Ironman Switzerland: The Third Time IS a Charm!

I’ve never felt so prepared for a race as I did for Ironman Switzerland.  When Armando’s parents requested my ETA’s for race day, I told them the following: 1:10 for the swim, 6-6:30 for the bike and 4:30 for the run, a total of 12hrs, 30 min.  Armando’s mom thought that was too ambitious for the 4000-ft hilly bike course, and didn’t think I could make such a big jump from my last IM (the wrong thing to say to me…) so I adjusted my times to their liking.  Regardless, they wished me good luck and as you know, we spent the days before the race eating pizza and enjoying the sights of Zurich.

RACE DAY:

The alarm woke us up at  4:00am because I was afraid that the closed streets near the Landiwiese and the traffic would hold us up.  I was wrong.  Our Mercedes taxi arrived by 4:30am, we were at the transition area by 5:00am and I was out of transition by 5:30am.  But before the race even began, I was cold.  The temp may have touched 60-degrees, even though the weather man reported a mid 70-degree, partly cloudy day.  I figured it would get warmer when the sun came up.  But alas, I still shivered, so I shimmied into my wetsuit to conserve my body heat  (That look is…”You’d better NOT take a picture of me getting into my wetsuit!!!”).

SWIM:

The 231 women were separated from the 1478 men…at least initially.  The pro’s started at 6:55am, then the women swam up to the starting line.  However, some men took advantage of our open space, and swam to our area before the start.  The gun went off and 1979 athletes started swimming.  I tried to find someone to draft behind, because that would save me at least 25% of the work.  But some men used only upper body to swim, giving no kick, and some men kicked like they were shooting the goal-winner in fussball   Either way, I couldn’t get warm.  In fact, I was so cold that on the turn back to the land, someone kicked my left hand, knocking off the race ring Armando had bought for me a few years ago (precisely why I don’t wear my wedding ring).  It was too late to catch it, so I kissed it goodbye, and now it lay to rest on the bottom of Lake Zurich. My family caught me as I ran over the island and plunged in for the second loop, which was much of the same.  It took longer than I expected, probably because I was a frozen Florida girl.  Time: 1:17:58.

T1: When I was pulled out of the water, I was a bit disoriented going into transition…I didn’t know which way to go and here you can see why:  And as I pulled off my wetsuit arms, the SBR bracelet Ilene gave me broke (I grabbed it and fixed it later…).  Once I found my bike, I struggled to get my wetsuit off and pleaded,  “Where are the wetsuit strippers when you need them???”   But because I already had on my bike shorts and my neighbors were gone, I was able to make a speedy transition.  (Side note: The local news channel in Luzern showed a report from IMS, and yours truly was pictured in her Edelweiss bike jersey in T1!!!)  Transition time: 4:47.

BIKE:

“Now the fun begins,” I told myself with a smile. The first 30K was flat along Lake Zurich.  I averaged 20mph and loved it.  When I curved around the lake (and the only time my eyes filled with tears) I sat in awe of the enormous snow-covered alps in front of me.  “THIS is why we do destination races,” I told the man next to me (who probably didn’t understand what I said).  I wish my eyes were a video camera, so that I could share the beauty with you all.  But it is forever burned into my memory…

The weather was cloudy and threatened rain, and because I was in a sleeveless jersey, I was cold with no warmer option.  It drizzled on and off and that didn’t help matters.  At Feldbach we had a 3% uphill climb that lasted a couple of miles.  Once we got to the top there were rolling hills, much like San Ann.  I enjoyed the scenery through Gruningen and Hombrechtikon and waved at the race revelers.  After a nice downhill to Uetikon a.S. I hit the much-anticipated “Beast.”  The Beast was a 7% uphill with switchbacks that kept me wondering which would be the last!  But it wasn’t nearly as difficult as I had built it up to be in my head. The reward was a nice downhill that lead to another 3-mile, 3% hike up to Forch.

Then the real fun began…the downhill.  Coming from flat Florida I knew I would need to be a bit cautious going down at 7%, especially if there were any switchbacks.  But I had so much fun going 40mph, it was difficult (figuratively and literally) to put on the brakes!  More adept hill climbers flew by me, but that didn’t stop me from hooping and hollering for several miles.  Any bystander who saw me must have laughed at my huge grin

That downhill dumped us onto the flat which led back to the race site.  I didn’t see Armando and his parents…because I’d completed the first lap in a mere 3 hours, much earlier than they anticipated.  I tooled on to “Heartbreak Hill” where the loud crowd pushed us up the short and steep 4% climb.  I whirled down the hill back to start loop #2.

From the start of the second loop, the “picnic basket” on the front of my aero bottle was coming unstuck.  I had to stop three times to get the velcro to stick so that it didn’t rub against the front tire (but it still wore a hole through the bottom of the basket!).  After I solved that issue, a nice guy from Zurich told me that my tool bag (that sits under my saddle) was also coming off.  Because of that my lucky ladybug was dangling too close to the brakes, nearly causing a serious problem.  I tucked her into my bottle cage and re-hung my bag.  Those two stops probably added up to 10-minutes alone, which didn’t make me necessarily happy.  (That, and the guy primping in the port-o-potty…).

The second loop went much the same.  I felt strong as I rode through the corn fields and vineyards and sole sunflower field.  I waved to the carnival bands and horseback riders.  At one point there was a tight group of riders that wouldn’t break up, but eventually the always-present race officials helped clear the path.  I called The Beast a different “B” word the second time around but I survived it by singing to myself and recording the scenery below us.  The drizzle came and went and I enjoyed that downhill just as much the second time down.

The key to the bike course was Noel’s advice: “Save some (fun) for the run” and my favorite quote-of-the-day that I said to myself when people passed me: “I’ll see you on the run, (s)uckers!“  (This is a family blog…so I won’t say the real words…).  It worked not only because it helped me keep my plan in perspective, but because it made me laugh.

There weren’t nearly as many people cheering at Heartbreak Hill, which made that climb more difficult, but I began to focus on the run.  And my family sighed with relief when they caught me coming into transition  Bike time: 6:21:00 (and at least 10-minutes of that was fiddling with my gear).

T2: I changed quickly into my cute running skirt and runners, and slid out of transition in 3:23.

RUN:

The run was a 4-loop course that would lead to crowd support throughout.  The first loop went extremely well.  Although I wasn’t necessarily beaten up from the ride, I was happy to be on foot.  I felt great and told Armando and his parents that right after transition.  I wouldn’t stop to chat with them much on the run, but I always looked forward to seeing them.  After the out-and-back to the take Care Station, I received my first loop run band. The fast guys were hauling butt and finishing up their third of fourth lap, but I could handle that.

On the second loop, I met up with Armando on the far side of the lake and when he asked how I felt, I replied, “My legs are getting heavy.”   He gave me that look and questioned, “Is this the worst you’ve EVER felt?” My answer was, “No” and point taken: Suck it up, sister.  He always knows what to say.  I hadn’t eaten more than a couple of banana bites on the run and the smell of the Vietnamese food on the course didn’t give me an appetite.  But I took a gel (even though I dislike them) at The Crazy Station and it perked me up.

I anticipated the third loop giving me mental issues, but that wasn’t the case.  I felt better and gave the thumbs up or “hang loose” sign to people commenting on my “schon rockli” (cute skirt)…and that made them cheer louder   I also recalled my phrase-of-the-day when I passed walkers who’d crashed and burned, and that fueled my fire.  I saw my family for the last time at The Hot Station as they were making their way to the finish line.

By the fourth loop my quads were burning from The Beast, and I told myself (much like I did at the Vermont 100K) that it wasn’t going to hurt more than it already did…so keep moving.  I tried to convert kilometers to miles, and figured when I was on the bridge heading back to the finish line that I had 1 mile to go…and 15 minutes to reach my goal time.  But I was feeling weak and shaky…my blood sugar was too low again.  I choked down the last of three gels and walked…until I saw the balloon arch and cheering crowds.

Then I began running, and I smiled and waved to the crowd as I twisted my way through the finisher’s chute.  I pumped my arm when the announcer called my name.  I gave Paul and Lydia high five’s, then saw Armando.  I kissed him and said, “Can you believe it?!?“  His simple but proud reply: “No!“  Apparently, neither did I…

Run time: 4:38:29.

FINISH TIME: 12:25:38…five minutes faster than my goal time, and a personal best by 1.5 hours.  Hot Dog!!!

I enjoyed the entire race…ups, downs and in-betweens, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.  Again (and again) Vielen Dank to Ilene for biking with me till the cows came home, as well as to Steve, Nick, Ken, Matt and the other “Radlers” for guiding me through hilly workouts. Vielen Dank to Andy for running long through the trails with me and sharing with me his wisdom and wit.  Vielen Dank to my parents for their advice to not die while I swam, to not crash on my bike and to not fall over anything on the run.  Vielen Dank to the rest of you, my family and friends, who event after event give me your love and affection and push me to go farther and faster.  And finally, Vielen Dank to Armando, Paul & Lydia, my Viel Gluck charms, for sticking out the Ironman with me…without their smiling faces at IMG, IMA and IMS, I wouldn’t have had such a lovely ride. XOXO

12:25:38

What a race! I was freezing before the swim, which took me 1:17:58…a little longer than anticipated.  I guess I was too cold, even with the wetsuit The bike was phenomenal!!!  The mix of flats, rolling hills and climbs/descents was a perfect fit for me.  It drizzled on and off and I was cold in my sleeveless jersey.  Regardless, I rocked out on the bike (and Yahoo’d! on the way down those steep ones…going 40mph).  I finished the bike course in 6:21..my best bike time by far The loopy run had on-and-off drizzle and was supported by people always cheering my name and commenting on my cute skirt   I slowed down on every lap (and, you guessed it, I was cold!), but finished it in 4:38:29…another stellar run course record for me.  And overall, I had an Ironman PR by 1 hour, 25 minutes.  Needless to say, I am one happy (albeit tired) girl

I thought about all of you every minute of the race…re-playing things you said and luck you wished.  I felt the love, baby!  I know some of you followed me online and I felt your power flying over seas to push me along.  Vielen Dank, from the bottom of my heart, my friends.  I couldn’t have done it so well without your support. XOXO

Ironman Switzerland…The Countdown

Less than 15 hours til the start of IMS, and I’m ready to GO!  After tooling through Zuri this morning, Armando and I met Paul and Lydia at the Bahnhof (where they sell lots of pretty flowers) and brought them back to the hotel.  While Armando and Paul went on a city tour, I got my gear together.  In so doing, I realized that my aero bars were up too high, which caused my aero bottle to drag on the front tire.  My time to check-in the bike was at 4:30PM, so we headed over to the race site and found the bike doctor.  He fixed the problem in a flash and we got in line.

Of course, we can’t wait in line without enjoying an Erdinger …and of course Armando shared some with Paul

The transition zone is VERY tight, and there are no tents to change in, which means that all of our gear will have to fit under our bikes…and I’m not sure how that’s going to work out….
After walking around downtown Zuri way too long, we found a restaurant and ordered pizza (I’m telling you…this is the BEST pizza!)…and made our final stop at Movenpick   Now that it’s 10:30PM, I’d better lay my body down to rest for the long day ahead…

Hopp Schwiiz!!!

We arrived in Zurich without a hitch.  Armando’s mom was at the Flughafen waiting for us, and together we lugged our luggage over to our hotel: California House.  After a big salat for Mittagessen, we took a bus and a tram over to the Landiwiese to get registered for IMS.  I LOVE the public transportation in Europe: they have it and they use it!  The Expo wasn’t quite built up yet, but I was able to get a better mental picture of the transition area, swim and run courses. I also looked across lake Zurich to the Pfannenstil, where The Beast awaits…

We sent Lydia back to Luzern via Bahn and made our way back to the hotel.  When we got back to our klein room, we split a wunderbar pizza , both Armando and I were asleep by 9PM (even though it was still light outside).

This morning we found our way with Velo in toe to the City Cycles Bike Shop, where I crossed my fingers that Ollie would remember our appointment.  He did.  So Armando and I headed back to the Bahnhof for Frühstück.  There is NOTHING like breakfast in Switzerland…the fresh bread is to die for!  Good thing I can carbo-load a little for the next few days   Afterward, we tooled around the city using all forms of transportation…you can buy a day-pass for 8 CHF (Swiss Franks) that gives you access to all public transportation in the Zurich area.

At 2PM we went back to the IMS Expo where we found an Erdinger weissbier und brezel to snack on while we listened to the very detailed race briefing . And once again ‘Death’ will be following me.  (At IMA there was a tri group from England who wore yellow jerseys that have a skull and cross bones…and they seemed to be everywhere on the course…following me.  Hey, whatever makes me run faster…).  After the briefing, I found a place to shimmy into my wetsuit for a swim around the island .  The water temp is in the 60′s and fabulous.

From there we headed back to the bike shop to pick up my black beauty.  She looks good.  I’ll take her out tomorrow morning for a spin through the hills that surround our hotel, just to be sure that everything is working well.

Later this evening Armando and I headed back into Zurich for some pasta.  OK, let’s just say that I’ve pretty much had a  carb-only diet today.  That didn’t stop us from finding my favorite ice cream place in Switzerland: Movenpick

All packed up and ready to GO!

Armando and I watched every nail-biting minute of the battle between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick yesterday at Wimbledon. The match took over four hours, which significantly delayed our packing.  CONGRATS to the Swiss tennis Star…the best tennis player…ever!

My bike was packed up by Elizabeth at FBS on Friday afternoon, and I must admit it is very unnerving to see my beautiful bike in pieces parts:

My fate lies in the hands of the Swiss bike mechanic in Zurich now.  And thanks (once again!) to Ilene, I had a free bike box that holds lots…nearly all…of my race gear.

Armando and I carefully packed up the bike box with my gear and sealed it with a kiss   After that, we selected our vacation wear and packed our suitcases.  Now it’s just a waiting game…

Ironman Switzerland Run Course

Right about this time, one week from today, I’ll be finished working the IMS run course.  It’s a four-loop course, meaning each loop is just over 10K (6 miles) each.  Although I’m not a big fan of loopy courses, I think having four loops will be awesome for the spectators, who will be able to follow their athletes on every step of the run…

And when the day is through, you’ll find me relaxing at the bier garden…or more likely, at the ice cream station

 

Ironman Switzerland Bike Course

I enjoyed sharing a bier with my training buddies last evening at Mr. Dunderbak’s pub.  Ilene, Andy (and his BLF), Steve and Nick all joined in a toast to our hard training.  Armando, Carol, Julie and Kathy joined us for a brew too.  It’s been a long training road, and I cannot express the gratitude I feel for those who’ve trained me over the last six months…Prost to you!

Because of our frivolity last night, I was vetoed on an early start this morning.  And after Ilene’s plea: “We’ve been working really hard,” I couldn’t deny them some extra beauty sleep.  So Ilene, Nick and I met up at San Ann and were ready to ride out before 7:30am.  There were few cars on the road and the wind was light, so that made for a quick romp through the hills.  We rode 35-miles at 18mph.  Sweet.  Afterward, we enjoyed the legendary San Ann egg sammich

The sub-two hour ride seemed pretty easy, comparatively speaking.  That said, here is what lies ahead in the Swiss Alps:

 

Ironman Switzerland Swim

I went for my last long swim today.  The water temp has dropped several degrees with all the rain we’ve had over the past two days, so it wasn’t like swimming in bath water for a change.  Anyway, here is what I’ll be facing during the 2-loop Schwimm course at IMS next Sunday:

And for the first time, I’ll be lined up with the Frauen at the Ironman Schwimmstart:

Ironman Switzerland Training Plan Totals

I started my blog in early ’07 so that my family and friends could track my progress as I trained for IM Austria.  I was diligent about reporting about my training log, but haven’t been so much this time.  (I guess I’ve enjoyed writing about other things…).  I’ve looked back at my training miles from last time around, and here’s a little comparison between the two years:

IMA Totals:

Swim: 62,800 meters (39 miles)

Bike:  2117 miles

Run: 416 miles

IMS Totals:

Swim: 64,000 meters (40 miles)

Bike: 1718 miles

Run: 304 miles

Hmm, there seems to be a slight discrepancy between the number of miles I logged in ’07  and the number of miles I’ve gone over the last few months.  After a little research, what I found was that I started training for IMA on January 21st, and I officially started training for IMS in mid-February after Rocky Raccoon.

But that also means that I was doing a lot of runnin’ up until that point (around 392 miles between mid-November and mid-February, including Rocky’s 50-miles).

I also realized that I miscalculated my training plan for IMS, and got behind a week…

But the biggest difference is that even though the mileage is less, I feel stronger, faster and more efficient…because I feel like I’ve trained more appropriately this time.  The majority of our rides have been in the hills of San Ann, Clermont or Central Florida.

OK, those aren’t the Swiss Alps I know, but compared to nearly all of our long rides for IMA being at flat Suncoast or Withlachoochie Trail, something has to be better than nothing!

I’ve been happier and more positive about and during training.  I’ve had lots more fun training with groups of people, instead of logging hours upon hours alone.  And I haven’t felt completely dog tired until these last two weeks or so.

Maybe there is a difference between Quality and Quantity.  Only time will tell…

Working ‘em on the double-shift

Originally my plan was to host a Fat @$$ half-iron triathlon this week.  The name Fat @$$ not referring not to my badunkadunk, but a self-supported race.

When Ilene told me that she was interested in doing the St. Leo sprint triathlon, I figured I’d have to be creative in finding a crew to make 80-miles.  But she said she would meet me at 10AM to ride a 40-mile loop after her race (Why I don’t know for sure…but I never turn down an offer!).  I was able to persuade Steve and Matt to join me for a 40-mile loop at 7AM, and I was all set.

The morning came around too soon, and Steve and Matt were ready to roll out of the parking lot by 7AM.  The temps were already in the 80′s, with no relief in sight.  The three of us sailed along at a nice pace and tried to breathe in the thick, heavy air.  “I guess I won’t need to go swimming today,” I said after seeing the three of us glistening in the sun.  That got a brief chuckle, but we all were oxygen-deprived, so we didn’t laugh long.

We made our way up The Big Dude and then Ice Cream Hill.  In what seemed like no time, we hit the parking lot.  We rode 40-miles @ 18.4mph (2-hours, 10 minutes).

After refilling my bottles from my Bubba Keg (that thing always gets a comment!), I headed out again for an out-and-back while I waited for Ilene to show. I couldn’t talk the guys into riding a second loop, so I talked to myself on the 5-mile ride   I took it easy and met Ilene at 10AM.

Ilene was a little beat, not as much from the race distance as the suffocating heat.  But she hung in there with me.  I decided to cut out Ice Cream Hill because it was just so dang hot and it wasn’t fair to make Ilene kill herself on my behalf.  (Truth be told, I was sick of the sun, and I wanted to ride in more shady place!).  I decided I’d do that out-and-back once we returned. The wind picked up and the temps rose, so we chatted and coasted a lot more than the guys and I did on the first loop.  Our average speed over 35-miles ended up averaging just under 17mph (2 hours, 5 minutes).  And I was fine with that.  I was already feeling nauseous and didn’t see the sense in pushing it.  But I had “85-miles” stuck in my head…

I was supposed to do a 40-minute run after the ride, but because it was 95-degrees with a heat index (“feels-like”) temperature well over 100, I didn’t think that would be wise.  I did however talk myself into riding another 5-miles AFTER the additional 5-miles.  I guess I was a little loopy after all.  But that “90-mile ride” just sounded like Money in the Bank Baby, Money in the Bank.

I was all alone out there and sang out loud (…out VERY loud…) to keep myself company over those last few miles.  I decided that I would cut my run down to 10-minutes because of the blistering heat.  Once I got off my bike, I reluctantly put on my runners for a 10-minute jog-walk…and I emphasize the WALK.

I made it back to the car without stroking out, and literally fell under a tree, where I lay for some time trying to cool down my body temperature.  So, after 90-miles, a total of 6-hours in the hot hot heat, and a total of 3100 calories burned, I am ready for the TAPER!!!

It was a tough day (and Fat @$$-ish in some ways…), but I can hear the Cha-Ching! ringing in my head…