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"It is a Big Deal!"

Created: Monday, 08 December 2014 13:29

Last Updated: Thursday, 11 December 2014 09:13

Thursday, 11 December 2014 00:10

Photo - Nicole and her mom, Mrs. Heininger. Lower left photo on Page 2 - Nicole had assumed that her hotel room would be larger.

By Nicole Heininger

Ironman Cozumel Race Report - Part II - Two and a half months after IMOO I'm heading to MX to race IM Cozumel. I can't say enough great things about this experience. I had big goals set for myself coming into this race. After IMWI I knew I could push myself harder, I knew how my body responded to the distance and there was time to be taken off. I also knew this race would prove to have more challenging conditions for myself but I was willing to experience them. I'd be lying if I said I thought it was going to be easier. NO WAY, I'm not sure any IM will feel as good as my first. Also, leading up to this race was difficult. I never imagined I would have went through so many ups and downs in a two and a half month time frame but I did. Even with all the events occurring in my life, physically I was on form. I was swimming distance faster than I had all season, even being limited to all indoor pool training. Running speeds were shocking myself (I started wearing two garmins at times thinking one wasn't working correctly). Biking seemed steady from the season but it was hard to tell switching to the trainer and going strictly off of feel. I was ready! ...

Trusting in myself physically I tried to throw away my other concerns such as; weather, travel, eating, staying healthy, equipment making it in one piece, not knowing the course, first time swimming in the ocean, sharks, jellyfish, transitions, etc. etc. I spoke with several friends who truly are amazing when it comes to experience and knowledge in the sport. I was guided through many of my concerns which ultimately helped ease my worries. For crying out loud I was going to COZUMEL, racing an Ironman and then would enjoy some much needed time exploring and relaxing on the beach! With that being said I knew it would be an experience of a lifetime and one to remember forever.

Swim: The swim was changed to a wave start this year. A lot less intimidating than the mass start I had experienced at Madison, however it made it a lot less thrilling as well. We were herded like animals down a runway into the water, from there we swam out to the start line and took off every three minutes. Being in a wave of females it was a pleasantly calm start, I took off at the front of the line and broke away from most early on. Chafing occured about half way through the swim which proved to be the least of my concerns as I was stung several times by jellyfish. Despite the current, which ever way it was going or how fast it was, I knew my swim should be faster than Madison. I love talking about triathlons because everyone will tell you how the swim bike and run are suppose to be. For instance I was told there would be a strong current in our favor and therefore it would be the fastest swim of my life. I'm not disagreeing, however the current proved to be different than expected. All I know is from the first day I arrived and swam while red flags were posted, the water had calmed down. I don't have verifiable facts but some mentioned the first mile of the swim the current was actually against us (how do people figure this information out, I just swim forward and hope I get to the exit). Interesting information for sure but is it pertinent to me, not really. I've never raced with a watch to tell me how far, fast or straight I've swam. For all I know I could be adding several yards to my swim zig-zagging to buoys, but when it comes down to it I just keep swimming! This swim is one everyone should experience, absolutely gorgeous. The water is clear all the way to the bottom and there is no shortage of ocean life around you. Never would I have imagined swimming in the ocean as I have a fear of lakes. I'm happy to say I found a true love for the ocean, I couldn't get enough of it once I took the plunge. To put it in perspective, I received an email from an old college roommate reminding me of my accomplishments and that; "To think 4 years ago you would have been scared to get in a bath tub with a gold fish and now you are in a competitive race in the ocean getting stung by jellyfish". Well isn't that the truth! :)

T1: Exiting the swim, scuba divers were below taking pictures as well as motivational posters on the ocean floor, equally exciting was seeing dolphins jumping out the water doing tricks! This was the first time I spotted my biggest fan (my mom) since departing from the hotel race morning. This gave me a boost seeing her and informing me I was up front. As planned I took a little longer to get some salt water off in the shower and to get sunscreen on. Not as planned, after running out of the tent was yelled at to return to the tent with my bike gear bag which I was told to bring with me to my bike rack.

Bike: Tough stuff. I love biking, I don't have to think about it and it's a natural rhythm for me to ride. Getting out to ride before the race I knew it was going to be tough, the wind was going to be ruthless. Knowing this prior as well I was mentally ready to tackle the beast in the air and get through it. Little did I know how truly intense it would be race day. Again, I don't know where people come up with the direction, speed and change in wind factors but I'll tell you it was strong. I could tell it was changing throughout the day but I can't give you specifics. I do know the most breathtaking, serene, picturesque view on the entire island was while riding 12 miles into the toughest wind I've encountered to date. I was shocked to see my bike split 20 minutes slower than Madison but under the conditions I wasn't focusing on my time. I also don't have any BS excuse for a slow bike split, it was just slow. Everyone out there dealt with the conditions as they were presented and sometimes we get slapped with tough ones. Although it may seem ideal to have biking as ones strongest discipline in an IM, as it's the longest, for myself it's tough being inexpierenced to push my pace and have a solid marathon. This is one reason I prefer to go on the conservative side getting through the bike, to run strong. Sticking to my plan, I felt steady throughout and held my own while watching draft packs fly by effortlessly. Although I didn't expect to have a slower bike split than IMWI, I was happy to get through feeling good for the run. The most exciting part of the bike had to be riding through town with all the locals cheering as well as seeing my mom there to support me each lap.

T2: Nothing eventful, took longer to have two sweet little girls help me with sunscreen and finally wipe all the sand off my feet before putting socks on for the run. Since I had to use the bathroom for around 80 miles on the bike I knew it was imperative to go before I started the run, so this took place at this time as well.

Run: taking off for the run I was excited. I was feeling good and knew from training my goal of going just under 4 hours for the marathon was attainable. I planned to hold back at the beginning as I know it's easier to go hard right away while possibly suffering later. The run was 3 laps of a down and back, for me this worked well to pace myself according to my goal. I calculated if I kept each lap just under 1:20:00 I would break 4 and that was a win for me. Unfortunately this didn't happen. I felt fine the first two miles until I started having excruciating lower abdominal pain. Feeling great up until this point I wasn't quite sure what was happening. By mile 3 I badly had to pee (or so I thought), after hesitating to stop at a porta-potty I went for it. After wasting time to stop and not being able to go, I kept on running with the pain. I stopped several more times thinking eventually I could relieve some pressure. Even with stopping at several porta-potties (for now what seems like no apparent reason) the first lap I was still on track to my goal pace, I looked at my watch to see 1:17:53. I couldn't believe it, at this point I was still positive I could push through the pain to break 4 hours. Unfortunately I was wrong. I'll admit I've peed my pants on the run in a half before and I was wishing at this point I could just pee my pants like all the cool kids do. Instead I dealt with bladder pain and my marathon became a run a mile, walk a mile to get to the finish. At this point I had no doubt I was getting to the finish I just knew my goals were in the dump. Coming off the bike over six hours I knew breaking 11 hours would be almost impossible for me, hence why I was pumped to at least keep moving to reach my marathon goal. When this goal faded I knew I would be happy finishing at this point and that's exactly what I did.

I'm extremely blessed I had the opportunity to race in Cozumel and I wouldn't take it back. We can't always plan for the unexpected but we can learn from our experiences. I am happy finishing Ironman Cozumel but I am also disappointed with the outcome. I'm the most competitive against myself and I'm my own toughest coach. I try to believe things happen for a reason and that this was meant to be. I'm young and I can only hope I have many more years to race and get to where I want to be. When all is said and done; "I came, I saw, I conquered". It's not how I planned it but I have another Ironman experience in the books to learn from. It seems to me that some of the toughest experiences in life give you the best lessons to growth from. I know I have a lot to work on, I've only just begun. I know there are changes I need to make and I'll make them.

At the airport on the way home a lady asked me about racing IM Cozumel. She spoke of the small percentage to be called Ironman athletes and what an accomplishment it is. As she proceeded to bow down to me I thought she was nuts (what's the big deal lady?). Then it hit me, it is a big deal. In fact this small gesture spoke volumes to me. She had no idea what my finishing time was, she had no idea what my athletic capabilities are, she knew essentially nothing about me other than I finished an Ironman. That in itself is something people are inspired by and athletes are proud of accomplishing. Regardless if I would have finished in 9:46 or 16:46 it's impressive to go the distance, physically, mentally and emotionally overcoming obstacles to get across that line. There's a reason they say: "Only an Ironman can conquer this island".

Lastly, there are WAY too many to name but I want to thank those in my life supporting me through this journey, especially my mom for being there for me and supporting me everyday.