IM Coeur d’Alene
70.3 race report:
 |
| focused! |
The heat from the sun was intense on my skin. Sweat was
dripping from every inch of my body. As I rounded the corner, the next aid
station was just ahead. I sauntered up to the generous volunteers and grabbed three paper cups
of ice cold water and dumped them over my head, neck and back. The rush of icy
water was invigorating. I took a swig of Gatorade and I was off i went. I ran
away from the aid station feeling strong, but anything could happen over the next 12 miles.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes after months of practice and diligent training
things just go right. On Sunday June 25th the stars aligned and I
had what I could consider a perfect race. Amy and I drove over to Coeur d’Alene
(CDA) Saturday morning. We left Missoula early and were at the race expo by
10am. We checked in, browsed the expo and then it was time for lunch. I like to
eat a bigger meal around lunch time before race day to have time to fully
digest everything. And then just have a few snacks throughout the evening. We
found a cute local restaurant and enjoyed the buzz of the town surrounding race
weekend. The town of CDA is so amazing and there is so much positive energy
with the influx of athletes.
After lunch we headed back to our AirBnB to get organized
and get to bed. It’s an early night because we are up so early the next morning,
I think I was asleep by 8pm (working night shift I’m well adapted to sleeping
whenever I get the chance).
3:05am my alarm goes off race morning. This gives me a solid
10 minutes to snooze before I HAVE to be up. Priority Number ONE….COFFEE,
Number two, Breakfast. My newest breakfast tradition before races or big
training days is skillet potatoes (2potatoes), 4 eggs and half an avocado.
Yumm. I used to have a hard time eating race morning, but I learned to make
something I enjoy and then it is easier to eat.
By 4:30 we were leaving the house and driving to the race
start. It was only a 10 minute drive from where we were staying but I’m a
nervous nelly about parking so I want to give us plenty of time. This is
usually when I start to get the nervous stomach, but I was cool, calm and
collected that morning. I had my headphones on while setting up my transition
and was able to get myself in the most positive and relaxed headspace before
the chaos of the race start began.
6:20 the gun goes off and the age group triathletes start
the rolling wave swim start. This is my favorite kind of swim start, as I find
it easier to quickly find my groove. By the first buoy I was feeling strong and
smooth, I was sighting well and passing people left and right. When I darted
out of the water and finally looked at my watch, I was right on my time goal
for a strong but relaxed swim, 37:00.
T1 – Gosh I love when the races have wetsuit strippers. This
is such a treat. I ran right to my bike, slipped my shoes on, scarfed down a Cliff
food pouch, threw my helmet on and off I went.
Bike- This bike course is great. Enough climbing to be
challenging but also be cruise on the downhill’s. My goals for this bike
were to just keep a steady power output that I knew I could sustain and run
well after. I didn’t let myself get concerned with people passing me on the
flats because I know my strength is in the climbing so I would end up catching
them. I started off easier than planned to catch my breath and settle into the
rhythm of the bike. I have had a lot of saddle time this year and it has helped
hone in my position and comfort on the bike. I enjoyed the ride, and was able
to maintain and stick with to my race plan. I ate when I was supposed to eat, I
drank plenty of fluids and I kept my wattage right where I wanted. But I had a
watch malfunction mid-bike. I had to reset my watch and start the clock over,
so I had no idea my total race time, I just kept track of power and cadence. I
suppose that’s all that matters. I cruised back in to town after what felt like
a long bike but I was still feeling strong. I had a quick transition and off
onto the run I went
Run- I tend to fire out of T2 a little hot on my feet, and
end up crashing and burning. I mentally prepared for this and tried to rein it
in from the start. By the time I was on the run the sun and heat were intense. I
could tell it was going to be a hot one, and I would need to take care of
myself. I came into the first aid station at the 1 mile mark at 7:15…..oh boy..
too fast…I walked the aid station, grabbed some nutrition, doused myself in
cold water and off I went, 12 more miles. This run course is fun. It is 2 loops
and you get to see all the other athletes multiple times. For the first 1/3 of
the race I concentrated on taking in calories as I planned, and keeping a
comfortable pace. I also planned to walk all the aid stations to refuel and
cool down. I took in one cliff block every mile, and drank Gatorade or Coke at
every aid station. I would dump water on myself as often as possible and even
run through sprinklers or hoses. I ran strong and was able to keep picking up
the pace. The final 5K I kicked it into high gear and passed a few more people
to finish in 5:17:35.
The race was over. I executed my plan perfectly and I
finished with a 23 minute PR. I also had my best half marathon time to date
including solo half marathons. My watch had been reset so I didn’t know my
overall time right away. It didn’t matter. I felt strong, I followed my plan
and the race was everything I hoped it would be.
 |
| The feeling you get as you cross the finsh line feeling amazing |
 |
| Having fun on the run course! |
When I signed up for this race back in January, I mentioned
to Amy that I wanted to try and qualify for Worlds at this race, and I planned
to RACE it rather than just use it as a training day. The last few months have
just been tough on me working night shift, training for a Full Ironman and life
just getting in the way. I pushed the goal to the back of my mind knowing it
was a long shot and that everything would have to be absolutely perfect in
order for that to even be a possibility.
But when my name was called at the roll down ceremony and I
claimed my piece of paper, the high pitch girlish scream that came out of my
mouth was just pure joy. All the hard work, all the sacrifices, all the missed
outings with friends and time away from Josh was worth it. I had achieved a
goal I had been working towards for years. I feel so lucky to be able to do
this. And now I keep to keep doing it and set new goals.
Here we come Ironman Canada and Ironman 70.3 World
championships. 
