Full Vineman Triathlon - TriathlonFull Ironman

I just swam easily and steadily. Someday I might push the swim but I don't want to get my HR up too high and if I push myself swimming I can get my HR up quickly. I was swimming over the top of people in the earlier waves. Got a big kick in the face that actually left a cut - that was a first. It was wild to see people walking in the river at the shallower parts. Nice to swim in warm water too.

Not much.

Transition was a bit hectic. I had to make two trips over to my husband to hand off stuff. The bag they gave me to put my stuff in to shuttle back split open so I didn't want to risk losing my stuff. Then heading out of transition you have to head up a hill so it was a bit slow getting on the bike.

I could have been quicker but it was fine. I was 748th for my T1 so I guess I should hurry up a bit more

The bike is always my slowest leg but this was by far my best bike leg. I pushed a bit more than I normally so but still went easy enough to have a decent run. I don't sweat very much at all. During my first IM I took liquid nutrition and drank a lot of water as everyone suggested. I had to pee 10 times on the bike and was sloshing. For this race I ate 3 PB&J sandwiches and had 1 bottle of water and 1 bottle of gatorade - it was just right. The only problem I had was my right hip/thigh/low back - it got really tight so that I would have to sight upright to try and stretch. When I stopped at special needs to take off my cold weather layers I realized that the next 5 miles were great and I felt no pain so after that I stopped at each aid station and took a minute to stretch my right leg. Then I would have a little bit of ride pain free and could keep a good pace. I don't usually stop but I figured that being comfortable for that short bit outweighed the stopping time. I haven't had that discomfort before so not sure what that is all about. I had a bike fit (Retul) but maybe I need a small adjustment or a stretch.

Well, I want to go faster but I think I am still learning about how much I can push my bike and still run. So this was an improvement for me but maybe I can do more.

It was a long path from the dismount to the bike racks and I was behind people walking but not sure running with the bike would have helped. I was 385 for T2 so I was a bit faster.

Nothing I don't think

I made myself go slower than I wanted to for the first 5 miles. Then at the end of my first lap, the pace bike for the lead male came up beside me. He had been having people move right for the leader but as he came along side me he said I was OK since my pace was good. So he rode beside me chatting for the last mile and I stayed just ahead of the lead man and got to run up the finish chute with the guy just before I turned around for lap 2. It was really fun but I am certain I pushed a pace that I shouldn't have for that mile. Then on lap two I ran with a woman in my AG. She came by my at a good pace then slowed on a hill and I went ahead of her. It was only then that I realized she too had a pace bike and was the lead woman. The pace person verified with me that I wasn't on the last lap - I wish! So I ran about 5 miles with the lead woman cruising past people. I felt great and again it was fun to stay with her but I don't think I helped my last lap - which was far to slow relative to the first two. I like to try and negative split my run but that didn't happen. I was hoping to have a run closer to 4hrs and I might have had I not pushed for those early parts but maybe not. It was fun enough that I don't regret it.
On course I dumped water on my head and took ice. Drank a bit when thirsty and had a banana slice every other station. This worked well. Not sure how people can eat the other stuff which I tried at IMSTG. Bananas are about the only thing I can stomach running. The only weird thing that happened was that I had hot spots on my big toes. I have never ever had a blister or a hot spot ever. I think the only thing it could be was that since I was dumping water over me, my feet were wet.

I couldn't move about 2 min. after finishing. I couldn't even get myself over to the massage arean. So no warm down.


The only thing that wasn't ideal for the race was the morning transition area. Ideally they would let people drop bikes the day before. Parking is a bit crazy and getting down into transition was a mess. They don't have any outhouses in transition either so out of the water there was no place to go if you needed to. Other than than it was very well organized and the volunteers were amazing as were the spectators. Just get to the race a lot earlier than you think you need to.