Ironman CdA Wrap-up (post-race, recovery and other odds and ends)

This is the FINAL Ironman blab from me, I swear!  With over two weeks since I crossed the finish line, I've had time to "process" the experience - and to recover from it.  No easy feat there, I might add.

Post-Race:
While I mentioned in the race recap that so much of the race is a blur (seriously), I do remember crossing the finishing line and feeling happy and relieved that I accomplished my goal!  But, when I stopped running, realization that my body hurt SO MUCH quickly set in.  While I ran the marathon just fine, apparently I couldn't walk without pain.  After getting the race swag (t-shirt, medal, cap), I hobbled over to the food area where there was a nice buffet - pizza, sandwiches, chocolate milk, cookies.  Sadly, none of it appealed to me.  I took a bite of pizza and could barely swallow it.  Feeling extremely cheated by my inability to stomach the food, I ended up drinking more chicken broth and a sprite.  So much for a post-race food fest, something that I had looked forward to during most of the run.

The other thought I had crossing the finish line was "How the hell will I meet up with Michael and my parents?".  Fortunately, my mother's tendency to wear flamboyant colors (being from Texas and all) solved that problem - I easily spotted her red fleece and pink jacket. So, we reunited quite soon, and there was a lot of chatter from them and from me.  It had been a long day for all of us!

I actually think that my dad is smiling more than I am here.

As much as a part of me wanted to see more finishers cross, I was exhausted and ready to return to the hotel room and sleep.  We returned to the hotel room, but sleep did not come - a combination of being too keyed up and of being so sore that every time I moved, something new hurt (I know that I'm making a big deal out of how freakin' sore I was, but I heard someone on the course saying "The only thing that doesn't hurt are my earlobes and fingernails" and I totally agreed with that statement).

Recovery:

The day after the race, we packed up all of our stuff and headed north to Canada where we all (parents, Michael and I and Gus, our dog) spent a few days in the Canadian Rockies.  Spending 7 hours in the car on Monday probably wasn't the best way to recover, but it couldn't be helped, and once we arrived in Banff and got settled, we all relaxed - finally!  I felt pretty 'fragile' and super dehydrated until Tuesday or Wednesday following the race, but managed a short little hike on Wednesday and then a longer hike on Thursday.

Views from our drive up to Banff

My mom and I posing.

Short hike along the Icefields Parkway

Although traveling with my parents post-race wasn't the most relaxing way to recover (ha ha - understatement there!), it was great to explore a new area and to share something more than the IM experience with them.  It also forced me to get out and be a bit more active than I probably would have been otherwise, and I think that the low-key walking/hiking did help my muscles remember that they could function.  

My body is finally coming around - I've actually gone on a short and slow run 2 days in a row (yesterday and today), and I went swimming last week.  Biking is supposedly the easiest on the body, and we have plans to get in some saddle time this week and next in Boulder, CO.  

Final thoughts about IM CdA:

First of all, I'm really happy that I signed up for this race - the idea had been floating around in my head since I finished Boulder 70.3 in 2012, an idea that appealed to me but was also terrifying!  While it was "my" goal, I also appreciated the support of friends and, of course, Michael.  He encouraged me to sign up, then he encouraged me to get a coach, bikes with me on quite a few occasions, and he often encouraged me to get out the door to train, telling me (quite rightly) that I'd feel better after my ride/run/swim.  A friend from work often swam with me in the mornings and evenings, and sharing a lane with her humbled me every single time, but it was great to have the motivation.  While I didn't train a ton with the tri group, California Triathlon, I've enjoyed being a part of that group, and I've learned a ton from different members which helped me with my training and while I was out there on the course.  Finally, I know that I've mentioned time and again how much I enjoyed working with Beth, who pushed me just enough to have a strong race but didn't let me overdo it.  It was a luxury, in many ways, to work with a coach, but I was glad that I made that investment, and I learned so much from her and from the training plans that she gave me.

A few random details about equipment/fueling/other odds and ends:

• I know that I was tempted on more than one occasion to invest in a new bike (so bright! so shiny! looks so fast!), but I am glad that stuck with Sunshine, my still-new-to-me Trek Madone which is a great bike.  The decision to add aero-bars was great, and I like the fact that I have another position for riding, even if I don't ride aero as much as an expert.  I wasn't the fastest cyclist out there, but I passed people who had nicer bikes and there were plenty of people with older or heavier bikes who passed me.
• Fueling/hydration had been a bit of an issue at Boulder 70.3 and Vineman 70.3, but I felt that I really nailed it down at Wildflower this year, so I was hopefully that I'd manage to keep on top of my fueling and hydration.  I ate a good breakfast, ate some Honey Stinger chews before the swim, and then tried to settle in during the first hour of the bike and eat and drink.  However, the long climb into the headwind made it difficult to eat and drink on as regular a basis as I would have liked.  I hoped to eat 2 Bonkbreakers, 2 Uncrustables, 3 Honeystinger chew packs and then enjoy some oreos and corn nuts from my bike Special Needs bag, but I ended up not eating one of the uncrustables and only eating the corn nuts (they were pretty awesome though!).  As for hydration, I had 2 bottles on the bike - one of Osmo (yes, everyone raves about it and I am a convert), one of gatorade and I had more Osmo to mix with water and another bottle of gatorade at Special Needs.  Again, I opted out of that second bottle of Gatorade and stuck to Osmo and water for the last part of the bike ride.  I was really worried that I'd bonk on the run, but I think that I can handle going a little lighter on fuel rather than eating too many calories.  Still, having to go to the bathroom multiple times (some were legit stops and others were precautionary) was no fun.  I did have some immodium on me, so I popped one of those early in the run.  I don't know if I really needed to do so or if it helped, but I lived with that decision.
• What would I change? Obviously I'd like to have had speedier transition times, especially T1.  Also, thinking about hydration, I stuck with old-fashioned bottles, but it would been nice to have an aero bottle with a straw.  Finally, I've heard so many great things about the ISM saddles, and I'd love to be just a bit more comfortable on long rides and would be open to trying a different seat.

FINALLY, the overall race experience - I know that there is a debate about race branding, and a part of me hates that the Ironman Corporation has such a monopoly on the 140.6 and 70.3 distances.  I certainly welcome other races and other brands that can compete with the I-dot races.  That said, I appreciated how well-oiled the Ironman machine is and the experience that it delivered on race day.  It's a long day out there, so it was nice to not have to think about a lot of the details.  Also, I've mentioned the volunteers before, but they seriously make the race experience so special for the participants.  From people helping me undress and dress, to volunteers who held my bike for me, to all of the aid stations scattered throughout the race - the volunteers were awesome! 

I still don't have an easy answer as to the "why" for doing an Ironman (or iron-distance race), but I know that I like a challenge, and it was a great experience to have this big, scary, personal goal.  Every year, I have to submit professional goals and work towards those, and it was satisfying to have such a big goal on a personal level.  In some ways, I think that this is how my mid-life crisis is manifesting itself, and that is certainly a possibility, but I don't think that it's a negative manifestation.  I've learned how to push myself, I've developed greater confidence in my abilities swimming, biking and running but also in other aspects of my life.  Finally, triathlon, not just Ironman, has added a texture to my life that keeps me from being too complacent, too satisfied, and has allowed me to explore and to find different adventures.

Ironman Coeur d'Alene - I finished!

There is plenty more to say, but like Mike Reilly announced when I crossed the finish line last night, "Kristina Bell of Pasadena, CA - YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!

Here I am - Happy and exhausted!

Training recap - Ironman Coeur d'Alene

Just a few more days of taper, and then race day - in less than one week!  I'm still not too restless or anxious, although I did wake up yesterday thinking "Holy shit, what if the date of the race is today and NOT next Sunday!".  I knew that was a ridiculous thought, but I opened up the ironman.com web page with some nervousness, afraid that I would see under the "Live" tab: Coeur d'Alene.  Ack!  Fortunately, that did not come to pass, it IS the 29th, so I will continue to wait.

I realize that Sunday is the BIG event, and perhaps it's premature to reflect on training before the race, but there is something of value to think about this process separate from race performance.  I don't know how race day will go, and while I did not have a flawless training program (what would that mean, anyway?), I would describe it as "solid" and consistent, especially in April and May.  I wish that I could say that I loved every moment of training, but that would be complete BS, because there were plenty of low points when I was tired, cranky, lonely or frustrated or some combination of all of those.  However, I did enjoy seeing or feeling myself get stronger in the pool, on the bike, on the run.  While this progress rarely followed a linear trajectory, having those "aha!" moments reinforced that my sense that the training was working and that I was moving towards this ironman goal.  There were also so many milestones, small and also more significant, that boosted my confidence along the way.  Even though I have a few "I wish that I had done X" thoughts (which maybe I'll enumerate just for fun), on the whole, I followed a consistent training plan and hit about 90% of my workouts.  That's an A- and is good enough for me!

As I've mentioned, signing up for this event back in August last year freaked me out so much that I wanted to throw up after I hit the 'send' button (not sure if it was the price tag or the idea that I was now committed to this IM thing).  Fortunately, I let things settle before my thoughts really turned to training.  The beginning of the school year, as usual, trashed any sort of training schedule that I might have followed, so I waited until October before I began to reestablish my base from the summer, and then in November, I committed more fully to swim/bike/run, but without a specific plan.  I also figured out my coaching/training situation for IM in November, which came as a huge relief, and I began working with Beth in December, but training was low-key until February.  Starting then was great, as I felt mentally ready and excited to be focused about training, even though I had to deal with a quad injury.  In a way, being out of my running game for a few weeks was a good experience.  I wanted to freak out, I often thought that I would be walking the entire marathon (and I still might), but I was able to focus on the swim and bike and I learned that you can maintain some run fitness on the elliptical.  I owe Beth and Dr. Choy, the ART guy here in Pasadena, many many thanks for their patience and for dealing with my crazy thoughts.  Okay, she dealt with my crazy doubts, and he kept working on my body and encouraging me to keep running a bit further and a bit further, until finally I was back at it!

It's strange to say that I had a favorite month of training, but I loved March - the volume went up, but it still felt manageable, plus I was running again which came as a huge relief and also a source of fun and enjoyment.  I probably went slightly overboard with events in March (I had the Desert Tri, the Solvang Metric Century, and the Malibu Canyon Half-Century), but each event was different and gave me more experience on the bike or swim/bike/running without much pressure - I gained confidence and built up endurance.  May was the month of the BIG BUILD, which logically would have been the greatest challenge, but I struggled more in April.  I think (know) that much of the struggle had to do with the training/work/life balance, plus Wildflower was looming and I didn't feel as strong as thought that I *should* be.  The struggles in April did reap dividends in May, as I felt stronger on the bike and stayed healthy for the longer runs that I had to put in.

Looking back, this has been such a positive experience, no matter what happens on Sunday.  First of all, I learned tons by working with a coach.  I'd never followed much of a specific plan for training, and I really enjoyed the structure and the variety that Beth built into my weekly or monthly schedule.  While I still had plenty of flexibility within the plan, it was a slow build that allowed me to stay healthy and get stronger and the variety ensured that I wasn't bored and that I didn't get injured.  Having a coach also made me feel accountable to my Training Peaks account (and maybe a bit obsessive).  Also, I did not talk a lot about IM training at work or socially or even with CalTri, the group with which I infrequently train - I really used Beth as my main source of information which kept out a lot of noise.  Finally, she was great about guiding me through being injured, plus the build, the peak weeks, and different races and events, and she has often been more confident about my abilities than I.

While there were many moments (especially in April and May), when I did not want to wake up at 5:00 am during the week for a swim or trainer ride or on a Saturday or Sunday for a long ride, I certainly feel that those early mornings have been worth it.  I often told myself that I alone made the choice to sign up for an ironman and I now had to do everything that I could to get to the start and finish line.  Somehow, this sort of reasoning worked for me and did, more often than not, motivate me.  Before my training really kicked in, I expected to be more social for my long rides, but I ended up riding the majority of them solo, which had its own benefits (like having to change tires on my own).  At times it was hard to be so much in my head, but that was another aspect of training that I enjoyed - the solitude of training which gave me time to think and just 'be'.  This wasn't the best year for me work-wise (not that it was a "bad" year, just not a great year), and I recognize that IM training often served as a refuge for me, a place where I could see progress and where I learned to push myself.

Despite the moments of "I-don't-want-to-get-up", I never felt that this training totally took over my life.  In May, Beth emailed me my schedule and said that I should tell Mike that I'd see him in July (she was joking!).  I know that I said 'no' to a lot of school/work commitments due to IM training (didn't go the musical for the first time in 9 years; missed a class retreat; skipped out on a pre-graduation happy hour...), but maintaining some sort of social life WAS a priority to me.  Nor did I give up alcohol or gluten.  I really took the attitude that this training was one aspect of my life, an interest that enriched my life and, in many ways, kept me physically and mentally sharp, but Ironman and triathlon certainly did not define my life.

So, with race day approaching, I will be happy to find myself at the start line with the sense that I trained and tapered well.  I know that anything can happen during a race, and I'm trying to steel myself for that, but I hope that I'll be able to remember the positives from training.  I think back on my first open water swim years ago when I almost hyperventilated, and this past week, I hit Hermosa Beach and Malibu for my final open water practice swims of the week, and just couldn't believe how amazing it was to swim in the Pacific Ocean.  As I swam, I took in the long expanse of water on one side and the beach on the other, the sun rising up..  I'll think about the great rides I've experienced (suffering and all) and the places that I've seen on my bike in the LA area and beyond, rides I would have never done without the pressure of the Ironman.  And how sweet it's been to stay healthy for the run.  I feel really lucky and grateful that I've had the experience to train - and now, it's almost time to race!