Chattanooga Half Ironman 5/22/22

 So I did a thing this past weekend.  I finished my 4th half ironman race. 

I haven't done an Ironman race since 2019, so I was a tad nervous to say the least.  Even though it was just the Half distance, I still had worries.....  Often people tell me I'm an inspiration.  If only they knew the thoughts in my head, they would say she's crazy. 😁  I originally signed up for this half because my plan had been to go back and do the full distance in September to finish what I started back in 2018.   I knew the half would be good training in prep for the full.  However, plans change.   Back in the fall of 2021 when I ran the Chicago marathon, my sweet friend, Penny, that talks me into stuff.... talked me into signing up for the Berlin Marathon lottery.  I figured there would be no way we would get in.  I know people who have signed up for 7 years straight and not gotten in.  So I figured what the heck.. sign up.   Well, low and behold we BOTH got in!  AND guess what????  The Berlin marathon is the same day as the Chattanooga full Ironman in September!  Boy I was glad I had held off paying that $800 to register for the Ironman!  They are no refunds and it's extremely hard to transfer to another race or another year.  

I had already registered for the half in May so I figured why not, go ahead and do it.. you've paid the money and it will be good for you to knock the dust off.  😂😁

So race weekend.......

I had planned on my mother going with me... until we got my nephew's high school graduation which was the same weekend.  So I told her that she couldn't miss a grandchild's graduation.  I then mentioned to my husband that he could go and then leave from there cutting out 5 hours of his 16 hour drive to see his mom since he was wanting to go see her... but he didn't seem to want to do that....  therefore, I went alone.   AND My daughter didn't need to miss a teaching day.   I have friends that found out I was alone and were all like they wished I had asked them to go.  They didn't like me being alone.  But you know me... I tend to me a loner sometimes.  I don't mind my alone time and actually started looking forward to being alone for the weekend.   I needed to get my head right for race day so I made a plan.  I would try to go to Ruby Falls and whatever else I could find to get my crazy thoughts of race day at bay.    So that's exactly what I did and I had a great time.  I hadn't really explored the city of Chattanooga in many, many years!  It's a pretty cool town.  Here are a few pics from Ruby Falls and the Choo Choo.  

Can you see the camel formation?  Pretty cool!

I loved how the lights changed colors inside when you view the falls.  

I've always tried to make a "vacation" out of my races.  It gives me the opportunity to see what's in different states, etc.  You should always take time to see the beauty in things.  Don't just rush to a race and rush back home.  Take some time and enjoy.  😎😍  This really helps me relax.  

I made it to check in on time on Friday and got all checked in and banded up with the ever famous ironman armband that once you finish the race, you don't want to take off for weeks because each time you see it, it reminds you that you did something HARD. 

I scored me a Ironman fanny pack! Those that travel with me, know that I LOVE a fanny pack! I can't stand a heavy purse hanging on my shoulders for long!  I was so glad I brought my devotional with me.  It was perfect to get me ready for race.  "Faith over Fear" 

I took pictures of all my stuff I put in my race bag.  They say it's good to do that so when you can't sleep the night before a race you can look back at your pictures and reassure yourself that you have it all. 

I went and met a big group at 9am Saturday morning down at the dam where people did a short practice swim, bike and run.  I was able to do all 3 myself also.  😀 I felt really proud of myself for going and doing that.  In 2019, I didn't make time too.   I chatted with different people.  Most doing the race for their first time.  It just made me feel good and comfortable.  

Then I met up with my friend Mike who was doing the swim portion for a relay team when I checked my bike in on Saturday afternoon.  He invited me to go out to eat with him and his friends later that evening.  However, they were eating lunch around 3pm when I saw him and when I got hungry around 5pm, I decided to go ahead and eat and get in bed early so I skipped going out with them later that evening.   Plus I had booked a hotel out of downtown and the traffic was TERRIBLE getting in and out of downtown with so many people at the race.  However, I paid so much on parking each time, I guess I should have just paid the higher price on a hotel right in the middle of downtown.  😁  It was nice however, knowing I had friends there doing the race.  Some I would probably not see.  Especially the younger faster ones.  But I knew I'd see Mike.  He told me he'd be looking for me after he did his swim portion while waiting on his teammates.   I actually felt really good when I went to bed Saturday night and I slept! I was shocked.  I normally don't sleep a wink before a race.  I honestly think all my praying and focusing on the positive helped.  Each time a negative thought presented itself in my brain, I would say NO and think of something positive.  I had many positive affirmations and bible verses ready for that negativity.  I was determined to not go to bed a nervous wreck.   I got up at 3:45am and was ready to go.  I felt really good.  

So on to race day... I'm going to break down each leg.  I was in transition by 4:45am filling my water bottles on my bike and setting all my stuff up so when I came out of swim, I would be ready to go out on the bike.  I then loaded the bus which drove us down to the swim start.  

Swim:  It was like 5:45am when I got to the swim start.  The swim would not start till 7am.   It wasn't really crowded and I felt like I was up pretty close to the front.  I didn't want to be super close, but I didn't want to be in the back either.  Mike had tried to talk me into starting with him.  He was starting right after the pros he said.  He says being up front is best.  Get in before the other 3,000 swimmers stir up the waters. 😛  I told him I'm not a fast swimmer and I didn't want to get swam over.   They had told us they thought it would take around 1 hour 15 min to 1 hour 30 min to get all the swimmers in the water starting them 4-5 at at time.   I had hoped to start around 7:30am so that maybe I'd be off the bike and on the run before it was so terribly hot.  However, I didn't start till 7:48am.   Apparently there were another whole bunch of people on the other side of the waiting area that I couldn't see that started before us.  As I was sitting there waiting this man beside me started talking about the race he had just done where they had 2 cardiac arrest in the water and had to stop the race for awhile.  He started making me very nervous.  That's just not something you start talking about when people are about to jump in the water.  So me and this lady that was also sitting there started inching our way up away from him.  She told me he was making her nervous also. 😌  Her and I started talking and my nerves calmed down again.  She told me her goal was 45 minutes on the swim.  I told her that was basically mine also.  They had said the current wasn't going to be super strong due to lack of rain so I knew my swim would be no where near my Augusta swim of 33 minutes.  However, I told myself... you've got 1 hour 20 minutes so breath and don't stress.  😍

The water was cool.  The day before they said the water temp was 76.9 (not wetsuit legal).  But on race morning they said it was 74 degrees (wetsuit legal).   I'm not sure how it changed that much.. but I was glad it did.   They had this floating plank thing we walked out on to start.  I thought I was going to be seasick it was rocking so.  I can't imagine how the guy felt that was out there the whole time getting people off on the start.  They lined us up 4 at a time and the bell beeped and we were off.  I felt good.  I told myself .. pace yourself.... sight for that big island out in the middle and swim to it and then swim with it to your right ... then under 3 bridges and you'll be home free.  😁

This is a picture of the 3 bridges we swam under to get to the finish.  You can't really see the island before the bridges that is out in the middle of the river from this pic.  

In this pic you can see the Island back there.  I swam in some new googles that I've only swam in a few times at the pool.  They tell you your time and distance.  I was really excited about trying them in open water.  I was really excited when I reached the first bridge and looked at my time.  I thought wow... I may make 35 minutes or so to finish.  However, I got swam over 2 times which took me under right when I was about to breath and chocked me.  Took me a few seconds or so to quit coughing and start back swimming.  Then man it was like a mass of tadpoles swarming trying to get to the big RED buoy to get out.  The water was so choppy after like the 2nd bridge.  I later read that it was a jet ski and boat out there about that time!  I thought I would never get to that red buoy! I kept looking at my time thinking OMG.  I finally reached the steps and kept trying to grab the bar or the person's hand to help me get out.  The water is real deep there and you can't stand so they have people pulling people up some floating stairs.  Every time I got close someone would butt me in line! Finally I got out! Time 46 minutes!  However, I'll take that all day long for 1.4 miles! 😁  That's an average of 1:50 per 100 yards.  I'm on average about 2:20 - 2:30 so I'm very happy with 1:50.   I know I'm not fast.  I didn't even know how to swim properly until my late 40s when I attempted a sprint TRI.  I was very happy to of beat the 1 hour 20 minute time limit.   Normally it's 1 hour 10 minutes for a half distance, but since the swim is longer than a normal half ironman 1.4 verses 1.2 miles, they give you 1 hour 20 minutes.  

Bike:  I was feeling good after the swim and so proud I had no panic attacks.  I took my time making sure I had everything I needed.  I was also surprised at how many bikes were still there waiting on their rider.  I headed out telling myself... one mile at a time.... It hadn't gotten super hot yet.  It was 76 degrees when we started the swim, but I knew the forecast called for 90 degrees!  It was not going to be pretty come lunch time.  For about the first 8-10 miles getting out of town the roads are not very good.  I saw lots of water bottles that had flung out of bike racks.  Once out of town you start hitting the rollers and places that look flat... but they are what they call False Flats!  You'll be having to pedal and wondering why.... I kept thinking I don't remember it being quite this hard in 2019. 😁

I didn't push it.  I rode conservative and with caution.  When you haven't been riding outside a ton on hills, it's best to be SAFE.. or that's my moto.   I kept telling myself... you are 56... you got a grandbaby coming in September.... don't get hurt just stay on pace to make the time limit.  I knew I had 5 hours and 30 minutes to complete the swim and bike portion.  With my 46 minute swim, I had time on the bike.  The view is really pretty.   Around mile 22 I thought I was seeing things when this huge black pig was running down the side of the road like he was barking at bikers!  😆😂  I kept thinking please don't run across the road and knock me off this bike!  I so wished I had my phone at this point and several other points along the ride, but they aren't allowed during the race.  Once you get to Chickamauga and start back in that's when many pick up a lot of speed for several miles.  There is a real steep downhill.  I survived it. 😎🙏  I heard some bikers rode it up to 42 mph!  NOT ME!  my max speed was 26 and that was applying brakes! The course was so congested most of the time that the downhill was even scarier to me.  There were lots of bad spots on the right side of the road so I often found myself in the middle and those amazing bikers flying down the hill did not like that... they were all screaming on your left.. which meant move over or be hit.  I was so thankful I as able to get out of the way and didn't crash.  I did see 2 bad crashes and I stopped and prayed for those people.  I really don't know how there was not more with how congested it was and so much stuff on many of the roads to avoid as not to have a wreck.  My total time on bike was 3:38.  Average pace of 15.5mph... I'll take that... beat the 5 hour 30 minute time limit for swim and bike, no wreck, no injuries, made 2 pit stops along the course and came in SAFE. 😍  I was feeling good.  I hadn't had any issues.  Yes, my legs were tight from the hills, but no cramps.  

You can see how you are like climbing the first half and then down the second half except for that one massive hill. 

My heart rate stayed in zone 2.  YEAH

RUN:  This is where it all went downhill for me! As soon as I started jogging out of transition onto the run, my stomach said, NO NO NO>>>  I literally thought I was going to threw up on spectators. 😨  I was like OMG what is going on.  This is what I do... I run! Why can't I run! Why am I sick!!! 😢  So I said take deep breaths and walk and let's try to get this under control.  For the first 6-7 miles, I was sick every time I started running.  So my running segment got shorter and shorter and my walking got longer and longer.  Finally I started feeling better and was like ..OK.. I think I can run more now on this 2nd loop.  Well, by mile 9 my bad foot and my right leg seized up and the cramps started!  I was like WHY WHY WHY ... 😭😭😭  I thought I had done everything right.  I thought I was hydrated.  However, something was not right.  Yes, it was hotter than hades and many, many were struggling and walking... but I was still CRYING WHY ME>>>>  I looked at my watch and knew I could literally walk the rest completely with no running and still make the 8 hour 30 min time limit.   It had turned to all about survival for me at this point.  So that's what I did.  I walked and walked and walked and every now and then I would try to run but the cramp would stop me dead in my tracks.  I was so happy to see Mike & Susan along the course.  Mike helped put ice down my shirt at an aid station to keep me cool. 😍   

My friend Susan who was there cheering some of her friends captured these of me on the run.  I don't even know how I managed a smile.  Probably her cheering. 💓 At this point I had so much ice stuffed down my shirt! and my fuel belt was so stretched out of shape it would barely stay up.  I didn't realize that until I put it on to run.  I had not worn this thing since 2019... guess I should have made sure it was still in good shape. LOL  I ended up undoing it and wrapping it around a couple times in a knot to tighten it towards the end before it was at my knees. 😂

I haven't seen an "official" race photos yet.  Maybe I'll have a good one on the bike. 

My time 3 hours! for a half marathon! I was crushed... However, I was so glad to see that FINSIH LINE!  💪

OH and the elevation for the run is NO joke either.  They say it's hard... and it's HARD.

got some race photos finally:

Total time overall for me: 7:44:37 .... 

No where near my fastest time for a half ironman! Like almost an hour over my best time.  I walked across that finish line and found a shade off in the distance and sat down under a tree all by myself.  I beat myself up pretty bad for having to walk on the run.  I kept thinking all the marathons you've done lately and you can't even run a half marathon!  See this is why I'd say people would say I'm crazy if they knew my thoughts .... 

However, I didn't let that pity party last long.  I reminded myself no matter the outcome of my race, I am bigger than just that moment.  I can't control weather, other competitors, road conditions, currents, etc.   All I can control is ME.  My attitude.  I choose to smile and be happy with a finish.   I thank God I am able to do those things.  Some people can't.   I am blessed.  And I know God carried me the whole way.  Believe me, I talked to him so much during the race.  I prayed for family & friends back home, I prayed for other racers I saw struggling and I prayed for endurance to let me finish.  🙏💓  Some people ask.. why do you do it if it's so HARD.   It gives me a sense of accomplishment.  I want my kids to see me as someone who is not afraid to try.  I want them to know that "anything is possible". 😍 And I did have fun for all except the run. 😁😂

I wanted to go Monday before I headed home and take a nice picture at the river with the mountains in the background, but it never stopped raining .... So here's the best I could get.  Hard to believe the day before this bridge was full of racers and people cheering as we finished the run heading into the finish line.  

So that's a wrap.  I'm officially on rest break from races till September.  I need a mental and physical break to prepare for 2 major marathons back to back.