Kona is the race that every long course triathlete dreams about every single day! The starting line contains a diverse range of Age Groupers, consisting of: qualified Age Groupers, lottery winners, inspired athletes, military, CEO’s, challenged athletes, and inspiring professional athletes. However, if asked, every competitor would tell you this is the race they have all been waiting for. The Kona Ironman naturally brings out the top performances of all its competitors because they are tapered and primed for this particular race, there is no other triathlon bigger in the world! No matter how you qualify for Kona, every athlete has the same goal, to cross the line on Ali’i Drive knowing you raced with the best in the world and left everything you had to offer that day out on the course. In the sport of Triathlon this is where dreams are made!
Race morning is always nerve racking to me. I woke up after a decent night of sleep and relieved that I didn’t have the nightmare that plagues me before most of my big races. Subconsciously, I typically can predict when I will have a flat tire in my races because I have an uncanny ability to dream about it the night before. However, the night before Kona I didn’t dream about the race at all.
I got out of bed, put my uniform on, ate my typical breakfast of oatmeal with sliced bananas and drank some Pedialyte. The house I was staying in was filled with the best support team anyone could ask for. My boyfriend, Jeff Mack, my Uncle Kevin, Coach Lee Gardner and his wife Regina all came to cheer me on in the race; I am extremely blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. However, race morning it was extremely quiet in the house, everyone was anticipating the race and had little to say to one another.
We stayed about 30 minutes outside of Kailua-Kona to avoid all of the hoopla that occurs race week. Last year, I stayed on Ali’i drive and was exhausted before the race even started due to the unending stimulus created by the World Championship atmosphere. However staying just outside of a town called Caption Cook, allowed me to practice on the race course the week leading into the race, and then go back to a cozy house where I could truly relax and free my mind from the task at hand. Race morning, the way to the course I tried to get in my last nap before the race. I wasn’t extremely successful because the butterflies in the pit of my stomach were having a party.
Upon arrival to the transition area you start to realize this is really happening; this is no longer a dream or rehearsed visualization, this is real life! Everything you have worked for all year long comes down to one performance and the grand stage is laid out before you. Do you have what it takes to push through sheer exhaustion, to push past pain? Why do we do this to ourselves? Every time I am asked why I do Ironman’s, I have the same answer, “I absolutely Love it and I want to make a difference!” I know that Ironmans change the lives of every finisher giving them confidence and empowerment. I would love to be a role model to others to pursue their dreams!
Race Morning
Every athlete is funneled into several lines to receive their body makings. Usually this is done with a black permanent marker and you hope you get a volunteer who has good to decent handwriting but here in Kona every athlete including all the age groupers are marked with number stamps, so your number is as legible as possible. Right after getting body marked you are sent to get weighed, and then sent into transition where you can do your last preparations to your bike before the race. I fixed my SRM powermeter computer to the bike, filled my bottles with water and Nuun tablets, stocked my bento box with a vast supply of Gu’s and Chomps, filled my tires and made sure my Exustar shoes were on the bike and my helmet and sunglasses were easily accessible from my aero bars. Because I got to transition so early, I had all my transition preparations completed before any other female in my age group even arrived. I love being the early bird and missing the majority of the crowds, if possible. After I was satisfied with everything in transition I went to locate my amazing cheering crew. Getting to hug everyone who came to support me before the race and say thank you to them, was extremely meaningful to me.
Going into any race it is crucial you have a ton of confidence in your preparation before the race and in your ability to execute your race plan. Lee Gardner, my coach for Trismarter, did an excellent job of this all year. He practically did every single one of my bike and run sessions with me. He knew when to push me and when we needed to back it off so I could fully recover. We both knew that if I was able to have the race I was capable of producing it was going to be a fun day!
THE RACE
Age Groups Entering The Water
The male professional athletes got a 30 minutes head start while the female professional athletes got a 25 minute head start over the age groupers. Once the cannon fired for the professional women the age groupers started entering the water, all 1800 of us! To ensure a front starting position you have to tread water for about 20 minutes, which I use as my warm up. The anticipation to get the race started builds as more and more athletes enter the water. The helicopters thundering blades send goosebumps through your entire body. The spectator’s cheers echo in the distance. The Hawaiian drums being played over the intercom produce an uneasy sensation. Several of the athletes around me started to chatter their teeth because of the chilly ocean water. I positioned myself by a huge buoy left of the main cluster of athletes. I was fortunate enough to be starting with a pack of age group women who were not nearly as aggressive as the men I placed myself next to, last year.
The Swim Start
Due to a malfunction of the cannon we were started by Mike Reilly yelling into the intercom, “GO, GO, GO”. This caught a lot of people off guard and allowed me to maintain a font position for the first few strokes without getting clobbered by the masses. I had a great start and early into the swim I told myself that it was an extremely long day and to make sure to go easy on the swim. Just a few weeks prior to Kona I started working with a fantastic swim coach, Joe Novak. He has significantly improved my confidence with long and smooth strokes vs. the frantic and fast swimming I was used to. I kept saying key words in my head to help me relax and just stay as calm as possible and translate this into my swimming technique. I improved my swim by over 6 minutes from last year and felt rejuvenated vs. exhausted coming out of the water. I smiled to myself pleased with my 1:07:30 swim split but knew I still had a lot of time to make up to catch the women age group leaders. One of the best places to make up time is in transition where I grabbed my bike bag took off my speed suit, goggles and cap throwing them inside and quickly handing it off to a volunteer before running to grab my bike. Once locating my red saddle and water bottle cages, what I use to distinguish my bike from all the others around me; I put my helmet, sunglasses and socks on and turned on my SRM computer before charging out of transition with my bike.
Exiting T1
At the bike mount line, I quickly mounted my bike and put on my Exustar bike shoes. This is my favorite portion of an Ironman, the 112 mile bike ride, I absolutely love it!!! I was feeling really great as I headed out on the Kuakini Hwy which was lined with spectators. As I nearly hit the turnaround, about 5 miles into the bike, a group of spectators ran across the road in front of the group of riders I was with at the time. When they made it safely across a female spectator decided to follow her husband who was in the group who made it across the road and without looking charged onto the bike course. Without any time to react a male cyclist just slightly ahead of me collided with the woman flipping over his handle bars and taking her completely out. I had the best seat in the house, it was absolutely horrible. Quickly, I had to dodge his water bottles which were rolling across the road. At this point I had crazy amounts of adrenaline rushing through me and was seriously pissed at the people not paying attention. Once I finally calmed down I said a prayer for both of them. After the race, I received word the woman was taken to the ER and the man racing got back on his bike about 10 minutes after the accident but I never heard if he finished or not. If you would like to see the video Jeff caught of the accident please click on the video below.
As I was clearing my mind from the accident I could hear Jeff’s voice yelling at me that I was 14 minutes behind the first age grouper who was in the same age group as I (25-29). I kept my poise knowing who it was and having confidence within myself that I could catch her on the bike. Once I got off of Kuakini Hwy and up Palani Rd. (which is a steep short hill) I felt a lot safer on the bike. The majority of the ride is on the Queen Ka’ahumanu Hwy or the Queen K. for short. This section is super-hot from the sun’s rays being absorbed by the black asphalt and even more so by the black lava fields which go on for endless miles. White coral messages are placed on the lava to provide inspiration for athletes on this dauntingly hot, humid, and what seems endless stretch of unscenic portion of road.
I got into my groove on the bike but my SRM power meter was reading extremely low. I was not hitting the numbers Lee and I had hoped I would. This concerned me at first but we had done so many Ironman simulation efforts on the bike I knew if I pushed any harder I would be toasted on the run. So I set new goal numbers on the bike and was content with the fact that I kept passing several age groupers and no females had passed me. Having a SRM power meter is absolutely crucial to monitor your efforts and produce the best bike split you are capable of for that day.
As I turned onto Kawaihae I got to see my support crew again who were giving me more updates on my current position and how far back I was from the other amateur women. I knew I was not having the best bike I was capable of but hearing I was gaining on the women in front of me helped build my confidence. At this point the winds started to pick up alot and since I was making my way to the notorious turn around at Hawi, I would have to do the biggest climb in the race with a pretty nasty crosswind. I love it when race conditions become difficult and this felt more at home. Throughout my race I pray the entire time but when I am getting blown across the road due to crazy crosswinds my prayers intensify.
Holy Mary hear our prayer; keep us in your loving care,
Whatever the perils of the way, let us not add to them this day.
For our caution and attention we ask a prayer for your protection,
To place God’s blessings on us to travel safely near and far.
I got to see the professional men and women on their way back down from Hawi and thought to myself I cannot wait until that is me! Once I got up to Hawi it is mostly downhill the majority of the way back to Kona so I tucked into my aero bars, continued to pray but tried to not think about the wind, and just ‘stay in my zone.' I stayed well hydrated and up on my nutrition throughout the entire bike. Once I hit T2, I was just so pleased to be in second place overall female amateur and be off the bike without any malfunctions or flats. I finished the bike with a time of 5:11:26, sixth fastest bike split including the professional women.
I dismounted my bike and a volunteer grabbed it from me so that I could quickly transition into my running gear. I grabbed my running bag and had several women volunteers help me put on my running shoes and exchange my helmet for my racing cap. I downed a Gu and got slathered in sunscreen, so I wouldn’t burn again like I did last year. Meanwhile the third place overall female amateur came into transition as I was exiting and we looked each other in the eye without a word exchanged between us. We both knew the girl who was in the lead had over a 14 minute head start and we had a lot of ground to make up if we were to catch her. I was out of transition within 2:14 and out on the run course. At first, I felt pretty good and was thinking to myself, “Wow! What a difference one year of quality and precision training makes.”The crowds were erupting and made me feel as if I was winning the professional race. I was eating it all up! However, this euphoric experience quickly came to a halt as I was once again greeted by my ever not so welcoming G.I. discomfort. It was so terrible that I knew if I could not find a port-a-potty in the next mile I would be going in some unlucky local’s driveway on Ali’i drive. My running pace slowed considerably and I was feeling worse by the seconds. Prior to the turnaround on Ali’i drive about 5 miles out, I saw the overall Age Grouper Female and at that point in the race, she looked super strong. I kept telling myself that it was a long race and anything could happen.
On my way back down Ali’i drive I finally found an open port-a-potty and barely made it to the toilet, it was bad news bears. Horrible memories of last year’s race filled my mind; I just had to pray I could stay strong. I knew I needed to be conservative for the first half of the run so I would be able to finish strong. I recollected myself and headed back out on the race course but lost a considerable amount of time and within minutes I was being passed by the same woman who entered T2 as I was leaving. She sounded horrible, so I comforted myself with the belief that she would run out of steam further into the marathon. Once I got onto the Queen K., the pain really started to set in. My right leg was throbbing from my foot all the way up to my hip and I even started to limp to compensate for the pain. Thankfully, Lee was all over the run course constantly providing me with race stats and encouragement. The pain continued to intensify every step I took, it got to the point I thought I might have to walk in order to finish the marathon. Again, my pace slowed but I was able to maintain a jogging pace which was a huge improvement over last year’s race. I did my best to maintain a positive outlook on the race reminding myself that I was still in third place overall amateur.
One of the highlights of the race was when Chrissie Wellington, an idol of mine road past on her bike as I was running cheering encouraging words, saying “Girl, you look fantastic, keep up the great pace.” I had convinced myself earlier that “it couldn’t possibly be her cheering me on.” After the race it was confirmed that she was out on the course.
Once I hit the Natural Energy Lab, two girls were making up a significant amount of time on me, one of which was in my age group. This made me pretty nervous but at the turn around in the energy lab I was able to see them and noticed they were suffering as well. I was also happy to hear that I was making some time up with one of the girls in front of me.
Exiting the Natural Energy Lab you have approximately seven miles back into town. I have done so many long runs this year and I knew I was absolutely on the home stretch and seven miles seemed extremely doable. With this in mind, I was able to mentally minimize the pain I was experiencing. With about a mile left I passed the girl who at the start of the run had a fourteen minute head start over me. I knew I needed to pass with a surge so she would not have a chance of re-passing me.It was the last mile when it all started to set in. I was going to be first in my age group and second overall female. I did everything I could to pass the female in the lead by running my last mile in 5:36, but, on that particular day it was not meant to be. I left everything I had on the race course and she upright beat me by 1 minute and 4 seconds. The last mile was a tunnel of deafening cheers from the thousands of spectators. As I passed several men and got closer to the finish line the cheers grew even louder. I crossed the line in 9:51:07, almost an hour faster than last years’ time with tougher racing conditions due to the the crazy crosswinds on the bike and the scorching temperatures.
Crossing the Finishing Line!
Upon crossing the finish line one of the male racers I passed at the very end congratulated me, saying you had a “smashing Performance, darling.” Right away two volunteers came over to see how I was doing and I said I needed to go to the medical tent. They weighed me to confirm I needed medical attention and once they realized I had lost over 5 pounds I was instantly admitted into the medical tent. I was also notified that since I placed within the top two overall female age groupers I had to do a drug test. My two drug test administers followed me into the medical tent and never left my side. The medical staff was incredible and I had three nurses at my bedside for over three hours as I was hooked up to a total of three I-Vs. I received potassium in my I-Vs because my muscle cramps were so bad. I could not release my death clenched fists and extend my legs. By my third I-V, I started to shake so heavily that the doctor came over to monitor me for about an hour to make sure I didn’t need to be transported to the hospital. I was told later that I almost had to go because my condition was getting so bad. In my third I-V they shot valium inside to help with the muscle spasms which were getting out of control. I have never experienced anything like this before, it was actually very scary. The valium made me extremely sleepy and I almost fell asleep several times. After three hours of intensive care by the nurses and physician in the Ironman Medical tent I finally felt well enough to stand and do my urine drug test. So with several nurses holding blankets at my bedside to prevent any other athletes or bystanders to see me I provided my urine test. However, since I had just received three I-Vs I ended up filling six urine cups, “A new record!” I was told by the administrator taking my urine. Several minutes later I was finally released to see my family. Being able to see Jeff and my Uncle for the first time after the race was amazing. We hugged and hugged, it was truly special to have them there!
The day I flew back from Hawaii, I drove up to Glenwood Springs with my mother to see my sister deliver her third perfect son Joshua Daniel Haffele. This ended up being a week to celebrate in the Kehoe house!
Thank you so much to my incredible family! Dad and Mom, I would not be where I am today without both of you, I love you both so much and want you to know how incredibly thankful and blessed I am to be your daughter. Jeff, you are truly the best boyfriend and the love of my life! I am so happy you and Uncle Kevin were there to cheer me on in Kona; it will be an experience I will never forget! To all my other family and friend supporters’ thank you so much for all the prayers and good luck wishes, they truly make a huge difference on race day!
God, thank you for being with me every step of the way, I couldn’t race without your guiding hand and strength!
Jeff and I at the Awards Banquet
I want to also thank all my phenomenal sponsors for the 2012 season; I couldn’t do it without you! Lee Gardner with Trismarter, for helping me achieve my most successful triathlon season to date with two Age Group World Championships titles and one Overall Amateur World Championship title. To SRM for providing me with the best tool imaginable, a Power Meter, to enhance my cycling training and racing abilities. Cafe Velo, who has done a great job prepping my bike for all my races this year, I am so pleased to be sponsored by you. Cervelo, who is not a sponsor yet but I would love them to sponsor me. I want to thank you as well for the incredible care your bike mechanic staff provided me with at both World Championships. Cervelo is truly top of its class when it comes to bike companies. Of course, thank you to Wheat Ridge Cyclery, Colorado Running Company and Exustar for all your amazing support. Lastly, thank you to the angel hands and hearts of both my chiropractor, Dr. Grove Higgins and my masseuse Krista Lewis.
2013 will be my first official Triathlon season as a Professional! I am so excited to see what the future holds for me in the sport of Triathlon, I feel as though it will be filled with incredible experiences and accomplishments!
Setting up transition can be a nerve racking thing for the Ironman World Championship! Watch until the end of the video to see our friends who were with us in our house for the entire trip.
Here is some video of my last swim preparation before the Ironman World Championship. We practiced some Ironman 'starts'. Short burst of swimming before easing into a race pace. We swam to the 'coffee boat' to rest between sets.
Video of a training run I did in the Natural Energy Lab. We ran only 4 miles, but it was great practice of the marathon 'turnaround' and the pace that I should be going during the Ironman.
For better quality video, please click the link below! https://vimeo.com/51337861
Our first training ride on the course. We rode about 72 miles. We rode towards Hawi and back to the car. It felt so good to feel strong and confident on the course!
I got up at 3:45am feeling slightly fatigued but not
terrible. Lee made my breakfast while I got ready for the race. We drove to
Lake Las Vegas, and as I was setting up my transition I started to get pretty
nervous again. Lee could tell that being around everyone was making me anxious
so he suggested we just hang out in the car. The race was broken up into wave
starts according to age-group and I was one of the last waves to go, wave 17 at
7:50am. Sitting in the car, I instantly fell asleep and when I got up I was
feeling completely refreshed and ready to race.
We made it back to transition in time to see the
professional men and women exit the water and run into transition. I was
getting really excited now to race! Once I got around to the water entrance,
two of the challenged athletes were exiting the water, one of whom was a double
amputee and the other didn’t have use of his legs. This instantly put
everything into perspective and reminded me what racing was truly about. I looked at Lee and asked him if he had any
last words of advice before I went to join the other women 29 and under. He
assured me that I was completely ready for this race and I was going to have a
fantastic day, telling me that he was just as excited to watch me race as I was
to race! With that, I had the words I
needed in my head, I absolutely thrive on positive encouragement. I hugged Lee
and thanked him for all his support, smiled and left to meet up with the other
women in my age group. It was the largest competition I had ever had in my age
group, 67 women.
70.3 World Championship Swim Course
Swimming to the Starting Line
As a group we walked down the ramp to the water and I was
second to enter the water, it was so refreshing, actually slightly chilly. We
got a few minutes to warm up in the water before having to tread at the
starting line. I quickly visualized all the things I have been practicing the
past few weeks to improve my swimming stroke. The announcer spoke into the
microphone, “Welcome to the 70.3 World Championship 30 seconds till you start…
15… 5 … whistle.” With that we were off, I tried as hard as I could to stay
with the top girls until the third buoy which were placed approximately 100
meters apart from each other. I was
greatly relieved that even knowing I had a large age group, with very fast
swimmers and the fastest female in the entire field; I didn’t get clobbered to
death.
Swim Start- Female 29 and Under
I stayed relaxed throughout the
entire swim and continued to think about technique. When I rounded the buoy for
the finish of the swim I was shocked that I was still with a pack of white
caps, my age group. The swim was not wetsuit legal, last year in this race I
swam a 35:07, my goal pace was a 33:00. I exited the water 15th in
my age group with the time of 31:58, I was stoked! I quickly ran up the ramp and through the long
grassy shoot to transition. Since I was one of the last waves to go off my bike
was positioned towards the back of transition.
I tore off my speed suit, cap and goggles and threw them into my
transition bag, put on my helmet and sunglasses, grabbed my bike and quickly
ran towards the bike exit. I passed several girls up the hill out of
transition, yet it still took me 3 minutes and 15 seconds to complete T1. Once
encountering the road, I mounted my bike, put my shoes on (which took forever, I
still need practice) and then it was game face.
70.3 World Championship Bike Course
Lee shouted some encouraging words to me as I headed out on
the 56 mile extremely rolling bike course. Lee and I knew that if I could
maintain a certain watt output I would have a fantastic bike split. With the
knowledge that I was almost seven minutes behind the first girl in my age group
out of the water, I was feeling pretty anxious and for the first few minutes of
the bike was well above my goal wattage. However, I was quickly able to settle
into my race pace. I was amazed at how great I felt after the swim, and how
relaxed and almost effortless the first few miles felt on the bike. One of the greatest advantages about starting
in a later wave is you have countless people to catch and pass on both the bike
and run courses. I am a racer at heart, and thrive at the opportunity to pass
as many competitors as possible and my goal is to always do so with such speed that
I do not see them again, I wish I could say this always happens but it doesn’t. A male competitor and I went back and forth
for several miles and every time he would pass me he would yell, “Go girl, you
got this,” in is European accent. I tried desperately to keep him in eye sight
as a target but after several unsuccessful surges to maintain the lead I had to
remember my own race strategy and watch him ride away. I was still feeling good
and making up time fast on the girls in my age group. A Half Ironman is a long
race and you have to remember to be patient and keep you mind focused on
positive thoughts. I race my very best when I focus primarily on watt output on
the bike and pray to God the rest of the time.
Part of the bike I actually found myself singing “Our God is an Awesome
God.” By the first major turnaround on
the bike, my watt output was right on target and I could tell I was continuing
to make up ground. Everything was going absolutely perfectly and according to
plan!
The furnace continued to blaze and I was going through my
nuun and water extremely quickly. I was beyond grateful for my incredible sponsor CafeVelo for providing me with a Prevail Helmet, which has incredible ventilation and is very lightweight. Yet at mile 40, I was feeling the heat to start to take its toll on my performance and
I knew I needed to get some cold water at the next aid station, to rejuvenate myself.
Aid stations are the most dangerous sections of road triathlon bike courses. I
try to avoid having to slow down for them as much as possible by caring a
speedfill and two water bottles on the bike for this reason. As I was riding into the aid station a few
bikers were coasting through to get nutrition and water. I assumed that they
would maintain the same speed throughout so I rode in very quickly and right as
I was grabbing water from a volunteer the rider in front of me slammed on his
breaks, I am still uncertain for what. A
rush of adrenalin ran through me as my bike instantly collided with his. In my
head I thought, this is it, the end of my perfect race, I am going to crash for
sure! The next few microseconds still seem to be a miracle to me. It was as if
I could feel hands wrap around me, ensuring I wouldn’t fall. Talk about a powerful moment, neither one of
us crashed. I tried to regain my composure as quickly as possible and get back
up to speed. Meanwhile, thanking God the entire time! The last 10 miles of the bike a group of
eight men caught up to me and sat on my wheel all the way to T2. You are not allowed
to draft in 70.3 Ironman distance triathlons and so I was getting pretty frustrated
and tried to drop them numerous times but trying to drop a pack of male riders
who clearly worked together the entire bike is extremely hard to do!
Last year, I did a 2:40:29 and this year my goal was to
complete the bike between a 2:30:00- 2:35:00. I entered T2 with a bike split of
2:33:37, the 6th fastest female time out of the professional women
and the fastest age grouper bike split by 4 minutes. By pacing off of my
amazing SRM Powermeter I was able to produce a stellar bike split and still
have energy left for the run! As I was finishing the bike an announcer tweeted the following:
Off the bike I transitioned as quickly as I could in 1
minute and 18 seconds. I was in third place off the bike in my age group but
passed a girl in transition for second place. Lee was standing right outside
transitions letting me know I was just a few minutes behind first place. I
ended up catching the first place girl within the first mile. The run course
was a three loop course of slightly over 4 miles each loop for a total of 13.1
miles. Out of transition is a steep downhill for a little over a mile which you
run back up to the other side of transition were you continue to run uphill for
approximately a mile and then back down and repeat. Therefore, once in the
loops you are either running uphill for ~2 miles or downhill for ~2 miles.
70.3 World Championship Run Course
I love this kind of course because it is great
for spectating and Lee was able to give me updates and encourage me throughout
the entire run! On the second loop when I started to head up the 2 mile uphill
the girl now in second place was making up a little ground on the downhill, at which
Lee informed me that I need to pick it up! The most important part of the run
was to stay well hydrated and since there were so many other competitors on
this crazy run course that doubled back on itself it made it hard to get all
the water, Powerade and sponges necessary at each aid stations. It was 10
degrees hotter than last year at 100 degrees. Only two males passed me throughout the entire
run and by the last lap it was pretty evident that I was going to win my Age
Group. Last year I ran a 1:38:12 and my goal on the run was between 1:30:00 -
1:35:00. I finished the run with a time of 1:34:45 and the overall race in
4:44:53, 13 minutes and 4 seconds faster than last year. I was the first amateur
women of over a 1,000 women by over six minutes. I placed 15th out
of a field of 30 professional women. It was a truly incredible experience and a
great way to finish my last Ironman 70.3 as an amateur. Now I am completely focused on performing as
good or better at Kona, October 13, 2012.
70.3 World Championship Awards Ceremony
70.3 Race Results
I want to thank my incredible family, friends and sponsors! My truly phenomenal parents and boyfriend, Jeff Mack, who sat by their computers all day Sunday cheering and praying for me, which I know made a huge difference! Trismarter coach Lee Gardner who was absolutely amazing, traveling with me and making sure I had everything I needed for the race. Lee has truly taken my racing to a whole new level this year and I am beyond grateful and excited for what lies in the future! Joe Novak, for the priceless swim coaching. SRM Powermeter, has enhanced my cycling ability so that I can now ride with the top of the professional women. CafeVelo, for providing me with amazing service on my bike and for the fantastic helmet. Massage Therapist, Krista Lewis, who spent almost three hours massaging me a week prior to the race so that I was fully recovered going into the race. Chiropractor, Dr. Grove Higgins, who makes sure I am correctly aligned for my major workouts and races. Exustar for the great pedals and shoes. Colorado Running Company for the fantastic shoes. Without my sponsors I know I wouldn't be where I am today, thank you a million times!
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, or that is what they
say, anyways. Well I disagree, what happened in Vegas will forever be a
highlight of my life!
Lee Gardner my Amazing Coach and I left Thursday morning for
the long road trip to Sin City. After several hours of driving we arrived
around 9pm to Henderson which is just outside of Las Vegas. We eagerly jumped
out of the car and we both were shocked by the overwhelming heat, 90 degrees, dear
God it was hot for so late at night!
The next morning I felt completely lethargic from the long
road trip. Since we got in so late, Lee and I needed to get some groceries. After
a quick stop at Trader Joe’s (which I love, super cheap and great food) and
breakfast, Lee and I headed over to the pre-race check in. The race venue was
completely packed with hundreds of athletes all of whom are incredible shape.
Pre-race always makes me think of a dog show where everyone judges the
competition based solely on appearance. I always get so nervous at check in, it
is actually my least favorite part about racing because I start to question
myself, “am I fit enough to race”,” they look so strong, how will I ever beat
them?” etc. I am always extremely happy
to get out of check in as quickly as possible.
Right after getting my packet, Lee and I drove to Lake Las
Vegas where we did a 2 hour stake out ride. We had all intentions of previewing
the course during this ride but shortly after entering the State park I missed
our turn and I didn’t realize it till almost 40 minutes into the ride. It was
painfully hot, about 105 degrees at 2:00pm and in the rush to get everything
done we didn’t eat lunch. Once we started to put in some light intervals to
wake up the legs, my bike was skipping gears and I started feeling extremely
light headed and so at two intervals we just rode easy back to the car.
I was having my doubts at check-in if I was ready for this
race, but now I was getting pretty concerned. How am I going to race in this
heat? I am dying after a fairly easy bike ride. Plus, my bike wasn’t working
properly, which is never a warm fuzzy, especially, with my track record of
having bike malfunctions at all my very important races. Thank goodness, Lee
never faltered and if he was having doubts himself, he never let me know. He
continued to build me up reminding me of all the hard work we had done and how
I was going to do great.
Thursday night was the second night in a row that the people
staying in the hotel above mine made such a ruckus that it woke me up several
times throughout the night. Two nights
in a row of poor sleep made it hard to get up early the next morning. However,
I know if I wanted to get my shake out run before the insane heat blast that
seemed to start at 6:00am I needed to pull myself out of bed.
The start of the shake-out run, I wasn’t too excited and
slightly grumpy. But once Lee and I started the run instantly I started to wake
up and feel so much better then I felt the day prior on the bike. We did a
short jog and ended with some half ironman pace striders. Meanwhile, we got to
watch the entire sunrise, which was spectacular! It is amazing what exercise
does to your mood, after the run I was laughing at myself for being a grouch
before the run.
Lee made breakfast, which was delicious, and then we drove
to Lake Las Vegas. Friday, was the only day athletes were allowed to pre-swim
part of the course. It felt fantastic to get an open water swim in and practice some drills. I just started working
with a new swim coach Joe Novak, to improve my swimming technique. He is the
swim coach for Cheyenne Mountain High School and was highly recommended to me
by Michael Weiss. Joe’s approach to swimming is very different than any other
swim coach I have worked with. He views swimming more like the sport of golf.
You would never go to the driving range and hit 200 golf balls not thinking at
all about your technique. In the same breath he explained to me why swimming 4
to 5k a practice without thinking about technique will never allow me to reach
my full potential in the water. Therefore, instead of swimming for yardage, I
have now switched my approach to swimming until I achieve a certain skill for the
day, wow, what a difference it has made in just a few short weeks!
After the swim, Lee made lunch and then we were back in the
car to drop off all the gear at each of the transitions. Luckily, Cervelo had a
tent setup at T2 and one of the mechanics was able to adjust my wheel and
derailleur so that I wouldn’t have issues on the bike come race day. Lee and I
got on our bikes one last time to double check that I wasn’t having any issues
with the shifting before I checked it into T1 for the night.
Once I had all my gear check-in, Lee made another amazing dinner
and for some comic relief we watched The Dictator
and part of Old School, one of my
favorite movies. Before going to bed,
Lee said to me; “Danielle, tomorrow might be your last 70.3 race as an amateur.”
Afterwards, when I was lying in bed visualizing my perfect race, I prayed that
if it was my last 70.3 race as amateur that I would make it one to remember. I
was so tired that even if my upstairs neighbors were having a party I couldn’t
hear it. I was out cold throughout the night and woke up right before my alarm.
To prepare for both Las Vegas 70.3 Ironman and Ironman Kona World Championships my coach Lee Gardner and myself entered into the Colorado Endurance Sport Time Trial Series in Colorado Springs. It is a fantastic series hosted by Jayson Middlemiss and sponsored by Cafe Velo. It consists of a time trial hill climb every Wednesday night for four weeks in a row which alternate between 26th street and Cheyenne Canon. Both 26th Street and Cheyenne Canon are extremely challenging in their own rights. Lee and I used these rides as a way to get in sub 20 minute all out efforts four weeks in a row. However, we didn't taper at all for each of the races so it was fun to see what we could do on tired legs until the last weeks trial which was the Wednesday before 70.3 Ironman Las Vegas World Championships.
The first week, I was very excited with my time, placing 6th out of the Men. The second week, I was slightly disappointed missing my own PR up Cheyenne Canon by seven seconds taking 7th out of the men. The third week was disastrous, I felt horrible and couldn't stop coughing for the life of me. Here I added 55 seconds to my first weeks time and was completely deflated. However, the last week I had a massive PR up Cheyenne Canon by over a minute. I again placed 6th out of the men.
My times were as follows:
Week 1 (26th Street) 17:55
Week 2 (Cheyenne Canon) 19:36
Week 3 (26th Street) 18:50
Week 4 (Cheyenne Canon) 18:23
It was a great series and the perfect preparation for Las Vegas 70.3 Ironman World Championships!
Improve all three legs of the
triathlon from last year but especially, my nemeses, the swim
Qualify for 70.3 Worlds in Las Vegas
by winning my age group
Of Course as always, HAVE FUN!
Last year, I
went into the 70.3 Boulder race completely spent. The weekend before 70.3
Boulder I had completed my first ever 36 Hour Adventure Race with Jason
Michalak, one of the most gifted athletes and best teammates I have ever met.
The race was at Lake Tahoe and right after we crossed the finish line we packed
up all our gear and headed to the airport where I flew to Arizona for a week of
Z Health. I got back the day before Boulder 70.3 and was suffering with major
digestive issues. All things considered
I had an outstanding race last year, winning my age group and qualifying for
70.3 Worlds in Las Vegas.
This year,
was a completely different story! I was by no means tapered, but, I also was in
an extremely better state then last year.
I went into the race feeling pretty good, my coach (Lee Gardner) and I
had set specific goals for each segment of the triathlon, knowing that if I had
a great race I would hit these standards.
First was the swim; Lee wanted me breaking 35 minutes in the swim which would be 50
seconds faster than last year’s time. It was the first time all year that I
could actually reach the bottom of the reservoir at the starting line. This
made a huge difference because I was able to push off and get an excellent
start staying up with the top girls in my age group. I went as hard as I could
to the first turn in the swim course then told myself to relax and think about
pulling the water with my arms. I have always struggled in the swim and get
through by kicking as hard as I can. This time I truly focused on my upper
body’s technique and staying calm. I
exited the water with a 31:35, fourth in my age group. Lee and I were both elated,
4:15 faster than last year and with less effort!
In T1 all
the age group athletes had designated spots; I was in and out in 1:56, 8
seconds faster than last year’s time.
By far my
favorite part of the race is the bike portion. Here Lee and I wanted to hit
2:20:00. From the second I jumped on the bike it was “game face”, until I saw
my amazing family cheering for me on the side of the road, after a quick smile
and wave it was back to business. I caught the three girls in my age group very
quickly out of transition and then set my sights on the age groups whose waves
started before mine. All year my cycling has drastically improved and I know a
big part of that is due to my SRM power meter. When I am racing, I rely very
heavily on my power meter to keep me in check. Lee and I pick a target power
range for my race and if I am above it, significantly, I know I need to back
off. However, if I am below it, it helps to remind me to focus on every pedal
stroke and maximizing each one as much as possible to bring my average power
back into proper range. I was feeling
fantastic and unstoppable as I passed age grouper after age grouper. However,
this confidence was quickly stalled when I got my doors blown off by another
age grouper female, Mara Abbott. She was
incredibly fast and oddly enough, I was actually really excited to have someone
push me on the bike. After waiting till she was three bike lengths ahead of me
I re-passed her but had to push a huge power number to do so. Who was this
girl? After a few seconds she took off again, we went back and forth for about
10 miles. At which point, I looked down at my power meter and saw I was going
extremely hard to stay in contact with her and I wasn’t even half way done with
the bike at this point. I quickly had to readjust my race strategy of trying to
race her race and refocus on my own goals. It is always a humbling moment when
you have to watch another athlete ride off into the distance while you swallow
your pride and zone back into your own race. There is a 50 meter out-and-back
section at the end of both laps on the bike. I told myself that if I could see
her coming “out” of the out-and-back section on my second loop I could catch
her on the run. On my second loop I couldn’t push the same power numbers as the
first but with my family cheering from the side of the rode I knew I had to
just stay focused on the present moment! The second loop was spent thinking
about each pedal stroke and praying to God. When I am racing is when I feel
closest to God and I truly believe that is why I have such a passion and love
for racing. I get into deep prayer and know that if I do the race with him by
my side anything is possible.
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
-Philippians 4:13
By the
end of the second bike loop, I was ecstatic to see her coming out of the
out-and-back section which meant I was only a few minutes behind. I finished up
the bike in a time of 2:20:25, very close to my goal time and 3:12 faster than
last year. I was in the sixth wave to start the race out of about twenty, which
meant I got to beat some of the heat of the day which allowed for me to be the
second age group female to hit T2. T2 took a little longer then I would have
liked at exactly 60 seconds. 6 seconds slower than last year.
The start
of the run I felt really strong, within a mile and half I had caught Mara. I
congratulated her on such a solid bike spilt, and she was extremely sweet
telling me that she used to be a professional cyclist and won the Tour De
France (for the women). Instantly, I was feeling better about my bike split and
this insight helped me throughout the run. Lee and my father were both key
roles in encouraging me on the run. Goal time for the run was a 1:30:00 (6:52
per mile pace), as great as I felt on the run I was well off pace with a
1:34:49 (7:14 per mile pace). I crossed the finish line with a time of 4:29:45,
almost 17 minutes faster than last year.
Overall,
it was a great race! I met my three main goals for the race, winning my age
group by over 12 minutes and qualifying for 70.3 Worlds in Las Vegas which will
be held September 9, 2012. I cannot wait to compete on the grand stage!
To say I had a jammed packed weekend was an understatement.
It started out Friday evening with a rehearsal
dinner in Lafayette, Colorado which lasted until 8:00pm. Then the wedding party
wanted to celebrate on Pearl Street afterwards. At about 9:00pm, Jeff Mack, my
boyfriend and I had to rush to Denver to celebrate his sisters 23rd Birthday on the 16th Street Mall at an adorable Bar and Restaurant called Katie Mullens. It was super fun
because they had a live band playing songs from the 80’s and it was more of a
massive dance party. The band was called The Six Million Dollar Band. We did not get home until 11:30pm. When you
normally go to bed at 7:30-8:00pm it felt like I had pulled an all-nighter. :)
Saturday: I got up early to get my swim practice
in, pick up my packet for the 5150 Boulder Peak Triathlon in Boulder and get
ready for the wedding. Chris Messaros, Jeff’s best friend and my friend from
High School was getting married to Karen Cox. They had an absolutely lovely
ceremony with endless dancing. Jeff and I wanted to stay the entire time
but we knew we would be suffering tremendously if we didn’t get some sleep before
our race the next day.
To read about the actual Boulder Peak Race, please see below...
As I was clearing my mind from the accident I could hear Jeff’s voice yelling at me that I was 14 minutes behind the first age grouper who was in the same age group as I (25-29). I kept my poise knowing who it was and having confidence within myself that I could catch her on the bike. Once I got off of Kuakini Hwy and up Palani Rd. (which is a steep short hill) I felt a lot safer on the bike. The majority of the ride is on the Queen Ka’ahumanu Hwy or the Queen K. for short. This section is super-hot from the sun’s rays being absorbed by the black asphalt and even more so by the black lava fields which go on for endless miles. White coral messages are placed on the lava to provide inspiration for athletes on this dauntingly hot, humid, and what seems endless stretch of unscenic portion of road. 
I got into my groove on the bike but my SRM power meter was reading extremely low. I was not hitting the numbers Lee and I had hoped I would. This concerned me at first but we had done so many Ironman simulation efforts on the bike I knew if I pushed any harder I would be toasted on the run. So I set new goal numbers on the bike and was content with the fact that I kept passing several age groupers and no females had passed me. Having a SRM power meter is absolutely crucial to monitor your efforts and produce the best bike split you are capable of for that day. 
As I turned onto Kawaihae I got to see my support crew again who were giving me more updates on my current position and how far back I was from the other amateur women. I knew I was not having the best bike I was capable of but hearing I was gaining on the women in front of me helped build my confidence. At this point the winds started to pick up alot and since I was making my way to the notorious turn around at Hawi, I would have to do the biggest climb in the race with a pretty nasty crosswind. I love it when race conditions become difficult and this felt more at home. Throughout my race I pray the entire time but when I am getting blown across the road due to crazy crosswinds my prayers intensify. 
I dismounted my bike and a volunteer grabbed it from me so that I could quickly transition into my running gear. I grabbed my running bag and had several women volunteers help me put on my running shoes and exchange my helmet for my racing cap. I downed a Gu and got slathered in sunscreen, so I wouldn’t burn again like I did last year. Meanwhile the third place overall female amateur came into transition as I was exiting and we looked each other in the eye without a word exchanged between us. We both knew the girl who was in the lead had over a 14 minute head start and we had a lot of ground to make up if we were to catch her. I was out of transition within 2:14 and out on the run course. At first, I felt pretty good and was thinking to myself, “Wow! What a difference one year of quality and precision training makes.” The crowds were erupting and made me feel as if I was winning the professional race. I was eating it all up! However, this euphoric experience quickly came to a halt as I was once again greeted by my ever not so welcoming G.I. discomfort. It was so terrible that I knew if I could not find a port-a-potty in the next mile I would be going in some unlucky local’s driveway on Ali’i drive. My running pace slowed considerably and I was feeling worse by the seconds. Prior to the turnaround on Ali’i drive about 5 miles out, I saw the overall Age Grouper Female and at that point in the race, she looked super strong. I kept telling myself that it was a long race and anything could happen. 
2013 will be my first official Triathlon season as a Professional! I am so excited to see what the future holds for me in the sport of Triathlon, I feel as though it will be filled with incredible experiences and accomplishments! 
We made it back to transition in time to see the
professional men and women exit the water and run into transition. I was
getting really excited now to race! Once I got around to the water entrance,
two of the challenged athletes were exiting the water, one of whom was a double
amputee and the other didn’t have use of his legs. This instantly put
everything into perspective and reminded me what racing was truly about. I looked at Lee and asked him if he had any
last words of advice before I went to join the other women 29 and under. He
assured me that I was completely ready for this race and I was going to have a
fantastic day, telling me that he was just as excited to watch me race as I was
to race! With that, I had the words I
needed in my head, I absolutely thrive on positive encouragement. I hugged Lee
and thanked him for all his support, smiled and left to meet up with the other
women in my age group. It was the largest competition I had ever had in my age
group, 67 women. 
