Let me just start by saying that this was the most difficult race that I have ever finished, both mentally and physically.  I chose to do Ironman Arizona this year as a key motivator to keep up the training through the winter.  I consider this to be a "B" race.  I did cut down my volume about two weeks out from the race, but I did not taper like I would for an "A" race.  I had four key process goals for this race:

1.  Swim:  Have a relaxed, comfortable swim.  No panic attacks.  I was hoping to swim a 1:10, based on how I was doing in the pool.  However, I was aware that, as the first open water swim of the year, I knew that there was a chance that I could get myself in a panic situation if I went out too fast.  This tends to happen to me at the beginning of each season.  I would have been unhappy if I was over 1:15.

2.  Bike:  Keep my HR the same as last year at IMC.  I figured this should give me a 5:40-5:45, depending on how strong of a wind we would face.  Stick with my nutrition plan.  Bike should feel easy.

3.  Run:  Start out easy for first 3-5 miles, holding about a 9:30 pace, then hold a 8:50-9 minute mile pace through mile 20, then finish very strong for last 6 miles, giving all that I have.  My goal was to have my first sub 4 hr IM run. 

4.  Total:  Around 11 hours.  A couple of people asked me if I was trying to qualify for Kona.  Of course, I was hoping to do this, but that was not my focus.  I was much more concerned with the sub 4 hour run and the strong finish.  I knew coming into this race that there were several girls on the list who had done 10:30-11:00 Ironman races.  Realistically, I knew that if we all had our best race, there was a good chance that I would not be in the top 3, which is the number of Kona slots in my AG. 

Based on all of the training, and the tests that I had done, I knew that my goals were realistic. However, all of that changed last Sunday, when I took a very hard fall on my bike.  I was crossing some railroad tracks on a trail.  It had been raining, and we crossed the tracks at a bit of an angle.  My rear wheel slipped out and I hit the ground hard on my hip, head and shoulder.  (The good news was, I was in full winter gear so I had no road rash!)  My hip hit dead center on the steel track.  We were toward the end of a 100 mile ride, and it was very cold.  After I got home and out of the wet clothes and into the shower, my hip swelled up, about the size of a large grapefruit.  I also bruised a rib from the impact with ground, and the groin area from where I hit the bike frame.

Throughout the next week, I found that I was able to spin without much discomfort from the hip, but running was a big problem.  I felt like my left leg was now shorter, as if it were being pulled up into my body.  I was having a lot of pain in my lower back and butt area.  I went to see Shelly, a PT at the Pro Club.  She could tell that things were out of place and the muscles were very tight.  She was able to loosen the area up, but it would tighten again within a few hours.  I ran twice that week, and it would be ok for 3-4 miles, but after that, it would tighten again.  I was hoping that the area would loosen up before the race, but in the back of my mind I knew that I might be walking part of the marathon. 

So, after the Sunday accident, here are a few more of the exciting highlights leading up to race day:

Monday:  I go for a wetsuit swim in the pool.  As I was taking it off, the entire seam under my arm gave out and it was totalled.  I had planned to get a new suit this year, but not days before the race!

Tuesday:  While packing my bike, I took a look at my helmet and realized that it was cracked completely through from the accident, and that now I also need a new helmet!

Wednesday:  I leave for AZ, by myself (Mike to follow with kids on Friday).  All goes well until I get to San Francisco.  We get delayed there, and instead of arriving at 10PM, I get in at 1:30am; didn't find the condo in Scottsdale until 2:30am. 

Thursday:  Get up early.  I'm going to head down for a swim, then go for a bike ride with the Microsoft SBR guys.  I put my bike together, then head out to the garage to put it in the back of my van.  As I go out, the door shuts behind me.  I am now locked out of the condo, with my cell phone, car keys, and everything else still inside.  I go to a neighbor's house and call my husband, leaving him a message, hoping he can get someone to come let me in.  So I wait in the garage for about two hours.  Finally I get let in by a property manager.  I had entered the phone numbers of Brian, Bruce and Mike into my cell phone.  I then realize that my cell phone battery is completely dead, so I can't even get their numbers. 

Friday night:  I'm about to head to the airport to pick up Mike and the kids.  He calls the condo from San Francisco, and informs me that, due to bad weather, they were delayed for 2 hours out of Seattle, and UNITED didn't hold the Phoenix flight, AND there are no other flights available until almost 7PM the next day (the night before the race!).  They are spending the night in San Francisco!

Saturday night:  Get Mike and kids, get back to the condo by about 11PM.  I am exhausted, but I'm worried about the alarm clock not going off.  Mike says not to worry, he'll set the alarm and both cell phones too!  I have him set them for 4am.

Sunday morning:  4:05am.  I bolt upright in bed.  No alarms went off. 

Race Report:

Breakfast:  The usual, 5 eggs, toast and a mocha.  I also had half a muffin. 

Swim:  Got beat up a bit at the beginning.  I kept getting trapped behind some wild swimmers.  I did get kicked in the stomach and face.  I was stuck behing one guy who, every time I would incidentally bump him would start kicking frantically.  All in all, the swim was fine.  Nothing spectacular, but I was happy to see that I was under 1:15 when I got out of the water. 

T1:  I bought a new wetsuit.  It zips completely backwards from my Orca.  I could not get the zipper undone at the top.  Finally I found someone to help me.  When I got to the change tent I found that the women were extremely helpful.  One thing that I have learned is to give clear and specific directions to the women there.  They really want to help you, so if you nicely tell them what they can do it goes pretty smoothly.  These women were awesome! 

Bike:  Whew, I am now on my bike.  It's always such a relief.  There were some winds heading out.  I focused on my HR and RPE, trying to stay calm and relaxed.  This was difficult, as I kept seeing 16mph on the way out.  But I told myself that if were seeing 16 now, I might be seeing 22 on the way back.  I did have to change how I sat on the seat due to the bruise that I got when I slammed into the frame of my bike.  For the first 5 hours I felt very good, but in the last 45 minutes I was getting lower back pain. 

T2:  Felt good to get off the bike.  I knew I was just a bit over 7 hours, so the goal was still within reach.

Run:  Was feeling pretty good for the first 3 miles.  At about mile 4 I felt my piriformis tighten up. My stride started to shorten.  I had to try to change my running form to keep the pain away.  That caused other muscles to fatigue and it was downhill from there.  The pain was growing.  At about mile 8 I decided to try walking the aid stations.  I found that as I slowed down it would tighten even more, and was much, much more painful to get started again.  At about midway through the run I started walking.  I was moving so slowly that I was getting passed by others who were walking.  My hips were so tight and just moving forward was just so painful.  I wrestled the idea of just quitting.  I really wanted to just lay down, and have somebody come pick me up.  I felt like I was done.  And I was only halfway through the run.  I started running again.  It wasn't what I would normally think of running, but it wasn't walking.  It just hurt. 

On the last lap, I was so focused on just trying to finish the race.  I really stopped thinking at all about my nutrition.  I didn't really want to eat or drink, I just wanted it to be over.  In the last two miles, I started thinking about the finish.  I knew that once I stopped moving I would just lock up.  So I focused on getting to the medical tent.  This is my 6th Ironman, and I've never been to the medical tent before, but I knew that once I was done I would not be able to walk (although part of me kept saying, "No, you're okay!  Don't go to the medical tent".)  Finally I see the bridge to the finish, and as I cross it I hear this voice say "Hey Mom!"  I see my sons Alex and Stephen and my daughter Candace.  One of them grabs my hand, and I realize they are there to run down the chute with me!  They've never done this before, and I wasn't expecting this.  I can't even describe how good this made me feel.  I felt like all of the pain just left my body and felt like like I was floating all of the way to the finish line.  I finished just under 12 hours.  For them to decide to do this at this race, when I needed them most, was just such a blessing.

After I crossed the line, I knew I needed the Medical tent, but I didn't want to scare the kids.  A lady asked me if I was OK, and I said "Yeah, I'm OK".  Then I saw Mike, who was there to get the kids, and I said "Take me to the medical tent".  There was no argument.  I went into the tent, and told them that I was OK, but I just needed some ice.  I took three bags of ice and put them on my hip and butt.  I started to get the chills. A doctor came over and asked me how I was doing.  I said fine.  The doctor said "No you're not.  You have no color in your face.  You need to come lay down".  She took me back and hooked up an IV, put me on a cot and put three blankets over me.  I just could not get warm.  It felt like about 20 minutes, but I was in the medical tent for three and a half hours.  Finally I just had to get out of there.  It took me some time to convince the doctor that I needed to leave.  Mike was still there waiting for me.  At 10:30 PM, I got in the van and came back to the condo.  As we were driving back, my son Stephen said "Well Mom, it's good that you finished.  At least you didn't quit."

I have to say that I was truly amazed at the enthusiasm and support that I saw from the volunteers at every aspect of the race.  In the transitions, at the aid stations, on the bike and the run.. in the crowds.  I have never had an Ironman where throughout the entire day there was this much positive energy.  There were good things and bad things that happened throughout the day.  I know that I have learned things, and will take something from this race that will help me in a future race.  In Ironman, there are so many things that are out of your control.  I know that during this run, I was so focused on trying to deal with the pain that I lost all focus on nutrition and hydration.  Looking back, I probably should have just stopped for while, and taken in some food and water.  But stopping made it so much harder to start, so I just kept pushing myself. 

I've come to realize that each Ironman has it's own unique experience.  Coming into this race, I was in better shape that at last year's Ironman Canada.  But things happen, and you have to deal with them, make the best of the situation and move on; hoping things go better the next time.  See you in Canada!

-Jill

SWIM	BIKE	RUN	OVERALL	FINISH POSITION
1:14:49	5:45:07	4:49:58	11:58:55	454

RACE LEG	DISTANCE	PACE	POSITION
TOTAL SWIM	2.4 mi. (1:14:49)	1:58/100m	864
FIRST BIKE SEGMENT - 18 mi	18 mi. (1:04:51)	16.65 mph
SECOND BIKE SEGMENT - 34 mi	52 mi. (1:48:25)	18.82 mph
THIRD BIKE SEGMENT - 34 mi	86 mi. (1:51:42)	18.26 mph
BIKE FINISH	112 mi. (1:00:09)	25.94 mph
TOTAL BIKE	112 mi. (5:45:07)	19.47 mph	484
FIRST RUN SEGMENT - 8.6 mi	8.6 mi. (1:23:16)	9:40/mile
SECOND RUN SEGMENT - 17.33 mi	8.73 mi. (1:35:50)	10:58/mile
TOTAL RUN	26.2 mi. (4:49:58)	11:04/mile	454