Lake Placid Race Report: Having Faith

I had every intention of posting this report a little more timely, but then Chris proposed and I got a bit off track.

Katie & Chris

Change isn't something I embrace, but after Eagleman, I made the difficult choice to switch coaches for reasons I'm not going to share on this blog. After working with The Core Diet in 2011, as well as witnessing some impressive results from friends using QT2, QT2 was my top choice. Lucky for me, Tim Snow had capacity and he loosely worked with me during July to ensure I had a successful race at Ironman Lake Placid.

As I went into Ironman Lake Placid, I had to have faith that the following changes would result in a solid day for me:

1. Different Race Plan - Build into the day
2. Different Fueling Plan - EVERYTHING changed, but my favorite, Clif Bar Shot Bloks
3. Different Race Outlook - think positively about the run

While everything had been tested in workouts leading up to the race, it was still very nerve-wracking. Nonetheless, I was excited to test it out, and thankful that I already had my Kona slot in case something went awry.

 

I was excited for the swim this year thinking the new initiative would thin out the congestion. Instead, it did the opposite, and this was another violent swim start for me. I struggled to get into a rhythm until midway back on my first lap, and was content to ride some male feet for the rest of the first loop and most of the second loop of the swim. Just squeaked in under 54 minutes making it a slight PR over last year, thank you Xterra Wetsuits!

Praying I didn't fall while making the run up to transition like last year!

 

Of all parts of the race, I was actually most nervous about what the bike would hold even though the bike is usually my strength. The new plan had me holding back, in hopes I would get off the bike feeling fresh. Leaving town, while many men hammered past me, I rode fairly easy keeping my watts right within my target range. Before I knew it, we hit the descent into Keane and it was pouring down rain. Ideal, no, but I had rode worse descents in rain and had mentally prepared for it, so with the exception of sitting up a little more than I normally would, nothing changed. Once I hit the flats, I assessed how I was feeling and noted my heart rate was running high, and I was behind my pace from last year. Not what I was hoping for, but I upped my fluid intake and stuck to the plan. Coming back into town on lap one was awesome, I received many cheers from spectators and got such a thrill hearing Mike Riley announce I was the top female amateur.

Waving to my parents on Lap One

Starting lap two, Tim said to expect a low at mile 60, which I did, and was very pleasantly surprised to find that's when I started feeling really good (maybe some of that was the caffeine!) I did some passing on the climb, was aggressive on the descent, and then realized once I hit the flats I was going to pass Danielle Kehoe, a pro, who had passed me earlier.  I hung back for a few minutes debating what to do. The last thing I wanted to do was ride too hard, but I felt good and my heart rate was right within range. I eventually passed Danielle, and was soon passed by the eventual race winner, Jennie Hansen. Being up with these ladies for so long was extremely motivating.

I continued passing out towards Wilmington and then disaster struck, I started throwing up (this was not in the new plan). I thought of speedy Beth Walsh and her "puke and rally" statement at Kona 2011 and kept biking. I slowed up ever so slightly, stopped calories for a bit and took in just water. By the end of the bike, I had thrown up five times and was feeling better. And even with the difficult last hour, I had made up a ton of time over last year, and ended with a 5:27 for a seven minute improvement on this course.

I love baby bike!

I took some extra time in T2 to have a volunteer help me get a ginger candy, and to eat some of a banana. As I was running out, it was awesome to hear the cheers of Caitlin Snow and Jesse K.  I reminded myself to start at 820s as Tim had said, and take the mandated 20 second walk breaks at each aid station. In the past, I considered walking a failure, so this was a huge leap of faith for me. But by walking for short increments at each mile, I got to reset and get some fuel in. It was also a GREAT way to break up the marathon!

My stomach started to settle by mile three, I saw Chris out on River Road, which was a huge lift, and I was having a blast looking and cheering for friends. Before I knew it, I was back in town ready to start lap two. I started to feel tired around mile 16 once I hit River Road, but my pace was still strong, and I focused on running strong between all the aid stations.  Seeing all my friends having successful days was huge, and I was thrilled to see my friends Kendra and Marni running strong and looking in good shape to get the Kona slots they were after.

Actually enjoying myself on this run!

I hit the wall around mile 21 with the first of the hills coming back into town, and I kept reminding myself that once I got back into town, the crowds would carry me through.

The last three miles of Lake Placid are amazing. There is so much energy from the spectators and other athletes out on the course. I hurt, but nothing like last year, and I was trying to chase down the Timex pro in front of me. Once I made the final turnaround, I found that extra gear and pushed toward the finish line. I finished the day with a 15 minute Ironman PR, but more importantly for me, I finally succeeded in executing a solid run. First overall amateur and seventh female finisher.

 

Ironman Lake Placid was a huge stepping stone for me. While changing nearly everything was certainly scary, it paid off, and I am very excited to see what the future holds with Tim Snow and QT2.

30-34 Age Group with Kendra and Marni - Honor to share the podum with such supportive ladies!

 

Thanks to the amazing sponsors for Snapple, and my friends and family who help inspire me daily!