Pre Race Stress Disorder

Nerves… Tension… Mental Strain… in one week Joe will be completing his first ever marathon… and I think he is handling it quite well.. ..

… see I have a really good idea about this .. the week prior to my Ironman Triathlon I developed what I call... Maniac Syndrome.... I over exaggerated everything … Stupid people became brainless F- idiots… irritating people became infuriating boils… and the slightest even tiniest little problem became pants on fire end of the world bull sh-t.. ...heck I thought I did a good job keeping my emotions in check.. jeez… I worked on my deep breathing exercises.. I worked on calming thoughts and calming words… I read and watched calming programs… so Joe......keeping all your balances in check… when you feel like you want to beat the snot out of someone and have your spouse come get you outta jail.. just remember.... this too shall pass…

C&D Marathon… 6 days and counting……

Skeleton Scurry 5K

On Saturday, October 25th I participated in the Hatboro YMCA Skeleton Scurry 5K…. as a barbarian wench.

Now before you go about calling up the men in the little white coats please remember at least I was not an ear of corn. Yes folks… I ran the first quarter mile of today’s race with a gal dressed as an ear of corn. Do you know how hard it is not to laugh out loud when you are trying to breathe???….I kept looking over at her… Of course the fact that she looked more like a banana then an ear of corn is besides the point….and yes I am trying to change the subject on why I WAS RUNNING IN A HALLOWEEN COSTUME and how utterly funny I am sure it was that I was dressed as a barbarian with horns running next to an ear of corn….and I think I am the normal one !

I don’t know perhaps it’s not normal but I do have a lot of fun…and life builds character.. and boy do I have a lot of character… See each year I try to find one Halloween race in which I….being the big kid that I am…..can play dress up and run.… it takes great skill to find a costume that you can run in comfortably, doesn’t bind, or have loose parts that you could trip over or injure other people. I wanted to be something comfortable, scary but cute… so think Buffy the Bunny Slayer… ok…

I do have to give Joe credit… he is still with me… and never says anything negative about my harebrained activities… although he never says anything negative… he still wanted NO PART of this race, Halloween event, costume, or otherwise..so he slept in… so off I go…to drive the hour to Hatboro… solo.. dressed in my wench getup…

Who would have thought that with the last few mornings of cold 30 degree weather… that this am it would be in the high 50’s and by race time in the sweltering low 60’s… normally I wouldn’t complain but I was dressed in head to toe fur and getting a bit TOASTY!

The course was great… only one gradual hill in the middle that people yelled out in triumph as they crested it… YAHOO!!… and then some… although it would have been a lot greater had my body not been on the verge of internally combusting. ..by the time I got to mile 2 you could have cooked a pancake on my head… I should have run with my sword.. but thought it best not to… for fear I would accidently trip over it or heck stab someone trying to pass me… by the way it is a plastic sword…and by the way I HAD to get to the finish line… to get outta this getup!!!

Are we having fun yet??? I did get my picture taken with the ear of corn and I feel bad that I never bothered to ask her name… but it was early… and well she was dressed as an ear of corn.. and I must have corn issues! I will share the picture once they post it online…

I didn’t win the adult costume award…I am a bit bitter that I lost to some dude dressed as groucho marx and all he did was put on a tie, mustache and bring a cigar.. I mean I would have accepted the loss to the ear of corn but not to a dude with a cigar…where is the justice!!??

I was delighted to find that I came in 3rd in my age group (40-49)…and got my picture taken with the two elite dressed women who placed first and second in my group…the one girl said to me.. I saw you in beginning of race..werent you hot?

LOOK AT THIS AWARD>. Is this not the coolest award ever!!!?? For those who know me .. you know my love for skulls and such and there couldn’t have been a better award.... I do believe this could be my favorite award ever. Now to think of what to be next year… hmmm..

PS: I will post results and any additional pics once they get posted.

PSS: 1 week until C&D Marathon!!

Halloween Hills of Horror Half Marathon

On Sunday, October 19th, Joe and I participated in the Halloween Hills of Horror Half Marathon (13.1 miles) in Codorus State Park in Hanover, PA…I had completed this event last year and found it to be one of the most difficult and fun half marathons in the area… so I made Joe do it this year..
“AWE come on hon.. we only have to get up at 5am, drive 2 hours, and run up and down really bad hills in 38 degree weather.. you will have F-U-N!”

Somehow I can’t believe Joe still puts up with me!!!.. although I do believe I was right… yes we had to get up at 5AM, drive almost 2 hours to get there, and the hills were a bit bad and yes it was 38 degrees at that start… but I KNOW HE had fun…

He placed 3rd in his age group!! ........
CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN JOE!!!!

Racking up the hardwear!...

We didn’t bother with any type of warm up .. heck except to shut ourselves in our truck with the heat running until the start of the race.. brrr… the goal was to do a nice training run.. not worry about placing, not worry about time.. just run and tackle hills…

Joe to Wendy, “Why again are we doing this?”

We stuck together for the first 4 miles or so.. me a few lengths ahead on the downhills and he a few lengths ahead on the uphills… back and forth.. around mile 5..and up another hill he just found another gear and went with it. I lost sight of him…. In my discussions with him after the race he said he just felt super and went with it… I had asked him what he thought of that really bad hill around mile 7-1/2 to mile 8… it’s a half mile climb …he said that was some hill…

It's real hard to explain how hard of a hill that was… 23% grade at peak… and well .. I ran it!!! NO WALKING FOR ME!!!!.. ok.. so maybe .. just maybe... how fast I was running it … a man in a walker could have passed me…. but I didn’t walk.. and many people around me were….I was super girl!!!...... check that ego at the door… . and then some... …. when I crested the hill an OLD MAN PASSED ME… ego checked…

I hate being chased I think I mentioned this previously in another story… .. I would so much rather be hunting then hunted …and I knew I was being hunted.. and I was getting tired. The hill had zapped me and I was starting to weaken…. Rule #1.. DON’T LOOK back to see how close your competitors are.. (unless you can get away with sneaking a look on a turn).. but if your competitors see you looking they know you are worried and that may give them the extra motivation needed to well HUNT YOU DOWN… so I tried not to look.. to see how far or close the girls I had passed a few miles ago were...... so I ran like I had something to lose and it hurt.. REALLY REALLY HURT..

I decided around mile 10.... that there was NO WAY I was going to try and keep an 8:46 pace up at the C&D Marathon in two weeks in order to try and qualify for Boston… UM NO.. NOT.. NIL>. NADA>..... NING… then around mile 11…. I decided NO WAY I am running the C&D Marathon at all…UM.. NO>> NADA.. NIL>> NING…

… so I thought about this for a moment.. trying to understand why I was feeling all these negative feelings… it was a beautiful day out.. I was running a good pace…. Sure I felt like doggy doo but heck thats part of the game.. but then I think ...what is really bothering me.. ???...is it the fact that I feel like I HAVE to do well… that I have to push myself into a condition where I am always expected to do well .. ??? ….and if I don’t I am a loser???..... hmmm.. NAH…

I am just in F#$& pain .. this run hurts!!! HA!!!! So then at mile 12…. I decided to HTFU (Harden The F#@&^* Up)… and finished strong.. bringing in a time that was 7 minutes better than last year’s Halloween Hills of Horror time… NICE!!

Joe was waiting near finish line.. I like this.. I am going to have to give him the car keys to hold instead of me… Life is great.. we were blessed… Joe got 3rd age and I got 1st age… and we burned like 1500 calories each… VERY NICE…

I have attached the race report from last year:2007 Race Report click here

Women's 5K Classic

On Saturday, October 18th I participated in the Women’s 5K Classic in Allentown with 5,000+ other women… actually there were “only” 1,500 women in the 5K run.. the rest were either doing the 5 miler, 5K walk or competitive walk. It was a brisk 39 degrees at 8am.. and my toes were frozen solid. I didn't notice they were frozen until around 1-1/2 miles and I was like wow.. can't feel my toes.. that's a new one... I am still struggling on hills.. there was one.. kinda flubbed it... .. need to work on that.. oh and mad as a hornet that I misjudged how FAR finish line was... tee hee... anyhow.. great race, great cause...... finished 43rd overall....6th out of 193 in age... thought it kinda special that around mile 2 a young gal ahead of me (20 year old something)...stopped..... in the middle of the race.... to answer her cell phone.. yep.... oh yeah and then she proceeded to repass me.. ....N-I-C-E... gotta love it... I am gonna to go thaw out now.....

Race Results

Flaming Foliage Metric Century & Harvest 5K

Joe and I did the Flaming Foliage Metric Century (62 mile bike event) & Harvest 5K in Hazleton, Pa on Saturday, October 11th…. See… I get these wonderful bright ideas… and well Joe goes along with them… poor poor Joe…

.... so we drive the almost 2 hours to Hazleton PA…

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Joe: “Why again are we driving 2 hours to a 5K and bike event???”

Wendy: “...because it’s beautiful up there this time of year… and we get a free stuffed squirrel…”

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They say you never stop learning… I must admit this to be true..

• DON’T EVER believe someone from upstate PA stating their course is flat and fast.
• 40 year old somethings are a VERY competitive group.
• ......and yes its possible to bike straight up a “mountain” for a continuous 3 miles.

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The plan was to run the 5K, change real quick, and head out for the bike event… Joe had asked what the 5K course was like.. and well I say... “..they said it was flat and fast with a slight incline in the beginning”… hmmm...once we arrived and picked up our race packets we took note of the slight incline that started the course…well, now in my book.. and this must be the Mastripolito Marshmallow book… this was no slight incline.. this was a hill and a good 200 meters (according to my GPS)…..but they said it’s flat and fast…. so must be flat up above this hill… right?

Lining up is always the hard part.. I took note of a girl standing besides me… (lets call her Girl “A”)….I peaked at her race tag which listed her age.. ..I whispered to Joe that she was my age.. ok.. keep the eyeball on that one...... then we were off.. BING....by the time we got to the top of the hill my heart rate was through the roof.. I needed oxygen.. ..and quick!.... if only I could stop and say take a little breather ……PLEASE@!! Joe does so amazingly well on hills.. he is just a natural.. he was up and over the hill and on his way before I could blink.. by the time I did blink a couple of times and got up the blasted hill.. I was looking at Joe’s backside.. WAY WAY AHEAD…

At this point I noticed that Girl “A” was just slightly ahead of me.. so I trailed her… better to be the HUNTER…. than the HUNTED.. …WOW Joe looks soo strong!!! LOOOK AT HIM GO…

By the time we got to the turn around I was wondering what part of flat did I miss because there still was none ….and how is it that we went up to get to the turn around ….and we are still going up on the way back..????.... is that even possible!??

What’s cool about an out and back is you get to see who is behind you and thus when Joe rounded the cone and was heading back he saw me and we gave each other a high five.. he looked GREAT… strong and happy..! And he was WAY AHEAD OF ME! .... I was still keeping pace with my “friend”… Girl “A”….and I lost sight of Joe…..I looked at my watch and there was a half mile to go.... I was currently 2nd in my age group …then this other girl sprints by us .. … I will call her Girl “B”… Girl “B” is also in my age group… she is moving at a high rate of speed.. and I am now 3rd in my age group.. .. THIS IS A PROBLEM!!! … So it’s the three of us.. 40-44 year olds …chasing after each other..... I was in NO MOOD to embrace no pain....My watch beeped to alert me to the 3 mile marker.. 100 meters to go.. with a slight sharp turn half way to finish… this is when you thank GOD and your parents that you have fast twitch genes and although you cant run far fast you can put the moves on in a sprint if need be…

I sprinted past Girl “A” ….who said F_#@^ [by the way as I passed her.]. .. now thats not very lady like... :) .. I then sprinted past Girl “B”… and then I also sprinted past a guy… and flew into the finish shoot… I had just gone from 3rd to 1st in a matter of seconds... I most certainly did not make any friends this day… Joe was waiting for me at the finish line.. he had run a personal best time and beat me by a minute! FANTASTIC!!!! We come to find out later that he also won his age group! Which by the way is a really tough age group (Men’s 40-44) .. And he was 13th overall….

CONGRATULATIONS JOE… !!!!

Joe and I didn’t rest too much .. we jumped on our bikes and headed out on the Metric Century Bike Ride......it was spectacular... .soo utterly breath taking….. we stopped a few times to take pictures…and spent a really nice 3 hours together riding.. up and down hills…

There was one down hill that they stated was a 20% grade.. still unclear about grading.. .. I just know I SMOKED my breaks…. big old woosey I am... EEKKES…Joe.. never stops... I do hope he doesnt end up off a cliff... one of the major roads was a switch back.. . is that possible? ....Anyhow.. I am thinking goat and goat herder.. and then some…OH and then there was the 3 mile up hill.. OMG Joe we are still going up… ! ...

We cut the ride a bit short as my shin was acting up.. probably a mix of not completely recovered from Chessy man and doing a fast 5K.. but either case we cut it short.. doing around 39 miles instead of 62… but what a fun day… !

PS: We received an email from the race director after the event stating some good changes for the course next year and stating this fact (see below) which I thought interesting.. and you think that I make this stuff up (about the hills)… ! HA I AM NO MARSHMELLOW!!!

"Hazleton is the highest city in Pennsylvania, 1860 feet. Anything that starts here ends uphill. "

GEE YOU THINK!? For race info: Season Change Website Info

Race Results

Chesapeake Man Ultra Triathlon 2008

Thank you everyone for your congratulations, your support and your love.. here is the race story.. It’s long and I debated about a cliff note version but…

this is the story… in the way it should be told…. unedited and trying to incorporate everyone’s questions on training, nutrition, and of course with wendyisms....

Chesapeake Man Ultra Triathlon - Full Course Du jour
IF YOU HAVE TO ASK WHY, YOU'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND...

I did it!!!… the Chesapeake Man Ultra Triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run).. an Ironman Distance Triathlon… 140.6 miles…..

For those who know me.. you know this was my 2nd attempt at this distance and this race. Last year’s “epic” swim and subsequent DNF (did not finish)… due to not making the time cut offs had scorched a real scar on my soul.

This year’s race is dedicated to my husband… for it was because of his support that I came back.. ..

Pre-Race Training
The hours and hours of training.. juggling working fulltime, keeping a house and family happy and going to night school…dragging myself out of bed before work to get into a “cold” pool… Joe dragging me kicking and screaming up to Blue Marsh Lake in the freezing cold water...…. miles and miles of running…sitting endlessly on the bike trainer banging out hours and hours of miles…

The following events helped me with my endurance and mental conditioning and within themselves were an adventure:

• The Vermont Snowshoe Half Marathon in March… 5 hours 20 minutes in the freezing sleet/rain in 4 feet of snow, up and down mountains on snowshoes.



• The 50K Ultra Hat Run (31 miles) … 6+ hours, up and down trails and through streams.


• The Lancaster Century+ (115 miles)… 8+ hours on some UGLY hills.

Nutrition
Things I realize.. I am unable to stomach solid foods on long events. I am also hypoglycemic so I do need to eat regularly or I get lightheaded and dizzy… I also need lots of carbs in general to feel strong… , and since I sweat a lot I need a lot of fluids. Hammer Nutrition is what saved me. Perpetium is a powder form of fuel that I just add with water and as Joe says forms a nasty paste.. but this was perfect for my system… I also used Heet from Hammer and Endurox R4 (which is not Hammer) for my recovery drink… I am a firm firm believer in recovery.

Sleep
I need lots of sleep.. I sleep or try to sleep 8-10 hours a night, in bed by 8:30 or 9pm.…

Pre Race
Joe and I arrived in Cambridge, MD on Fri, Sept 26th (the day before the race) in order to pick up my race packet and for the mandatory bike inspection and racking. I had packed all my gear a week in advance and had replayed the race in my mind a dozen times…… the weather forecast looked bleak… a northeaster was hugging the coast and rain and wind were expected but I was excited and optimistic.. …and yes.. I was ready!

Race Morning
Although I was ready for the race… I don’t think I will ever get used to the 4:30 am wake ups… 4:30 am just comes around too early!!… but this was the big day.. RACE DAY… Saturday, September 27th…this was the day I had spent the last year training for….

Joe and I head off into the darkness to drop off my bike and run gear bags and head over to the swim area…and then to wait.. waiting for daybreak and sitting in the shadows of the transition area watching tiny crawling things walking on the ground…brrrr.. gross …daybreak was scheduled for 6:45am and the race was scheduled to start at 7am… a slight drizzle had started and I was getting a bit antsy… .

It was time….wetsuit time… it feels like I am getting into rubber tubing… and then I start to sweat and it makes it even harder to stuff the potato in the sack… Joe thankfully has gotten really good at zipping me up…stuff it all in…. stuff stuff… I felt like a giant ball of neoprene…. Waddle on…

Swim (2.4 miles to go)
Mentally getting into cold water at 7am in the morning really takes strength.. so if you want to say I am Ironman go ahead just for the fact I put my freaking neoprene clad body into the Choptank on a Saturday morning late in September… . are they kiddin? The sensation of walking willingly into murky cold water… No f- way.. this soo sucks..!!!!! …..remember the movie Jaws when its foggy out and all you hear is the bell ringing… ???...[as I walked into the water].. .. yeah something like that… F@&#&_ why the H-ll am I doing this.? ….no no no…. I thought about walking back out… the thought crossed my mind more than once… I REALLY REALLY DON’T WANT TO DO THIS… and then I remembered my motto for the day…
……………..HTFU…(HARDEN …THE….. F @&#..... UP)

My day started and ended with a deluge of water…the new swim start was a two loop course in the “protected bay area” of the Choptank. I still have NOT figured out why they say it’s protected other than it’s NOT in the middle of the channel like we did last year but there sure was NO PROTECTION from the chop….. right before the race start… and I aint kidding… EXACTLY before we started the heavens let loose… it down poured… sheets and sheets of rain… and then we were off… wow.. here we go!

I found it a bit difficult to sight the buoys due to the heavy rain … so I just followed everyone else… the blind leading the blind… it wasn’t long before the field took off and I was swimming mainly alone… rounding one of the buoys something soft and slimy slithered across my chin… I look down on my stroke and it’s a freaking dead fish about 7-8” in length.. UGH>>> EWEE>>>>OK NOW that is just NASTY…… I flick it away with disgust..... oh G-D this is just awful… awful.. awful… WENDY …..HTFU… !!!

The chop on the first loop was a bit rough… I kept ingesting water every time I tried to breath…and had trouble formulating any type of rhythm… frustrated and mad and spitting out water.. I realized if I completely closed my eyes as I swam it helped and I could FEEL the ‘”chop” .. this helped tremendously.. (reports after the race stated people were getting seasick and throwing up)

Rounding the end of my first loop some of the really good swimmers passed me completing their swim..HOLY SMOKES… I still had a lap (1.2 miles to go)… I started to panic a bit... BUT I REFUSED to look at my watch…. Don’t panic just do it.. (unbeknownst to me .. some of the leaders this year were pulling times of 55 and 56 mins for the swim… thus I really was on target)…

Swim Loop 2 (1.2 miles to go)
During the second loop the rain subsided and the chop let up… nice.. then …BUMP….. hmm. …what was that.. ? bump.. bump… my pinky went numb.. HMMMM……bump .. bump.. what are these soft things… . ??? OK.. so WTF was that???.. ARG!!>….J-E-L-L-Y … F-I-S-H… ectoplasmic monsters from the depths of h-ll!!!……UGH! ….It felt like I was swimming in jello… OMG… I SIGNED UP FOR THIS????? What could possibly be next??? …… I prayed.. GOD ..you have GOT to give me the strength to make it because I am one bit WOOSE BAG……just sign my certificate now….and then I said… Wendy ….HTFU… !!!

I wasn’t sure how many people were behind me… if any at all.. and I still at this point was unsure of if I was going to make the swim cut off time of 2hours and 20 minutes.. as I rounded the last buoy I actually passed a couple people …. (perhaps having the jelly fish in the water made me move a little faster???? Tee hee…not sure but I was moving….. )……>YES!! in the tent I go…
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Now no need to explain the semantics of what I did in transition.. I took my time.. I wanted to keep my heart rate down.. and when I came out Joe was LIKE WHAT WHERE YOU DOING!???? Tee hee.. my transition time was 11 minutes and 22 seconds.. wow… did I stop to have a cup of tea and a krimpet or what! As I am grabbing my bike the volunteer said wow he is hard on you… I just smiled.. HTFU…

Bike (112 miles to go)
9:09am… I felt F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C on the bike.. I knew from Eagleman that I could take the first loop or around 56 miles or so at a 17+ mph… I also knew from my training when Joe and I did our century PLUS and then some that I could pull some heavy 20s or so’s at the end if needed.. So I was fairly optimistic .. that I could hold a 17 mph for the entire 112… it was the goal… and obtainable…

I started to pass people with relatively little effort after mile 20… I wasn’t pushing it.. just keeping a nice 17-18 mph pace going.. I felt good. But I started to notice that there were a lot of people with flats… man s-cks to be you.. and then some.. and wow.. shame.. and wow.. Gosh I hope that does not happen to me.. and so I really really watched the road.. to make sure I didn’t run over anything.

The rain would start and then stop..and water would pool here and there… and then I heard something that made me cringe… no couldn’t be… no way… OH no… I pull over to see.. F>>> I felt tire.. just in case my eyes were deceiving me… F*@#&$(#&@&#$

Flat… and it’s the rear… F@(#!*)*@#$)...

The Flat
I put my chain into the lowest gear and proceed to take off my water bottle to make sure my precious fuel did not spill when I inverted bike… .. It is now down pouring AGAIN…and the water is pooling off my helmet visor like a spout. I proceed to sit on the ground… methodically going through my routine of changing the tire.. thankfully I have changed a couple tires before.. ..I was prepared…

A kindly older couple in a car stopped and asked if they could help me. I replied, “I am sorry I can not accept any help”… (I would be disqualified if anyone helped me.. even any help from other competitors.. )….they said, “ Are you sure honey?” I said, “Yes I am sure.. but thanks anyway”…. I think I must of looked pathetic… drenched.. sitting in the grass in the pouring rain with bike parts everywhere... although I had changed tires before I never had used the CO2 canister to fill up the tube.. but really how hard could it be??

I whip out the instructions.. real quick…plop in, twist.. viola.. tested it in the air… SWISH.. . powerful little bugger now aint it??!!!… I pulled out my extra tube.. got my tire leavers together and proceeded to change the tube….. remember all those people I had passed on the bike… ?? ….. YUP… SUCKS TO BE ME>>. they ALL passed me while I was sitting there changing my tire…

The actual tire change took only about 10 minutes.. ok.. looks good… now back on bike.. UM.. WTF…>>??? the chain is off both cassettes and twisted… I spent the next 10 minutes wrestling fighting with the chain and trying NOT to panic.. Wendy D-O-N-T PANIC……….I HAVE to get my tire back on!!!! I am now COVERED in grease…. my bike is covered in grease…. And I take a moment.. THINK… ok.. this goes here and that goes there.. and VIOLA! I finally get it back on… I put all my bottles back on the bike.. push pokey [my gumby mascot ]….back in his ‘seat” (he rides in the front of my water bottle in front of aero bars.). 25 mins later I am back on road… I can only presume I am dead last… being a competitive bloke it was very hard to suck up… but a reality..

Back on Road
A few miles down the road I noticed my bike speedometer was no longer working… and I tried to pull over and fix it but it just wouldn’t start working…. I couldn’t waste any more time trying to fix it so I just got on with it… I was now riding blind… the mile markers were not marked on the road .. not that I saw … and I had no idea how to gauge my speed or distance.. HOWEVER… I did know that the first loop with the extension would give me approx 65 miles and the second loop would be around 47 miles..
So I deducted the distance I did prior to the flat and tried to mentally take note of the surroundings so on my second loop I could gauge it by sight and by watch time. … I had ONE tube left on me..that made me nervous.. I like to always have two on me.. but I knew if I could make it to transition after the first loop I had packed two more in my special needs bag…

1:30pm.. I finished my first bike loop… I saw Joe and yelled to him that I had gotten a flat and it took too long to fix… I grabbed my two additional tubes and headed back out for loop two.

Bike – Second loop (47 miles to go)
1:30 pm - On the second loop the winds picked up and so did the rain (if that was even possible)... this made it a bit more difficult to put any speed on and with me still biking “blind” I wasn’t sure what speed I was being reduced to.. I also realized that all the points I made note of on my first loop well they all kinda looked the same…. and I couldn’t gauge where I was… but this is where when you know your training and you know your body you can actually calculate what speed you are doing… I knew on average I could bang out 15 miles in an hour.. so I would just look at my watch and when an hour passed I assumed I had done 15 miles.. SO now with the driving rain and wind I trucked along…

Surfing?
Low lands and such… there is a segment in which you have to cross a large stretch of road that floods during high tide… this year with the northeaster and rains, the tides were already fairly high. During the first loop there appeared to be about 2-3 inches of water on the road for a few miles...BUT what was surreal was during the second loop the waters were 6”+ deep…! ….HONEST… so deep that when talking to people after the race they said they had to downshift and PRAY that they didn’t lose momentum…and that there were FISH in there.. YES I saw them.. not minnows but fish.. on the road in the water. …and the water had a current!!..(after the race this was the big talk of the day.. biking through the high water with fish - some of the guys who usually do 22 mph were reduced to 13-15mph)

Unfortunately I didn’t THINK of downshifting because I had never encountered riding my road bike through this much water.. … I could only assume it was like when you go through high water with a car.. you DON’T SLOW UP.. and you keep an even pace going through… and you most certainly do not brake… .. SO I banged through this section in my high gear… Not stopping not breaking and burning my legs to a crisp trying to keep up the same momentum,… which was a futile event.. you think my legs were not on fire????!!!! That I wasn’t a hurting puppy!... But there was no way to stop and rest… either you got through or you didn’t… and I prayed.. and prayed.. and prayed…

There is a motto that I have hung on my wall at home.. “You’ve got to get right with God.. because you’re going to pray out there.”

Finishing with Fire
From the first loop I calculated that the last turn was approx 10 miles from the finish and I looked at my time.. I couldn’t remember if the time cut off was 5pm or 5:30 pm and not wanting any laps in judgment I punched it… I am now riding with my rump off the back seat keeping the weight off the back tire as I have this uneasy feeling about the back tire again (unbeknownst to me until after the race I had a gash in the actual tire and my tube was once again flattening, if it had flattened again I most certainly would not have made the time cut off.. )…. I pedaled at a rate that I knew was exceeding what I should be doing this late on the bike.. I knew I would fry my legs for the run but I HAD to make the bike cut off or there would be no run…

Amazing what you can make your body do when you have to… I passed a guy standing on side of road I think he was either a spectator or volunteer… I yell to him as I passed… “How much farther to the school???”… “5 miles” he said…>> I look at my watch…. I GOT TO MOVE…. MOVE MOVE MOVE>… spinning tires… praying….not allowing myself to rest….. pedaling as fast as my body could handle.. my chain was out of lube (most certainly due to the water surfing).. and thus making a terrible mashing noise…and my tire just didn’t feel right… just hold on… PLEASE hold on…. FASTER FASTER… FASTER..

I pull into the parking lot with minutes to go… looking for the bike finish point.. since I never got to this point of the race before I wasn’t exactly sure where it was.. and I see Joe frantically saying to GET GOING (he wanted to make sure I made that bike cut off time…) somehow I was remaining calm.. not sure perhaps I was in a daze…and viola.. made it… 7hours and 43 minutes. No problem Joe.. tee hee… WHEW… DONE 4.53pm

Trans 2
Trans 2 didn’t take as long as trans 1 but still long enough… 8 minutes and some… the volunteers are all incredible… I felt very special.. it starting to sink in… what I am doing…

Run (26.2 miles to go)
5:01pm… I started the run feeling well.. good spirits and excited… I kept up my mental games… the only way I knew how to get through this day was to be in the moment.. meaning during the swim I thought only of the swim… I broke the swim down into segments so it was easy to handle.. but I never thought of OMG I have 112 mile bike or 26.2 mile run left.. same for when I was on bike.. I did not think of the ensuing marathon… not in the aspect of length.. I knew I had to run but would NOT let my mind focus on that it was a marathon.

So ok.. 3 loops… off I go… I make it to the first mile.. I am still running.. this is a plus.. legs felt surprisingly good.. my pace off… but understandable since I toasted them in the last segment of bike… THEN… uh oh… my toes on left foot are in excruciating PAIN…and my shins are TOAST… ok.. so when did that happen?? It like came out of the blue… not good.. at mile 2 .. I stopped to stretch them.. HOLY SH_T..are they broken??? The pain signals I was receiving was unbelievable… ok.. you have to get past this… … heading towards mile 4… doing a run walk mix.. at turn around ... JEEZ… MY TOES F$*#_ HURT.. .. they have GOT TO BE BROKEN>>> ......... Wendy HTFU!!!!!

They were many people on the course at this time since it was a three looper.. many of them on their last loop and were excited… they all seemed to wish everyone well and generally there was happiness about..but I was in SOO MUCH PAIN… and I was using all my concentration to work on that..and it was very hard for me to be pleasant!

Was I last?? I was not sure.. I knew I had left a girl and guy in transition from the bike.. but have they passed me..??? … I don’t know…

Run Loop 2 (17.5 miles to go)
6:50pm…..I get my special needs bag at the end of the first loop and sit down and discuss with the volunteer my love for my high socks… (I wear long socks that are up to my knee) .. they are similar to compression socks and they soo help on my marathons… I love them… so after chatting with him for a few minutes I conclude I must be getting on my way.. two laps to go… (as you see I try not to think of how many miles are left as that would be too much to mentally handle).. but two laps.. I can handle.. I did my first lap in 1hour 45 minutes.. if I keep up this rate I will make the race cut off… a mix of run walk run… … I got it…

I was kinda mad I didnt pack any pain killers in my special needs bag…. as I sure could use SOMETHING to take away this pain.. !!! I need tape or something to wrap these toes…!!!!! ARGGG>>… I even thought of taking off my shoes and running barefoot… the pain was ABSOLUTELY EXCRUCIATING…!!!..... I AM NOT sure I am strong enough to handle this… Wendy HTFU!

It was beginning to get dark out… as sunset was scheduled for 7pm…….there were less and less competitors out on the road…. somewhere on loop two I came across an older man power walking.. I stopped to walk with him for a bit… and in our discussions and me wincing in pain… he told me that the toe pain could be associated with the lower back.. (being on the bike in aero for so long) and to power walk and stretch out the back and legs… I knew I had time..so I did this for almost a mile… power walked and talked.. I have learned so much from other competitors, books, and trial and error and was optimistic this would work… AND IT DID>. …..My toes felt better although my shins still ached… I thanked him and got back to my run walk mix….

Bug Mania
So what usually happens when dusk hits after a nice moist day of rain..??? ….in a secluded wood laden desolate dark road.. ??? when darkness settled in…… the bugs came out… and not normal bugs.. horror movie bugs.... it was like the crypt keeper let the bugs out.. we were bombarded with all sorts and kind of bugs. And since it was dark I couldn’t see what kind of bugs they were .. I was one of the luckier ones.. I had on clear glasses (used for the bike and just never took off).. and well they helped prevent the infestation of bugs in my eyes…

I tried very carefully to breathe without using my mouth.. I would hear fellow competitors spit or coughing out bugs.. and saying.. OMG.. this is gross.. and hear them swatting at them… but you COULDN’T see a thing.. you couldn’t even see the other competitors.. one guy on the other side of the road had a light attached to his head.. he said I THINK THE LIGHT IS MAKING IT WORSE.. as he ran sprinting by me going ..ahhhhhh… I started to think how well prepared I was but never thought of bug spray… and honestly.. I am not even sure spray could help… we were being swarmed… THEN ….. I felt this rather large thing under my shirt on my shoulder… AHHHHHH…… OHHH MY>>> G__D>>> WHAT THE F___ IS THAT!!!>>>>

I had to momentarily close my eyes.. it took a will of steel …..it took every bite of self preservation… I had to reach under my shirt… grab something that was not only hairy and the size of a nickel it had pinchers.. OOOHHH .. MYYYY>>>> GOD!!!>>>>!!! AHHHHHHHHH………..I expelled it from my body.. you think I wasn’t moving now…… . I think I sprinted for a mile… screaming and carrying on……

I was only assuming that there were a thousand bugs attached to me… and that if I went into the light they would be squirming and slugging and slipping around my body… and UGH>>> NOW … THIS IS WHY they call this an Ironman!!!!…….If there was any part of this event that I started to really question my sanity it was here… but as soon as they came they vanished.. . THANKFULLY a light rain had started to fall and then ….all of sudden …. the bugs POUFFF… were gone.... WHEW.. >>> !!!!

Darkness
At this point it was now so very dark you were unable to see much of anything.. not even the hand in front of your face… you think I am kidding.. I thought the director of the race was kidding.. he was NOT kidding..!!! not only was today the new moon (which means no moon), the cloud cover and subsequent rain we had all day kept it gloomy and darker then black… if that could be a possibility...The road that we had to run down was an up and back.. you had to do this three times.. each loop was approx 8.73 miles… the road had only a few houses on it, no street lights.. and was closed off to traffic (except an occasional support vehicle).. there were two lights on the road that were put there for the race.. .. one midway and one at turn around timing mats.. they had four or five aid station stops… which meant two or three of the aid stations were in complete dark…

What I found interesting is that running flat courses where there is no elevation change and no real major turns or twists… seemed endless… MAN are they sure they measured this course right!!! ???? UGH….. at the end of the second loop I had switched to adding soda to my diet… yes cola… it seemed to give me an extra sugar rush and with the perpetium my energy levels were up.. Up ahead, on the other side of the road, I could make out a silhouette of a girl wearing a headlight .. I called out to her that I would be catching her… and she laughed …and said THANK GOODNESS I thought I was last!.... [meaning.. I AM LAST].. ha.. oh well.. … and honestly it was funny... there was hardly anyone on the course now.... and so mainly I was alone.. once again…note: the volunteers at the aid stations were incredible to stand out there in the rain and so on and keep our spirits up.. just amazing…

On my third loop.. probably around mile 19 …I could make out another person on the other side of road… presumably heading toward the finish.. I yelled congratulations.. .. she said she was only on her second loop… I didn’t know what to say… a lump formed in my throat… I was now not last but I didn’t want to “win” that way… I yelled back some encouragement of that she would catch me soon…

Calculating how many miles she was back on me and what pace she would need to do to make the overall race cut off.. I got sad.. very sad…. reality was that unless she ran the entire rest of the way at a good clip… she wasn’t making the cut off… at this point you really realize how powerful this race can be… I ran in silence thinking about this for a while.. {unfortunately I did not see a finisher time for her the next day.. my heart sank… I hope she comes back next year and does not give up}..

Motor Support
Darkness and then a light from a motorcycle support personnel…. he drove next to me to check on me… “How you doing?”… “Fine” I say…... And he says, “ NOW I SWEAR you have done 4 laps!!!”…… I laughed… I told him, “I SWEAR I have done 60!!!!”.. he sees that I must not be in distress and goes about his business checking up on the people ahead of me…

At one point a police car came up next to me… again to check on me.. it was comforting knowing that if I was attacked or eaten by a wild animals that perhaps my body would not be left out there too long…. they asked me, “how I am doing??”…. “OK” I say… then I said, “There HAS G-O-T to be something better to do on a Saturday night! I can’t believe I signed up for this voluntarily!”…… they laughed….. I was running a really good clip now.. I was feeling actually really good.. most of the pains I felt earlier had either disappeared or I was ignoring them… either case I felt good.

Port-a-Pots & Stuff
OK.. I know how gross port-a-pots are in the daylight but I am not sure I can fully explain how gross they are in PITCH BLACKNESS ….and HOW do you use them when you cant see??????? …well.. all I can say is… you do what you have to!!! AND YOU DON’T THINK ABOUT IT… !! It started to really heavily downpour once again… instead of the normal downpour right before the turn around on the third loop…..the folks at the aid station there were soo energetic, they placed a Hawaii flower lei on my neck and wished me well and I swear they were dancing around in the rain… off I go.. to finish my final segment..YES!

I am NOT ALONE
So if I calculate correctly.. I am at mile 21 ½? It’s pouring…now I may have failed to mention this earlier and perhaps I failed to mention it because it’s not normal ….but I love rain.. always have.. and get absolutely elated when it’s gray and gloomy …HOWEVER… no matter how much I love rain.. it’s still hard to keep the spirits up when you are out in it for over 14+ hours….

In the days after the race, people would ask me how I occupied my mind for so long, you figuring 7+ hours on the bike and 5+ hours on the run… and the only thing I can think of is you have many many conversations with yourself…

As I was “sprinting” along in my aloneness… I came upon the girl I had previously mentioned that I would pass.. I said to her, “I TOLD YOU I WOULD CATCH YOU!”….she was in a walk phase of her walk run mix and I stopped momentarily to talk with her. I kinda felt bad as she was overjoyed to have my company….however … I couldnt stay long as I had a date with the finish line.. I wished her well and off I went…

Around mile 23 or 24.. I came up upon another living being.. wow there is actually more than just me and these other two gals on the course… I was in my “sprint mode” … I was now doing a sprint walk mix… so as I came up upon this individual I made some comments as I passed him of.. looking good.. wishing him well and so on…

.. then this person yelled out… “What’s your Name?”… I turned and said, “Wendy”.. he said, “COME HERE…”…. I am thinking now what the F-! .. but it was Steve.. my friend from the Philly Tri Club who I have known only by email for the last couple years and FINALLY got to meet him and his family in person this weekend… its weird how sometimes you feel you have known someone forever.. I was overjoyed to see that he was still on the course …and so we walked a bit together.. we chatted.. I asked him if we would make it.. he said we would… and then he told me to go on.. that he didn’t want to hold me back… I felt good and knew he would make the time cut off even if I didn’t stay with him so I said my good byes and off I went…….

The Last Miles
I was determined that I was running the last two miles.. no more walking breaks.. and so I pushed.. I pushed my mind…I pushed my legs..it took every ounce of willpower to not stop… with a mile to go I saw three fellows walking together… I ran up to them and said, “Is this a party???” …..“They said yes it’s a stag party want to join us?”.. “UM >> NO THANKS>> see ya later…”… I had just passed three more people…YIPEE.. I was thrilled.. then I was thinking why aren’t they running..???..they only have a mile to go… and then the heavens let lose for their final onslaught… it rained soo hard I thought it was hailing...


The Finish
I rounded the last corner and into the stadium… I looked around to an empty stadium barring of course the finish line with the oh so wonderful volunteers standing in the rain waiting for me…I heard Vigorito announce my name and make some other comment that I couldn’t make out but I could see the finish.. and I was still running… they held out the ribbon.. this will probably be the only time in my entire life that I get to “break” the ribbon in a race.. especially coming in near last.. but I did it.. 15 hours and 47 minutes…10:47 PM!


The best sight of all was seeing Joe and his gorgeous smiling face. Without him this day would not have been possible… he made me not quit triathlons last year after my horrible DNF at Chessy Man… he stopped smoking and got himself a bike so he could ride with me.. he picked up running so he could run with me… and he stood in the rain all day and cheered me on… Today was the day.

The End?
PS: The magnitude of what I accomplished is still settling in.. all the hours of training and double trainings and everything that I gave up to make this day happen.. it was so worth it.. would I do this again… ? Well the dream was Hawaii.. and that hasn’t gone away….. but give me a few days… this day mentally took me out.. although physically I feel tremendous…will see…

PSS: Life is what you make of it.. you never know what cards will be dealt to you… it’s up to you on how you deal with it. When it gets tough.. just remember to PRAY and to HTFU !

PSSS: My bike is fried…