Thursday, December 29, 2011
Cheers to 2011
When I started this semi-secret blog a year ago, I had big goals and big doubts about whether I could accomplish them. Climbing Kilimanjaro had been on my list for more than a decade. Attempting an Ironman was almost a spur of the moment decision. I had high hopes but low expectations about how well I would do.
Now, here I am a year later and I can't believe I can say I accomplished everything I set out to do. Oh happy day.
So here's my Top 10 for 2011:
1. Set a new marathon PR by 6 minutes
2. Swam my first 2 miler
3. Made the cutoffs at Kinetic and Musselman
4. Got my masters degree from Georgetown
5. Raised $20,000 for AIDS orphans
6. Interviewed Pres. Obama
7. Participated in my first biathlon
8. Climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro!
9. Did my first sub-8 hour Half Ironman (Waterman's)
10. Became an Ironman! Happy Birthday to me.
To say that it's been an incredible, amazing, insane year is quite the understatement.
So, I offer a big fat toast to 2011, a year that can't be topped. A year I will never forget.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Ironman Arizona Race Report
Result: 16:54:09, no crawling necessary :)
My big goal for 2011 was to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro to celebrate a big birthday. My climbing partner and fellow Zr Tracey was boldly moving forward with plans to climb Kili AND do her first Ironman. I was in awe of her gumption and it got me thinking....
Attempting an Ironman had seemed so ridiculously out of reach to me that I hadn't given it too much thought. But with a big birthday coming up and a fellow back-of-the-packer taking the plunge, I thought what the hell, why not pile it on? Climb Kilimanjaro, attempt an Ironman. It sounded like an insane plan, but what did I have to lose? My expectations were so low for myself there was little chance of being disappointed.
I told no one except my closest Z friends that I was considering signing up. Didn't tell my family for months. When I told Coach Alexis I was doing IMAZ, I practically whispered it to him and told him to keep it on the down low. It just seemed like such an outlandish goal for a back of the packer like me.
THE PLAN:
The plan was to get faster in the swim and bike. If I could just get to the run, I would be okay. That plan worked pretty well--I was PRing my swims by 5 or 6 minutes this year and finally did my first sub-8 Half Ironman. Hallelujah!
Throughout the year I kept asking myself the same question over and over: Am I doing everything I can to ensure my success? When the answer was no, I went into fix-it mode immediately. Naturally, this became an expensive exercise. I wound up buying a tri bike, thinking it would help me in the hellish AZ winds and give me a little more speed to make the cutoff. (And Stella didn't let me down!). My mantra became: spare no expense, put it all out there, have no regrets.
RACE DAY!
PRE-SWIM:
There was no easing into the 61 degree water at IMAZ. We had to jump in from a concrete bank a few feet up. Walk to the ledge and jump--it was a fitting metaphor for my IM journey.
There was a mad rush to get in the water. The pros had already started and hundreds of racers were trying to squeeze under this one archway and over the timing mat to get to the lake. Tracey, Johanna, and I hurried to the ledge and paused for a second. "Let's jump on the count of 3! Hold onto your goggles!" 1,2, 3 and we took the plunge.
The three of us started swimming for the bridge that goes over the lake near the start line. We scanned the bridge for our cheer crew and--thanks to the green clown wigs and the razzle dazzle cheer wands Priscilla and Janet made--we spotted them! We were yelling and waving, they were yelling and waving. It was comforting to have our cheer crew right there with us at the start of what would undoubtedly be one of the hardest days of my life.
None of us could've guessed what would happen next.
Tracey was yelling to look up at the bridge-- and I had to do a double take. Coaches Ed, Alexis, and Ryan appeared out of nowhere. Suddenly they were right there with the rest of the cheer crew, blowing their vuvuzuelas! We had no idea they were making the trip to AZ and at that mom ent, we all started crying. The three of us did a group hug in the water. This was Favorite Moment #1.
The music came on...the cannon went off...I hit my watch timer and we were off!! My epic Ironman day had begun and who knew how it would end? I was rolling the dice.
SWIM:
Goal: Under 1:45
Actual: 1:41:42
I was prepared for combat. I mean, I had heard the horror stories of IM swims and I was sure I would get kicked in the face, swum over, or slapped around some way or another. I had accepted it, made peace with it, devised a coping plan for it, and even decided to embrace it as part of the IM experience. Fortunately, it was pretty tame toward the back of the pack where I was.
The next bridge up ahead of us made for easy sighting. I decided to try to keep up with Tracey for as long as I could. At one point she popped her head up and yelled, "Sally Kidd!" We high-fived each other and she pulled ahead.
All was well until about the halfway point. My hands started going numb, then my feet. I was feeling a lot colder than when I started. I decided to try to pick up my pace and maybe that would warm me up. For a moment, I pondered the possibility of hypothermia but then pushed it out of my mind. I kept telling myself I was warm, the sun was out, all was well. You're in the desert, Sally. You'll be baking in the sun on the bike later today so enjoy this chilly water!
Before I knew it, I was making the final turn and climbing up the stairs out of the water. One down, two to go.
T1
Goal: Under 15 minutes
Actual: 13:33
I grabbed my transition bag and ran into the changing tent. I was cold and shaking. My hands weren't working. A race volunteer helped me open my bag. I sat down and my knees wouldn't stop shaking. The woman next to me grabbed one of my knees and asked if I was okay. She was a first-timer too and we both started laughing at the spectacle of the changing tent and the chaotic scene before us.
I went down my mental checklist for T1. Check, check and check. I was off!
BIKE:
Goal: Make the cutoff!
Actual: 8:05:26 (24 minutes to spare)
My success at IMAZ was all riding on the bike. I knew I would be cutting it close and there was a pretty good chance I wouldn't make the 5:30 PM cutoff. . Stopping for a bathroom break could mean missing the cutoff. I couldn't afford to have a flat tire--there just wasn't time. I stopped for my special needs bag and thought that was living on the edge.
The 3 loop IMAZ bike course is flat with the exception of about a 10 mile false flat up Beeline Highway. There's zero shade and zero to look at. But, no worries, I didn't come here to sight-see. Time to get down to business!! I tried to stay aero as much as possible. The wind was different on each loop.
First loop: Bad headwind going uphill, nice tailwind on the downhill.
Second loop: Tailwind on the uphill, headwind on the downhill.
Third loop: Whatever. At this point I stopped paying attention to the wind and just focused on getting it done.
Our intrepid cheer crew endured hours in the sun, wind, and zero shade to cheer us on. I still get choked up thinking about all the effort, time, and money that went into making sure we had all the encouragement and support we needed. They ruled the road with their green wigs, cheer wands, and cowbells. The bright green signs were everywhere. The coaches where there with their vuvuzuelas. Ironmen Linda and Christy were wearing shirts that said something like I'm already an Ironman. I'm just here for the Tequila! LOL They all made me feel like a rock star when I cruised by. At one point a woman passing me said, "Wow. I want a fan club like yours." And I was proud to say, "They're from Team Z and they're cheering for you too!!"
As soon as I hit the dismount line, I was in tears. I was so flippin' happy to make the cutoff! This was Favorite Moment #2. A volunteer took my bike and pointed me toward the T2 bags. I was a happy mess, sobbing as I shuffled toward a volunteer who was holding my bag for me. I told him how happy I was to see him, yada yada. I'm not sure how coherent I was. Suddenly Robin was there, ushering me toward the changing tent. Two down, one to go.
T2
Goal: Under 10 minutes
Actual: 8:58
I was still in tears trying to change into my running clothes. Robin was handing me different items and helping me stay on track. After I put on my lucky water belt I realized I hadn't put my lucky Savageman water bottle in my T2 bag. This just couldn't be! No water bottle? I mean, that was a given, a necessity! I envisioned myself being severely dehydrated as I staggered from aid station to aid station. But then I snapped back to reality. No worries, there's plenty of water at the aid stations. Plus, conveniently, while I had forgotten the water bottle, I had remembered to stash a frozen bottle of Diet Coke in my bag. Oh yes. Priorities, people!
Dashing out of the changing tent I was in such a happy state.
Me to the volunteers outside the tent: "Which way?!"
Volunteer: "That way...but, um, you need to take your bike helmet off first."
LOL Everyone was cracking up. I handed my helmet to Robin and ran off.
There was no easing into the 61 degree water at IMAZ. We had to jump in from a concrete bank a few feet up. Walk to the ledge and jump--it was a fitting metaphor for my IM journey.
There was a mad rush to get in the water. The pros had already started and hundreds of racers were trying to squeeze under this one archway and over the timing mat to get to the lake. Tracey, Johanna, and I hurried to the ledge and paused for a second. "Let's jump on the count of 3! Hold onto your goggles!" 1,2, 3 and we took the plunge.
The three of us started swimming for the bridge that goes over the lake near the start line. We scanned the bridge for our cheer crew and--thanks to the green clown wigs and the razzle dazzle cheer wands Priscilla and Janet made--we spotted them! We were yelling and waving, they were yelling and waving. It was comforting to have our cheer crew right there with us at the start of what would undoubtedly be one of the hardest days of my life.
Tracey was yelling to look up at the bridge-- and I had to do a double take. Coaches Ed, Alexis, and Ryan appeared out of nowhere. Suddenly they were right there with the rest of the cheer crew, blowing their vuvuzuelas! We had no idea they were making the trip to AZ and at that mom ent, we all started crying. The three of us did a group hug in the water. This was Favorite Moment #1.
The music came on...the cannon went off...I hit my watch timer and we were off!! My epic Ironman day had begun and who knew how it would end? I was rolling the dice.
SWIM:
Goal: Under 1:45
Actual: 1:41:42
I was prepared for combat. I mean, I had heard the horror stories of IM swims and I was sure I would get kicked in the face, swum over, or slapped around some way or another. I had accepted it, made peace with it, devised a coping plan for it, and even decided to embrace it as part of the IM experience. Fortunately, it was pretty tame toward the back of the pack where I was.
The next bridge up ahead of us made for easy sighting. I decided to try to keep up with Tracey for as long as I could. At one point she popped her head up and yelled, "Sally Kidd!" We high-fived each other and she pulled ahead.
All was well until about the halfway point. My hands started going numb, then my feet. I was feeling a lot colder than when I started. I decided to try to pick up my pace and maybe that would warm me up. For a moment, I pondered the possibility of hypothermia but then pushed it out of my mind. I kept telling myself I was warm, the sun was out, all was well. You're in the desert, Sally. You'll be baking in the sun on the bike later today so enjoy this chilly water!
Before I knew it, I was making the final turn and climbing up the stairs out of the water. One down, two to go.
T1
Goal: Under 15 minutes
Actual: 13:33
I grabbed my transition bag and ran into the changing tent. I was cold and shaking. My hands weren't working. A race volunteer helped me open my bag. I sat down and my knees wouldn't stop shaking. The woman next to me grabbed one of my knees and asked if I was okay. She was a first-timer too and we both started laughing at the spectacle of the changing tent and the chaotic scene before us.
I went down my mental checklist for T1. Check, check and check. I was off!
Goal: Make the cutoff!
Actual: 8:05:26 (24 minutes to spare)
My success at IMAZ was all riding on the bike. I knew I would be cutting it close and there was a pretty good chance I wouldn't make the 5:30 PM cutoff. . Stopping for a bathroom break could mean missing the cutoff. I couldn't afford to have a flat tire--there just wasn't time. I stopped for my special needs bag and thought that was living on the edge.
The 3 loop IMAZ bike course is flat with the exception of about a 10 mile false flat up Beeline Highway. There's zero shade and zero to look at. But, no worries, I didn't come here to sight-see. Time to get down to business!! I tried to stay aero as much as possible. The wind was different on each loop.
First loop: Bad headwind going uphill, nice tailwind on the downhill.
Second loop: Tailwind on the uphill, headwind on the downhill.
Third loop: Whatever. At this point I stopped paying attention to the wind and just focused on getting it done.
Our intrepid cheer crew endured hours in the sun, wind, and zero shade to cheer us on. I still get choked up thinking about all the effort, time, and money that went into making sure we had all the encouragement and support we needed. They ruled the road with their green wigs, cheer wands, and cowbells. The bright green signs were everywhere. The coaches where there with their vuvuzuelas. Ironmen Linda and Christy were wearing shirts that said something like I'm already an Ironman. I'm just here for the Tequila! LOL They all made me feel like a rock star when I cruised by. At one point a woman passing me said, "Wow. I want a fan club like yours." And I was proud to say, "They're from Team Z and they're cheering for you too!!"
As soon as I hit the dismount line, I was in tears. I was so flippin' happy to make the cutoff! This was Favorite Moment #2. A volunteer took my bike and pointed me toward the T2 bags. I was a happy mess, sobbing as I shuffled toward a volunteer who was holding my bag for me. I told him how happy I was to see him, yada yada. I'm not sure how coherent I was. Suddenly Robin was there, ushering me toward the changing tent. Two down, one to go.
T2
Goal: Under 10 minutes
Actual: 8:58
I was still in tears trying to change into my running clothes. Robin was handing me different items and helping me stay on track. After I put on my lucky water belt I realized I hadn't put my lucky Savageman water bottle in my T2 bag. This just couldn't be! No water bottle? I mean, that was a given, a necessity! I envisioned myself being severely dehydrated as I staggered from aid station to aid station. But then I snapped back to reality. No worries, there's plenty of water at the aid stations. Plus, conveniently, while I had forgotten the water bottle, I had remembered to stash a frozen bottle of Diet Coke in my bag. Oh yes. Priorities, people!
Dashing out of the changing tent I was in such a happy state.
Me to the volunteers outside the tent: "Which way?!"
Volunteer: "That way...but, um, you need to take your bike helmet off first."
LOL Everyone was cracking up. I handed my helmet to Robin and ran off.
Goal: Whatever it takes to make it to the finish line by midnight!
Actual: 6:44:30 (6 minutes before midnight)
Ah, finally--the run, my total comfort zone. There was a cutoff at the 17 mile mark, so I decided that I would only walk at the aid stations.
Within the first mile I spotted a familiar green sign and it had a picture of my beagle Boudreaux on it. OMG I loved it! Then I glanced to the right and saw another sign with Triathletes Hiking Kilimanjaro on it--our IMAZing cheer crew strikes again! That gave me a big boost as I settled in for the 3 loop run.
There was one stretch that was particularly dark and lonely, but we didn't have to go it alone. Ryan, Ed, and Alexis were there with their vuvuzuelas and words of encouragement. I stopped and gave Ed a big hug.
I kept thinking I would "hit the wall" at some point---this was a marathon afterall--but it never happened. However, I did slow way down. My pace was averaging 13 to 14 minutes during the first loop but then averaged 16 minutes on the next two. I was still running but there were people walking faster than me! I would be cutting it close.
As I ran through the dark and lonely stretch the third time, the coaches gave me another pep talk: "This is it Sally. You've gotta keep up your pace!! Don't slow down! Keep going! Pick it up!!" As I trotted away from them Ryan yelled, "You're gonna remember this day for the rest of your life!!" Oh happy thought.
As I was crossing the last bridge for the last time, Mike came running by to check on Tracey who wasn't far behind me. Then Nicolas came dashing by. "Nicolas! Am I going to make it??!" "Yes--you've got about 1.3 to go! You'll make it. Keep going!" Then he ran off to find Tracey. It reminded me of all the times over the years that Nicolas had finished his race and then retraced the course to check on us --Bassman Half, Luray Oly, our 100 miler in Gainesville, to name a few. And now --after finishing an Ironman, for crying out loud--here he was, running even more miles to make sure Tracey and I were going to make it.
I had about a mile to go when I saw Ed and Ryan. Ryan started running with me, vuvuzuela in hand. "Come on, Sally. You've gotta pick up your pace!" I was running as hard as I could, terrified that after all I had been through I would miss the cutoff by mere seconds.
"You're slowing down-- come on!" I thought Ryan was going to whack me with that green horn if I didn't pick up the pace. I was huffing and puffing and asking, "How much farther? Is that the turn off?? I'm not sure I can keep this up..." Ryan stayed with me -- "Pick it up! Keep going! You only have a few minutes to get there!!"
I was running as fast as I could but everything was happening in slow motion. I could see the turn off up ahead but thought I would never get there. I could hear the finish line crowd but it didn't seem real. Finally, Ryan said something like, "There's the final turn. You know what that means? You're going to be an Ironman. You'll remember this day for the rest of your life!!" And with that I turned the corner toward the finish chute. Suddenly Timra was there running next to me until a volunteer told her she couldn't go any farther. I couldn't believe how many times throughout this long day fellow Zrs were there to help me through.
FINISH LINE!
I turned the corner into the finish chute and was blown away by it all. This was Favorite Moment #3. I've cheered at Ironman races and been in the stands until midnight, screaming like crazy until the last runners crossed the finish line. But to be the one running down that finish chute was surreal, just beyond anything I've ever experienced. The music, the crowd---perfect strangers were there giving me one final boost toward the finish line. Mike Riley was somewhere down there waiting to proclaim me an Ironman. Wow.
I crossed the timing mat and the tears started again. A nice woman put a medal around my neck and gave me a finisher's shirt and hat. I looked up and it was Robin. That was Favorite Moment #5. Gina ran up to give me a hug. We took pictures and cried.
My thoughts turned to Tracey. I waited. The clock was ticking down. More waiting. The cameras moved in to capture the final finishers. There was less than a minute to go! Suddenly I hear "TRACEY FORD OF ALEXANDRIA VIRGINIA--YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!" The crowd went wild. Favorite Moment #6!
It was unreal. Two friends who had trained together, raced together, suffered and celebrated together and climbed Kili together-- and now we were completing Ironman Arizona together. I was living the dream.Our fellow IMAZings, who had finished long before us, could've gone back to the comfort of their hotels for some well-deserved rest but they were there at the finish line to cheer us across..There were high-fives, hugs, and more tears.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!
Ironman Arizona:
Goal: Finish
Actual: Finished in 16:54:09
I can't believe I did it! It was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but I cruised across the finish line at IMAZ just before midnight. I'm heading to the airport now for the flight home.
Race report and pics to come...
wooohoooo!!!
Goal: Finish
Actual: Finished in 16:54:09
I can't believe I did it! It was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but I cruised across the finish line at IMAZ just before midnight. I'm heading to the airport now for the flight home.
Race report and pics to come...
wooohoooo!!!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
IRONMAN Arizona!!
IT'S ON!
4:15 AM I'm awake, ready, and totally pumped! I actually got some sleep last night. We depart for the race at 4:45. It's going to be a long day but at the end of it all, I will be an Ironman.
4:15 AM I'm awake, ready, and totally pumped! I actually got some sleep last night. We depart for the race at 4:45. It's going to be a long day but at the end of it all, I will be an Ironman.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
1 DAY TO IRONMAN ARIZONA!
I packed my transition bags, put the race # stickers on Stella, and loaded up my bento box with GU. Off we went for our practice swim at Tempe Town Lake. The water temp this AM was 63 degrees -- yes! I'll be able to wear my sleeveless wetsuit, which is what I'm used to swimming in. Some of the locals have been warning us about the water quality....but they've obviously never swam in the Potomac.
After our practice swim, Tracey went for a quick spin on her bike and I went for a short run on the path that borders the lake. Then we racked our bikes, dropped off our transition bags, and rehearsed the trip from the bags to the changing tent to the bike out....Looks easy enough. From there we headed over to Bob's daughter's house for a carbo-loading lunch. Some of the IM vets were there--Christy, Linda, Rich, Maggie--and gave us some last minute advice.
Such is my life on this, the final day before IMAZ.
2 DAYS, OH MY!
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18
Tracey, Nicolas and I picked up our bikes from Tri Sport Express and took them out for a practice ride up the false flat. We rode 7 of the 10 miles up, averaging about 13 mph, then 7 miles back at about 21 mph--nice on the way down. Check out our oh so very cool IMAZing jerseys!
We had pizza for lunch at the Mellow Mushroom, took a nap, then went to the athlete's meeting. I spent the rest of the night organizing my transition bags. I can't believe it's just two days out!
We had pizza for lunch at the Mellow Mushroom, took a nap, then went to the athlete's meeting. I spent the rest of the night organizing my transition bags. I can't believe it's just two days out!
Only 3 To Go!
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17
HELLO ARIZONA!
Arrived this morning. Yes! We picked up our packets. It's all official now! The weather is awesome--sunny with highs in the 70's, low humidity, and not that windy. Let's hope it holds out for race day. Looks good so far.
Check out our Tempe digs! This place is awesome. It's a huge house with 3 bedrooms, an office, a study, a bar,gourmet kitchen, patio with bar, a heated pool (!), massive walk-in closets, and a Porche and Mercedes in the garage.Nice, huh? We are chillin' in style.
Arrived this morning. Yes! We picked up our packets. It's all official now! The weather is awesome--sunny with highs in the 70's, low humidity, and not that windy. Let's hope it holds out for race day. Looks good so far.
Check out our Tempe digs! This place is awesome. It's a huge house with 3 bedrooms, an office, a study, a bar,gourmet kitchen, patio with bar, a heated pool (!), massive walk-in closets, and a Porche and Mercedes in the garage.Nice, huh? We are chillin' in style.
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