#Ironman Gulf Coast | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

madduhhline · 5 years

Text

Race Report: Ironman Gulf Coast

If I am honest, I wrote this post in my head more times than I can count at this point. On long run training days when the miles never seemed to end I’d turn my mind to the gratitude of having the support needed to be able to train and then race at this level. This was a humbling experience on most days but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Swim (1.2 miles) - I am grateful I stuck to my gut and wore my wetsuit. I am also grateful I listened to my Dad and swam in this water for the two days prior to this race so I knew what I was getting into. Make it to the sandbar, and it is smoother sailing! I went out, remained calm, my heart rate never elevated too high and I had a bad ass time. Made it to the first turn buoy and realized the Velcro on my neck was rubbing, but I kept going. Turned at the second buoy and got stung on my face by a jellyfish but kept going. Let the waves push me to shore. Popped out, made it to transition, and took my sweet sweet time getting that wetsuit off.

Bike (56 miles) - I felt like I was flying the first half of the bike. Stuck to my nutrition. Stopped at the aid stations, stretched, thanked my volunteers, and kept moving. Heard my Dad shout my name on his way back in (he was racing too!), which gave me the bonus I needed to make it to the turn-around. After passing that, I rode back in the whole time into a headwind. Stopped at another aid station and the kids were so nice and helpful. Hopped back on and made it back. Put one leg on the ground before the dismount line and it gave out, and next thing I knew I was on the ground. Laughed. Jumped up. Kept moving.

Run (13.1 miles) Woof! This was hot! Started my pace. Took Gatorade at the aid station and an orange. Everything I needed. Turned the corners on to the front side of the course and felt like dying. Picked up a buddy. Picked up another buddy who would ultimately finish the race with me (Shout out to Christina!). Maintained a good pace. Mile 8? Felt like garbage. Light headed. Dizzy. Spent the next 2 aid stations playing damage control. Kept moving. Took in some base salts. Felt even better. Lap 3. Thank god for Redbull! That stuff is actually jetfuel. Helped push myself and Christina to the last quarter mile. We fist bumped and high-fived and I pushed forward, promising to meet her at the finish.

Finisher’s shoot - Rounded the corner and cried and screamed. 8 hours and 10 minutes after starting, I was finishing. My Dad and husband waiting for me shouting with me. I cried. My Dad met me by the medical tent and gave me the biggest hug as I sobbed into his shoulder. I had so many feelings.

Tired. A little dehydrated. But mostly I felt grateful. Grateful that I have a body that let’s me do a thing like this.

So I’ll leave you with my gratitude that I would self talk to myself on hard days.

Thank you to my Dad. Without you I wouldn’t have even thought about this. I have been forever in awe of watching you doing Ironman races my whole life. Thank you for my bike. Thank you for my kit. Thank you for supporting all of my choices. For answering every single phone call and text with support. Without you I wouldn’t be here today. I’m lucky I have you on my team. Thank you.

Thank you to my husband. Thank you for all the cups of coffee and 5:30am so I could workout before work. Thank you for accepting all the missed Saturday morning breakfast dates so I could train. Thank you for sitting next to me and letting me cry on the beach after I had a panic attack in the open water. Thank you for being there on the course and at the finish line. Thank you for letting me follow this crazy dream and supporting me to the finish. You’d never read this post on your own unless I show it to you but everyone needs to know how grateful I am for you.

Thank you to Sam for listing to all of my triathlon talk over the last year. For all of your text messages. Being okay with me ditching on weekend adventures because of training. For supporting me even from your night shifts. ILY Thunderbae.

Thank you to the Tuesday night OWS crew. Especially Leo and Coral for inviting me out after seeing me at my DNF. Guys, you’re the real MVPs. I wouldn’t have conquered that swim without you.

Thank you to Kasi for every single Friday First Watch date.

Thank you to my work crew for letting me have the time off to pursue this dream.

Thank you to my OG running crew. Ya’ll are amazing.

Thank you to everyone who understood me having to bail to train. You’ll never understand how much that means to me.

Thank you to Christina for being there on the run with me for 9.1 miles. Girl I’m super honored to be a tribuddy for life.

But special thanks to 21 year old me. That girl went out for a 10 minute run almost 10 years ago and hated it but kept trying. I’d like to think she would be more than proud of where I am now. So thank you for not giving up on your dreams girl.

See ya’ll at Ironman Augusta in September.

#Ironman Gulf Coast #Race Report

0 notes

zenkatki · 4 years

Text

Pandemic Ironman 2020

I have been asked by a few people to write something regarding Ironman Florida, the first full 140.6 Ironman held in the United Stated since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. I have never done a race write up before and I am not sure where to begin. I will take it from training which started in March to the end of the race and the reader can skip around to the parts they find interesting.

Training

Ironman Florida was to be my tenth Ironman, a step on the road to Legacy. I started a training plan that I had used before in February and tweaked it a little with my Ironman Coach certification. I already had a good endurance base from the 2020 Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World in January, so February was primarily weight training and short distance swim, bike and runs. I still had a pool this month at New York Sports Club in Smithtown.

March is where things got interesting and COVID-19 lock-down started. The gym closed. I quickly purchased a Thermal Reaction wetsuit from Blueseventy and found my gloves and booties. I am fortunate to live 2.5 miles from the Long Island Sound so open water swims started early March. It was freezing but a bit fun to channel my inner Wim Hof. The swim training for this Ironman was entirely open water, with one pool swim in July when my sister invited me to her Town Pool once it opened. It was a concern because I feel pool intervals are important but I learned to incorporate intervals in the open water which helped break up those sessions and gave me focus.

I was able to get weight training done at work, we have a pretty decent set up in our garage. Biking and running proceeded as usual with a mix of outside rides and runs and some Zwift workouts. With a ten month training period I worked a lot of Zone 2 heart rate training, I’ve become a big believer.

It was weird not knowing at this point if the race was even on, and training helped me deal with a lot of the unknown, the anxiety. It pushed me through the spring and summer feeling hopeful despite seeing all the races on the circuit being cancelled. I had a 70.3 planned for late August in Maine that was not to be this year.

Time passed and soon it was race time. Ironman sent multiple e-mails stating they were still looking to hold the race and how it would function. I kept a folder in my e-mail with all the correspondence from Ironman, the airline, the hotel and TriBike Transport.

Travel

For whatever reason this was a tough flight to find. I had to go American Airlines and the flight to Florida was out of LaGuardia to Charlotte to Fort Walton Beach, an airport that was about an hour away from Panama Beach City. Going home was Panama City to Charlotte to JFK. Out of all three airports, JFK in New York was the only one with the Department Of Health forms to fill out upon arrival.

Now the story I’m about to write is to show how important it is to remain alert and pay attention to detail when you travel. Hopefully you will learn from my mistake here.

I wearily got off the plane at Fort Walton and found a cab outside, a nice, elderly man named Bill who was willing to drive me over an hour to my hotel in Panama City. He was driving, we were chatting and he asked me if it was okay for him to stop for gas. Sure, no problem. At the gas station he asked if I wanted to get anything and I said yes, I’ll run in for a drink. As I exited the gas station I saw the taillights of my cab leaving the pump and proceeding down the road. Without me. I did my best to stay calm but my cab had just left me stranded and my bags were in the car, along with my wallet, shield, and ID. I wondered if I was on a television show. After a few minutes it became clear that I was not on TV, and I needed to do something to track down this car. I was angry at myself for not knowing the cab company name, or getting the vehicle’s plate. After getting nowhere on the phone trying to contact the airline I asked the woman at the gas station to call the police. It was at this moment my cab returned, and my friend Bill said he thought it was weird I wasn’t answering his questions anymore and when he turned around and didn’t see me, he remembered I ran into the gas station. I refrained from physically strangling this man and climbed back into the minivan, clearly shook regarding how this race weekend just started.

Hotel

I had booked the Boardwalk Beach Hotel & Convention Center when I registered for this race. It was originally the host hotel and the race was to take place right on the grounds which is super convenient. Due to COVID and the safe return to racing, the race venue was moved six miles away to Aaron Bessant Park so they could spread us out more. I kept the reservation at BBH to be fair and help with the hotel’s business. I did enjoy being there but it was far from everything. In retrospect I should have rented one of those kewl golf carts and used that to get around for the weekend. I spent approximately $100 in Uber fees going back and forth to Aaron Bessant and Pier Park. All my cab fees, airport runs included, came to about $250. A shuttle would have been super nice but I think the majority of the people racing switched their accommodations upon the announcement of the venue change.

The hotel itself was okay, I was on the ground floor so it was out and a short walk to the water and road. The cafeteria had coffee in the morning and some pastries but I only saw them cooking food my last day as I checked out. The people that worked there were nice, I’ll forever remember me cleaning my bike in my room with the door open and housekeeping cleaning the adjoining rooms. I had put some music on the Bluetooth and we had a great time.

Race Check In

About a week before traveling Ironman sent out an Active.com e-mail with a link to reserve race check in times. This again was to space us out and not have us standing in line, clogging up the area. I picked Wednesday night between 5-6PM. Bibs were given out first come, first serve so the lower your bib number was the earlier you checked in. I was #1038. I arrived at about 4:45 with my mask and was told I could go in. It was athletes only so if you were with someone they had to wait outside the Ironman Village for you. I had to answer a short survey verbally, get my temperature taken, and then was directed table to table, just like a regular race. For places where a line of people might happen there were tape marks and lanes were roped off with string and little ribbons indicating every six feet. I was able to pick my bike check-in time for Friday, they gave me a little card with 2-3PM on it. I actually really liked this system and I think it would be great even when racing goes back to its regular routine. I found it interesting that the swag such as the swim cap and back pack didn’t have the race name on it. The finisher shirt and medal had no date on it. I guess up until the very start of the race it was always uncertain if it would be a go.

I learned that Ironman Gulf Coast 70.3 would also be on Saturday, November 7th, with an 11:00AM start time. So both races would be going at almost the same time using the same course and staging area. I received an e-mail from Triathlon Wire with the numbers of about 1250 athletes for the full and 300 for the half.

After checking in I walked over to the TriBike Transport tent, picked up my bike, put air in the tires and rode it back to my hotel. It was dark when I got back so I walked over to Subway for a veggie sub.

Thursday was a day for me to ride a little, swim a little and look around a little. My calves let me know when I did too much walking. That happens to me often at Disney for marathon weekend. You’re in a great place and want to see it all but remember, there’s a race in a couple of days! I did what I could to find vegan food options in a very big seafood area. I remembered to bring food to eat later back to my room, I had a refrigerator and a microwave there.

I walked on the pier and saw a few of the swim course buoys set up. It always looks so far, doesn’t it?

Before bed I watched the athlete briefing on-line and reviewed the race packet I printed out before I left New York. I got my gear bags ready to be handed in along with my bike the next day.

Bike Check In

Friday I rode my bike and gear bags to check in at 2PM. For some reason we also needed to wear our timing chip which made me thankful I watched that briefing the night before, because they really weren’t letting people go in without them. Athletes only again, no one without a timing chip and an event race band could enter transition. In I went with my mask on again.

Bikes were placed every other space on the rack giving us a little more room. Gear bags stayed with the bike. I tucked mine under the rear wheel that was in the air. All items in the bags must stay in the bags even during the race. So the guy two spots down from me who set his area up like he was doing a neighborhood sprint complete with a towel mat had to put all his gear back in the bags. After taking a picture of my set up and saying good night to my bike (for real, I speak to it) I got out of there. I made sure I knew where I was regarding swim in, bike out/bike in and run out before I left. I picked up a veggie pizza before heading back to the hotel. I spent the remainder of that day eating, relaxing, reading, prepping my Special Needs bags. I usually apply race numbers (TriTats) the night before but there was no body marking for this race so I wasn’t going to use up the numbers.

I was slightly concerned about getting to the race start so early the next morning. The front desk had recommended a cab service, but I met an awesome man named El by the hotel pool. He needed a charger for his Garmin. I let him use mine and we started talking about the next morning. He had driven to Florida from Tennessee, had his car and offered me a ride to the start which I gratefully accepted.

Race Morning

Up at 3:45AM race morning. Made instant coffee, ate half a bagel, lubed, dressed, double checked all my bags and headed out. El and I drove to transition and he was able to park close to the transition entrance. Special Needs bags were handed off on the way in to Transition. Masks were on. I went to my bike, double checked the tires and filled the water and Gatorade bottles. They didn’t want us wondering around too much. I did see Chris Nikic walk into Transition. This race was his attempt at becoming the first person with Down Syndrome to complete an Ironman. I thought it was great to see him, a good sign. Now that I think about it at this point I just focused on that good thought and the cab ride from the airport wasn’t even in my head. Mike Reilly was there! I got ready to swim and tucked my Morning Clothes bag behind my gear bags, Morning Clothes stayed with us as well.

Swim

The forecast projected it being overcast most of the day and the morning was a bit cloudy. I picked goggles with a super light tint and it was a good choice. We were to stand with our bikes until our projected swim time was called out. I stayed put until I heard, “1:20-1:30 head to the swim start now!” Everyone thinking they were finishing the swim in that time started out and towards the beach, it was about a seven minute walk on the road and on sand. Some people had throw-away shoes on, I did not. The road had tape marks every six feet, they wanted you to try to stay on them when walk-traffic stopped. On the sand they had roped off lanes with pink ribbons tied on every six feet. We were to stay on a ribbon. There were spectators the whole walk. Eventually my lane made it to the water and they were letting four people enter every five seconds or so. Despite this great system guess what. Once we were in the water in was a traditional Ironman. It took some time to get passed the breaks but once I was in I was going. Two loops, clockwise in the Gulf. I saw fish and a sea turtle. There was a current pushing us sideways so it took some effort and a lot of sighting to stay to the left of the buoys. It wouldn’t be an Ironman if I didn’t get hit in the eye and I got it on my second loop. If you’re familiar with the Lake Placid swim it was like that only no cable though, sorry. Despite it being wetsuit legal I was getting hot towards the end. I really enjoyed the water though and had a swim time of 1:27:01.

My transition neighbors were gone by the time I got into T1 so I had plenty of room. I was expecting to have to wear a mask in Transition but we did not. I had my bike gear in the bag set up so I could just pull it out and put it on and it worked well. I hung my wetsuit on the bike rack to dry hoping that was allowed. It was still there when I got back so I guess it was. Once I was bike ready I made my way out to start my ride. My T1 time was 10:39.

Bike

Because the swim had been warm I started my bike ride a little thirsty which was unfortunately a sign of things to come. To keep contact points down Ironman had reduced the amount of Aid Stations, so after drinking my water and most of my Gatorade quickly it was some time before I could refill. I ate every 45 minutes to an hour on the bike. Solid food was no problem, I had a lot with me and grabbed extra going through the Aid Stations. It was fluid I needed more often than it was available. If the sun had been out full force I think I would have had an even worse problem. It was about 80 degrees, humid, still overcast and windy which meant I was sweating and not really going anywhere when pedaling against the wind. I used the tail wind as best I could to make up time. I really think I need to be re-fit for my bike because at mile 30 I was already having terrible lower back pain. It wasn’t an easy ride and despite everyone telling me how flat the course is, it was over 3,000 feet of elevation. I had to get off to use the porta-potty and stretch early on. I guess at this point I should mention my race kit. I wore a one-piece tri suit from Zoot, the Autism Ohana kit. Google it if you have a chance, I think it’s great. Very colorful and for a good cause. I wore it to remember my friend Lizzie that I run with sometimes in Central Park as a volunteer for Achilles. But there are goods and bads of wearing a one-piece and the bads is definitely when you try to use the bathroom in it. It has little sleeves that are tough to find and get your arms through when they are wet. So there was a struggle in that porta-potty, no doubt. Finally I opened the door. The porta-potty was on an incline and I kind of stumbled out of it and cracked my left knee on the doorway. Then I bent over to grab my knee and hit my big, bike helmet head on the side. I felt like the Three Stooges was trying to do an Ironman, I really did. Shaking my head I got back on the bike and started to go. I felt my knee throbbing for about twenty miles. As I write this I have a wicked bruise. But back to the bike…This was a one loop course on the highways of Florida. There were wide shoulders and a bike lane that we rode in but in the back of my mind I kept thinking this was an active road way and any passing needed to be super carefully done. Cars were courteous enough not to use the right lane but if a driver wanted to be a jerk and use it they could. Any residential/business areas had spectators. As I said before it was windy. I did the best I could and had some good splits when the wind was with me but I needed to get off a few more times to stretch. I finished the bike with a usual time of 7:14:01.

Again I had the area to myself so I sat to change shoes and get ready for the run. I was a little put off by my bike split and my stomach was not 100% but I thought I could have a strong run if I stayed focused. Removing sand from my feet was a challenge but it was important so avoid any irritation so I took the time to do that before I put my socks on. I stretched my back and drank more Gatorade before I left. I had a T2 time of 10:53.

Run

As I started my run I was greeted by just as many spectators as any other Ironman. Some had masks on, some didn’t. Some were dressed up, some played music. Everyone was encouraging and motivating. I started out so happy to be running. This course was an out and back two times along the highway parallel to the beach, passed all the hotels, bars and restaurants. The halfway turning point and the finish line were at Pier Park. For six miles I ran strong and thanked everyone for being out. A lot of people liked and commented on my race kit. It was great. But soon I knew I was going to have to do the run/walk, even as the sun went down and it started to cool off. I was unable to eat anything solid for the majority of the run. The thought of trying made me dry heave. I saw a few people really heaving in the bushes and was afraid I was going to join them. I took in as much fluid as I could, mainly water and Coke. I was sweating out a lot of salt, my neck and face were all gritty. I thought at first maybe it was sand but why would there be sand on my face, right? Out and back, out and back, using whatever I could in my brain to keep moving. I followed the cones they used to mark off the run area. Walk one cone, run five cones. My quads were shredded. I thought of my Mom and my Family. I thought of work and how I wanted to make everyone proud. I thought of the finish line and finally, FINALLY it was my turn to cross. My run took 6:25:20. Mike Reilly called me an Ironman with an official time of 15:27:52.

After crossing the spectator-less finish line I was given a mask and a masked volunteer guided me along, not touching me, to a table with plastic bags containing my finisher shirt and race medal. Someone with gloves and a mask removed my timing chip. I made my way over to Athlete Food and choked down half a veggie sub. I got my picture taken with my medal. (There were photographers out on the course too.) I had completed my 10th Ironman.

As I gathered my gear and dropped my bike back at the TriBike tent, Chris Nikic became an Ironman. I cheered from the parking lot. I started to walk back with the plan of getting passed the road closures to an area where I could call an Uber to get back to my hotel. But I started walking with a man named Dan who had volunteered in a kayak for the swim and at the finish line as well. He had just as long of a day as I had but when he heard of my plan to get back he ran into his hotel, got his keys and drove me to my hotel. And that really, really describes the Ironman atmosphere and Family to me. We all help each other, we all do what we can to get each other through the challenge. I am so grateful I found this sport, these events and have met some of the most amazing people.

I hope this write up helps someone with their goal, be it an Ironman or a first sprint triathlon, or a marathon or whatever. Please feel free to contact me with any questions if I missed something you wanted to know about.

Thank you to everyone for the well wishes, encouragement and congratulations. Thank you to Ironman and the Volunteers for having this race during one of the most hectic times in our lives.

Thank you for reading.

Kristen

[email protected]

Instagram - @zenkatki

0 notes

northshorehealthandfitness · 7 years

Link

If you’re a dog owner and a runner, your pooch is probably your favorite training partner. Man’s best friend can help you stick to a realistic pace, and lend a burst of energy when those legs start dragging. Plus, your pup will get a big woof being outdoors! But why not snag some hardware for your six-legged adventures? Thanks to these dog-friendly fun runs across the country, Fido can finally get a bite of glory. These races also offer plenty of post-race perks, like doggie treats and massages (human ones, too!). Here are nine events worth barking about.

RELATED: The 37 Fittest Dogs of Instagram

9 Fun Runs to Do With Your Dog

[caption id="attachment_63558" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Courtesy of Paws Fur Pink[/caption]

1. Paws Fur Pink

Location: Orange, CA Date: February 18, 2018 Whether you’re undergoing cancer treatment or have a loved one who is, your dog is in it for the long haul, providing comfort and unconditional love. In this 5K and one-mile run or walk, participants can take their dogs along for the journey — costumes encouraged. Plus, there’s a Pawsitively Pink Costume Contest, complete with prizes for the prettiest pups in pink.

[caption id="attachment_63562" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Courtesy of the Fast and the Furriest 5K[/caption]

2. The Fast and the Furriest 5K

Location: Fort Myers, FL Date: April 2018 The Gulf Coast is one of the most beautiful parts of the country, and there’s no better way to see it than running with your four-legged companion. This 5K and one-mile run and walk benefit the Gulf Coast Humane Society, the first nonprofit animal welfare organization in southwest Florida. The Society relies solely on donations, grants and fundraising events, so this event really helps dogs in need. We’ll raise a paw to that!

[caption id="attachment_63559" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Doggie Dash 5K[/caption]

3. Doggie Dash 5K

Location: Portland, OR Date: May 2018 If you want your dog to get the full-on runner’s experience, this is your event. After a 1.5- and 2.5-mile race through Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland, take your dog to “Doggie Utopia,” where they’ll get treated to a dog massage, share secrets with a dog whisperer and chase bubbles at the Bubble Booth. Sounds like the best day ever!

RELATED: Love Puppies, Beer and Brunch? 11 Run Clubs to Join Now

[caption id="attachment_63564" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Courtesy of Orr's Golden Hour Photo[/caption]

4. Tails ‘n’ Trails

Location: Omaha, NE Date: May 2018 Pug Partners of Nebraska, Hands, Hearts & Paws and Muddy Paws all benefit from the half-marathon, 10K, 5K and one-mile races for participants and their dogs. You’ll not only spread awareness about rescuing homeless dogs, you’ll get to enjoy nature on the trails of Chalco Hills. Plus, every dog gets a dog tag at the finish line. Top dogs will get a doggie bowl!

[caption id="attachment_63561" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Courtesy of Furry 5K[/caption]

5. Furry 5K

Location: Seattle, WA Date: June 2018 For 18 years, the Furry 5K has drawn thousands of two-legged and four-legged friends to raise money for the Seattle Animal Shelter Help the Animals Fund. After running 3.25 miles around Seward Park, you and your pup will be treated to a Pet-a-Palooza party, where you’ll see trained dogs show off their talents (and we mean more than just rolling over for a treat).

[caption id="attachment_63602" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Courtesy Jolana Babacek Photography[/caption]

6. Green Mountain Irondog

Location: Colchester, VT Date: September 2018 Think of this race as the equivalent of an Ironman race for humans. Dogs will experience what it takes to become a police K9 by running through obstacles. Expect to help your dog jump over walls, hop through tires and climb ladders. Participants include military veterans, police officers and civilians.

RELATED: The 10 Best Races That Are Fit for Foodies

[caption id="attachment_63560" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Courtesy of Matt McDowell[/caption]

7. Chasing Tail Run

Location: Salt Lake City, UT Date: September 2018 As one of the longer dog races, this 1.5- or 4-mile event takes place in downtown Salt Lake City and Memory Grove Park. You and your furry friend will chase down the finish line, where a free beer glass and dog treats from Squatters Brew Pub await. Benefitting the Salt Lake County Animal Services, this fun run boasts local food, drinks and community vibes — nothing ruff about that.

[caption id="attachment_63703" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Courtesy of CA Labradors, Retrievers & More[/caption]

8. Howl-O-Ween 5K Mutt Run

Location: San Diego, CA Date: October 2018 We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Halloween than parading our pups around in full costume. Until we found out it’s a mutt run! Hosted by California Labradors, Retrievers and More Rescue, the 5K run and walk is open to adults, children and leashed dogs. The reward for crossing the finish line? Doggie treats, of course.

[caption id="attachment_63563" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Courtesy of the Doggie Dash Dawdle[/caption]

9. Doggie Dash and Dawdle

Location: Albuquerque, NM Date: November 2018 You’d think this doggie dash was a big-time marathon, attracting 4,500 runners each year. But no, it’s just a 5K run and one-mile dawdle that are two of the most popular races in Albuquerque. Post-run, you and Fido get to enjoy live music, barrel racing, dog sprints and doggie carnival contests. (Think: bobbing for cheese and paw print painting.) And it’s for a good cause: This event benefits the Animal Humane’s community programs for the area’s homeless pets.

Read More 263 Races for Every Distance and Destination 15 Races for People Who’d Rather Walk Than Run The 17 Best Relay Races in the U.S.

The post The 9 Best Fun Runs You Can Do With Your Dog appeared first on Life by Daily Burn.

via Fitness – Life by Daily Burn

#IFTTT #Fitness – Life by Daily Burn

3 notes · View notes

bike-rentals-europe · 5 years

Photo

Veloce provide high quality carbon road bike, ebikes and mtb rental services at customers accommodations in Sardinia, one of most exclusive islands of Italy. For further information and bicycle rental quote requests please email us to [email protected] or visit velocerental.com Now, let's start to discover more about Sardinia! Due to the variety of the island's ecosystems, which include mountains, woods, plains, largely uninhabited territories, streams, rocky coasts and long sandy beaches, Sardinia has been metaphorically defined as a micro-continent. In the modern era, many travelers and writers have extolled the beauty of its untouched landscape. Today with this post we would introduce you the Gallura area of the Sardinia island where Veloce provide high quality bike rental services with customized delivery at customers accommodations, from Palau village, Northern village close the Maddalena Archipelago to Dorgali, this last village located on East coast, close the Costa Smeralda and the National park of the Orosei and Gennargentu gulf bay. 🚴 #sardinia #sardiniaexperience #sardiniamylove #SardiniaPhotos #sardiniaisamazing #sardiniamagicisland #Sardinianbeaches #sardiniansea #sardiniansheep #sardiniaparadisland #sardiniaforyou #sardiniaisland #sardinialove #sardiniamiami #cycling #ironman #triathlon #travel #emeraldcoast #italy (presso Costa Smeralda) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8UPRInKZrh/?igshid=rgfz02ftsurw

0 notes

newwaveswimbuoy · 5 years

Photo

Credit to @amandakenny87 : Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast run recap can be summarized with these emojis: 🏃🏽♀🔥💦 as in I was running, roasting, and trying to drink and pour as much water on my self as possible. Running is definitely my weakest of the 3 disciplines, which I like to blame on my knee surgery a year ago, but really I think it was a hard day to run no matter who you were. It was extremely hot (imagine that in Florida 🤦🏽♀) and with little shade on the course we couldn’t hide from the sun. ☀ Thankfully this course was completely flat and @ironmantri had aid stations with fantastic volunteers handing out cold water, ice, @gatoradeendurance and a plethora of snacks. 🍌🍇🥨🍪 I stopped at EVERY aid station to get water and ice to drink and put in my shirt and pour over my head. I also probably ate a total of 3 whole oranges with the amount of orange slices I ate because they tasted so good! 🍊 I’ve been having problems with my hip and foot that I’ve been getting treatment for and unfortunately they were hurting almost the entire run. 😫 With lots of walk breaks and just an overall slow pace I did not make my goal time for the run. ☹Hopefully by next race I will have my injuries under control and have more of my run speed back! 🏃🏽♀💨 posted on Instagram - https://newaveswim.com/2HHTgTw

#im703gulfcoast #imgulfcoast703 #ironmangulfcoast #swimbikerun #trilife #ironmantraining #ironmantri #swimme

0 notes

derrickb-atl · 5 years

Photo

I completed Ironman Gulf Coast 70.3!!! This was an absolutely brutal 1.2 mi swim, with very rough and huge waves throughout the entire swim. Everyone was tossed around everywhere with lots of swim DNFs. I barely made the cut off. The 56 mi bike was very windy. I stayed strong. The sun revealed itself on the run, where it was extremely hot and humid. I still ran the entire race. This was the first race I didn't care what my finish time was. I'm extremely proud just to finish strong and healthy. #teamzoot #triathlon #ironman #ironmangulfcoast703 #howihammer #smithoptics #garmin #beatyesterday #speedfil #blacktriathlete #swimbikerun #roadtoironman (at Panama City Beach, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxXY_1-htS1/?igshid=i4qv7mnqb67m

#teamzoot #triathlon #ironman #ironmangulfcoast703 #howihammer #smithoptics #garmin #beatyesterday #speedfil #blacktriathlete #swimbikerun #roadtoironman

0 notes

infozone-blog · 6 years

Link

“We are excited to add Waco to our IRONMAN 70.3 race series . We look forward to growing the event in this beautiful and historic Texas community,” Scott Langen, IRONMAN Regional Director, Gulf Coast, said.

#waco ironman 70.3 texas #WACO WELCOMES IRONMAN 70.3 TRIATHLON RACE IN 2018

0 notes

tripeakathlete · 5 months

Text

Week of May 6 - 12, 2024

View On WordPress

#bike #education #featured #gulf coast #hyperice #ironman tri #roka #Rudy #rudy project #run #salt lake city #st george #swim #synergy wetsuits #tri coach orlando #tri training #triathlon #triathlon bike

0 notes

30atv · 5 years

Text

Tweeted

New > https://t.co/sYYdZkk7y4 (Visit Panama City Beach 70.3 Gulf Coast, May 9 / Visit Panama City Beach IRONMAN Florida, November 7) What began as a challenge between groups of Navy SEALS has become one of the most recognized endurance events in ... @30abuzz #florida #news pic.twitter.com/oYhC0AhU5u

— 30a.TV @30abuzz Download our Apps (@30abuzz) December 14, 2019

#IFTTT #Twitter

0 notes

thetonycross · 7 years

Text

Race report and lowdown (the finish line is just around the corner)

New blog, race report from Ironman GC , sorry for the delay. To my one follower, thank you

Well, I’ve had a week or so to rest, repair and ruminate on last Saturday’s Ironman Gulf Coast 70.3 also known as the Gulf Roast. Going into the race I was very optimistic and enthusiastic about racing my 1st triathlon since 2014 and the longest distance to date. I arrived on Friday afternoon without the rest of my family because of a homeschool function that was scheduled on Friday night so I…

View On WordPress

0 notes

maslife · 8 years

Text

Lil’ diesel back in action :-). After the race, we went to Key West for a few days, where the sun finally came out, but it was still chilly. Harumph!

I’m back…

I’m back from the edges of overtraining. I’m still pushing my edges – just not tipping over them.

I’m back into the thrill of the chase, and working that line between getting enough oxygen and going as fast as I can.

And, with my first 70.3 in almost 2 years, I’m back to races that begin and end on the same day.

I’m back, baby. I. AM. BACK.

You know what?

I kinda missed the shenanigans.

Okay, I definitely missed it.

A lot.

While I did a few shorter races in the Fall, I didn’t really consider myself “back” until I did HITS Naples 70.3 on January 7.

Now I feel like I’m back in the Ironman game.

I originally chose this race because I dreamt of escaping the bitter reality of the New Jersey winter, by racing under sunny skies, in 70-something temps, with the warm breeze of the Florida gulf coast.

What I got was 25 mph winds, rain, and 55ish degrees.

That’s close enough, I guess, considering we had about 6-8 inches of snow at home, and blustery 20-something temps.

HITS Naples begins at Vanderbilt Beach, where the swim completes a counter-clockwise loop in the Gulf. The day before the race, the water was calm, blue and inviting (see the picture below, on the left). The morning of the race, it was dark, angry and hostile (see the picture on the right). In fact, we stood on the beach, looking outward to the horizon, and we could see lightning in the distance.

Hmmmm. Surely we aren’t going to swim with lightning?

Um, wrong. Surely we are. I want bonus #Hardcore points. Just saying.

As I stood on the beach, waiting for the start, I redirected the thoughts of total swim suckfest. I also tried not to think about the possibility of that distant lightning getting closer. I wasn’t really in the mood for electrocution. (Luckily, the storm stayed way off shore.)

Day before the race.

Race Day.

It’s quite a thing to go from days upon days of swimming in the warm, calm pool to thrusting yourself into the open water swells with a few hundred other people. When I say “quite a thing,” I mean a progression from “holy shit this is chaos,” to “okay, just do what you need to do to survive,” to “okay, I think I’m doing something that resembles swimming now” to “oh, thank goodness, last turn to the beach.”

The way out to the first buoy turn was rough, but it was manageable. The swells pushed from behind, but every once in a while, a rogue swell would come around, and deliver a mouthful of water. It occurred to me that once we turned to head back, it was going to be ugly.

And, it was.

It took me almost the whole swim quite a while to recruit my memory for swimming in rough ocean seas. Ocean? you say. But this was the Gulf, right? Okay, let’s agree on “ocean-ish”.

There were times I’d come around on the recovery, reach for the water, and got nothing but air because I was on top of a swell. Other moments, I timed the breath imprecisely and was greeted by steeples of white caps instead.

Ah, yes, the chaos of rough water.

Rather than continue slogging, I focused in. What do I need to do?

This is an easy answer: RELAX. You really don’t get much by fighting current and wind (or gravity when on the road).

I pulled back on the effort, and took the time to figure out the pattern of the swells. They were coming in sets of mostly 3 to 6, although not perfectly because there were plenty of little choppy white caps. Even so, I knew after 3-6 sets of higher swells, there would be a lull. While the sea rested before pummeling us with another round, I took advantage of that moment to sight, to breathe, to push the effort until the next rollers came through.

And, with those adjustments, I was finally in the “something resembling swimming” phase.

My foot stepped back on the beach in 38 minutes – which is far from my best swim, but given the conditions and my lack of swim prep for this race, I was happy it wasn’t 45 minutes (which I feared when I was out in the abyss).

John was right on the beach, “You got this, Maria!”

“Uh-huh,” so convincing.

Try again: Yes, yes, of course, I do. I remember triathlon.

Off to transition, which was about 400 meters or so from the water – give or take, considering my utter lack of geographical awareness. All I know is that I had to run for a few minutes to get to my bike.

At this point, I didn’t have any idea how many women were ahead of me, but I gleaned from the chatter of others that it wasn’t that many – maybe 5 or 6. But, it was too early in the race to get involved with all of that…just yet.

The bike. Ah, my old nemesis. Here we are again, Rooby Roo. I am back, and you are still here.

Will we be friends today, old girl? I thought as I ran out of transition to the mount line.

I wasn’t exactly looking forward to this bike course. The day before, we drove the route and the majority of the course was on a busy highway. Ugh.

Yes, there was a bike lane, but that mere 3-4 feet of space and a painted white line is all that separated me from the pace of traffic rushing to get to the seemingly endless array of strip malls in Florida–not to mention the 18 wheelers that came in a progression. I hoped that Saturday morning traffic wouldn’t be as menacing as it was the afternoon prior. (For the record: it wasn’t as busy as Friday, but still more traffic than I like!)

The bike course took us along the highway, and eventually to some more country-ish roads for the final 20 miles or so. (Transition 2 and the finish line was about 30 miles away from the finish line.)

Tucking myself in as tightly as possible.

When I race, disciplined effort at the beginning is almost always the rule of the day for anything 70.3 or longer.

As I began the bike, I took note of how I felt. My HR was raging (likely due to the swim conditions added with residual impacts of a cold), and the effort felt a little strained. So, I decided to shoot just under my power target until I could feel my rhythm.

Eventually, I did. Over the course of the 56 miles, I steadily built my effort, and while cyclists passed me quite a bit in those opening 20 miles, I saw many of them again over the final 16 miles. Psychologically, that is always a good feeling–passing people in the final miles. It’s worth putting the ego in check when you start.

I came in to T2 at 2:39 – which officially makes this my fastest bike split by 5 minutes! But, to be fair, we had about 30 miles of tailwind, so that was a KEY factor. Judging by sustained watts, this was NOT my biggest power for 56 miles. Even so, the 2:39 is in the official results, so it’s not an alternative fact. ;-)

Into T2, the rain was still falling, and that suits me just fine on the run–no worries about the heat. I was in and out of T2 in a flash–I had work to do.

Four or five women passed me on the bike, and I focused on slowly reeling them back in – like I always have to do. Despite my fastest time, I was still NOT with the front bikers–they apparently had best-ever bikes, too. Tailwind!

The run was a basic out and back, along a bike path. For competition purposes, I like the out and back because you can count how many people are in front of you.

By the time I got to the turnaround, I had run myself into 3rd place female overall. As I ran back, I saw another female competitor BLAZING the run. I quickly realized I needed to step up my game in whatever way I could and try to hold her off as much as possible.

I managed to hold her off for almost 3 miles. She ran past me at mile 9 as if I were walking. After the race, I saw that she ran a 1:27. Um, yeah, so, yup. Nice run!

In the final mile of the run, I saw John, and he said there was a woman just ahead of me. I dug in as much as I could, and I could see the figure getting closer, and closer. Just before the finish, I realized, Hey! That’s not a woman – it’s a man! But, John’s comment did the trick to help me finish strong.

One mile from the finish. #PainCave

Steps from the finish! I can stop now :-)

I finished in 5:05:23, as the 4th place woman overall, 1st place AG, and 20th OA finisher (no, I didn’t catch the guy who was in front of me!). My personal best, set at Eagleman in 2013, was 5:05:15. That was the last year I raced IMLP, and I’m ready to return. I have a new set of big dreams, different from the last time, when my singular focus was to qualify for Kona.

So, yes, I feel like I’m making my way back.

In hindsight, I don’t think I realized at the end of the 2014 season just how much that 3-year journey to the big island took out of my body–and more so, my mind. While the last two years of racing have been incredibly fun for me, I did lose some of my fire. And, now, it’s back.

I can feel it starting to rage.

I’m heading back to where this Ironman journey began: Ironman Lake Placid. When I enter that magic sphere that is the Lake Placid Olympic Oval, I want to know that there is nothing else I could have done to go even one second faster.

Do I have other goals for that day? Yes. For now, they are super secret goals, so I’m not comfortable sharing them. They sound audacious enough when I utter them to myself. Best not to have you think I’ve gone truly crazy.

For now, just know that I am back, and I have not stopped believing. Not even once.

Our friend Bill (middle) also raced. It was his second go at the distance and he finished like a champ!

Yes, I’m a ham.

I’m Back: 2017 HITS Naples 70.3 Race Report I'm back... I'm back from the edges of overtraining. I'm still pushing my edges - just not tipping over them.

#florida #halfironman #HITSNaples #HITStriathlon #imlp #ironman #ironmanlakeplacid #triathlon703 #triathlonracing

0 notes