Where is my bike mojo? not in Kansas!

So, yesterday I raced Kansas 70.3, and then got in my car and drove home 8+ hours. It was a rough day, both the race and the drive. I had a lot of time to think about a lot of things.

My wake up call was for 4am (which is 5am my time, when I get up anyways), so it was not too early for me. I could have waited 30 minutes, but then the parking would have been an even further walk to t2.

I arrive at the park, gather up my things, walk the 1/2 mile to t2, drop off my run things, then walk another 3/4 mile to t1 with my swim and bike things. Then I stood around for an hour waiting for the start. I did get to see Chrissie Wellington pre-race, and she looked super fit (what a surprise, huh?)

At NOLA my swim wave was the last wave, 90minutes after the first. Kansas went pros, then physically challenged, then men over 50 & women over 45 in the next wave (this was a big one, 150 people or so), then my wave, 4 minutes later. I watched the wave before me, they spread out wide and there were many slower swimmers. If I swam the buoys it would have been like a pinball machine, go left, go right, bounce off all these folks, so my plan was to just swim wide out around them. I took off, and went wide, no one else in my wave went with me, so I was on my own. The out leg was marked by green buoys. You know, you can't see green buoys very well, when the surrounding background is green trees! SO I was swimming along about 20 yards (sometimes more, sometimes less, its hard to hold a straight line when you have nothing to follow) right of the buoys, breathing every 1,1,2,1,2,2,1,1,2... Total spastic breathing. In the pool I'm every 3 all the time, unless instructed otherwise. But put me in open water and I breathe all the time. ANd when I say, 1,1 I mean left arm breathe, immediately to right breathe. It feels quite normal, but I could not do it in a pool. I figure it has to do with the fact that in the muddy water I can't see anything to focus on, so I don't get dizzy. In the pool my eyes would go from black line to lane line, to black line, to lane line, and I would go crazy. Anyways, I passed a gazillion yellow caps on the inside, and got out in 28 minutes (I didn't know my split at the time, I could not find the clock). It felt very easy, my swim is pretty decent right now.

On to the bike, and I really wanted to have a good one. I knew this course was harder than NOLA, but I ride a lot of hills at home, so I was not concerned with the hills. The first hour was going well, then I started to get passed by some woman, and I just got into a funk, and the legs did not want to go. They generally passed me on downhills and flats. I was getting angry at myself, and was thinking if you can't manage a half ironman bike without getting into a funk, you will never do ironman again. I tried singing 'Whip it' by Devo, and that didn't even get me going! I was getting weird pulsing pain (not bad pain, just annoying pain) in my right hamstring, and that did not help my mental state. After 2 hours I was beating myself up and finally got back on track and finished up the last hour better. But I just squeaked in under 3 hrs on the bike, not what I was hoping for. I have a lot of work to do , and I also need to work on my bike position. I think when I put on a new saddle a few months ago, I may not have the best position for power, and that might also have contributed to the hamstring niggle. So, forget about it, learn from it, and move on (and go to Brian for the niggle repair!).

I was happy to get off the bike, and the clouds that had been hanging around, immediately broke up and showered us with sun. Just in time to heat us up for the run. That's great (I am NOT a heat person). So off I go, trying to be steady, I actually felt decent, but tons of men were flying past me, so I had to work to really not get discouraged. The run is 2 loops, mostly flat except one big downhill to the t1 area, and then back up. First lap went very well. Melissa and Rachelle were out on the run cheering, and I saw Louisa running - she looked very strong. Second lap started out ok, and a woman who had passed me earlier was inching back to me, so this was good motivation. Then we hit the downhill, and she sprinted down it. My quads said no way, and then my stomach started to cramp and begged for mercy, so I eased off, and re-caught her after the turn around and at the bottom of the uphill. The GI distress was growing (mile 9 now), and I walked part of the hill (I was walking as fast as some people were running so I didn't mind this). By mile 10, I knew I had to stop at a toilet or I was going to be in big trouble. Luckily the last 4 miles go through the campground and have toilets every 1/2 mile or so. I ducked into one, and will spare you the details, but it was a huge relief and my cramping immediately subsided. Then I noticed my right foot seemed to be not listening to my brain. I was telling it to run, and it felt like it was just sort of flopping around. I know it was running, but it definitely felt weird. I think this was also related to the hammy niggle, which is probably another nerve entrapment or something. I get the stupidest injuries! 3 more miles, the heat was getting to me, the Kansas pollen was getting to me, the niggles, but I finished (not strongly), but I finished. My run split, despite the issues was better than last race, so its a positive for me to build on, especially with a few things to be improved.

Chrissie was handing out the medals, super smiler and such a kind person.

I threw my things in the car and headed home for my 8+ hour drive. I basically sat with my trigger point therapy ball under my right glute, hammy, knee, just moved it up and down my leg to relieve pressure. Recovery drink was a chocolate milk shake from Sonic (I love their drinks). I talked on the phone quite a bit to friends and family to stay alert. Drank caffeine, ate sugar, sang loudly, and stopped in IL at a cafe that advertised foot high pie! I did not think I could eat all that cream and not feel sick, so I opted for a more normal sized piece of peach pie.


Today I'm taking the day off from work. I think I'm going to go get an iPhone!