GWN 2012!
I think this is the first time I have done a race report, so it feels a bit strange to be writing this! I am not a racer—I like to train with my friends—so every actual race for me is a big deal! This was my second full GWN, but I have been the runner or swimmer a few times in the past 6 years as well. I know the course, the whole thing feels like coming home for me! Been there, done that, got the shirt! (sounds a bit complacent, huh?......)
I worked at my nutrition this year, and Angie really helped me dial it in on Saturday. A wonderful tip from Leslie Anne, and I think I had one of the best-fueled races ever. I had a plan, man!
Sunday morning I woke up crab, crab, crabby! Two nights of crappy sleep and impending rain on race morning!! Grrrr....... I spent all my swim practice time at my transition instead—trying to decide what to wear after the swim! One of the benefits of frequent racing is that you would actually have experience with what clothing works for you!!! Oh well, I decided to swim in my sport bra, pull on my tri top after and add my rain shell to bike in so I would not be cold. Turns out that tri tops don’t go on so well when you are soaking wet!!! Memo to self: just swim in the darn top, you ninny! Swim was accomplished in two parts—first 300m I forgot that I can actually put my face in the water! Yep!! Can be done!! Was all freaked out, panic central!! Tried all of Angie’s best tricks—focus on form, count strokes, find a hole and stay off to the side—my own head was in my way!! And then, like magic! It went away and I had a wonderful swim from then on!! What the heck?? I felt strong, focussed on form, stayed out of the fray and got it done!! (maybe that evil swim devil drowned at the 300m mark??)
One of the longest transitions on record! And I usually rock my transitions! Oh yeah! I guess I should have practiced before the race—hmmm.....complacency??? Then I fell over my bike trying to mount---still not feeling the love!! The rain shell kept me at a very comfortable temperature, but I got a few comments from other cyclists that I looked like I had a parachute!! It was annoying, but at least I had a comfortable temperature! The first 30km of the bike seemed so crowded! I didn’t get much nutrition in because I was trying to dodge the crowds and keep out of the drafting. Still so crabby! Wet and grumpy! Ooooh! A horrible place to race in!! Then I started to see the girls—Tara—who was having the race of her life!! She was a distant memory in no time flat!!! Carla, Kelly—we went back and forth and I got so much energy from seeing them out there!! Carmen went by like I was standing still!! No hope of catching him!! Saw Angie at 45km—she was already on the way back and looked like a pro! I was really excited for her! Mood lifting—hmmmmm....was this going to be an okay race despite myself??? Starting getting some spasms in my back around 55km, took a Robaxacet as planned and powered on! Not loving the rain—the princess not getting her way! Decided at 70km that that was the perfect distance for a half IM bike, but apparently the race director didn’t get my memo!! What the heck—it’s all flat from here! Get ‘er done!! Such an internal struggle—the bike is my favourite thing and I was really trying hard to have fun, and not able to get out of my own head!! Town!! Hallelujah!! And my wonderful Dave, and Mom and lots of cheering as I passed the Tri Life tent! Into T2 I go! Could not wait to get off the bike and start the next race with a better head space!
A long transition again—was so soaked and dirty and gritty—took my time to dry my toesies! No gritty bits allowed into those nice clean shoes!! Off goes the parachute—wow! It’s actually a nice temperature out here—and the rain seems so much less! TTL hat on to cover the really bad hair and away I go! And right out of transition I come across a TTLer I didn’t know, but we wished each other well, and I thought how nice it was that we had our kits on today! Off at a 5:00/km pace—lets be smart out here! Let’s pace the race and do the best we can! Wow! It felt so great to be running! And I thanked all the volunteers! And I could feel the cloud lifting! And the light rain was nice—kept me at a perfect temperature! A quick pottie break, and I was rockin and rollin!! I saw Tanya Solomon being led by the Lead Female cyclist and was so excited!! Tanya is a good friend of Angie’s, and a super gal! I was thrilled for her—she won Wasa this year too!! It’s a good day!! And then I saw Angie walking back! What???? I ran over and she said she was in too much pain to run! She was tearful, and told me to go on, and I got that lump in my throat and was ready to cry. I knew she was really ready for this race—no fair!! No Fair!! Okay—suck it up—get your race over and then find out what happened to Angie—no crying allowed! Happy face—come back to me!! The beauty of GWN is the out-and-backs! I started to see more of our team and it didn’t take long to find my happy! Hand slapping, cheering everyone and anyone I could! That’s the best thing I can do to get myself out of my own head! Hold pace, keep those kms even, get a gel in, some coke, some water—race smart!! Yep! We can do this!! One more porta pottie and good to go! It certainly got harder, but that’s when I started my mantra: “Angie says I’m a natural runner!” Thank you Angie!! My wonderful sister-in-law joined me for the last few km to run me in—she was terrific—so supportive! I have the best team and the best family! Got that run done in the best time I’ve ever had in a half IM!
So, in retrospect, I guess I learned that practice before a race is a good thing—whether it is setting up transition, mounting your bike, or just a lake swim to get used to the wetsuit after a winter in the closet! And that the weather is something I can’t control, but my emotions are—I can choose to be a big crab monster, or I can choose to make the best of it and have some fun with the rest of the racers! Once I got a grip on my head (and pulled it out of my butt!) I had a great day!! And I am so grateful to all of my teammates for their cheers and high-fives and to Coach Angie for giving me the tools—I just needed to remember how to use them!!
Ironman Arizona—look out now—I’m comin’ to getcha!!
Toni
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