Ironman Lake Placid 2008:
I
guess I’ve been reluctant to (finally) write the race recap for my
Ironman in Lake Placid, New York, because that would mean the event is
actually over. After a year of anticipation and roughly six months of
dedicated training (and one dislocated tailbone in the process), the
goal is now behind me. It’s back to reality….and also time to set new
goals!
By way of introduction, though, I should confess that doing an
Ironman-distance triathlon was never a notch I particularly cared to
carve in my belt of life’s achievements. It looked too intense, too
difficult, too time consuming, and too competitive. I also found it
hard to imagine myself being fit or strong enough to be able to complete
this mountainous course! From August 2007 to February 2008 (i.e., the
months preceding training), whenever I was reminded that I had signed up
for Ironman Lake Placid, I put it to the back of my mind and tried not
to think about it. But as time passed, and my training got underway, my
acceptance and anticipation of an impending race date set in.
I had identified three goals for my first Ironman:
1. Finish with a smile
2. Finish before dark (i.e., before ~ 9:00 p.m., when the sun would be setting)
3. Don’t go to "crazy-land” in the process of getting ready for the race
I can safely say that I accomplished goals 1 and 2…. but I’m not sure about #3!
Now, my first Ironman is behind me. It was a nothing short of a
FANTASTIC experience, and I’m already excited to start training for the
next one. Having one on the calendar (Ironman Switzerland 2009), I’m
convinced, will help me get over the "post-race blues” I am now
experiencing. (I also can’t help but think of the things I would like
to do differently next time – for example, pushing myself harder on the
bike and in the marathon.) And, hopefully, I won’t have an injury to
contend with mid-way into my training! Fortunately, next time, I will
have the benefit of one Ironman experience behind me, so hopefully will
have a bit more confidence going into it and won’t be so ridiculously
uptight, stressed-out, and afraid of failure.
Race Morning…..
Following
a mostly sleepless night (I think I got maybe 1-2 hours of sleep), I
woke up to an overcast and relatively warm morning (for the Adirondacks,
anyway)…. I wondered if the skies would hold and if it would get very
hot that day. (Ha!) I was extremely nervous and had a hard time eating
my breakfast of peanut butter and jelly. (No problem with the multiple
cups of tea though!) Bernadette Taylor, a fellow triathlete who had
done the race in 2005, drove me to the race site at 5:00 a.m. She was
volunteering as a wet-suit stripper – a job I had held for the past 4
years of volunteering at IM LP.
Before going into the transition area, I took care of getting body
marked. The body marker asked me if I’d like to have anything written
on my "blank” right calf. I asked her to draw a happy face with curly
hair (my "Lady Fro”). (I have a great picture of this.)
The Swim (2.4 miles): 1:12:41
Given that I’d had several minor "panic attacks” in Mirror Lake in
the past, I decided to start my swim on the right side of the lake,
where I would more easily find space and room to breathe. I recognized
starting to the outside would mean adding a few extra yards to my swim,
but I hoped it would be worth it. I positioned myself just behind the
starting line on the far right side of the lake.
The cannon fired, and then…..Bedlam! People vying for space….
Thrashing, kicking, trying to move forward. It was so insanely chaotic
that I actually found it amusing. Having watched the race for the past
four years, this is exactly what I’d expected…. There were no surprises
here!
After the initial chaos, I did feel as though I’d found good space…
until arriving at the first turn buoy (about .5 miles). We all got
totally bunched up and I could hear people yelling at each other! Were
people actually arguing in the water? Crazy! I also realized by this
point that it had begun raining (or pouring). I hoped it would be a
repeat of the conditions they’d had in 2006, when it rained briefly for
the swim, but quickly ended and then was beautiful for the remainder of
the race.
I rounded the first buoy and had hoped to swim along the cable on the
inside of the course on the return (as Cliff had suggested), but I was
too far to the right and had no way of getting over to the inside line.
So I just swam on with the crowd. About 1/3 mile from shore, the group
totally bottlenecked as we all headed for the same narrow point on the
beach (the swim exit). We were so bunched up that I literally found
myself with NO space to swim! I picked my head up and did some
breast-stroking as I looked for somewhere else to position myself.
Nope… nowhere to move. I’m a middle-of-the-pack swimmer and I was
stuck! Oh well…
I completed Loop 1 in 35 minutes. I was happy enough with this time
and hoped I could do the same or better for Loop 2, especially since I
(hopefully) wouldn’t be getting tangled up with as many other swimmers.
I ran out of the water and over the beach, crossed the timing wire and
back into the water to start Loop 2 of the swim. This time, I took the
inside line (underwater cable) and had much more space for swimming,
also but fewer feet to draft off of until getting to the turn buoy. For
the return to shore I continued along the inside wire until, once
again, we bunched up about 1/3 mile from shore. At this point, I was
getting annoyed (and bored!) with the swim and was eager to wrap this
portion up. I felt I might be slowing down a bit, and wanted the swim
to be over with. I completed the swim in 1:12. I wondered if should
have been more strategic about the swim start (taking Cliff’s advice to
start on the left side of the lake, with everyone else), but was
satisfied with the outcome. I was not at all winded or dizzy and felt
relatively fresh.
Transition 1: 7:27
By the time I got to "T1,” it had been pouring for nearly an hour and
the transition area was already turning into a giant mud puddle. I
found my "Swim to Bike” transition bag and made my way to the women’s
changing tent. The tent was very crowded and extremely dark, so I
didn’t even bother look for a chair to sit on. Instead, I just threw my
wetsuit over a garbage can, put on my socks, shoes and long-sleeved
shirt (which seemed to take forever to do since I was wet and the shirt
was so tight fitting. I had also neglected to make sure it wasn’t
inside out when I put it in the bag, which it was…. oops), and headed
out for my bike. I was a little surprised to discover that most of the
bikes on my rack were already out of transition (ie, their owners were
all ahead of me and already on the bike course!). I thought I’d had a
decent swim….. but apparently not! I tried not to let this bother me
and ran my bike out of transition to start the 112 mile ride.
The Bike (112 miles): 6:53:39 16.25 mph (sloooow for me!)
While I LOVE the beauty of the Lake Placid bike course, it looks a
lot different – and is somewhat less enjoyable – in the pouring rain!
Although many men (and some women) were flying past me on the course, I
chose to play it safe; I rode a good deal slower than usual, paid close
attention to any hydroplaning of the bike, and pretty much rode my
brakes with nothing short of a death grip on the down hills
–particularly on the 6+ mile slope leading down to the village of
Keene. I knew I was sacrificing time, but I also wanted to finish this
race without wiping out. (And there were plenty of accidents that day!)
Climbing the first big hill out of town felt relatively effortless….I
kept thinking of everyone’s advice to spin my wheels and take it easy
on the first loop of the bike, so that’s just what I did. Unlike any
other races I’ve done in the past, I let people pass me and paid no
attention to them (or, at least, TRIED not to pay attention). I thought
to myself, "Let them have their race and I’ll have mine….I’ve got a
long day ahead of me!” For the first time, I didn’t try to chase anyone
down…. Just tried to spin at 95+ rpm and make the ride as easy as
possible for myself. And to "stay upright” as Cliff would say (ie,
don’t crash!).
After the Hasselton Road comes the most difficult portion of the ride
for me…. the 12 or so miles, mostly uphill (and usually into the wind),
back up to Lake Placid. On this day, somehow, it didn’t feel so hard.
I think the rain had killed some of the wind we normally experience at
that point. However, the excitement of the race, the adrenaline in my
body, and all of the training surely helped as well!
At the top of Poppa Bear was a sizeable band of cheering spectators,
standing in the rain, banging cow bells and yelling encouragement to
each of us as we stood out of our bike saddles and huffed it up the
hill. Seeing this group was such a rush for me, and I know I smiled
from ear to ear as I cycled past these energetic spectators, who were
telling me I looked good and strong (even if I didn’t). And the bigger
my smile, the more encouragement I got. It was awesome.
I swooped through the Special Needs Bag area for the bike. The
volunteers were incredibly organized. By the time I reached the area
where my bag was located, there was a volunteer standing in front of me
with my bag already opened. I exchanged my bottles, swapped the bag of
unappealing mush that had become my Clif Bars for a fresh baggie of cut
up bars, and grabbed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I think I had
my feet on the ground for maybe 20 seconds in the special needs area,
and it was the only time I would put my feet down for the entire 112
mile ride.
I made my way over to the high school to begin Loop 2 of the ride. I
crossed the timing wire at 3:18 (16.94 mph average), which was about
the fastest I’d ever done the bike loop, although I had never actually
"raced” it before, and didn’t feel as though I was "racing” on this day,
either! I was feeling pretty good and encouraged.
On Loop 2, I had less company by my side and started paying attention
to the five-mile markers, which I had completely overlooked during Loop
1. At about mile 75 or so, I started feeling eager for the bike
portion to be over. At mile 85 or 90, with about 25 miles or so to go, I
started playing a game of "Central Park Loops”, in which I say to
myself, "25 miles left…. that’s equivalent to just FOUR loops of Central
Park! I can do that!” And then I whittle it down to the last loop and
mile…
On the last 10-15 miles back to Lake Placid, I began to feel my back
getting tight and stiff (but I was thrilled that I didn’t get the
knife-like shoulder/trap pain that I sometimes get). At the top of Poppa
Bear, I passed the band of merry spectators once again, felt their
energy pull me up the hill (and I think someone may have even given me a
push up the hill from behind!), and made my way over to the transition
area for T2. (Bike split for Loop 2: 3:35:39…. 15.61 mph average… Wow,
that’s slow!)
Transition 2: 4:53
Although the ride was long, I never really felt like I pushed myself
all that hard. One way I know my effort was only moderate was that I
could actually get off my bike relatively easily! In half-Ironman
races, when I have pushed myself particularly hard, I have a difficult
time straightening myself up and dismounting. This day, it was not so
hard to extract myself from my bike!
The Run (26.2 miles): 4:48:47 (11:01/mile) (VERY slow for me!)
As I started the marathon, my back felt very tight (particularly on
the right side, which had worked harder than the left as a result of my
injured right hamstring and piriformis). I wondered how long I would be
able to run with this kind of tightness. I wondered how I’d make it
through an entire marathon, period! Fortunately, the marathon at Lake
Placid begins with a downhill, and I was able to loosen up a bit. That
first mile was probably my fastest (roughly 8:38/mile).
To pass the time, I read the hand-made signs in the road (and looked
for the ones for me!) and shouted hellos to friends who were also
racing. Then, as I made my way back up to town, I encountered the
challenging "IGA Hill.” I ran as much of it I could, but it was
exhausting to run such a steep hill and I knew it was smarter for me to
save my energy and walk for a minute or two than to exhaust myself as I
still had about 15 miles left to go!
I ran up the more modest hill through town and onto Mirror Lake
Drive. At the Boat House Aid Station (roughly mile 12) I encountered my
friends who were volunteering there and who cheered me on and
encouraged me. I gave my friend Kate a hug and recall saying to her, "I
am really fucking tired!” She insisted that I was doing great and
looking strong, and so I continued along. I told myself that I HAD to
run the first loop and, if I succeeded, I could do whatever I wanted for
the second loop! I figured I could walk the entire second half of the
marathon and still come in under 14 hours, which was my goal.
At the conclusion of Loop 1, the road splits to the right and left.
To start your second loop you run to the left, and if you’re finishing
the race, you run to the right. So off I went to the left…. And began
the descent down hill, out of town. At this point, I started making
deals with myself as to how long I would run. I told myself I could
continue running to River Road (mile 16). I made it…but also by that
time, my stomach (lower GI) began to cramp….
Immediately after turning onto River Road, I took a 6+ minute break
in the port-o-john. It was absolutely essential… not something I could
ignore or put off. Argh! It was a nice break from running, but I
sacrificed a lot of time. And I realized then that this little bathroom
break probably cost me a sub-13 hour finish time. (Rats!) So when I
finally emerged, I told myself that I was now rested and had to run the
full out-and-back….Then told myself that I could walk up part of the
first big hill, only when I could no longer run. And so the miles
ticked along, from section to section, with me making mini "deals” with
myself…. Challenging myself to keep running.
I told friends after the race that this marathon felt like the
fastest marathon I have ever run. It wasn’t… by a long-shot! (In fact,
it was 50 minutes slower than my marathon PR.) It’s more that I lost
track of the miles and, before I knew it, was running back up to town. I
marched up the IGA hill a second time, becoming increasingly aware of
the blisters that had developed on the balls of my feet and on my toes.
But at this point, the pain/discomfort was to be ignored!
Now comes the favorite part of the race for me….
After passing the aid station (~mile 24), and rounding the cone at
the end of the Mirror Lake Drive out-and-back (~mile 25), I was on the
homestretch. Just a mile to go. I would at least aim to make a time
between 13:05 and 13:10. I picked up the pace a bit and once again
arrived at the division in the road, at the signs that read, "Second
Loop” (left arrow) and "Finish Line” (right arrow). Here I was…. Ready
to turn right… about to head to the finish line!
For the past four years, I have stood at that spot, at the division
of "Second Loop and Finish Line” on the OUTSIDE of the fence and cheered
on the racers. This year, it was ME making the right turn….ME running
to the Olympic Oval, being cheered on by a surprising number of soggy
but enthusiastic spectators. I can only play this part of the race in
my mind’s eye as I don’t remember any of it, but I can imagine it. I
don’t recall my feet hitting the ground, or expending any effort, or
Mike Reilly’s voice exclaiming "Betsy Fader, you are an Ironman!” I
just remember aiming for the finish line and crossing it, grinning ear
to ear and feeling completely thrilled.
Finish Time: 13:07:27 Average Heart Rate for the race = 130
Division Position: 17/83
Gender Position: 208/606
Place Overall: 1225/2340