NOLA HIM Race Report!

[kacie tri-ing]

Hello!


After training and tapering, I had a very successful first HIM!

We drove (DH and two amazing friends who came to cheer) to New Orleans from Atlanta on Friday night. Saturday, I got up and rode my bike for 30 minutes around the city (the roads were SO rough!). Then, we went to the mandatory pre-race meeting on safety. Then, I got to pick up my packet and t-shirt, and more importantly, buy some fun gear! I got a visor, socks, and a water bottle from the race I figured I earned it! We drove to T1, and I checked my bike in. I also go to see the swim, and I was incredibly intimidated! It seemed choppy and really long!

After the last of my simple and carb-focused meals, I got up around 4:20 to get some coffee and a powerbar in. Then my amazing fans and I headed T1 so I could set up at transition before I got on a shuttle at the start. As I set everything up, I felt excited/anxious/intimidated by the whole event! I got marked up and set up before I hopped on a bus. Then at the start, I waited in line for the bathroom, bag check, and my timing chip. My DH and friends met up with me for one more hug before I put on my wetsuit and got in line at the start.

I stood in the water and waited for the sound of the horn! Everyone in my age group took off. Fortunately, there were many swim waves, so I was able to find my own place in the water after about a quarter mile, and swim uninterrupted by other people! The swim paralleled the shore, so my little fan club walked along side me, and when I came up to breathe, I could hear them yelling for me! Eventually, I made it to the end and I ran into T1!

With 3000 participants, this is the largest of the M-Dot 70.3 events in the world. My bike was right in the middle, so I had a nice jog every time! I had my wetsuit stripped off by an awesome volunteer, and I calmly got all of my bike gear on. Then, I ran my bike right out of transition.

For about the first 10 miles, the bike leg was a little crowded, but they completely shut down all of the roads we were on (in both directions!), which made it much easier to maneuver. I even managed well in the bottle exchanges grabbing bottles while still riding! My legs started to hurt between miles 10 and 25, and I had to mentally convince myself that this kind of event hurts sometimes, and that I needed to calm down and work through everything that hurt. Of course, later I new that I would address it, but in the race, I just pushed through it mentally. Around 25, we rode into a swamp sanctuary, which was great! After a while, I decided to count the dead snakes I saw in the road. I got to 5, and then number six was still alive between me and a guy passing me He was not a very happy snake!!! The last 10 miles on the bike were insanely windy. We rode straight into a horrible headwind. At the same time, those were the miles that my legs felt the strongest, so I just let my legs do the work. I was slowed down to about 14-15 miles an hour in a good feeling Zone 3, but I was flying past people who were clearly burned out by that point in the ride.

T2 was a minute faster for me, and quite easy. After about a half mile running, my feet went totally numb. I mean completely and totally numb! I stopped to loosen my shoe laces, because a half marathon is no short distance. I stopped again to loosen them to no avail. Finally, I just decided that I numb feet were nothing worth stopping me or messing up my times. I knew it was hot (mid 80's....really hot for April 5!), and my feet must have swollen. I just kept running. After 7 miles, it finally went away I drank water, gatorade, gels, and poured water on my head at every single aid station. Other than walking to swallow the liquids (I choke if I try to run and drink!), I ran every step of the half marathon

At one point, I saw my fan club and they were yelling "Go Kacie!!!" really loud. After we passed them, a guy said, "Who is Kacie?" I raised my hand. A girl nearby said, "My name is Betsy, and I was pretending they were saying my name." Another guy said, "For a minute, we were all Kacie." My fans were the best! The last few miles running into the french quarter were amazing and exciting! There were tons of people on the street cheering and beautiful houses and giant live oaks lined the street. The finish line was packed with people and beautiful! I crossed the line, got my medal and water, and fell straight into an awesome and teary-eyed hug with DH.

I walked around and got food and gatorade while filling in my friends on the whole day! I felt so good even though my body was exhausted. Fortunately, it is my spring break, because I am still pretty tired, but I am so happy with my results. I promise that as soon as my friends email me pictures, I will post them up!

Here are my stats:

swim:47:09
t1: 3:39
bike: 3:15:03
t2: 2:52
run: 2:17:41

[Veronica]

Wooohooo!!!!

Very nice!


Veronica

[Tri Girl]

OMG-what an awesome race report! Super duper congrats to you!!!!! Sounds like it was a GREAT day!!!!
I can't wait to see your pictures, because if they're anything like your RR, I know you'll be looking as good as it sounds like you felt.
Congrats!!!!

[OakLeaf]

Woo-hoo! Congratulations! So glad you had fun, and a great finish too!

[tribogota]

amazing, I got goose bumps, sounds so much easier than I imagine it to be, my first is vineman and I am scared of the run

[salsabike]

Wow! Fabulous.

[kacie tri-ing]

Thanks so much everyone!! It is really great to be able to share my experience with everyone here!

I don't think it was easy in any way, but I was well trained for it. I was really nervous/anxious, but I kept reminding myself when it got hard that I was well trained and tapered, and I could do it. It was as much mental on the run as it was physical.

I would love to do the vineman, but it has a waiting list

I am meeting with my coach tomorrow to come up with the rest of my season of triathlons, which I am really excited about!

[Urlea]

YAY KACIE!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks so much for taking the time to give us an awesome rr! I was insanely curious how things went for you, sounds like & judging by your times it went very well. Way to make us TEers proud!

I'm 66days out from my HIM and this is great training inspiration!

Good luck with the rest of your races this season, you've got a stellar base to work from.

[txred9876]

YOU DID WONDERFUL AND SHOULD BE VERY PROUD!

Tina

[NbyNW]

Congratulations! So happy for you.

[Veronica]

Barb's Race is run on the same course as the Vineman. I hope it's not full yet because I haven't signed up yet.

Veronica

[bmccasland]

Congrats Kacie! Glad to hear the Big Easy was good for you! (sorry about our roads, we don't like them either)

[Running Mommy]

Great job! Esp. w/ the bottle hand off. I'm just no that coordinated.
BUt SNAKES?????! I hate snakes!! OY. I would have been freaking out. I'm imagining our big daddy rattlesnakes out here being all over the road and shuttering... ugh
Anyway, great job. Kelly Ripa mentioned on Regis and Kelly that she went for a run with Faith Ford and they "ended up on the course that a marathon was being run on".. I was yelling at the t.v. "it was a half IRONMAN you dolt!".
And they also showed a taped piece of them going into a restaurant, and the run course was in the background. Very cool!
And a big congrats!!

[HillSlugger]

I'm very impressed. Your report made me tear up. Congrats!

[Aggie_Ama]

At one point, I saw my fan club and they were yelling "Go Kacie!!!" really loud. After we passed them, a guy said, "Who is Kacie?" I raised my hand. A girl nearby said, "My name is Betsy, and I was pretending they were saying my name." Another guy said, "For a minute, we were all Kacie." My fans were the best! The last few miles running into the french quarter were amazing and exciting! There were tons of people on the street cheering and beautiful houses and giant live oaks lined the street. The finish line was packed with people and beautiful! I crossed the line, got my medal and water, and fell straight into an awesome and teary-eyed hug with DH.

This part was the best! Congrats Kacie!