It’s been a while since I’ve written a race recap so here we go.
Swim: I started in the last wave of swimmers- 45-49 year old women. We got into the water an hour after the pros. In fact, we got to see Lucy Charles come out of the swim while we were waiting! Pretty cool. We had over 350 women in our age group, so I was kind of in the back and as I descended the steps to the water , the announcer said we had 90 seconds to get to the swim start. This is a mass start, treading water. Well, the start line was about 150 meters away. I wasn’t going to make it there in time. So I just swam to the start and by the time I got there, most women had left. My time started at 7:20 no matter what, so I just kept swimming. The water was 78 degrees and we were all in swim skins, not wetsuits. It was very salty, so it was quite buoyant. My biggest fear was panicking out there in the wide ocean, but I didn’t so I was happy about that. The swim was long and roll-y. I had to sight a lot because the swells were moving me around at times and I didn’t have a lot of people to follow. I felt strong in the swim and never tired (except getting tired OF swimming haha). However, when I came out of the swim, my watch said I swam over 4800 yards! It is supposed to be 4200. That was a shocker and something I had to grapple with on the start of the bike.
Swim Time: 1:36:48 (not bad for 4800 yards. Not great for 4200 yards haha)
Bike: Because I started in the last wave and then the back of the swim wave and had a slow swim, the first part of the bike through town was a bit lonely on the course. So, mentally I had to refocus and get out of my head to prepare for the rest of the race. But there is a lot of ground to make up over 112 miles so I settled in. Winds weren’t too bad going out to Hawi. Stomach was a bit unsettled but that happens in most Ironman races. If you don’t like how you feel in an Ironman, wait five minutes. Haha. I did have to stop for the bathroom once on the bike which has never happened before. I grabbed water at every aid station to pour over me. Drank about a bottle of Skratch an hour and had some gels and blocks for about 75-80 g of carbs per hour and about 750-800 mg of sodium per hour. Once I turned up the climb to Hawi, there was a big headwind so it was a grind. Got my bottles and more nutrition at special needs, and then screamed down Hawi at 30 miles an hour. So fun! Once I got back on the Queen K, the winds picked up and it was 40 miles of wind until town. Wasn’t terrible but it was relentless. I felt strong on the bike the whole way, but this course is a grind. Not a flat spot on the course and just open to the heat and wind and sun. Head down, one pedal stroke at a time. Usually I have a lot of fun on the bike in a race, but this one took a bit more out of me, and it seemed like all of the women around me felt the same as me. Focused, dealing with the elements and just getting it done.
Bike: 6:24:34 (fairly happy with my bike split. Biked within my limits but possibly could have gone harder considering what the run was going to be like).
Run- After Placid and the low back issues on the run there, I really wanted a solid run here in Kona. However my sore hip flexor leading into this race (leftover from the back issue ) showed up on the run. I had a feeling it would. The first 9 miles were great. I felt awesome running down Ali’i Drive. I didn’t feel hot (I think all the heat training I did actually worked!) and I didn’t feel sick. But once I got up to the Queen K, the hip flexor just tightened up and got so so sore and I had to adjust my stride and be super focused on how I was running so I didn’t make it worse. The run became a walk run and I really tried to get to each aid station without walking. The run is also not flat in any part- it’s up or down. Like the bike, it’s exposed to the heat and sun. No shade no trees. Just long ribbons of highway, and you can see all the runners and walkers for miles down the Queen K. Fairly daunting! Then, it was down into the infamous energy lab! It got dark and I got my headlamp at special needs. Even though I was run/walking I was able to keep an okay pace. I saw Angela at mile 23 which was a lifesaver and then….I had to stop at a porto potty again….at mile 25!!! My stomach revolted. I would not have made it to the finish! Ha! Who stops one mile from the finish?! ME! Haha. I think it was from the ocean. I had never had stomach issues before. I took a gel every three miles and took water at the aid stations and also some salt tabs every now and then.
There is nothing like the finish line in an Ironman and this one is extra special. Tears of joy running down the iconic finish shoot on Ali’i Drive for sure. Also, finishing this race wrapped up a whole year of managing back issues and then hip flexor issues because of the back. So finishing this final race of a really big season felt like a massive accomplishment.
Run: 4:19:26.
Total Time: 12:35:37
Final thoughts: Doing two Ironman races three months apart was a big ask of my body and my mind, and I could feel that in the race. However, I am happy I took the slot and raced. It was a magical day! I don’t know if I will ever come back to race Kona again, but I would like a bit of redemption for that swim and run. 97% of the women who started the race, finished. That is the highest finisher percentage of any World Championship race. So for all of the doubters who thought extra slots for women would make for a shit show of a Kona, they were wrong. The women were tough as nails out there. I can’t wait to get back to training in a more relaxed way in the off season. Big plans for next year!