IMWI: Round 2

In the Ironman/Triathlon world, when you utter the words, "Ironman Wisconsin" there are a variety of things that can pop into a fellow triathletes mind. For instance, many may think of this site:

The Capitol building amidst the darkness of the late night finishers

Others who who are a little scared from race day might think of something like this:

Legit. This guy hasn't missed a race in years. 

Either way, it never ceases to amaze. And this weekend was no different. Mark and I rolled into town around 3pm, dropped our things at the AirBnB and then headed straight back to Monona Terrace to check-in. We went through the motions. Show your photo ID: check. Sign your life away in case anything happens: check. Make sure your emergency contact is listed correctly: check. Step on the scale for pre-race weigh in: check. Make sure you are branded with your Ironman wristband that serves as your only identification as an athlete throughout the weekend: check. Alas, we were officially checked in and promptly spit out into the Ironman Merchandise store and expo. Let the games begin.

That Capitol 💖
Right after this pic, Mark goes "Ok, now take a picture without touching me" 🙄

I was absolutely exhausted. Madison isn't far away from home. But when you try to cram a 5 day work week into 3 and a half (because Monday was Labor Day) it left me feeling like I was missing out on a few ZZZ's going into race day. Mark and I had dinner with Jacqui and Ryan at the Athlete Welcome Banquet. We sat and listened to Mike Reilly welcome us to town while the Mayor insisted we take home some of the overflow water from Lake Monona. In the weeks leading up to Ironman Wisconsin, Madison had received a record amount of rain causing Lake Monona to overflow and push the swim start/exit back about 100 yards from it's normal location, making transition a tad longer. Honestly, I was just AMAZED at Madison's efforts to make sure the swim portion of this race COULD go on. We said goodnight and parted ways. Tomorrow brought a long list of To Do's.

#rockstarseating

SATURDAY

Mark and I woke up on Saturday morning and I felt extremely refreshed. I needed a solid night of sleep and that's exactly what I got. Mark and I got in the car to meet the group for an open water swim and I got word from Rob that he didn't have to work Saturday night. YES! HE DOESN'T HAVE TO MISS THE RACE! Caveat: He had to work Monday morning at 3am. Loophole: Finish the race as fast as possible so Rob can get home and get some sleep before work. Challenge accepted.

We pulled up to the water and were quite surprised to see some giant white caps throughout the lake. Lake Monona is famous for it's chop the farther out you go, but this was a different story. The air was cold, the wind was strong, and the waves were fierce. Needless to say, BFG wasn't happy about the situation considering his swim training history in the past 365 days.

Rethinking his training plan 🤔

We all survived a short little practice swim. It wasn't ideal, but we knew we could pull it off in the chop if we had too. But, some calmer waters on race morning would definitely be preferable.

No, Speedy did not swim with his bike.
He's not that good.

Mark and I took off to finish up the rest of the low key workouts of the day, a spin around the neighborhood followed by a 1 mile shakeout run. We finished up going through the motions, stickering bikes and helmets and packing up our gear bags. It never takes to long, but the process can be stressful. Did I pack everything I need? Are these 5 extra gels necessary? How about an extra pair of socks? Normally, this is something I can do in my sleep. But it had been a full YEAR since I had done any sort of triathlon, let alone an Ironman. I was trying to remember what the motions felt like.

I went pretty "bare minimum" for this race

We packed up the car and headed back into town for bike and gear check in. This was the easy part. Once it's all packed, all you have to do is drop it off.

Only half of the bikes!

Bikes are in! 

Gear bags too!

We relaxed for a while and finally it was time to eat. EATING ALSO MEANT ROB WAS IN TOWN! We all thoroughly enjoyed our pre-race meal with some great company and laughs. Race day was only 1 sleep away. Hell, my 31st birthday was only 1 sleep away but honestly that was the last thing on my mind. Waking up to some calm water and minimal winds was what I wanted most.

Looks who's hereeeee!!!! 💗 

Mark trying to steal some training through conduction from Coach Speedy

Mark found Lauren on the street and stole her for the evening!

SUNDAY (RACE DAY AND MY BIRTHDAY! 🎈)

The night before a race is always restless sleep, especially a big race like this. And this particular night was no different. Just as I started to feel like I was finally asleep, my alarm went off. Alright it's time to get this show on the road. The morning routine started. Coffee. Banana. Peanut butter english muffin toasted. Let Mother Nature take it's course.

I'm pretty sure 10 years ago I was still awake at 3:48am celebrating my 21st birthday
My how times have changed

I gave Rob a kiss goodbye and told him I'd see him on course at some point. Mark and I made it to transition just as they were opening the doors at 5am. If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that giving yourself a few extra minutes to make sure everything is set to go isn't the end of the world. We don't need anymore Ironman Texas repeats as far as I'm concerned. Because within a few minutes of dropping off last minute items to our gear bags, Mark realized he didn't have any socks in in his bike bag. It's currently 5:07am and transition closes at 6:30. What's one to do? ROB TO THE RESCUE. Rob was planning on making it to the swim exit and not seeing us before the start of the race. But when I called him at 5:08am and asked him ever so nicely if he could leave a *tad* earlier than expected to bring Mark his socks, that was the end of that plan. 

Jacqui and Ryan were staying at the Hilton (literally attached to Monona Terrace) so we made our way back up to their room to get away from the commotion until we had to head back down to the starting line. Soon enough, Rob had arrived, wetsuits were being shimmied, and it was damn near go time.  I dropped my morning clothes bag, kissed Rob goodbye, and scaled a fence with Mark and Trina to finally weave our way as close to the front as possible. 

It didn't take long before Mark, Trina, and I found Nate and the 4 of us wiggled through the crowd to the 1:11-1:20 swim start area. Ryan was long gone already but at one point Jacqui squeezed past us and made it a little farther ahead. The closer it got to  firing the gun, the more my nerves intensified. Four years ago I was wading in Lake Monona with all 2500 athletes waiting for the gun to go off. This time around, the mass swim start had been eliminated and we were standing like sardines in the grass waiting to be freed into the water for the newly self seeded swim start. The National Anthem played and within seconds the gun went off to start the pro women's race and I nearly pooped myself. Like I said, I was all sorts of high strung. Before I knew it the amatuer gun was fired and my toes hit the water. IMWI round 2, here goes nothing. 

SWIM

The first couple minutes of any Ironman are always about getting your bearings. Today was no different. We had to swim on a slight angle in order to officially hit the rectangular swim course. I tried to find a buoy, but following the masses ended up being my only option. I don't remember seeing my first buoy until I reached the 2nd one (and I only know that because it said "2" on the side). Usually, the first 5 minutes of THIS particular race are compared to a washing machine, considering the ever so unpopular mass swim start of years past. But this rolling start? Man, I could get used to this. The water was wide open. Sure, there was a foot here, a body there to maneuver around. But NOTHING like it was in the past. I made it to the first turn buoy in what seemed like no time. This was the part I was dreading though. Direct sunlight and a little intenser chop.

Compared to the practice swim on Saturday, the chop was nothing at all. But don't be fooled, it was still present. And that loooooong backstretch hasn't changed in 4 years. It's long and brutal. The sun is KILLER in your eyes the entire time. Sighting is a b*tch. Occasionally a chop takes you by surprise and your arm doesn't even make it out of the water for the next stroke. This time around I kept swimming up on small packs of swimmers, maybe 5-6 at a time. Nothing drastic. But enough for me to have to make a decision. Swim THROUGH or around? When I could, I swam around. But there was a a few times I remember I found my hole and made my move. The shortest distance from point A to B is a straight line. You can't blame me for this one. I'm sure I pissed off a few people. I took in some water in the process (because even though this is my 7th time I'm still somewhat a newb and can't not swallow lake water during a race). Everytime I found my mind drifting off to any sort of negativity (i.e. "well that mouthful of water certainly set you back another minute!") I fell deeper into this nasty mind game of "just how bad will this swim actually be?" I knew I wasn't in the BEST swim shape. The chop certainly wasn't helping. And I could definitely do without this sun in my eyes. I made the final turn towards home and could hear Mike Reilly over the speakers. I was getting close. I finally popped up out of the water and glanced at my watch 1:16:53. By the time I crossed the timing matt I finished that swim in a shocking 1:17:06. Man, maybe I do remember how to triathlon!

Peace out wata ✌

{Sidenote: the last time I swam 2.4 miles in a wetsuit was for Ironman Lake Placid in 2016. (IMTX 2017 was non-wetsuit. IMCHATTY 2017 was also non wetsuit downstream.) I had my all time best swim at IMLP in the calmest of waters with a 1:15:02 and I'd like to say I was in really good swim shape at the time. My 1:17:06 in Lake Monona literally tickled me pretty as I took off for what I thought would be the biggest test of my day.}

T1 7:19

Coming out of the water the wetsuit strippers were busier than I'd hoped for. But I had my wetsuit to my hips on my own and was able to snag one of the last strippers to help me with the lower half. The swim start being pushed back added about 100 yards to T1, not the end of the world. Until you start running on that concrete and realize how FRICKEN COLD THE CEMENT IS. I had barely made it to the base of the helix and I could already tell my feet were numb. The helix crowd was THICK with fans. The energy electric. I know for a fact that my heart rate is never higher than when I'm in transition. I made my passes to those dawdlers. I even passed a few who were running. Finally I was off the concrete ground and inside the Monona Terrace to grab my bike bag, change, and hit the road.

Rob found himself a nice little seat on the concrete wall of the Terrace and stalked us as we found our bikes!

Now the scary part: Ride your bike DOWN the helix 😅

BIKE

In years past, I have watched athletes start their IMWI bike as the exit Monona Terrace coming down from the parking garage helix. Hell, I did it myself 4 years ago. And I swear every time it gives me a set of nerves like nails on a chalkboard. It's a tight turn. And it's 3 full 360 degree turns to the bottom. And at the bottom, you have to make sure you don't run into one of the vestibules where you would normally pay as you exit a parking garage. Legit this is the coolest and scariest transition setups you've ever seen. 

Yea, I wasn't lying.

Over the years, I've become VERY familiar with this bike course. I don't need pavement markings at this point. I've been riding the 40 mile loop on repeat for training for the past 5 summers. But the stick leading out to the loop? That is something I barely remember. I knew it wasn't flat, but I honestly had forgotten anything about it. The stick is 16 miles, then you ride the 40 mile loop twice, and then you ride the stick back to Monona Terrace, hence giving you your 112 mile bike course. 

The wind seemed to be in our favor on the way out. I never had to much trouble and even saw a 14:XX 5 mile split at one point. I knew that wouldn't last forever so I graciously accepted the speed at this point of the bike. We finally entered Verona and as far as I was concerned, this is where the games really began. I felt like I was on my home turf, these are my roads damnit! I knew exactly when to flip into the smaller gears so I wouldn't trash my legs. I knew exactly what hills seemed to tax my body over others. I knew exactly what to flip it into high gear and let loose because if you're smart, you can ride Witte Road like a roller coaster and use practically 0 energy. Some might call this an advantage while others would call it slightly "unfair." Call what you want, I've beaten my body to shreds over the years on this bike course so I think I deserved a little bit of fun today.

One of the millions descends of the day

It didn't take long before I noticed that the wind wasn't what it normally is. Having ridden this course plenty of times over the years, the wind direction is pretty easy to predict, give or take. Today? It pulled a 180 on us. The sections of the course where you can normally pick up some speed, you were fighting the wind. And aggressively. There are few flat sections of this course, but the few that are generally offer minimal wind and a chance for you to relax and gather yourself before you have to start doing some serious work again. This day? We worked allllll day.

Heading into Mount Horeb was the worst. There is a bit of a flat section followed by a false flat followed by a pretty large climb. But, it's normally very manageable. I did everything I could to stay as low as possible and NOT come out of aero even when I was climbing. I needed to conserve as much as possible. Just after Mount Horeb there was a nice little section of wind as well, just before turning onto Witte Road. I barely lifted my head up. I looked up enough that I knew there were no bikes directly in front of me. I didn't want my eyes any higher than they needed to be. Just before turning onto Witte Road I looked up to take the turn and there stood the first person I recognized while on the bike, Jodi Menke. A local triathlon acquaintance, I knew she'd pop up on course at some point. We made eye contact and literally we both screamed. We were both so excited to see each other that no words came out, simply excitement. 

After I enjoyed Witte Road, I started to wonder where Mark was. I knew he should have passed me by now. What if he had an issue in the water? What if he cramped and can't ride? What if something happened and they had to call Rob to go get him? Speaking of, where's ROB!? You have no idea where my mind will take me during a day like this. 

I'm sure I was fighting some sort of wind at this point

Soon it came time to climb the Three Sisters/Bitches (whatever you prefer to call them). I was really starting to worry that I hadn't seen Mark at all. I knew I'd see familiar faces on one of the Sisters so I'd have a chance to ask. Sure enough, I made it to Sister #2 at the base of the hill stood John Lorenz ready to run me up the hill. You're looking great! Jacqui is in the top 7, Nate and Trina are literally just ahead of you! I was feeling great and used that energy to power up the massive hill, but managed to ask John if he had seen my brother at all. He's doing good, just a little ways behind you! THANK GOD! Then, he passed me off to Mr. Giuliano, Ryan's Dad. Mr. Always Excited. Mr. Intensity. His energy was electric and seriously made me feel on top of the world. Holy hell would you look at this girl, she knows how to power up a hill! GO GET EM MEG!"  And just like that, I made it to the top and the crowds thinned.

I started loop 2 and was anticipating the breakdown of my body. Generally, if it's gonna go it'll be on the 2nd half of the bike course. For me, I usually start to get off pattern with my nutrition. My watch is set to beep every 20 minutes to remind me to take in some sort of nutrition. But after 4 hours or so, I just don't wanna sometimes. But today, I was on point. Gel, banana at aide stations, water, nutrition bottle, cliff bar. You name it, I did it. And nothing cramped. Nothing hurt. My stomach survived. 

Just before mile 85ish, I had my first Rob sighting. He was sitting off to the side, solo, no crowds around him, wearing his flashing neon construction work vest so I could find him easily. He pulled the camera down so I could make eye contact. It wasn't until that moment that it clicked. Mark is ok and Rob is just now showing up on course. I bet he took a nap after the swim. Sure enough, this girl knows her fiance best. 

I told ya, head down. Only look as far up as necessary.
#wind

Finally I was on the last section of the loop and knew the stick was quickly approaching. I've never been more excited in my life, until the moment I realized that the wind would be in our face the ENTIRE 16 MILES BACK. And immediately after turning off of the loop, I remembered. I remembered an awful memory. The first 3-4 miles heading back is a nice, steady, mean, dirty, nasty, climb... in a headwind. If ever there are moments in your life that you feel like you're truly being tested for survival mode, this might be one of them. It takes away ANY positivity you had left. It eats at your mental status. It destroys your legs. And I'll be damned, you still have 10 miles to go once you get to the top.

Finally we hit the bike path. Three miles to go. And then it was John Nolan Drive. The capitol building in sight. Let's get this shit over with. But. There's always a but.

Remember the helix that you so cautiously have to ride down at the beginning? You get to climb that to finish off your ride.

Legit, throw it in the smallest gear and say your prayers.

And finally, 6 hours and 27 minutes later, it was time to run. {A casual 48 minutes faster than it took me to bike the course 4 years prior, for the first time. Take away some of this odd wind and I bet it could have been closer to an hour.}

T2 3:18

Rob found me coming off the bike, but I didn't see him. I handed my bike over and took my first steps to get my bearings. (The term "brick legs" is never more appropriate than after riding this course.) It didn't take long before I had my sea legs back and was flying down the aisle of bags to grab mine. Run shoes on. Belt on. Quick pee. And we're off. 

The run out was also different this year because of flooding.
But it worked out because Rob was able to find me!

RUN

I have a lot of mixed emotions about this part of the race. IMCHATTY2017 left me with a bad taste in my mouth after my run went south from the very second I stepped foot off my bike. But I raced A LOT last year and those last 26 miles of the year might have been what put me over the edge.

This year, I knew my run may or may not suffer. I had just spent 9 of the last 12 months focused on run training. This is what you do now! You're a runner! You should be good at this! In the same breath, my body was pretty beat up. My left hamstring suffered a major beating from the months of March-June. Tension and tightness and pains never TRULY went away, only subsided a lot. If I was going to have a bad run, this would be why. And surely enough, that's what happened. 

I mean, I didn't feel great but check out that dude behind me. Yikes.

I hit the run and didn't even look at my watch. Run easy and run don't focus on time. That was my motto. I saw Jacqui and Ryan's parents on State Street right away and was feeling on top of the world! It was starting to get hot, quite a bit actually. It was only 70 degrees, but with no clouds and 112 bikes miles under your belt, you tend to heat up quickly. 

Running on Astro Turf didn't help either
Camp Randall Stadium
ILL - INI!

I saw Ryan on his way home to win the race around mile 2.5, just about the time my run started to go South. My foot tightened up to the point I had to stop and try and stretch it out. It cramped like you would expect in the middle of the night. Soon, that tightness shot up in my calf and hamstring. And before you knew it, my left leg was completely useless. There was more walking than I'm proud of during miles 3-6. It wasn't pretty. But I NEEDED to get my body to a point that I could move comfortably. I finally caught a second wind and saw Rob on State Street. He sat in the middle of the road. construction vest on, camera in the air. Normally this kind of behavior would elicit an Ironman official to ask a spectator to move off course. But, we're pretty sure they thought Rob WAS an Ironman official in that fancy vest of his. 

"Hi Honey kinda having a rough day, hope you enjoyed your nap on my BIRTHDAY!"

This run course really throws me off, every time. There are so many twists and turns and small out and backs that I seriously can't keep it straight. I remember I saw Jon Crane and his wife. Jon damn near clubbed me on the bike course during the last 4 miles with his beer in hand. So  he hopped on the run to apologize and wish me a happy birthday. I could tell he had been drinking for a while, and to be honest, I was a little jealous. 

I remember seeing Lauren Matricardi on the bike path along the lake at one point. She was with her CES friends and stood on the ready to snap my photo in all my birthday glory. When I approached her she asked, "So how do you feel!?" Instead of telling her the honest truth about wanting to sell my left leg to a homeless person, I told her, "You know, I've had better birthdays!" 

Hiiiiiii L-Mat!

The 2nd half of the first loop my body seemed to relax enough to let me actually run. 9-10 minute miles. I wasn't complaining. I knew this had potential to go South quickly so I accepted it with open arms. I made it to the turn around point, literal feet from the finish line (brutal I tell ya) and prayed that I'd be able to pull off 13 more miles on a bum leg. 

Being able to see the finish line and know you have 13 miles to go is the WORST. 

Mile 15 or so is the first time I saw Mark all day. He was finishing up his 1st lap while I was well into my second. We stopped and talked for a minute. He was feeling surprising well, considering he actually didn't train for this race. Me on the other hand? Shoot me. The 2nd half of this run is a big blur. I spent a lot of time trying not to focus on the shooting pain up and down my left leg. I was slow moving for sure. Jacqui had passed me long ago and taken home her first Ironman title ever. I spotted Nate and Trina many times throughout the run.

I knew that was I was on the clock though. Remember how I mentioned Rob needed to get back home so he could sleep for work in the middle of the night? Yea, that was still happening. I had set Rob back longer than I was hoping for. I knew I'd see him again around mile 20 and thought about telling him he didn't have to stay if he didn't want to. But then I saw him. And he was all smiles. And he knew I was hurting. And he gave me a little love tap and sent me on my way. 

Photo Cred: My #1 Spectathlete

The sun officially set and I was only a few miles away from the finish line. The last miles might have hurt the worst. I remember thinking, "Forward motion, keep the forward motion." I got closer and closer and started to get a little emotional. I finished this race 4 years ago and I had a slew of people at the finish line. My mother, who doesn't travel well. My father, who had recently had a heart attack and open heart surgery. My brother, who truly had no idea what it felt like to do something like this. Rob, who had literally spent his ENTIRE day chasing me all over the course. Jacqui and Ryan, who were both hanging from a street lamp as I rounded the final turn to the finish line screaming their heads off. Friends from high school and college who had made the journey to watch me find the finish line after 140.6 miles. 

And today, I had mom and dad glued to their live feed at home. Mark on course with me. Jacqui and Ryan on course with me. And Rob at the finish line, ready to greet me with my birthday kiss. And ALL of my support at home.

#7

People always ask why I keep coming back to do this time and time again. There are plenty of reasons. But honestly. That feeling of crossing the finish line. There's nothing like it. It releases so many raw emotions that you just can't put into words. We repeatedly do what brings us joy. These moments are ingrained in our brains in such a permanent way. Why would you NOT to repeat something like that? 

I've said it before, the more you race the distance, the easier it gets. And it's true. Recovery tends to be quicker. The body doesn't hurt as much after each race. But this one? This one for sure took it's toll on me. I limped and waddled and dragged my foot the rest of the night while waiting for Mark to finish. (Which was only and hour and a half after me) For someone who completely had their focus set elsewhere all summer long, his finish was simply amazing to me. 

He apparently forgot he wasn't exactly ready for take off during the run

As we were saying our goodbyes to Rob, Mark was officially asked to join the wedding party. It was a moment I didn't see coming, nor did I expect to be apart of. Of course it was filled with Rob's smartass comments and we all laughed. But I wouldn't have it any other way I can definitely say it was the perfect end to my birthday. 

I literally had a hard time keeping my eyes open at this point

BFG! BFG! BFG!
Training? What's that? #nailedit

We sent Rob on his way, grabbed our bikes and hit the road. We had to make it home before pizza delivery wasn't an option anymore for a Sunday night. We ate as much as we could (which wasn't much at all) before we both felt sick to our stomachs.

Standing with 2 Ironman Champs. Best Friends. NBD.

The last thing I am is upset with my race. My biggest goal this year was to qualify for Boston. And that happened earlier than I anticipated. So since I was able to spend the 2nd half of my year actually having FUN before I go head down planning this wedding was absolutely amazing. Speaking of Boston, registration for the 2019 race officially closed a short while ago. My application is in. I'm sitting over here, fingers and toes crossed, anxiously awaiting my acceptance.

Jacqui said it best... #squad

The next morning the 6 of us went to the athlete breakfast and sat through the awards ceremony. It's always fun to see the victors on stage the next morning. Jacqui and Ryan were able to stand side by side, champions. It was such an awesome moment to witness. We finally went our separate ways, saying goodbye to the land of nostalgia.

RyBread Racing

{And for those worry warts out there, please know that I have already started seeking treatment for my leg. I'm not about to run Boston on this bum leg of mine. I'm starting at the bottom and checking off all the items on my list if necessary. I've had one intense session of Active Release Therapy done and I'm about to embark on my 2nd as we speak. I already feel relief and I'm certain with some proper relaxation of the muscles and longer recovery, this too shall pass.}

On that note, RyBread OUT! Cheers.

Ironman 70.3 World Championships 2017

It’s a little hard for me to believe that last weekend has already come and gone. I anticipated it for so long, worked my ass off for it, and just like that.. *poof* I knew that I was in for an experience, but I never anticipated what I actually got.

My name.. on the World Championship banner 😍

Mark and I rolled into Nashville pretty late Wednesday night (technically Thursday morning) and shacked up with some of my college friends (Lauren and Ben, who also joined us later for the entire race weekend). We got some precious shut eye, woke up to some amazing coffee, an adjustment and PT work performed by our lovely hosts, and we hit the road. Less than 2 hours later, we entered Chattanooga and the energy in the air was electric. We emptied our car at the house we rented while Ryan was out riding the bike course and headed straight to the Ironman Village so I could get checked in.

Middle of the night welcome notes from Lauren - simply the best 💓

Nashville Chiropractic: Getcha some

I’ve been through the check-in process umpteen times at all the various events I’ve been a part of throughout the years, but never has the process been more thorough and detailed than it was for the World Championship race. There are no newbies at this race considering you have to qualify to enter, but the attention to detail was immaculate. Maybe it was because I was one of the earlier ones to check-in, I’m not sure. The volunteer who checked me in also happened to be the lead Kayaker for the swim course and he whipped out a swim course map and gave me some magical tips on how to swim my best race against a current. This guy, he was my savor. As he packed up my envelope of stickers and bib and last minute instructions, he also handed me a hand written note from a local grade schooler. It was a goodluck letter that made my heart melt. Her drawings also made me realize that I needed to do some bike upgrades 😉

Adorable

After some expo browsing and a quick lunch nearby, Mark and I stumbled upon the Parade of Nations. A chance for all the athletes to walk in a parade with their fellow countrymen and proudly wave their flag to the streets filled with family, friends, and locals of Chattanooga. I even had the chance to hold the big American flag and represent the Stars and Stripes. 

Such a cool honor

Mark and I wrapped up the evening with a quick shake out run followed by dinner with Ryan. As soon as dinner was over, we started to greet the rest of the group. Nate and Trina arrived shortly after we got home and Jacqui's flight landed ahead of schedule, despite being delayed. I desperately needed some good sleep but couldn't imagine laying down as the band pulled into town. Finally, it was time for some solid sleep, tomorrow was going to be a busy day. 

FRIDAY:

We all woke on Friday morning and headed to the river for some open water swim practice on the course. I had secretly been anticipating this moment for quite a while. Swimming in this river in May (downstream) was not going to compare to swimming the course for this race (800m upstream). I'm not a terrible swimmer, nor am I the best. But I've never had a professional swim lesson and I was seriously worried about what swimming against a strong current would do to me on race day. Alas, I made it out of the water, albeit slowly. I overheard some officials say that the water was moving 2-3x faster than normal today and they would most likely slow the down the current at the dam on race day. There really is as God! It'll be a birthday miracle! To top it off, the water temperature was sitting at 76.2 degrees... exactly .1 degrees away from a wetsuit legal race. Lemme tell ya, I said a few extra prayers that night before I went to bed.

Me & my girl 😉

Trina may or may not have been in a porta pottie and Nate told us to take the picture without her 😲

At this point, I'm sure you're wondering where my better half is, right? Well, in the weeks and days leading up to the race, his appearance in Chattanooga for my 30th birthday celebration with the best athletes in the world was looking to be more and more of a slim possibility. He was only promised so many days off during the busy season (which is right now) and this trip was added to the calendar at the last minute, so his appearance was never guaranteed.. but we were always the most hopeful. I was mentally prepared to spend this weekend without my rock. I didn't want to do it, but I knew it was a great possibility. It was Friday morning at 11am and I still had not heard word of Rob getting Friday night off work so he could travel to the race. We call this, life. It happens. But then, as we were all headed our separate ways from the river my phone rang and it was Rob. He should be sleeping, he has to work in a few hours, what is he doing? 

"So my rental car was supposed to be available at 9am so I could be down there for a dinner surprise, but now I can't get a car until after 2pm, so I had to call you and let you know that I'll be there in the middle of the night." - Rob

I ugly cried right where I stood at the RyBread Racing tent (as Ryan tried to assemble the tent solo while I cried like a baby). I couldn't believe it, my number 1, my ride-or-die, my rock. He wasn't going to miss it after all. If my math stood me correctly, he'd be arriving about 1am Eastern time. I gave him quick instructions on how to enter the house and find the room where I'd be sleeping. As soon as I hung up the phone, I felt like a new person. I never realized how heavy my chest had been, until now. I was light as a feather and officially ready to race.

Mark headed to the bike course with Nate and Trina to get their long rides in for the weekend while Jacqui and I took our bikes for a quick spin around town to make sure everything was in working order. And they were, including the 10 millions stops we made because of all the traffic. Apparently Chattanooga is busier when there are 60+ countries in town, who knew?

But the important thing is we both survived with no flips over the handle bars 

After Ryan had to go pick up Mark on the top of Lookout Mountain because his derailleur busted and exploded from the climb (I kid you not), and a quick lunch at Aretha Frankensteins (I can't make up these names people, I swear it was the weirdest breakfast place I'd ever been to), it was time to check in our gear.  OMGGGGGGGGG, there's no turning back now! Once they have my bike I have to go through with this! 

Ryan handles Jacqui's bike like a toy

Jacqui is OK with this

I'm holding onto mine for dear life

Ready or not, here we come!

The process was simple and just like any other Ironman event. Drop off your bike and your gear bags, Get out. However, while in transition Jacqui ran into a girl she knew. That's Dani Vsetecka, she won Madison 70.3 and her slot rolled down to you because she already had a slot. YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME. YOU MEAN THAT GIRL YOU WERE JUST TALKING TO IS PART OF THE REASON I'M EVEN ABLE TO BE HERE!? I had to introduce myself and personally thank her. She truly had no idea how much this weekend meant to me. She was so sweet, and sincere, and pure. Oh my gosh, I'm SO happy I was able to meet you! And it's your birthday!? THAT'S AMAZING! 

So happy!

It was officially time to head to the pre-race meal. We changed into something a bit nicer for dinner and were at the restaurant by 6pm. The host took us to our table that happened to be covered by a curtain. The curtain was drawn and the table wasn't empty. There stood my cousin Michael and his wife Carrie, video cameras in hand to capture my reaction. You have to be kidding me! I told Ryan NO SURPRISES this time! They had this trip planned within days after I qualified and didn't tell a single person until earlier in the week. I've said it once and I'll say it again, my support system never ceases to amaze me. 

Turns out, I'm pretty easy to surprise!

GUYS TOMORROW'S THE BIG DAY!

I had so many emotions going on throughout dinner. Omg you're going to be 30 tomorrow, you're going to be racing against the best triathletes in the WORLD, you're going to climb a MOUNTAIN. But nothing could fill my mind more than the the fact that I knew Rob was on his way, and he wasn't going to miss any of it. Soon, it was time to head back to the house, welcome Lauren and Ben into town, greet Ryan's dad from the airport, and head to bed. I laid in bed and did a terrible job at the game "close your eyes and try to sleep". I had some serious adrenaline in my body. I must have drifted off to sleep because soon I awoke at 12:30pm to a cell phone light that stood in front of my ride-or-die. My spectathlete was officially in Chattanooga, wishing me the first Happy Birthday and gave me a smooch as we both zonked back to sleep. Four hours later, it was time to get this show on the road. 

SATURDAY - RACE DAY - BIRTHDAY!

I made it to the kitchen to find Nate already setting up the coffee station. No regular coffee pot for this coffee snob. Aero press with only the best coffee. "One birthday coffee coming right up!" he said as the living room inhabitants had no choice but to start waking up because I was not about to sip my birthday coffee in the dark. Before I knew it, it was time to head to transition. I woke up Rob like a giddy school girl. Part of me was still in shock that he made it. He moved his car, kissed me goodbye, and promised to see me after I was done fiddling with transition. Ryan started the car, and Jacqui and I were officially being chauffeured to the 70.3 Ironman World Championships.

Chattanooga sunrise: priceless

If I told you that as I walked into transition behind Jacqui, that it wasn't until THEN that the enormity of the day I was about to go through finally hit me, would you believe me?  My throat started to tighten up and my vision became very blurry. Jacqui turned her head back to say something to me and I immediately rubbed my eyes and swallowed hard. Save that shit for later, you'll never make it out of the water if you start crying now. Transition setup was painless and easy. I even heard rumor that the announcer made sure to wish me a happy birthday! Soon, we reunited with the group and it was time to wait.

Pre-race shot on the river

💓💓

Pre-race adjustment from Dr. Lauren Johnson

The gun went off and the pro women hit the water. I officially had 41 minutes until it was my turn to jump in. Jacqui and I started to suit up (in our WETSUITS! 76.1 degrees, YAY!!) and say our goodbyes. Imagine some of the worst butterflies in your stomach that you've ever had. Now, multiple that by like 10. You're not even close to how nervous I was to start my day.

Go-Time

SWIM:

Jacqui and I entered the swim area and were promptly handed our swim cap and ushered to our corral assignment. Standing in the crowd of purple swim capped 30-34 women, I started to feel the urge to pee. Not just "I'm nervous" pee, but "holy cow I haven't peed in like 12 hours" kinda pee. That's the level my nerves were at. We walked to our "holding area" and waited our turn to enter the water. We had heard that they were letting athletes in the water 10 at a time. They'll probably just guess and let a small group go at once. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Purple caps, ready to start the day.

Rob was able to make his way to the pier and we caught his eye seconds before we started

Jacqui and I were pretty lucky, we literally got to start this race side by side.

So I imagine you've seen the Kentucky Derby? Or at least heard of it. Horse racing is a sport like no other, and the starting process is enough to make any equestrian lose their cool. Horses are corralled behind gates, jockeys mounted and ready for the gates to open. THE START OF THIS RACE WAS JUST LIKE THE KENTUCKY DERBY. Jacqui and I entered 2 separate corals that had a line of people in them (each line had 3 people in them, guaranteeing we'd start together), secured our goggles and officially said goodbye to each other. Volunteers stood at the end of the corals, arms up blocking the athletes from crossing and jumping into the water. Every 10 seconds their arms flew into the air as the horn blew, releasing the next 10 athletes in the water. Before I knew it there was no one in front of me, and I had 10 seconds to say my last prayer.

I jumped off that dock and instantly felt better. That's all you needed, you needed the gun to go off so you could get this day started. The first part of the swim swims ACROSS the current. I did the best I could to swim straight and not let the current drag me farther south than necessary. And I'll say I did a fairly decent job. I swam in line with the buoys the entire time. I hit the red turn buoy and knew this was the moment I had been dreading, the 800m upstream portion of the swim. I made my strokes strong, fluid, and efficient as I could. I focused on high elbows, strong pulls, and treated my legs like propellers. It was very clear, the current had been slowed down quite a bit. But it was still noticeable. I knew I had to swim under 2 bridges before the next turn out of the current. I counted off the buoys and did my best to pull as hard as possible. Soon I hit the pedestrian bridge and saw the next turn buoy, You're almost out of this current. One more buoy and you're home free. Once I turned away from the current I could feel myself FLYING down stream. Most would assume this would be "rest" time to give the body a break before the next leg of the race. WRONG. PULL STRONGER NOW. USE THE CURRENT TO GET YOU OUT OF THE WATER ASAP.

If you look closely, you can see both Jacqui and I breathing at the same time!

I reached the dock and was grabbed by the volunteers by my armpit and yanked out of the water onto the dock. Time check: 41 minutes. I'LL TAKE IT. A pretty average swim for me for this distance is about 37-38 mins (36 mins is my PR) so I expected to be as much as 10 minutes slower than normal in the current. NOT TODAY KIDS. OK now it's time to have some fun and play bikes in the mountains.

T1: 4:13

Wetsuit strippers were ready and waiting to help us but I had my suit well passed my hips before I even found them. I passed on the strippers and went straight to my gear bag and made the awful run up the ramp to transition. My heart rate skyrocketed up that ramp and I sat and put my bike shoes on {because I'm not super fancy at all and like to keep this shit simple, duh} and secured my helmet. I took off and heard my name from all corners. Snagged my bike and spotted Lauren and Ben sprinting along side all of the bikes screaming their faces off. I couldn't help but grin as I was about to climb Lookout Mountain.

Running in bike shoes is cool

Makin' passes on that red carpet
Ain't no one got time for a slower than needed transition

Lookout here I come

BIKE:

Taking off on the bike I knew the first 5 miles were going to be very similar if not identical to the first 5 miles of 70.3 Chatty in May. These were some fast miles, thankfully giving our legs a chance to warmup before we started the dreaded 5k climb. I made sure to take care of business before I hit the mountain. Take in nutrition, take in plenty of water, and (most importantly) apply chapstick. {No one's got time for crazy chapped lips from a sunny day on the bike.} The day before the race Ryan gave some very solid advice. "As soon as you reach the base of the climb, and you'll know when you get there because it's like a brick wall, flip it into your little ring. Right away. You DO NOT want to stress your chain at all and risk a mechanical on that mountain and pay the price." Noted. I reached the right hand turn and knew this was where it was time to change gears. I flipped it into the little gear and nothing happened. Try again. Nothing. YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME. I was forced to dismount my bike about 100 feet up the base of climb and manually shift gears. Except... how do I get back on the bike? I was ready to run back to the base and mount at the bottom. But thankfully a spectator saw me and directed me to a driveway and told me to mount in the driveway and get my momentum back. Thank you perfect stranger, can I kiss you now?

I've thought alot about how I could describe this climb. It was definitely like nothing I've ever done before. It was twisty and curvy and it never seemed to end. Every mile there was a small break that allowed you to check yourself and get ready to start again. Every time I glanced at my watch I saw speeds that read "5.6mph" or "7.1mph" Whenever there was a short break I'd glance down be tickled to see some double digits. In the same breath, the climb was when I did the most passing all day long. I've been putting in some work over the past few years and climbs are slowly becoming my "thing" if you can even say that. Pretty soon the crowds grew thick and I felt like I was on one the Sisters in Madison. I was ready to see John come out of the woodworks and start drumming next to me. But the crowds meant one thing, we made it to the top. As soon as we reached the top we took a left hand turn and IMMEDIATELY started to descend. I checked my time: 23 minutes to climb 3.5 miles. I'll let you sit on that for a bit.

Climbing mountains..

..is no joke 😲

The descent was quick and not complete. We made it probably one quarter of the way down the mountain before we were forced to start to climb again. I had been warned about this. As soon as you think it's over, think again. Always spin as easy as you can on the climbs. Let me tell you, today was NOT the day to be unfamiliar with your gearing on your bike. By the time we completed the climb the 2nd time around I was a pro. And then, the true descent. It took me less than 10 minutes to get to the bottom. I weaved my way down these twisty and windy turns, traffic signs that read, "SLOW, SHARP TURN" separated me from the edge of the Earth to my right. Being the chicken shit that I am, I rode the breaks a few times while still seeing 40+ mph flash in front of me on my computer. Once we finished the descent the rest of the ride was just that, a ride. There were some steady efforts on the back half of this course, but the true effort was thrown at you in the very beginning. I rode the best I could and made sure to make myself uncomfortable the rest of the ride. You didn't get here so you could go for a Joy Ride, time to kick it into gear.

The inclines never truly stopped

My chin was dropped a majority of this ride. 

In case you're curious what the bike elevation profile looks like
This is what my watch read 

Soon the roads started to look familiar and I could tell we were nearing the end of the worst part of the day. I kept my head down and powered through. I was ready to have some real fun, it was time to run. Bike: 3 hours 9 minutes. 17.75mph. {Just to give you an idea of how different this course is from the 70.3 in May, I biked a 2:41 on the normal 70.3 course just 4 months prior 😂}

T2: 1:42

Pretty uneventful. I dismounted awkwardly per usual. {I'll never understand Ryan and his flying mounts and dismounts.} I handed off my bike, grabbed my run shoes and hit the road. My legs were definitely in good shape. I knew I had biked an honest ride and my legs were still ready to run. Guess Speedy knows a thing or 2 about this coaching thing huh? And now I was more than ready to have some fun for 13.1 miles. 

RUN: 

I left transition and could not believe that I was 2/3 of the way done with this race that I had anticipated for SO long. I immediately spotted Rob and not to far from him were my cousins, Michael and Carrie. The first half mile might be the only flat part of this whole race, so I was able to smile and let them know that Lookout Mountain was no joke. 

First few steps outside of transistion

ROB THAT MOUNTAIN SUCKS

I took off and entered the land of hills, the first one meeting me slowly and gradually. I could tell that I really had to pee but was hoping that the urge would go away after a mile. But it got worse and worse. Generally I would make myself wait until the end of the race, but I knew I wanted to enjoy this race to it's fullest so I stopped at the first available porta pottie and clocked 30 seconds stopped to pee. That was literally the only 30 seconds I was stopped the entire race.

Does this smile require a caption?

Just after mile 1 I spotted an adorable dog on the side of the road, attached to 2 humans that I know quite well.  BETH & JORDAN! They were all smiles and Rookie dog was not impressed with everyone on the road. {Standard, she didn't care last time either.} After I passed them I got a little extra jolt and was sayin' my prayers that this feeling of euphoria would stick around. I made my way around the Riverfront and hit the first significant hill {The RedBull Hill} and saw Jordan and Beth again. This time, less smiles as I was pretty gassed from the hill. After you catch your breath the course spits you out onto your first bridge. I took the sharp right hand turn and was greated with Lauren and Ben screaming in my face. Lauren made sure to remind EVERYONE that the birthday girl was racing, which then prompted all spectators and athletes to wish me a happy birthday. 

Real life? Yes, yes it is.

Once you complete this first bridge, you start the climb up Barton Hill. Barton Hill is the dreaded of all hills on this course. It's a steady, looooong climb. And at the end you're rewarded with a pretty fast downhill, in case your quads needed a little punishing. Half way up the hill I saw a small portion of my posse! Mark, Nate, Trina, Ryan, and his dad! I was still feelin' great despite being mid climb and noticed that my pace never faltered at this point. 

No one said climbing hills was pretty

I could go on and tell you that the next hill was worse but I'm really not sure which one was the worst. All I know is that they were constant and had 0 mercy. Coming out of the neighborhood we exited back onto Barton heading down and let me tell you, if your quads weren't destroyed before, they sure were now. This was an AGGRESSIVE downhill that reminded me of running down hills as a kid and losing control of your legs. 

Oh Hey Nicole! I know you!

DON'T FALL. DON'T FALL.

After this wild and crazy downhill, we made out way back towards the river and cross over the Pedestrian Bridge. This bridge.. I said it back in May. It is... the worst. The climb is the most gradual and slow, but it will literally suck the life out of you. Once you get up and over the bridge, you have to get ready to start lap 2. Thankfully, I saw Rob at the end. We high fived and were so exact with our hand placement that our elbows actually clicked. Talk about being on the same page. 

As promised, misery over the Pedestrian Bridge

I started my 2nd loop and the hills were still there. My pace was pretty steady for the next 4 miles. My support crew continued to pop up all over the place, and always right where I needed them most. I remember reaching mile 9 and thinking to myself, "Megan, your big day is almost over. How is this possible?" A small part of me wanted to realllly slow it down so I could make those last 4 miles last just a little bit longer. But that's not what the best triathletes in the world do, now do they? I completed my 2nd loop and was able to take the left hand turn towards the finish line. One last downhill to destroy the legs before this day is really over. I started to get a bit emotional. Just before I hit that red carpet I saw Lauren and Ben along the fence. I acknowledged them with the biggest smile and looked behind me, I wanted this red carpet to myself. 

Happy Birthday!

To ME!

My most favorite picture 

1 hour and 54 minutes after I left T2, my race was over with an official time of 5:51. I came in 147th out of 211 women in my age group, and 817th out of 1,433 women overall. For someone who didn't own bike shoes about 3 years ago, I'd say I held my own against the most talented athletes in the sport.  

In case you're curious about the run course elevation..

I reunited with everyone, and insisted on post-race pictures. {That may have been the post-race beer talking, still undecided.} 

COUSINS!

Beth & Jordan & ROOKIE!

This duo will be back in 1 week for round 2!

Thank you Nashville Chiropractic!

Spectathlete 💕

70.3 World Championship Finishers

New friend Nicole! Met in Muncie, raced in Chatty ;)

We're not to good at stopping traffic

If you thought the rest of the trip was full of RnR, think again. Jacqui and I picked up our bikes and gear, walked home, showered, and prepped for dinner out before Ryan's race and to celebrate my birthday! The night was full of laughs, beer glasses, and amazing company. The next morning, we all arose bright and early again so we could make sure Ryan had our support on the course. I've said it once and I'll say it again, watching him race is truly fascinating and awe inspiring. 

This picture, I'll laugh every time!

Speedy wasn't too impressed with his race, but I say otherwise. When a bad day is coming in 2nd in the World, I can see how you wouldn't want to settle for anything less than the best. His skill and knowledge in the sport of triathlon is continually confirmed and reassures me that I've made the right decision by using him as my coach for all these years.

Mark and I drove out of Chatty on Monday morning with some heavy eyelids. But the fun sure as hell isn't over just yet. In exactly 1 week we pack up the car and head back to the same exact location to race again. But this time, I get to race with Mark and a slew of the RyBread crew. And we all get to double the race distance. That's right, my body isn't done for the year just yet. One. Last. Test. 

Chatty, we'll be back soon.

This town has given me more than I've bargained for this year, and I'm still not quite done with it.