70.3 Ironman Texas- Part III (Bike and Run)
Transition 1 went well, although slow. I made sure to get sunscreen on so I wouldn't burn, and was half way down my aisle to leave when I remembered my inhaler. I stopped and went back for it at the last minute. I never needed it, but you just never know with asthma and I didn't want to risk it. T1 time as a result was 7:06.
My bike was SLOW!! It's ok. It gave Silas plenty of time to hang out and wonder for hours if I had wrecked or had a flat tire:) Anyway, it also gave him time to check out the pro athletes on the run. Check out this great picture of Lance Armstrong!!
Not much to say about the bike. My whole race plan for this portion was to stay steady and save my legs for the run. We had a headwind the first 28 miles out which slowed me down even more. I sang some church songs in my head, and just enjoyed the fact that I was on my bike, which once again meant I had survived the swim. I spent some time enjoying being in the moment, taking in the race experience, looking at the beauty of the Texas coastline, and trying not to get run over by all the people whizzing past me yelling "On your left!!" I took in my fuel every 15 minutes or so as planned and alternated between Ritz PB crackers and GU chomps. I only had 2 water bottles on my bike and those ran out about mile 40, so I quit eating then too. It felt forever to reach the turnaround, but I knew I would have a faster split on the way back due to the wind. I even saw Lance Armstrong race past on his bike, which was fun for about 2 seconds:) After mile 40 I got really bored. I got tired of sitting in aero position and couldn't get comfortable, which made me restless. I kept really hoping I would not get a flat tire, and I didn't!!! The miles drug by and I finally made it back in. Bike time: 3:34:57 with an average speed of 15.63 mph. I definitely know where I need to put in the work next time around!!! 
Transition 2 went well. T2 time was 3:26. Before I knew it I was headed out to start the 3 loop run course. By this time it was afternoon and really heating up. Thank goodness I like it hot! I was so thankful for all the years I spent playing soccer in the summer Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas heat:) It was good practice. Man I felt good on the run. It was by far my favorite part.
Mostly it was because I knew all I had to do was run 13.1 miles and cross that finish line. Run and done! Seeing Silas and the excitement on his face was my main motivator though. I ran harder every time I saw him, and he did an amazing job of chasing me all over the course!! Click on the picture above and check me out!! I felt so good running and the first loop flew by fast. 
I definitely got tired about mile 4, but decided I was going to run the whole stinking way no matter what. I walked through every aid station I came to and hydrated with water, Ironman Perform, ate an orange slice, and dumped water, ice or a cold sponge on my head. It would give me a short break every so often, and I knew I would overheat or dehydrate if I didn't keep forcing the fluids down. It worked well, and I was able to maintain my run the entire way. 
Heading out for one last loop:)
Still running!
I was chatting with this lady for a bit. She had a big 62 on her calf indicating her age. I said.."you go girl!!" as I ran with her a while and told her how impressed I was that she was rocking this thing:) I hope I am still out there competing when I am her age.
I passed a ton of people on the run, mostly because I kept running:) I was really surprised at how many people were walking. This made me feel better about my turtle pace on the bike!
Heading for the home stretch. I never really started hurting during the race. My hips felt tight about mile 10 on the run, but nothing awful. I repeated my mantra in my head over and over the entire last 3 miles of the race and it kept me going. "This is easy, this is fun. Mama's gonna be an Ironman!" I actually would say Ironmon with a Jamaican accent in my head, because it rhymes better:) I crossed that line with a huge smile on my face....best feeling in the world! Official finish time was 6:53:05. Silas found me quickly and I felt overwhelmed and thought I might cry, but never really did. We walked around for a bit so I could get a drink and use the bathroom. I just wanted to sit down...I was tired of moving.
We finally made our way back to transition so I could gather up my bike and all my gear. It was a loooooong walk back to the car, but it was good to stretch out my legs. I was nasty and covered from head to toe in salt from sweating so much. Luckily we only had a 4 hour drive back to Silas' parent's house so I only had to be disgusting and cramped in the car until bedtime that night (the joys of racing out of town). All said and done it was an amazing race experience. I did what I came out to do and accomplished my 2 main goals....1) Finish and 2) Have Fun. And the icing on the cake was breaking 7 hours:) I am an Ironman!!! 
posted by Lauren at
7:34 PM
3 Comments:
You look so great - strong! Congratulations!!!
(and yeah, I got passed by EVERYONE)
Ahhhh!!! I love this recap! Such great pictures. I would definitely love to do a Half Irom Man someday but I would have to tone up on my swimming and biking skills! You seriously look hard core! GREAT job girl!!!
Thanks girls!!! It was such a fun experience and I am so glad I did it:)
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