looks can be deceiving...

...or some things I learned on Sunday at the Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 triathlon.

- water that looks relatively smooth from the dock/shore can actually be QUITE choppy when you're in the water as a swimmer
- winds that appear to be headwinds can actually be head/crosswinds so that you don't get a lot of help when you change directions on a bike
- run courses that look "easy" because they are relatively flat can mess with your brain...especially when you have to do four loops
- people who seem to have their mental game together when it comes to post-race analysis can actually convince themselves that they didn't have a great race
- AND people who do that can also, with the help of many friends, snap back to reality and within a day or two start to reflect on all of the good and feel proud of what they accomplished

I know all of this from experience...and because I am one of those people who experienced all of those things over these past few days.
Now on to the report (if you like short versions of things, stop reading now...).
Easy trip down to Galveston with Jess...except for the horrible accident that led us on a little detour, but more importantly, that looked like some folks didn't make it to Galveston or wherever they were going at all. That's always very sobering to me.
But once we arrived, it was pretty much all smooth sailing. Quick packet pick-up, chatted with Logan along the way, discovered that we weren't going to get t-shirts because they'd given out the wrong sizes the day before...and also discovered that the t-shirts were all running SUPER small so maybe I'll be thrilled with whatever size leftover I may or may not receive because I'm pretty sure the small I ordered would have fit over maybe one of my arms. Bike check-in...saw Amy and Catharine...and finally we made our way to the hotel. Easy check-in. A little bit of downtime and race prep. Met up with Carrie, Rhonda, Jerry, and the Moons for dinner at De Bella's for a carb-rich meal. Pasta. Chicken. Salad. And then home for some SLEEP. Note: I was pretty sleep-deprived going into this week. Not the best race prep.
Alarm went off bright and early and pretty soon thereafter, Jess and I had loaded up my car and were on our way to the race site. EASIEST drive and parking EVER. Saw Chris, Kevin, John, Tammy, and Dina right off the bat and then got to work setting out our transition stuff, pumping up bike tires, and remembering to eat breakfast and apply sunscreen (yes...I did apply sunscreen even though my currently leathery back doesn't suggest it!). Slowly but surely other T3 folks arrived...Carrie and Jane were racked near me with Cheryl right across from me and Amy, Catharine, and Jen down the row a little ways. Always nice to see familiar faces. We made our way over to the T3 tent and hung out there waiting for everyone to gather. More sunscreen. Tried to eat a banana - too ripe so I gave up. Team photo and a few photos with Amy and others and then it was time to head down to the swim start.
We were in a pretty late wave...to be more specific, the second to last wave which didn't start until nearly 8:15 a.m. So we got to get a good look at the course and watch the waves build and build. It was nothing like the day before (when the swim had been canceled all together), but the little white caps on top of the water didn't necessarily excite us! Finally, it was time to go down to the pier where Logan was announcing the race start. For some reason it's just really nice to have him as a familiar face and voice at the start of these races...even if he was telling us it was a great day for a swim with smooth, flat water. Riiiiiiight.
When it was our turn to go we walked to the end of the pier and literally "walked the plank", jumping off into the water, holding our goggles, and hoping not to swallow much of the murky, brown water below. We got tossed around a bit before the countdown began and then we were off. Phew. It always feel so much better to just be going!
I found some open water pretty quickly on the first stretch and tried to fall into a good rhythm but the waves were not being particularly kind. I remember thinking it was a bit like CDA last year...but with gross salt water and not nearly as many people! Turned at the buoy to be greeted by waves in my face. AWESOME! I felt like I was swimming in an endless pool but I just put my head down and tried to make forward motion. Evidently I did because soon I was in the middle of some women from the waves in front of me and at long last I could see the paddle boat which signaled our turn into the shore. Tried to draft off of a super fast woman from the wave behind me as she flew past me but that didn't quite work! Oh, well, worth a shot...and it certainly got me moving.
As I came out of the water I saw Mo, Esther, and Michelle - so cool - and then I dropped for the wetsuit strippers. Who. Were. Awesome. In what felt like a nano-second I was back on my feet and headed into transition. Note - it was probably a good thing that I didn't notice that my swim time was 5 minutes slower than last year because I would have probably convinced myself that there would be no PR happening today.
Saw Jess in transition - GO JESS - and soon I was headed out of transition and onto my bike. I actually remember being relieved because the swim was so choppy. Which is saying a lot because I usually LOVE the swim. Headed out to the sea wall, took a right, and said hello to Mr. Cross/headwind who would be our lovely traveling companion for the day. Oh, well. Nothing to do about it but settle in and ride. And so I did. Saw some other T3ers out there - we had a big crowd in Galveston for the race - and I was actually feeling pretty strong. Not quite hitting the speeds I wanted. But I hadn't really calculated on a super fast bike ride with a head/crosswind! Finally hit the turnaround and was thinking that MAYBE we'd catch a break and get a little tail/crosswind on the way back. Well, not really. Perhaps we had a little one because I did negative split on the bike and I know my legs were anything but fresh at that point! Pretty uneventful ride overall (except for the dude who almost took me out at the last water stop!), but I do remember feeling strong which was really nice. And I passed a few folks with race wheels and aero helmets which is always fun! Finished in a little over 3 hours at just under 18 mph so I was pretty thrilled about that!
Left my bike in transition, grabbed my running gear, and realized it must have been a low point in race finishers because Logan was announcing my return to transition and then my exit from transition. Thank goodness I didn't stop to visit the port-a-potty or the world might have heard that, too! Kidding...it's always nice to hear your name and get an extra vote of confidence. Thanks, Logan! I could tell right away that my legs were feeling good. And I got some extra pep in my step from the T3 cheering area...Nancy, Karen, Mo (who gave GREAT advice to dump water on my head every chance I got to keep cool), Landon, Eric, and others. If you've never experienced a team like T3 cheering for you, you have really missed out. I cannot begin to put into words what a difference it makes. And when you do a race with so many teammates, you get those little boosts all along the course as you see familiar faces. Legs loosened up pretty quickly and the first lap flew by...with an appearance by Michelle and Charles in an unexpected place - awesome...literally (8:47/mile - oops!). Laps two and three felt pretty good, too, although I could feel myself fading a little (as is evidenced by my paces! 9:20/mile and 9:46/mile). I tried to be diligent about water and salt and ice and sponges and nutrition, but I wasn't as good about nutrition as I needed to be. Nonetheless, I did my best to catch Rhonda (didn't quite do it!) and just hold a solid pace all the way to the end. Passed my dreaded 10-mile marker (where I've historically fallen apart!) and knew I was headed to the end. I thought I'd be able to really kick it in but my legs were having none of that so I dialed it back a little...I wanted to be able to run across the finish line!...and I settled into a steady groove. Saw a few folks who had finished and were kindly cheering me on and then I saw the finish line. This time I got to go to the "finishers" side of the signs and that felt pretty darn good. On a four loop course, it's as much about the mental game as it is about the physical game.
Crossed the finish line to see Rhonda and John still in the chute...and Mo, Charles, and Michelle just outside of the chute. Fun! Claimed my medal and, more importantly, my bottle of water. Peeked at my watch and saw a 2 minute PR. AWESOME! (I want to go on record as saying that immediately after the race I was thrilled to even have been able to steal a 1 minute from that course on that day!)
Chatted with friends and then made my way to the T3 tent to grab my recovery drink and see some other folks. Everyone had had a pretty rough day but was feeling pretty good about finishing! LOTS of first time 70.3-ers which was AWESOME. So cool to be on the course with them...YAY! And others who were seeking PR's or just good practice. Or both.
Quick trip back to the finish line to see Amy and a few others finish...this time I had a Sprite in hand which was making my tummy and my blood sugar levels happy. Back to the tent again, found the showers...ahhh...such a treat, and then the gathering of the "stuff" to start to head home. I was sorry not to be able to stay to see all of the T3-ers finish but Jess and I had a good 3.5-4 hr drive back and after a race you never know just when the weariness is really going to hit you.
So looking my very post-race best in my shorts, t-shirt, and compression socks...yes, it's a sexy look...I hopped behind the wheel and Jess and I headed back to Austin. Of course, we rehashed the race....and made note of the lovely scenery between Austin and Galveston. Yeah. I'm kidding. It's not that lovely until you hit 71 heading back into Austin...and then it's wonderful. And it's home.
And at home that's when I unpacked and took a look at my race stats. And started to get conflicted. At first I was thrilled with a 2-minute PR even though I thought it was a little laughable. And then I became bummed about only a 2-minute PR. I felt like I was SO much stronger than last year. Certainly more than 2-minutes stronger. And what was I to make of the fact that my swim was 5 minutes slower than last year?! Thank goodness I cut 4 minutes off my run time because I needed that time to balance out my swim!
Four days and many conversations...with both myself and others...later, I'm finally in a good place about this race. I know, it's silly. To get worked up over 2 minutes. (I didn't want to get caught up in the numbers, but I'll admit that I did.) To have been upset that I had thought I could do better and forget that any PR is a great thing. To have forgotten that I gave it my all, that I felt strong, and that I was a happy, happy girl while I was racing. Thanks to my friends, teammates, and family, I'm back in touch with a better reality. And this reality reminds me that I have improved, that my training is paying off, that I really do love this sport, that it's a cool thing to be able to see where you've come from and where you still want to go with it all, that training alongside people is a gift, that having coaches who care is priceless...and that there's every chance that I'll be well-prepared and be ready to put these months of training to the test on June 27. (And between now and then, I have a few things to work on...) So, yes, looks can be deceiving. 5:57:35 might not look that different from 5:59:56 but it's HUGE. And more than 2 minutes huge. Huge because it reminded me to look beyond the numbers. Huge because it represents me pushing myself to go faster than I thought I could go. Huge because it helped me remember that if I only think about times, I'll miss out on what's most important about racing. So, thanks Galveston for the wind...and the waves...and the sun(burn!)...and the invaluable lessons. See you next year :)