Ironman Arizona - November 16, 2014

New Jersey is known as the armpit of America and I think I found its cousin in Tempe, Arizona.  I should have been suspicious of this race characteristic with the lead sponsor, Waste Management.  This was Ironman number 3.. they say three is a charm, third is lucky and there were many signs of this luck throughout the day.  

Friday before the race I met up with Nick (the SagMonkey), grabbed my gear and set out for a practice swim.  Taking a view of the water I did not see anyone swimming.  Nope, they were not allowing athletes into the water except for a practice swim on Saturday.   Frantically texting my coach he said, go warm up in the pool nobody should subject themselves twice to that nasty water.  Done.  I turned back and looked at the water noticing there weren't any birds or ducks either.   My best friend from college warned me it was a disgusting "lake" so I was somewhat prepared.   

Race morning was super smooth.  I got up at 4:00am after "resting" for 7 hours... I say resting because I am quite certain I did not sleep the night before.  I found my groove and breezed through the full body spray down in sunscreen and body glide, jumped into my race gear and set off to the start.   

The past two Ironman's pre race were much more nerve racking than the third.   Race morning and every day leading up to the race I just felt a ton of butterflies.  I was ready and deep inside felt a calm confidence about the day.    

Time to inch my way to the dock and jump in for a 300 meter swim to the start.  I should have known the "Waste Management"  theme would ring throughout the day as we moved like a rookery of penguins toward the dock.  Similar to inching your way out of a concert or sporting event it is slow moving.  I passed an athlete clutching a garbage can throwing up and dry heaving.  I offered him the last sip of water in my bottle and all he could muster was a shake of his head as he stood hugging the can.  More penguin waddling and I jump into the "lake" and place my face in the muck of water.  It is dingy.  I can't see my hand pull past my face.   In a clean water match up between Tempe Town Lake and the break off Sloat at Ocean Beach where the sewer runs I think Sloat OB may take the clean victory.   Me and 3,000 other penguins make our way to the start buoys.   The water smells so I purse my lips trying to keep any drop out of my mouth.  Chris held a meeting with his athletes the day before the race and one guy asked, Should I put Imodium or Tums in my bike transition?.. I start panicking that I did not do that!  Fbombs are flying through my head and I actually think through the route for me to stop at Walgreens once on the bike.   Swimming with a big pucker I feverishly try not to let the water sneak past my lips! 

I am a slow swimmer.   I met a guy, Steve Kukta, a couple years ago who dearly swam next to me across Donner Lake during a training weekend.  He coined the term "lane 8" swimmer in his latest race recap, which I thought was fitting for me as well.  I actually may be a lane 9 swimmer but, the one thing I have going for me is that I swim super straight in open water.  

The gun goes off and the waddling penguins are now swimming as if being chased by a seal.  Here we go with hands in my face, arms on top of my head, bodies sandwiched, spooned it is unclear as I am swimming in the middle of a pile of people sticking to each other.  Just like traffic we plug along and then all of the sudden we are swimming and into our groove.. nope, slam on the breaks.  I was kicked, I was clawed, my goggles were ripped off my face at one point.   Somehow,  I find the finish and push myself up on the bleacher seats and exit to the bike.  There has got to be a spot for us slow straight swimmers.

The first few turns of the crank were textbook and my bike transition was smooth just like my morning started.   The day's mantra: just do what Chris tells you to do.   After the first 10 minutes on the bike my stomach began to cramp.  Uh Oh.  My stomach has had this feeling before after a trip to Cabo San Lucas.  All went well until the last day when we ate at a Taco stand.  Those cramps were all too familiar and it took a trip to the Doc, a donated sample and a Cipro Rx to get rid of them.  Damn Tempe Lake!  I must have swallowed the water?!  AHHHH... slight panicking on the bike. Where is the Imodium???!! Then I just think ok, first keep pedaling, second finish the bottle of water Chris told you to drink before putting in any food.  OK, I finish the water and my stomach cramped again... ahhhh... stressing and sweating more than normal I think, think think.. Ok, drink all the Osmo.. gulk, gulk, gulk, in goes the Osmo all 40 oz of it.  I sneak in some food and just go with it, drinking and eating accordingly and trying to ignore my stomach cramps. 

Do you remember the sponsor?  Yep,  Waste Management or as my Finisher shirt is printed, "presented by... Waste Management.  (I think they are proud of it?)  The bike is a three loop course and we pass the Waste Management center six times!  The smell of burning trash is putrid and metallic.  You can see the inferno from the highway and smell its presence from at least a mile away.   On a day without wind this would be a super easy ride but, on this day the winds really picked up as the day progressed.  In one direction along the Beeline Highway I was fighting to hold 10mph on the flats and then at the turn enjoyed 25+mph.  The wind is so strong thorns blow onto the highway and athletes are flatting out left and right.  I had a little chit chat with my bike angel about our "no flat" deal.  Thankfully no flats.   Thank you bike angel!

Three loops of anything is monotonous not to mention the desert.  But in all that monotony my stomach cramps had vanished!  I did not have to go to the bathroom though. Now, by this time I have had 6 -  20 oz bottles of water/Osmo... that's a 6-pack and a half!  I saw a lot of women during this race peeing on the bike, and yes in the wind.  The thought of peeing all over my beloved Cervelo and Zipp 404s just is well, can't do it.  

There is some beauty in the desert.  The dark pointy mountain range like a cut out against a huge blue sky and surrounded in shades of white and green cactus each with their own personality.  Happily I find the end of the bike course and get out of the wind, or so I thought.   

Into the tent I go and get ready to run.  I am a runner.  Running is my happy place. Skipping and cheerfully singing to jump in my running shoes.  I was unsure of what this marathon would bring.  After running Boston in April I had to fix two tears in my Plantar.   An MRI revealed as the Dr. said a "degenerative" runners foot.  In fact, I think in the report the word "degenerative" was used 12 times to describe my foot.  Welcome to 43 Lane 9 swimmer.   That foot has been running for 38 years!  The cure was two PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) injections,  weekly acupuncture, daily icing, bi-weekly physical therapy, massage, chiro and strength training like no other to wake up the posterior chain.  I was vicious but, patient with healing my foot. My friend Mike, a professional chef,  taught me how to make Liver which I learned was good for building healthy tissue.. I really gave it a girl scout try on the liver but, could not get it down.   No wonder it is a $1.87 for an entire container from the butcher!

I finally got an all clear to start running again mid August.  Dr. Rowan Paul at CPMC did an outstanding job at fixing my Plantar.   I started running on the Alter G and a walk/run until I could run for 30 minutes.  Chris was instrumental in slowly increasing the running and chaining me to dirt and grass.  My longest pre-race run was in Truckee around the Sawtooth Trail for a couple hours. The marathon was a complete mystery to me if I was even going to finish.  

Chris's words from the day before rattle my brain as I exited the tent, "Leslie, you can run this entire marathon".   One foot in front of the other, legs feeling like pegs and fbomb!  Would someone turn off the wind!  The Waste Management gift that keeps on giving presents us with 26.2 miles on CONCRETE around the "lake" !  My running buddies all shuttered that we ran a marathon on concrete. Surprisingly even on concrete,  the miles tick away.  The sunset turns the sky to orange and then to my surprise as the sun sets it also turns off the wind, the cool air wrapped my body and my pace picked up.  I call it the boogieman pace, an easy to hold clip in the dark of night.   Suddenly the turnover is effortlessly faster and I start flying by runners and they are cheering me on, wow!  go!  Great pace!  Like a horse near the barn I am all about finding that finish line.   All I can think about is finding my boys and their sweet little faces near the finish chute .   I want to hear about their day and kiss them.  

FINISH LINE:  11:43.57.   

Swim: 1:24.04   Bike: 6:08.26   Run: 3:59.42

14th in Age Group, 85th Female and 498 Overall

Arriving back home I dilly dally for a few days and then go into full swing preparing for Thanksgiving.  I am very thankful for many people in my life.  Time to stop, time to get eye to eye with the to do list and most of all time to make room for friends, family and those who support me in this crazy endeavor.

Surround yourself with brilliant people and you can achieve great things. 

Chris Hauth -  AIMP Coaching  

Craig Upton -  Performance Labs

Andy Tubbs - Sports Massage
Nick Nicastro - SAGMonkey

Tim Burnmaster -  Teaching me how to lift a weight!

Jenifer Moss - Jennifer Moss Acupuncture

Dr. Rowan Paul-  Sports Medicine 

Mara Kevan -  Nutrition 

Erika Moody - Physical Therapy

Jeff Barbie - Truckee Physical Therapy

... wine, chocolate and the O'Neil boys.....

Ironman Canada - Whistler 2013

IRONMAN CANADA - WHISTLER  AUGUST 25, 2013

British Colombia is a stand out beautiful part of this world and my eyes could not gulp fast enough driving from Vancouver to Whistler.   I live every summer near the Tahoe mountains which line the lake's edge however, the tall pointy mountains of Western Canada hug you close and tight from all sides.  The glacier run off is sparkle white and the lakes are emerald jewel green. Complementing this beauty are the people in the community who are NICE....really nice, may I help you, thank you for coming nice.  As an American it is quite shocking at first and very easy to welcome the open arm kindness from Canadians.  

Long ago, I ran a brand new marathon in San Diego and after sucking water from the garden hose of a generous homeowner on the race course I decided that it was my first and last brand new race.   Well, never say last or at least put your trust in Ironman to pull off a "first time" race in a brand new location with few glitches.   Ironman Canada in Whistler is a DO.  Sure there are some race, course and event logistics to flush out but, in my opinion Ironman did a very good job executing a race in a brand new location. 

Whistler was Ironman #2 so, I had only been around the block once before.   The nerves were singing but, at a different tune because this time I knew what I had gotten myself into.  I had studied hard for the exam, had taken the exam before and passed however, never take anything for granted when racing an Ironman.   I gained perspective of where I was just 6 years ago standing in line to pick up my race number.  I was standing behind two women, one with a stroller and cute snoozing five month old.  My thought was, oh how nice the new mom is standing in line with her friend to get her race number... WRONG.  They were both in line to get both their race numbers!!!  So surprised a Mom of a five month old was embarking on what I had taken 8 months to prepare for!  She had the whole thing figured out even how to pack her Madela on the bike for 112 miles!  The next day I met a guy on the bus who had completed Ironman Sweden and Denmark the previous weekend then flew to Canada to race Whistler and the next day was flying to Japan for another Ironman race!  If you lost track that is 4 Ironman's in three weeks!   Crazy Town!   

My pre race preparation was beginning to match my ease of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Everything was organized and the reality of what  #691 was going to do the following day was sinking in.   In Ironman terms I had great sleep the night before.  This is falling asleep by 10:00pm and waking up at 3:40am before the 4:00am alarm.    After getting ready and making my way to the start line I saw my parents and soaked up their smiles and everlasting positive energy.  Then made my way to the lake.

The swim in Alta Lake is FANTASTIC!  This is coming from a surfer who learned a swim stroke in her twenties.  The lake is crystal clear and a perfect temperature of 66 degrees (19 degrees Celsius.... sounds colder in C.. eh?). The layout is very easy to navigate and every breath you get a peek of the mountains.   The off shore swim start enabled me to warm up and get into perfect position and AVOID the rush hour traffic jam.  Ambrosia.  The swim course is two loops, 1.2 miles each and lined with multi colored buoys for turns and straights.  This made for very easy navigation and visibility. The steam coming off the lake combed our caps as we waited for the gun... KAPOW, the gun rattled our ears and we were off!  Warming up in the water for me is K-E-Y!  Funny how you can learn what works best on the biggest race of the year!   If you can believe it, I did not want to stop swimming after lap two !  1:24:21  2.4 Mile Swim... Check!

Exiting the water, I ran toward two volunteers who in no time had my wetsuit ripped off like a candy wrapper!  I quickly changed and was off to my bike, hopped on and thought..hmmm something feels weird... oh!  I forgot my gloves!  My Coach, Chris Hauth told me to place my gloves on the end of the aero bars and put them on once riding... Did I do that?  NO... (game show buzzer wrong sound insert here).  So, I decided it was no big deal and rode 112 miles without gloves which I had never done before and what did I learn ?.... I liked it better!   The ride is SPECTACULAR. Good challenging climbs from 4 - 10% grade and downhill rewards with jaw dropping beauty the entire route.  The first section to Callaghan Valley was a good climb and then we rode back through Whistler to soak up cheers before heading out to Pemberton.  The town of Pemberton greeted us with a flat section of pure aero bar joy through a valley lined with more gorgeous mountains.

Surprisingly to me this was one of the most challenging parts of the course... really?  The flat part!  After returning back to Pemberton the course climbs UP to Whistler to the bike finish.  At mile 90 while climbing the last 1,000' of elevation gain my legs were screaming at me that marathons were not meant to be run today.  Oh legs...you can whine but, you can't decide.  I only had two major issues on the bike, first my chain derailed at mile 5 and without gloves made for a very black hand.  (Leslie's official rule book states that any derailed chain requires a mandatory follow up Mani Pedi).  Second, the roads were bumpy in spots and athletes were loosing bottles, air, tubes and food from their bikes.  At one point I lost one canister of air but, did not realize it in time.  Then I lost the second canister of air and tube so, stopped to pick that up. Thankfully I did not need to use tubes and air!  6:10:43    112 Mile Bike... Check!

Rolling into T2 I hopped off the bike and ran into the tent to get ready for the marathon.  A good tip from Chris was to run in what feels good and my fav is a running skirt!  I had been battling a leg injury three weeks prior and it was not healed.  I was concerned about the run.  I did not know what to expect, except pain.  I took a good dose of Advil and put Sombra Cold Therapy on my leg. This combination is a WINNER!  

I ran the first 5 miles and then walked 5 minutes to assess any pain... none.  Just do what Chris tells you to do...cha..ching!  So, I continued running on a tree lined, dirt and paved bike trail that wound itself around rivers, emerald lakes and a golf course.  I uncovered my love for running when I was 5 years old.  I would wake up early and get dressed then lay down on the brown shag carpet at the base of the stairs often falling back to sleep waiting for my Dad to join him on his morning run.  He left every morning before work and would take me out with him for a loop around the neighborhood before his "real" run.  To this day I remember feeling the endorphins and the joy of running with my Dad.  So, for me the run is my happy place and this course was fun with trails and windy up and downs.  The last few miles of the two loop course consists of many turns with pockets of cheering so it moves along very quick.   My leg did not hurt but, the strength was not there so after the first loop I put another coat of Sombra (my beloved new beauty sport product) on my leg.  Ahhhh.. Felt so good.  I did better at eating this race however, something hit me hard at mile 18 and I found myself racing for the Port a Pottie.  I had been in this situation before but, I was in Mexico and drinking margaritas, dancing and well you know the story.  I have no idea what disagreed with me because everything I ate was my own except for the bananas on the course.   It slowed me down but, it was over by mile 22 and thankfully it was short lived andIronman has aid stations every mile!  Lucky!  Safe!   Over the Pemberton meadows and through the Whistler woods to the finish line we go...  As I ran toward the finish my mind stopped to a clear space and my heart started beating faster in disbelief that I found it, I did it!, the finish line was right in front of me.  4:04:13  Marathon... Check!

Ironman requires so much mental game play throughout the day that when you do look up and see the finish line and hear your name being called out it is astonishing, surprising and above all welcoming!  How had the day flown by so fast?!   They say time flies when you are having fun but, there are moments that are not so fun... My inner voice reminds me that time flies when you are living in the moment.   Finish Line... Check: 11:51:17   Age Division: 25/121  Women: 107/622

Back in San Francisco, I pull open the front door of my home and walk out onto the porch, inhale the ocean breeze and feel the length of this journey to Ironman Canada.  Grabbing the mail out of the mailbox the time stamp of August 2013 goes from a blur to clarity...  Eight months of the year has flown by and I feel the end of the commitment that was made, the sacrifices and mental focus.  Time to rest, time to hug my boys a little more, time to balance life again.  

THANK YOU for supporting me in this endeavor.  I hope that I can support you in your future endeavors whatever they may be and wherever they may take you...

Racing Ironman requires a posse of support !   

ROLL THE CREDITS!

Chris Hauth - AIMP Coaching  -  Thank you for your enduring patience, attention, thorough guidance and telling me what I needed to hear even when I did not want to hear it.   

Craig Upton - Performance Labs  -  Thank you for testing, education and most of all perspective of the goal.

Andy Tubbs - Sports Massage Therapy - Thank you for your down right most painful in a good way massage, attention, calm and care.

Olympic Club -  Provider of the cleanest most loveliest pool in all of San Francisco

The O'Neil Boys - Your eternal support, patience and love is remarkable.  Thank you my loves.  Kisses, Hugs, Kisses, Hugs  and Repeat.

The Girls - Thank you for taking me out, having fun, keeping my heels in use and the girl inside awake!

My Family - Your cheering and support are the sound bites running through my head...  

ChocoLOVE -  Dark Chocolate Power!  ok... And a lot of Honey Stinger Waffles, Bonk Breakers, bananas, Honey Stinger Chews and OSMO!