Beach2Battleship Race Report

For me, it all started with this Beach2Battleship race in 2009.  I went out to watch Eliza come out of the water and run to her transition area (T1) and then begin her bike ride.  I couldn’t fathom the distances she was traveling that day, and thought for sure that I could never do a fraction what she was doing.  It seemed ludicrous!  But the energy of that day fueled the spark that was lit the month before when a friend came to stay with me to race in the famous YMCA Wrightsville Beach Sprint.  She was still nursing one of her babies.  Beside her in her transition was a woman who was undergoing chemo.  What was my excuse? 

I went to a workout with my now- trainer and coach Greg Koenig and was maddened at my performance  (or lack thereof.)  I decided to say it out loud, “I am going to try a triathlon.”  And just to make sure I didn’t back out, I decided to raise sponsorships and race for a bigger cause, to take the focus off of myself and keep perspective.  When I was struggling during a race, I would remind myself about true hardship.  That’s how TriForAmani was born, and through triathlon, I have now raised enough sponsorship to support 33 Kenyan babies for a year.  My dream has come true! 

I didn’t stop after that first triathlon, and I didn’t stop after that first year.  It’s too much fun!  TriForAmani brings everything together for me: keeping me healthy, setting a healthy example for my kids, enjoying the great outdoors, spending time with friends, and helping others all at the same time.  I’ve now finished my third triathlon season, each with 5 triathlons.  October 20, 2012 brought me so much joy, and I wish for EACH of you to experience even a fraction of the happiness I felt that day.  Here’s a recap.

Beach2Battleship 2012 was a new experience and unlike any other on so many levels.  Although I’m very familiar with “race nerves,” for my first half- iron distance race, I was unable to acknowledge them and then chill out as I usually am.  Thursday and Friday before the race, I was so anxious, and still so excited!  I’d been ready to just get out there and get the job done for several weeks, and the waiting was just killing me!  I had done the work, and I knew that once the race started, I’d be okay, but I grew more and more frustrated that I was wasting energy being anxious instead of just enjoying the ride. 

The day before the race was all about logistics.  With a point- to- point race like this one, there are two transition areas, and getting the multiple bags packed and decorated and where they needed to be was new.  It was not hard, but it was different which meant I had to take everyone’s advice and roll it into what worked for me.  I know the question is not whether anything unexpected will happen, but whether I will be prepared to handle it when it does.  To prepare myself for the unexpected, that week I had gone to a pre-pre-race meeting, had practiced changing a flat with the great Jim Mincher, and gone to the official pre-race meeting, I was pumping my tires to go check my bike into the first transition area on Friday afternoon when I hit the first bump in the road: Front tire flat.  In three years, my first flat was on the day before my first half- iron race?  I laughed out loud.  And I’m happy that I had the presence of mind to be grateful that my first flat wasn’t when I was cruising at race pace!  

Thanks to Brandon and Jim at Two Wheeler Dealer, when I took my bike to T1, it was as good as new.  I, however, was a wreck.  I had been in the middle of showing my house that Friday morning (why did I think that was a good time to show my house?) when school called and my youngest son was being sent home from school for being disruptive.  So, I had my sweet little devil sidekick with me for the day, and my nerves were shot.  This was really unlike me!  I loooooove racing.  I’m not a fast enough runner to be finishing anywhere near the top of my age- group, and I do this for fun!  To me every finisher is a winner, and I gain so much more respect for myself with each race.  So why was my heart racing for two solid days!?  I couldn’t get on top of it.  So, I did some yoga, and I kept on breathing.  I kept on putting one foot in front of the other. 

Taking my bike to Wrightsville Beach Park did not help my nerves.  I love my bike; she’s my girl Judi (JustDoIt). We have spent some serious time together this year!  Leaving my Judi at T1 was such a strange feeling!  When I said goodbye to her at T1 Friday afternoon, it was wild knowing that the next time I saw her would be on race day, finally!  At that point, I was certain that I was in over my head!  All of those beautiful athletes and beautiful bikes…. What in the world was I thinking!?  That’s when I reminded myself of all of those training hours I’ve put in, how lucky I am to have a body healthy enough to do what I choose, of all those friends and family who have answered my call to help Kenyan children, and all of those beautiful children who now have a better chance because of TriForAmani. 

All of that nervousness contributed to how ready I was for Saturday morning.  I was lucky enough to get to spend the morning with my strong, beautiful, and inspirational friend and Pink Lady Rebecca Moxey.  We commiserated about how nervous we both were about our first half, we set up our gear, we went back a million times to touch everything just to make sure it was there, and we headed down to the southern tip of the island to watch the incredible start of the full Iron Distance race.  I saw my friends from the YDubTriClub, some racing and some cheering.  We heard the national anthem, and heard the announcer talking about our girl- ELIZA!  He said it was “entirely too much Pink” for him that early in the morning, but it was just right for me!  Eliza was all decked out in her Pink wig and her Pink Ladies Tee- jumping up and down and revving up the energy for the race.  I started to feel better.  I touched the water and with the slight chill in the air, the water felt like a warm bath and the current was ripping!  It was almost my turn.  I was feeling a little more like myself every second.

We jogged back to Rebecca’s car, forcefed ourselves another few bites of nutrition, and then caught up with Pink Lady Beth Andrew and three other YDub friends.

 Into the water we went to bob like corks and wait our turn, and before we knew it, the PINK caps (appropriate!) were off!  The current was really racing, and I was grateful that I live here in Wilmington and have learned how to navigate serious current like that!  There were a few moments of “what was I thinking” again as I was smacked in the back of the head and crawled upon, but soon I settled in and became calm about the gallons of salt water I was drinking.  I didn’t realize it at the time because I was caught up in “long and strong,” but I was having a great swim!  Before I knew it, the swim was over and I was soaking in the amazing energy of the volunteers on deck.  I told one guy who helped strip my wetsuit “Watch out, I’m tall,” And he said “Well I’m strong so we make a great team.”  THAT was the energy of the volunteers.  They are crucial.

I felt great running to T1, and I saw my husband and kids!  I didn’t know if I’d see them there because of the bridge construction, the soccer game schedule, etc.  Yet there were those four beautiful smiling faces, cheering me on even though I’d spent countless hours training away from home, and even though I was a grumpy old witch the two previous days.  I had to do this race with gratitude.  I have so much to be thankful for.  So, I get into T1 and where was my bike?  I couldn’t find Judi!  Ah- there it was- on the ground, with everything in this direction and that, glasses on the other side of my rack and helmet back near the rack behind.  I collected everything and sat to put on my cleats and gave a chuckle.  OK, that was the blip.  Check. 

Off I went to run out and mount the bike and Jim Mincher (thank goodness he was tech support!) ran out and fixed the top of my flat kit that was hanging off probably from the bike’s spill.  He gave me the great advice “Relax.  Nobody ever won a race in the first mile.” This echoed in my mind throughout the bike ride, though I never actually entertain the thought of winning a race anyway!  As I drove past my husband and kids again to start the bike, I yelled “I love you!” and that is really all that matters.

Until I realized that my water (with electrolytes) had spilled out of my aero bottle while it was lying down on the ground.  Uh oh.  Starting a 56mile bike ride with one water bottle and no more electrolytes except the ones in sugary Gu and Shot Blocks…. Yikes and yuck.  I reached the water bottle handoffs, and at the second one, the water bottle had a giant hole in it and I only got to have a few sips of water from there.  And even though I know that if you reach the thirsty point, you are already behind, I just kept going.  What was my other option!?  I felt decent on the bike, but I knew I didn’t have my usual mojo.  I could tell that the days of nervousness had caught up with me.  The high point of the ride was to have my friends around me, like Beth Andrew, Renee Griffin, Crystal Fink, and Frances Atkins.  The low?  Definitely when I was eating a bite of my pb&banana sandwich and fiddling around with nutrition and I got a drafting penalty for not being a full 3 lengths back from the girl in front of me.  Uggh.  I wasn’t drafting (I was far right and she was out left and at least 2 ½ lengths in front) but I still technically broke the rule.  4 minute penalty!  I made it, though, and made my goal of under 3 hours on the bike even though I was not feeling superstrong. 

Off to the run!  My weakest leg of the race, but there it always is, waiting for me, giving me chance after chance to Just Do It!  I’m working on it, but the run always gets me.  And at mile 3, I had no idea how I was gonna pull another 10 miles out of this body.  How did I make the mistake of putting in new race laces the night before and not running in them?  Wow, they were too tight by mile 3 and too knotted to do anything about it.  Another chuckle…..   another opportunity for improvement.  I was so happy to see Ydub cheerleaders at Satellite, and then my sweet husband figured out where to go so that I saw him, my three boys, and Amity, my best friend who had driven up from Raleigh, 5 times on the run before the finish line!  That was it!

That was how I got through it.  I was able to tick off a mile and a half here and there between each time I saw them, and then before I knew it, they said “See you at the finish line!”

On the way in I was thinking about all of those wonderful, emotional things that I promised myself I would reflect upon when things got tough.  I am so blessed to have health, friends, family, coaches, the desire and support to give back, and this wonderful life to enjoy.  I could hardly believe it when I saw the black and white finish line right there in front of me.  When I was almost there, I choked back tears to see and hear Sarah Heuttl and Sharon Siebert there screaming my name, then my family and Amity, and I could hardly keep myself together.  

And then I broke.  I saw it.  The Pink Ladies…. Literally.  There were Elizabeth Hinshaw and Eliza Blackwell in all of their Pink, jumping up and down for ME this time!  For me!  I did it! 

And I’m back for more next year.  The weather can’t possibly be as beautiful, but I won’t be as nervous, I won’t let my bike get knocked over, I won’t get a drafting penalty, I won’t put in new shoelaces the night before, and I will charge ahead ready to meet next year’s challenges.  I will just keep breathing and I will keep putting one foot in front of the other, all for that feeling at the end.