mile Run: 1:58:32
30-34 AG: 152/243, 62.6%

Running.....something that has never come naturally to me. Well, this run is one of my most proud moments. I was extremely worried how my knee would handle the course, distance and running off of the bike. I went into this run with a plan to run: walk the first loop to see how it would feel then pick it up the second loop if it felt good.

The plan worked to a T.

I got off of the bike and had a stiff knee. It was hard to bend and drive my knee forward. I maintained a 4:30 run and 30-sec walk for the first loop. At mile 2, I took 2 Ibuprofen and by mile 4 my knee started to loosen up. Starting the second loop my confidence started to increase and I decided to push the effort up slightly.

Loop 1: Avg HR 156 bpm, avg pace 9:07/mi, 87 rpm
Loop 2: Avg HR 159 bpm, avg pace 8:56/mi, 87 rpm

I am beyond proud and excited for how the run went. Looking at my data, I know with time, patience, persistence and dedication I will be able to build back up and race a 70.3 to my potential. I look forward to the day I can race a 70.3. For now, I am just so incredibly happy to be able to race no matter the effort at which brings me to the finish line.

Congratulations to my friends and training partners on fantastic races!!! And what is a post race celebration without some good craft beer! Eight weeks until I race Ironman Florida with my brother Michael.

Got my feet wet and had two solid weeks

In less than two weeks, I will be toeing the line with some of the worlds best triathletes and I couldn't be more honored, proud, and excited.

On May 15th I had knee surgery to repair and clean up cartilage. I was unsure how quickly I'd recover and if I would even be able to start this race.

With two weeks to go, I am confident I will be able to start. Last Saturday, I tested out the waters and raced in an international triathlon in St. Pete. I was able to not only complete but test some speed and push myself. I finished the day as the 4th fastest female and won my age group. It was a good day.

Fort DeSoto International Triathlon

Swim: 1/2 mile, 13:05, 1:33/100 yds
Category: 1/4
Overall: 6/119
Gender: 3/37









Bike: 20 miles, 54:37, 22.0 mph
Category: 1/4
Overall: 41/119
Gender: 4/37









Run: 6.1 mile, 54:31, 8:47/mile
Category: 2/4
Overall: 44/119
Gender: 9/37








Training progress since surgery

I have slowly built the distance and I know my body will be ready on race day. My speed hasn't completely returned; however, I am at distance and couldn't be happier. 

This past weekend, I put in my longest distances and today my knee feels great. Countdown to Choo! 

I'm Running Again!

It's been 8.5 weeks since my knee scope and I am officially back to running. Woohoo!!!! Prior to surgery, I was under the impression I'd be back in 4 weeks but that wasn't the case. I had to listen to my body and not rush it.

On May, 25 I had my 10 day post-op appointment with Dr. Loeb, my surgeon.

Notes from report:

• chondral damage - this was shaved smooth
• posterior horn tear to the medial meniscus - this was removed
• anterior synovitis removed

I was cleared to get back in the pool!!! I headed to the pool that afternoon during my lunch break and did an easy 1500 with a pull buoy. Bending my knee was still very challenging but the pull buoy allowed me to float my legs and pull with my upper body! It felt so good to move!

Recovery workouts and hours following surgery:

Days 0-10: Nothing.......went mildly insane
Day 10-14: 2 swims - 3,100 yards
Week 3: 5 swims - 10,100 yards, 2 bike/trainer rides - 1.5 hours
Week 4: 5 swims - 10,800 yards, 2 bike/trainer rides - 2.0 hours, 2 walks - 4.2 miles, 1 - Flow yoga
Week 5: 3 swims - 6,700 yards, 2 bike/trainer rides - 2.25 hours, 1 walk - 3.1 miles, 1 - Flow yoga
Week 6: 5 swims - 12,000 yards, 1 trainer - 1 hour, 1 road ride - 31 miles, 3 walks - 6.4 miles, 1 - Core Flow yoga

May 15 - July 14, 2017

At week 7, I started to incorporate running into my walks. I started with 20 minutes done as 3:1, run:walk ratio. Over the past two weeks, I have built up to a 5 mile run with 4:1 and a 3 mile straight run.

My biking has also started to increase. Last Saturday, I started with my training group (The A-Team) and held on till mile 20 when I turned to cut the ride short. I got in 38 miles in the hills with a significant amount of effort the first 20 miles. And it felt good! Really good to be back with my training partners and friends.

I have 8 weeks till the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Chattanooga. My goal is to make it to the starting line with a body that is ready for the distance. If things keep going like they are, I should be able to build up to distance by then.

Till the next post........

One Week Post-Op

Monday, May 15 was the day I finally decided to do something about my knee. For years I have been running with right knee pain and I had enough. My run has been limited so much from this and with IRONMAN 70.3 Worlds coming up in September, I figured 4-6 weeks of recovery time and 3 months of solid run training was better than what I have been dealing with for too long.

Dr. Loeb at North Florida Sports Medicine performed a knee arthroscopy. This was part diagnosis and part treatment. He had anticipated some cartilage damage behind my knee cap and sure enough that is what he discovered. I go in next Thursday for my post-op to review the pictures and videos of what was removed and repaired during the procedure. Turns out I had a fair amount of floating debris and rough cartilage behind my knee cap that was cleaned and smoothed out.

I was nervous as this was my first time having surgery and going under with general anesthesia; however, I was in good hands as my anesthesiologist happened to be one of my friends. She gave me some quick working juice into my IV before I even headed back and the rest is history.

Looking back at some of my posts over the years, I am certain I made the right decision to have a knee scope done. This procedure will put me on the right path towards a healthier and stronger run.




Recovery

For three days following the procedure, I had to stay off my leg with it elevated above my heart as much as possible. As an athlete, not doing anything at all for three days was very tough. I was going stir crazy, by day three I was beyond ready to take off my bandages and take a shower.

However, bed rest did have its perks. I was able to watch some of Bill Nye's new Netflix show, Bill Nye Saves the World, catch up on sleep, have #tasty dinners made for me, and of course eat copious amounts of ice cream.

It has now been a full week and I am starting to walk around almost normal. My knee joint still has tightness and some swelling, which limits how much I can bend it; however, putting weight on it doesn't hurt at all. Fingers crossed next Thursday, I get the all clear to get back in the pool and bike.

The amount of help I received this past week was so amazing! I am so grateful to have so many wonderful people in my life who were willing to help out! Non-dog people picking up Mr. Hitches 💩💩💩, #breakfast, ibuprofen, ice, company.......the list goes on. Thank you!

Stay tuned for a post-op update.

 

IRONMAN 69.1 Gulf Coast Race Report

Friday night in Panama City Beach a front was moving through. With strong southwest winds, the Gulf was churning up some big waves and swift currents.

Waking up race morning and opening the patio you could hear the waves crashing. I checked the NWS website and the local office had issued a Rip Tide Current for the Gulf Beaches along the FL panhandle.

From the balcony of my hotel room I could see transition and hear the announcers. Not long after transition opened, you could hear a cheer from some athletes. IRONMAN had cancelled the swim because of the rough water and rip tide. My heart initially sank, I was sad and had a hard time motivating myself to continue to get ready. The swim is my strength and gives me a cushion to the faster runners coming after me late in the race.

The race turned into a 56 mile bike and a 13.1 mile run, 69.1 miles with strong winds and high temperatures turned out to be just as challenging as 70.3 miles with a swim.

Transition: 
It wasn't until I was in transition waiting for my number to be called to start the race that I finally started to get excited. I reminded myself that my bike has improved so much and I could still have a good day without my favorite sport.

56 Mile Bike: 2:36:39, 21.4 mph
CLICK HERE for Training Peaks File

The wind was blowing from the West-Southwest between 10-15 mph. With the layout of the course, this meant the first 5 miles were into a head wind, the next 23 miles to the turnaround were a tail/cross wind, then you would have a head/cross wind on the returning 23 miles before a tail wind to finish the route.

Starting the bike was very different. Not having swam my heart rate was lower than my effort felt. I knew this would be the case so I just tried to spin into the head wind without over doing it.
Avg HR 152 bpm, avg pace 19.9 mph

The next section was a straight shot north to the turn around. My goal was to maintain bottom to mid Zone 3 heart rate (154-157 bpm). I set my watch to only display Heart Rate, doing this allowed me to focus on the only thing that mattered, my effort. Also not displaying speed and distance helps my mental game when I race. I ended up riding a bit harder than where I wanted to, but I felt great and knew it was an effort I could sustain with the tail wind.
Avg HR 158 bpm, avg pace 22.9 mph

The return coming south into the head/cross wind wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. There were a few stretches when the wind was strong but for the most part it was much better than expected. My goal was to ride mid to upper Zone 3 on this stretch (157-160 bpm).
Avg HR 158 bpm, avg pace 20.4 mph

The final 5 miles were dicey. Coming in on Front Beach road around 9 am meant the traffic had picked up and you had to ride on high alert. Taking advantage of the tail wind was a challenge because of the traffic. I nearly got taken out by a pedestrian crossing the road. I screamed so load at her I am sure I scared the you know what out of her.
Avg HR 160 bpm, avg pace 21.0 mph

13.1 Mile Run: 1:59:58, 9:09/mi
CLICK HERE for Training Peaks File

Still having knee issues, I knew this run was going to be an aerobic run. Anytime I push into a tempo effort my knee locks up, so I just ran in Zone 2 and hoped my bike was strong enough to keep me towards the front.

This was a three loop run course, which I like. It helps to break up the run into manageable chunks. 13.1 miles seems so far when you think of it as a whole, breaking it up into 3 x 3.4 mile mile sections helps to mentally grasp the distance.

Loop 1: Avg HR 160 bpm, avg pace 8:57/mi
Loop 2: Avg HR 160 bpm, avg pace 9:20/mi
Loop 3: Avg HR 161 bpm, avg pace 9:13/mi

My effort maintained throughout the race and I was able to keep my knee from locking up. I am looking forward to the day I can push tempo effort in the half marathon.

I kept myself cool on course by putting ice in my tri top at every aid station and I would dump cold water over my head. This allowed me to keep my core temp down and help maintain a steady heart rate.

Bike and Run Heart Rate Comparisons

As you can see from the images below, I squeaked about every once of energy I could on the bike, whereas the run, I have lots of room from growth!

Bike Heart Rate

Run Heart Rate

Finish: 4:37:48, 3/57 F30-34 and 291/1551 Overall

This was the first time I have stood on top of the podium in an IRONMAN event since I was competing in the 18-24 age group. I couldn't have been more proud and excited to be up there, especially given I didn't have the swim to help and my knee injury holding back my run. My bike has become my strength, I look forward to building on that and getting to a point when I can race the run.

IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships is just under 4 months away. I am so excited to be heading there with two of my favorite training partners and friends! Congrats to Stephanie Liles-Weyant and T.j. DeVlieger for your awesome performances at Gulf Coast!

You can’t make this shit up

Since my last blog post, I have completed two triathlons (IRONMAN 70.3 Florida & Beach Blast Olympic Triathlon) and two road races (Springtime 10K & Palace Saloon 5K). Season is now in full swing!!

Now for the shit you can’t make up

Standing in waist deep water during a practice swim at IRONMAN 70.3 FL, I happened to be at the precise spot at the exact moment for a slippery surprise! With my back to the course, facing a crowd of fellow Tallahassee triathletes, simultaneously I heard shouts, laughter and felt a big thud hit my head. I turn and see Robby Turner laughing hysterically and everyone is busting out laughing. I was thinking to myself, “Robby, that jokester, he threw something at me and nailed me in the head”. Turns out, the top of my head was the escape of a flopping mullet running from all of the triathletes invading on his territory.

Now for a short race recap from Haines City and Beach Blast

IRONMAN 70.3 FL – Race Recap

1.2 Mile Swim (32:47, 1:41/100m): I was prepared for and expecting a slower swim time because of my wave start. I was in wave #9 at 7:30 am, 35 minutes after the first wave start. With the design of the course and that many athletes ahead of me, it can be tough to navigate through the crowds. However, much to my surprise, I had a relatively smooth swim with minor blocking and zigzagging going on.

56 Mile Bike (2:38:55, 21.14 mph): I had one goal, break 2:40! The weather couldn’t have been any better. It was a cool morning with not too terrible of winds. I have always trained and raced by heart rate, so my goal was to start at 155 bpm for the first half and pick up the effort to 160 bpm on the back half. I may have started a bit too hot but I didn’t overdo it and I maintained my effort, despite the wind and hills on the second half.

First half: Avg HR 157 bpm, 21.9 mph
Second half: Avg HR 157 bpm, 20.5 mph

13.1 Mile Run (1:58:32, 9:02/mi): Again, I had one goal, run the entire race. I have been dealing with knee pain on the run for a while now. I knew going into this race, I shouldn't push the run and risk injury. All I wanted to do was run steady and not have to walk or worst case quit. I started easy and felt better and better as the miles ticked by. By the end of the half, I was running my fastest mile splits, Final 2 miles were 8:48 and 8:33 respectively.

First half: Avg HR 157 bpm, 9:11/mi, 87 rpm
Second half: Avg HR 159 bpm, 8:59/mi, 87 rpm

For the first half of the year, I am very happy with the outcome. I have four months to get my knee healthy and peak for IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Chattanooga, TN.

Beach Blast Olympic Triathlon – Race Recap

This race, even with its quirks, is ALWAYS a BLAST!

Swim (always an unknown distance): I lined up on the left with superstar swimmer, Allison Born, and my fierce fast friend, Jillian Heddaeus. Just like Red Hills, after the initial dive in and few strokes, I look up and see Allison already a few body lengths ahead! That girl can swim! The water was rather ‘swelly’ which made it challenging but fun. Sighting all comes down to timing and feeling the swells. If timed incorrectly, you look up to see a wall of water. When you feel your body rise, just before the drop, lift you head to take a peak. These conditions make the swim a bit more fatiguing than normal and the stroke must change in order to sight and avoid sloshing waves. Bigger arms and more exaggerated breaths. My goal was to swim hard but I couldn’t find a rhythm in the water and just went with it without over working. Exiting the swim, I heard someone say good job ladies, I didn’t even have to look to know who it was. My race plan changed from then on.

25 mile Bike (21.3 mph): I knew Jillian was close but I didn’t know she was right behind me. Leaving T1 you have to ride into oncoming traffic in a coned shoulder (very sketchy and dangerous). I road on my hoods and kept my eyes wide for cars, this stretch was the worst part. Turning onto the main out and back road, Jillian accelerates out of the saddle and passes me within the first ¼ mile. As like Red Hills, I knew I couldn’t let her get ahead of me as she is a stronger runner than I and if I had any chance at a win I had to push beyond where I planned. My goal was to ride around 165 bpm (which is bottom of Zone 4 for me). I sat back for about a ½ mile contemplating my plan. Do I wait and let her do the work, maybe let her ride too hard for a bit knowing I was behind her? It didn’t take me long to decide, I needed to go! I needed to put in as much space between us as I could and if I waited my gap wouldn’t be as large.

From that point on, I road harder than planned. My threshold heart rate on the bike is 172 bpm, so I tried to maintain just below that at 168-170 bpm for the rest of the ride. A couple time I noticed my HR dropping and I pictured Jillian on the run, gunning for me and that made me find the extra push to keep going.

So much of racing is having a mental strength and willingness to hurt. I have found this one the bike and am very comfortable hurting so much; however, I still have yet to discover this on the run.

I came out of T2 with nearly a 3 minute lead on Jillian. I didn’t know that at the time but I knew I had a fairly large gap as I never saw her before I turned left on the run course.



6.2 Mile Run (turned out to be a bit short ~ 6 miles) (Avg HR 169 bpm, 8:33/mi): Frustrating, that is all. I felt great but my knee was really stiff. Mentally, I had given up by mile 1. And with the change in venue I didn’t know the new course. Note to self, review maps and know the course, especially in local small races. At the sprint turnaround, I wasn’t sure where to go so I turned left when I should have gone straight. I get about 10 meters up the road and the volunteer yells, “you are supposed to turn around here”. I respond saying, I am in the Olympic and then they say, “you are supposed to go straight”. I am confused and ask, straight here?!? Lol, it was quite comical. So I realize I wasn’t supposed to turn and head back and set back out onto the run course. However, I am running and don’t see any other competitors, signs or any indication I am going the right direction. I start to get concerned and am asking the cyclist going by if they have seen athletes ahead of me, I asked a dog walker if they saw anyone else. As I kept running I saw a water stop about a ½ mile up the road and then started to relax and find my pace again. But by this point I was done, I had no drive to push hard because of my knee, I knew Jillian would be catching me very soon and mentally I gave up. Jillian caught me around mile 2.8, right before the turn around. I gave her my congrats and told her to get it! I watched her get further and further away and had a little pity party with myself for a brief stretch. Then I saw the #3 female and she looked strong. So I pulled it together and ran steady and as fast as I could without aggravating my knee too much. I had calculated the pace I needed to hold in order to hold her off. That was assuming she was running a 7:30/mi, based off a glance as she passed. The next three miles I ran steady never looking back. And there was the turn to the finish, I took one glance back and didn’t see another female. The rush of happiness and feeling of accomplishment hit me hard. I was so happy to come away with another 2nd place finish, especially with my issues on the run.

First half: Avg HR 168 bpm, 8:41/mi
Second half: Avg HR 169 bpm, 8:26/mi

Race Results: http://www.eventtiming.com/races/blast1716.htm

Superstar Swimmer Allison Born. Thanks Nick for the AWESOME pictures! 

I have another half IRONMAN in Panama City in just under two weeks. That race will be very similar to Haines City, swim and bike to my fullest and run to stay healthy. I am on a mission to fix my knee and train my ass off for IRONMAN 70.3 World in September!

Stay tuned!