By Michelle Kruse
Ironman 70.3 – conquered! And I had a blast! Seriously, it was fun. My pre-race anxiety was unnecessary. I did not sleep at all the night before the race (too wound-up, I guess) and that added to my nerves. It’s the swim that stresses me out. It’s all-out war. I hate watching people get beat up in the swim. Really, the girl next to me at the bike transition had a bloody lip. It scares the heck out of me that I’m going to get hit and thrown under water. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. I did have to stop and tread water near the finish just to find a spot to get into the finishing “corral.” Bodies were everywhere.
Fortunately, I made it through in one piece and it was onto the bike. Having the swim behind me eased my nerves and I was ready to enjoy the rest of the race. The bike wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t difficult. I held back a little bit b/c I wanted to be all right for the run, but I finished the bike faster than I thought I would. Then, the run went great! I walked through every water stop (all 12 of them) and felt strong the entire run. It was wonderful to high-five my kids as I ran by (four times) and seeing my husband, my parents and friends on the route made it truly enjoyable.
I wasn’t in this thing to “win,” obviously. I was there for fun and to challenge myself. In the end, I beat my best goal by half an hour and had I known how close I was to going under six hours, I would have pushed just “one minute” somewhere on the race (like not chatted for an hour with the girl next to me on the run – but that’s part of what made it so fun). I finished in 6 hours, one minute and 24 seconds. The best part is I finished strong, happy, and ready to do it all over again and finished with my husband, kids, parents and friends hugging me at the finish line. I’m truly proud of this accomplishment!
What’s next?
Related Posts
- Training for Ironman Kansas - The ADA subgroup, Sports Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition’s annual meeting was great for CardioTabs as well as for me to get some information about my nutritional needs-and hopefully resolve my cramping issues.
- Peanut Butter & Jelly cheap alternative to energy bars, perfect for Ironman and marathon training - By Michelle Kruse
I’m LOVING this advice and want to share it with all of you. First – know that I am a total cheapskate. I do not have the best gear, coolest running clothes or triathlon suit. Sure, I’d love to have the latest and greatest, but I can’t stand to part [...]
- My Photos from Ironman 70.3 - Photos from Ironman Kansas.
- Disappointment/A Lucky Opportunity - By Michelle Kruse
Maybe I’m a little too easily disappointed. At least that’s what everyone keeps telling me. I ran my second marathon Saturday and missed my goal by 5 minutes. I took 2nd place in my age group (the benefit of running a smaller race), but I’m still mad about missing my [...]
- Healthier Lifestyle After One Year Soda Free - Sometime this month (I’m not sure of the exact date); I’ll celebrate a major anniversary. Okay, so it’s not the kind of thing most people think of as a cause for celebration, but it’s something I never would have thought could happen. I drank my last sip of pop, soda to non-Midwesterners, sometime last August. I didn’t really plan to quit drinking it completely. In fact, I’d weaned myself to so little that it wasn’t until last October that I realized I hadn’t had one or wanted one in over two months. This may not seem too amazing until I tell you that I used to drink at least six cans of diet soda a day. In college, I’m not sure I had water except when brushing my teeth. I used to hate working out and cramped every time I tried to run. Needless to say, I never considered myself athletic. No doubt due to dehydration. I never drank water. In fact, I used to crack a soda after swim team practice in high school. No wonder I always felt crappy – and could it be a reason I never had perfectly clear skin
