Ironman Louisville Race Report.
Race Report form Ironman Finisher Tricia Weston about her day in Louisville:
Here is how things went. I am DYING today….just trying to pump the fluids but still ill.
Swim - 1:59/100m - surprised here as I was training and had got my 100m down to
1:50/1:48 - I started to get nauseous half way through the swim which surprised me. I
NEVER get gut upset - I actually have a pretty solid stomach always feeling bad for
those I see puking on the course and usually say thank god that never happens to me.
I wasn't that nervous to cause that - I was more confident and relaxed then nerved up.
My take is it felt like I was in a giant washer machine on high speed - the river
current/water below my belly was bothersome - churning and churning and trying to
negotiate the current was brutal and stressful. The water temp was also 86 degrees -
you could not see your hand in front of your face or other athletes - I couldn't draft
off anyone because I couldn't see or feel their kick since there was so much churning
and who knows what in that river. It was man against river and surviving it and not
being swept down river was the task at hand.
T1 - fast for me - in and out
Bike - was nauseous starting out and started to manage the problem through water only
- started to take in gatorade when I was feeling better. I followed my nutrition plan
as best I could based on what was going on with my stomach but was only able to get
down 1 power bar (my plan was to take in 3), followed the hydration and salt plan
pretty closely - felt like I had to keep cleansing my system with the water and was
just trying to get rid of the gut upset. My power tap failed me at mile 6 (go figure,
the thing worked PERFECTLY all summer on all training rides then on race day crapped
out!). I do think this hurt me a bit as the tap has kept me on track with watts,
cadence, rpm, etc. I was very happy at mile 90 or so when everyone around me started
to bonk and get uncomfortable, sitting up/off their aeros - I was cruising by people
and felt solid from 90+. I commended myself at that point for sticking to the plan
and getting those long bricks in and down - it was the training I had under my belt
that made me feel so strong from 90 in to T2.
T2 - a little slow but not bad
Run - felt very good for 1st 5-6 and able to run my pace but then it hit - my gut was
doing flips - between mile 6-13 was horrendous - I was puking, walking/running….not
doing well at all. I puked at mile 12 or so, felt better but not great then started
dry heaving, trying to get my finger down my throat. I got my husband after the 1st
lap (13 miles) and he ran the 2nd half with me -THANK GOD….he knew what to do - he
cooled me down by putting ice in my cap, down my back, etc…my core temp was
overheated - he was able to get it down - he said when he would do the ice/ice water I
would start running more solid. I was doing what I could on my own before I saw him
through aid stations but nothing was working. I was in problem solving mode - he said
this to me, 'ok, so this is what you have been dealt with today, here and now, let's
manage it and get through it.' He pulled me through and kept me running…that is
EXACTLY what I needed - off the bike I was in 12th place - I lost 5 or six places on
the first lap- I picked off 8-10 women on second lap and was feeling pumped up about
that. I think I negative split the marathon - I'm a fighter and that competitive
edge in me gets the job done. I was also repeating to myself 'PAIN is temporary,
PRIDE is forever, get this thing done the way you planned on getting it done - do not
hold back' and reading my husband's t-shirt that said, 'only those who risk going too
far can possibly know how far they can go.'…..awesome.
The finish line was amazing crossing with my 2 kids and husband - a VERY emotional
moment for all!
Unfortunately they had PA problems so I never heard….'Tricia Weston YOU are an
Ironman'! Oh well…..the goose bumps were still there.
I was delirious and collapsed into a wheelchair at the end - they took me to medical -
and gave me IV and nausea meds. The doctor said I had dehydrated and had heat
exhaustion causing the nausea. I am still in and out of being nauseous trying to pump the fluids - this recovery is brutal.
