My biggest fear of the whole race was that the bike course would be crowded and dangerous. I needn't have worried! By the time I got onto the course there was plenty of space! I was about 5 miles into the ride when a bunch of the fast riders passed me heading back to the turnaround! I had just started my ride and they were already finishing up their first 38 mile loop! I wasn't the least bit surprised, but I would be lying if I said it wasn't a bit disheartening. I did see the aftermath of an accident within the first 7 miles (paramedics surrounding a guy lying on the ground with an oxygen mask on), and I came upon 3 other crashes throughout the race (after the fact, luckily).
Pretty much everything below the waist was numb for about the first 10 miles. I had to hope I was positioned correctly on my seat, as I couldn't feel my butt or nether regions at all. The first loop went by pretty fast, because I was just so excited to be on the bike and it was gorgeous out there and there was just so much energy being out on the course with so many other people. But on the way out to the turnaround, it felt like I was working very hard considering the mediocre speed I was producing. I really think this was due to trying to transition my legs from swimming to biking, and also to the fact that my legs were still kind of frozen.
The wind wasn't too bad on the first loop, but I dropped to a pretty dismal speed on the uphill. But without the head/cross wind that usually kicks up on the Beeline (The Beeline is the common name for the open stretch of road that makes up most of the loop) I picked it up to a good pace on the downhill. I had never done a moving hand-off from a bike at an aid station, and was pretty nervous about it. Turns out, it wasn't necessary; by the time I needed to replenish my bottles, I also needed to pee (about mile 30), so I pulled over to use the port-a-potty. A couple of the amazing volunteers asked if I needed anything and I said, "Perform, please! 2 bottles." (Perform is the PowerBar brand sports drink on the course. Same concept as Gatorade or the like.) As I entered the port-a-potty he asked if I wanted it in my bottles. I said, "Sure! Thanks!" And when I came out of the bathroom no more than 45 seconds later, my bottles were filled and I just had to hop on my bike and go!
I had spent months of long rides on the bike carefully experimenting and honing my nutrition plan. I aimed for 300 calories per hour on the bike, mainly simple carbs. I didn't have an exact target for sodium, but aimed for the general goal of A LOT. I am a sweater, and I have to stay on top of my electrolyte replenishment. Toward this aim, I had started using something called NUUN, which is basically an electrolyte replacement tablet that dissolves in water. It is slightly flavored, but has virtually no carbs or calories. So my race day nutrition plan for the bike portion was this:
On the bike: 15 caramels (450 cal.), 15 pcs. licorice (420 cal.), 2 bottles pre-mixed Gu Brew sports drink (480 cal.), 1 pkg. Belvita breakfast cookies (230 cal.), 1 bag pretzels (110 cal.). I needed a couple hundred extra calories, and at the last minute threw a 230 calorie package of Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies into my jersey pocket. Those cookies would turn out to be the SINGLE GREATEST PART of a roughly 30 mile stretch of the ride. The Gu Brew would last me about 3 hours, after which point I would replace my 2 drink bottles with the Perform at the aid stations. I planned to go through about 1 bottle of water per hour, and I would drop a NUUN into the bottle between my aero bars each time I refilled. Such a detailed, carefully configured plan.
10 miles into the ride I dropped my whole tube of NUUN tablets.
So I had to switch up my nutrition plan on the fly. The main thing would be that I would have to replace the 300 mg of sodium per hour I would not be getting from the NUUN. So from that point on, I didn't drink another drop of plain water for the rest of the 7+ hour ride. I only drank Perform, because I needed the electrolytes. I think it worked out well, as I felt I had good energy, and I had no cramps on the bike, and none on the run until around mile 14 (at which point bike nutrition is hardly the culprit!).
I didn't really expect to see my supporters again until the run, or maybe the bike transition. But as I came into town to make the turnaround and head back out, THERE THEY WERE! They were in a least 2 separate groups, right there at the turnaround. I stuck my fist up in the air and yelled "Whooooooo!" as I rode toward them, then waved as I passed by and back out onto the bike course.
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| Some of my IMAZing Ironfans at the bike turnaround. |
The wind started to pick up on the second loop. By about mile 60 I was starting to feel the typical strains that come around mile 60. The excruciating tingly feet resulting from being immobile for hours. The sore quads. The general fatigue. The crazy pressure on sensitive areas from the bike seat. (NOTHING like it used to be! My hard-won dream saddle still rocks my world!) Out on the Beeline the wind has a nasty way of always being, if not exactly against you, then at least not doing you any favors. There is often a headwind on the downhill, and more often than not, a crosswind, which basically slows you down from every direction. By the time I was nearing the end of the second loop I was really struggling. I had no illusions that my fans would be waiting, but deep down I sure hoped they would. I needed a boost.
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| Waving at my awesome fans! |
Sure enough, as I pedaled toward the turnaround, once again, smack in the middle of my predicted finish range, THERE THEY WERE! Green shirts! Signs! Screaming and cheering! It was exactly what I needed! I am pretty sure I teared up right about then. I rode that wave of encouragement for a good 10 miles onto the next and final loop!
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| All those green shirts are my fantastic supporters!! |
That last loop was rough. My feet were killing me, my quads were on fire, my butt was starting to rebel, and I really, really just wanted to take a nap. With my overall tiredness and my aching feet, I worried that I would not be as ready for the marathon transition as I had imagined. But that was the least of my worries! I still had to finish the bike ride! I was definitely one of the slower riders; by the last loop it had thinned out so much that I was often riding alone, without another rider within many yards of me in either direction. Finally I struggled up the last hill and hit the final turnaround. Less than 19 miles to go! Mostly downhill! I pulled over at the aid station and asked for $700 worth of Gu. I settled for as much as would fit in my Bento box (where I keep my snacks on the cross-bar). Then I mentally whooped and hollered as I raced downhill...for about 2 miles. That's when the crosswinds came back and erased the benefit of the downhill. The struggle returned, but not nearly as bad as before, because I was still, after all, going downhill; but more importantly, I was almost done!
The truth is, after the first loop, it just felt like a really long training ride. I didn't experience any sensations out on the course that weren't already familiar from the many 80+ mile training rides I had endured. At some points I was cursing under my breath, dying to get off the bike, wondering how I would go on. I didn't really count the miles left. I couldn't help but count off the landmarks; the last aid station, the turn off the Beeline back toward town. But I didn't think about how much was left. I just kept turning the pedals. I just kept moving forward. I realized that is really what Ironman boils down to: JUST KEEP MOVING FORWARD, till you run toward a very bright light and hear the words YOU. ARE. AN. IRONMAN. Then you get to stop.
Once again, as I neared the end of the bike course and the transition to the run, I didn't expect to see anyone. I figured they would all be waiting on the run course for me. On the first two turnarounds the last 2 miles or so had been lined with people cheering. As I finished the final loop of the bike and headed toward transition, the roads were now nearly empty. Like I said, I am a slow rider. But about a mile from transition some super enthusiastic supporters were cheering wildly. I smiled, as I do when anyone cheers, and only as I reached them did I realize it was my friends Kristin and Peggy, and Peggy's boyfriend, Ben! What a great surprise! I smiled at them and kept on pedaling, less than a mile now from getting off that bike forever, and starting my run.
As I turned off the road and into the transition chute, I saw Karin and some other green shirts (everything was a blur at this point!) cheering me on! Then, as I continued down the chute, I saw A SEA OF GREEN IRONFAN SHIRTS LINED UP right along the barrier, for what seemed like the whole way, cheering me on, reminding me why I had endured that 112 mile ride! Many more friends had arrived while I was out battling on the bike. I cannot possibly adequately describe that moment! It was the greatest imaginable reward for a such a long struggle.
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| Riding into the transition chute, FINALLY! |
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