We stayed at the host hotel
Intercontinental Miami. Excellent location. Walking distance (5 minutes tops) to Ironman Village! We arrived on Friday night before Sunday race. Got checked in and walked around. Very close to Bayside and tons of food options. It was rainy and overcast. To note: there are no special areas for All World Athletes. Nothing mentions it at all. If you are used to this added bonus like we are...Dont get excited....
Saturday Morning was beautiful! Perfect Weather
we walked around the expo and got a little bit of the nervous energy out! Now this is where things got a little bothersome. The hotel was wonderful the first night. Now Saturday more people were arriving and the elevators were no longer working well. We tried to get from our room on the 16th floor to go to expo for 45 minutes. They stated its part of being in a full hotel. Never ever have I had to wait at any hotel for an elevator at any other Ironman event like this. It was beyond ridiculous!
Race Morning....
Waters look calm. Swim waves going.....The pros are looking to be way off course post the second turn.....hmmm why is that....well I would soon find out.....The current under the water was so strong you were literally swimming in place with very little movement. It was wild. I have completed several 70.3 distances in all types of waters.....this was the most unsettling panic filled swim I have ever done. I could only tell myself just make it to the first turn buoy and it has to get easier.........Phew I made it.....the current out towards second buoy was tolerable. normal swim along the edge of the bay. But oh wait what is that.....Oh snap its a jelly fish...ouch that hurt.... Oh and I forgot to mention that I also have bronchitis....So its pretty intolerable conditions having to swim harder and try to breathe and not panic with everyone thrashing and grabbing you....Now I make it to the 2nd turn buoy.....It has to be a challenge bc the pros swung so wide.....Remember what hubby said just go to the yacht....
I sighted the ginormous yacht that was sitting outside the hotel bc it was a direct line to where I needed to go....This worked but you had to site about every 3 strokes or you would get pushed pretty far off course......Another jellyfish.....Ok finally make it to turn 3....I am getting killed I felt like I am at 48 minutes....Ok a little slower then usual but i don't feel well and that first 200 was awful.....Little did I know I was turning right back into it....Once again I was not moving.....I kicked as hard as I ever have kicked...Please just let me get to the dock so I can get out.....Now people were acting wild again...Finally about 15 min later I made it to the dock which is a stair way.....so everyone is pushing to get out...Not fun.....Most of all it was also NO WETSUIT!!! I get out of the water and know I am tired and a little disoriented. I take my top speed suit down and head to my bike. Oh no.....my tummy is flipping...please fine a trash can so not to embarrass myself....Ok not to bad just a little throw up.....I find my bike. get all set up and head out towards transition....duh...I forgot to take off my speed suit...had to go back to my spot and take everything back off and start all over.....finally lets go ride....
Swim time 1:04:38 (the worst time I have ever had)
Now the fun part. I get to see one of my team mates that happened to be in Miami....She yelled my name and it made me feel so happy I wanted to cry!!
Thru the town was tricky. There were potholes, switchbacks, railroad tracks, no passing zones, bridges and bottles everywhere before you got out on the straight away. But the straight areas were not easy on the way out....Filled with headwinds and no shade whatsoever. All I could hope was to make it to the turnaround and get a nice tailwind. Which happened. YEAH!!! so the ride back into town was nice. Just sit down in aero and go...My HR monitor did not work so I went off RPE and maintained my cadence at 90 regardless of my speed.
Bike 3:11:57 for a 17.3 mph avg (not bad for being sick)
I jumped off the bike and went out on the run!!! I have never felt better physically....My nutrition was on point. My only problem was my nagging cough and not breathing well...It was hot but my arm coolers kept me perfectly regulated the whole time. I also was not able to go off my HR bc my monitor did not work. I had to be extra cautious bc I was covered in salt already and knew the run was fully exposed and I normally fall apart on run.
I used my run 4:30 and walk 0:30 plan and it worked perfectly.
I was able to finish feeling nice and strong. The volunteers were great and the water stops were at the right spaces. The bridge was challenging but still fun! The water was amazing to look which is poetic bc it had such hidden challenges as well. All in all this 70.3 didn't fail to be fun and still have a great challenge to it.
Run 2:39:47 ( I stopped to hug my children, talk to my best friend and husband when I saw them and felt great---all in all the best portion of this event was the run which usually is my worst)
Although for my husband the bike became a different story. Someone was drafting him (which there was unfortunately a lot of) and hit his back tire and flipped him in the first 5 miles. It fractured his frame and destroyed his disc. His bike is totaled. He was able to finish the ride and still had an extremely good bike time despite stopping several times and fixing his bike with duct tape. He sustained a fractured knee cap, pulmonary contusions, and severe road rash.
To top of that crash....We walked back to the hotel...the elevators not working well. tired and exhausted. Looked to the front and our truck was parked out front....Valet had wrecked my brand new truck and thought they would wait until we were departing to let me know. So my weekend in Miami was not that fun. The race itself was well run. A nice course but watch out for the other crazies that take it far to seriously.....The hotel is very close. It is nice. But I would never go back bc of the elevator issues and wrecking my truck!!!
Hope you enjoy my race report!!!
Organic Sea Salt anyone??????
#badassisbeautiful #bettydesigns #shiv #iamspecialized #rudy #sidi #osmo #openroadbicycles
