WOW!! After many months and many, MANY trainings...Steelhead is officially in the books! I guess I'll get right to it... Taper weeks went well...as much as everyone thought tapering (cutting back on training) would be tough for me.. I think I nailed it! I was able to do short, but efficient efforts to keep myself moving and strong, but also fresh and ready to go on race day.. So race weekend arrived. Matt, Mason and I (aka: Team Blunck!) loaded up the car and took off on the 3hr journey to Benton Harbor, MI. We got there around 11a and met up with the team, had a quick lunch and then I took off with the crew to hit registration and then head down to rack our bikes and take a quick dip in the lake. Registration...I won't bore you with that, but woah. Definitely the one low point of the event..the line was crazy & about the last thing I wanted to do...but we made it. Got our goods, kept a happy face and good attitude...and took off for the race site! The transition area was big and we had little personalized spots designated for our bikes, which was a delightful touch, I thought (it's the little things that really matter, ya know??). There wasn't much 'set up' to do..just put the ol bike in it's spot..the rest will be done tomorrow before the race. So off to put on the wetsuit and check out Lake Michigan. Ah...Lake Michigan.. The last time she and I tangoed, I must say...1 point for the lake and a big 'ol goose egg for moi (at Chicago tri last August...it was cold and my 1st time in the wetsuit...I made it through, but it wasn't pretty!). But not this time, my friend.. The lake was a balmy 76-ish degrees (wetsuit legal...that's all we need to know!), but it was quite nice! Fairly clear, for a lake...we could see the sandy bottom..I think this is going to be OK! So then back to the hotel, get ready for our pasta dinner (which I don't normally eat pasta the night before the race.. but I didn't think it'd really be a big deal to have it..and it wasn't. It was fine) as a team where we high fived and congratulated each other on our fundraising and training and all that good stuff. Most importantly, we were reminded of our cause when our assistant coach, Dea, got up with her elder daughter, who is 11, and gave a speech about Lauryn's fight with Cancer. A lot of it I have heard before through training with Dea, but it is ALWAYS emotional to hear it. (lots of tears in that room!) I think I've said it before, but something about being a mom and thinking about how hard it would be to see your child sick or to have to think about the unthinkable...gets me every time. So anyway, motivation firmly in place...we head back to the hotel for a short meeting (and gag gifts.. I was honored with the 'tatoo' for the season...a lovely 'Born to Rock' or something like that.. I tried to wear it, but I think my sunscreen ruined it.. Oh, well..thought that counts) and then to set out our gear, try to get some sleep and prepare for our EARLY morning!
We met with the group at 4am (yes....4am! I actually woke up before my alarm at about 3-ish) and then took off for the race. We arrived in the pitch dark (obviously)...but I was a little surprised to find really NO lighting in the area?? I managed to squint my way through setting my gear up...juuuuust in time....to feel the 1st rain drops. So I grabbed my trash bags and covered what I could cover (most importantly my shoes! soaked shoes and socks are a big bummer!) and took off for some cover with my team. Finally, just as the rain was letting up a bit, it was time to make the trek down to the swim start.. a 1.2mi walk in the sand. I totally knew about this walk and didn't feel as though it was anything to be bent out of shape about...and it was fine.. But it definitely took longer than I thought it would. But it was actually a nice time to chat with some buds (Joe and Shawn... Ashley was marching off ahead with her 'game face' already firmly in place!) and take in a bit of the scenery. I got to the start probably 10 or 15min before time to take off, so got situated in my wetsuit and got my pre-race dip in...lined up with the rest of the 30-34yr old ladies...got a few quick song & dances in! (ask Ashley...I think I even broke her 'game face' for a bit when I broke out my moves!). Not til we were finally called in and standing by the water waiting for the start call did I finally don my game face. I was ready..plotted my route and placement in the water (not sure why I bother..it's always immediately irrelevant and just turns in to 'just keep swimming, look where you're going')...and we're off! Let me just say (as I cut this dramatic story down a bit), the swim. was. amazing!! Best swim EVER (so far)! The current was delightful. The temp was perfect. Course was marked with perfectly spaced bouey's (that looked like sail boats!..actually..they were just triangles, but looked like sail boats to me!). I was actually passing people!! not usually something I experience in this leg of the race... So by the time I exited the water (about 35min later), I was elated!! I was all smiles. And then I started my looooong 'bay-watch-eat-your-heart-out' trot up the beach til I FINALLY reached solid ground!
1st Transition (T1 to those 'in the know') was fine.. nothing special.. As usual, I was chatting to the gals around me.. Mostly about how great the swim was, have a good day..that kind of stuff. I think my T1 time was around 3:30. Not fast, but not too slow.. Nothing I would change, really.
Now off on the bike. Here we go! I feel like the bike is really the 'meat' of this tri sandwich.. We're out there for the longest time & I think it has the most opportunity for things to go awry... So here we go... Well. I felt great!! I was cruising along on my purple piece of high tech equipment (I love my bike...but I have a feeling it gets a little jealous of those around it while it hangs out in transition.. Chin up, Buddy! We do just fine out there, you and me... We pass those fancy schmancy tri bikes with NO problem!) feeling like I could go for..at LEAST 56 miles (isn't that lucky??). Honestly, I thought the coarse was really easy. It actually felt like there were more down hills than up, though I know that's not actually the case.. But any hill that was out there was a long, gradual thing...never a sharp "we're going up THAT??!" kind of thing. No head wind that I had heard all about... All in all, delightful! The rain that had worried us all before the race and then sparked up a tiny bit in the swim was long gone now. I had a bit of cloud cover for most of the ride, so it was great! My goal time for the bike was 3hrs and I came in just under that..somewhere around 2:55 or something?? So pretty good! If there was any place that I was going to be tentative during the race, it was the bike.. I wanted to make sure I had some good legs left in me for the run, so I never felt really winded or like my legs were burning during the ride...and that's how I planned it! So far...so good for Steelhead and I!!
T2, again..nothing special. In and out in around 3:30....and we're off for the run!
My plan for the run was to start the 1st few miles at around a 10min mile pace.. Well, the 1st mile included the main uphill of the race...and I still came in closer to an 8:30 mile?! But..I felt good, so didn't sweat it. The next few miles were around that pace as well (estimated...I wasn't wearing my Garmin, but just used my trusty ol' Pink Polar watch that I just use to keep my total race time...no splits or anything special like that. I try not to get caught up in all that mess) & I was still feeling good...so I quit worrying about pace and quit looking at the watch...and just did some good old fashioned running! The volunteers at the aid stations were awesome & definitely helped us through. After that 1st hill and mile-ish out, we start in on our 2 loops out through a neighborhood and then through the whirlpool campus. The campus, I thought, was delightful! There was part of the run on a trail through some woods, which offered some nice shade.. There was 1 more hill, which we met up with 2 times in the loops, that we got to take on. Lots of folks were walking...but I just charged on (don't get me wrong...I'm sure it was closer to a shuffle...but I wasn't gonna walk it!). Loop #2 still felt pretty good! I actually like having the 13 miles broken up into the out/back and the 2 loops...helped to mentally check through the miles and be ready for the next thing ahead. I chatted with a friendly Canadian for a bit...and then another gal as we entered our final mile of the race.. I couldn't believe it was almost over! Couldn't believe what I had taken on...and what had seemed like such a crazy idea way back in January...it was almost over!! And I was still feeling good. That's crazy! Now...don't misunderstand...I was tired and my legs were a little sore... But all things considered...I was feeling GOOD! So I trucked on for what seemed like a long time...everyone saying I was "almost there" and it's "just around the corner"...finally...I round said corner and there it is...the big finish!! I still can't believe it. It felt so great. I was scanning the crowd looking for my boys...my team Blunck. I saw lots of TNT supporters and friends that had come up to watch..I smiled and high fived... Big finish... where's my guys??!! Well. I guess this is my fault. I had said for months, basically since I started training for this thing.. My goal finish time was 6hrs. Could I do it? I'd be OK with just over 6hrs...but maybe I'll be just under 6hrs.. So this is what Matt was planning on.. So when I cross the line at 5:35...he was with Mason on the swings??!! OH, NO!! No big deal...they came right up and it was great to see them. Matt was amazing keeping Mason entertained through that whole race... Mason was loving the beach and the water and the playground...he was loving all the action! He was excited to see his Mommy..and I was thrilled to see them...
Wow. Like I said... I STILL (even as I write this almost a week later) cannot believe it's over.. But it is! And it was a great success...from start to finish. From joining TNT, to the fundraising and having a great cause to inspire me...to the friends I've made...and to the amazing feeling of meeting and surpassing all of those goals that I set for myself. I would also like to say thank you SO MUCH to everyone for your support. I could NOT have done it without you. A HUGE thanks to my husband...thanks to my parents, aunts and uncles, in-laws, friends...your words of support gave me such a boost! I will cherish those notes forever.
So now what?? Well... I keep trucking along, of coarse. I have a sprint tri in 2 weeks here in town. Then the next weekend I head up to Chicago for an olympic distance race. Then...well...that's still up for debate.. But whatever it is that I do, I'll be doing it with my 'team Blunck' by my side!!! For those still craving more info about my racing and training and family stuff...I'll continue on with my blog...so fear not!! Thanks for listening... Oh, and I'll post some pics... our computer is working super slow right now & I just don't have the patience.. But I'll get 'em up soon!
