Ironman 70.3 Waco

A little over a week ago, I completed my second Ironman 70.3 race in Waco, TX.  Waco is a little over an hour and a half south of us (sometimes more with traffic).  Since this race was so close to home, it was hard to pass up the opportunity to do it and I’m glad I did.  Despite some challenging conditions, I had a great time and set a new personal best time.

On Friday, I made the drive down to Waco to check in, get my bib and everything else and attend one of the Athlete Briefings.   I also got to do all my shopping on Friday.  This made it easier and less stressful for us on Saturday, when Mike, Scooby and I all drove down for the night.  The only thing we had to do on Saturday was check in my bike.  Our hotel was relatively close to the Athlete Village and transition area, so once we arrived we all headed over to have one of the technicians give my bike a once over and then leave it racked in transition.

Race morning came early on Sunday and I was up and ready to go.  Our hotel had an early breakfast for the triathletes.  I kept it simple with an English muffin with peanut butter and half a banana.  Before the Chicago marathon, I had a bagel with peanut butter and I felt like it sat in my stomach for much of the race.  I didn’t want to repeat that feeling.  It was an easy walk to transition and I got my stuff all set up with plenty of time to spare.

The swim was a point to point downstream course, so we all had to walk 1.2 miles along the river to the swim start.  It was a rolling swim start with athletes lining up by their projected finish time.  This is also how we started in Boulder, but it seems people weren’t as honest with their times here because I passed so many people all along the swim course.

The swim was cold.  A cold front had rolled into the area the few days prior and the water temperature dropped dramatically.  The official temperature was 65.1 degrees.  If it was 65 degrees then it is legal to wear swim booties on your feet – and I felt like I could have used them on Sunday!  My feet were frozen by the time I got out of the water.  The point to point course was nice as there was little need to sight.  It was pretty straight downriver.  Had there been a stronger current, I could have really set a record time, but I’m still pleased with how I swam.  Even with the cold, I felt no sense of panic in the water and had no issues controlling my breathing.  I don’t know that others did as well as me.  Once out of the water, I had to make the long run up to transition.  My watch recorded it as over .4 miles!  My feet were frozen as I ran – I honestly couldn’t feel them.  But I made it to my bike (and towel) in good time and tried to dry off and warm up as much as I could.

Regaining my bearings after the chilly swim

I knew the temperature would warm up in the hours I was on the bike.  I had brought arm warmers to wear if needed when I was biking but I ultimately decided to skip them.  I was very cold the first 7-10 miles on the bike until my body warmed up enough and the sun started to really come out.

The bike course went past lots of open space and big Texas ranches.  I saw horses running and grazing in pastures as I rode.  It was a relatively flat course.  I wasn’t thrilled with the conditions of the roads and felt they were a little jarring.  And the winds at different points made keeping a good pace more challenging.  It seemed there was always a cross wind.  But I felt the race organizers did do a good job keeping us out of traffic with plenty of room to ride.  I always felt safe on the course – and that’s important.

Getting through the 56 miles

At a certain point I am always ready for the bike to be over.  56 miles on the bike is a lot and my body is always ready to get off.  I was happy with my overall bike time; I thought I might break 3 hours but I finished just over that.  Regardless, I did better than in Boulder.

Finishing up on the bike

Then it was on to the run.  After racking my bike and switching shoes, I was off.  Although it had warmed up, it was hardly a hot day and the winds helped to keep it cool.  It was a 2 loop run course.  The challenging part was the numerous hills in the one park we ran through.  People had been talking about the hills for some time before the race and I knew to expect them (twice!).  Honestly, I didn’t find them to be all that terrible.  I had run the same hills at the Olympic distance race I did in Waco back in July so knew what to expect – a little slower up the hill and then pick up speed on the downhill.  Lots of people had to walk them but I kept running the whole time. 

Feeling good on the run

Several spectators told me I was running a good pace.  I don’t look at my watch for the first few miles because I don’t want to know my pace – at least not initially.  I want to settle into what feels comfortable and sustainable for that day on that course.  Apparently Waco was meant to be a fast run for me.  I am very pleased with how I did on the run, coming in first in my age group for that portion of the race.  I passed people continuously on the run.  It was just one of those days where running feels easy and effortless and you can just go.

Always smile for the photographer!

Mike brought Scooby out to cheer me on during the run.  I saw them toward the end of the first loop and then again a few times near the finish.  Poor Scooby was so confused why I was running past him and just wanted to get to me!  It gave me a boost every time I saw them and I’m so glad they were there.

The finish line was on the oldest suspension bridge in Texas.  When I saw it, I knew it had been a good race.  I didn’t see my finish time until a little while later, but I took over 18 minutes off my time from Boulder.  My swim, bike and run portions were all faster and I finished in the top 10% overall.  Yes, the weather was much cooler in Waco, but I was also even more fit and ready for the distance.  I had several more months of heavy training under my belt and I feel like it showed.

The final stretch

Almost there!

After showering and retrieving my bike and all my gear, we made the drive home.  Waco had a great small town feel, and I would consider doing the race again at some point in the future.  For now, my offseason has officially begun and I can be a little more relaxed with my training and give my body a chance to recover so I can come back even stronger next year.  Time to start planning for 2020!

Ironman 70.3 Waco Finisher!!!

Train hard, recover harder

With two big endurance events coming up just two weeks apart, I am definitely focusing more on recovery this month.  After spending a couple hours each day swimming, biking and/or running, I definitely need it in this final ramp up to "Racetober's" events. 

I previously posted about trying out cryotherapy again last week.  After that session, I signed up for a month of daily sessions and have been going every day after my workouts.  It is a chilly 3 minutes and I am always happy when it ends.

It gets chilly in there!

In addition to that, I have had a few kinetic recovery massage sessions at another recovery center about 15 minutes away.  It is very different than regular massages I have had in the past.  It is a specialized form of massage, stretching and muscle work performed with an emphasis on active recovery versus passive bodywork.  You stay fully clothed in comfortable clothing.  The therapist does a lot of stretching and twisting and maneuvering me around.  I definitely feel it in places I normally wouldn't be able to hit.  If it helps increase my flexibility and keep my body more balanced, then I am all for it this month.

Not your typical massage

The Normatec compression boots have been a daily part of my recovery for the last year and a half.  Mike and I each use them for 45 minutes a day to keep our legs feeling fresh.  I can tell the difference when I've gone a few days without them.  I'm still undecided if they'll be making the trip with us to Chicago this weekend...

A great investment in our recovery

Finally fall and a medal reveal

After dealing with months (and months and months) of temperatures in the 90's or higher, I woke up this morning and was greeted with temperatures in the low 60's and cool winds.  Yes, it felt like fall FINALLY arrived in Dallas.  This afternoon's high only got into the upper 70's.  The last time that happened was in April.  Of course I wanted to take advantage of the weather -- who knows how long it will last.  It felt so different running outside this morning -- it was a much more enjoyable experience!  My average heart rate was lower and I was a little faster.

Not a bad start to the week!

Also today, the marathon revealed this year's medal.  I knew the Board of Trade would be featured on it and I am happy with how it looks.  6 more days!

2019 Bank of America Chicago Marathon medal

Finally, about a week and a half ago I struck up a conversation with a woman swimming at my gym (she was wearing an Ironman 70.3 cap and I asked her where it was from).  The more I talked to her, the more I started to recognize her.  It turned out that she was one of the people featured on the first season of Ironman's "Quest for Kona".  She was very friendly and I even saw her running on the Katy Trail the next morning (she said "hey" as we ran past each other).  She was at the pool again today and we chatted briefly again.  She remembered I am doing Waco in a few weeks and she will be heading to China to do a 70.3 in less than 2 weeks.  I enjoyed my little brush with a "famous" triathlete.  She's still chasing a spot in Kona and I'm sure she will eventually get there.  I'm sharing her episode below - it's a great watch!

Cryotherapy

With two big races coming up this month, doing everything I can to optimize recovery just seems like a smart thing to do.  Mike decided that he wants to do cryotherapy for the days leading up to the marathon.  We had previously tried a few session of it in Chicago, but it's another one of the things that I think probably gives more benefit from repeated experiences (much like our Normatec boots which we use daily).  I tagged along to his session today, not fully intending to do a session but to see the place he was going.  You wear gloves and socks and slippers while you stand in the machine.  Your body is exposed to extremely cold temperatures for several minutes.  Mike had a positive experience during his session and felt like it was much colder than when we did it in Chicago.  So of course I had to give it a try...

There were 3 options for how cold you wanted it to get and I chose the coldest.  The session is only 3 minutes but after the first minute you start to really feel the cold.  It's a strange sensation - almost like ice crystals are forming on your skin.  The last minute was the longest -- I was ready to get out when the time was up!  It definitely cooled me off from the Texas heat, and it certainly can't hurt me as I get ready for the races to come.

Chicago Lakefront

Last weekend, we returned to Chicago for the first time since we moved last November.  We were celebrating Mike's birthday and spending some time away from the Dallas heat.  We stayed at a hotel downtown at the northern end of the Magnificent Mile which provided us easy access to the Lakefront Trail (and an Equinox across the street which had a pool).  I ran on the trail last Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings and was reminded just how much I enjoy it.  I love the views of downtown and having the lake right there.  If we ever move back to Chicago, we definitely want a place with easy access to the trail.  This was the first time we have been on it since they completed the separation of bike and running lanes and I was pleased with the results.  There are a couple spots where I found the running lanes to be a little narrow, but overall it was nice not to worry about bikes speeding right by you.

On Thursday and Saturday I ran north for several miles before turning around.  On Friday we decided to do long runs in preparation for the marathon since our preparation to date has been rather last minute.  I ran south that morning which tends to be less crowded.  Despite fewer people, I think I prefer the northern part of the trail because I am more familiar with it and have spent more time on that section of it.  I ran 16.8 miles which was my longest run since Boston in April.  It was humid that morning so I was especially soaked by the end -- but I felt accomplished about getting it done.  My pace isn't as fast as it was getting ready for Boston, but it is by no means slow and I know I will be able to finish Chicago.

We are talking about possibly going back again next weekend for one last long run before the marathon.  This weekend all the running groups there are hosting their final 20 milers so we will miss out on that.  I am not aiming for 20 the following weekend but would be happy getting in 17 or 18 -- something to remind my body what it's like to run that long again.  Hopefully we see more great running weather then.

Starting to run south of downtown

Made it several miles south before I turned around

Longest run since Boston

Running north Saturday morning

Cooler morning run and what's next...

I had no intention of running today.  I ran on the treadmill yesterday and was planning to do the same again tomorrow.  Today was supposed to be bike and swim (I did still swim).  However, when I woke up, it was cloudy with temperatures in the 70's -- a rare morning for Texas in August.  It was actually pleasant walking our dog this morning, and I knew this was an opportunity to run outside that I just couldn't pass up. 

I have been wanting to do a longer run for a while but the treadmill gets so boring and the heat here makes outside running unbearable.  So I was determined to get in that run today.  I made my way to the Katy Trail like normal and wasn't surprised to see lots of runners and walkers out also taking advantage of the cooler morning.

After Boston in the spring, I learned that there is a way to connect to another trail at the northern end of the Katy Trail.  So when I got to that point, I made my way into this uncharted territory.  It would have been nice to have known about this when I was doing those Boston long runs instead of just running up and down the Katy Trail over and over.

I was happy with what I accomplished today.  The last time I ran close to this distance was at 70.3 Boulder.  My pace is slower than when I was training for Boston, but 1) I'm running a lot less right now, 2) it's still hotter and more humid than when I was running in the spring and 3) it's still more than sufficient for what's next.

Not bad for an unplanned run

So what is next?  Well we were supposed to be doing the Berlin Marathon in September and then I was signed up for the NYC Marathon in November.  Now both of them are deferred to 2020.  But October will still be a busy month for me.  First, we decided to do....

Yes, we are going back to Chicago to run the marathon again.  This will be my 4th time running Chicago and Mike's 2nd.  The plan is for us to run together the entire marathon (that was also the plan last year which ended at mile 15.5 -- but I've been assured that won't happen again this year).  Mike has been dealing with injury since last November and in the last month or so finally mended enough to run comfortably again.  This will be his big return to running.  It's a great race and I'm excited to do it again -- but now you can understand my desire to get some long runs in.

And I have been wanting to do another Ironman 70.3 before the end of the year.  I didn't think that was going to happen, but with the new plan to do Chicago, I was able to work it out that I can then do this two weeks later...

I'm thrilled to be ending my triathlon season for 2019 with this race.  Waco is just 1.5 hours away making this race a no brainer to do. 

October will be a busy month but I am up for the training!

Back at Disney World

Last weekend, I traveled back to Disney World for a resort only vacation with Piper and my mother.  Normally when I am at Disney, I will get up early and run outside.  However, since we weren't rushing off to any of the theme parks this trip, we ended up sleeping in every morning.  By the time we got up, it was too hot and humid to run outside, so I would go to the gym at our resort and run on the treadmill for an hour.

Our last day there was this past Thursday, and since we had to get up earlier to catch our flights home, I was able to run outside.  We were staying at Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, which is a large property with lots of trails right next to Disney Springs.  I also found the pathway that connects our resort to Old Key West Resort, which I also enjoyed running around.  I was happy to at least run outside the one morning and I got a couple good pictures as the sun was just starting to come up.

Morning sunrise over the main building at Old Key West -
I like the reflection in the water

Love the views of Disney Springs along the water

Disney Springs