Perfect Race

Don’t let the title to this post fool you, no PR’s (30 mins over my personal record actually) were had at Macon Half Iron Distance.  2013 Macon Half Iron (know as Macon Bakin) was my perfect race.  There were lots of variables that were not in my favor before doing this race, but I’d committed to a friend that I was doing it and wasn’t going to let him down.  Really.  Jeff Walthew, you are THE ONLY REASON I did this race.

Have you ever dreamt of that moment where you finish a race completely and utterly satisfied with your performance?  Every aspect of the race went according to plan?  Flawlessly performed with outside variables all in you favor?  I had that, and it was AMAZING!  I’ve been racing 9 years (boy I’m old!) now and have never had that happen.  I even walked into PT a couple days after and when he asked how my race went I told him and he said, WOW that was actually positive!  Tehehe, what can I say I have high expectations most the time.

Coach Katie’s Instructions

Because of your training I suggest that you approach this race a little differently than you have other races. Swim steady and make sure to swim straight Bike – really watching your cadence and nutrition and keep the effort a little more moderate so that you save something for the run. This is really going to test your pacing and your patience – but I think taking it 1 gear slower on the bike will allow you to be steady on the run. Run – Just keep moving forward. Stash some Ibuprofen in a pocket if needed around mile 4-5. Drink Coke and water over the head to keep cool – Don’t let your mind be done with the race until you cross the finish line. If you have to walk – keep the walk breaks short.

I’m not so sure how straight I swam, apparently I’m an overachiever and swam .1 mile farther than Sarah, but I did swim steady and it actually felt…..good.  I saw both my friends that I was racing with in transition, and we all started the bike together, even managed to get two of us in the professional pics!  I took the bike extrememly easy since I had vertigo and was just unsure of what was to come.  Once I approached the halfway mark, I decided to bump the effort level up 1 degree and see how I felt.  Strong isn’t the word, but steady for sure.  I even managed to pass Jeff Walthew in the last 5 miles.  The run was a huge question mark for me, it’d been a week since I’d ran last, and I wasn’t sure my head could take the jostling!  I started easy, knowing this course, the heat, and the hills to come.  The first couple miles actually seemed….easy.  I focused on keeping steady, and paying attention to the person in front of me.  Everytime I’d do a head nod to another athlete or look the other way my world would spin due to the vertigo so I tried to remember to talk, not nod, to the other athletes.  I knew mile 5-7 were a little hilly and no shade, but made it through there w/o walking.  My next goal was mile 10.  Mile 10 is no mans land, you don’t have an aide station for 1.5 miles it’s no shade, hot, and steady incline.  This mile will break you.  NOT ME!  Not this year.  I kept that slower steady jog, hit mile 11.5 and let it rip.  I had my fastest two miles as my last two miles.

There is not one thing I’d change about what I did or how things happened at this race.  Perfectly executed.  One degree up a notch on the effort could have really busted me open.  I didn’t “race” this race, it almost felt like Ironman pace which was perfect.  I stuck to the plan, it paid off, and Coach Katie was w/in a minute of my time prediction even w/a long swim.  Oh, I also placed in my age group and got another guitar to add to the Macon Bakin collection!  4 as of 2013 are in the collection.  If you haven’t done this race, I urge you to take on the challenge (http://www.setupevents.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=event_detail&eventID=2412 ) .  The course is tough, but the bike is FUN!  The awards are the best around, and Michelob Ultra at the finish line!  What more could a girl ask for in a race?!

 

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