"You can't do it alone"
A slogan on the back of a t-shirt at Norseman's Expo says it all!!
I arrived in Bergen and drove to Eidfjord (Swim and T1 location) on Wednesday, August 1 and was quickly blown away by the beauty and natural landscape of Norway. It didn't take long for me to fall in love, it really was love at first sight.
Wednesday, August 1: Day 1 consisted of driving through sooooooooooo many tunnels in route to Eidfjord, unpacking and assembling Dark Horse, grocery shopping, attending a pre-race get together and settling into the space I would call home until Saturday morning at 3:00 am. It isn't a race without a few curve balls. My front derailleur had been jammed during travel and I wasn't able to shift into my small chain ring. When my brother arrived that evening, he had it fixed within a few minutes, phew. This next one is quite funny. ICE! Apparently buying bags of ice is not a thing in Norway. The apartment I had rented did not have a refrigerator and I bought all this food at a grocery store in Bergen to stick as close to my diet as I could prior to the race. Trying to keep this food cool over the next three days was very comical. I was able to find the LAST tiny 10 oz bag of ice in Eidfjord at the local market and get a bag of frozen soup from the owner of the apartment we were staying in for the first night. After that, I bought freezer packs every day to keep the items cool.
That evening, Norseman had a Story of the Race get together. Dag Oliver, Race Manager, went over the history of the race and what Norseman was all about. This made me appreciate the event, the crew and the towns along the course so much more. Norseman is one of the hardest ironman distances races you can attempt, but it is way more than a race of physical toughness and strength. It is about the people, the environment, the athletes and the crew. I am so honored to have been a part of the 2018 story.
Thursday, August 2: I woke up and got in an hour ride in Eidfjord. I was all smiles and so excited knowing I'd have seven plus additional hours on Saturday on my bike to soak in the landscape. Exploring on two wheels is by far my favorite way to experience and see new places. I nearly went off the road a couple of times as I was so caught up in the beauty of the fjord. After my ride, I met my family at race registration, got checked in, spent way too much money on swag and went on a hunt for ice. During the day, Dag Oliver contacted me and asked if I would sit on a panel that evening for a live race discussion. I was shocked and excited he asked me to speak. I was nervous but couldn't pass up this opportunity. I listened and made mental notes from the other panel speakers; a race marshal, two-time winner Allan Hovda, and a prior athlete and support crew member. Participating in this panel made my experience at Norseman even more unforgettable. Because of that, those who watched or attended the event knew I was from Florida and knew my fears of the cold and mountain descents. During the race, the amount of support I received from fellow athletes encouraging me and asking how I was doing wouldn't have been a part of my day if I had not spoke on this panel and told a little about who I was, how I prepared and my goals for the race. Thank you, Dag and Norseman crew for asking me and allowing me to be a part of that event.
That evening I got to enjoy a lovely dinner with my family at the Eidfjord Fjell & Fjord Hotel. It was AMAZING! The restaurant had a beautiful view of Hardangerfjord and the best lasagna (outside of my mom's) I have ever had.
Friday, August 3: I did another short ride from the apartment to spin my legs. I met Jon and my family for a social swim to test out the cold water. Norway, like many places in the world, is experiencing extreme weather conditions that are out of the norm for their areas. Talking with some of the locals, this was the warmest summer anyone can ever remember. Because of that, the fjord water temperature was unseasonable 'warm' at about 16-17 deg C (60-62 deg F). While Jon and I got in a practice swim, my family took a polar plunge off the dock and got to experience the chilly water.
After the social swim, I met with the Norseman Research Team to pick up my temperature sensor pill. I was participating in a study that measures the body core temperature and how it is affected by swimming in cold water, cycling and running. I am really looking forward to seeing this data and the final report from all the data collected on race day.
That evening my Mom helped me go through all my checklists and put my gear in separate bags for my crew to have organized stuff for each aspect of the race. While we did that, Jon cooked up a delicious meal on his Jet boil camp stove for me. Dinner consisted of sliced up chicken with rice and veggies. I was a little nervous about the chicken as it had seen a few cycles of cold and not cold because we couldn't find ice to keep everything cold. But Jon cooked it thoroughly and it tasted wonderful. After packing all the gear and eating we had to pack up the apartment for an early morning exit. This race is a point to point course so we would be changing accommodations to a cabin on the mountain for the finish of the race. A lot of organization and planning goes into making Norseman a successful day. After triple checking everything, it was finally time for bed. The sun doesn't set until 10 pm and the sky is still light till around 11:30 pm. This made trying to sleep even harder. I don't think I slept more than 2-3 hours that evening.
Part 2: Norseman Xtreme Triathlon, Race Report - Coming Soon!
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