I just completed my first Ironman at the inaugural Ironman Cozumel  (IMCZ).

I had an incredible experience both before, during and after the race.  I would like to share some of the things I did that I believe helped me have such a successful race…..

1. Plan to arrive in Cozumel no later than Wednesday before the Sunday race!     This is important for acclimatization!  I had no problems with the humidity and heat!  Also, I had no problems with my bike arriving with me.  Some people who flew on Thanksgiving day had their bikes come in on Friday due to all the people traveling with bikes that day…Those that arrived Friday had problems with the heat and humidity race day.

2.  Stay at the FIESTAMERICANA!  This hotel is right next to the swim start; it’s away from town; the service is excellent and the food is great (and safe). Also, request your room on the 6th floor.  Maria is the housekeeper for that floor and she is so sweet and does a wonderful job! 

3. Get some Hammer  LIQUID ENDURANCE.    It is designed to help when racing in the heat.  I drank this for 3 days before the race, and believe this also helped me to not have problems with the heat on race day.

4.  Swim in a SPEED SUIT.   There are small jelly fish which can bite you in the water.  They don’t hurt, just annoying afterwards.  I swam in my sports bra, swim suit and speed suit.  After the swim I then changed into my race outfit for the rest of the race and did not have any problems with bites.

5.  START THE SWIM in front of the dock.  The best place to start the swim is in front of the dock on some netting that is there.  You can hang on the netting and not have to tread water.  Plus you are in the front.  I started in the front and had a great swim!

5.  Ride in the WIND.  I know we don’t like to do it…but ride your 100 milers in the wind as much as possible.  I did 5 self supported centuries in a windy valley….and found that come race day the wind on the east side of the island did not bother me at all!

6. Race in your RACE WHEELS.  I raced in my 404′s and they were perfect.  I ended up passing a lot of people who used their regular wheels and 808′s are probably too big….but a wheel the same size as Zipp 404′s are just right!

7.  Use BUG SPRAY for the RUN.  If you are like me and will be running at dusk, make sure you put on plenty of mosquito repellent before you head out on the run.  The mosquitoes are out only at dusk and once it’s dark they’re gone

8.  POUR WATER on your head and legs at every  run aide station.  There are aide stations on the run every 1 km.  At every aide station I grabbed a water- took a sip; poured some on each leg; poured some on my head; then took another sip.  This worked perfect for hydration and for keeping my body cool!

9.  Run in NEWTON RUNNING SHOES.  I ran in my Newton Universal Distance Racers.  My legs never fatigued and these shoes helped propel me forward to my first Ironman finish!

10.  Use  SPORTS QUEST PRODUCTS!  I swear by Sports Quest’s products. I have been using them for over 1 year and always notice a difference in my energy increasing and fatique decreasing.  I religiously take their Recover, Vantage and Thermolytes EVERY hour when training long hours and on this IRONMAN.  I know these products made the difference in me not being fatiqued and not having any problems with electrolyte/sodium levels!

11.  ENJOY THE DAY.  Make sure you enjoy your day.  The crowds and the beauty of the island are amazing. 

12.  Brush up on your SPANISH.  If you speak some Spanish, brush up on it so you can enjoy chatting with all athletes and locals. It make for an added bonus to the day and to your stay.

13.  Stay and RECOVER IN COZUMEL.  Stay for at least 3 days after the race.  There is NO better way to recover than sitting on the beach and swimming in the ocean.  You can also finally enjoy the wonderful cuisine and beverages!

I heard from athletes who have done other Ironmans that this was one of the best venues they’ve raced.  I heard from spectators it was one of the best venues for spectating.

I have no other Ironman to compare this to…but all I can say- is I can never imagine a better location to do an Ironman…especially for the whole family!  If you are even thinking about doing an Ironman I HIGHLY recommend Cozumel!!!!

Here I am 2 days post Ironman.  I as I cleaned up my gear I wanted to take a moment to record the nutrition I used through out the day….Here goes-

For 3 Days prior to race:

Hammer Liquid Endurance- 1 tbsp w/ 18oz water 3x daily

Pre Race:

Package of Oatmeal- 1 scoop protien powder; 1/2 hr before- Sports Quest Direct 3 Recover Amino Power, 3 Vantage VO2 Max, 4 Thermalite (RVT) 1 Motivator;  Luna Moons

On the Bike:

2.5 Large Bike Bottles of PowerBar Endurance w/3 scoops each; 3 Rocktane; 4 Clif Shot Blocks;    1/2 PBJ on white bread, crust off, cut into 1/4s; 8 Pringles;  2 Clif Peanut Butter Bars;  Lot’s of water; Carbo Pro,  SportsQuest  RVT every hour- 1 Motivator

Run:

Sports Quest  RVT every hour, CarboPro, 1 Motivator;     10 oz PowerBar Endurance w/ 2 scoops;   1 Rocktane;    3 Clif Shot Blocks;  10 Ritz like Crackers;   Coca Cola – 2 big sips in the last 3 miles

That’s it…..Doesn’t seem like much but it sure did the trick for me.  I didn’t bonk, no stomach problems.  I really need to give a double thumbs up to the SportsQuest Product!  I believe taking the Recover, Advantage and Thermolites every hour made a huge difference as I never “bonked” and never  This nutrition worked great for me on this race!!

Next onto recovery and race report…..

Tomorrow is the big day!  The day I’ve been training for since last November.  I’m sitting here on the balcony of the FiestAmerican overlooking the blue sea ready to blog about my time since arriving on Cozumel.

The trip down on Wednsday Nov 24 was uneventful.  My bike made it, luggage made it and we made it!  Couldn’t ask for more!  Checked into our hotel, went for a 30 minute swim in the pool and enjoyed a peaceful dinner overlooking the ocean.

Next day(Thanksgiving day) Janet and I rented a car to recon the bike course.  We also took advantage of the rental and went to town for packet pickup and  to get some groceries and water. 

We got out little car, put Betty in the back and drove around the island on the bike route.  The route proved to be absolutely beautiful!

We then went to packet pickup and were there before they opened at 12:00.  We stood in line and when the doors opened it was a mad frenzy to buy Ironman Cozumel gear….and I was right in there with the best of them!

We then went to packet pickup- I got my packet and then my sweet jacket!; bought my picture package and then we were off to Mega the big grocery store.

Friday we had to go back to the expo to pick up my gear and special foods bags and attend the Athlete’s meeting.  Had blast talking to all the athletes and running into friends! 

Saturday was all about packing and getting ready to drop off Betty and my run/bike gear at 3pm.  This is when the nerves really started to finally kick in!  It took me a few hours to make sure I had everything just right :)

Next- it was time to ride on down to the Swim start and T1 to drop everything off!  I was staying about 1 mile away and had a pleasant ride with all my goodies.  I found my number, racked Betty, dropped of my bike and run gear bags and proceeded to check out the swim start.  I could not believe how far the buoys seemed!  I was also awed by the clear blue ocean water that I would be starting my swim in less than 15 hours!!  Talk about Nerves!

After leaving Betty behind (this was really tough to do!)  I took one of the buses back to the hotel.  I was pretty nervous at this point and lied down on the bed and “meditated” to calm my nerves.  This helped a ton and shortly after that we headed downstairs for an early dinner and early night……And that brings me to know…moments before going to sleep…out on the balcony…typing away…trying to get this all down so I can remember and share it with everyone…………So= see ya all on the other side of Ironman Cozumel!!!! 

Well.  Here I am, the day before I head to Cozumel, Mx to compete in my first Ironman. 

I have been struggling with self doubt in the last week, mainly due to a slight calf pull that sidelined my last two brick workouts (100 mile bike/15 mile run; 100 mile bike/18 mile run). 

I have been tapering for 4 weeks now, not what was scheduled but how things played out.  the self doubt comes from wondering if I was ready and had done enough training.  I decided to get out my training logs for the past year and look back on what I’ve done to be ready for this DAY. 

To date I have completed 1x Ultra Adventure Race; 2x 30 mile Runs; 3x 25 mile Runs; 2x Marathons; 9x Century Bike rides; and a 5K, 6K, 2x 7K Swims…..Here is a timeline of the main workouts and fun I’ve had since November 2008.

November of 2008 I started with a group run on the Colorado Trail for 16 miles.  Two weeks later I was in Moab at the ULTIMATE XC Adventure Run for my first adventure race (23 miles).

Last mile at Moab

December found me running 26 milesfrom Highlands Ranch to Golden with temps ranging from 19 degress at the start to a balmy 29 degress by the time we arrived in Golden.  The following weekend was a 5K Swim at Denver University at 5:30 am!

Janurary started off the year with a 20 mile run  and two weeks later I was in California for the  REDDING MARATHON (26.2 miles).  I learned a lot from this marathon as I started way too fast and ended up walking more than running the last 5 miles. Pacing is EVERYTHING!

Finish of Redding Marathon with Kelly

The cold month of Feburary brought….More Running!  Two 25 milersover two Sundays in a row!  The HighlineCanal became my friend as I ran these two 25 milers. Luckily for me I have wonderful friends who joined me on parts of my run.  Thanks to Elizabethwho joined me  on my last 5 miles on both runs and kept me entertained! 

The Second 25 Miler Video

March opened with a 6K Swim (video) at Carmody Rec Center.  One thing I discovered on the 5:00 am Sunday Morning Swims was that I loved them!  It was such a wonderful way to start a Sunday. Swimming withgood friends!  Not much more happened this month.  I started computrainer classes at Peak to Peak Performance Center to begin to build my cycling.

Aprilbrought the beggining of the racing season.  First up- Rage Long Course Triathlon.  This is a HARD course!  Pretty much the same course I raced in October at Nationals where I qualified for a spot on the US Team for World Championships.  But I digress…that was 2008.  I had a good race and placed first in my age group.  Not a bad way to start the season    Returned home for a 7K Swimat Carmody again.

Rage Finish- 1st Place Age Group!

May started the big mileage!  May 5th I did my first Ultra Run- Greenland 50K (30 miles).  I ran this with my coach Andrea where she taught me a lot about the finer points of running a race!  The next weekend I was off to Buena Vista Bike Fest  for my first Century ride ever!  I had a blast and HIGHLY reccomend this ride!  They have great support and the BEST food!

Lunch in Leadville at Buena Vista Bike Fest

June started off with a 4K Swim followed by Elephant Rock Century.  The very next weekend I was headed out of state for the Kansas Ironman 70.3 Triathlon!  Kansas IM 70.3 was amazing!  I had a great race and PRed by 20 minutes!!!  I was absolutlely suprised!  Then the very next weekend I competed in Loveland Lake 2 Lake Olympic Triathlon. 

The Girls at Elephant Rock Century

The Gang Kansas Ironman 70.3 Recon

Getting Ready for Loveland Lake 2 Lake

July was the beginning of traveling back and forth to California for 4 months to help care for my father as he went through cancer treatment.  Durning July I did a 20 mile Run and the next weekend rode in the Sunrise Century (7000 ft of climbing) on Saturday followed by a 24 mile Run on Sunday.  I was amazed that the run felt effortless and I was strong! 

Two days later I jumped in my car and drove for 3 days to California.   I arrived on Friday night and Saturday I did my own 70.3.   The next morning (August 1st) I was up at 4:00am to start the Mt. Shasta Summit Century. 11,000 ft of climbing in 100 miles!

August started with the  century ride followed by some bricks- 80 mile  Bike Rides/ 6 mile Run.  I also drove back to Colorado for two weeks to work.  While back home I raced in the Wild On Windsor Triathlon where I place 4th in Age Group.  The next day I was back in the car and headed to California.

September I spent in California where it was HOT.  I started with a 100 mile Bike Ride.  Next week was a 15 Mile Run with a 100 mile Bike the next day.  The following week- 25 mile Run with a 100 mile Bike the next day.  A few days later I did a 7K Open Water Swimin Lake Siskiyous!  It was amazing.  And then….a few days agter that I ran 30 miles!!!

October brought BIG mileage on the bike.  I did 2 more 100 Mile Bike Rides and followed by a brick of 50 Mile Bike with a 12 Mile Run.  Two days after the brick I had run out of Family Leave, my Dad had completed his treatment and I headed back to California on October 20th. 

Shortly after I returned home I went to run an easy 3 mile run and low and behold…I slightly tore my calf!  I immediately thought I was done…no Ironman for me.  Someone mentioned that I should stop catastrophizing  because it would probably be fine…..Well she was right, sort of. 

I ended up backing off my training and as a result missed my 2 big brick workouts.  I missed a 100 mile ride/15 mile run and a 100 mile run/18 mile run.  Plus a few other longer runs.  After talking to my coach she stated….”I am not worried about you.  You’ve been doing extended distance training for a year now!  You are more than ready regardless of missing these workouts!!!”  Sweet music to my ears!

I’ve had a longer taper than we had planned…but again due to all the training I have done up to this point…these last few workouts will not make or break my Ironman.  I’ve put the mileage in- way before most AgeGroupers would have, which leaves me in a good position even without the big bricks.  

I’m rested and after looking back at all I have done over the past year…..I realize  I AM READY!!! 

I’m ready for what ever may happen on November 29th, 2009 in Cozumel, Mx. 

One thing I know is that EACH and EVERY ONE of you who have run/biked/swam with me: who have given me a word of encouragement; who has cooked a meal; helped with a mechanical issue; drivin me to a race, airport, or workout; has called me, Facedbooked me; and supported me in more ways than I can write about—-YOU WILL ALL BE WITH ME AS I RACE ON SUNDAY IN COZUMEL!  

Each one of you will come to my mind as I embrace this opportunity that I am about to embark on!

I thank you all and am truely humbled by your most generous giving of yourselves!

And to my dear Jr High School best friend Janet V- who I did my first triathlon with in May 2008- I thank you for traveling to Cozumel with me and helping to keep me sane in the days before the race.

Love and peace to you all!