Ironman California 70.3

Ironman California 70.3 race report

March 2006

What a day!My parents had driven down for the day and I had just given my mom abig stinky hug. Then my dad reached over and gave me a big hug andkiss, "Congratulations, again!" he said. Little did I know my day was no where near over.

Dave & I got up at 4:30am and headed up to Oceanside for the FordIronman California 70.3. I was excited about the race, as I'd beenfor the last 6 months, but let me tell you, I was not looking forward to it. This was after all, my first Ironman event. Howexciting is that? In fact, bed, snuggled up with warm blankets andmy man was about the only place I wanted to be at that moment. Theweather was not exactly ideal for being outside, much less a triathlon. Raining and 43 degrees. Fun stuff. Even better was thewater temperature was between 52-55 degrees. It was cold enough thatIronman gave the option of a shorter swim for all those who did notfeel comfortable testing hypothermia. Sweet! "They can't have the swim" Dave says. "I've never had to swim in a race with water that cold." Me neither.

So out came the trash bags, extra socks, rain jackets and extra cycling kit. The members of Tri Club San Diego did a great job putting together a list of nasty weather tips and gear changes.Words like "uncontrollable shivering" and "hypothermia" and "the swim could be the warmest part of the day" made me wonder... what was I doing??? I've only been in triathlon for a year and a half but I have learned that triathletes are tough... and nuts. I'm one of them, I should know!

No warm up. Well, consider it a "cool down" standing there in your wet suit with bare feet on cold asphalt. The idea of running around in the rain to warm up just didn't seem like any smarter of an idea than jumping into my wetsuit asap and trying to warm up my core.

Four months of race preparations gave me a lot of time to learn new things about my body and it's mechanics. Or anti-mechanics if you will. I'm not a strong swimmer and it's traditionally been my weakest leg. The distance in a IM 70.3 is relatively short considering it's only 400 meters longer than an Olympic distance tri. No prob. It wouldn't be fast, but doing the distance wasn't a problem. No worries. Cycling has proved itself to be my far strongest leg. Six months earlier I had done my first (and only)Olympic distance tri at the Los Angeles International and unexpectedly nailed the bike portion and had the fastest time in the entire age group. I was looking forward to the bike. Get me on,let's go. And then there's the run. I've run my entire life, raced since I was 7. Not a spectacular athlete, but good enough to satisfy my competitive needs. The run was the portion I was not looking forward to. During training I ran into a whole host of issues in my right leg from old injuries. Chiropractic, ART physical therapy, sports message.. you name it. My boss was being to wonder why I was training for an event that required physical therapy 2-4 times a week. Me too. A month earlier I couldn't get through a 36 min run and my longest run during training was 1:45. And I barley made it through that before my knee gave out. So the run, simply survival was the goal. To make it to the end. Time, smime, whatever. Survival. The competitive animal in me would have to wait for another race.

So in the water we went, feet already numb so what the heck! "This sucks" I thought to myself. Oh well, it will be over soon. Two-thirds into the swim I lost the ability to control my fingers. I could feel my fingers were apart and was in essence "combing" the water instead of getting a good pull. Fingers numb, couldn't close the fingers. Oh well, it'll be done soon. Slowing didn't help me any either, just kept me in the water for longer. By the time I was helped out of the water I had no feeling left in my hands and feet.I already have an issue with cold extremities, so much my man haslabeled my toes "toe-cicles". The transition was a joke. I couldn't close my hands to grip anything so in reaching for the stack of goods for the bike portion, I just managed to knock everything onto the wet asphalt. And it's raining. Arm warmers.... I couldn't pull them up. I couldn't close my hands to grip them. Crap. Houston, I have a problem, I can't grip anything. Well - better get some circulation back, can't get on the bike until I can hold thehandlebars. Several minutes of smacking my hands together and on my thighs did the trick. Ok, back to arm warmers. Extra jersey, raincoat, full fingered gloves. Oh yeah, need shoes. My usual set up of keeping the shoes on the bike came to issues when I realized that that after I put my socks on my numb feet - running down wet carpet would pretty much ruin the idea of trying to keep warm - ok, rip the shoes off the bike and put them on now. Ok, check, ready to go have some fun on the bike.

Overall the bike portion felt good. I was so cold starting I wasnumb - hey, roll with this and just go... you're numb so pain,smain. I've felt pain on the bike during the Boulevard Road Race,and not one second of this bike portion was going to compare. I'm passing people, all's well, but I can't seem to ride hard enough toget my heart rate to where it should be over a long distance timetrial. Oh yeah, legs are numb and not working like they should. Ok,this pace will do. And then my stomach hurts, probably from the cold. Eat-Clif Bar bits, Gu, drink mix, water, get some systems circulating again. Ok, feeling a little better. Not great. But I'm riding, so I'm happy. I like this leg. I like the bike. Aero barsfeel good, first race in the bars and I'm liking it. Then I see my parents who have driven down to watch my big crazy day. Some how they found me on 2 spots during the bike portion, and seeing them and hearing them was so incredibly rewarding. Half way though ther ain stops and it looks like the weather is clearing. I stop to take off the rain coat and shove it in the jersey. As horrible as thefirst transition was, taking the time to warm up and put on extrakit was a saving grace. No hypothermia today! I finished a littleslower than I would have liked, but for my first IM 70.3 in wet rainy conservative conditions, no complaints.

Now the sun is out and it's looking like an ideal So Cal day. The transition to the run was far better and I'm in and out of therewith out too much delay. All the running off the bike with a coach has helped. Legs are a bit tired, but no wobble legs. Well, until Ihit the sand. The 2 loop course has a sand segment somewhere between50-100 meters long, which you hit 4 times. If you like running onsand, today is your lucky day. For me, between weak ankles and a IT band issue... let's just say it was one foot in front of the other. Thirty minutes in, the knee is starting to act up. Slap! I reach down again and slap the side of my leg around my knee and hip. Wakeup! Every 5 minutes. Slap! It gets the job done and I finish the run right where I wanted to finish. Members of tri club SD were everywhere on the run and wonderfully supportive. It helps to have people keeping you motivated. I even challenged 2 runners to a finish line sprint. Hell, if they want to beat me, they're going to have to work for it! I got the girl, the guy, well, he got me.. but he had to work for it. A spectator finish. Hell, I was done! "Let's be done!" I thought as I sprinted in. Hell, a good finish can make a crappy performance feel good.

I crossed the finish, got my finishers medal and saw a familiar face, Whitney, fellow Velo Bella. She gave me a huge congratulatory hug and I just cried. I did it! Seven years ago I was in a wheelchair recovering from an accident, and now I was here, at the finish of my first Ironman 70.3. I was so happy to be done. Overwhelmed infact. I made my way to the food tent and drank to my heart'scontent. Then I saw my man. He gave me a huge hug and I again turned into a gooball mess. Damn, I'm a sissy!

My parents were there. I gave my mom the stinky hug and my dad gavemy a big hug. "Congratulations, again" he said. Dave had finished the race some time earlier and managed to round up his friend Pat visiting from Canada and my folks. Ok, time for our IM massage...can't walk very well and my knee has decided it doesn't feel like bending any more today. We send them off for coffee while I gatherstuff and get a quick massage. "Hold on, I've got to show you what Pat did" Dave says to me. You've got to know Pat, he's a joker so he's always doing something funny. Dave walks out on the beachtoward a palm tree. "What'd Pat do to the palm tree?" I ask. "It's over here, I'll show you" he replies. Ok. He looks around, "this is about good," he says. What? Good for what? "Well" he says," you knowI love you...." before his knee hits the sand I'm a complete gooballmess, "oh, you're gonna" I manage to choke out... "yeah"....hesays.....and hence that is the story of my engagement!

So when my dad said "Congratulations, again"... "again" had nothing to do with finishing. Boy can my folks keep a good secret!

So today I'm bathed in ice packs and moving significantly slower than normal... but sometimes there are other things that are more important and exciting which make this the best pain of my life.

So, now on to the San Luis Rey Road Race in May.. anyone coming?

Cheers,Raja