Kona 2013 Race Report

Kona 2013 Race Report

Dean, Mikayla, Izzy & Vince

Okay…finally getting a moment of down time to sit down and reflect on the past week and my race number 11 at Ironman Hawaii.  The week leading up to the race was nice and relaxing as always, and it was great having a family crew of 4 this year to lend wonderful support and encouragement on race day.  It never ceases to amaze me how much of a boost it gives me to see family and friends cheering me on along the way.  Huge thanks to my husband Dean, daughter Mikayla, brother Vince, and niece Izzy for being there and keeping me motivated on the run!  Special thanks to my coaches (Mark Allen and Luis Vargas) for getting me to the start line prepared!

The Swim:

So…the only part of this race that makes me a bit nervous is the swim start.  The mass of swinging arms and feet can put a quick stop to your day if you get hit just right in the wrong spot!  Fortunately for me, my guardian angels were working overtime and I survived the swim relatively unscathed!  I did get one swift uppercut to the jaw from some dude’s elbow which immediately stopped me and I yelled out loud “Ouch!” but recovered quickly and went on my happy way.  The swim was a lot more crowded than in the past but for the most part, people were pretty nice.  I did manage to dodge some big breast stroke kicks right in front of me a few times…whew!  I felt great overall and my goal was to expend as little energy as needed to get out of the water and onto the bike.  Swim time – 1:05

The Bike:

Onto my favorite leg of the race…the bike!  Getting started, there were a lot of people in a big hurry yelling at each other and some dude fell down right in front of me as he tried to mount his bike.  This was followed by witnessing the most blatant drafting ever in the history of Ironman Hawaii with almost no draft marshals (and nobody in penalty tents) the whole way out to Hawi.  I decided not to waste any energy letting it bother me and still just stuck with my plan, taking it nice and easy the first 10 miles and putting the hammer down once getting onto the Queen K headed toward Hawi.  The tailwind was awesome!  I felt like I was flying with so little effort.  Even the climb to Hawi was incredibly fast!  I had never experienced such nice conditions to the turn in Hawi and I kept looking at my Garmin thinking, wow…this is a fast day!  Of course, there were some nice headwinds to contend with after turning around, but truly not bad compared with prior years.  This year my goal was to push hard in the final 20 miles since I got a bit lazy in that section in 2012 and did not want that to happen again.  I did just that and came off the bike in my fastest time ever and in 1^st place in my age group!  Bike time – 5:09, AHR 141.

The Run:

Getting off the bike I am pretty sure I looked very much like a 90-year-old, attempting to run with a stride length of about 6 inches!  Everyone and his brother passed me in transition and I thought…oops! …I think I may have pushed the bike a little hard!  Fortunately, my body came around after a quick bladder emptying at the porta potty.  Somehow I lost the ability to pee on my bike years ago when I would have to deal with my stinky bike shoes the next day : ).  The volunteers in the T2 tent were so awesome.  As I was one of only a few women in T2, I was spoiled with lots of help!  Off I went, feeling a lot better than minutes before just coming off of the bike!  Anyone that knows me knows that the run is my nemesis.  I spend most of my time getting chased down and passed by great runners, but the news from my brother that I was first off the bike gave me a bit of a boost!  It was about mile 7 when Lisbeth Kenyon (4 time AG champion) passed me on the run.  She asked me who was ahead of us and I told her nobody…she is now in 1^st place, and off she went at a pace that was too fast for me!...and I was feeling relatively good at that time.  I made it to mile 13 or so until the next gal passed me, setting a blistering run pace (she ended up going 3:28).  I was relieved to see I had a good gap on 4^th place at the turnaround point in the energy lab, with only 8 miles to go!  The last 8 miles weren’t too bad…yes, they hurt, but I also was really looking forward to that final half mile on Alii Drive with the awesome roar of the crowd and my family waiting for me at the finish!  The finish line didn’t disappoint and it felt great to be able to finish with a big smile and to high five people along the way to the line!  Run time 3:51, AHR 143.

After 11 tries at this same race, I feel so fortunate that the day could come together so well and could be such a positive experience.  For the first time ever, thanks to my super cushy Hoka shoes, I could even walk normally after I crossed the finish line!  Thanks again to all of my friends and family, my coaches, and the incredible volunteers in Kona.  What an amazing and fantastic experience! 

HONU 70.3 RACE REPORT

Honu 70.3 was always on my bucket list as I have a special love for that road called the Queen K : ).  This race was a particular challenge as it was my only opportunity to qualify for Kona 2013, and for the first time in ages, I was going into the race with not 1, but 2 injuries.  I spent the 3 weeks prior to race day exploring every possible therapy, and arrived in Hawaii at least not limping…so I was happy, but a little apprehensive about my running abilities!

Getting back to Kona and sharing the experience with my husband, Dean, who also raced, was very special.  We were excited about race day and ready to rip it up! 

The swim was smooth sailing for me.  As is my usual tactic, I just found some feet and cruised at a comfortable pace, saving my energy for the bike and run.  I was out of the water 5^th in my age group, having expended very little energy, but the run to my bike hurt on every step, and I prayed somehow my foot would magically feel better after a 56-mile hammer fest on the bike.

The bike was awesome!  Windy, but nothing I wasn’t used to from IM Hawaii…. except for this one gust around mile 40 where my life flashed in front of me!  I think a small tornado hit my bike, accompanied by swirling dirt flying across the road.  Other than that, the winds were my friend and I just stayed aero and went as hard as I could, knowing my run was a complete unknown.

I entered T2 and started out on the most painful half marathon of my life.  Every step on my foot with plantar fasciitis was painful and I spent half the time praying that my fascia would not tear completely through.  The run course was incredibly brutal!  I remember seeing each mile marker, thinking these were the longest miles I have ever run.  It was scorching hot and the wet grass made for 100% humidity combined with the boiling Kona sun.  The golf course running was loaded with short steep up and downs and sharp turns….pure torture for the foot!  Even without the foot injury, I would describe Honu as the toughest 13.1 miles I have ever run!  Fortunately, I was able to hang on and keep a solid lead to the finish, securing my spot to the big show in October.  Woo hoo!  A very successful day, and fun watching friends and my hubby cross the finish line.  In his usual fashion, Dean took time out of his race to help a passed-out competitor on the road to nowhere at mile 10 of the run.  A good time was had by all and the success of the day was capped off with MarkAllenOnline teammates finishing 2^nd and 3^rd in my age group and two more MAO athletes qualifying for Kona!  Wow!  What a day!  Now…time to heal up that foot of mine.

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