Oceanside 70.3

What happened? I am asking myself that exact same question….yesterday was a tough day in the office for me; one that I will learn and grow from.

My goals: place top 5 in AG and go sub 5 hrs (a goal that I thought was reasonable considering my training and “perceived” fitness)

Reality: I placed 12 in AG and went 5:21

The funny thing in all of this is I have no “excuses”, no mechanicals, no injuries, just myself to owe up to. It just wasn’t my day. Don’t get me wrong, I gave it all I had, it just wasn’t enough.
I think the theme of the day was “I thought that I was doing well” and then I looked at the results!

The swim in my mind was one of the best I have ever had, mentally and from a stamina standpoint…it still cost me 5 minutes from the leaders, but I am used to that. So, in that respect I am happy, but I still thought I would be a few minutes faster this time around with my training (and wetsuit!!). Time to start working harder in the pool!

The bike was the toughest ½ IM course I have done (I have done Buffalo Spring, Longhorn and Oceanside makes them seem like a walk in the park). The first 25 miles are great!! Flat and fast, I passed a few girls in my AG who got out of the water the same time as me. I knew I had to make up 10 minutes to catch some of the leaders in my AG, so I was pushing hard, but, of course so were they! Then we got to the Camp and things started to fall apart for me… I realized that I was climbing the hills strongly, but comfortably…no spunk in the legs to get up those suckers. So, in that respect I was not racing the back part of the course; my legs were not prepared to hammer, but my mind was! It was frustrating to want to get up those hills fast and furiously, but the legs wouldn’t! It is something that I definitely need to work on…nothing that a few weeks in the French Alpe’s won’t fix! I knew that my bike time would be slow so I worked on pushing the final 15 miles into transition at a good clip and told myself that I would have to really work in on the run….

I must say that the run was my favorite part of the day! The course was interesting (I did not prefer the running through sand though!!) and the volunteers really made it a party out there! Thanks! So, the run went as such…left, right, left, right…”.think, I have 13 miles left!”, “oh wait, I am not supposed to think, just push harder”, left, right, left, right…”hey, that volunteer is in a flowered, neon colored speedo, I wonder if Wolfgang would wear that?” “giggle to self”, left, right, left, right…”realize giggling is not a good idea when you are trying to go fast because it uses up more oxygen/energy”, left, right, left, right…and so that is how it went. I focused on keeping an extended stride and the fastest turnover I could, however, I knew that I was not hitting my sub 7:30’s; the bike had taken a toll. I was proud of myself though, because this is usually where I fall apart during a race; when I know I am not hitting my goals even though I am giving it all I have. I kept pushing through the run right to the finish…even through that damn sand-path! I am also very happy, because there were no “pit stops!” on the run!! Yeah! My diet is working!


So there you have it; my Oceanside experience! Am I disappointed, yes! Why? Because of the time I put into this race. I built it up huge in my head and trained my arss off for this race and to meet my goals and “I” let myself down by the basic fact that I could not perform on race day. However, I do believe that experiences like this build character and strength. I am sure that every Kona qualifier/winner has experienced similar set-backs. Right now I have a lot of thinking and soul searching to do; I cannot imagine getting back onto my bike this week, or next….I think I need a break. Frankly, this race has weighed on me emotionally for months and I am glad it is over! And there is something to be said when I look back and see the time invested and weigh my worth on a race result. Time to gain perspective!

Don’t worry though, I am not quitting! Far from it! I had originally planned to take a Lake Placid spot if I got it, but I didn’t. I had to reflect on the training, time investment and whether or not I would enjoy it or if I was just doing it for the “sake” of doing it. I could not do that for Lake Placid! I don’t want to have to jump back into training right away. So, my Chicago support system will be happy to know that I took a IM Wisconsin slot; plenty of time to take a break and then train. I heard through the grapevine that the CTC aid station theme is going to be Vegas this year and I would NOT miss that for the world! Wisconsin is where my heart/roots are and I came so close to that Kona slot last year, why not come back for more? IMWI is the one race that after yesterday’s disappointment I could truthfully say I would “want” to do regardless of any qualifications etc..because I have a ton of fun there. I realized yesterday as well, I need to get my “desire” back for training/racing, hence the break.

So the next few weeks will be all about what I “want” to do. I am also taking a “diet” break this week…yes, that is right, I am going to eat cake and ice cream and fruit (sorry Megan, but I think I earned this!). I had a DQ blizzard already!! It was the BEST thing I have eaten in a long time. Today it is going to be Carrot cake, yum!!

Finally, I wanted to thank all my friends and family for the support displayed to me through these past few months. I know it wasn’t easy dealing with me at times (Gregory is a saint) and I may not have said it enough, but thanks! Could not have done it without you! Also, thanks to Sean at Rol Wheels for the speedy wheels yesterday; they definitely helped a ton! And Eric Schafer for the aero helmet…I was a speedy sperm!