God, I LOVE this sport!!! IMCDA 2010 - Race Report

This is how I feel about Ironman distance races!! I LOVE'EM!!!!!

Here is a down and dirty (read: quickie race report) Total time was 12:19:06. I'm feeling so awesome -- thrilled with my run considering I missed so many weeks of run training due to my corpse-foot injury -- and am ready to frigging rock the course hard at IMC. MUAHAHAHAHA!!

Swim: If you ever want to do IMCDA -- start WAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THE BUOYS. I cannot emphasize this enough. You know you practice all year swimming in a pool, swimming in a lake, drafting, but what do you do when people all around you (and I mean literally all around) STOP swimming and doggie paddle?

You have to stop swimming too. There was a little chop, and those who stopped to sight above the waves created a domino effect, instead of people getting knocked down however; people doggie-paddled...and bobbed. Try swimming and coming into a wall of people dog-paddling. Good times.

I trained all those 100's for this??? AAARRGGHHHH!

Turning around the buoys was a joke. A very bad joke. I put it on facebook ...there were 50 people, maybe more, all standing upright in the water not moving at all. Wall to wall people....and I was in the middle. LOL!!! Back to back, belly to belly, it was a triathlete jamboree. There was no forward momentum - so very weird and frustrating.

What was hilarious was how we were all bobbing up and down in the water complaining to each other about it -- in the middle of a race!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Want to bob? Swim along the buoy line at IMCDA!
Green apple: C'mon!! Let's go people!
Red apple: Why? This is fun!
LMAO!!!

Bike: Beautiful course, but way too many people (and too much testosterone) for the first lap. The course is curvaceous but not what I would call "technical" by any stretch of the imagination. What IS technical about it, is negotiating these turns with other people who are gung-ho on the first lap to pass on the inside/outside/anyside. (I had one guy swear at me as he tried to pass me on a turn -- of course it's MY fault he couldn't ride his bike right? Couldn't possibly be his fault!! DORK!!!) Ahh well...things calmed down considerably after the first lap, and all the boys and girls played nicely together -- what a difference 90km makes. LMAO!!!!

During the second lap, when a sharp turn was imminent, we all lined up nicely in single file and took turns. And then if people wanted to pass, they did when it was safe to do so. :) :) :)

One tip I have to share -- my coach had me take my car and drive the course a couple of days before and take my bike along with me, to ride certain parts to get a feel for things. This was such an awesome idea. My Mom (Greatest mother and triathlon-sherpa ever) took notes while I drove. I'd say things like, "steep, steady rise here" and "rip-snort down hill there."

The places I chose to ride were a number of curvy downhill sections -- There were a couple of sections that were pretty tight (especially the one marked SLOW in bright orange tape all over the road -- LOL!) that I took it easy on, but there were a number of curvy downhill sections that LOOKED like they were tight but weren't. I took it sort of easy on this one section, then realized that I could really let 'er loose after the one steep part. So, I got the Momma to drive me back to the beginning of the section and I re-did it. :) :)

This was so good for race day -- on one section, I knew right after you turn onto Lancaster the road appears to turn at a right angle and then goes downhill fast. A lot of dudes had passed me going up the little incline, but as soon as I turned, I went into the harder gears, quickly changed into my hardest gear and then hammered down, down, and away. :) :) :) And up a heck of a long way up the other side. Free speed!!! :) :) :)

Bike nutrition was BANG ON!!! Thank you Coach Sara!!!! Couldn't believe it -- I did exactly what she told me to do and lo and behold it worked! :) :)

Run: Felt great! I like to count down the miles but sort of zone out for the first few miles just so I don't have to start at 26. Because counting down from 15 is better than 26. LOL!!!!

Run nutrition was bang on as well -- I started burping a bit and had to slow down (from my blistering run pace LMAO!!!) but burps subsided. The last mile was the longest, but the crowds made it very enjoyable. I was smiling so wide I thought my face was going to crack. :) :) :)

If you ever do IMCDA you have to eat at Tomato Street -- this has the best frigging spaghetti I have ever eaten in my life. I ordered a simple spaghetti, meat sauce and mozza cheese baked on top --- who knew heaven could be contained in a massive bowl of spaghetti? Oh yeah, and as we waited in line, a waitress brought out free pizza for everyone to snack on. AND if you are a kid (or maybe act like one!) they bring out little packets of penne and other noodles and craft wire and you can make your very own pasta necklace while you await your dinner!! How cool is that?

Seriously, I would go to CDA just for this restaurant.

So, this morning after the race (I feel so much better than I've ever felt after doing an Ironman) -- I asked Coach Sara if I should pencil in the Silverman Iron-distance tri in November. MUAHAHAHAHAHA!! I am to concentrate on IMC now -- there is no hurry to register, so my eagerness must be channeled to the next task at hand.

All in all I am so excited about my next race! My training is chugging along and the ole bod is responding well, so here we go IMC!! YEE-HAW!!!

Oh yes!!! One thing I wanted to share -- I did have two negative bouts during the race. Both attacked me on the bike as I thought of my slower swim time (compared to IMC). Each time I said to myself, "Julie, does it really matter? Why are you doing this?" My answer with all my heart...."Because I love it!!" I really, really love it.

Every race is different -- the weather, the course, your health, etc -- what matters in Ironman is to keep on going. Emotions have no place during race day -- they serve no purpose. That's what the finish line is for, is to let them come crashing out. :) :)

I am fitter and I am getting faster and I am soooooo excited about IMC. Like I tell anyone who listens, EVERY RACE IS A PB. (I'm sure I was quite the equivocator during the Spanish Inquisition in a past life. LOL!) But seriously, why the heck look at the glass half empty? It serves no other purpose than to bring you down. So, buck up and look up. :) :) :) :)

Recovery time....I have many pool drills planned. Perfect time to spend a week learning how to swim don't ya think? Hee-hee!!!