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

Ironman 70.3 Boulder

It's been a while since I posted but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy with training and racing.  This past Saturday, I had an amazing time completing the Ironman 70.3 Boulder.  It was a beautiful race through this Colorado town and the perfect setting for my first 70.3.

I was a little nervous in the week leading up to the race (cutting back my workouts as part of my taper didn't help) -- but by Wednesday or Thursday I started to calm down.  I still had no idea how I would fare at this distance.  Even running a marathon, I am usually on a course only around 3 hours.  Doubling that time was entirely new territory for me.  Add in the possible effects of altitude and I had some reason to be nervous.  But I knew that one way or another I would finish.

We flew to Denver late Thursday afternoon and made the 40 minute drive to Boulder.  Our flight was a little delayed getting there, so we didn't have much chance to explore Boulder that day.  However, Friday morning I was up and ready to see some of the town.  I went for a run along the Boulder Creek Path, as much to calm my nerves as anything.  It was a great path for runners and bikers with the mountains serving as the backdrop.

Boulder Creek Path

After my run, I made my way to the Ironman Village at the Boulder Reservoir to check in, attend an Athlete Briefing, get my bike checked in and shop for merchandise (of course).  I accomplished all of that in about 2 hours.

Ready for the experience

Boulder Reservoir - the picture doesn't adequately capture it

Bike is checked in!

We spent the rest of the day exploring Boulder before I had my pasta dinner and went to bed.  I had to be up early the next morning.

Saturday was the big day.  I was up before 4:30 and left the hotel around 5.  I got to the reservoir in plenty of time and walked to the transition area to set up my stuff.  I was very lucky to have one empty space to the right of my bike and two empty spaces to the left, so I had a lot more room for things than most people.

Before I knew it, it was time to put on the wetsuit and walk to the beach for the start.  I got in the water to get everything wet and it felt great.  The official water temperature was 76.1.  If it was 76.2 or higher, it wouldn't have been a wetsuit legal race.  I was very happy to be able to wear my wetsuit (as I'm sure many others were too).  They started people by their expected swim finish time.  Every 5 seconds, 5 people would get in the water.  It moved pretty quickly, and soon I was in the water and starting the first leg of the race.

I felt good on the swim - strong and comfortable.  I didn't push the pace but I was very happy with my time.  We swam out away from the beach, made two right turns and then swam back to the transition area.  It was well marked and I didn't have trouble sighting or swimming fairly straight. 

Once I was out of the water, they had wetsuit peelers help you get out of your wetsuit.  I got back to my bike and put on my shoes and helmet.  As I left the transition area, volunteers slathered sunscreen on my arms and legs (I would be a burnt mess if they hadn't).

56 miles on the bike is long.  The bike isn't my strongest area but I got through it.  I was actually pretty proud of how I did.  I took nutrition at regular intervals on the bike (GU chews) and had bottles of water or Gatorade Endurance handed to me as I rode by the volunteers at the 3 aid stations.  These weren't skills I had practiced before since I primarily train indoors on Zwift, but I mastered them on Saturday and will definitely use them in future races.

I tried to enjoy as much of the scenery as I could.  The mountains and views were gorgeous.  We passed several horse farms and I loved seeing the horses out in the fields.  I didn't think the bike course was too difficult, although there were a couple stretches along a highway where we were on the shoulder of the road.  I just kept to the right as much as possible away from traffic and didn't attempt to pass -- that was for the more open roads without cars. 

Love the mountains as a backdrop (and you can still see the sunscreen on my leg!)

Enjoying the ride

I knew once I got through the ride, I would be able to pull off the run.  I had read lots of stories about people bonking on the run -- either cramping up or running out of energy or having the altitude affect them.  Once I started running, though, I felt pretty good and had none of those issues affect me.  I was so happy to have my new running visor to keep the sun out of my face (I'll definitely be running with that in the future!).  There wasn't much shade on the two loop run course around the reservoir but there were more than enough aid stations.  They were at least every mile and offered water, Gatorade Endurance, pretzels, cookies, GU, Red Bull, Coke and ice.  They probably had more things but I didn't really stop to explore.  I listened to my body and took whatever I thought I needed -- usually water or Gatorade and some ice to put down my shirt.  Twice in the second half I took Coke which I have never done before.  Luckily it settled well.  It was cold and tasted great in that moment.  I passed so many people on the run and didn't get passed by anyone which doesn't totally surprise me given my background.

Still smiling with only a few miles to go!

There were bigger crowds of people cheering as we got closer to the finish line.  I saw Mike cheering me on and taking video toward the end of the race and it gave me a final burst of energy as I made the final turn and saw the finish line ahead.  It is such an incredible feeling crossing the finish line at any endurance event, and this was no exception.  My official finish time to swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles was 5:39:28 and I couldn't be happier with that.  My biggest goal was just to finish under 6 hours, and I more than accomplished that!

In the home stretch....

...arms in the air....

...and I did it!

I can't say enough positive things about the race.  The volunteers were amazing.  It was well run and well organized.  It's in a beautiful city that is one of the endurance training meccas of the country.  I am so fortunate that I was able to complete this race as my first Ironman 70.3.  Now that I've done one, will there be more 70.3 races in my future?  ABSOLUTELY!!!

I'm an Ironman 70.3 Finisher!

Officially a TRIATHLETE!

It's taken me a few days to come down off the high from this past Memorial Day weekend when I made the jump from runner to triathlete by completing the CapTex Tri on Monday in downtown Austin.

We had originally planned to leave on Saturday so that I could go to the expo on Sunday and then do the race on Monday.  It's about a 3 hour drive from Dallas to Austin (longer for us because we hit traffic).  At the last minute we decided to leave Friday afternoon instead. 

The race was one in a series of races put on by Lifetime Tri.  They were hosting an open water swim clinic at a Lifetime Fitness on the northern side of the city Saturday morning, so this was a big reason for our change in plans.  I am really glad I went.  The swim was in a small private lake and the water temperature was close to 80 degrees.  The water was calm and relatively clear and it felt great.  If you are a member of that gym, you can swim in the lake any time -- I would absolutely love that.  Anyway, they had buoys set up around the lake and tons of lifeguards on the water.  One lap was just under half a mile.  I chose to join the intermediate group and the instructor answered any questions we had about the race before sending us off.  He had us check in after our first lap around but I felt completely fine.  I took a quick break and then proceeded to swim four continuous laps around the lake before calling it a day.  I figured if I could swim that far without any issues, then I was in good shape.

Ready for another open water swim

On Sunday we made our way to the expo around lunchtime to pick up my packet and attend the athlete briefing.  The expo was fairly small with only a couple vendors, so I was in and out pretty quickly.  We brought my bike over to check it in to transition a little later in the afternoon.  Things were starting to get real!

Bike's ready!

I didn't have the best night's sleep Sunday night.  I was most nervous about the bike portion of the race.  I had done a lot (ok, almost all) my training indoors on Zwift and so handling the bike outside and keeping enough distance between myself and others was a concern.  I did get some sleep before I was up at 5 AM and out the door by 5:30.  It was a short walk over to transition and once I got there I set up all my stuff.  I had rehearsed in my head so many times what I needed to do at each transition and laid everything out just as I wanted it. 

It was a warm morning and I avoided putting my wetsuit all the way on until the last minute.  Transition closed at 6:40 and the Olympic distance race (which I was doing) began at 7:00 (there were also sprint and supersprint races that followed).  It was a time trial wave start for age groupers, and I was in the 17th wave so didn't start until close to 7:30.  The waves moved pretty quickly and soon it was my turn to stand on the edge of the dock and then jump in the water.  And I was off...

The swim portion took part in Lady Bird Lake (really part of the Colorado River) and the water felt cold initially (it was 71).  However, I settled quickly into a rhythm.  I felt confident in my swim and before I knew it I started passing people in the waves ahead of me.  I came out of the swim in 29:38 at a pace of 1:59/100m.  I'm very happy with that.

Getting the wetsuit off was the longest part of T1, but I was soon running with my bike to the mount line and off I went.  It was a four loop course through downtown Austin for the Olympic distance.  I was careful and cautious on the first lap, but as my comfort level increased, so too did my speed with each successive lap.  My time on the bike was 1:24:54 -- this will probably be my biggest area for improvement.  Looking back, however, the bike wasn't nearly as bad as I had worried it would be.  You never forget how to ride a bike and I think with more outside riding I'll only continue to get more comfortable and faster.

Getting it done on the bike!

T2 was much shorter as I switched into my running shoes, clipped on my bib number and took off on the run.  It was getting hotter and the first thing I noticed was that people seemed to be struggling with the run.  I was certain I was going slow but I refused to look at my watch (turns out I wasn't).  I just focused on continuing to run and I was slightly surprised that I kept passing so many people along the entire course.  I knew that this was the easiest part for me coming from a running background and if I made it this far then I would be crossing that finish line very soon.  It was a 2 loop run course and toward the end of the first loop I saw Mike among the spectators cheering me on.  That was another boost.

Feeling good on the run

And then I was in the home stretch -- about to officially accomplish what I had been working toward these last several months.  I finished the run in 40:58 (I was 28th out of over 700 on the run part!).

I felt so strong crossing the finish line -- I had done it!!!  I am a triathlete!!!  My final time was 2:43:06 -- I am more than happy with that for my first triathlon!

Finished!

I got my medal and a cold towel and chugged the bottle of cold water they offered.  Of course I made sure to get my picture taken with the medal!

Obligatory medal picture

This was an awesome race and I would definitely consider doing it again (or other tri's that Lifetime Tri puts on).  And I am definitely hooked on triathlons.  The training is so much more enjoyable to me than just constantly running all the time.  

I will continue to do some running races (Berlin marathon), but for now I think triathlons are more my passion.  My plan is to do at least 1-2 more Olympic distance triathlons this summer before I tackle Ironman 70.3 Boulder in August.  I am totally confident that I will be ready for that and am very excited about what the next couple months hold!

The finish line and transition area in downtown Austin

Another open water swim and what's next...

On Saturday morning, once again I got up early and drove out to Lake Lewisville for the open water swim.  Since we could choose which of the groups to join, I decided to try the intermediate/advanced group.  The water was a couple degrees warmer than two weeks ago, and it didn't feel nearly as shocking.  I'm starting to believe them when they say it will be very warm by the middle of summer.  As part of this group, we swam a triangle around two different buoys before heading back to the coach on the shoreline.  It was a bit of an initial adjustment to swimming much longer distances continuously in deeper water, and for a few moments I considered going back to the beginner group.  However, I stuck with it, calmed my breathing and got my swimming into a rhythm.  Once I got to that place, I had no problem with what we did. 

After a few warm up laps, most of our time was spent swimming in small groups with one person sighting to the buoys and the other people sighting to the leader.  We all took turns being the leader.  It was actually much easier just staying near the leader and sighting to him or her rather than looking ahead to where the buoy was.  It might be a good strategy in a race situation.

At the end of the session, the coach asked me if I came from a swimming background and what my next race was.  I told her I came from a running background and I was doing my first triathlon at the end of the month.  She said that if I could swim and run, the bike would be easy.

So, yes, a triathlon is officially my next race.  My training has been going in this direction for months, and with Boston behind me I am focusing even more on swim/bike/run.  After the training cycle leading up to Boston, I think I burned out on running all the time and I am really drawn to the more balanced approach of triathlon training. 

I selected the race I did because I wanted my first triathlon to be a bigger one -- I thought it would be more exciting and memorable.  (Our first running race in Chicago was a big event and look what that started for us).  We are going down to Austin for the CapTex Triathlon Memorial Day weekend (and even bringing Scooby along with us!).  I'm very excited -- and looking ahead to more triathlons this summer and in the future!

I'm second from the left playing with my watch -- time for a Garmin???

Group picture before the swim

First Open Water Swim

This past Saturday, I went to my first open water swim.  PlayTri holds the swims early every Saturday morning at Lake Lewisville, which is a big lake about 30 minutes away from our house.  Since my parents and Piper were visiting for Easter, my father decided to come along to see the lake and take a few pictures for me.  It was a beautiful morning and the water was perfectly calm -- a perfect day for my first time in the lake.

Participants were split into two groups -- beginners and an intermediate/advanced group that focused more on doing a swim workout.  Since it was my first time, I joined the beginner group.  We practiced sighting to the buoy or the shoreline, swimming with a partner and just being more comfortable in the water.  Yes, it was very different from swimming laps in a pool -- you could see NOTHING but brown when you put your face in the water and it was much colder (temps in the upper 60's) -- but I thought I did reasonably well.  I was very comfortable in the water and was probably the strongest swimmer in my group that day.  Some people really seemed to struggle in the open water, but happily I experienced none of that.  I may try moving up to the next group the next time I go to make it more of a workout.

Listening to the pre-swim talk

Trying to stay warm between drills

Partner swim

First open water swim was a success!

2019 Boston Marathon

I've now had a few days to reflect on everything that happened this past Monday.  This year's Boston Marathon was such a vastly different experience than last year's race which was dominated by torrential rains and wind and cold temperatures.  I'd been following the weather forecast closely for days, and while they were initially calling for the chance of rain or thunderstorms, thankfully the forecast changed and those didn't materialize during my run.  In fact, the conditions were near perfect for running -- which led to a new marathon PR!

We didn't have the best night's sleep on Sunday, which I completely expected.  We woke up around 5 on Monday morning to get ready and head down to the Fleet Feet pre-race room at our hotel.  We got there a little after 5:30.  I had a piece of toast as I was already feeling a little hungry, and we took bagels and peanut butter to eat later on the bus.  We started heading to the motorcoach buses around 5:45 and by 6:00 we were off to Hopkinton.  I don't remember much of the ride as I kept dozing off, although the seat wasn't especially conducive to sleeping.  We were one of the first private buses to arrive.  It started raining around the time we got there (before 7:00), but we settled in and rested as much as we could for the day ahead.  Mike and I ate our bagels a few hours before the race start and walked to the Athlete Village briefly.  It wasn't the muddy mess that it was last year, but it was still wet from the rain.  Having the bus to wait on was such a great thing.  Eventually the rain did stop and it remained cloudy and comfortably cool.

I started to get everything ready a little after 9, and around 9:20 I started making my way to the Athlete Village and then on to the starting line.  It's about a 3/4 mile walk from the Village to the start corrals but this year I could take my time and absorb the moment.

I was in the sixth corral of the first wave (I should hopefully be closer to the front next year).  The race started for the non-elite athletes at 10:02 and by 10:04 I was officially crossing the starting line and running the race. 

The first few miles are a little crazy.  It's just a two lane road and you start out running downhill -- so people have trouble controlling their speed.  There are just people everywhere for as far as you can see.  I settled into what felt to be a comfortable pace and began ticking off the miles.  Eventually the road does widen and you can start to spread out a little more -- but it takes a few miles for that to happen.

I felt like I could really look around and take in everything much more this year.  I also felt like there were a lot more people cheering along the course.  Yes, there were spectators last year -- but this year they really turned out.  The course isn't especially beautiful -- you are essentially running through New England towns, but there was plenty of energy from the crowd support.

Feeling strong!

Everyone talks about the four hills of Newton, but this year I really noticed that there are rolling hills all along the course.  Yes, the initial part of the course is a net downhill, but there are still hills even within that.  This year, it felt like Newton was just more in a series of hills along the course.  I don't remember at what point I started noticing how hard my quads were working, but I knew I would be sore the next day (spoiler -- I was and still am a little).

Ready to be done with the hills

I checked my watch occasionally and knew that I was running a good pace but still one that I had been able to comfortably maintain for all my long training runs.  I also changed up my nutrition a little, delaying my first GU until mile 10 and then taking them again after 16 and 22 (in the past I have started at mile 7).  This seemed to work well as my stomach felt great the whole race.

Making it past Heartbreak Hill, I knew the end was getting closer.  I passed a lot of people walking and struggling up the hills and I passed a lot more in the last couple miles heading into Boston.  Finally, I saw the Citgo sign in the distance, and I knew once I reached that there was only a mile to go.

My quads were definitely feeling all those hills in the home stretch, but I knew that I was on target for a decent PR.  I pushed on and finally saw it ahead -- Hereford.  I knew it was just a right on Hereford and left on Boylston and that was it.  I raced up Hereford and made that left turn onto Boylston.  There were people packed all along this part cheering.  I looked around at the cheering crowds and tried to take in every detail.  This had been a well-run race and I was proud of how I ran. 

Turning onto Boylston

In the home stretch

And then I crossed the finish line and saw the message pop up on my watch with my official time -- 2:56:05 -- a PR by over 3 minutes!  I was emotional collecting my medal and heat sheet and drinking water and getting the bag of food.  Finishing a marathon is always an emotional accomplishment, but I trained really well for this one and knew that my body was in the kind of shape to run my best.  And that's exactly what I did!

Crossing the finish line with a new PR

I went back to the room and showered and then headed back to watch Mike cross the finish line a little while later.  It was certainly an emotional experience for him as well.

We celebrated that night with a drink in a bar before we headed back to just relax, put on our Normatec boots, drink some wine and have a delicious calzone dinner from a local pizza place.  It was a long day and we were both tired.

If we still lived in Chicago, I fully believe there was no way I could have trained like I did here in Dallas this winter.  I was blessed with so many wonderful weekends of weather for my long runs that made training a joy.  All that work paid off tenfold on Monday.

I don't even know what else to say... there is nothing like being in Boston and running the Boston Marathon.  To be a part of such a prestigious event steeped in tradition is wonderfully humbling and something runners strive for.  I am honored to have run in twice -- and I can't wait to return again in 2020!

Showing off our medals and sporting our Celebration jackets!