Completely Transparent – Dietitians don’t always get it right.
Race Stats: Age Group Finish: 16th out of 56, Total Time: 6:03:46
IM 70.3 Waco was not my greatest race but it was all I had on the day. On paper, it doesn’t look amazing or horrible. Every race can’t be my greatest and I went into this race knowing I was not in optimal race shape. Training has been inconsistent; I was sick Tuesday-Friday leading up to the race and just not feeling it for some reason. This time, knowing I was not in peak shape, but it was my only 70.3 race of the year, I wanted to have a strong performance.
RACE DAY
The day did not start off great. I almost always have increased nerves and a butterfly tummy, but dinner was not sitting well for some reason and my gut was not happy. Thankfully my gut calmed down in time to head out to set up my transition
THE SWIM
The gun goes off and we start the race. The morning was cool and felt amazing! I took a few deep breaths, got in the water and started swimming. I had a normal amount of contact during the swim, but with a few minutes left, someone hit my watch and switched me into T1 mode. I stopped to figure out what happened. This is the second time in a race my watch has been hit and there was nothing I could do. So, I just kept swimming to the finish.
Triathlon is about planning while being flexible in the moment.
T1
Normally, I exit the water and start jogging into T1. I view T1 and T2 as “free time” to gain on competitors. This race, I jogged and took my time in T1. For some reason I just couldn’t find the “umph” I normally have.
THE BIKE
When I first started the bike, my legs felt empty. I told myself that I didn’t have to feel good to ride within my goal power range. Heading out, we had a fantastic tailwind. I realized that and was able to mentally prepare for the ride back. About 10 miles into the bike, my legs came around. At the halfway point, we turned round and I found myself fighting the strong headwinds and crosswinds all the way back to the finish. My nutrition and hydration on the bike were subpar. Being completely transparent, I have probably never under fueled so much in a race. I consumed all my gels, but not nearly enough hydration. I had set a goal of finishing the ride in under 3 hours. Initially it seemed achievable, but as I got closer to the finish, I realized I was barely going to miss my goal. When I got off the bike everything hurt; my shoulders were screaming, and inner thighs were on fire from fighting the winds.
I was riding a new bike. Maybe a good choice, maybe not. I will never know if the pain was due to the strong winds or the bike…or both.
T2
I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get off my bike. My shoulders and inner thighs were still on fire. I walked into T2 and composed myself. For the last 20 miles on the bike, I had to pee so bad but didn’t want to pee on my new bike. I decided to give up more “free” time in transition and went to the port-a-potty. I have no idea why I had to pee so badly when I assess how much hydration I did NOT consume on the bike.
THE RUN
Heading out on the run, I saw Amy and told her “everything hurts”. She told me I was in 10th place and to keep pushing. Knowing that I was in 10th gave me a little boost and positive shift in mindset. Towards the end of the race ran with two guys. We kept each other going and finished the race as strong as possible on the day.
I love that we are all out competing and can also help motivate each other throughout the day.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I am happy to have raced. It was a lot of fun to see all my Paragon team mates throughout the day. I truly love racing and going all out on race day, so I am not sure why I was lacking in this motivation. Each race, I view as a learning opportunity. So, what did I learn from this race? (1) Training consistency is key to light my competitive flame and in order to feel strong on race day. (2) As a parent of two young kids, an ideal lead up is not likely to occur. Racing without an ideal lead up is my new normal. (3) I can race even if I am on (or near) my cycle.
SIDE NOTE TO ALL MY FEMALE READERS
Females, listen up! I have been paying careful attention to how I feel around my cycle for about a year now. I have noticed that 1-3 days before I start my cycle, I experience this “dead leg” feeling. I never know when it will happen or during what workout. Mentally, I am prepared for my workout. Nutritionally, I am fueled. My legs just don’t have power and it feels like I drag through the training session. I know research results are mixed regarding whether we “should” feel different around our cycle. The “dead leg” feeling is one I have experienced repeatedly only around my cycle. So, while we should never make excuses for performance due to our cycle, I can tell you that it plays a role in how I feel when training or racing. I must acknowledge the reality of having “dead legs”, understand the why behind the struggle and mentally work through it. Because well hey, I never know what’s going to happen on race day. I have now raced IM 70.3 Worlds and IM 70.3 Waco on my period. Hopefully my transparency is encouraging and helps you gain some confidence if you find yourself racing during your cycle. I encourage you to pay attention to your body and learn how your cycle might be impacting performance, but never let it be an excuse to not train or perform to the best of your ability on the day.
Fuel Fearlessly 
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