Part 2: Norseman Xtreme Triathlon, Race Report

Norseman Xtreme Triathlon is an event that shapes who you are. Going into this race, my preparation consisted of physically preparing my body with months of training and hours of mental preparation by visualizing the day I would face on August 4. Race day far exceeded any thought I had preconceived. The heart of the athletes, the beauty of the country, the friendliness of the people, the support of the Norseman crew, my support crew and family being there, the course, the effort and fight for 160, the mountain finish, all of these things and more are now a part of who I am. Thank you, Norseman, for providing an experience that will live with me forever!

Saturday, August 4, 2018: When an alarm ringing at 2:00 am seems normal, you know it takes a special breed to want to do these things. The morning started earlier than prior ironman events because of the 5:00 am start time. We were up, had the car packed and drove to T1 by 3:00 am. The morning was cool and it was raining. I sat in the parking lot of the local market eating my oatmeal while the rain fell outside. It was dark and cool, the setting was surreal and I couldn't believe I was finally there. At 3:15, I knew it was time to get moving to set up T1 in order to be ready by 4:00 am to load the ferry. At Norseman, you have two official crew members and one of those members can access transition with you to help you set up and be in there during the race to help. Jon and my brother Mike were my two "official" support crew members; however, my mom, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew were there and played an equally important role to me. From the race prep to the truffle shuffle on the run, without them, I wouldn't have had the day I did.

Jon helped me set up T1. We laid out potential gear as I wasn't sure how cold I would be exiting the water. After setting up T1, we sat inside the hotel for a little bit as I put my wetsuit halfway on. By 4:00 am, I said my goodbyes to my crew and mom and I was in the crowd, shuffling with the other athletes onto the ferry.

Looking at pictures from the morning as the ferry drifted off, it looked so scary. The sky was dark, filled with low clouds and nothing in the distance but the dark and cold water. I do not remember any feelings other than nerves of excitement and joy. I was so thankful to be there, I knew I would be cold and I knew it was going to be a long swim but I was physically and mentally prepared.

I went onto the deck of the ferry and watched the crowds on shore as we drifted away. My eyes were tearing up with happiness and I soaked in the setting. Once we started moving, I went back inside to relax, eat a banana and use the bathroom. At 4:30, I finished getting into my wetsuit, put on my cap and goggles and moved down to the deck. They had a shower running with water from the fjord. I waited as long as possible before I got in that. I knew I'd get cold if I wasn't moving. At 4:45 I stood in the water on deck for a couple minutes then made my way to the back of the ferry to make my leap into the fjord, 4:50 and in I went. I contemplated a backflip but I chickened out and just jumped in. It was cold but truthfully I didn't mind. The swim to the start line was further than I thought. By the time I made it over there I looked at my watch and it was 4:58. I lined up near the front in the middle of the pack.

Swim: 3800 m, 1:06:23, 1:45/100 m, Rank 50

No fancy countdowns or cannons for this start. I was treading water near one of the kayaks and without notice, a horn sounds us off. Everyone started in a furry. For such a small field of athletes, I was surprised by the amount of contact. It took what felt like more than 10-15 minutes till I found clear'ish' water. From the get-go, I was already impressed with the speed of the field. I knew the competition at this race would be high, especially given the "tall athletic" physiques the Norwegians have.

Every breath to the sky was special. Each breath, I'd see the high walls of the fjord, catch a glimpse of a waterfall here and there and I watched the ferry make its way back to shore. The water temperature was recorded at 16 deg C, which is 60 deg F. A few spots got much colder and if I kicked too much, my legs muscles would start to cramp, so I just extended my stroke and soaked in the views. Nearing the turn in Eidfjord, I started smelling the burning wood from the fire set on shore to guide us to the turn buoy. It wasn't long after that I made the turn towards transition. I kept my pace steady throughout the swim and hit the shore with plenty of energy for the day ahead.

T1: 0:03:54, Rank 46

I like having help with T1. I had my own personal assistant! Jon helped me out of my wetsuit, handed me everything I needed, turned on my bike computer, lights, and helped keep me calm. Wearing the neoprene booties saved me. My feet weren't cold, my face wasn't numb, the air didn't feel cold. I decided to skip my base layer, arm warmers and only put on my socks, bike jersey and required reflective vest. I was out of T1 in 46th place. Right where I wanted to be.



Bike: 7:21:31, 15.2 mph, Rank 147

AMAZING!!!! The Norseman bike course was challenging, beautiful, scary, and fun. At times it was tough, very tough but even in the hardest moments, I kept a smile on my face.

The first 23 miles of the ride climbed from T1 (sea-level) to the top of Dyranut at 4,100 ft above sea-level. I loved this section of the course, the old road was so beautiful, steep at times but very scenic. My average HR was 154 bpm and my pace averaged to 11.1 mph. I wasn't keeping track of my position on the bike and looking back at the results, I didn't realize how many places I gave up on the bike. I lost 48 spots on the first climb.

After reaching the top of Dyranut I knew the toughest climb was behind me. I was so excited and felt great. My body was warm but I knew it would cool off on the descent. This was my first break to refuel with my crew. I also put on arm warmers and fingerless gloves. My brother and Jon had my cycling jacket ready but I didn't think I needed it because I felt so warm. Oh boy, was that a mistake.

Freezing my ass off.....

Oh happy day!!! Jacket and gloves!

Able to enjoy it again! 

From mile 24 to 56 the course rolls along the plateau and descends down to 2500 ft above sea-level. My HR average and pace over this section was 123 bpm and 20.5 mph. I got cold, really cold. All I kept hoping for was to see Mike and Jon at the next stop so I could put on my jacket and gloves. We had preplanned stops after mile 24 for approximately every 10 miles. So I knew when to expect them and was counting down the shivering miles one by one until I saw them!

I kept waiting for the next four climbs the course description talked about. The middle three weren't bad at all and were actually welcomed. The cold worked its way down to my bones on that first descent and it took the climbs to warm up my core.

Mile by mile the course flew by. I saw sheep, rainbows, beautiful open land, lots of water and endless views that went on for miles. The final climb up to Imingfjell was hard. It was a ten-mile climb with nearly 2,000 ft of elevation gain. This section took me an hour and six minutes. I averaged 9.2 mph and 144 bpm. Near the top of the climb, I saw Mike and Jon for the last time before I'd meet them in T2. It had started raining and I knew I had another descent, so I put back on my jacket that I had peeled off on the fourth climb. This saved me. I was cold on the descent but not shivering, without it, not sure I would have stayed upright. The final descent was scary. The road surface wasn't great, there were a few hairpin turns and I was cold. I learned after this race that I LOVE to climb but I am scared shitless of descending.

I made it to T2 and there Jon was waiting for me. He grabbed my bike and led me to my spot that he had set up.

T2: 0:03:55, Rank 148
I got off the bike and felt great. I changed my socks, put on my shoes, and headed out for the run. I hadn't heard any updates on my position from my crew for a long time and when I left T2, I understood why. They had a paper clipboard with a big 150 on it. Oh shit.......

Run: 7:02:08, 16:07/mi, Rank 154

For a brief moment, I thought there is no freaking way I was going to make the top 160 cut off at 32.5 km. But within a few steps, I decided I had no time to waste and I knew I had to give it my all. I wasn't going to give up before I even tried.

The first 10 km was AWESOME! I was moving at a good clip and only lost 1 position. My confidence was building and I knew I had a chance to make it if I didn't back off. I slowed slightly over the next 4 miles and lost another 2 places. By mile 10, my muscles were starting to cramp and I was starting to slow down.

Mile 10-15 was as much a mental battle as it was a physical one. My body didn't want to run but my mind wouldn't let it back down.

By this point, you could see the summit of Mt. Gaustatoppen in the distance and I knew at mile 15, Michael would be joining me and there was no way he was going to let me back down. This stretch was so hard. My nephew was trying desperately to make me smile by doing the truffle shuffle on the sidelines but I didn't lose focus on the mountain or my drive to get there and missed so many funny moments. Thank goodness for cameras, because after the race I was able to enjoy the moments I was blind to during the hardest fought moments of my triathlon career.

I rounded the corner at 25 km towards the base of Zombie Hill. There was the clipboard again and it read 154. I had 7 km to go and this was the hardest section of the course. There were 5 switchbacks with an average grade of 9%. Michael pushed me and kept me informed on how far back people were and kept encouraging me to fight.

Halfway up the climb, Jon had jogged back down after parking the car and joined us from then on. We had a camera crew following us all the way to the checkpoint. It was a battle for those final remaining slots. I was cramping so bad and every time I tried to jog a few steps my hamstrings would lock up and my feet would curl.

My place fell from 154 to 159 but I was within steps of the checkpoint and no one was in sight. For the first time in a couple hours, I finally could breathe a sigh of relief. Reaching that checkpoint at Number 159 was the biggest feeling of accomplishment and relief I have ever felt. From step 1 of the marathon to check-point 32.5 km I never gave up, I pushed when my body didn't want to and sharing that with my family and Jon was so special! #Blackshirt

Once I reached that point, the 'race' was over. I knew I had met my goal and all I had left do was climb Mt. Gaustatoppen to claim the coveted black shirt. For the next 5 km, the road climbed another few hundred meters before reaching the base of the trail to the top. I didn't run another step for the final 10 km. I soaked in the surroundings, enjoyed the time with Jon and Mike and reminisced about the day it took to reach that point. 

The final 5 km trail to the top was beautiful; however, very difficult. Picking up my legs and stabilizing on the rocks proved quite difficult after the day it took to get there. We took our time again, stopping for photos and enjoying the scenery. With the needle in sight, I hear my friends from Tallahassee yelling out in Norwegian, "hiya, hiya, hiya" and I saw my mom on the steps. I was so happy to reach the top. It took every ounce of energy in me to get there and there was no way I would have reached that summit without my crew, not a chance!!!

Norseman will live with me forever and has made me a stronger and more resilient person. Thank you to everyone for supporting me to this day, encouraging me to fight and tracking me on the day! Here are a few photos from the finish and the T-shirt ceremony the next morning.

Stay tuned for Part 3: Norseman Xtreme Triathlon, Post Race