Maureen's 2010 GWN Race Report (coached by Richelle)

Maureen had a great first 1/2 Ironman and surprised herself on how amazing she really could do! Way to go Maureen!

I had a great day at GWN! This was my first race at this distance and I had been thinking about and focused on (some would say obsessed about) the day since I registered in September. It exceeded my expectations in every way.

My objectives from my race plan were to:
Finish within the cut off time
Stay in the game – if things go wrong, deal with them and move on
Stay mentally tough and positive – remember this is my hobby, how much I’ve trained for it and that I want it to be a positive experience … so I can make it one

I had objectives for swim, run and bike too, all focused on process and attitude.

The short report is:
Check. Finished in 7:03 – 57 minutes ahead of the cut off
Check. Nothing really went wrong so it was easy to stay in the game. I had a really sore knee (IT band related) on the run but I took some Advil and tried to ignore it. It didn’t improve but it didn’t get much worse.
Check. I had one of the best racing experiences ever. Normally I get tired, dispirited, negative, disinterested, etc during a race. I have a bad habit of giving up on myself. This was completely different. I was positive and excited all day. I kept saying to volunteers, “I’m having a great day!” I suspect they thought I was delirious or on something stronger than Heed.

The longer context ...
The day unfolded pretty much as I anticipated. The weather made a big difference, right from the swim, when the sun conveniently went under a cloud just when it otherwise would have been in my eyes, making sighting harder. I’ve been trying this summer to run in heat so I could be better prepared for it, but I was very happy not to have to put that training to the test.

I had a mental playlist to motivate and inspire me. To my surprise, early in the ride, the Pointer Sisters – who are not on any playlist of mine -- took up residence in my brain with “I’m so excited.” They never left. That was how I felt and the beat was okay too!

Lessons learned, in no particular order:
Packing can be more stressful than the event! I got all worked up about all the STUFF and organizing it all, even though I am really really organized and have great lists and systems.
A coach is invaluable. I trusted Richelle’s programs, advice and wisdom through the year. She had faith in me, which gave me confidence. I did what she told me to (mostly) all year and believed that it would all come together when I needed it to. And it did.
A race plan is invaluable too. Mine was very detailed, but it helped me anticipate just about everything. For me, that’s important and it worked.
The TTL group meeting on Saturday was great. I learned a lot from Angie’s instructions and from practicing the swim and transition skills. It was nice to meet some more TTL folks and put faces to names.
You CAN get everything you need from liquid nutrition. I was worried that Infinit might not be enough on the bike, but it was. I drank a full aerobottle every hour; I wasn’t hungry at all and I had enough energy for one of my strongest half-marathons ever. On the run I carried my fuel belt with Nuun, took two gels and a few honey stingers plus water from the aid stations and that was it. No Heed. No Coke. No food. And I felt great.
The downside to liquid nutrition means you have to pee. Often. I know I could have been under 7 hours if I hadn’t needed those four pee breaks.
I have wonderful friends (not a lesson, but a reinforcement). Carla was also doing the race and helped with tons of ideas, suggestions and wise counsel. Two others drove up from Calgary and were there, in pink wigs, with signs and tunes, at the start of the ride, on the final stretch back into town and then on the run. And my training partner Terry, who trained for the race but couldn’t do it, dragged her family several hours out of their way heading home from their cottage to come and be there for the finish line. We all drank champagne that another friend sent from Toronto.
Having family support makes a big difference. My husband was sceptical of this whole endeavour when I started but changed his mind as the year went on and he realized just how committed I was to it. He never bellyached about the time I spent training, even though it was on top of the long hours I already spend at work. He was a great Sherpa and fan on race day, trying to keep up with the email and text traffic on the iPhone.
I wish TTL gear fit me better so I could be visible to team members and supporters. I did my best by at least wearing something orange, but it’s not quite the same. Sadly, there’s none that’s comfortable enough to wear for 7+ hrs.

I doubt I’ll ever have another ½ Ironman race that comes together so well. But I enjoyed the experience so much I will definitely do more. I can’t wait to try the next one.