Enjoy.
Heathens
Thursday before race day I went to yoga in the morning with friends, then hit the pool for a shake out swim and then rode my trainer for a hour. I took Thursday and Friday off work completely. Like disconnect completely. I learned with Nationals, that I need to disconnect from work. This helps be focus and relax more. I packed up my car, fed Harry and headed on the road. I traveled down to Burley, Idaho and it was a great drive. My hotel was connected to Perkins #winning. I unloaded and headed over for dinner. Then I settled in and watched all the trashing TV. I love watching this stuff because I don't have cable and it really helps me relax-maybe because I am not cray-cray.
Friday morning woke up, headed over for breakfast at the hotel. I really liked my hotel. Pool, beach volleyball court, fitness center, free breakfast, great rooms and did I mention Perkins. I then went on my 20 min shake out ride. I thought I could head down this side road, but it was under construction right by the hotel. So, for 20 minutes, I rode up and down this little part of the road and in my hotel parking lot. Gotta get it done. Everything felt good. Gears set. Fuego, my bike, was ready to do what he did best-ride his heart out. Then since there was road construction, I decided to hit the fitness room for a 30 min run. I turned on the TV for more trashy shows and put my earbuds in and ran. Did some stretching. Then headed back to the room. Check in wasn't until 2pm for the race, so I did what I love to do most, besides writing and napping, I grabbed a book I brought and headed to a coffee shop to get some tea and read. This is my favorite thing in the whole world. When you have nowhere to be, no phone to answer, no email to check...it's just you and the words you are reading. These pages stood out in the chapters I was reading. Then I found this coffee mug there! After reading for a bit, I saw this little kiosk in the coffee shop that you could order sandwiches from-Bazinga. Lunch! Ordered and headed out to eat in my room, watch more TV and nap!
Race day! Excited my number was 153. My dad was born January, 1953. Also, 5+3-1=7, my date of birth. Woke up, had a bit of coffee, did my morning routine and loaded up. I want to get there early, so I was out the door by 5:30 am. I got there, parked, unloaded, air tires and then headed to the transition. They marked us yesterday, but on the wrong arm, so I was marked on both arms and legs. They checked my bike and I headed in to rack my bike and get ready. Unloaded, went to the bathroom, double checked items, glided up and put on my wetsuit to catch a ride to the start. I put goggles, cap, a bit of food in my race gear bag they take and headed to the van. I sat in the front seat. Luckily I did, because we drove by the parking lot where I parked and I left my back driver side door open! I said "Stop! My door is open!" We all laughed and I ran over and shut my door.
At the water start, we received rules and sighting guidelines. Then men started first. There was a great group of women I befriended. I felt at peace. Maybe this was all the training, maybe it was the community of racers I was with, but I just knew I need 70.3 miles in before I could nap again. I got in the water and moved around a bit and made sure goggles were ready to go. The women for the half started swimming to the start point. And GO!! I was calm and just stretched each stroke out. Sighting was good. Breathing was good. I saw a girl to my right. No one else around. I passed one guy, then another. Then I came upon a guy who was doing some sort of back paddle and looked up and saw me and then flipped over and tried to gun in. I thought, OK, if you can work harder than me then I will just draft. Well he crossed in front of me and that was it. Enough hanging out the mere seconds we did. I sped up to pass him. I don't like to swim with boys who don't like to swim with girls. I sighted a group of people and headed to them, wrong people, but I think everyone did that. That is what happens when 50 people hang out near an exit of water. Stop doing that. I continued on. The girl on my right was still there. We popped out at the same time. Watch said 34:28 when I looked at it. Then the long ish run to transition. Why does that always make you want to puke. I was 3rd out of the water.
T1: Wetsuit off. Socks on. Bike shoes on. Then a girl came in right next to me and said "why did they put us so close together?" I asked her if that was to me. She said it was to everyone. She has never done an IM race I gathered. We had plenty of room. Grabbed my bike, helmet on, glasses and went to the exit. Mounted bike and headed out. Time 2:30 something.
Bike: I know it takes my quads a bit longer than normal to fire on the bike after the swim. I just told myself to stay in Zone 2 until you feel better. Intake fuel and do your thing. Thank volunteers and smile at the cheerleaders. I started to get my legs around mile 7. I saw the cows and horses and one farm squirrel. There was one portion of the ride where there was a bon fire in someones yard and they would cheer you on toward the end of each lap. The thing about a relatively flat course is you hammer all the time. You don't get the rest from a downhill. I stayed on my routine. My right hip/glute started to tighten up like it did at Nationals. It never does this in training. Took some salt and tried to stretch it out, put it out of my mind and it went away. The first 2 loops I was with the Olympic racers. Only 2 girls passed me from the half. When guys would pass, they were really encouraging and nice. I like this. You don't always get this. 3rd loop I was settled in the course and doing my thing and it was just really me out there. The Olympic racers turned off. I kept doing my thing. I would pass the cows and horses and yell "1 More Loop!" I would raise my fist on each lap when I passed the cheers of the bonfire and yell the same thing. Then towards the end of the 3rd lap, a guy decided to start backing up his horse trailer and I had to maneuver between cars not to get hit and he told me "I don't give a shit that there is a race going on!" Okay, then. I thought, shit, I have to see that guy one last time. And with all this hot pink, I am not hard to miss. It kinda bothered me for a bit. Okay, last loop, really hammer it. It did feel like each loop got easier. But I was ready to get off my bike. I passed the cows and horses and yelled "last loop!! and made noises to them. I passed the cheerleaders with the fire and said "Last loop-whoo hoo!!" Kept hammering. Then passed angry mans house, he wasn't waiting for me. I passed a girl on the last loop. I was 3rd woman off the bike.
T2: Ran to my number. I racked my bike. Bike shoes off, run shoes on. Helmet off, run hat on. Grabbed my race number and headed out. Forgot to spray sunscreen- pay dearly for that later. Time 1:30 ish.
Run: My stomach didn't feel right. And it was getting hot. It was a double loop course of death it felt like. The turn around is by the finish, you couldn't see it, but it was right there and you could hear it. Brutal. People dropped out there. Mentally to go out there again for the next loop was tough. I just tried to break it down. 10k left, 5k left. My watch would beep and I wouldn't look at it. Just running by feel and trying my best to stay on my Galloway method. It was hard, I would start to run then my tummy wouldn't feel right. Sloshy. The heat. I just did Nationals in the heat. It's tough, but just kept moving forward. They offered Heed on the course. I don't like Heed, but sipped at every aid station, poured water on my head, ice in my bra-which I always dig out to eat and ice on the inside of my hat.I thought about my badass Betty's. My two main Betty's-Kayla and Steph, cheering me on in their support and texts. Then I looked at my watch. I could hit a sub 7. I felt the run was long. I didn't look at the mileage, just the time. Everyone on the course was encouraging. I turned to head to the last little bit and ran my heart out. I sprinted in. They said "here comes Anna O'Donnell, with Team Betty Designs and Big Sky Cyclery from Helena, MT. " They gave me the finishers medal, then he announced-"You are 3rd in your age group." What?! I actually finished 13.1 miles at 6:44. But, either way, got my sub 7!
After: I grabbed all the water and one chocolate milk. I sat down and talked with some girls and put my name on the free massage list. I let my stomach try to settle a bit. I can never eat after a hard workout. But, finally tried to eat a bit. Then I started talking to a lady who had her bike across from me in transition and that morning told me it was her first half. I saw her out on the course and she was trying to still do to her Galloway method too. When we would pass we would say hi and keep going. I learned that morning she was from Bozeman. Saw her finish. 2nd in her AG! She came over and sat and we chatted. Then, I told her husband that I knew him from somewhere. Then it hit me-I met him last year when we both swam with the Iron Cowboy when we came into town! Kim and her husband lived in Utah and moved to Bozeman. Iron Cowboy lives in Utah and was in Bozeman when we swam with him. We even have another Bozeman friend in common! We all started talking more and her and I got massages. We decided to meet for dinner. I went back to the hotel room and jumped in the pool. It was a nice cool down and then hopped in the shower. We went to dinner and got to know each other better. They are the greatest couple and so funny. Here are some salty pics!
I love this sport. I love going to remote races by myself and just being in the moment and doing my thing. I love how this sport has formed so many friendships for me around the country and in different countries. Everyone inspires me. The last girl who walked in and walked the whole race was hit by a car on mile 22 of the bike last year. And she came back. She needed that finish line. We all clapped for her. She cried. The finish line is more than a finish line; sometimes it's a starting line.
Thank you to everyone who believes in me and pushes me. I carry you in my heart and I race grateful to be out there.
