TriSupporter

Ironman 70.3 Kansas in the books

I'm not sure what is a bigger deal - Rianman PRing (PR=Personal Record) by 3 min 28 sec or meeting Chrissie!!

I'll be posting a longer recap in a few days (and recapping the KC Tri finally) but big KUDOS to Kat for kicking after only 5 weeks of training and for Marcus who completed his first half Ironman and rocked it! Congrats too to Monty for PRing by 15 minutes. 

It was a great race despite the parking situation.

On to Madison!!
 

Kansas 70.3 Checked In!

Kat - Ironman X2 - got in around 1:30 after driving 8 hours from Chicago and after getting some lunch and settling in, we took off for Lawrence for packet pick up. After getting a little confused driving in we made it with 30 minutes to spare. Luckily we beat the crowds and Kat and Rianman didn't have to deal with lines.

We also met Marcus at the race site and then convinced him to get some bubble tea with us in town at House of Cha. It was a first for both Marcus and Kat. We had a great time getting sushi for dinner, followed by bubble tea and Hawaiian Shaved Ice.

After a relaxing evening, we took off and got home to explore the swag bag. We'll be back tomorrow to check the bikes in. A long weekend but it's great fun!!

 

Kansas 70.3 Results...finally

Okay so it's been a month...I don't know where the month went but I figure I'd better report on the 2nd annual Ironman 70.3 Kansas. The bottom line: Rianman had a great race and PRed by 24 minutes! He wanted to come in under 6 hours and he did it - he finished in 5:56:50.

We started the morning by luckily arriving very early--if they don't change the venue for next year, plan on getting there first thing or the parking will be a nightmare. While Rianman got ready, I found a great place to set up camp and started letting Carlene (supporting Carl), Christy and Marcus know where I was. After what seemed like hours, my co-Trisupporters showed up and Christy had coffee for me - awesome. I often wonder why there isn't more at 5 am for spectators at these races. To race organizers: COFFEE please!!

The morning was really cool for June (60) and as usual the weather looked a little threatening. It was so cool that we were actually in need of extra clothing. This is great for the racers but for the spectators - brrrr. As the bike turned to the run for many, the sun came out and the temps climbed quickly resulting in a lot of sunburned athletes.

The excitement this year was not only that Rianman and Carl were racing but that Chrissie Wellington was there. It really was fun the for the fans cause as she would bike or run by, everyone would cheer. It was great fun to be close to a triathlon goddess. I have a good picture but I'll have to post it later.

So all in all, a great race day. Carl kicked butt and finished about an hour before Rianman. Rianman was making great time on the bike and we cheered our butts off when we saw he was hurtin' on the run and slowedconsiderably. We knew the PR was certain but the under 6 was risky--so we did our parts by screaming him in. It wasn't pretty at the end...he was hurtin' but the ice bath was a help..and the bigger help was that he PRed.

As Carlene said, "You're either gonna feel good, or do good." Rianman did good!

 

 

 

Ironman Kansas 70.3 Pre Race

KS70.3 packet pick up line

Tomorrow is the second annual IMKS 70.3 in Lawrence, Kansas. We spent about 3 hours at Clinton Lake doing quite a bit of walking and waiting. Walking from the althete parking to the Expo site. Waiting in line for almost an hour for packet pickup. Walking another 1/2 mile or so to the T1 to rack the bike, then walking all the way back to the car. Today was a gold medal TriSupporter day.

As for the race, this year the race is still at Clinton Lake but it is different in many ways and not different in one.

While the tri is at Clinton Lake, it is at a different part of the lake, has a different bike and run and includes two transition areas about 1/3 mile apart.

As you can see in the photo, the weather is threatening thunderstorms which is what cut short the race last year. Let's hope the weather holds out till the last athlete crosses the finish line.

Good luck to all of you racing tomorrow!!

Ding, ding

The 2009 Season Has Begun

It's official. Rianman has signed up for Ironman Kansas 70.3 in Lawrence on June 14. It'll be his big race this year as his ultimate goal is to get faster on the bike so I think a few centuries (100-mile rides) are in the plans.

This is the start of Rianman's fourth season in endurance sports. It seems a long way from March 2006 when he did a super sprint on a Specialized Hard Rock hybrid. Heck he even had a beard! Who knew that a 15-year old hybrid would be the start of his quest to being an Ironman and a Specialized fan with both a TT and a road bike.

This fourth season brings another big change...he is "aging up". For age-groupers, those amateurs like Rianman who compete within 5 year age ranges, your 'age' for the current season is what you will be at the end of the year. Rianman will be 39 most of the season, but by USAT rules, he will race as 40 and so is now in the 40-44 group. In some ways it is a good thing because the 35-39 group is pretty competitive and there are a lot of triathletes in the group. Now he'll be young in his age group...that's gotta help right? And maybe some people in their 40s will drop out...this could bode well for his standings.

For me as trisupporter, my work has already begun. I did the actual signing up for IMKS 70.3 and even for his KC Multisport spin class. This is just the beginning. In the coming months, there will be more events to sign him up for, restocking the supplements, dropping off the bike for repairs, picking up supplies, etc. Can't wait ;-)

Ding, ding.

The Day After Ironman Kansas 70.3

It's the 70.3 that wasn't. Rianman found this modified logo (citation anyone?)

I also checked out Little Miss Runner Pants and I think she sums it up nicely in her blog. Heck she's moving to Texas!

The results are in and Rian finished the shortened race at 6:01:49.25. He took about 5 minutes each for the two transitions.

Today this TriSupporter is feeling very very tired. Funny how I didn't participate but I always feel like a Mack truck hit me at the end of the day. Why is that? See the life of a TriSupporter ain't easy.

Ironman Kansas 70.3 Race Day

Starting Out

We started the morning at 3:00 am…well to be honest I started it at 3:16 am while Rianman started it at 3:00 am. Our goal was to be on the road at 3:45 and at 3:47 we were in the car. Rianman drove while I tried to stay perky. We arrived at 5 am among a convoy of cars loaded with triathletes and their supporters and parked in a wet, grassy knoll a quarter mile from the race site. Not too bad.

Rianman and I got all the gear together and schlepped it down to the transition area. I think combined we had 4 bags including my chair-in-a-bag and a bike pump. While Rianman set up his transition space, I set up my TriSupporter space under an oak tree perfectly situated at the bike start/finish and the first turn of the run where any triathlete would have to pass four times.

We then met up to check out the swim start and to watch the Navy Seals drop from the sky and land perfectly on the big 'x' in the sand. It was impressive, as they seemed to toss and turn about the sky; it seemed certain they wouldn't make the 'x' but in their precision, they did. Their jump immediately preceded the National Anthem, which was followed by the start of the Pro wave of about 40 racers.

The Race Begins: Swim

At 6:54 am, I helped Rianman into his wetsuit. I sprayed him down with silicone spray and he managed to easily put it on …zipper in the back! At 7:00 am he joined the other 35-39 year old men in their 7:03 start wave. By then the Pros were well on their way to finishing the 1.2 mile swim. The horn sounded and what has to be one of the biggest age groups slowly marched their way into the water to start their 70.3 mile journey.

I then went to stake out a spot at the swim exit so I could try to get some pictures. I met some nice people from Wichita and from Arizona sharing some cowbells. About 39 minutes later, Rianman came running out of the swim. I rang my little cowbell and snapped a picture. He looked fresh. I walked over to the bike start to wait for Rianman to move to the bike portion.

The Bike

After I saw Rianman off at the bike start, a woman stopped to ask about my t-shirt (70.3 miles till I get my husband back). Carla is from Lenexa and was there supporting her triathlete, Carl. Both Rianman and Carl are in the same age group. We ended up spending the better part of the race together and it was a great time! We had much in common and it made the long day go by quickly.

We tried to hop on the shuttle that was to take us to a prime viewing spot for the bike course, but the organizers had to cancel it for logistics reasons – I think it disappointed many people. We ended up back at the oak tree waiting for the guys to return from the bike and transition to the run. While there we met Susan and her two young boys living in Overland Park (from Greenbay – lots of cheeseheads today). Both Rianman and her husband are training for Ironman Wisconsin so I'm sure we'll be seeing them around.

The Run

As the Pros started the run, it became apparent there were not enough volunteers to keep the runners from crashing into each other. We watched as a woman from Greenbay took it upon herself to volunteer guiding the runners on the course. As the number of runners continued to climb, Carla and I took our positions as volunteers trying to keep the runners from crashing into each other at a tight turn where runners were both coming and going.

I guess that's another TriSupporter duty…volunteer when necessary. We don't only support our favorite triathlete, but all triathletes.

Welcome to Kansas

Just as the last cyclists came in to start the run, the storm clouds came too. What started as a beautiful, summery day turned stormy very quickly. The winds were gusty and it was quite dark…it didn’t look good but there was no lightening so the race would continue despite the giant blow up Gatorade bottle blowing over along with the other inflatables. It seemed like a storm that would quickly blow over but the race organizers felt it was necessary to call the race. This is never a good thing. Many were just starting their first loop in a two-loop course. They would never have the chance to finish what they started.

I anxiously waited to see Rian round the last turn hoping he'd make it in before they called it. When I saw him, he had a smile on his face and he said, "Don't tell me. I don't want to know." And kept running. As the sherpa, I felt so bad…pretty sure he wouldn't have an official finish, but I worked my way over to the finish line waiting for him to cross, hoping that somehow he would get to complete the whole course.

With three bags in hand, rain starting, thunder and lightening around us, we supporters waited for our triathletes sad to know they were indeed forced to cut the race short but proud to see them cross the finish line. I actually missed Rian crossing the line but he found me and told me that with only 3 miles (out of 13.1) left, they cut him off and he was forced to go down the finish shoot.  I know he's disappointed, but he also feels really good because he finished feeling strong and he knew the last three miles were possible and he was on target to beat his Duke Half time. I think it built his confidence for Wisconsin and that's what's important.

Post Race

As for more TriSupporter duties, I went with him to go get his bike and gear and, of course, it started pouring as we made our way back to the car each of us weighed down with multiple bags, towels, etc. The line of cars out was long and hardly moved. Some cars got stuck in the muddy parking areas but we eventually made our way out with me at the wheel and Rianman chatty from the endorphin rush.

All in all a great race day and I even made some new TriSupporter friends. I'm proud of Rianman's effort, but I'm prouder of his attitude. When some would be angry not to finish, he kept his focus on the positive and that rubs off keeping ME from getting whiney at having to schlep stuff through the cold rain.

(Writing this as Rianman is getting a massage.)

Tips for wearing a wetsuit

Today was bike check in at the Ironman Kansas 70.3 at Clinton Lake in Lawrence. After Rianman got his  gear together in our dining room(!), we took off with the bike, wetsuit, and running gear so he could also do a light workout at the site before checking his bike in.

When we pulled up to the race sight around 2 pm, we parked in the grassy edge along the road to the beach behind a line of cars most decked out with a bike rack of some kind and at least one item that identified the driver as a triathlete. We parked behind KS tag 'SWMBKRN' who was clearly an Ironman(woman actually--you rock!!). There were 140.6, M-Dot, 70.3, and USAT oval stickers every you looked. Triathletes are not a shy bunch.

While I sat in the car and read my book, Rianman started with a quick bike ride...everyone seemed to be doing that as the road was littered with the drivers and passengers of those cars previously mentioned. Rianman returned after about 30 minutes and then went on a quick run. Once he returned, we got the bike and wetsuit and walked about 1/2 mile to the bike checkin and beach so he could also test out the waters and the wetsuit. Gosh it was hot - sunny and about 85 degrees--thank god for my sun hat.

Rianman got his bike checked in and then we headed over to the beach where locals and triathletes mingled at the beach...but with very different intentions. Relaxing at the beach, tossing a beach ball was not what the triathletes cared to do. Small groups of men and women were slathering on Body Glide, adjusting their goggles, and putting on wetsuits to test out the choppy, murky lake water.

As Rianman prepped the suit, I sprayed him down with TriSlide which is a silicone lubricant that should help with putting the suit on and with chaffing. I felt like I was prepping a pan for cooking some eggs. Well he put one leg in, stretched to get it to fit, then the other leg. It was going pretty smoothly. He started getting it up around his waist.

So, maybe you're thinking..."where's the tip?" Let me say it's not about using TriSlide or Body Glide or Pam -- most people have that down. The tip is below.

As Rianman pulled the suit up to slide in an arm...I noticed something was off. Oh my god!!! I quick looked around as the group next to us got their wetsuits on and there it was...Rianman has his suit on backwards!! The zipper was in the front, and the not the back where it should be!!

Without laughing too loudly to bring attention to the disaster about to happen (putting it on backwards is NOT cool when 50 other triathletes are standing around), I quickly said, "It's on backwards!" We think he stopped before anyone noticed. At this point he is dripping sweat. He peels off the wetsuit as we're both laughing out loud.

He finally did get it on okay. Chalk this up to lesson learned. So the tip for wearing a wetsuit is, make sure the zipper is in the back BEFORE putting it on.

We leave at 3:30 am tomorrow morning. See you at the race.