IM Chattanooga truly delivered the goods this weekend. I feel so lucky to have the capability to do this crazy sport and continue to love it more and more, year after year. My only wish would be to be able to race more! Races are the celebration of all the hard work and the atmosphere is electric.
Long course triathlon rewards the consistent, committed and those who can adapt when things go off course. This year has been my best year of training by far; insofar as swimbikerun goes + consistency, commitment, and adaptability. IM Chattanooga didn’t truly showcase what I’m capable of, that’s both frustrating + exciting. It leaves me itching for more, knowing my best Ironman race is yet to come.
I went into IM Chattanooga with 5 ‘Vanessa style’ goals: experience based, rather than time based. These goals resonated with me in a way that kept me motivated throughout my last big training block and on race day. Even though my race ended in a way I hadn’t hoped for, in some way or another I accomplished all 5 goals...
IM Chattanooga GOALS ALIVE:
1. Come out of water feeling fresh as a daisy.
With a cancelled swim, this is an easy gimme. I came out of my prerace shower feeling fresh as a daisy and ready to take on a very long duathlon 😆 Of course I was bummed about the swim, but you can only race what is given and I’d much rather all 2,500 athletes stay safe. A combination of crazy high water levels, debris in the water, and E. Coli levels 20x higher than what is safe meant race officials had to make the hard call. It’s all about perspective. I’ve worked my ass off in the pool the last 2 months *trying* to keep up with some uber swimmers and that work won’t stop! Focus on what I did get to race + start the bike with a clear mind ✅
2. Minimal impactful back pain on the bike.
This is a HUGE win! I’ve been struggling with back pain on the bike for years and this year I made a conscious commitment to do something different. And that difference was consistent + specific strength training and physical therapy. I have Danny to thank a million times over because I will be the first to say it’s not easy to navigate being my physical therapist and my husband. When I would have flare ups, I was emotional. But he was always there. Always willing to take the emotion out of it and keep a level head. I am so thankful for his dedication and commitment to helping me. I am such a believer in a dedicated program for both strength training and physical therapy. My body feels stronger and more resilient than ever. Make all the hours at PT Elite worth it ✅
3. Enjoy the hell outta the warmup 4 (bonus!) bike miles.
The IM Chattanooga bike course is 4 miles longer than the traditional 112 mile Ironman course and instead of dread them, I decided to look forward to them. Of course they put the extra miles at the beginning of the ride when it’s much easier to enjoy them 😉 It’s hard to ride 116 miles without going through some valleys and I definitely had my fair share of them, but this is the first time I have raced an Ironman bike course from start to finish. I’m proud of that and my shiny new Ironman bike PR! Celebrate the extra bike miles ✅
4. Run with my heart + mind, not my legs.
Eliud Kipchoge is my run spirit animal. I am inspired by him every time I lace up my shoes and this goal is inspired by him. In Ironman, the run is everything. I took the perspective that every decision I made all day from fueling to pacing was all to set up for my run. When I made it to the run course things went south fast (more on that later!), but I kept this mantra top of mind. Because even if my pace wasn’t as fast as I am capable of or if I was walking a lot, I still made the decision over and over again to keep moving forward. To keep trying to run. To keep doing things in my control that might change how my body responded. I made those decisions with my heart + mind because my legs just wanted to walk. Let my heart + mind dictate ✅
5. Feel good enough post race to party with the last finishers.
I never.ever regret getting back to the finish line to cheer on the midnight finishers. This sport brings every walk of life, every body type, and every kind of story to the same course. I believe that everyone deserves to be cheered onto their red carpet, whether you win or cross the finish line in the last few seconds. Getting back down there was an effort, but I was almost immediately so full of energy from witnessing the power of the human spirit. Finish line paaaarty ✅
One of the reasons I set goals like these is to prioritize the experience over the outcome. I’m in it for the race and maintain a race mindset throughout, but as I gain more experience and get more competitive, I try not to get hung up on times and placements. They will come in due time. Until then, I'll just be putting in the work. With my 5 goals accomplished, I am leaving Chattanooga knowing I am a better athlete than when I arrived.
Every race offers the opportunity to learn something and I’ve now had the time to pick apart other aspects of the race that played into my gnarly stomach issues and running significantly slower than I’m trained for.
I have a lot of friends that deal with GI issues regularly and after making it through this race, I have even more respect for all of you! Before IM Chattanooga, I’d never dealt with GI issues while racing, nor have I made a porta potty stop while racing. Checked both those off this time!
As I mentioned before, my fueling on the bike was all about my run, but I think I just got a little too excited. I finished almost every long training day with left over nutrition, either from under fueling a bit or just carrying extra. I carried extra nutrition on race day just in case I dropped some or ended up out there longer than planned. In all my excitement, I ended up eating/drinking everything I had on me! Not only that, but I did so all with about 30min left to ride. That means I took in about 370 calories per hour over the course of my ride, when I normally shoot for around 250-280. I am actually impressed with my ability to take in 370 per hour! That coupled with the fact that I ate breakfast only 1.5/2 hours before and didn’t have the swim to process any of it means by stomach was on major overload.
The exposed highway section of the run course with the sun beating down on us only highlighted my stomach issues more. I was ok until mile 3 when I wasn’t ok. It seemed like I couldn’t keep my core body temperature down no matter how much cold water and ice I dumped on myself. I would run until I couldn’t, either because of the heat or pressure in my stomach. I knew pretty early on that if I could just get a successful porta potty stop, my race could turn around. I tried once and I tried twice. No dice. And getting a onesie race suit off is not easy in those late Ironman miles!
Before making the turn onto the Veterans Bridge for the last time (with about 4 miles to go), I decided I wanted to run and only walk the aid stations despite whatever was happening in my body. Clouds had set in and heat wasn’t a factor anymore, it was just a matter of whether my stomach could handle it. The aid station at mile 23 was where the magic happened for me. I cleared at least some of my digestive track and I felt like a new person! From that mile on, I was on a mission to run like I knew I could. I ran those last 3 miles at my goal Ironman race pace and I’m so freaking proud of that.
The IM Chattanooga run course is brutal, it’s a runners course and I was ready to smash it. I actually chose this race because of the run course. Bring on the hills because I know I am capable of running strong on that course. And one day I will. Until then I will celebrate the 116 great bike miles + the first 3 run miles + the last 3 run miles. Those miles are my celebration of the training I put in this year!
As always, every time I race I am always.always all in. And this race was no different. IM Chattanooga is what I’ve been working towards all year and it’s a bit of a sting to end the year knowing I have more to give. But if I'd had my unicorn race, I'd still be wanting more. It's not about the swimbikerun; it's about the person we become through it all and uncovering potential.
On a side note, I was impressed by the diversity of athletes I saw on course this year in Chattanooga. By far, the most diverse I've ever seen at an Ironman event. Makes me happy to know that the sport is attracting a more diverse group. We all benefit when that happens.
Massive thanks and love for all of the cheers, support, and love. My tribe extends far and wide. I’m the lucky one.
Special thanks to:
My coach Haley for instilling lots of confidence in my potential. I’ve run my fastest 13.1, biked my fastest 116, and survived swim workouts I didn’t think were even possible under your guidance. But more than that, you keep things fun and light hearted. Thank yooooooou.
My hubby Danny for the balancing act. For knowing my goals are important to me and being there for the good + bad. Knowing you are proud of me makes it all worth it.
My mom for for being my biggest fan. Even if you can't be there, you're always there.
My in-laws for making the trip to Chattanooga to cheer me on. Your support of our athletic endeavors means a lot 💛
It’s only October, but let’s do this 2019. New goals are already brewing.
XO.
V
