Rx: Ironman

Race Report and Confessions

So… What’s in been, like six weeks? I owe anyone who still stops by to see if I’m breathing now and then an apology. I won’t make excuses. First, I guess I’m long overdue for a race report… New Prague Half Marathon. May 12. This was the first race that I’ve run with my sis, Steph, since we did a 5k around 3 years ago. As I mentioned in my pre-race report, I wasn’t going for time. We just wanted to have fun. Plus, I am slow as molasses lately. It was proving to be a gorgeous day as we checked and put on our numbers, and it didn’t take us long to start spotting familiar faces. We saw four different people from our high school there. Turns out my class’s track star is getting pretty big on the local running scene (he ended up placing second with a time of 1:09.25!). I made my customary few trips to the porta potties, so when I felt like I had to pee at the beginning of the race, I chalked it up to nerves. After the start, I realized that I indeed have to go again, so I kept my eyes peeled for another porta potty. Turns out there wasn’t one. I looked for bushes. It was a rural course with lots of hills. Nothing. Since it was just early May, there wasn’t even a cornfield to duck into! By mile 7, I felt my eyeballs floating and couldn’t think about much else, so I when I spotted a potty sitting at the side of the road, I thought it was a mirage. I was in luck! It was the only one on the course, and I had to wait 2 minutes (a long time in a half), but it was SO worth it. Steph and I finished strong. Our splits:
10:09
10:07
10:05
10:22
10:09
9:57
12:25 (bathroom stop)
10:11
9:59
10:04
9:48
9:51

Total time: 2:13.29. Average around 10:16 a mile (just about exactly 10 without the BR stop). The only time I have to compare it to was the half I ran there in 2003, when my time was 1:56.44 with an average of 8:55. Am I settling for mediocrity now? Maybe, but four years ago was a very different time in my life. Someday I’ll go for PRs again. Just not this year. To end a great race with super fun company, we moved 4 Uhauls full of stuff to our new house. I could hardly walk by the end of the night. Oh, and the race shirts? Not ugly! They’re a nice dark grey with blue writing – way cuter than the day-glow yellow ones they gave out a few years ago.

So other confessions… There are lots of reasons I haven’t been writing. I've still been quietly lingering at most of my favorite sites but totally slacking on my own blogging. I have been super busy, but I think deep down, I don’t really want to talk about my training. I had all of these expectations for my Ironman this year. I was going to start my training really early. I was going to get super fast. I was going to set myself up for a great big PR. I knew when I signed up for this one that it would be a challenge. I’d be smack dab in the middle of my residency. Steve and I would be buying a house. I just hoped that my superwoman powers would overcome all of these potential obstacles. I can blame my consistent 10-14 hour days at work. I can say that my many of my long bike rides aren’t happening because I’ve been working weekends that some days are so mentally, emotionally, and spiritually draining that I missed my exit off the freeway to get home, and when I did get there could hardly muster the energy to talk, much less get off the couch. I could blame moving, remodeling, and all of the deadlines associated with both of those as affecting the training. The truth is, though, I just blame myself. None of these should matter. I am an Ironman, and I want to make it all happen again. I know I’m not really far from where I was at this time last year, and I have gotten in some really quality workouts, but like I said, I want to be better than I was at this time last year. I don’t want to show up at WIBA in a couple of weeks and look like a total dork who just can’t cut it.

There will be no race report from the Liberty Half Ironman. I skipped it. Mentally, I knew I could do it. If I can run a marathon a couple of weeks after IMMOO with pneumonia, I can convince my body to complete a half IM, even without being in peak physical condition. I elected not to, though, because I wanted to get in a longer bike ride. I also managed a couple of other quality workouts and lots of house stuff, so I don’t regret it. It was my first DNS, though, and it makes me sad to think about it. I’m sure with decades more of racing to do, there will be more DNS for various reasons, but I’m not the type of person who is OK with signing up for things and then backing out.

Booked our hotel for WIBA today. It’s going to be a blast. I can’t wait to see last year’s crowd and meet some new bloggy friends! Training has been patchy but not terrible. I guess we’ll see how I’ve been doing when I get back on those hills!

Residency is over in 10 days!!! Yahoo!!! You know, not like I’m counting or anything. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything, but the truth is, I’m ready. I’m ready to be making a full salary. I’m ready to not have to report to my preceptors. I’m ready to join my new team. The fact that I’m staying at the same hospital makes it all that much easier. I have learned so much this year. It’s amazing to look back and think where I was at this time last year (waiting to see if I had passed boards, scared to death of being on my own). I’ve come a long way, baby.