Off the Ground

Fresh (or maybe not-so-fresh) off an intense tri camp weekend, I headed down to Wrightsville Beach for a quick bike ride on a sunny day. I had learned in tri camp to be master of my machine. I was feeling fit and hard core and ready to get outside! My workout was simply to get out there, do a couple of build repeats to the north end and wrap things up in less than an hour. It's a ride I do all the time in the middle of the day on Wrightsville Beach. Of course, I hadn't been out on my bike much and especially not in 20mph gusts.

I parked at the Seaside Club and headed south to warm up. Then turned into the wind for the five mile trip to Shell Island. I was feeling pretty good when WAM! Three miles into my ride I fell! As I approached an intersection, the light turned yellow and I saw a car approaching from my left.  I wasn't in danger, but just to be safe, I decided to hit the brakes. Well, I hit pressed a little too hard, hit a pot-hole and was hit by a gust of wind all at the same time. I was NOT the master of my machine.

The scene of the crash near Johnny Mercer's pier. Look! The light's even yellow.

I fell hard on my right side.  I stayed there in the middle of the lane for a few moments doing a mental check. My hand hurt and was bleeding. My knee hurt and was bleeding. My hip hurt but was fine. I had heard the DOINKDOINK of my helmet hitting asphalt, but my head felt fine.  I wasn't seeing spots or bluebirds flying around my noggin.

I sat up, unclipped my shoes from the pedal and lifted Lucinda off the pavement. Someone later asked if my bike was okay and I said of course, it fell on the old lady in the middle of the road! I did another quick assessment as I sat there and noticed blue lights in the distance. A WB policeman happened to be a few blocks away from the scene and stopped to help. I moved over to the sidewalk and I did a once-over. My knuckles were now bleeding and I could see a bruise on my left quad.  The officer asked my name and the day of the week (concussion protocol) and I assured him I was fine.

North End of Wrightsville

I think I'm gonna keep riding, I told him. And I did! I did two repeats to the north end and headed back to my truck. I felt pretty good and even found a dime on the way south.

As soon as I got back to my car and got off my bike in the Seaside Club parking lot, I burst into tears. THAT HURT AND I'M SCARED, I said out loud to no one. I cried all the way home. I knew I was okay, but all the emotions (frustration, sadness, embarrassment, hurt) that had been bottled up for 12 miles came pouring out.

I was stiff and sore for the next few days. My hip had a purplish bruise the size of a cantaloupe on it for several weeks. The muscle in my right thumb hurt for about a week. The biggest surprise was that I had whiplash for four days after the crash. That DOINK I heard was my head bouncing on the pavement.

I did learn a couple of things from the crash so here are a few tips from me and a link to some tips from Chris Carmichael:

CHECK YOUR HELMET: I did not realize that most accidents are one-and-done for helmets. Even slow speed tip-overs like mine. Dirty Spice reminded me to check my helmet and when I did, I was shocked. It was super scraped up and there was a crack on the inside about an inch long and all the way through the foam. Had I known that, I would not have kept riding.

STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE: There's a fine line between staying on the move and stopping the ride. I think that keeping my body moving helped with the pain initially. I was able to shake it off and mentally toughing it out was what I needed. BUT, because my helmet was damaged and because I was alone, I should have turned around and packed it up for the day. You're not going to gain any fitness if you're bruised and battered. Take it easy back to your car and call it a day.

HERE are a few more tips on how to handle a bike crash.

OFF THE GROUND - by the RECORD COMPANY

I gotta get myself up off the side of the road

I've gotta pick myself up off the ground (x2)
Let the truth be told (repeat)
I gotta get myself up

The tears that I'm hiding
No they ain't for cryin (x2)

I'm never gonna let em start spilling out
Cause they pour down my body and they flood the ground
The tears that I'm hiding
No they ain't for crying

Off the side of the road
Quit lying to myself
And let the truth be told
My head is heavy and my heart is empty
But my spirit is strong and my legs are ready
 

The Month in Ironman - February 2016

Since it's been a while, I thought I'd fill you in on all that's been happening in training. Time is FLYING by - but I think February made me really strong. Here are the two highlights of training:

SUFFERFEST: I finished my first Tour of Sufferlandria! This crazy bike fest included NINE straight days of indoor biking. Racing, climbing, sprinting, standing and over/unders. One day included 32 x 1-minute all out efforts with only 1' rest between intervals. Another day included a 15' climb.   It was not typical triathlon training, but I loved it.

In the fitness center of the Umstead Hotel.

On days SEVEN and EIGHT, Ace and I headed out of town. I didn't want to take my bike so decided to use the gym at the Umstead Hotel. Well, even the bikes at nicest resort on the planet couldn't handle the sufferfest. There were two videos planned for Saturday and I couldn't do it. I couldn't wrap my mind around NINE HAMMERS on a LifeCycle. Technically, a day in Sufferlandria lasts a lifetime and so on day nine, I did three videos. I finished NINE HAMMERS with almost four minutes to spare and spent 3H:17M total on my trainer that day. 

It helped to know that other riders in Wilmington were suffering right along with me. A bunch of Sami Winter's rockstars were Facebooking and texting updates throughout the week and at the end, Sami had an awards ceremony. (I was still on my bike.)

Proof of Suffering proudly displayed on my fridge.

PURPLEPATCH TRICAMP: My hero came to town. Matt Dixon - world renowned coach to pros like Meredith Kessler and Jesse Thomas came to Wilmington for a tri camp.  My body and my head are full of swimbikerun. I had a swim lesson on Friday, social run (10-miler) and swim workout  on Saturday a 90-minute HARD cycle session followed by a 90-minute HARD run session at the track. In between all that we learned about each element of training, nutrition/fueling and recovery. HEAVEN! 

February really launched me into the next phase of France preparation. I am up to 3H:30M on the bike, 12 miles on the run and I've added another swim to my week. March is going to shape up to be a bump in training load and I can't wait to see what happens.

Sparks of Light

Last time, I wrote about getting out the telescope for goals. My next step? Using the binoculars. Binoculars bring what's way up there or way out there a little closer. The focus is sharper. The light is brighter.  I like this part of goal setting because it involves a little creativity. I do three things

SAY IT:  As I've said before, I'm fixed on IM marathon personal best. I'm aiming for a 4hour:40minute finish. That's my main target. I want a personal best at IMNC. My A race would mean an 11:30 finish. I want to race an EPIC race - Ironman France is my destination. I want 500 subscribers to this blog by the end of 2016. I've said it. I mean it. I will tell my family, my friends and ya'll, too.

SEE IT: I create something that I can see every day. I want to be reminded DAILY that I am actively working on goals that mean something to me. That I am striving to improve and push myself to do things I've never done! For years, I've created a goal sheet. It usually includes a list of what I want, a picture of what that looks like and pictures of the rewards I want when I achieve my goals! I keep it in my calendar (as a bookmark or on the front cover) so that I see it every day.

I reached my goals and reaped the rewards: that necklace, the indoor bike trainer and the ChickFilA treat. I did not look like the swimsuit models.

Goal Sheet 2016.

Other ideas to see your goal: index cards on your dashboard, an intention board hung on the wall, post-it notes on your bathroom mirror or a goal poster on your fridge.

SING IT: Yep. That's right. I sing my goals. I create playlists for my car, for my spin classes and for my long runs that keep my goals in my head! I sing on the bike, I sing in the swim and I sing in the run. Whether in training or races, I sing. It ain't pretty and I'm sure my training buddies wish I had auto-tune feature on my Felt, but singing makes my goals fun. I chose I'll Go Crazy..... below to remind me that in France, it's not a hill, it's a mountain. I cannot doubt, I need to shout my way to the top of the Col de l'Ecre. I've been singing ROAR by Katy Perry because I am a champion and you're gonna hear me....... Plus, it takes me back to my first B2B and the love of the game. Which means I've also been singing I Don't Like it, I Love it because I gotta, gotta have it. Whoa-oh!

---

Next up, I get out the microscope.

FOLLOW MY PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY

It's not a hill, it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
Do you believe me or are you doubting?
We're gonna make it all the way to the light
But I know I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight

Oh, it's not a hill it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
You see, for me, I've been shouting
Let's shout into the darkness, squeeze out sparks of light
You know we're gonna go crazy, you know we'll go crazy
You know we'll go crazy, if we don't go crazy tonight

Shout Into the Darkness

My last post mentioned telescopes and microscopes - my new favorite metaphors for setting goals. Before I write about refining goals, I had to think about the first steps of setting goals. I had to go back to the fact that before you even set up your telescope, you are looking at the darkness. 

The darkness is scary. It's full of unknowns and variables and obstacles that you can't see. It's also full of sparks of light and hope and places you'd never think you'd be.  In order to bring the stars into focus, you dig the telescope out of the attic and set out to the back yard. You dust it off and aim the mirrors and out of the corner of the lens you notice the craters of the moon, the rings of Saturn or Jupiter's Red Spot. And when you catch a glimpse of it, it's exciting and beautiful and enormous and wee all at the same time.

And you shout into the darkness: THERE IT IS!

This year I'm shouting:

There's IRONMAN FRANCE!

There's IMNC/B2B!

B2B 2014

There's a sub-five-hour marathon in an ironman!

There is my 500th subscriber to my blog!

Get out your telescope. What do you see out there? What is your dream? What are you shouting into the darkness? Are they hills? Mountains? Are they crazy? Once you see them, you can start the next step.

---

I'LL GO CRAZY IF I DON'T GO CRAZY TONIGHT by U2

Oh, it's not a hill it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
You see, for me, I've been shouting
Let's shout into the darkness, squeeze out sparks of light
You know we're gonna go crazy, you know we'll go crazy
You know we'll go crazy, if we don't go crazy tonight

FUN, FUN, FUN

Fun, fun, fun is my top way to get the funk out. I mentioned in my last post that I have been in a funk. And I've been working hard to get back into the groove.  For me, fun is the answer. (Pizza is also an answer, but not right now.). I've said (many times) before that triathlon is like being a kid again - only faster. Part of that kid-ness is having fun. So, I've been putting some fun back into my training. If I'm not going to be on the roads of Pender County, then my indoor rides need to be fun.

So, SUFFERFEST it is. I've set up my pain palace, loaded an app and headed to Sufferlandria. I've cycled through the Alps, raced the Giro d'Italia and even done cyclo-cross from the comfort of my living room and the big screen. The workouts are good for my body, the music is rockin' and the sense of humor behind every Sufferlandrian command is good for the soul. As a coach, I know right where to put the different rides in my plan - but I don't have to think too much about the workout. The Minister of Sufferlandria is yelling at me to go so hard my eyes bleed. Ouch.

The Pain Palace

The second element of my jump start is NEWNESS.  I've been teaching at the our hospital's Employee Fit Center since it opened five years ago. It still looks brand new. But, it's expanding and being renovated. It's like pouring new on top of new. The new equipment has sparked some spunk. A little desire to go in and play. We have a jungle gym that looks like a training playground for American Ninja Warrior, a versa climber, erg skiier, new spin bikes and THIS: 

My third step to get the funk outta here? I'm getting out my microscope. France is out there - but it seems waaay out there. I've been using a telescope to see it. It's five months away and an event that far out can lull anyone into a sense of complacency.  It's hard to get out there for a run or bike or swim in January when June seems like another galaxy. So, I'm dusting off my microscope and readjusting my field of vision. What does that mean? Refining my goals. Making them smaller and closer. Making them show up. That will be new and fun. [NEXT UP: GOAL REFINING.]

FUN, FUN, FUN by Pharrell

Take me, far away, anywhere
As long as it's fun, fun, fun, fun
Fun, fun, fun, I wanna go

Just Wave Hello

I am now about 20 weeks out from Ironman France. One hundred thirty-three days, 22 hours, 4 minutes.  My training officially started last Monday and I'll tell you what: it's been hard to get going.  I've been missing workouts and feeling a little unmotivated. I've felt heavy in practice and grumpy when I'm not at practice. I've been dragging my feet about booking hotels and flights and I've been worried for no reason.

Fortunately, I've figured out the TOP THREE reasons for my hesitation and the TOP THREE WAYS to beat it. Here's why I'm in a slump:

FEAR: I've been repeating that line from Dirty Dancing: I'm scared of everything. Baby's voice is in my head!   I'm scared of not reaching my goals. I'm scared of the Alps. I'm scared of leaving home. I'm scared of traveling with my bike. And most of all, I'm scared of running out of transition and never feeling like I do when I'm running at home. Okay, that's a little dramatic, but it fit with her line. What I mean is, what if all my preparation doesn't work this time? I'm a little paralyzed by fear. It's amazing that this sign appeared on my first bike ride for the season.

COLD: The cold is something I've not had to deal with in Ironman training. It's new and it's a really good excuse. Those of you who are mocking me right now - I get it. It's not that cold. I mean I live in North Carolina. On the coast. Snowmaggedon Jonas did not bring us sleet or snow. The high yesterday made it into the 50s. I should not be whining.  But, I miss bike rides with sunflowers and blueberries. I miss sweaty runs at the beach with no shade and open water swims. I almost miss White Lake - JUST KIDDING!

BASE: I don't like base training. There, I said it. I don't like steady state on the bike. I don't want to walk/run. I don't want lots of zone 2. I want hard intervals at the track. I want sub-threshold. I want the pain cave! [Okay, again. Just kidding.] I wish my coach would listen when I say: base is boring. Oh wait, I am my coach.  And I know how to make base not boring.

So, tomorrow, I'll reveal the TOP THREE WAYS to get going.

JUST WAVE HELLO [Charlotte Church]

The dawn is rising on a new day
Time for us to go
The shadows fall and quickly fade away
Time to wave hello
It's time to go now
Time to wave hello now
Let your dreams be wings
That fly as far as the stars

Start Me Up

Happy New Year!

It's time to get this show on the road! I've taken quite a big break and it's time to get the year started. I've been building a steady base. I've picked MY ONE WORD (more on that to come). Goals have been made. I've already done a triathlon!

It was a new year's day bash hosted by Sami Winter. We met at her home in Wrightsville Beach, lugging indoor trainers, bikes and gear upstairs to her 1200 square foot home. Sixteen of us squeezed in the kitchen, den and porch and rode our bikes. We did 16 x 1 minute hard efforts. We eased off the bike and hit the road. I did 2 x 16 minutes (see the trend here?)  around the loop with Sami and Erin. Then, we transitioned to the beach and on the count of three, we rushed the waves and I did about 16 seconds in the Atlantic. My very first polar plunge!

Winterathlon 2016

Brave Souls. It was colder on the beach than it was in the water.

Here we go..........

You can start me up
You can start me up I'll never stop
I've been running hot
You got me just about to blow my top
You can start me up, you can start me up,
I'll never stop, never stop, never stop, never stop

You can start me up
Kick on the starter, give it all you've got
I can't compete
With the riders in the other heats
If you rough it up
If you like it you can slide it up, slide it up
Slide it up, slide it up
Don't make a grown man cry
Don't make a grown man cry
Don't make a grown man cry
My eyes dilate, my lips go green
My hands are greasy, she's a mean, mean machine
Start it up

Ride like the wind, at double speed
I'll take you places that you've never, never seen

Tough me up
Never stop, never stop
 

Ironman Florida Video

The Rearview

It's almost the new year and I always love to wrap it up with a few highlights and totals from the past year.

I tracked my miles for 2015! Swim = 171 miles + Bike = 2470 miles + Run = 569.5 miles = 3210.5 miles. Like going from my house to WB to Sonoma, CA via Barstow, San Diego and San Fran.

My first run in Central Park and my first bike over the Brooklyn Bridge.

First ever 4500-yard swim in the pool.

Eleven races: Six triathlons, one 10-miler, two 10ks, one 5ks, two swim races. That's 380.25 miles raced.

One dollar found in a training swim with Ace.

I won this year's bounty hunt by 15 cents. Together we found $9.07

Eight Podium finishes.

Second in my age-group for NCTS series points.

One sunflower patch.

Twenty weeks of training. Twelve bottles per week. That's 240 bottles filled, emptied and washed. That's about 228 ounces per week. That's 4,560 ounces in training. That's 35 gallons.

The loot for 2015 One pie, two bags, one puffy coat, two beanies, one water bottle and three medals.  Winner Winner Pie for Dinner!

One IRONMAN FINISH!

AND THE DESIRE TO DO IT ALL AGAIN!

Happy New Year!

IMFLA 2015: The Run

Can I talk about my transition again? It felt like it took forever - but I'm really so proud. I did it in under five minutes! I actually forgot that as you dismount, a volunteer takes your bike and racks it for you. So I nearly shouted, OH, THANK YOU! at the volunteer.  I hop-scotched quickly through rows of bike-to-run bags calling out my number. A volunteer pointed it out and I grabbed it. I passed another girl in my age group and remember her saying go get 'em! I found an empty chair in the changing room, warned the volunteer I was stripping, switched from tri shorts to run shorts, grabbed my ziploc of goodies, cruised out of the hotel, stopped for a slathering of sunscreen and cruised out of T2 in 4:49.

I will preface this by saying my run was not what I had hoped it would be. I expected to finish at least 45 minutes faster than I did. I was really primed to finish an hour faster than I did. My hopes were up and I was ready for a personal best. It didn't happen. My legs would not do what my brain wanted them to do. My run strategy may have been foiled by the heat, my nutrition or fatigue. I'm still sorting it all out and it's really a "wholenother" post.

I can't explain it: I wasn't happy with the results, but overall, I was a happy runner. I had two really low moments, but overall I was having a good time. How could I not? I AM DOING AN IRONMAN! Florida is an out-and-back-and-out-and-back - about six miles to the turnaround each time. It's easy to break up the segments: tri-club row and beach road > flat neighborhood > beach road-to-moonspinner > state park and back. 

The tri-club row and the beach road is lined with crazies. Cowbells, DJs, dominatrix divas dressed like something from a Britney video, string lights and people out in their driveways in lawn chairs cheering on runners. I got a whip on the booty from a diva, I got a high-five from Jay Ma and boost from seven little kids in a row with pom poms. The lower lagoon neighborhood is lined with la-goonies: a live band, a karaoke station and an aid station with everyone dressed as Charlie Brown. The live band was singing: Don't Let a Grown Man Triiiiiii, the Peanuts station had every college game score, there was a parrot in a bird cage under a car port watching runners go by. There was also a chance to play Ironman Roulette - a tray set out with shot glasses and a sign that read: PICK ONE: IS IT GATORADE? WATER? OR VODKA?

B-Double-E-Double-Are-You-In

The beach road to Patches to Moonspinner was my favorite part. Mainly because I knew that Ace, Dirty Spice and Airwrecka were waiting. Plus, there was a spot in between buildings, where the wind was blowing off the ocean and it smelled salty and sandy and beachy. It gave me a lift each time I passed.  Patches is where I'd been posted up for the past two years watching Jen attack the same course. It's a bar and athletes literally run through the outdoor patio area of the restaurant. Our home base was the Moonspinner and my crew was posted up nearby. They had a cooler and the loudest mouths on the course. I swear I heard them all the way into the park.

That state park is something else.  I don't know what it was about it that made it seem endless. It feels a little like a desert. The roads are uneven and there is no shade. You think that around each curve is the turnaround - and it's not.

I actually started feeling normal on that first pass into the park. I usually give myself about four miles to get my legs under me and get my mechanics and my rhythm. I was cruising along between aid stations aiming for a 10-minute mile and giving myself 44 seconds at each station to put ice in my bra, ice down my pants (#ironmanain'tpretty), take a sip of cola and go.

I caught up with Brian, one of our Moonspinner neighbors. We swapped bike stories (he told me he puked twice on the bike - hastagtoomuchinformation) and I trotted past him. On the way out of the park I passed a fellow Wilmington runner heading in. Then, I looked up ahead and saw a miracle: a runner wearing a tri top that said RUAH. Ruah is my one word for the year! I caught up with him and exclaimed: I can't believe your kit says RUAH! Ruah is my one word. Look it's written on my arm! He explained that a friend of his owns a yoga studio in Richmond, VA named RUAH YOGA. I proceeded to tell him all about my one word: that it is the Hebrew word for breath of God, the Holy Spirit. I chattered away about how our church picks one word to focus on each year - instead of resolutions - so that that word becomes part of our character. I think he got tired of my chatter and stopped at the Base Salt tent. He passed me a mile later, but I passed him back at mile 14 and made sure he stayed in the rear view for the rest of the run. (#yougotchicked)

Coming out of the park is like coming into the light. I think there were angels singing. Or, it may have been Jen. Yes, even Jen sounded like an angel out of that park. I picked up my pace a little here and started enjoying the runners and the sights again. Did I mention that my crew had made signs and chalked the pavement?  EV-ER-Y-WHERE. I laughed and pointed at most and said HEY, THAT'S ME! I pointed to the one that Alecia made of me as Vanna White and suddenly the spectators started chanting Van-NAH, Van-NAH, Van-NAH! 

I hit my first low point about a mile from special needs.  I couldn't wait to get there and take off my visor and shades, dump one of my nutrition bottles, grab my cranberry red bull and some licorice and head out on the last lap. It didn't last long, but I felt grumpy and irritable. Which means: EAT A CALORIE.

“MY ADVICE FOR IRONMAN:
if you’re grumpy, eat a calorie.
if you’re woozy, down some salts.
if you’re happy - SING!
keep moving forward and have fun!”

My volunteer at special needs was AWESOME. I asked her to read my bag as I poured items into it and pulled items out. She walked with me as far as she could as I grabbed a ziploc full of what I needed, included the aforementioned red bull and licorice. Plus, a card that was included in my 140.6 box. It read: BETH ANDROO. You. Are. An. Ironman. I poured the RedBull into my hydration flask and drank the rest. I sipped on that for the next four miles, took some salts every other aid station. 

Ace giving me a low five in the dark.

I was great again until I got back out to the park. I remember seeing Jen on her skateboard in the lagoonie neighborhood and telling her I had at least 10 miles left in me. Which was great, because I only had nine to go. But, out in the park, in the dark before the turn around, I looked at my watch. I was at 12:09.  I had missed my A-Race goal. I did the math and even on a good Friday morning run, I'd be pushing it to make a 13-hour goal. I was disappointed and discouraged. I felt like I had let myself down, let down my crew. All that training and this was my result?! I felt like Chris Berman would say: C'MON, MAN!  I growled at myself and adapted a new goal and vowed to make it by 13:15.  I came out of the park and asked Ace to run with me for 10 steps - that I was discouraged. He said, don't be discouraged. You are doing this! You are an ironman! I will see you at the finish. He cried. I cried. I re-framed the situation and thought: I only have five miles to go. I do that every Wednesday at the track.

He must have relayed my discouragement to Sunshine Spice because she snuck up at every corner. At Patches: I see you, Beth Androo. Keep running. Keep moving. Near the hotel with the wind tunnel and salty breeze: I'm back, Bethie. You are amazing. You are strong. At Every. Other. Corner. In the Lagoon: C'mon, I'm not letting up. I see you. I'm Renee in your head. I kept running because A) I didn't want her to see me walk, B) I was afraid that the people around me were getting mad at me and were chasing me and C) I wanted to sprint to get away from her. I only stopped twice in the last five miles. At some point, I think with 1.5 miles to go she finally said: this is where I leave you. I will see you at the finish. When you see the Vomitron, you know you're there!

That last mile was just like the start of the day. It was quiet and loud. It was calm and frantic. It was quieter on the beach road and a lot of the tri groups had packed up. Before the race, my nephew Parker had written me a note. A few weeks earlier, he had been gvien the WEEKLY WARRIOR award at camp. It meant that he had shown RESPONSIBILITY. PERSEVERANCE. COURAGE. RESPECT. In the note he had written: BE THE DAILY WARRIOR. I was responsible for the mile I was in. I had persevered for 139 miles. I had the courage to start and the courage to finish. I respected myself and the distance.   I began to repeat the words responsibility, perservere, courage, respect. I am a warrior. 

The DJ was still there on tri club row and he made an announcement: Okay parents, cover your kids' ears because this one just has to be played. Suddenly Britney's WORK B!TCH was echoing between the buildings.

I turned the corner and I got goosebumps. Over the DJ, I heard Mike Reilly at the finish line. I saw the lights at Alvin's. I heard the crowds in the finishing chute and I saw the VOMITRON! I was so excited to veer to the right at special needs and head into the finish instead of back out to the run. I started shouting there and fist pumping and high-fiving strangers. I AM GOING TO BE AN IRONMAN! I yelled. HELL YEAH! I DID IT! I AM AN IRONMAN. I AM AN IRONMAN!

Finally, I heard: ELIZABETH ANDREW: YOU. ARE. AN IRONMAN! I jumped for joy and then I danced across the finish line. I call it the MDOT TWO-STEP.

I wobbled past the bright finish lights and Roger was my catcher. He hung the medal around my neck and said: Great dance!  I thanked him as he handed me my finisher's hat and tee. I had my picture taken and gave a woop woop to Sunshine and Airwrecka and Jay Ma who were all on the other side of the fence.  Ace was waiting at the exit and he picked me up off my feet. I'm so proud of you! That was your hardest one you've ever done and you did it! I cried again.

I checked my watch and the official splits as we ate pizza and I soaked my legs in the pool: I finished my run in 5:23:52 and my overall was 13:13:54. I was giddy. It wasn't my goal or a personal best. But....it was an IRONMAN.

IMFLA 2015: The Bike

Can I talk about my transitions? They were so fast! I based my T1 goal on Dirty Spice's transition in 2013. She is the fastest transitioner of ever. She did it in 4:42. I figured that if she could get through the changing area, take off the wetsuit, run in bike shoes, grab the bike and be on the bike in under 5:00, maybe I could, too. After all, I didn't have to peel off the super suit and I could leave my shoes rubberbanded to my bike. All I had to do was put on my headband and shades, grab the helmet, ask the volunteer to spray my back with sunscreen and go. I was able to cruise past seven men running in bike shoes because of my bare feet. My result: 4:41.

It was so great to be on the bike, but I had two glitches in the first three miles.  The first was that one of the rubber bands that I used to attach my shoes to the bike was still dangling from my skewer. Not a big deal - but annoying. The other: my bike computer wouldn't pick up my power meter! Kind of a big deal and very annoying.  As I headed off the beach, I powered my Garmin off and on. I searched for signal. I took my feet out, clipped them back in. Nothing. My watch was able to calibrate it and find it - why couldn't my Edge? I finally stopped at Goofy Golf to snap off the rubber band. I took the computer off the mount and held it near the pedals. Nothing. I figured my watch would have to do and set out again.

My ride was steady all day. I felt good and strong and averaged 17.6 miles between every checkpoint on the tracker. I broke it up into little pieces. The first 40 miles were all about hydration and looking forward to seeing Ace and the spices. The next 40 miles were all about nutrition, enjoying the change in terrain and deciding when and where to stop. The last 32 miles were all about nutrition, hydration, the uphill headwind, the downhill tailwind, a thunderstorm and temps near 90. Here's what I liked most about the ride:

LEAP FROG:  I played leap frog with girl on a white and green bike. She had green stripes on her helmet and green side-walls on her tires. It was like having Erica out there on her black and green tri bike, Mr. Anderson. This girl (she was 34) and I traded hellos each time we'd pass the other. We made fun of a guy who passed us: Mr. Pedal-Pedal-Pedal-Pedal-Pedal-Pedal-Pedal-Pedal-Coooooooassstt. Eight pedals and a coast for miiiiiiiles. I also got to see her pull over to the side of the road and kiss her baby and husband. She came up behind me again and I said: they sure gave you a boost. Was that your little one? She excitedly said, yes she's seven months old. My response: Wait. You have a 7-month-old AND you trained for an Ironman? You are badass! She passed me and I never saw her again.

BIKE TECH: I played bike tech! I won't go into details here, but I played bike know-a-little (not a know-it-all) and helped two riders on course. I used what had happened on my bike earlier in the season to diagnose crazy noises on their wheels. I reassured them that I had had the same issue, it was easily resolved and their bike would hold up through the rest of the ride. I felt like super chick - even though they both passed me in short order. At least I never saw them on the side of the road.

Look at all the mountains in Florida! Just kidding. It looked exactly like this in Florida - minus the mountains. I stole this picture from IMAZ.

SPECIAL NEEDS: I loved special needs. I debated on whether to stop or not. I didn't need the nutrition in the bag or the spare tube. What I needed was more sunscreen. About a mile from the stop, I noticed a girl on the side of the road, repeating numbers into a walkie talkie. As I crested the next hill, I could see special needs and realized she was alerting the volunteers to who was coming in. By the time I got there and called out my number, a volunteer was standing there with my bag ready and open. It was like having a NASCAR pit crew. I threw some used nutrition wrappers in the bag and retrieved my sunscreen. I asked the volunteer to read what was on my bag and so he did: PRETEND LIKE JEN IS SCATTING. RIDE FASTER. And I did.

LET'S GIVE 'EM SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: One of the first things I'm asked about Ironman is: what do you think about for six hours (or more) on the bike? The answer is A LOT. This time, I planned what to think about. Mainly, I did Pilates on the bike. What I mean is that I went through the basic Pilates mat sequence in my head: hundred beats, roll up, roll over, leg circles, rolling like a ball......... I practiced my cueing and my breathing. It took six hours and 23 minutes, mainly because my mind wanders. So, in between every few imagined exercises, I would insert a story or song or a memory from the past year. I had pre-planned what to think about, wrote the ideas on a card and taped them to my bento box so I could see them.

So, I thought of how Sami Winter made it to Kona. I thought about the coastal 10-miler I nailed early in the season. I remembered what it felt like to ride a CitiBike through NYC and ride over the Brooklyn Bridge. I pretended I was being chased by Misty Brown, I pretended I was chasing Misty Brown, I remembered Grab My Wheel and what it felt like to draft off Alecia and train with her this season. I had a great time on the bike reliving all the great parts of training for this giant race.