I went into this race feeling 100% and ready to have some fun at a local half ironman on a beautiful summer day made for racing.
Warning: This race report contains references to bowel movements.
Chisago Lakes Triathlon. Half Ironman.
My race day started off a little dicey. I woke up with a sour stomach and started my day on the toilet with a very mild case of the raspberries (aka diarrhea). Not the explosive kind or a complete draining of the intestinal tract butt more loose than usual. After my morning constitution, I chewed down a couple tums and took my dog for a walk for her morning constitution. After eating my usual oatmeal with fruit breakfast, I was feeling much better and began to execute a hydration plan.
I slammed a small V8 juice, loaded my car, and headed out the driveway just as the dawn was breaking. It was beautiful.
During my drive to the race, I drank about 20 ounces of water and 10 ounces of Gatorade Rain berry flavor. yum. My stomach was back to normal and I was feeling pretty optimistic about the race. I took a Thermolyte tablet cuz the forecast for the day was 90 and humid.
I was a little late setting up in transition so I didn't have time to warm up but I let that go and walked down to the swim start. I ducked into a little blue office (aka port-a-potty) and sat down for one more very very small poop and peed. All was seeming right with my GI tract and hydration.
I started the swim slowly to use as my warm up and things went really well. 32:35.7.
It was a long uphill trot into T1 and I was feeling fine. T1, 3:52. I took my time to drink more gatorade before leaving transition.
The bike was really good and I purposely kept my pace slower than usual to make sure my heart rate stayed low so I could stay hydrated and achieve maximum absorption. I took about 8 Thermotabs during the bike and drank about 100 ounces of liquids (energy drink, gatorade, water) and several packets of gu. It was hot, no wind and all went well. 2:48.06. I didn't rush T2, 1:12.
I started off running really smoothly. That was weird. My legs usually feel heavy for at least the first 10 minutes. Well, the fun was over at about mile 3 when my quads and hams began to cramp up like they did during my ironman. DAMN IT! Why is this happening? I'm all hydrated, electrolytes are balanced and I'm not over heated...yet. I jogged as much as I could between aid stations but the blazing heat and temperature of the pavement began to kill my run. I felt like I was running on the surface of the sun and I swear I saw the Devil in the heat waves that rose from the pavement. 'Welcome to Hell, you just try and run, you're in my house now and the rent is due.'
The last 3 miles felt like a death march. Dizzy, nausea, sweating like Ned Beatty in Deliverance, and my legs were cramping at regular intervals to keep me wincing and awake. I was sunk.
I managed to jog through the finish chute. 2:28.41.
Finish time, 5:54.26. My worst half ironman ever.
Lessons learned:
Diarrhea the morning of a race is a sign of bad things to come.
When you see the Devil out there, it's also a bad sign.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
Still learning something new everyday. Even if the lesson is a very painful one.
Today: sore legs and sunburned nose. Otherwise, all is well.
6 comments:
2/3's for the race seems like it went according to plan. It sounds like you are right around the corner from a breakthrough race. Learning is the key!!
You hung in there and fought a good battle. I am certain you will sort it out soon and figure out the cramping. Sorry to hear it was a disappointing result. Keep learning...it'll come together in the end.
Two races with sour stomachs - yikes. In this case, I wonder if it was must too close to your IM. I'm too new at this sport to pretend to know - but it seems like you just did your first IM and maybe could've used more time to recover from your race and your trip?
Pooping, peeing, the devil, and running just don't seem to go together do they? Yet in your post they all make sense... make's me want to sing that country song, "if you're going through hell, keep on going." Yep, now it's a poopin' peein' devil running country song post!
"Not the explosive kind or a complete draining of the intestinal tract BUTT more loose than usual" Is that a typo or did you do that on purpose?
A little loose stool can help before a race. It's better than having it all plugged up there and having to carry that extra weight around for 6 hours.
Sounds like the conditions were brutal, and especially considering your recent IM I would call this race a triumph. When the going got tough, you kept going. Great job!
stomach problems are the worst. there's no 'just power through' it or anything. good job finishing, and still VERY respectably!
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