Race Coverage

Just Like "Real Life"....

Sunday, 30 October 2016 23:10

By Sara Carlson (sarastrilife.blogspot.com)

Ironman World Championship Race Report - t is still surreal to me that I actually did it!! My IWC is completed and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the race and experience. To say I enjoyed the race would be a bit of an overstatement. At some point in the day Ironman racing hurts for everyone. There are many ups and downs throughout the whole event. But, just like “real life”, it’s the attitude we take in handling these challenges that can reveal what we’re truly committed to and what we’re willing to do to reach our goals. In my training leading up to Kona, I felt like I did as much as I possibly could (for a Minnesota girl) to prepare for the heat and humidity. I spent more time in my training room with my three heaters on full blast & no fan while pedaling away on the trainer than I’d like to admit. I allowed myself outdoor rides when it was hot and windy (which is minimal in MN) and, of course during the few races I did this year. But the conditions I encountered on race day were significantly more difficult than anything I could’ve created....

 We arrived in Kona the Sunday before the race to get adjusted to the time change and acclimate to the heat & humidity. Oh yeah, and we were on vacation ;)! I was so glad to have had the time leading up to it to get some good short but steady swim time in the ocean. I told myself that I would figure out how to swim in the ocean without puking somehow, someway! I learned pretty quickly that saltwater burns the nostrils and sucks the moisture out of your mouth. So I ended up using a nose plug and pressing a piece of spearmint gum to the roof of my mouth on race day as the magic combo. While waiting to enter the water with the other ladies, I looked around and saw that absolutely no one else was using the training wheels I had chosen - total rookie move I guess, but hey, it worked for me! I had also gotten in a few runs on Ali’i Drive and drove the course up to Hawi to get a feel for the famous winds and climb up to the turnaround. It certainly didn’t disappoint!  READ MORE