There is a huge difference in being nervous about a race and being scared...removing the swim for me was the biggest relief - once I was able to accept that, I knew I had made the right decision because I never once second guessed it. I've had Lake Logan in my sights since last year when I was there cheering on my triathlete friends, thinking one day I am going to do this! The area is absolutely beautiful...rolling hills & mountains - perfect for me!
Jen and I signed up for a 2 person relay - Team HUB! Jen would do the 1.2 mile swim and I would do the bike/run portion - 56 mile bike & 13.1 mile run. I have been committed to all of my training workouts and have worked very hard, so once I was able to remove the swim portion from my wacko head I was full steam ahead and focused to race! I was so happy when "taper week" got here, I was starting to get tired and ready for some easier shorter workouts. I pretty much spent the week trying to wrap my brain around the fact that I was going to be able to ride my bike 56 miles and then run a half marathon!! Seriously, so my body is really going to be able to do that??? I have done both of these things many times separately, but the thought was still overwhelming me!! I knew I was more than ready for this race. Once again, I was about to do something that I had never done before.
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| Team HUB - 1/2 Ironman Relay! |
Waynesville, NC has such a cute downtown and the area is gorgeous. This was our first camping/race trip. We set up camp and headed to packet pickup. Surprisingly I caught myself just staring at the lake trying to imagine myself actually doing to whole thing, it seemed so less intimidating the way it was set up swimming buoy to buoy. Probably since I knew I wasn't doing the swim portion, I thought wow - maybe I really could have done this. BUT I let that thought leave my head and stayed focused on the bike/run - my gosh, that was going to be hard enough!!
We had dinner downtown with the Kellys, enjoyed watching a little clogging and headed back to the campsite for a VERY EARLY morning wakeup.
I didn't sleep great, but I felt good. The race started at 7:00 so we left very early to get transition set up and then just hang out and wait! It is very eerie headed down mountain roads in the dark knowing you will be racing soon...where is the daylight?? Met up with the rest of the team and chatted and waited for GO time! The relays started in the last swim wave so I had a lot of time on my hands. Once I saw Jen start the swim I started making my way over to transition. It was fun being in the transition watching teammates come in and head out. All of a sudden I heard Jen calling my name..."Amanda, Amanda, I had a good swim" - immediately I thought, shoot - now I am going to have get out there kick some butt! There's something about being on a relay, it's not just your race - if your teammate did well, you feel pressure and don't want to let them down!!
So, off I go...
56 miles, I do this just about every Saturday...I got this! This course is hilly but I was more than trained for it. The first climb is pretty much right when you head out...but after that it is a fast course for about twenty miles or so. I looked down at the Garmin and I was averaging around 20mph knowing this was going to change quickly. Everyone told me, and also after riding some of the course before, I knew there was a big climb at mile 40ish and another pretty big climb at the end coming back in to transition. I personally felt some other climbs that were not mentioned, my small ring got a pretty good workout on this course. I only had endurance drinks in my water bottles so I was a bit nervous about going through the water stations for the "water handoff" - another thing I have never done before:) The volunteers were awesome at the water stations and I was able to do the water handoff with success. I pretty much just took some sips of water, poured the rest all over me & continued on. I was around the same people the whole course. I would pass them on the ups and they would pass me on the downhills. I was so ready to get the mile 40 climb over with...my legs still felt good approaching the climb, I saw a few people actually walking their bikes up the climb, I just kept pedaling and trying to spin up and keep the burn at a minimum...all I could keep thinking was DON'T let your legs burn up-you still have 13.1 miles to run!! Whew...I made it, enjoyed the downhill and tried to settle back in, mentally knowing I only had one more climb to go! The course then pretty much became a "false flat" which is not my favorite grade and I started feeling my legs and hips tightening up...oh great - this is not good. I would say this is about the time that I was ready to get off the bike, I didn't necessarily want to run, but this bike course had been long enough for me. I dropped down to an easier gear and decided to just sit back, not push and make to the last climb. I pretty much spun right up that last climb and knew I was home free...but wait, I still have to run. I usually grab lunch and a few adult beverages after a ride like this! Dang, what did I sign myself up for???
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I MADE IT!!! - 3:18:06
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Now off to run - 13.1...just 3 miles uphill & down, around a field and back out for 3 more up & down. I got this!! I know how to run...I have put a lot of effort into my running lately. Tempo work, speed work, slow endurance runs, etc. I'm not usually one to brag but I pretty much kicked this courses butt!! I headed out without a clue of how I was going to feel on this run...I knew I had followed my nutrition plan on the bike so off I go. My legs were heavy of course starting out but I was surprised at how good they really did feel considering I had just ridden that many miles. I constantly kept looking at my Garmin not wanting to go out too hard & not even sure if going hard was even a possibility...I went through mile 1 @ 9:06 pace - I felt good, did not feel like I was overdoing it so I just kept going. I stopped at every water station, got a cold rag for the back of my neck, squeezed water all over me, took a sip and kept going...seriously at every water station - hit them going up and coming back down. I reached the turnaround and told myself to pick it up a bit since this part is basically downhill - I kept the pace going down around 8:45ish. I went through the field with Team HUB cheering me on...I felt like a superstar - got some high fives, let them know that I was feeling really good and heading back out for round two. I was a little scared of this round, people had started walking and getting overheated. I decided I may need to back off just a bit, almost anticipating falling apart and bonking. I slowed these miles down to 9:30...please just don't start feeling bad, you can do this!! I reached the turn around for the second time and I thought to myself - Girl, you did it!!! You killed this course. I don't know why or how but I felt almost as good as when I started...I picked up the pace to around 8:35 and decided it was time to end this party...I could hear the announcer and could see a glimpse of the lake and knew I had done it!! I finished my last mile at an 8:08 pace with a huge grin on my face and knew that I had ROCKED IT!!!
WooHoo!! I DID IT!! I accomplished more than what I expected I could do. I am more than proud of myself! Yay me!
Run Splits:
Mile 1 - 9:06
Mile 2 - 9:10
Mile 3 - 9:12
Mile 4 - 8:46
Mile 5 - 8:46
Mile 6 - 8:52
Mile 7 - 9:06
Mile 8 - 9:29
Mile 9 - 9:27
Mile 10 - 9:27
Mile 11 - 8:37
Mile 12 - 8:40
Mile 13 - 8:08
1:56:49...chip says 1:57:29 - I will take it! That's a good 1/2 marathon time for me without a bike ride before:)
I started this race not wanting to set a goal for myself, but I did have a time in mind (I thought 3:30 on the bike and 2:00ish half marathon was reachable)..my coach reminded me that whatever my time was would be a PR. This thought helped to relieve some pressure.
HUGE thanks to all of you for cheering me on!! I have the best Team, Coach, and Friends!
Next up: Greenville Sprint Tri
