So, two years ago I signed up for this race.  It has a bit of long course mystique.  Basically, you go to somewhere obscure in Ohio (Shawnee State Park), join 350 other long course triathletes, everyone is required to wear the same red/white/blue flag motif race top,rough it by camping, staying in a cabin or the lodge (of course I chose the lodge!) and complete 4 triathlons from 5pm Friday until 3pm Sunday afternoon.  The actual distance of all the races totals the length of an Ironman with a little extra swimming.

My training had been going great for this race.  I had been hitting my workouts, improving my swimming and really running well.  Unfortunately, the universe sometimes slaps us in the face to remind us about what is truly important.  About four weeks from the race, Coach's Dad became increasingly ill.  We immediately started spending our weekends in St. Louis.  I am amazed at how much I was included during her family's most difficult time.  I was honored to be a part of her family in her father's last moments and as we celebrated his life.  Another reminder that family and friend's come first...hobbies are not even on the list!  I was able to run quite a bit during this time but biking and swimming became almost non-existent.

So, by race week I knew I was not prepared and undertrained.  Not a good combination.  I was also going without a race bitch.  Coach would be in St. Louis with her Mom and the rest of the team was enjoying a holiday weekend in Bloomington.  What possibly could go wrong?  The coach I have been working  with, Gordo Byrn at endurancecorner.com, asked me not to race but to "train through" the weekend.  I agreed and chose not to wear my watch so that I would not try to race the event.  I did decide if I felt well by the last run, I would race the half marathon on the last loop. 

Just an aside...Gordo has won this race.  After doing it, I am even more impressed.  Wow.  Fortunately, I followed his suggestion and changed the gearing on my bike from a 12-25 to a 12-27.  I don't think I could have got up the hills without it!

The hills/mountains are relentless.  We are talking over a mile long on most of them.  One hill in the race started with a 17% grade for 50 meters and then "leveled out" to a 9% grade for the next mile.  The run course was crazy with 4 miles up some very steep forest fire road hills and 2.5 miles down hill.

So...the races were hard.  Friday evening, the first race was an appetizer to remind us we were screwed.  Totally.  Unequivocally about to get our asses kicked.  It was super short (250 yard swim, 3.5 mile uphill bike and 1 mile run).  I was very careful to do no harm!  Most people raced it crazy fast!

Saturday was two Olympic distance races.  It was also very, very hot!  In the 80's with high humidity.  The first race was my complete and utter destruction.  By the time it was over, I headed back to the lodge and totally disintegrated.  On top of that, my stomach had shut down.  I was nauseated and did not want to eat.  Fortunately, everyone I had talked with who had done this race before said they key was to eat...constantly.  I choked down a PBJ and went to sleep for 45 minutes.  I felt so much better later and was relieved that I might actually be able to do the second race. 

The second race is a reverse Olympic.  You bike first, then attempt to wedge your sweaty body into your wetsuit, and then you run.  I felt so much better during this bike.  It had the longest hill I have ever biked in my life.  By the time I returned to the transition, I was actually excited to get in the water just to cool down! Fortunately, a volunteer helped wedge me in the wetsuit and the rest of the race was uneventful.  I was surprised how well I felt during the second race.  I was even hungry immediately afterwards.

The hardest part of the races?  When you were not racing, you were moving all of your triathlon crap back to your room, trying to dry your stuff, preparing your nutrition for the next race, eating, sleeping and then moving all your crap back to the next race.  There was some serious sherpa work involved!  Thank you again to all my previous race bitches! 

By the last race on Sunday everyone looks like zombies.  People are moving very slowly and have this "I really want to go home" look.  I could immediately tell that there were a lot less people racing (over the course of 3 days, 12% of the field dropped out!).  I was tired.  Very tired.  Each part of the race had two laps.  I kept telling myself that I could quit AFTER the next lap.  A lovely little psychological game! The only physical concern I had was that there was a little bit of soreness in my quads from the downhill running. 

The swim was long...people were tired and moving slowly.  The bike was incredible with this very long switch back hill/mountain.  It also got very hot.  Over the course of the races, I worked very hard to eat more.  I sucked down to EFS 400 calorie gels (2), one Clif Blox package, two fig newtons and 8 ounces of Heed.  Roughly 1200 calories over 4 hours.  I also drank 3-4 bottles of water. 

By the time I got to the run it was damn hot and humid.  I felt relieved to arrive at the event where I do my best.  I continued the eating with a gu every 3 miles and water/gatorade.  I poured ice water on my head and back.  I even put some ice in my bra.  Basically I put my head down, ran the first six conservatively and ran the next six as fast as I could.

Interesting notes:

1)  It was very cool to do a race where everyone wore the same uniform.  It felt like a team moving together.  The support you felt from strangers was incredible.
2)  Some people cannot possibly do something where they don't stand out.  Despite the uniform requirement, there were definitely a few people that needed to be noticed.  You can't help but chuckle at the lengths they go to...streamers on their race numbers, goofy sun glasses, running with a kilt...you get the idea.
3)  Three days with perfect strangers and not one of them asked the standard, "Where do you work?"  I loved that no one cared beyond the mission of the day.  We were all equals under the weight of the task before us.
4)  MIchigan St. has a very cool triathlon team.  Before the last race they did the Green and White fight cheer.  As soon as it was done someone yelled out, "Go Buckeyes!"  Very funny!
5)  Another Bloomington friend was there...Marty.  It was great to have someone to cheer on in his very successful race.
6)  I finished 11th out of 13th in my age group.  Underprepared, undertrained and underperformed. 
7)  This race had the most aesthetic pleasing group of athletes I have ever witnessed.  Wow. 
8)  This was the hardest event I have completed.  Harder than any other Ironman I have completed.  It really required me to climb down in the whole and get used to the darkness.  Perhaps that is why the first Olympic was such a shock!

Like the St. Louis Marathon and the Chili Hilly Stage Running Race, the Triple T is now part of the famous list of "One and Done!" 

  

 

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