Patty Swedberg's Ironman Race Report and shameless sponsor plugs

This was my 5th Ironman, and I’ve come to have a great fondness for the race. I’m grateful to be able to participate in it at all and to do it with such great teammates and friends and family around. I went into this one a bit behind where I’d like to have been training-wise, but was determined to get as much as I could out of my Brian Guillan-sized body. Brian and I had determined a few days before the race that except for my higher percentage of body fat (which I refuse to disclose) and bigger feet (also not disclosing), we are essentially the same athlete. How he qualified for Kona and I did not is a complete mystery to me. Nancy Larson qualified too. They are my heroes.

I love our traditional team BBQ on Thursday night (sponsored by Kent Easthill Physical Therapy). Great things happen there. Strategies are discussed, war stories told… With Marty Larson’s BBQ'd ribs for inspiration, (THANKS MARTY!!!) Patti Anderson formulated a great plan for opening a red-neck spa out of a double-wide after the race. Ed & Christine Clarke had some great suggestions there….something about hot massage rocks in a crock pot and cold drinks…Never really thought of Ed at a red-neck spa, but the image appeals to me.

I think I saw just about everybody on the team before the race started on Sunday morning. Felt flooded with silly emotion just seeing Bill and my friends and teammates getting ready. I wanted to hug just about everybody that I got my hands on…..did that. I typically try and hang around Brad at the start of the swim. Usually calm and cool, he is quite enthusiastic at the beginning of those races and it is infectious. He escaped my radar, though, dang it, and was replaced by my twin brother, Brian, (13 years younger) who had tipped me off that he would be on my feet at the start. Knowing Brian could have a wickedly fast day and chose my feet at the beginning made me very happy, so I happily went along. We stood on the beach until it got very close to 7, then moved down to where the big kids are.

I absolutely LOVE the start of those Ironman swims – my favorite part of triathlon by far. For a person that likes to be in close contact with people, there is no finer moment, really. Arms and legs and heads everywhere. I’m not afraid of getting hit, and not afraid to let my somewhat manly arms land on some guy’s head…There’s no danger of offending the big confident boys that hang around in that pack and it is FREEING. I thought often of Brian, hoping he was still right there, or better, that he’d found faster feet to follow!

Out of the water I looked hopefully at the clock. I have swam a 1:00:xx 3 times at these races and wanted to see :50-anything SOOOOoooo badly….. Nope. 1:00:55. Dang it dang it dang it!!
Off to the wetsuit strippers – I actually did STOP for a second and look for an RTBer – I knew they were out there! But I didn’t hear nor see them in that moment so went with another very competent stripper….

The rest of the day was filled with seeing our RTB spectators and family members out on the course. Emily (our daughter!), Justin, Julie, George, Amanda, Morgan, Allison, Angela, Shaun, Teresa, Jen, Julie, Patti, Amy, Toby, Suzie, Tracy, Marty, ……on and on…. Emily waved pictures of our heads on sticks and had some GREAT posters on the course…… She is hysterical and makes me laugh out loud when I’m out there. Missed Benny, though. He is known for sleeping in the grass on the run course next to his bike and empty Zips Burger bags or heckling people.


My ride felt good. I took the first loop conservatively, letting the other 40-44 women pass me, confidently assuming I’d crank it up and pass many of them on the 2nd lap like I did last year. Never saw most of them again…. More time on the Computrainer (not a sponsor, too bad) may have helped there… but I did see almost every single RTB athlete many times (except for Rob!!! Get well, Rob!!) Bill looked FANTASTIC and was gaining on me.

My ride – 6:12….11 minutes slower than last year’s time, but a dandy effort, I think! I was never really discouraged or bored or in any type is distress. My nutrition worked great. It was a great ride for me mentally and the best I could do that day, I think.

My run – 5:12. I saw that coming…didn’t really deserve a better run split. But I have resolved to not go to Ironman again until I can do considerably better job on that marathon. My legs came apart with about 8 miles to go, but I ran further than I have before – well into the 2nd loop…so there’s a small victory in that for me. I passed Brad at about mile 5 or 6…he was cramping badly and walking. I thought for a SPLIT second that it would be a nice thing to hang with him for awhile….but knew he wouldn’t have it and I was feeling too good to stop there anyhow. He offered selfless encouragement as a Hopeful picture flashed in my mind of cheering him across the finish line for the first time ever after I’d have the time to enjoy a nice meal with a glass of wine.

I saw all the RTB competitors from time to time on the run – we have FABULOUS looking athletes out there. I couldn’t believe how fresh they looked!!! (Why don’t I look like that? EVER??) My handsome Ironman husband, Bill, would flash me a smile at every turn, and I thought for awhile how nice it would be to cross the finish line with him!! Maybe I would wait for him – he wasn’t that far behind! I could rest up a little on the grass! Or the pavement. Or in the back of that truck as it headed back toward town! Naw…. Would rather try and beat him while I still have the chance!!! I think he’ll be really hard to beat next time. (Love you honey!)

For the last couple of miles, while walking it in with another athlete, Kris, I’d look occasionally over my shoulder for Brad. Was he gaining time? My head couldn’t do any math anymore but I kept looking. Not there…..not there….not there again….. Brad has that admirable yet annoying ability to hurt, though, (right, Julie??) and is fiercely competitive. I figured if he was close, my plan was in trouble. Keep looking, Patty….

With 6 blocks to go, Kris’s coach showed up and provided a distraction. I forgot to keep looking…….and we started running for the finish line. (Why do people do that??? Walk for miles and insist on running across the finish line? It seems so deceptive to me!!) But I ran anyway and prayed for an end to it already and forgot to turn around.



With about a block to go, the inevitable happened and there was Brad…passing me. There would be no meal or wine, and there was no sprint finish in me….no Arnie Maish elbow to his ribs…only the disappointing sight of the back of Brad's jersey and the big red F5 Logo crossing the line a full 7 seconds ahead. Well done, Brad. :)

Congratulations everybody – I’m proud to be your teammate.

No race in 2009 for me…but 2010 might be fun! I'll be studying up about the run...

Paul Grove's Ironman Swim Report....

The Swim



I was nervous about the swim this year. Not so much the chaos of the swim just the fact that I did very little swim training last year since I only did one sprint distance race and my longest swim this year was 58 minutes. My best time for the IMCDA swim was 1:34 so 58 minutes really isn't long enough. But I reminded myself that the swim reallly was the easiest part of the race two years ago. Would it still be? I also was nervous about very rough water that was experienced by racers last year. And what if my calves cramp? Would that be the end of my day? I still have some problems with calf cramps thanks to this race two years ago.



I stood on the beach and looked at the crowd. I was at the back of the crowd and just a little to the right of center. There were many people to the right of me and actually they looked like they were lined up with the boats that watch the race. They would have to go to the left at an extreme angle to get on course. That would be a serious problem.... I chatted with another guy who said that a slow swim is his strategy for finding his bike in T1. Ha, Ha, but I had to agree that my bike is usually sitting alone when I get out of the water.



The gun went off and we wished each other well and have a good race, see you out on the bike, etc. And "please don't kick me as you pass me in the water," I added. We walked down to the water. I was slightly nervous not terrified. I was less nervous now than I was when setting up my gear an hour earlier. The swim start was just like I remember it: very crowded with a few people on my legs and me on the legs of other swimmers. I breathed to the right and ducked to avoid a woman's arm. That happened last time too. With reflexes like that I should consider boxing. Two years ago I said that the IM swim (and the run for different reasons) are a little like a boxing match: you know someone's going to get beat up, you just hope it's not you or one of your friends.



I had to do quite a bit of head up swimming at this point to avoid the other swimmers. We really weren't going anywhere though. It was like the start of a huge running race. You don't run, you walk. I didn't want to have my head out of the water because obviously you can't swim very fast, and I can feel the strain on my back and hamstrings when I tread water or try to breaststroke in a wetsuit for too long. I didn't want my legs to get tight. If my hamstrings cramp it will be a very long day. At the team dinner on Thursday night I mentioned that I don't sight straight ahead, just left and right. Let me clarify that just a bit. I do look ahead but I don't sight off of the horizon. I do bilateral breathing so I can watch to the left and see the buoys and crowd and when I breathe to the right I see how many people are near me. If the majority of the crowd is on my left and nobody is on my right then I'm probably swimming toward the Spokane River and I need to move to the left. Also I can tell how many people are around me based on how violent the water under me is. Even though I wear earplugs, I can hear and feel the crowd if I'm near the bouys. If it's peaceful and feels like I'm swimming in Five Mile Lake then I need to go left. Just like the mosh pit at a rock concert, it gets more violent the closer to the center you get. Now that I'm older and wiser, I stay out of the mosh pit at rock concerts, but I still haven't learned to stay out of mass start swims.



What I needed to do at this point was get away from the people hitting me from the left. Remember all the people on the beach lined up to the far right? Now they were swimming almost paralel to the beach in an attempt to get on course and slamming into me in the process. Two years ago I didn't have this big of a problem with the "right side swimmers" cutting in. I used to enjoy the chaos and adrenaline of the swim. This year I just found it frustrating and annoying. I resolved that I would never do this again.



I made my way around the turn bouys at the far end of the course. There was boat wake out here (there was in past years too) and I could taste the fuel in the water. Yuk. I rounded the second bouy and swallowed a full mouth of water. No chance to spit it out either. I did that two years ago in the exact same spot! I coughed and gaged but it was too late and the water was already down.



The last part of the first loop was still crowded but I did find some space to swim. But now the negative self talk started. I knew that IMCDA was the only ultra distance event that I have not been happy with. Both years that I did it I got crushed. A DNF in 2005 and in 2006 calf cramps and nutrition/stomach problems that caused more physical pain and agony than I had ever experienced (well, since the race in the previous year). I will never forget those two races. I have had fairly good midpack success at other run and bike ultra distance events but not IM. Why? The answer is simple I figured: the other events don't involve swimming and you can't be a poor swimmer and have a good IM race. This is going to be a very long day.



Just ahead of me a guy was on his back trying to do backstroke. But he wasn't doing backstroke he was doing some sort of a crazy forearm spinning thing. His shoulders weren't moving just his arms from the elbow down. It looked like he was doing a backstroke drill and going nowhere. And his bent leg kicking was splashing a lot of water in my face. This was really pissing me off. Last week Patty Anderson said that she won't swim in the back of the crowd because of all the people who can't swim straight. She was right and I now understood her point.



I finished the first loop and looked at my watch: 45 minutes. Wow. That is the same time as my first lap two years ago and much better than I thought it would be. Very nice. Maybe this swim isn't so bad after all.



The second lap was more spread out. I swam for about ten minutes then stuck my head out of the water. I said hello to the guy next to me and noticed that it was cloudy and darker than at the start of the race. My legs were a little tight and I could feel the groin muscle in my right leg. I don’t know if someone grabbed that leg but it was stiff. I wasn’t too tired but I started to daydream at this point.



Until I reached the first turn bouy, that is. I could feel the water get rougher and I looked up to see a kayak just a foot from my face. "Go to your left," he told me. I looked to the left and saw that I wasn’t that far from the bouys and I was still on the edge of the crowd. 'Dude you go to the right and get out of my way', I was thinking. 'I'm doing just fine thank you very much'. They pushed us all into a tight group and the violent crowded swim started again. Dang! There were so many surfboards and kayaks just a few feet away. They looked like alligators at a trout farm. One was even in the middle of the swim pack. I don't remember this many lifeguards two years ago, but it's good that they are there (at the edge of the pack that is. Kayaks in the middle of the pack create problems.) I wonder if this is because of the rough water last year, or have more swimmers been getting into trouble at IM events? Have there been any fatalities in the water in the last two years? Bill would later tell me about his mishap with a lifeguard on a surfboard.



On the return leg I started daydreaming again. I was tiring but still comfortable. I had my head down in the water and saw something strange looking flash in front of my face. My heartrate redlined in fear. I popped my head out of the water and realized that it was just my arms in my black wetsuit doing their usual stroke. I had been looking at churning water and black-clad arms and legs for so long that I was losing focus.



I exited the water tired but pleased: I swam a 1:35. I walked up the steps and to the first wetsuit peeler I saw. They had a tough time getting my wetsuit over my ankles since I only used lube on my neck and not my ankles, but they still did a good job. They stood me up and through no fault of theirs, my right hamstring cramped. Crap. This might be a very long and painful day.



*to be continued.....*

The Juicy Details of… My Life as a Stripper

By Patti Krebsbach (“pk” in the RTB world)



I had been waiting for him for almost an hour. He strolled up from the beach after a nice long swim. Moist droplets of water falling one by one off of his golden locks, gently rolling over his chiseled muscles.

He looks up and finds me among the sea of faces. Our eyes meet. He gives me the knowing look. I don’t know his name…he doesn’t know mine. I reach out to him. My hands touching his body in all the right places. I gently glide him to a bed of grass. Beaming rays of sun shining through the tree branches. The gentle wind softly whistling a song.

He is waiting in suspense for my next move. With no warning, I……STRIP THE WETSUIT OFF HIS BODY along with my partner Tammy Barnhart!!!!!!!

Tammy and I are “Strippers” (the wetsuit peeling kind) at the 2008 Ironman Coeur D’Alene Triathlon. “He” is Tom Evans of Penticton, BC who we gracefully assist on his way to a first place finish!!!!!

Tammy and I were lucky and honored for the chance to peel the first wetsuit in this year’s race. We were jumping up and down with excitement. It was so cool and even cooler that he went on to win!

In small groups, the racers start making their way towards T1. We were hoping to spot and peel as many RTBers as we could.

The first RTBer we saw was Brad Williams but were unable to get his attention. Next up was Phil “Pill Dispenser” Spencer and we weren’t about to lose out on a chance to strip him!!! Right on his heels was Patty Swedberg. We were able to get the attention of RTBers Brian Guillen, Kristin Anderson, Heather Nugent and Cheryl Iseberg and got their suits peeled in a flash.

Uh…Pill Dispenser. If you’re over 40 and trying to read a label…you’ll understand. lol

All of the sudden there were wetsuited bodies EVERYWHERE. One, two, sometimes three deep waiting to be stripped. Thank God for Body Glide. You could sure tell who used it. Some wetsuits peeled like bananas – others peeled like oranges!!!

There was one particular athlete that we stripped and next thing I know we had about 10 extra FEMALE hands trying to weasel their way in to help him. When he got up and took off for transition, I heard someone say “Holy cow, he was cute” followed by “You girls sure took your time with him”. Poor guy! Probably lost some serious T1 time there.

We also stripped the youngest male athlete. He laughed when I asked how it felt to have 4 middle age women ripping his clothes off.

It was nice to see the RTBers come out of the water strong and ready for T1. We were a little worried about Heather – she was shivering like crazy, but she had enough wits about her to know where she was and where she needed to go next!!! We sent her off to the change tent with confidence. It was definitely the teeny-tiny women that seemed to have the glazed-over incoherent look in their eyes that needed the 90 degree warming huts.




The highlight of the morning was meeting Sister Madonna Buder – triathlon legend, in the transition area before the start of the race. Tammy and I caught up to her for a quick hug and photo op. Google her if you get the chance – FASCINATING!!
Tammy’s sister Jenny and their friend Stacy came over from Kalispell to meet up with her and volunteer for the race. Working, laughing and having fun along side these three kept me in stitches. Do any RTBers remember getting a “Go get ‘em Tiger” out of Tammy?


Another cool thing about volunteering was making the local news the next morning. They did a segment on wetsuit peeling. We didn’t have a speaking part but Tammy and I are featured several times showing off our stripping moves.

I know from personal experience how cold the lake was this year. On Friday morning, I had the privilege of joining the RTB Iron athletes for a team swim. There are pictures on the RTB blog – but which make me appear to be an Ironman contender – however to steal a quote from Craig (friend of RTB) “I’m JV hanging out with Varsity”.

This was the case for the Friday team ride too. We rode along side Lake Coeur D’Alene up to Higgins Point. What a gorgeous ride. I enjoyed every minute of it - so much so that I rode it again Saturday with fellow RTBers – Patty M., Amy and Kelvin.

It was great to see other RTB spectators in CDA that I didn’t know where going to be there. I saw RTHers Angela, Shaun and Teresa. Later on ran into RTBers Jen and Julie. Gotta thank Jen for the Cowbell tip - “everyone deserves some cowbell”!! Even late in the race when I had that glazed-over spectator look, I could still muster up some cowbell.

RTBers Kelvin and Mathlete Joe volunteered in the transition area. They were able to get a good view on how the athletes were doing after the long bike ride. It was especially helpful when we were out on the bike course as Kelvin kept us up to date with text messages as RTBers made it through T2.

There is a lot of down time to watching an Ironman event however; there is also nothing else like it. The energy rises off the ground and keeps going as the clock continues to tick.

This was my second year watching Ironman CDA. One of the benefits of volunteering was having the opportunity to get a guaranteed slot to register for the 2009 Ironman race.

Maybe my third trip to Ironman CDA will be my charm to Ironman Glory. Stay tuned.

Ann Sloan's Race Report From Victoria 1/2 Ironman

Victoria ½ Iron Race Report – Ann S.
(1.2 mile swim, 54 mile bike, 12.5 mile run)
June 22, 2008

Must have coffee or wine or something. It is my epic novel again.

Friday….
Steve (supporting husband) and I headed up to Victoria on Friday after a yummy Sushi lunch in Issaquah. On the way out of town I told Steve, I only have one spare tube and wondered if we should stop by the bike shop to get another one. I thought for a moment and figured, nope, don’t really need another one. If I get one flat I’d be lucky to make the noon cutoff, if I had two flats, there would be no way. I can change my tire, I am just very slow!. So we skipped the bike shop visit.

We had a lovely hour wait at the boarder, good thing we were not on a time schedule!! You know folks are struggling with gas prices, when they shut off their engine and push their car in the board line crossing. Yep, two apparent college gals chose to get exercise and save gas. They pushed their car every time we moved a few inches. Not sure how much it saved but….nice idea….for some. Anyway, we made the 5pm ferry, what a nice way to travel the ‘sprit’ ferries are much nicer than the ‘queen ferries’ The queen ferry lines are not upgraded.….this time the correct Victoria ferry. Found our hotel and had dinner at the hotel. We stayed at the HOJO about 3 miles from the race site.

Saturday
Saturday morning we were up early by default….I was planning a swim with Gail, Hope, Vickie and Paula at 10AM. Steve and I headed for Starbucks for breakfast when I realized I didn’t have any extra clothes to swim in. BUMMER! Starbucks was in a strip mall so we waited for the local walking/running store to open. Found a TRI bathing suit..and bought it….expensive workout, but I didn’t want to put on wet clothes on Sunday morning! Dropped Steve back at the hotel and headed to Elk Lake for the swim practice. Gail, Hope, Vickie and Paula were already there. Sharon watched our stuff as she didn’t need to swim since she was Gail’s runner on her relay team of two.  We got into the water and it was NICE! No yelps, swear words or anything….after Seward Park last weekend, this was bath water! We swam out to a buoy and back which was probably a total of a little less than ½ mile. Felt good. We said our good byes and headed off to lunch planning on meeting back at the race site for the 4 pm race meeting.

Steve and I headed to down town Victoria for lunch. I had a GREAT (hee hee) pre-race lunch….Fish and Chips – yummy. Yea, not the most healthy, but it was good and I enjoyed it. I checked my bike in and registered right at 2 pm…only to find out I really didn’t need to get there that early as we had assigned spots to rack our bikes. There were actually stickers with our names/numbers on the rack. No fighting for rack space at this race. Had some challenges attaching my number to my bike….there really isn’t a good spot so that the thing isn’t flapping around on your legs the entire ride. UGG. Exacto knife to the rescue….Steve cut a hole in my number and we threaded my bento box (food storage) strap through one piece the number and attached it to the bike under the bento box. Parking was a pain, so I already let Steve off the hook for photographer – if he couldn’t find a parking space I was ok on my own this race.

Race meeting – 4pm. Ok, can I tell you how much I hate RACE meetings?!? They totally stress me out, granted it’s all stuff I already know, but hearing it out loud makes me think too much. Make sure you know why you why your doing the race, make sure you eat enough, make sure you drink water today, drink enough tomorrow. Don’t follow the bike in front of you too closely….keep 5 meters between you and the biker in front or you may be penalized, what’s 5 meters anyway?!? Like they are really going to penalize us folks in the back of the pack? Not that I really want to find out! The other announcement/reminder was that the bike cut off for the men was 11:45 and women was noon. While I wanted my bike time to be under 3 hours 30 minutes well within in the cutoff time, you never know what can happen out there. The funniest thing at the meeting was that the race director was thrilled with the 9 porta potties! We said we have plenty of porta potties – yes, 9 along with the 3 stalls in the women’s washroom and mens. Ok – there are 1000 folks participating and spectators…9 ?!?! better make sure to empty before heading to the race site. UGG. He also announced there was ONE, yea count them, ONE on the bike course. Here’s hoping not stomach issues are encountered. The meeting broke up. After the meeting Steve and I had dinner near the hotel…I had pasta and a salad.

RACE DAY
Set the alarm for 4:50AM….Thankfully I was only 3 miles from the race site and Steve was my chauffeur. Parking was an absolute nightmare. That is one major drawback to this race. But since Steve was dropping me I could sleep a bit longer than most. I started my morning with Choc Milk and a Bagel w/ peanut butter and jelly. I added the choc milk at the last minute since Starbucks wasn’t going to be open that early! Usually I pick up 200 calories by drinking a latte on the way to the race or training! Stocked up my Ziploc bags for my bento box with Ritz Bits, Sambree cashew things, and a cut up cliff bar. Body Glided up so I would get chaffing anywhere and had Steve put sunscreen on my back. Bathroom stop…..done and done……then we were off to the race.

Got there in plenty of time. Weather was nice but that in between..do I wear long sleeves, arm warmers, nothing…then the wind blows and I want it all! I decided arm warmers and vest…then packed up the other choices so I would not waste more time than usual in transition. I then opened up my hand warmer things…let them get air to start the heating process …once they were warm I put them in my bike socks and then put them in my bike shoes. I then put my toe covers on my bike shoes just enough to cover the air holes of the shoes, but still allow me to get the shoes tightened. I also rolled up my Capri’s so I could get them on relatively quick. Checked everything…and then headed off to the lake. Wished everyone luck on the way.

THE SWIM:

Kissed Steve bye and headed to the water….got in and found it was warmer in the water than outside. They sent us off with a huge cannon blast. I found my rhythm pretty quick. Was around quite a few people, but nothing too bad. Hit the first buoy and was feeling good. Started heading to what I thought was the second buoy….was swimming along and saw the kayakers hanging out and not a ton of people. Granted I am usually at the back of the back, so that is not usual. I kept checking on the buoy, yep on track. Then I looked again… Holy SHIT I am headed towards the third buoy NOT the second. I am pretty much in the middle of the lake who knows how far off …at least 50 + Yards. So I cranked it up and started angling towards the correct buoy. Swim swim, fight and pull. Finally made the correct buoy and then was back on track. Then we turned back and there were some waves. Not too big, luckily I have swam in Lake Washington where there are always waves. But this time I moved a bit more than usual…and started thinking I was getting seasick…ok think of anything else…focus on the fact that you will not be sick…let’s see swim, I am a fantastic swimmer, do I really want to ever do 2.5 miles? Think of those folks freezing their butts off in Coeur D’Alene. Ok, next bouy…finally…feeling better…now turning for home. Ended up neck and neck with a gal on the way in….then I ended up dropping back but I swam until my hands hit the ground…then popped up and headed up to transition.

TIME: 49 minutes 23 seconds
Lost time due to swimming at least 50+ more yards than necesary!

Transition 1:
Got wetsuit off no issues. Dried off…put on Capri’s almost forgot and put shoes on first..then stopped myself. Took hand warmers out of shoes and put NICE WARM socks on my feet. My shoes were toasty too. Fought with arm warmers a bit then put on my vest. Got Camel Back on…gloves, glasses, ear/head band, helmet and was OFF.
TIME: 6 minutes 34 seconds
Need to work on that, but Capri’s and warm socks worth it!

THE BIKE:
I love the bike! The swim goal is usually just to get to the bike.  Since we had pre-ridden the route in May, I knew it was do able. My biggest concern was to eat enough on the bike to survive and do well on the run. June came too fast to work on nutrition. Set my bike watch to buzz every 20 minutes just to make sure I ate something. Out of the gate was a pretty good hill. HR was up so didn’t want to eat right away, but did drink some water. Went by Gail….then at the crest of the hill caught Paula…encouraged her to hang tough and remind her she had done ½ this ride before! Nice down hill…unfortunately saw a racer’s day had ended as he had crashed…volunteers were looking out for him. We kept on going. It was a MUCH more beautiful ride this day…no rain. I was perfectly dressed! Wasn’t cold or hot. We did have a few headwinds, but nothing like Moses Lake. I was happy to have had that experience there! Watched over my speed and kept cranking! Up another hill and then down and flats. My legs were feeling good and I was cruising along. Hit the second lap! Whoo hoo. Feeling good. Up up up again. This time I passed a couple of more folks on the hill. Words of encouragement…of you have done this once already…you can do it again! ½ way home.  Lovely views, several spots reminded me of the Chilly Hilly course along the water. The second lap near the end it did heat up a bit, but nothing unbearable….made me worry about Troika in August a bit! UGG. Ate lots of the Ritz Bits…and Sambrees, both are my new biking favs! Yummy. Didn’t touch the cliff bar…didn’t sound good. Drank 90% of my gadorade and NUNN. My water was at about 30 oz. I could have stopped to go to the bathroom, but didn’t really want to waste the time! They had us end on a bit of an uphill so we had to work a bit to then coast to the dismount spot. WHEW! DONE. Next ride, need to not use the interval of 20 minutes so I can monitor my cadence and speed better. I would have liked to have a higher cadence, was at 77.

Time: 3 hr 23 minutes
Avg HR : 147
Avg Speed: 16 mph (yea me and Black Betty !)

Transition 2:
I was much more with it at this race than Barb’s race last year! Not much wasted time here. Some of my time was walking my bike to my rack! Then someone had put their bike in my spot…so I took someone elses. Changed socks, took off Capri’s arm warmers and ear band. Shoes on, Sunscreen on, Family of 4 (just 2 this time) on, Race Belt on. Everything CHECK – good to go!

TIME: 5 minutes 02 seconds

THE RUN:
Now for the run. Of course my foot pod would not work! SHIT! That thing doesn’t like ½ Iron races – it didn’t work at Barb’s either. Oh well, no distance/pace time. The course was marked every 1 or 2 Kilometers…but that was too much thinking. Started off by walking my 4 minutes or so. Started running, then found a bathroom. I was quick – 1 minute 4 seconds…and I was off again. I walked EACH aid station and took either Gatorade or water. I ate a GU about 2K and the 12K, I think. The first lap was good. Felt pretty strong. The back side was pretty busy with lots of people finishing up their day! Me, I was headed on to lap 2. I did pretty good on lap 2…it did get lonely out there several times…no one was around. You definitely feel like you might be last. Saw Gail at one point headed towards me…She had made the Bike Cutoff…Sharon could run! Way to go. She was running opposite of everyone as she was done for the day, but wanted to make sure to see if she could do at least 6 miles …training for Barb’s. Anyway…I kept going. Wasn’t feeling totally 100%....especially when I saw another gal puke. Yeah, keep running and don’t think about that. I think I probably was on the edge of proper/improper nutrition. Most likely could have used another gel or stuck with my Gatorade not theirs. Who knows. I do know I hate figuring KM versus miles..that had me all screwed up more than once. Now how far do I still have and what time is it and can I make 7 hours? Too much calculating. Thankfully I miss calculated near the end and thought I had further to go than I really had…whew! There was the finish line!

As I headed there, heard Gail, Brandy and Jennifer yell….then near the finish line heard Steve yell – go Ann! Then heard the announcer call my name! Yea great time! Very happy.


Time: 2 hr 22 minutes
Avg Speed: 11 minutes 28 seconds per mile

Total Race: 6 hours 46 minutes

Recovery:
I definitely learned from Barb’s race. I ate a mini bagel with peanut butter then had power bar recovery drink they were giving away….that stuff was actually good. I soaked in the lake for about 20 minutes…where I ran into a bunch of TNT gals from Seattle. I also ran into Stacy and Elyse from Cheryl’s group of prior years. Poor Elyse had 3 FLATS! But she still finished! I also checked in with Brandy, who barely missed the bike cutoff…Hope struggled with the swim as did Jennifer. Paula met her goal of doing the swim and bike! Vickie finished and we cheered for her as well as the relay team of Gail and Sharon.

I ate another bagel….and then a couple of hours later….a yummy filet at The Keg. Jack and 7 ups were nice too. 

Troika next on the plan! Don’t know if I can do better, but I will be Tri-ing! Won’t be as lucky with the weather I am sure.

Thanks again to Cheryl for her great training plan and group!

Heather Nugent's Coeur d’Alene Ironman Race Report

RTB had 15 athletes participating in IMCDA this year. For those of us that were not able to attend, Sunday was spent watching splits and wondering about how the triathletes were holding up. Here is the first race report of what we hope to be more from those Ironman. Congratulations Ironman!

Ok here is my report of my first Ironman race. I apologize because I’m not a detail person especially in races I tend to just zone out.
I got there at 5am to get body marked and finish getting the rest of my stuff ready only to realize that I had forgotten my 7 packs of gu for the bike ride……got a little upset and nervous because it messed up my routine. I was so glad that I had grab about 4 extra plus there was one in my bike bag from one of my training rides and I grabbed the one extra that was in my running pack that added up to 6 gu’s…..okey so I was one short…..it’s weird how little things like this just threw off my whole routine it’s not like they didn’t have gel on the course……I went and got my tires pumped up and off I went to get on my wetsuit.
As I was walking to the water I ran into some of my RTB teammates….Patty Swedburg came over and gave me a hug and I just lost it…..tears just started to run down my checks…I’m not an emotional person…. and I looked up at her and said “I am so overwhelmed!!” I wouldn’t of had the tears if I hadn’t ran into them but now that I think about it I’m so glad I did because it helped relieve some of that pent up nerves.
I walked to the water and stood there just looking out at the swim course trying to determine if I wanted to warm up….Patty Anderson walked up to me and we talked a little and then she said “let’s get our face wet” I’m glad she said that because I really needed to warm up…..It felt good to get my heart going a little….
The swim started at 7 and it was like a swimming frenzy….there were bodies everywhere and I couldn’t find my rhythm….a girl grabbed my shoulders and pulled me underwater and I got a big gulp of water….I had to stop and cough….off again trying to find my pace….I think every once in a while I started a good pace but then more bodies. I have some very weird places on my body that hurts from kicks and elbows….my time for the swim was 1:21:59….I was very surprised with my time it was better than I thought it was going to be….it seemed like it took forever to swim that course.
Transition 1….I get to T1 and there is PK and Tami Barnhart yelling “Heather over here”…so nice to see familiar faces….they rip off my wetsuit….which was also very nice….and off I run to the changing tent. Thanks PK and Tami 
I get into my biking stuff and start running to my bike when I realize that I don’t have my bib number….I run back to the tent and try to find my bag no bib number there…then I see it thrown behind the chairs….off to the bike.
The bike ride went pretty good…a little windy on the back side of the ride but overall a good ride. It was so nice to see all the RTB supporters out there cheering us on….Thank you RTBers you guys were AWESOME!! On the way back to the start of my second loop I see my cute family sitting on the curb waving at me….Gave me strength to start the second loop of the ride. It was a good feeling to ride those hills for the last time. The second loop of the second half was mentally tough because I was so ready to get off that bike seat and give my butt a rest. My bike time was 6:59:10 a little slower than I would have liked.
Transition 2 went smoothly…..it was nice to start the run portion because that is my strongest and also the last part of the whole race…..the run went really well until I hit the last 4miles of the run then fatigue really set in and I walked about 10 minutes off and on....of course now I kick my self for it but overall the run went pretty close to my plan. My run time was 4:18:15
When I was coming down the last part of the run I see my family Mark, Sterling, DuPree, Kadan, and Torin….they were sight for sore eyes…and body!!!! 
When I caught up with my family I tell Mark “I’m never doing that again” but I think it’s like childbirth….later on you forget the pain and do it again….I have 4 boys!! 
Here are my results:
Final time: 12:59:11
Place overall: 1003/1942
Age place: 33/117

W(h)en Cat Ran (aka, Wendy, Caitlin, Randy)

RTB introduces some of our fun, athletic and enthusiastic team members...

When Cat Ran, everybody knew it . . . cause we’re loud. Or, at least, two of us are. Randy’s always trying to shush us. . . but he’s seldom successful. For those of you in swim class with us, I apologize if Caitlin’s ever splashed you while aiming for me (Stephanie). Our enthusiasm is sometimes not viewed as such by others.

So, here’s the story of this mighty trio. Caitlin and I started our first tri season three years ago after our boss’ wife did Seafair the previous year. Caitlin was a runner, I was a cyclist. We figured, what are two more disciplines each? And if Diane could do it, so could we. Oh, by the way, have you met us? We’re a little competitive. Or so we’re told.

We had attempted to get together a group of friends to run together. Our plan was to do a running event once a month and eventually work our way into triathlons. Our team was called the “Belles of Beersville” (we’re in the alcohol industry – go figure). But somehow, everyone kept dropping off, not showing up to the races, etc. Only Caitlin and I stuck it out. Or maybe only Caitlin and I could put up with each other. Whatever.

Then last year we somehow convinced Randy to join us. He went for his first run with us on a “business trip” in Vegas. Who runs in Vegas? Well, we did for an hour and Randy has stuck with us ever since.

At the end of tri season, Caitlin and I again talked Randy into doing something crazy. For my 40th I wanted to run a marathon. Caitlin had run Dublin Marathon for her 30th, so I was already behind her (not that I’m competitive). So, since we were a team, Randy should also do the marathon with us. He reluctantly agreed. We trained through the winter for the Arizona Rock ‘n Roll Marathon. Nothing like running in 30 degree weather in the rain for 20 miles! Pure bliss.

The three of us completed the marathon on January 13th. Unfortunately, we broke Randy in the process. He ended up with a stress fracture and took months to recover. He’s back racing again but has decided not to let Caitlin and I talk him into any more of our craziness. So, Caitlin and I are training for our first ½ Ironman (Troika on August 3rd) and Randy has decided to stick with the Sprint and Olympic distance races.

So, that’s our past and present. Now for the future . . .

When Caitlin and I raced at the Moses Lake Tri on June 7th, Sister Madonna was racing, too. For those of you who don’t know who Sister Madonna is, she’s a 78 year old nun that races in triathlons. And not just any triathlons, she’s completed several Ironman events!!! And she only began racing in her 50’s. Pretty impressive. So, we now have a new role model and that got us to thinking. When Caitlin is 70 and I’m 79, we’ll finally be in the same age group (the 70+ group) AND we’ll be able to FINALLY medal! I can just picture it . . . We’ll have our aerodynamic walkers with our space age tennis balls and we’ll be fighting it out ‘til the end.

So, that’s our story. When Cat Ran. We love being part of the team and we love it when the race is OVER! And it’s time to start planning our next event . . .

Ann Sloan's Race Report From Moses Lake Olympic

Triathlon - Olympic

Total Time = 3h 10m 17s

Overall Rank = 141/161

Age Group = 40-44

Age Group Rank = 10/11

From: www.beginnertriathlete.com

Pre-race routine:

Got up at 5:30 or so. Sun screened up in hopes of SUN.

Ate PBJ then loaded up the car.

Next Stop..STARBUCKS for the pre race Green Tea Latte.

Ate another 1/2 PBJ after everything was set up in transition.

Visited porta only once...not very nervous..just another workout...just one I want to BEAT last years time.

Event warmup:

Got in the water a bit soon...like 15 minutes early. Got a little cold. Wasn't sure if my teeth were chattering due to cold or nerves.

Swim

Comments:

Just felt slow.

What would you do differently?:

nothing really except try and get faster

T1

Comments:

none really...no one to talk to so I didn't dawdle.

What would you do differently?:

Nothing.

Bike

Comments:

Holy COW went from 144 place out of the swim to 106 on the bike. SWEET!! This was where I rocked. The headwind was bad...but I stayed in Areo a ton. Was worried about eating on the way out due to the wind..needed to keep my hands on the handles! Thank goodness I have done many rides in the wind...don't like it and feel like i was struggling...but kept hoping coming home wouldn't be that bad....and as soon as we turned...QUIET! WHOO HOO>>>>I am off to the races. Pick that speed up. Did not let the speed go below 17 all the way home. Ate one GU and some cliff bar.

Lap Time Avg hr Dist Avg Speed

1 45:54.9 154 11.169 14.6

2 28:33.6 145 11.136 23.4

What would you do differently?:

Nothing...felt really good.

T2

Comments:

Talked a bit here...but nothing too bad. A guy in my rack was already done so we were talking a bit.

What would you do differently?:

Nothing.

Run

Comments:

Walked the first 4 minutes...I know plan called for 5 minutes, but couldn't resit. Was running after 4 and felt good....so kept running. I'll say it's because I didn't have my interval going on my watch so I couldn't keep track of when to walk...yea right. Ok, so got to the first Aid station and walked and drank....then ran again...and kept running. Got sucked into looking at the times and yea, kept running. Thinking all the time...probably shouldn't be running w/o walking...might mess up Victoria....but still I ran. I think I walked couple of times through the first 4 miles..but then on the way back...no walking for this chick. the last .8 miles I cranked it up to a 10:30 pace...

first time at the end of a race I was spent....I worked hard and felt pretty good. Ankle was making a bit of a stink but nothing too bad.

What would you do differently?:

nothing really except maybe follow my plan.... :)

A Spectator's Guide to Ironman Coeur d'Alene

We've polled some of RTB's most renowned Ironman CDA Spectators and are posting their words of wisdom here.

Jen Boesplug and friend Julie Guillen are spectating junkies....and spectate in style. Our athletes LOVE these girls....

About spectating......three words.....MORE COW BELL! Really the cow bell is so fun, I have to admit maybe not so fun for my neighbors though. The cow bell or other noise maker is good because seriously by the end of the day your clapping hands are tired. This is a hard one to complain about given what the racers are going through! I think by the end we were just pretending to clap, should I admit that? For the swim section, get there early. Maybe go a day ahead and scope out your spot. I think we were in our spot (which was awesome) at 5:00 am. So early, but totally worth it. We even had people try to crowd us out, but we held strong. Totally worth it again.

My other suggestion is watch until the last swimmer comes out of the water, seeing that person emerge and run up the beach was so awesome. (Maybe because if I did IM that would most likely be me!) Anyway, the last swimmer made me cry my eyes out! We headed north on the bike course and found a great spot near a round about. This gave us a great advantage point for people going and coming. My suggestion here is bring a small lawn chair and some snacks. Also have your camera ready and maybe take a few practice pictures of people ahead of the ones you actually want to photograph. These cyclists are MOVING, I can't tell you how many pictures of backsides I got, not complaining as those are not too shabby to look at either, but I would have like to have captured some pearly whites as well.

At this point we were so excited to see someone we knew that we usually ended up just yelling their name over and over. I think this year we will try practicing some more inspirational cheers, not that we will be able to pull it off but we can try. Really it's like seeing a celebrity only better because you know them, you've rubbed elbows with these people! We did have one guy, who had done IM before, tell us that someone told him once that he was "looking good" and it really helped him out. We tried that one, but Julie usually made it sound like she was trying to pick them up with her "looking good, looking REAL good". For the run I would say maybe stick to the part of the route where they are coming and going. You are likely to catch more RTBers in a shorter amount of time here, then you can make it to the run finish by the time the first runner is coming in.

You don't need to be right at the finish for this part, it's just as cool to be up the street where you can get a roadside seat and once more runners start to come in, even that part gets busy. It's a great day, this year I think we are going to try and stay Sunday night to watch more of the finishers. I can't wait to go. Last year I was so inspired that I did sprint distance that next weekend with only my inspiration as my training.

Bring sunscreen and dress in layers. The swim was really cold to watch. There are also a ton of great restaurants around CDA. If you like burgers Hudson's is the place!

Next up - Marty Larson - husband of RTB's stud Ironwoman Nancy Larson.

I have been to 5 Ironman events in CdA. All were great.

As for the swim take lots of picturs and tell them that they were the one in the picture. I always try to be there for MY Ironman when they head out on the bike. Once they have headed out I try to get breakfast as it is going ot be a long day. I pretty much stay on Sherman as I get to see them coming and going for the bike ride.

I then run down to see them off on there run, here I stay by the waterfront as I again get to see them coming and going. You need more than one of you so you can spot them for their digital moment. Alas you will get the rear shots a lot unless you are magic. I normally shoot from 230 to 400 picturs duing the day. I take extra batteries and extra memory sticks for my camera.
I stay close to the finish line, usally at he end of the bleachers so I can get my moment of glory running down to the finish line, being married to an Ironman Finisher and Podium Ironman for 2 of the last 3 years. (Note from editor - athletes can only take one person in the finish chute with them this year, and they have to be between 6 and 16 years of age - see athlete guide for details!! Sorry Marty!!!)

Water and food are a must as you never know what the day will bring. I have been very cold to over heated ( alas being support staff is not easy) but very necessary. If you work the Mexican resturant you can raise your ICE COLD drink and salute the athlete in pursuit of the finish line.
We tried walky-talkies and they worked OK, except it is hard to find a channel that is not used by more than your group. Cell phones seem to work the best.

Make sure your batteries and your phones are fully charged. It is also helpful to have someone at home monitor the race on-line so you can let them know if they ( the athlete ) needs to pick it up a-little. I use a backpack to carry the things I need. I also try to park as close to the race couse on Sherman so I can get what I need from my SUV ( that’s what it take to haul all of our IRONMAN STUFF over that one day event.As we will be taking ZAK, our maltese with us, I have a new set of challenges to handle, should be interesting. If you are going to support someone, remember that you can pick up their bike before they finish the race if you have the ID info you need.

And from Patti Anderson - 2nd time Ironman this year and 3 time spectator....

Jen & Marty, that is GREAT advice! As I have both spectated and participated, I can atest to your words of wisdom. If you can position yourself out of the crowd, it is nice. The bike course runs almost parallel to a main highway so if you can look at the course map it is easy to drop onto the course in a couple of spots.

Most importantly, WEAR YOUR TEAM GEAR. Have your family and friends wear it too! As you are looking for participants in the gear to cheer for (even louder than you do for the other particants) We, the participants, know the cheering is from someone in the RTB family, which spurs us on harder! (Surely we don't want someone we KNOW seeing us about ready to fall over, and then remind us of it at the next team social, right?)
I am so excited to see everyone on the course! Remember to tell me "You look so strong" not "smell so strong..."

any other spectator words of wisdom out there? leave a comment!!!!

Debbie O’Connell’s race report for North Olympic Discovery Marathon. June 8, 2008.

After all the cold, rainy weather we’ve had this spring, Sunday, June 8 dawned dry and a cool 48 for my first marathon. The weather forecast is to be dry all day and temperatures in the low 50s, perfect running weather. This is the 6^th North Olympic Discovery Marathon, my first. It is a one-way race, from Sequim to Port Angeles. Everyone says, relax, enjoy it, this is your first! I’m trying, but I’m nervous, excited, apprehensive, all rolled into one fun bundle.

After some restless “missed the start time” dreams, woke up early, had breakfast and was dropped off right in front of the race start by my Dad, 45 minutes before start time. There are some benefits to small races! (Only about 500 for the marathon, 1000 for the ½ marathon.)

Stretched and waited in a heated, dry community center at the park. Met up with Cathy Nelson when she arrived by bus. We marveled that there were no lines at the indoor restrooms, bonus!

At 9AM, we are off. We stash our food (bananas for me, fig newtons for her) under a tree near the start, as we know this part is a 5 mile loop, and we’ll pick it up on the way back. Well, before we know it, we are back already, yee haw, pick up our food and keep going. We see our friend Kim cheering for us in downtown Sequim, and give her our long-sleeve shirts. We’re closing in on 7 miles and feeling pretty good so far. After some training runs with upset stomachs, I have tried to be very careful today with food and drink, no surprises at the aid stations, so I carry my own GU20 and my own food.

Next thing we know, we are at the ½ way point already. One of the support crew at the mid-point station looks up our numbers and cheers us on by name, cool! We are at 2:25, which isn’t too bad, on target for a 4:50 finish. My goal is 4:45, but I’m trying to not have a goal and just finish, right?

Well, now the fun starts. There are 3 big hills on the second half, you run down into a creek bed, across a bridge and up the other side on two of them. One is at 16, the next at about 19, and the last one (just down) is at about 21. I find out that going down is actually just as hard as going up the other side. My knees and legs just don’t like the downhill pounding. So, now I have to walk down and walk up. Okay, I’ll count this as a walk break! See Kim and Don at about mile 20, get a hug and I’m off. (It’s so great having friends along the way, what a treat!) Going down the final hill at around 21, I feel a bad twinge in my right leg, on the front, right below the knee. It turns into a shooting pain. YOW! What is that? I never had any pain in THIS spot before! Hmmm. Walk down the hill, shake it out. Okay, keep going! Less than a 10K left, right?

Make it running until about mile 24, then the pain becomes blinding and I can’t run another step. Okay, let’s walk this off… Cathy goes on ahead, go Cathy! I can’t believe how much this hurts, did I break something? Try to walk a few minutes then run again, and it just continues to hurt. I want to run! Haven’t hit the wall yet, have energy still, boo hoo, and now it’s cold without long sleeves along the water here. Hmm, okay, look at the water, Canada, freighter boats, okay… try to run again now, boo, that muscle is just not going to be happy. Walk some more.

Everyone that was by my the whole race now passes me, I don’t like that. Try to run again, start crying it hurts so badly. Okay, my head is now in a bad place. I’m sure Jeff Galloway would have me saying the mantra I picked: “Win my own race, win my own race”. I try that for a bit. Okay, I now feel that whatever is going on with my leg is not good, and my body is telling me not to run. Okay, so I’ll walk the last two miles.

At mile 25 there’s my friend Kathy Snyder calling my name and running up to me. I’m a basket case! She is a PT, and looks at my leg, rubs it and says that muscle has had enough for today. So, she and her daughter Elly walk with me to the end, taking pictures and cheering me up and on! There’s the finish photographer, I tell him to hold on and I strike a good running pose. Now there’s the finish line, I can see it! I try to run, but just can’t. I still cross the line! I really cry now. My assigned “buddy” asks if I’m okay. Yes, they are tears of joy and pain. Do you have any advil? We go to the deserted medical tent; get some advil, and some ice for my leg. Cathy and Don Nelson are there, Kim is there, and so are Kathy and Elly. Good vibes all around. The best top ramen I’ve ever had. I’m totally shivering and teeth chattering. Out come the blankets, oh that feels good. Okay, so I had hoped for 4:45, and in the end, it was 5:24.

The day after, I had a little pity party for myself, since I really felt let down. I did the training, I ate right, I hydrated, and there was nothing more I could have done, how could my body let me down like this? Good thing there are friends to lift you up! They reminded me that I AM a marathoner; I DID finish. I ran a good 24 miles before this problem took my down.

After swimming on Tuesday morning, I had a talk with Coach Patty. I told her my story and she listened. Then she told me to keep in mind that endurance events just aren’t like other shorter events. Things happen that you just can’t predict or train for. She said that you need to mentally adjust during an endurance event to what is happening, whether it is weather, injury, illness, other people, bike problems, or whatever. The important thing mentally is to keep going, and get to the finish. She said a lot of people would drop out or give up. The way you deal with these things is what makes you the athlete you are becoming.

Sometimes I am just too hard on myself. I am a very goal-oriented person, and setting a tough goal and achieving it gives me great pleasure. I realize (mostly) that every race cannot be a PR. I am starting to also realize that not everything goes my way, nor can I control everything (as much as I may want to). I think there is a lesson in this for me, and I am still figuring it out. High goals are great, but perhaps instead of high expectations, it is better to have lower expectations. Meaning, shoot high, but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t make it. Perhaps this is a lesson in life in general.

Kelly Richards Escapes Alcatraz

Kelly Richards qualified for the Escape from Alcatraz last tri-season. She has been busy this winter and spring training for this big event. Here is the details from her impressive race:

Emotionally I went through a wide range of panic attacks leading up to our departure. Never having been to San Francisco and not really understanding the ebb, tide, and flow of the Bay I couldn't grasp what was being talked about in the online news letters sent to the athletes competing in Accenture Escape from Alcatraz.

I was frustrated. Having prepared myself mentally and physically as much as possible I still had some doubts. I quickly researched on line how to conquer fear. I read a quote that seemed to sum things up. I had two choices. I could be EMPOWERED and ACT or I could be FEARFUL and RETREAT. I wrote the Empowered and Act on outside of my hand and Fearful and Retreat on inside. As I went through the day flipping my hand back and forth I realized I didn't want to duck and cover. This was an event I wanted to participate in since I started racing 4 seasons ago. I have spent many months riding up and down hills. Doing more pushups and squats than I can count. The swim, hills and sand ladder were not going to deplete me. I knew I would be tired but I wasn't going to stand on side walking or thumping my legs telling them to move. (Which I did see someone doing
yesterday.)

We arrived in San Francisco Thursday night. We spent Friday walking around and being tourists. I did swim in Aquatic Park and took in two massive amounts of salt water. Enough to stop, panic, spit, curse, and start again. I thought the 56 degree water a little chilly. We attended three meetings for new athletes. One of them on Alcatraz Island. That was probably best money spent. To stand on the Island, understand where the boat would stop and to know exactly what you were trying to accomplish. It isn't a straight swim from point A to B. The swim across the Bay goes against every logical thought.

Sunday- Race Day.
In most Triathlons you have time to set up and really get lay of in and outs of transition. Here it was a mad dash to rack your bike, drop off swim exit bag, take another bag on boat, get on bus and head out to pier 3. If you didn't rack your bike correctly volunteers would move it. Every bike had a numbered spot. A few people didn't realize that, and I imagine were a little lost coming back to transition, as the volunteers moved bikes to there proper spot. In some cases rows away from where Athlete racked their bike.

At pier 3 you were quickly body marked, everywhere! I joked a pen for each person. 2012 people loaded onto a sweaty crowded, well overheated boat for a 40 minute ride. I choose to talk with locals and not pay attention to what
was outside. I learned my lesson from the Gorge. When we loaded the
boat the professional Athletes went into a separate area. You could see the camera crew out the window on deck, and hear the helicopters overhead. There were up to 100 kyack and motor boats flanked two hundred yards apart
to keep you on course. You could not see the exit. You just knew you had
to be careful not to land early or you would hit the rocks. Which I did, more on that later. If you overshoot the exit you would need to stop swimming and let current push you down 100 yards and climb out because there was a pocket of water that had an effect of a whirl pool. You could swim in place and never get anywhere.


Just before the start of the race a very nice prayer was announced over the loud speaker. The National Anthem was sung and at 8 a.m. sharp the Pro's
were sent off. The doors opened and the atmosphere quickly changed. A
once calm chatty crowd now huddled together waiting to be told "GO." Suddenly it was my turn to jump. I crossed the timing belt and was prepared to jump and not think for 90 seconds. My strategy was just to get out of the way, forget about the cold, and then find a good pace. When I got to boat edge a guy quickly halted, stuck out his arms and stood still. The volunteers were shouting to him. He was froze. I think 5 seconds only passed, but it felt like 2 minutes before I pushed his arm away and jumped. Twice I hit pockets of swimmers I had to wiggle through. Other than that it felt like a single swim through the Bay. Long, sometimes slow but strong
strokes pulling me through the currents. After about ten minutes you hit a
pocket of water that gets r
eally rough. We were told an old bridge was dumped there. Just to keep going and you will get through it. The swells come from the right, lift you up and put you down. It feels like you are not getting anywhere. The line you swim is decided on ability as a swimmer. I took the route I thought best described me. But I was wrong. A kyacker came to tell me to head west.
Finally off in the distance I spot two little yellow cone shaped buoys I needed to swim through. They might have been forty yards apart. Swimming with the current if you were positioned right you could make it. I made it through those. Next two Orange balls twenty-five yards apart. I made it through those. Sooner than I expected my hands touched the soft sand. As I began to stand up a huge rolling wave crashed into me and tossed me into the large moss covered rocks. I knew it was a tough hit. I would worry about it later. I tried to grab the rock as I was being sucked back out into the bay. My hands anchored into the sand. I felt the sand slip away, and so did I. I had to start the process over. This time I managed to grab a rock. As the wave went out I scrambled a few feet, anchored myself again and waited for third wave to slam into me. Finally I was out.. Scrambling up the shoreline and into swim transition. After peeling off my wetsuit and stuffing it into the
bag I attempted to put on my shoes. I couldn't quite get my toes to lay flat in the shoe. Next I put on my cycling gloves and off I went half mile to the bike transition. I was hoping the moving of my fingers and the gloves would help bring circulation back into my hands for holding onto the handle bars and to be able to use the shifters and brakes. Through training I learned I needed seven minutes for my wrists to be able to function after thirty minutes of cold water.

Once on bike I followed the suggestions for a new person on the course. Enjoy it. It is full of hills, potholes, launching pads, 90 degree corners with a wall. Up, down, up, down, corner, corner, sharper corner. Along the ocean, through Golden Gate Park, a little loop. Motorcade and helicopters for the pros. People lined every stretch of the course. Looking back I rode a bit more conservative than I probably should have. It was a beautiful course. I normally don't see any scenery when I ride. Yesterday I made sure to stop and look up every once in a while to enjoy the moment. The rest of the time I was trying not to pick up a penalty for drafting or crossing the center line on a sharp turn. Also, with each pothole I held my breath hoping not to get a flat. It had been mentioned there were four bike supports out there in case you used both spares. At the race briefing I had begun to wonder about which bike I should have picked to ride. When it is talked about catching
air and then having only five feet to start a 90 degree turn, but you can't turn early because of the two inch rivets in the road my heart begins to pound a little faster.

All too soon I have crested the final hill and am flying down hoping to carry that momentum into the transition. At transition I spotted a television crew man one aisle up from mine. I wonder how long he had been there. The pros were long gone. Or so I thought. (After I had finished the first leading pro lady crossed the line. Apparently she slipped on the way to her bike.) I quickly got my run gear on and off I went. At about mile one for me Andie Potts came flying by. The crowd was screaming. It was amazing to see him run like a cheetah.

The run is described as brutal for the beach and sand ladder. They left out the two other sets of stairs, deep rutted single path, tunnel to duck and run under, never ending hills. The run on the beach was gorgeous. Passing under the Golden Gate Bridge was amazing.

Last two miles just hold on to my pace and hope I don't stop till the end. (I saw a lot of people stopping at places I thought just dig a bit deeper for a few more minutes and all will be okay.) Incredible as come back and look out over the San Francisco Bay with Golden Gate Bridge just behind you and to see how far you have come.

I now know why it is so highly regarded as one of sports most awe inspiring races. Never a moment is your body not screaming at you while your head is swimming in all the beauty of the day. The final half mile is packed with people as you come into the bleacher filled finish line with television crew, announcers, athletes and more. So many moments to reflect on and be so grateful for. Would I do it again? Absolutely.

Thanks to my Mom for staying with the kids and a huge Thanks to my Husband for coming with me on this journey and always believing in me. To share this experience with my best friend of more than 22 years is fantastic.

Happy racing in 2008.
Kelly

p.s. The finish line will be available to view in next 48 hours to view online. I was number 1785. Finish time of 3:08. The television airing
will be June 20th. Maybe you will see my feet. The television camera was
on while I was coming into transition with bike and while I was going up sand ladder.