Focus on the positives. Learn from the negatives.

Twenty four hours ago I started my journey to check off an Ironman AquaBike from my bucket list and did just that! But why can't I focus on the positives and continue to dwell on the fact my bike speed average was not what I hoped? Believe it or not I was embarrassed to post it on Strava this morning. But realized, it is what it is. Riding 113 miles (after swimming 2.4 miles) in hills, wind and humidity, as well as NO drafting was an amazing feat and I should focus on the positives and learn from anything that didn't go right.

My friend Pam and I left for Grand Rapids on Saturday morning. We had to pick up our packets and rack our bikes in transition. It still wasn't a reality to me that I was finally going to accomplish what I've been training for since January. It did become a little more real when we were sitting through the mandatory pre-race meeting and they were going over the course, rules, etc.

After we got our goodie bags, race bracelet, race packets, race numbers (bike, helmet, transition bags and bib) we were ready for lunch. We wanted a known commodity so not to have digestive problems on race day. We asked SIRI for the nearest Panera Bread and she kindly displayed 4 near to us. Then she asked "do you want me to call or do you want directions?" I said "directions". Well next thing she says is "I found a description of erections on Wikapedia. Do you want me to display it?" We must have laughed for 10 minutes and it was the joke the rest of the weekend.

After lunch we met Mark and Helen at the park to set up our bikes in transition. Also to walk the area so you knew where to run in from the swim would be, the changing tent, bike out/in and run out. You always want to check this out before your race as it is mass confusion when you come out of the water. The last thing you want to do is spend precious time trying to find your bike. The lake for the swim portion was beautiful and calm with homes around the banks. For my swim it was two loops around the lake for the 2.4 miles. Pam and Mark had one loop for 1.2 miles.

It was about 330pm so we went to find our hotel, check in and get our stuff ready for race day. We planned to meet Mark and Helen for a pasta dinner to carbo load.

This was my first Ironman distance race and they treat you like royalty. You get bags for the swim to the bike, bike to the run (if doing the run), special needs bags that are at the halfway point both on the bike and the run and finally a bag for all your dry clothes. They are all color coded and there's key included in your packet.

Trying to figure out what goes in which bag?

Bed time came at 9pm EST, which is 8pm Chicago time. Yep, I was tired but only slept about an hour. Of course you have all sorts of thoughts going through your head. Mine weren't negative chatter but crazy scenarios...flat tire on the bike, forgetting my bike shoes, etc.

Wake up call at 430am. Quick breakfast and drive in the dark to the parking lot about 2 miles from the race start. Then hop a bus with all our crap. Transition was already buzzing with people setting up their areas, dropping off special needs bags and applying Body Glide to every part of their bodies. Modesty goes out the window. We noticed that the athletes were on the older side. Not many 20 yr olds and a handful of 30 yr olds. But 99% of them were extremely fit and of course there goes me with my body issues. Ugh, will that ever stop? Also some amazing tri bikes. But Vermonster held her own.

It has been three years since my last Tri. I had forgotten what a great group these folks are. Always a kind word of encouragement both before the race and out on the course. I have found no other sport like that.

6:45am was a pre-race meeting at the beach as the sun was still coming up. The full tri and full aquabike folks went off at 7am with the half going off at 8am. The national anthem was sung and that got to me emotionally and then we were off. The swim went well. I hoped for 1:15-1:30. I actually was back on the beach in 1 hr 33 min. Then there's the run up the beach, a quick stop at the strippers. You lay down on the ground and they strip your wet suit off of you in lightning speed. A first for me but a great perk to have.

Getting ready for the swim

I crossed the mat and entered transition. For the full distance athletes we got a changing tent. Also a first for me...They yell your bib number up to the volunteers outside the tent and your swim to bike bag is there waiting for you. A volunteer is at your side helping you sort through the bag and get you dressed quickly. Like a personal butler. For you women who ever tried putting on a sports bra when you are wet can understand the tangled mess. So it was awesome to have someone there untangle me. The gal next to me was getting the same treatment. 10 minutes in transition...mani/pedi, apply some make up, blow dry my hair...NOT.

Walked my bike out of transition to the mount line and off I went for 112 mile ride...remember NO drafting. Well at mile 2 we hit a climb. 13.8% grade! Are you kidding me? I had read on their web site 1500 ft of climb total. The bike course was changed due to road construction, but something was very wrong. There was lots of climbing. 4300 ft to be exact!!! I knew I'd remember this hill because our bike course was two loops and I'd have to climb it again around mile 57. Lovely.

Bike course elevation map. Two loops.

The roads were not closed to traffic, but nice shoulders and police were at major intersections and all left turns to stop traffic. Always fun to blow off a stop light in front of a cop and he's cheering you on.

I had planned to average 17-18mph on the bike. Well that soon became history. For some reason it took 25 miles for me to catch my breath and get my legs feeling okay. They felt like cement and my quads and hamstrings were like rocks. Also all the climbing and head winds didn't help the warm-up. I was in pain, frustrated and about ready to pull over and cry. But you always learn to work through it. A DNF (did not finish) was not an option today. So I pushed through the pain and hyperventilation. By mile 30 my legs were coming back. But my avg was at 14.7mph at that point. Ugh. I decided, just do what I had in me that day and get through it....also try to enjoy the ride. It was a fairly pretty route but a number of 6, 10 and one 15% grade. Lots of rollers but you never seemed to get enough momentum to hit the top. But the great fans and volunteers along the way were high energy and very encouraging. Lots of cow bells. You can always use more cow bell (for you SNL fans you'll get that reference).

My Strava suffer score was EXTREME

There were two turnarounds out on the bike course. The first for the 56 milers and then a second for us. It was weird as they sent us about a mile down this deserted road. I thought it was a joke. And of course it was a headwind. As you turned around and headed back out, riders coming in yelled..."Is there a tailwind?" I smiled and said "ABSOLUTELY."

Miles 30-56 went pretty fast. Unlike 1-30 went in slow motion. Finally we got 10 miles of a tail wind before the end of loop 1. At mile 54 I got to fly down at 38mph that damn hill I'd have to turn around and climb up again. At mile 56 there was a round about and at mile 60 our special needs bags were waiting. I had planned this to be my first stop on the bike...which it was. I grab some water, extra food (which I didn't need but wanted to err on the safe side), go to the bathroom and lube up again.

It was like Groundhog Day. The good news is you had ridden the course before. The bad news is you had ridden the course before. There were a few women and one guy we had been playing cat and mouse the whole ride. So had a little company but there were times you wondered if you had gone off course.

About mile 80 the ride stopped being fun again. I was really tired and got hot foot. So I stopped for a second on the side of the road trying to get feeling back in the bottom of my feet. There was no one around and a woman came running out of her house and asked if I was okay and if I needed her bathroom. I assured her I was fine and thanked her for being so kind to me.

At the last aid station they shouted to me "Only 4 more miles!!" What the hell are they talking about? My Garmin clearly showed 3 miles. The race distance was 112 miles. Well, guess they decided to put a bonus mile in there. Not funny.

I got to the dismount line where a volunteer greeted me and said run with your bike over the finish line. I laughed and said "Run? I can't feel my feet." But the feeling quickly came back and I did my best to run in cycling cleats and claim my finishers medal, cold wash cloth (the best) and the chance to say I did it. Yipppeee I was done!!! Then another volunteer took my bike and racked it. I had been treated like a pro athlete all day with this kind of service. Then she offered me food...pizza, watermelon, etc. No way could I eat pizza. Give me a few hours. But the watermelon was perfect.

Finish line selfie. Opps, not the best choice of backgrounds

Pam was there to greet me having finished her 91st triathlon on her way to a goal of 100 by end of next year. She had managed to get herself over to the buses and bring the car closer. Bless her as I was pooped. We gathered our gear and packed the car all in slow motion. Asked Siri where the closest DQ was and headed for it. Then the long drive home.

No race is complete without a stop at DQ.

Congrats to Mark taking 2nd in his age group and Pam for finishing tri #91. And I need to reflect and congratulate myself and stop harping on the slow bike portion.

Final stats:
- 2.4 mile swim in 1:33
- 113 mile bike
- 7:20 bike time, avg speed 15.4mph, max speed 38mph
- 4300 ft of climb
- Strava suffer score 237 extreme
- 3,491 calories burned on the bike, est 700 on the swim
- Total race time 9:16

It's been a great journey and I thank you all for joining me on it. What's next? I don't know. One thing I do know is I'm NOT doing this race distance again. I would to half ironman aquabike in a heartbeat.

Now I just want to relax. Swimming with the Otters in Lake Zurich Wed morning. Couldn't do it this morning unless they gave me a raft to float in...a bit tired and sore. Heading up in a few weeks to Wisconsin to hike and ride the Sparta/Elroy trail. Just relax and enjoy life again.

I've enjoyed the ride,
Sheri