IRONMAN ARIZONA - PART 1

I can’t believe it’s been a month since I was on the IMAZ course crushing my 17th Ironman and my 82nd triathlon. I did 140.6 miles in 14:56:55. I am still processing the meaning behind the madness, but for now, I am reveling in the fact that I DID IT! I did an IRONMAN! Here is a little of what happened:

I woke up at 3:45AM and took about 15 minutes to prep my mindset before I even started all the normal morning prep. I journaled about my confidence to swim strong + bike strong + run strong + tri strong. I wrote down some of the memories from the training season and from racing these past few months. Neal’s alarm at 4:10AM signaled that it was time to “put on some spandex and do this thing!”

We left the hotel and headed down to transition at 5:15. It took about 10 minutes to get down there. I headed into the maze that is transition. I headed to my bike first. I checked the tire pressure and my Di2 shifters. Then, I started to load Lana up with snacks, bottles, my Garmin Edge and my Barbie Pez. Usually, I put my PEZ in my Bento Box, but she didn’t quite fit with all the snacks. So, I decided to zip tie her to my back bottle cage this time. I also tucked Rocketfire Jesus in the back pocket of my tri kit. He could have fit in my bento box, but, I really wanted him to be with me on the swim, bike and run.

Next up, I headed over to the fence to check in with Ace. He had all my personal needs bags so he chucked them over the chain link so I could finish the maze and meet me on the other side.

The bike and run personal needs bags were about 500 yards away so I did a quick out and back to that area underneath the bridge and then headed over to our transition bags. I realized that I forgotten to put my lip balm in my bento box on my bike. Instead of going all the way over to my bike, I thought of dropping it in my swim-to-bike bag. Then, I worried that I might forget it. So, next logical place for it was my bra. It has a pocket along the front and it seemed like a great place to stash it. This will come back to haunt me later in the day.

Once I’d done all the chores of transition, Ace and I headed over to a quiet little spot where I could sit for a bit. This might have been the longest part of the day. They announced that the race would be wetsuit mandatory because of the water temps (in the low 60s) and the cold air temps (in the 40s). I tried to eat a little more and drink some water before I had to wiggle into my wetsuit.

We watched the crowd, I got dressed and eventually headed over to the swim start chute. At first, I moved into to the 1:20 - 1:30 finish time and then decided to move up further to the 1:15 finish time marker. Ace hung out in the crowd on the other side of the fence so once the official cannon sounded, I handed him my shoes and socks. For a few moments I stood on the cold concrete. But, a woman to my left ditched her fleecy sweatshirt on the ground near the fence and I reached down and moved it over to me to stand on. I spread it out so the girl beside me could use it, too.

Within a few minutes, we were moving forward down the sidewalk, past the announcers, down a ramp and onto a floating dock. As we got close, I poured cold water from a bottle I’d been saving on my head and in my face, down my neck and front. It helped soften the blow of the VERY cold water temp. Swimmers were sent off four at a time every 5 seconds. Almost everyone jumped in feet first. I am a wimp so when I walked to my spot, I sat down on the dock and the pushed off into the water. It took my breath away. I did my normal float and scull move for a bit to catch my breath and acclimate my ears and face to the cold water. Finally, I started to swim.

The swim was everything the blogs and how-to videos claim. It. is. cold. My head and body were fine - wrapped in neoprene. Once I warmed up - about 1000 yards in - I thought: this is a great temperature. But, my hands and feet started to feel the effects of the air temps and water temps. As predicted, sighting was a challenge in some spots. There is a good 800-yard stretch on the way out where siting is great. The shadows of the bridges and the buildings kept the sun out of my eyes. But, there is a slight curve in the rectangle and for another 800 yards the sun is in your face. I was lucky to have my FORM goggles to keep me on track. I think my heading was 240 on the way out, a 0 on the turn and 180 on the way back. Sighting on the way back was better. The sun was rising somewhere behind me and it lit up the buoys and the kayaks The problem was that the kayaks were as red as the buoys. At first, I found myself siting and heading towards kayaks that were to the right of the buoys. I kept thinking: trust your heading, trust your heading and I ended up right on target. The left curve into the finish was short and easy to sight. I finished the swim in 1:19:24 and was 8th out of the water in my age-group.

About 500 yards from the finished I started worrying about a calf cramp in my right leg. Sometimes when I swim long, with my toes pointed for my (non) kick, my legs can get a little tight. If I flex my foot, I can get a calf cramp. I had to purposefully relax and think about it and not think about it at the same time. As I was exiting the swim, I worried that flexing my foot and standing on it would cause a cramp, but I was able to swim up the ramp and stand without an incident.

The exit was a different story. Leaving the ramp required a large box jump…..er…….I mean step up. Well, I missed it. I was a little wobbly from the cold, the noise from the volunteers and crowd was loud and still had my goggles on. I followed the volunteers direction to step up and I missed. I banged my foot against the step and caught myself with my right hand. The crowd went: oooooooh! The best thing was that the photographer was RIGHT there. I looked at him and said take this picture! I will buy it! He laughed and did just that.

WB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Locally, the YMCA Wrightsville Beach Sprint is known as the Wrightsville Beach World Championships. Of course, it’s not - but it was the first triathlon on the east coast and one of the biggest and most popular in our area.

This is a synopsis from the recent athlete guide:

The YMCA Wrightsville Beach triathlon, first held in 1979, was the brainchild of Karl Sutter, then a resident of Wrightsville Beach, NC. There is now a movie made about the triathlon called, ON THIER FIRST TRI. Karl was competitive by nature and had been a college swimmer, then a few years after college had taken up running to get back in shape. While running one day he sprained his ankle and turned to cycling as an outlet for fitness while his injury healed. When reading Sports Illustrated in the spring of ‘79 he noticed a small article about the first Ironman triathlon with its 12 participants that was held in Hawaii the prior fall. Karl approached the Wilmington YMCA which was under the direction of Jack Morris at the time and a new event for the area was born. This triathlon was first named the Pepsi/YMCA Triathlon and would become the first and longest running triathlon on the east coast of the US with its start of 99 participants that September, 1979. Each summer as the mid September event draws near the triathletes come in droves to Wrightsville Beach each morning. On just about any morning as the sun begins to shine at the beach all sorts of friend/family groups hit the waters and pavement in and around the area to ready themselves for the fun of doing this race. For some, this race has become an annual family tradition, while others it might be competitive or just the beginning to see just what it is all about.

On race morning I was up at 4:10AM and prepped coffee, breakfast and packed most of my gear for our trip to transition. Ace woke up around 5:00AM and by 5:20, we were headed to the WB park to prep our bikes, drop shoes at the swim finish and socialize with just about every athlete in town. I made a game-day decision to drop shoes at Seapath and I’m glad I did. I remembered somewhere in the middle of the night that the last time I’d been to the park there was goose (and thus goose poop), fire ants and wet grass. Plus, it’s almost 400 yards from the swim ladder to my bike on concrete and asphalt. I knew my bunions would appreciate shoes over bare feet. #oldlady

We drove back to the beach house and walked with Tonya and Keith to the swim start at the Blockade Runner. It was a good chance to warm up. The stars were so twinkly and the breeze was warm(ish).

We stood in allegiance to the flag and I sang along (loudly) with the National Anthem Neal headed to get in the water for his wave. Tonya and I got in the water on the south side of the pier and swam around for a quick warm-up in the water. It was warm. I second-guessed my wetsuit - but then thought - why not? I need to practice in it and it might give me a little speed advantage. We swam a bit and then Tonya went to get into her wave. I walked around a bit looking for Erica - and ended up chatting with Annette and Joan and several other friends before finally getting back in the water with my wave.

I stayed back at first, but then got brave and moved up to the front of my wave in the middle of the first row. I wanted clear water and clear sighting off the buoys. Plus, I wanted to be one of the first women in my age group.

I crushed my swim! I was pleased with my form goggles and a kicking current. I finished in under 20 minutes. I was right: I had clear water and didn’t get hassled by too many swimmers. I took off my wetsuit right after I crossed the timing mat and then ran down the concrete walkway along the condos and put on my shoes. I was so glad I did!

I got to transition and found Tonya! Her spot was three spaces over on the same rack. She was sitting on the ground prepping for the bike. I’m trying to beat you out of transition! She exclaimed. You better go! I teased back.

I tried to slow myself down this time. The week before - at Nationals - I had hurried and botched my transition. I remembered a mantra from Ironman Maryland: smooth is strong and strong is fast. I slowed down and dressed from top to toe. Headband, shades, helmet, socks, shoes. [WHYYYYYYY do socks and shoes take sooooo long?] It took a moment to unrack my bike and by the time I looked up…..Tonya was gone.

I caught her just before the mount line. TONYA! You still have on your swim skin! I shouted. I think she might have cussed as I passed her. I found out later that she propped her bike against some of the fencing, took off her shoes, shimmied off the swim skin, balled it up in her tri top bra, put on her shoes and took off for the bike.

I spent the first five minutes in chill mode. In this race, there is no point in passing anyone until you get over the drawbridge and onto Airlie Road. About a mile in, I started picking off cyclists two at a time. There are so many newbies in this race and it’s easy to pass hybrids, cruisers and roadies. I burned a match on Airlie as I passed on the uphill. By the time I got to Greenville Loop Road, I was a bit winded and decided to dial it back again. I tried to bring my heart rate down and was passed by some guy who’d stuck to my wheel in those first few miles. Two miles later, I passed him and secretly vowed to stay ahead of him. I was really on the look-out for Neal who had a 12-minute head start. He was wearing red and there were a few decoys on Oleander - but I didn’t see him or catch him. The last bit of the ride is a lot like the first - bridge, cones, new riders and all sorts of craziness before the dismount line.

I made it to my bike rack in transition and realized somebody had put their bike right on top of my stuff. He literally put his wheel in between my run shoes on my towel. I shoved his bike over three spaces and put Lana back in place. I switched shoes, took of my helmet, grabbed my run belt and took off. I eased into my run.

The first mile has a great out and back where you can spot other athletes. Aside from the finish the out and back on Harbor Island (in the first mile) is the bet par t of the race. This was where I finally saw Ace. I saw Ace as I was headed north and he was headed south. He was about a half mile ahead of me.

I had a pretty good run and came across the line at 1:32:45. Bill Scott gave me a knuckle-bump and Ace handed me the coldest water ever! We had some snacks, waited for Tonya to cross the line and congratulated 1 million of our friends as they crossed the line. The finish line always feels like a festival at the end of this race.

We headed back to transition to pack up our gear and I checked the results. I came in second in my age group! I decided to stay for awards and Ace and Tonya agreed to hang out, too. Just before the awards, I looked at our results for splits and realized that I’d been bumped to third. I was a little bummed because I’ve been working for North Carolina Tri Series points this season and wanted to hold on to a podium spot. The higher you place, the more points you get. But, I was still on the podium and did my signature skip and curtsy as I accepted my medal and hopped up on the third step. [More on how I actually ended up in second place later.]

Tonya, Neal and I headed to the beach house on our bikes and spent the rest of the morning celebrating with mimosas and snacks. I was excited about my medal and about the fact that I beat Neal by six minutes. Neal was stoked that he almost beat my swim time and that I only beat him by six minutes. Tonya was excited that even though she hasn’t been triathloning this year, she was able to get out there and make it all happen!

By the way, you’re invited to this race in 2026! I’ve decided that this race is going to be my 100th race! I am hoping that in 2026, I’ll be able to make this race number 100 - and I want 100 people to play along! I want you to come do this race, too! More info on this to come.

Pre-Race Transition Set-UP

Meet-Up with Erica after the Race.

My Coeur Teammate Caroline!

First Place: Elizabeth Skiba. I was Second Place, then Third Place, then back to Second Place. 

Podium Selfie with Elizabeth Skiba

USAT NATIONALS 2024 - PART 2

SEPTEMBER 15, 2024 

On Sunday….I raced again! Fortunately, my age group started a little earlier than the day before…but, we still had to be there and set up by 6:20AM. I was up and ready to go by 3:30 because I couldn’t find my timing chip. I am not one to lose things and I had been dreaming about it all night. I was prepared to leave a little early so that I could get to transition and get a replacement.

Here she is......MIss America!

As Jen got showered and prepped, I zipped up my transition bag and slid it across the floor. Voila! My timing chip appeared. Apparently, the Velcro stuck it to the back of my bag so when I moved the bag, I moved the chip. When I picked it up off the floor, the Velcro kept it stuck to the floor. PTL!

Turkeys. (Note the deli meat for sandwiches on the cooler.)

Once again at Bader Field, I headed to transition to prep my bike. Jen stayed in the car and napped. When I got back – I tried to nap, too. The seats in the Sequoia were already folded down and we positioned all my cargo organizers like they were center consoles. We each had a side to completely stretch out. I used my wetsuit as a pillow and had even brought a blanket. We snoozed for about 45 minutes and then my stomach started growling too loudly to ignore. I made us both sandwiches and finally decided to start moving towards the start.

Once again, the swim was fast. I used my FORM goggles for the second weekend in a row and they make such a huge difference for me. I can keep my head down for longer and still stay in a straight line. I felt like there was a current with me the whole way – even though it was an out and back.

The winds on the bike were stronger on Sunday than Saturday and I was thankful that it was a shorter course. I was pretty thrilled with an 18mph average despite 20mph winds and 25mph gusts. Somewhere on the bike, I realized that my watch was in open water swim mode. I got off the bike and instead of trying to fix it by turning it off and then changing modes, I just rolled with it. I had completed the swim and bike in one hour and was determined to see if I could finish the run for an overall time of 1:30.  

Jen's visor is everything. 

My run actually felt good. It was weird. I knew I wasn’t blazing fast – but it felt easy. Maybe it was all the second-hand pot smoke. Of course, I found someone to chase and nicknamed her the pineapple express. She had three little pineapples on the back of her kit and her run:walk was keeping her just ahead of me. On the turn-around, I still had her in my sights. She was about 50 yards away and I started gaining on her. I knew she might stop at the next aid station, so I caught up to her. Sure enough, she slowed for water and I passed her. I picked up my pace until I got to the rise on the pier and slowed to a power walk. Once I got to the far end of the pier, I picked up my pace again and let gravity pull me down the south side of the pier and back onto the boardwalk. With the end in sight I looked at my watch – I had 3 minutes to finish in under 1:30 and I sailed to the line in 1:28:55.  I averaged a sub 10-minute mile and I was PUMPED!

I was happy to be finished and ready to be on vacation mode instead of race mode. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the boardwalk. I had peel-and-eat shrimp at an outdoor bar and grill, we met Kitty at Bally’s casino, rode the ferris wheel at the Steel Pier, played craps at Resorts Casino, had dinner at Land Shark’s and finished with some casino games at Ocean. We even tried to get to the pool and hot tub – but it was closed by the time we got there.

Thank you, CoeurSports for the cute kit!

Let's go! I'm ready to finish and go play roulette. 

All in all, it was a great weekend and I was pleased with my effort and the results.  I am looking forward to an easy week and only one race next weekend.

USAT NATIONALS 2024 - PART 1

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Atlantic City, BABY! It has been a warm day and a warm welcome to Atlantic City, NJ for the Age Group Nationals. This weekend I am doing two races – the International on Saturday and the Sprint on Sunday. Jen, Kitty and I drove up on Thursday. We left Wilmington at about 6:00AM and arrived at packet pick-up about 3:30PM.

Check-in was super easy and we got a lot of goodies in our swag bag. Cute run hat, Ka’Chava chocolate protein, a goggle protection bag, a bike saddle cover, QT tape and quite a few other samples of my favorite triathlon products. We did a quick round at the expo (which was so much better than an IRONMAN expo) – including a fun stop at the CHALLENGE DAYTONA + CHALLENGE MIAMI booth. The pair that were there were super chatty and fun and I definitely want to do this race next year.

Jen and I broke up with Kitty (who had caravaned with us the whole way) as she headed to her hotel and we headed to ours. Jen and I are staying at the Ocean Resort and Casino and oh my goodness it is a beautiful place to be. We are on the 48th floor and the view is amazing. Our ears pop every time we ride the elevator.  We got settled – which took a while because it took a few trips to get our stuff from the car to the room – and finally headed down to the casino.

We played some warm-up games (bubble CRAPS and video roulette) and went to dinner in one of the casino restaurants. Afterwards, I finally ended up at my first BlackJack table. I told Jen I only wanted to play one hand so I played my $15 and won that hand. I played again and hit blackjack. The rest of the round was only a little down and plenty of up and I ended up winning $75! We stayed up way too late – but it was a great start to the weekend.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

This morning, we woke up a little….um…… groggy. But, I wanted to get some fresh air and a little run in. We headed out for a three mile walk/run down the boardwalk. I scoped out the run course for the races and Jen scoped out where she could find casinos while I am out running. I was excited to see the Steel Pier and to see all the action on the boardwalk – even at 7:00AM.

We changed clothes and went to the casino for “free” coffee – which technically cost me $14 because I lost at roulette. The coffee in the casino was also not as good as if I had just gotten a $4 Starbucks Pike Place. I did not want to lose any more money so I headed upstairs to take a shower, eat breakfast and get a little work done. Jen wanted to go check out the closest casinos and I had a little time to myself to prep my bike and do a little work. I actually took a nap before noon! We met for lunch and, although my deconstructed chicken sandwich was exactly what I wanted, Jen won lunch roulette with fried chicken and jalapeno waffles. We were served a sample of the smoothie of the day – pina colada – and made a plan to get over to Bader Field for bike check-in then visit the Resorts Casino before dinner.

Bike check-in was easy. I met a nearly-local woman (Hi, Heather!) who introduced me to her bike (Bonjour, Madamoiselle) and we chatted about IMNC, Ironman France and other miscellaneous race topics. My favorite part about transition at a USAT event is the number of officials. They are all around to lend a hand, help you follow the rules and have a seamless experience.

I patted Lanakeli good-bye and Jen and I headed back to our hotel. I went to the food court at the casino and ordered a salad to go. I headed up to the room and had a picnic on the floor of our room to watch the sunset and pack my gear for the morning. I made it to bed around 9:00PM and was so excited to chill most of the night.

Picnic in my room to organize gear and get to bed early while Jen plays casino.

The alarm sounded at 4:00AM on Saturday morning. We made it to the car and out of the parking deck by 5:00 and made it into the parking lot by 5:30.

The craziest thing about this race is that each age group gets their own wave start. That means there are 20 waves. The first group started at 6:30 and the last group – which was my group – started at 9:10AM. Unfortunately, a light fog at the start turned into a heavy fog about an hour into the morning and race officials (rightly) delayed the remaing groups. But, that meant my group started about 20 minutes later than planned. Jen and I had about two and a half hours to spend at the race site waiting for my start. I ate some breakfast and we tried to nap, and eventually it was time to suit up.

We headed to the swim staging area and watched Kitty finish her swim. I met up with some Coeur teammates, hugged Jen goodbye and headed down to the start chute. The water here was very similar to home – in fact much of the race was like racing at Wrightsville Beach. It was salty and brownish green today and the temps were much like Banks Channel. We swam to the start line about 100 yards from the ramp and I did some water aerobics moves as well as swam back and forth along the line a little to get warmed up.

Within minutes we were off! I wore my FORM goggles and was able to hold a pretty good line for the entire race. The first 300 yards were a little sketchy, but after the first buoy, things were pretty quiet. I felt like I had plenty of clear water. There was a spot on the way out where I grabbed a few handfuls of seaweed with my catch and a few times I stuck my hand in what felt like jellyfish – but nothing stung me or stuck to me. I had an amazing swim. I was aiming to finish in about 30 minutes and my time in the water was 25:00. My official swim time was 27:46.

My transition took forever. I forgot how to do it. It took nearly four minutes. As I was rolling my bike out of transition, my Garmin computer registered an incident. The field was so bumpy that my Garmin thought I had fallen! Neal and Jen were getting notifications that I had been in an accident. Fortunately they realized it was a glitch.

The bike was (again) just like home. I’m glad I have been training a little on Highway 421 because the ride was an expressway. Fortunately, we had an entire lane blocked off with cones. It was 24 miles of protected roadway. I know this will sound crazy, but it reminded me a little of Kona. The winds were a little crazy: from the right side headed west and from my left side headed east. Plus, the feeling of being the last person on course came back to me as well. I handled it (mentally) a little better than I did in Kona and I was pretty proud of that.

The last miles of the bike were into the headwind and it was a little frustrating, but overall, my bike was great. I averaged almost 18mph and I felt good almost the entire time.

This was one of my favorite run courses that I’ve done. We ran out of transition and headed towards the iconic Atlantic City Boardwalk. It was classic Yankee cheesey. We ran by all the crazy shops, casinos and restaurants that you would expect on the Boardwalk. Plus, it was packed with people strolling, cycling, rickshawing, tram riding, roller blading, break-dancing and more. There were so many weird fashions and all shapes and sizes and walks of life. And it seemed like everyone was smoking weed. I am pretty sure I got a contact high.

One of my favorite parts of the course was that we actually did a jiggety jog on the beach for about 50 yards. They covered the sand with mats and sent up out one exit and back onto the boardwalk at the next exit.

I realized after my White Lake races that I like someone to chase. I tried to set my sights on runners ahead of me and pick them off if I could. I set my sights on a woman wearing a kit with stars and stripes and although I wasn’t able to catch her, I stuck with her for most of the race. One of my favorite parts of this race was seeing the Team Coeur 2024 girls all over the course. I have “met” a lot of them on facebook, but seeing them IRL was special.

The best part of the day was actually the not best part of the day. Jen and I had a perfect plan. She brought her hybrid bike up so that she could pedal around before, during and after the races. On both days, she was able to meet up with me on parts of the run course. I would be running and hear her voice about 300 yards away. I would hear: Beth ANDROOOOOO!!! Or MEOW!!!  Which would crack me up.

I forgot what to do here. I can't get out of my wetsuit and my cap is still on. Help!

I bet that if you look at every bike race picture my helmet is crooked. 

She was able to see me at various points. My goal was to be running (not walking) every time she saw me – because walking is so much better than running. Anyway, after the race, the plan was to  ride her bike back to transition to get my car and gear at Bader Field and head to the hotel. It was a perfect plan….until it wasn’t. I made it over to Bader Field on the bike in no time and collected all my gear off my bike and headed to the car. I had filled my red bag with snacks and my water and phone….and somewhere in the process….even though we said the word KEYS five thousand times….there were no keys in the bag. I looked in the tool bag on the back of the saddle. No luck. I called Jen and sure enough, they were still in her back pack. Fortunately, USAT was running shuttles from the finish area to the race start and she was able to catch one over. It was great timing and other than the fact that I was hungry and still in wet clothes, it was all good.

About halfway into the run. I can hear the finish line festivities happening. 

[An aside: while I was headed over, I passed the best dressed homeless person I’ve ever seen. His hair was slicked back like Elvis. He was tan and wore a blazer with what looked like an ascot scarf around his neck. There were many lapel pins on his blazer and his backpack looked quite….dapper. He was catty-corner at an intersection where I stopped for the light. As he walked across the street, he looked at me and pointed and asked loudly: HEY, LADY!! WHEN IS THE RETARD PARADE OVER? I laughed and realized how ridiculous  I must have looked – and I wasn’t even on my tri bike. I was wet from sweat and swim, had on a bright yellow helmet, oversized grey tee shirt, finisher’s medal and pink shorts. Any minute now! I shouted back at him.  I swear I’m the last one!  He laughed and flipped me off.]

IMWC France 2024

I said no.

I was invited to the World Championships in Nice, France in 2024. Way back in February, I got a text from Erin as I put the leash on Sunny and prepped to take her out for a walk: Did you get the email?!!! I checked my email. There it was: an official invite to come to IRONMAN FRANCE as a Legacy Athlete. There was a moment of amazement. A thrill. A high that last three laps of walking the dog after I got the email. In those three laps, I imagined beating my time from 2016 when I conquered the same course at IRONMAN FRANCE. I imagined swimming in the Mediterranean, climbing in the Maritime Alps and running along the Avenue D’Anglais hearing “bon courage” over and over. My heart filled with love and gratitude at the chance of being able to race at the level I did in 2023.

After three laps of walking Sunny around the block, the reality set in. It was fun to toss around the idea in my mind, but I knew the outcome. I would not go.

The women’s race in France is this Sunday and although I do have a little bit of FOMO, I also know that my decision to say no was right. The list I made back in February holds true today.

• I had just raced the race of a lifetime. I had the experience of a lifetime and I didn’t need to have it again. I was - I am - still processing it all and although I’m flattered to be asked to the dance, I’m also very happy to stay home.

• My one word for this year is HOLOMUA. It is the Hawaiian word for MOVE FORWARD. I had been working toward my legacy slot for so many years and even though I could consider this a double reward for all my years chasing IRONMAN races, I could also let it go. I had already accomplished my finish line and I knew that I could, with confidence, move on.

• Everyone who has ever been in the Ironman Legacy Program was invited to be a part of this year’s race. That meant that three of the most influential triathletes that I have known in Wilmington were also invited. Had Erin or Sami or Misty accepted the invitation, I might have gone. If I was going to experience that training, lead-up and race with them - then yes. Count me in. In the end, we all turned down the invitation.

• Everyone who has ever been in the Ironman Legacy Program was invited to be a part of this year’s race. Did that diminish its meaning for me? The answer is: kinda. It was not an insult, but I knew it had to be a way for them to fill a race.

• The best reason to say no was that we had already planned a trip to France in May. And it was NOT a race-cation. It was a real vacation: a sightseeing trip to Normandy and Paris. It was also a trip of a lifetime. Neal and I were able to experience a part of American history in a way that we’d never imagined. And, we were able to share it with his brother, Rod and our sister-in-law, Karmin.

I am excited to watch the race on Sunday and I can’t wait to track some of my Legacy friends who did say YES! to this opportunity. I will have that fear-of-missing-out - especially when I see the views from the bike course that rival any view I’ve seen in my life. But, I will also experience the joy of making the right decision.

The Woman with Mandolin is typical of Matisse’s work in Nice at this period, and of the gentle light he mentions. I found this at L'Orangerie on my first trip to Paris in 2016. 

Our trip this May was spectacular.

This was my first glimpse of Nice in 2016. Gulp!

CHASING CUPCAKE

CHASING CUPCAKE

Last weekend (September 7-8) I raced TWICE! I did the White Lake Fall International on Saturday and the Double Sprint on Sunday. Both races went really well and for the first time EVER — or in a long time — it was less White BAKE and more White Lake. The temps were reasonable on Saturday and almost chilly on Sunday.

I had quite a few great moments over the weekend and most of them involved the community of triathletes that I know. I was able to catch up with Jill A., who I met at our IMNC 70.3 training camp last year and who is a Coeur 24 teammate. On Sunday, I spent some time after the race with Alison, Emma and Matt Rogers. I have known Alison for a few years and in 2019 - coached her to her first IRONMAN finish line at Chatty in 2019. I am honored to call her a friend. On the way up to White Lake on Saturday, I felt a little sad that my normal crew was not with me. But, I realized that I know and share this sport with dozens of my favorite people.

Jill (MamaIsARunner) and me at the finish on Saturday. 

Alison and Me on Sunday after the Double Sprint

The best moment of the weekend came on Sunday during the sprint. The Double is like a pyramid: swim + run + bike + run + swim. I had a great swim and came out of the water in the top ten of all the females. I did my first run and hopped on the bike. Out on Hwy 701 , I passed a guy with the word CUPCAKE written on the back of his kit. About a mile later, on a slight uphill, he cruised past me. The bright pink letters against the white background made him easy to spot ahead on the course. At some point, I passed him again and then he passed me. I shouted: leap frog - you’re it!

He laughed and said something like, I’m sure I’ll see you again in a minute.

Sure enough near the next turn, we leap frogged again. Finally, I said: Okay! Last time. You catch this tailwind and go! I don’t want to see you again. And then he was gone.

I must not have been too far back because I saw him on the run. We were close the the turn-around and I saw him coming towards me. CUPCAKE was written on the front of his jersey, too. Alison’s daughter Emma came flying past me and made the turn-around. GO. GET. CUPCAKE. I told her in crossing. Got it! She said. I was excited that she was going to catch him.

I made it to the last swim and my arms would not move as fast as I wanted them. I could feel the water dragging in my tri suit. But, I pushed through the last of that triangle swim course and closed in on the finish at the shoreline. I swam until my hands touched the sand and sighted one last time for the finishing arch. Low and behold, there is CUPCAKE. He was already standing in shin deep water and walking towards the timing mats. I took 10 hard and fast strokes, stood up and started sprinting in knee deep/shin deep/ankle deep water. He either heard me splashing behind him, or someone was yelling at him to go so he picked up the pace. I willed my legs to go and crossed the line about two steps ahead of him!

Once I caught my breath, I turned and shook his hand or gave him a high-five to congratulate him. I asked his name and thanked him for letting me chase him all day.

Overall, I was pretty pleased with both days. I took about five minutes off my time from the spring version of the international. I was pretty excited because my overall time for the race would have landed me in first place in my age-group for the spring race. In this case, it landed me sixth!!! All the women in my age-group are fire - and they all showed up.

My overall time for the double sprint landed me in second place. I was pretty pleased that I did so well despite racing the day before. I was really proud of both my run times. Maybe if Ironman was broken into pieces like this I would finish faster!

I am off to Atlantic City, NJ for my next two races at USAT Nationals.

Pre-Race Rain on Saturday. The rain was annoying, but didn't cause too many problems on the bike. Of course, it cleared up on the run. Go TEAM Coeur. I have been an ambassador for my favorite race fashion this year! 

Second place on Sunday for the Double Sprint. 

Post-Race picnic on the way home. 

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

Happy August! It’s one of my favorite times of year - mainly because it’s my birthday month. (August 26. Send gluten-free cupcakes.)

I haven’t been writing a lot here because there hasn’t been a whole lot going on. I’ve been consistently training, but without a race on the calendar, it’s hard to give updates or find newsworthy. Plus, I’ve been addicted to the Tour de France and the Olympics and let my writing on the blog slide a little.

I have been compiling stories about past races and adventures in an attempt to sum up what this journey has meant to me so far. It’s been fun to look back, summarize and organize all the training and racing that I did to get me to where I am right now.

In honor of the Olympics, I looked up some of my podium pictures. It wasn’t until my third year of racing that I got on the podium. I was thrilled. There was a woman in her 80s that had been getting on the podium at all the local sprint distance races for as long as I’d been in tri. Sharon would do a cartwheel, accept her award and step up on the wooden blocks labeled 1, 2 or 3. I wanted to be like her. So, when my name was called, I skipped up to the announcer, did a curtsy bow, accepted my prize and stepped up on the block. I’ve been doing that dance ever since.

For the most part, in races I like to beat my time from the year before or try to beat the women on my level, in my age group. What that means is that I would look up all the women in my age group and rank them based on a past triathlon or their run speed. I would rank them A+ for the best, B for the middle of the pack and C for newbies or back of the pack. My goal was to pick one woman from the B group and try to out swim and bike and run her. It fired up the competitor in me who likes to chase and be chased.

I always tell my athletes that a podium is icing on the cake. It really all depends on who shows up. I could be in my top form and have a personal best and three ex-pros might show up to race each other - and knock me down to fourth place (my least favorite). It’s not wise to go into a race with that mentality. It’s not the best mentality if it’s the only reason you are racing and it robs you of joy.

But, that’s what the Olympics are all about. It’s all about gold, silver and bronze. If getting onto the podium — stepping up onto the box at local races - were an actual event, I would need to go into the repechage stage. In 2014, I raced did the White Lake International and came in second. I was feeling pretty proud of myself and after my skip and curtsy routine, I tried to jump onto the box. I failed. I slipped off the back and was able to catch myself in some pose that looks like twerking. Fortunately, I didn’t fall over and best of all, because my age group is one of the last to be called, the crowd had thinned and there were a lot fewer people to laugh at me. The woman in third cupped her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing, Erica and Jen howled and Mary T - the race director who had called my name said something like: maybe you should stick to swimbikerun.

At the next race that I made the podium, she pulled a ramp up to the step to help me up.

Azalea Triathlon 2015(ish)

Wrightsville Beach Sprint Tri 2015(ish).

Pinehurst International 2024

I raced this past weekend and had a blast. I didn’t really have big expectations going into it. I always want to beat my time from last year, but I also knew I was going into it very under-trained. Plus, I didn’t have the challenge that I did of last year of holding off Sami Winter - who started with me last year and threatened to catch me at the halfway point of the bike (she did). She missed this year’s race so I didn’t have anyone chasing me. My swim prep was solid - but not fast. And this would be my first open water swim for the year. My bike training was mostly on the trainer (not outside) and definitely not on the hills. I had done the half marathon in March - but my mileage and effort has been way down since then. I had done Azalea sprint also - but still felt a little rusty. So rusty, in fact, that I left my bike computer in Wilmington!

This race is kind of a big deal. I joke that the Wrightsville Beach race in September is the Sprint World Championships, but Pinehurst is the International World Championships. The course is challenging and everyone from the southeast shows up. I was excited to race, but seriously didn’t have any expectations. My mantras for the day were: LET IT BE EASY and 4G MASTERS. Coach Michelle had given me LET IT BE EASY the week before - a mantra for business that I now used in the bike and the run. For Masters weekend, I wanted to be the master of gusto, gumption, gruel and grace.

Overall, I had a great day. I showed up fairly early, parked, walked to transition, racked my bike, got my chip, warmed up on my bike, set up my transition and headed to the swim start. I hung out for a bit with Jennifer Barker and chatted a bit with Erin Byrge. I did my normal swim warm-up and then got out of the water to wait for my wave on the beach.

My swim went well. The swim in Lake Pinehurst can be a challenge. The first buoy is straight into the sun and it was super crowded. The water temp was 66 degrees - so a little chilly. And, as usual, I think the swim was long. Of course, I can’t verify because I either pressed a button in the swim or someone kicked my hand and stopped my watch about two minutes in and I didn’t record the whole distance or correct time. Needless to say, my swim was solid and the lake was pretty calm. My time was 32:23 (last year it was 30:19). And guess what, I tried something new on race day! I used the SWIM STRAIGHT feature on my new FORM goggles. This was literally the first time I’ve used the FORM goggles in open water. More to come on this.

My bike was……..fine. It was SO WINDY. I mean seriously, how was there headwind for 24 of the 26.2 mile loop? As I mentioned, I didn’t have Sami chasing me down so I used my mantra: LET IT BE EASY on the hills and in the wind. The day was bright and sunny and everything looked so green. I checked out everyone’s bikes, looked around at the golf courses and horse farms and generally had a good time. I was one minute faster this year than last!

The run this year felt different. For starters, it was about 10 degrees cooler. But, I’ve been practicing my hill running at a UNCW parking deck. I knew that I could run up three levels and so in the first few miles I made myself run up and down three hills and then take a walk break. On the back side of the lake, there is a fairly flat section so I used my metronome as a pace setter and tried to keep running. On the way back in, there are a few steeper hills and I would just walk them.

The best part about the run was that I made a golfer laugh. I was running past a tee box and an older-than-me gentleman was teeing up while his buddies watched us crazy triathletes run by. He smacked it and it sounded perfect. I said loudly - get in the hole! And he turned around with the biggest smile. I’ve always wanted to hear that from the gallery, he called out to me. I’ve always wanted to say it! He and his buddy started laughing and he called out: have a great race!

My run was almost 6 minutes faster than last year! And, my finish time (3:25:28) was three minutes faster. I was pretty excited and got my expectations up. Last year, I was only a few minutes off the podium. I was stoked and suddenly, I had hope! Maybe I’d make the podium. When I got to transition, I visited with Sara and Ren and Kiera and Brooke. I changed clothes and turned on my phone. I checked my results: 9th place. Of NINE! I was last in my age group!

I pouted for about 10 minutes. I started packing my gear and prepping my bike to leave. It’s a long way home. I can head on out. No reason to stay. I know that podiums are icing on the cake. It all depends on who shows up on race day. And the best women in NC showed up on race day. They crushed it. The winner in my age group finished in 2:42 for crying out Mike! The woman across from me on the bike rack was pouting, too. The winner in her age group finished in 2:24. I think I’m going to leave. Let’s go sit in the sun for a bit before I head back. Wanna come?

I headed back over to the lakefront area and chatted with my friends from Wilmington. They all had great days and it was fun to hear about their race. I headed over to look for Kathy and passed this amazing group of women from Pinehurst who called themselves SLAM: Sweat Like a Mother. They had a YETI cooler on wheels full of champagne and orange juice. Do you want one, they asked. Um. Yes, please. I chatted with them for a few minutes and finally found Kathy. Come meet my new friends, I said. They have mimosas. We poured one for Kathy and topped mine off and went over to sit in the Aiderondack chairs in the sun. We watched as the podium finishers got their awards and the athletes cleared out.

THE SLAM women of Pinehurst. Sweat Like a Mother.

Eventually we headed to the parking lot (which seemed closer and yet……farther after mimosas). When we got to the parking area, there were probably only 10 cars left. But, the closest cars to ours were having cake and coffee. Wow! I exclaimed, you Pinehurst folks know how to have an amazing time. Someone was having a birthday and they had a huge carrot cake and a giant thermos of coffee. Kathy was like: I’m having cake and I agreed to coffee.

with Kathy at the Pinehurst Tri Lakefront

Kathy and the Carrot Cake

TATAFORNOW

The Legacy of Endurance with Tonya Dove

One of the fun things I’ve wanted to do on this blog is to introduce other everyday athletes who do amazing things and have amazing stories. Today, I finally get to do that. I get to introduce Tonya Dove.

Last year (almost to the day), Tonya and I were training for IM Chatty 70.3. We traveled to Raleigh for the North Carolina Bicycle Club’s spring rally. I think we did a metric half century on the hills to prepare for our upcoming race. On the way home, I interviewed Tonya about her triathlon adventures.

Here is our conversation:

Tonya, tell me a little bit about how you got into triathlon. What sparked that?

I had a family member that did triathlon. And he would bike and run. He was an older gentleman, and he would always do the Wrightsville Beach Sprint.  And, I was like, that sounds like fun. I'll try that. And I did it with little to no training except running. And it was horrible. [Laughing ensues.]

I didn't know how to swim. I doggie-paddled the whole swim, and I was like, I really want to learn how to swim properly, because that was really exhausting, swimming like that. So, I looked up how to do swim lessons. I was, like, googling different places around Wilmington that maybe could do swim lessons. And then I found the YWCA tri club. That's how I came to you.  

So you joined the YDUBTRICLUB! I think that was the beginning of 2017. You did learn how to swim from Coach Lance and Coach Alan and I was the bike and run coach. And then you did another sprint or two, right?

Yeah, I did the Azalea. Then, I did White Lake. White Lake International. And that's the first time I did open swimming in a lake like that.

Yes. And was your swim better after you had gone through the YDUBTRICLUB? [This is a loaded question, of course.]

It was better, but I was very scared and freaked out and drank a lot of water. It was very choppy! They had the safety boats out on the water so it smelled like gasoline - but I survived. I made it. I did it.

And then what sparked you to do an IRONMAN?

All my friends were doing it. So peer pressure! [More laughing!]  Come on, you could do it. And one of my training buddies, we were on the fence about it.  But, I said that if I could complete a marathon, if can run marathon, then I would do the iron distance, because for me, there was something mentally where I was like, if I can finish a 26.2, I could definitely finish an IRONMAN.  

I don't even know how that makes sense! I mean 26.2…….140.6. Yeah, sure! Same! But, I think we had already done some very far rides. I think I had gone 50 or maybe 40. And in August of 2017 we did the 50 miles for Sami’s 50th.   So, I knew I could do the bike.

I remember being at the holiday dinner for the local women in triathlon and you and Maria started asking questions about a full.

Yes, we had already signed up for IMNC 70.3 – -our first half --  in October and we wanted to know if we could do a half and a full back-to-back. We were thinking of doing North Carolina and Florida within several weeks of each other.   

I said: absolutely you can! You’re young, you’ll live. Let's go!

In the end, Ironman North Carolina was canceled due to a hurricane and so we went straight to IRONMAN!  

What were you most nervous about that first year?

I was scared of all that training. We did so much training for that. But you need to….you need to.

What was your favorite part of training that first year?

Honestly, I think it was just training with Maria. Having that partner to push me. We were kind of on the same level fitness-wise.  We were able to bike and run together. That was the best part for me …..having accountability with somebody else.

You had a very good training, buddy. Yes.

Tell me a little bit about the IRONMAN FOUNDATION that year.

The first year I did IRONMAN for Florida, I was an IRONMAN FOUNDATION athlete. I did it because IRONMAN is expensive – and I needed help with the race. Even with the IM Foundation, it’s a big commitment.  I had to fundraise for a slot. I had to meet a fundraising goal.

You can’t dictate where your money goes, but after we had Hurricane Matthew that year, I emailed them to request the money raised go to our community. I think they had a good enough amount of people who responded: I'd really like Ironman Foundation help my community because we were just hit by a hurricane. They responded that all the money that I raised would go to our community!

Tell me a little bit about your first race in Haines City. How did you go into race day? 

I was very excited. I think I was ready, and I was excited, and I was scared.  I do remember being at the start, the swim start, and lined up. We had to line up at our projected time and I didn't recognize anybody that I knew, so I was having a freak-out moment.

I was hoping to see my mom and sister before I started. And then Haley (my sister) picked me our from the crowd, and I saw her, and she hugged me, and I was bawling before the start. I was already bawling. Dehydrating. Right there on the spot!

And, then I found Angela. We were about the same pace so we started in the same corral. So, that was nice just to see somebody that I knew. And that swim was pretty crazy.

Yes, tell me about your swim.

I just remember getting in and feeling all the stuff all over me! The seagrass. Lake grass. And then thinking: is there an alligator in here? The course shape of that swim was a giant M - like a pair of pants shape. It was very weird. Like nothing we'd ever practiced. Turn here.  Turn there. Go through this little tiny chute with thousands of other people that are, like, battle-ramming their way through.  I try to be cautious when I swim because I'm on the slower side. So, I wanted to be slow and steady and not freak myself out.

Getting out was so exciting because I was like, you're done!

You have a funny story about the wetsuit peelers? Yes! The wetsuit strippers. My wetsuit was really tight around the wrist, so it got caught there, and they were just, like, pulling and pulling, and I thought they might pull my arms off!  

You had a great bike ride in Haines City.  The bike was fun. I actually had fun on the bike. And that was rolling hills. Up and down, up and down. I don't train for that here on the coast of NC. I hadn't trained for it at all. But I was passing people. I don't know if it was just first time adrenaline, I guess I was pretty strong back then. I was doing AXIS  fitness, too, like strength training and all the good things. All the things.

Tell me about that crazy run.

So……I really enjoyed the bike. The run, not so much. Mainly because it started pouring, and on the run you are sooooo tired, and then the rain starts, and you're just going through puddles and you've got all these negative thoughts, and you have to push them away. And I just kept saying: you can do this, but, this is dumb.  I got angry because it was raining. Dumb. What the heck? I saw Haley, and all I said to her, this is so stupid. Why am I doing this? And, she told me: you got this. You got this.

You finished in pouring down rain. How did that feel?

Pouring down rain. I felt great. It was just like, I'm done. I'm glad. I just felt very relieved and really happy. I was ready to party. But then, I was like, no one wants to have champagne right now.

How did you feel afterwards? So that's fun. And then that just must have been like, just carry that around. You're like, man, I did that. I did a really hard thing.

So how long after that one did you decide to do your next one? I knew I was going to do a 70.3 the next year.  Because IMNC was cancelled, I deferred to the following year - 2019. So, then I think I also was like, yeah, let's do another one.  I was thinking, that's going to be my last one ever. Plus, when we were faced with the possibility that Florida might be canceled, we had thought about signing up for Cozumel….so it was on the radar. I thought, let’s do it somewhere very cool. Somewhere beautiful. And I think Cozumel was my favorite one.

Why do you say that?

The swim was just…… I'm not very ever peaceful in water like that. But it was so clear, it was so beautiful. And it was just a nice day. And the current was kicking. Yeah, there were these little tiny jellyfish or something stinging me, but it wasn't that bad. And the swim was done faster than I thought I could do. I was like, oh, it's over. All of a sudden! It was so fast.

Tell me a little about the bike. The bike was hard. The bike was hot and windy. And at, ah, some point I was out there by myself, just chugging along.

The thing I remember about the bike was there was this older lady that kept passing me. We played leap frog the whole bike. I kept thinking: I have to beat this little old lady! I would pass her and then stop at the aid stations. I would ride again and pass her again. I don’t think she stopped at aid stations because she kept getting ahead of me. Turns out - that “little old lady” was Dexter. She was with our travel group with Ken Glah. In the end, I may have passed her, but she got a slot to Kona!  

Let’s talk about that run!

The run was fun. But, this is the race I split my pants!  I think it happened even before the race started, but I didn't know because I had on my swim skin. The split happened on the inseam – on the inseams of my thighs. When I got out of the swim, I was like: uh oh! My pants are a little torn on both sides. As I was riding the bike, it got progressively worse. And I was thinking, I don't even have extra shorts in my run bag or anything. I don't know what I'm going to do if this keeps getting higher! Fortunately, it didn't get any higher.  

But once I got off the bike and started running, I saw your husband, and I was like, I split my pants! And he was like, what? And I'm, like, pointing at the inseam, in between my legs, and he's just like, okaaaay?! [So much laughter here!]

 Eventually,  I saw Jen. That's the first thing I said to her. I split my pants! She was in a grumpy moment at that time, but it made her laugh and made her feel better. I was looking for Vaseline the whole run, like something to put in between my legs. It was not okay, but, I finished. My legs were so chafed and so I kept walk running, but,  I think that was the key. 

Did either of those time matter to you? Did you have a time goal?

I just want to finish before the time is over, but I would wanted to be under by time for Florida. I think I wanted to be under 16, but I think I was just over that. And same when I did Maryland because it was like 15:45 or 15:50 or something when I did Florida.  But then it's like, you can't really compare races. The courses are so different. You can't compare at all. Even when you’re on the same course, you can’t compare. IMNC has changed every year it’s been a race. I wanted to be under 16, but I also know that you can't go too hard in the swim or the bike because you got to do the run. By the time I get to the run, I'm done. I'm done. I'm just wanting to get through it.

Yeah, this is a chafe leg. That's the worst thing. Chafing is the worst. The shower afterwards……after Cozumel was the worst.

What did you do after Cozumel?

I signed up for Maryland…..but got deferred. I took a year off. Well, for Covid, everyone took a year off. Right? Everybody took a year off. Everybody took a year off. But, I signed up for Maryland and then got moved

And so, how did that happen?

My friends were doing it. Look, there we go again. Peer pressure. And it was a close race. I was thinking, okay, well, it's drivable race. I don't have to pack my bike in a case. Fly anywhere. It's drivable.

How was Ironman Maryland?

I will never do it again, and I will never recommend it for anybody else because I only think the jellyfish problem is going to get worse. There were so many jellyfish. I'm traumatized. And I thought I got stung in Mexico, but that was brutal. Baby things compared to the things we saw at Marland. There were gobs of jellyfish. It was a river, right. But it's like an intracoastal river.

Very marshy. It was still salt watery. Kind of a bay, kind of a tributary. When you walk in, you get stung. Every stroke…you are getting stung. And, first off, I made a mistake of having a sleeveless wetsuit. The water was warm and my “real” wetsuit was long sleeved and too small. So, I borrowed a sleeveless.

Once we got there, they made it wetsuit optional. Basically, they were like: please wear your wetsuit. That  2.4 miles was the longest swim of my life.

Which was worse, the chafing in Cozumel or the jellyfish at Maryland?  Well, that race I had both!  So I feel like my underarms chafe so bad. (laughing) The stings were the worst, I think.

You must have been worried because you knew because you're allergic. Yeah. I was very worried that I was going to have not going to finish or get overheated. I was already hot because of all the stings and the bike was hot on top of it. I just kept stopping at every stop to get ice, any ice I could find. I would dump it down my helmet, down my shirt.  The ice help me stay hydrated.

Tell me about your bike leech?

That ride was hot and also windy. This guy was drafting off me for miles and miles. And suddenly, 10 miles form the finish – or from transition – they pass me! I’m like: Jackass! Are you kidding me? I did all this work and you’re taking all the benefit and now you’re speeding past me? You’re a jerk!

How was the run on that race? The run wasn't too bad. I was not a fan of running on the cobblestones in town on tired legs. And, I definitely don't like going by the finish a million times. And when you go by the finish in this race, you could hear everybody finishing. We passed the finish chute four time before you actually finish. It was bad.

The run is hard. The later parts of the run are always hard. You’re just done and you're out there kind of alone. You're tired and you're grumpy. Everything hurts.

But,  it was great to see all the supporters. There were a lot of bystanders and great crowds.

The best part was that I had my brother was there.

You said Cozumel was probably your favorite. Yeah, Cozumel is definitely my favorite.

Do you have a moment where you're most proud of overcoming something in any of those races?

The chafing?!! My legs were in pain. Yeah, I think that was definitely it. I was like, I get to take these pants off. These shorts off now. I did that whole race with split shorts.

And I think just overcoming the jellyfish thing because I was like, I did the whole race and I got stung so many times. I will have to share that photo. It just shows, like, how bad those things were. It is so indicative of how bad those jellyfish are. 

Will you do another?

I think I'm done. I think three full length is good. I mean, I'm not going to say no because I never thought I would do the first one…….any of them at all! But, right now I feel like shorter races are fun.

More fun. Less training. I want to have a social life. Um, it's just less commitment. I will miss training with my training buddies, but I will not miss getting up early. I like seeing being part of the community. That's what brought me back from not doing.

Taking a break in 2021 – I could have stopped then, but I was still biking with everyone. We had our biker gang – Maria was there for a part of the summer and that’s when Lance started riding with us. And it was like every Saturday we had a good group of people going out for long bike rides.

What have you learned most from IRONMAN? What's one big lesson?

 That anything is possible, really, is not cliche. I mean, really, you overcome so much to get to the finish. Mentally and physically. In the race and what we put in the training.  Like I said, I never thought I would do anything like that. It sounds crazy, and it is crazy, really, to put yourself through all of that in one day.

Were you sporty before you started triathlon? For the record, I would say yes, but I wasn't like, a long distance runner. I did workout classes and things like that, and I guess I just wanted to see if I could challenge myself more.  Be outside.

Were you sporty when you were younger?  Yes, I've learned taekwondo. That was in middle school and high school. I earned my black belt. I used some of what I learned to get through Ironman. Breathing. Trying to breathe. And,  just with taekwondo, you also try to calm your mind, and at the end of class, you meditate a little bit. 

Every once in a while, I’ll be doing something completely unrelated to triathlon and think: OH SH*T, I’m an Ironman. Do you have those moments? 

I think I did more when I did my first one and I did my second one. I was like, damn, I did that! And,  then I get all shy when people are like, you did that?! And I was like, I did. But anybody could do it. It is special, but anyone can do it. When you think of a triathlete or you think of even “an athlete” sometime you go right to the pros.  In Ironman races, the majority of people aren't pro athletes. I'm not a pro athlete. There is every size of every body type, just out there killing it, that's very inspiring.

I mean, it goes back to: anything is possible.

What do you think it takes to make it?

You can't go out there and do it if you haven't trained.  If you work towards it, you'll be able to achieve it. You just have to be able to be disciplined enough to work towards your goal. And that's the thing, is you set those goals and you do it. There are days you don't want to do it, there are days when you don’t do it! But, eventually, you  wake up and you're like, okay, today, we got to do it today. Got to make up for yesterday.

What tip would you give to an aspiring IRONMAN? What’s your favorite tip?

Just keep swimming. That's what I tell myself when I'm in the water and I have a freak-out and think, what am I doing? It's just: keep swimming. Especially if it's open water. And I'm thinking, are there sharks in here? Is something going to get me if I die today? I've lived a good life. [Lots of laughing from both of us.]

Also, just keep moving one foot in front of the other. It doesn’t matter if it’s slow. Just keep moving. If you're able to keep moving, keep doing it.

Overcome, overcome. Breathe, breathe, keep breathing, keep breathing. You will make it through.

What do you think is the best part of triathlon?

I feel like the triathlon community in general - even like the Iron man community - everyone there is so supportive and, um, willing. People just chat you up as you're walking around before the race and after the race, everyone is so friendly. I say everyone's friendly, but there are a lot of people that, they're just very supportive. I like the community of triathlon.

Azalea Sprint Triathlon 2024

Right on the heels of my half marathon I did a sprint tri. I think I have done this race a dozen times. It is a short pool swim (300 yards), a 12-mile bike and a 5k run in and around the campus at UNC-Wilmington. Like most years, I didn’t have any expectations going into it. It is a very early season race and there is always some part of it where I feel unprepared. This year, I felt strong in the swim and the run. I did not feel strong on the bike. I literally just put my pedals back on the bike (from Kona) on February 16. I had ridden the Peloton about once a week for the past few months, but it was not consistent. I have been on my bike - and my new Wahoo Rollr - for about two weeks and I went out for a real spin on the road the day before the race.

ANYway……I was excited to race. I arrived early to set up and get myself ready in transition. This is like a first day at school and as introverted as I am, I like to chat and visit with friends I hadn’t seen in a while before the race. Brianna, Jennifer, Tracey, George, Dan, Kitty, Ann - so many of my tribe were there! I also took some photos for Set Up Events - the race directors (see below). After spending 20 minutes on the pool deck, I headed back out to transition and changed into my race gear.

I warmed up in the diving well for a bit and then stood in line for 15-20 minutes. I chatted with the woman in line behind me and as I always do I said: tap my toes and I’ll move out of your way at the next wall. Deal! She said. Fortunately, it was one of the smoothest pool swim ever. I never got caught and the three passes that I made were at the wall. Either the swimmer ahead of me stopped and waited or I passed under them at the rope. As always, my finish time was around 4:50.

I headed out into the brisk wind and ran to the bike - which was about 100 yards from the natatorium. I whined a little about the cold, but I warmed up quickly on the bike. This two loop bike course has a lot of turns, has some questionable road conditions (including a dozen speed bumps) and quite a bit of traffic on one of the main roads. On my first lap, I got caught up behind a row of five cars - the first one was a student driver - who were lined up behind what looked like a fairly new cyclists. There was no safe spot to pass (no bike lane) and all the braking made me super nervous. The second lap was a little better - more cyclists than cars - still a dozen speed bumps.

I finished and headed out on the run. Remind me to train for this part next time. My run has been strong, but man, it hurts to run off the bike. I didn’t look at my watch - I listened for my metronome. My right foot was frozen, but I could hear it keep up with the beat on my watch. Because it was numb, it sounded like: splat, splat, splat, splat every time it hit the pavement. I had come in off the bike close to Mr. Triad. He had started two spots ahead of me in the swim and I had caught up to him. I like your pink helmet, he said as we put away our bikes. Thank you! That’s a good reminder that I need to take it off! He came out of transition behind me followed me to the turn-around - where he made his pass. One of his buddies came up and they started running together. I kept him in my sights because he started adding in walk breaks. If I can keep running, maybe I can catch him in the end. He would walk, I would catch up to about 10 feet and he’d take off again. This happened a few times and I was sure I was going to pass him at the finish. No such luck! After his last walk break around Trask he disappeared!

I finished in 1:16:ish and was happy to finish triathlon number 76! I chatted with Sami and Kitty afterward and changed into warmer gear. I also chatted with Natalie - the gal who had been behind me in the swim start line. We took pictures of each other on the podium and exchanged numbers - in case she needs a bike buddy when she returns to Wilmington. That was the best part of the day: I made a new friend!

Triathlon Barbie

So excited to be on the podium!

MYRTLE BEACH HALF MARATHON

I did a half marathon! I am pretty excited about the whole experience because for the first time in a long time, I raced with a time goal in mind. When I race an IRONMAN, the goal is simply to keep moving forward and finish before the cutoff. And, because I race IRONMAN, my endurance is strong but my speed is not. Even when I race shorter triathlons, I use a run:walk strategy and the goal is just to finish. It’s been a long time since I raced anything with a specific outcome. I set a happy goal of 2:30. I set a pie-in-the-sky goal of 2:15.

I have been secretly training for this race - joining a friend of mine who is doing a half marathon this weekend. A few weeks ago, we did an 11-miler and I when I got home I signed up for Myrtle Beach 13.1. This event was one of the first run races I’d been a part of way back when I was first running. I’ve done the 5k (which used to be held the night before the marathon and half), the half (in less than two hours!) and the marathon relay. I had planned to do the half another year - but it snowed and they cancelled it.

Ace and I decided to make a quick trip out of it. We went down on Friday morning and I dropped him off at the golf course. I headed to the outlets (I have to stop at White House Black Market and LuLuLemon outlets) and then to packet pick-up. Tee shirt and bib pick up was at a restaurant called The Hang-Out out Broadway at the Beach. And true to its name, I could hang out there all day. I decided to get off my feet and eat lunch there. I had no idea what I was in for. I mean, you can’t go wrong with a place with a giant shaka outside. There was a stage in the middle of the room, an emcee, birthday dancing on the table, the Footloose dance, a race on plasma scooters and the Cha Cha Slide. Myrtle Vegas lived up to her name!

After an early check-in at the Sheraton and fetching Ace from the golf course, we headed to Hook & Barrel and I highly recommend it! I had a really good salmon + rice + asparagus dish. Plus, we headed over to Croissants the bakery/coffee shop next door. Is there anything you make that is gluten-free? I asked with a lot of doubt in my voice. Yes! The girl behind the counter exclaimed. Everything in this cooler is gluten-free! I think I squealed. There was a triple chocolate mousse cake by the slice OR a mini one made for two, an almond joy brownie bar and macaroons. OH, YES! I will be coming back for these tomorrow after my half marathon, I announced. Neal couldn’t wait. He ordered the mini mousse cake and had it for dessert and breakfast.

After dinner we headed back to the hotel. I’m pretty sure it was only 6:30PM, but felt like midnight. It had started to rain earlier and now the drops were falling in buckets. We were in bed and asleep by 8:30 - but sleep was fitful. I hate hotel sleep. Especially on night one of any trip. We could hear our neighbors - especially the child - and there was so much light! And, as with any race there is the worry that you will oversleep your alarm. So, when I woke up at 1:00PM and tossed and turned for a good 45 minutes, I knew that I was going to be tired in the morning.

I did not oversleep my alarm and the morning went smoothly. I had gone to FIVE BELOW and Dick’s Sporting Goods before the trip and had picked up cheap socks for gloves and a poncho. I borrowed a throwaway hoodie from Jen and a throwaway beanie from Ace. The morning went so smoothly that the rain stopped on our walk from the hotel to the start line. I warmed up on the dark and rainy walk over with dynamics and a little running. I said ta ta to Neal and then headed into my corral. I loved that there were only two corrals for this race. In Disney or in other major races, there are often 5-10 corrals. I was in corral B and was able to find the 2:15 pacers for the half.

The announcer played Lose Yourself by Eminem and then a Van Halen song and then…..Myrtle Beach Days by the Fantastic Shakers. Such a fun juxtaposition. I shagged a little and may have stepped on the toes of a girl who was crowding me. The first group was off. We waited five minutes and the announcer played the same three songs for our group. I was off! I promptly lost the 2:15 pacers in the sea of people and easily made my way through mile one and two. It was a lot of fun - there is so much energy in a run race: the guy to my right was carrying a giant American flag, the girls in front of me had big pink index cards pinned to their backs that read: JOANNA Seafarers 2024 (or something like that), a young guy to my left was singing out loud to the music on his phone (no headphones).

The sea parted at mile two. The crowd began to spread out and I finally could see the pacers ahead of me. Their bright yellow shirts and sign were a beacon a few hundred yards ahead. I tucked in behind a woman who had my same cadence and pace. I caught up with my pace group and then set my sights set on a woman with a Tarheel 10-Miler tee. I set my sight on a couple with matching ON Cloud shoes. Then the pacers for the 4:30 in the marathon. I moved steadily up through the crowd.

It rained a bit on the way out of town and near the airport. Just enough to soak me and cause chafing on my right underarm. That first few miles is full of false flats: undulating rises that can spike heart rate but not really spike effort. I made it to the Market Commons area and looked for Kristin on the other side of the median. I looked ahead for the turn around and it seemed sooooo faaaaar awaaaay. It came sooner than I thought and I was pleased that my 6.2 mile time was right on target. I was tucked between the 4:30 marathon pacer and the 2:15 half pacers.

The next two miles seemed like a net downhill and were punctuated by lots of fun chatter with the people around me and the country music singer performing Wagon Wheel as we headed down towards the main strip and the ocean. A heavy fog settled in - physically, mentally and environmentally. I stopped for water and mixed up some of my Skratch - and lost my pace group. I added a few walk breaks into the mix.

For a few miles, I followed a kid who was probably in his 20s. He would run 800 yards and then stop and stretch and run some more. I also paced for a while with a woman in a neon pink top who was steady and strong. I lost a little gumption as we turned onto the boardwalk area. It was the first time we were able to see the ocean - and in the fog it looked choppy and gray and still foggy. I was happy to see the split between the marathon (going straight) and the half (turning left). I knew I had only 1.5 miles left - but it seemed to take forever to get to the main road and then into the finish at the Pelican’s stadium. I knew this was a net uphill - but I was determined to make it without walking.

I was proud that I did not walk in the slight uphill to that finish. I was trying to reach my goal time of 2:15. I was even prouder that I did not walk when I hit 2:15 and still hadn’t reached the turn into the stadium. The finish area was full and I looked and listened for ACE somewhere in the crowd. As I made the last turn into the finish chute, I heard him yell: kick it to the finish! I hammed it up for the cameras and slowed to a walk as I crossed the line. My watch read: 2:18 and I am thrilled! I gathered my medal, some water, a lot of snacks (two bags of chips!) and a mylar blanket and then headed out of the main finish chute. I had to keep moving because my calves felt crampy so we headed over to the celebration area where I received a finisher gift - a tank top - and my virtual 10k medal.

I wanted to wait for Kristin, but I also wanted to get out of my cold run outfit. So, we headed back to the hotel. All in all, I covered 15 miles that day! That shower and the cold Coke that I had were AMAZING!! We went to Blueberry's Grill for lunch and had mimosas and burgers and then yes, I went back to Croissant and ordered the triple chocolate mousse cake for two, the almond joy brownie and two salted caramel macaroons. Cheers to a successful start to the race season.

The day before, Zoe and I were talking about the possibility of rain. She said: I hope your day is full of rainbows. I didn’t see any in the sky, but I saw a rainbow tattoo, a rainbow towel in the window of a shop and rainbow socks during the race. That counts.

Lunch at Blueberry's!

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake for Two. I did indeed share.