IMAZ- 8th Place- Recap

This year was my fifth time racing at IMAZ, including a painful DNF in 2011 and a rib pain- slowed second to last place a year ago. I needed to make things right in AZ and I felt good going into the race, and knew I was a different athlete from a year ago. With an IM win now under my belt, I didn't feel the usual intimidation by the jam packed start list this race is known for. I had goals, which included a sub 5 hr bike leg, and a good marathon run to back it up , which would hopefully net a top 5 result, and a time between 9.05-9.15, which would all be a PR at the distance.

But things rarely ever go perfect in an IM. Who knew that the harmless looking burrito Brandon I shared from a food truck at his job on Thursday would have us both up in the middle of the night, running for the bathroom? (my second food sickness related incident this year, too.) Needless to say, we had a short night as we needed to leave for the airport by 4.30 a.m. to catch a flight to Phoenix for the race. Arriving somewhat (very actually) depleted, I managed to get my stomach under control with light foods and lots of liquids. All seemed good to go for Sunday's race.

I have struggled with the swim at IMAZ the last two years and this year I finally managed a decent time, mostly due to the fact that I had other people around me to swim with! This was just such a treat after always swimming alone for 2.4mi. And man does it save energy just to have someone next to you, let alone in front of you. I was happy, and the swim was way more enjoyable this way as well. My time out of the water was still a minute off from what I swam in 2010, but it wasn't disastrous and I came out middle of the pack. yay!

On my way to a 4:52 bike split

The race was on. I started the bike leg in 17th place and had moved up to 11th after the first of three loops. The course is pretty good for pacing and I knew exactly what splits I needed to hit to get under 5 hrs. During the second loop it seemed like the wind had picked up some and it felt a little tougher to keep pace, but I attributed it to getting tired. I was on top of nutrition and hydration and found a second wind on lap three, coming off the bike in 8th place in 4:52. After my run at IM Canada, where I felt like I struggled for most of it, yet ran a 3.06 on hilly terrain, I was confident I could manage a 3.05 or even better, as long as my body played along.

It seemed a little warm this year.

Well, it wasn't to be my day, as I immediately felt the urge to run to the nearest porta potty upon leaving T2. I had nearly caught up with two other women ahead of me but had to let them go to use the loo. After a good minute or so I was back on my way, feeling much lighter on my feet and ready to tackle the beast. I even caught and passed the other ladies, and was running in 5th place at the 6mi mark. But then the urge hit again, ugh so frustrating. I had no choice but to run to the porta john again and got passed back by two of the three women I had caught. This little game continued on and one racer got completely away. I started to make deals in my head about my placing and how I just needed to hold it together, but at the halfway mark my calves began screaming at me in such a way that the last 10 mi became all mind over matter.

I underestimated the effects of running on concrete, and unfortunately my choice of shoe, which worked great for my other two IMs this year, was not the best on this course. The pain became pretty intense and I had to literally tell my brain to stop sending pain signals, which didn't work, so I gritted my teeth and put one foot in front of the other as best as I could, while getting passed by faster girls, and there was nothing I could do. My body had reached its pain threshold and I had no choice but to obey.

Pain at the finish line is apparent.

After two porta john stops and pain in my legs that I have only experienced in my first IM, I reached the finish line in 8th place. I PR'd. 9:15 flat. The perfectionist in me knows I could have done better, but on this day it's all I could do. I managed to hang onto a 3:15 run, not the time I had in mind, but decent considering my stops etc. And, five of us finished within three minutes of each other; it was a fast race!

So while I am still nursing sore calves (everything else feels great!) I am already putting this race behind me and looking forward to next year. And I am already excited! Some exciting changes are ahead, I will be working with a coach for the first time and can't wait to share more soon. My race schedule is in the works and new goals are being made. This year has been a stepping stone in my career as a professional and sometimes I still pinch myself that I won an IM.

Big thanks goes out to everyone who cheered for me near and far this season, my family for supporting me at every IM this year, Brandon for being a super sherpa, and to my sponsors who have helped make this year as successful for me as it has. Thank you for giving me a chance to represent you and I look forward to more successes ahead: BMC, HED, ZOOT, RUDY PROJECT, and POWERBAR.

And while the snow is falling here in Boulder and the temps are sub 20, it smells a lot like Off-Season! I'll be checking in again soon!

Sunny, warm skies earlier this week!