Kona Ironman Race Recap (10 hours and 32 minutes of pure fun)!
IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS KONA 2016
I arrived a week before the race in order to adjust to the 5 hour time difference, get used to the weather, and learn the race course. A few highlight workouts:
1. I swam out to the “coffee boat” in the ocean and had espresso with a bunch of athletes while treading water! I had lots of energy as I swam back to shore.
2. I was doing an easy morning ride and I came across Tim O’Donnell doing the same thing. I ended up riding behind him for about 20 minutes which was pretty neat.
3. My dad drove me to the epic 3 mile hill at the turn-a-round point on the bike ride and dropped me off to practice. It was terrifying as the wind was strong (crosswind and headwind). I only got down to aero once or twice because I was scared the wind would blow me in front of the cars zooming by. It took me awhile to rebuild my confidence after that ride.
4. Running alongside the ocean in the morning was awesome!
5. Swimming with waves, fish, coral reef, and salt water was a tad bit uncomfortable at first, but quickly came to enjoy it.
6. My parents and I scoped out the whole course and I spent the week mentally getting ready while enjoying the beautiful scenery.
7. Registration, race check in, and pre-race meeting all went smoothly. It was neat how this one race brought so many individuals together from all over the world.
Swim: I arrived 2 hours before the race start to prep my bike and prepare for the big day (I have to say the sun rise this day was BEAUTIFUL). After watching the pro’s start and the males, it was our turn (790 females). We all swam out to the mass start line out in the ocean in our bright pink caps. We had to tread water for about 20 minutes before the actual start- legs all around kicking each other and trying to stay afloat. Once the canon shot, we were off. The start was like nothing I had ever experienced before. Everyone was kicking each other and accidently running into each other as we took off. For me personally, the first 20 minutes was intense. I got kicked in the mouth, my cap started sliding off my head which lead to some salt water in my goggles, and hit a few times, but it was fun! I obviously love the swimming leg so this challenge was actually enjoyable. I had to float on my back about 5 times to fix my cap in order to keep my goggles on my head (I think this happened because of the people swimming on top of me and my pony tail was too low for the sake of my helmet). Lesson learned to solve this problem in the future! I thought the crowd of swimmers would fade, but it never did. I was around people the whole time which allowed me to sight off people’s bubbles from their kicks instead of lifting my head too much. I focused on keeping a fast tempo with my arms and a steady kick the whole way. If I sighted a pink cap, I would go try to catch them. On the way back to shore we ran into some of the males so it was even more crowded, but kept it exciting. I did take a minute in my swim to look out at the palm trees and mountains as I took my breaths- amazing view! When I was coming into transition, I did my tradition of a few butterfly strokes and held on to my swim cap as it completely fell off the last 200 yards.
T1: Exiting the water, hearing the crowd was awesome! The volunteers were very helpful in directing us to our bags and helping us in the changing tent. I took off my speed suit and picked up my sunglasses and ran to my bike. Put on my helmet, directed my bike out of transition, and mounted right into the bike leg.
Bike: The first few miles were in town making a square which was neat to see the fans and settle in for a long ride. I drank a lot of water and chewed gum to get the salt water taste out of my mouth. Bikes were everywhere packing the roads. We spread out once we go onto Queen K Highway, but I was never alone out there on the 112 miles as I passed people and got passed by people the whole way. There were aid stations with Gatorade, water, and snacks every 10 miles. Each station I grabbed a water bottle to pour over me (as it was getting hot already at 9am) and a Gatorade to sip on. Overall, the ride went well for me as I did not have any mechanical issues, stayed hydrated, and did not fall off my bike in the wind! There were only a few times where the crosswinds/gusts of wind blew me side to side, but I was more comfortable when this happened because the roads were completely closed to cars (I swear everyone’s prayers helped me combat the wind). I learned how important it is to keep pedaling in the strong winds and to stay focused. I did not get discouraged even though during the headwinds I would be going 12MPH, but on other parts so I had to have faith it would all balance out. I kept an eye on my power and cadence throughout the ride. The ride actually went by mentally for me pretty quickly because of the beautiful scenery, constant athletes all around, eating/drinking constantly, and the need to focus on bike handling during the course. It was a breath of fresh air when I say my family and friends ALL around the course (they found back roads and saw me as many times as they could). The course seemed to be filled with gradual inclines (over 5,000 feet of climbing) and declines the whole way. It was neat to see the pros heading back to as we were heading to Hawi. The turn-a-round at Hawi was tough going up the 3 mile hill, but I knew I was half way. On the way back at about mile 80 I experienced a little abdominal pain, but if you have done an ironman you know you will endure all sorts of pains and you just have to be patient. I just took some tums and ate a banana and I felt better as I headed back in to Kona. The officials were everywhere on motorcycles handing out penalties (showed you a blue card) for drafting and if you got one you had to wait 5 minutes in the next tent. The aid stations were great and provided inspiration during the ride. I was SO glad when I saw the airport as I knew I was close to Transition. The last couple miles were again surrounded by tons of fans yelling and screaming!
T2: I dismounted and handed my bike to the volunteers, grabbed my bag, went in the tent, put on my running shoes, and took off on the marathon.
Run: I always love this part of the Ironman so I was smiling as I started my run! The first mile I tried to get my wobbly biking legs moving while focusing on my cadence. The cheers and encouragement were helpful. We stayed in town the first 11 miles running by the beach, palm trees, and cheering fans. I felt okay the first part of the marathon, focusing on drinking at each aid station (every mile), pouring water on my head, and putting ice down my uniform to stay cool. It was a hot humid day which was to be expected. It was a highlight getting a high five from my niece, Addy! J I rarely looked at my mile splits because I truly believe you just have to give all that you can on that given day. Once we got out onto Queen K highway the heat picked up and crowds faded (people weren’t allowed to go in certain areas on the run course). I had a doubt or two during mile 18-19, but I had to change my mindset and keep pushing through. I experienced a little Achilles tightness, digestive issues, and tow pain, but nothing that I could not tolerate. The course was like the bike ride, long steady inclines and declines. The Energy Lab helped lift my spirits as the first mile was downhill towards the ocean and at the turn-a-round we headed back downtown (of course going uphill now). The last 5-6 miles I did not feel like eating or drinking anything besides water. I ate some salt tablets throughout and had a couple gels to keep me going and kept my mind occupied by praying for people. Once we got down to the last two miles, I had an extra burst of energy (most likely because of all the awesome fans). I kept my head up taking in the whole experience. Running down a hill and turning on Alli Drive was epic. The music, the fans, the ocean, my family, and my friends made it amazing (there were two girls in front of me which is probably why my finish line run ended in a sprint). Oddly enough, my first and last mile were my fastest ones on the marathon. Running down that red carpet, finishing the race of a lifetime will be a moment I never forget.
There were times throughout the race that were not perfect and also times that were filled with an immense sense of gratitude and joy. I decided on October 8th, 2016 I would EMBRACE the race and I accomplished that goal. I raced with a smile on my face enjoying what the day brought. I made memories that will stay with me for a lifetime. The journey to Kona has been unbelievable and it would not have been possible with all the friends and family behind me every step of the way!
