Blowin' In the Wind: Lake Placid Ironman 2018 Race Report

Standard race reports - even if it takes me years to do them, they are pretty easy.  Even tris, which are composed of three disciplines, aren't too bad - morning of, swim, bike, run, reflect.  Wham, bam, done.

Then, there's Ironman.  To sum up Ironman in a standard race report is just not possible.  The day is about so much more than a metric - a power output, wattage, pace per mile, finishing time.  As Aristotle said, "The whole is more than the sum of its parts".  Smart man.  I've done three Ironmans now, and there is no way I can describe to you the feeling of one - the nerves beforehand, the ups and downs (both emotionally and physically), the kindness on the course, the inevitable doubt of a finish, the mind taking over when your body says "no", and the....feeling.  That feeling at mile 25 when you KNOW you will become an Ironman today.  When your eyes well up and you choke with emotion, and your body aches become a distant memory as you run toward the finish line, arms pumped in victory, with Mike Reilly yelling "Rae Glaser, you ARE an Ironman".  The crowd, screaming your name.  The culmination of the months of training, pushing, and all of your "why's"....are here.  Right at this line.  

The only birthday cake on an Ironman day!!

What race report?  You need more than that?  Well, you know I'm dying to regale the good, the bad and the ugly...with emphasis on "gale".  LOL

Pre race - Greg and I arrived in Lake Placid on Thursday and did the usual rigmarole.  As many of you know, the race fell on his birthday this year, so in addition to the pre race prep, I did some prep of my own - working with my surprise crew, which consisted of five family members that were coming up to surprise Greg, one of them being our five year old son!  (I decided Biz was better off at Gramma's with such a long day, but I knew Greg would FLIP when he saw Rob), pulling together small birthday touches with Ironman, etc.  I was determined to make his day special - after all, thats why we were here!!  Friday, we packed gear and did a nice loop swim, ate breakfast with RWB teammates and Roc peeps, and went to the local team dinner at Lisa G's.  Saturday was a haxe of bike check in and forced relaxation, and admittedly, a blur.  Before I knew it, it was lights out at 8pm Saturday night (until I got up at 9.  and 9:30.  And 10.  You get it.)  The alarm went off at 3am Sunday morning with the finesse of a toddler jumping on my stomach.  OOF.

Side note - All the concern I had about enthusiasm disappeared as soon as we touched down in Placid.  I was like a kid in a candy shop, amazed and amped to be there, with a Joey Tribbiani in London eqsue "Placid, Baby!" every 5 seconds.  I'm sure I annoyed the crap out of everyone, but this was Ironman and I was here to play.  As if to squelch my childlike joy, the Adirondack gods kept threatening shitty weather for race day.  I brushed it off - 2010 was supposed to suck, it didn't.  2011 - supposed to suck, was perfect.  Before any of you wise asses comment about 3rd time's the charm, I'll just do it.  Probably should have thought about that one before I signed up, but I do hard things.  And this - would be a hard thing.

Going into this race, I felt pretty decent about my swim training - I expected about a 1:20 in the water, and was cool with that.  I never swam speed, only distance, as I had time for 2 swims a week and that was it.  My run was on point.  I was hoping for a 4:30, though I knew it would be aggressive.  The bike - ahh, the bike.  I would have told you until June that I felt strong on the bike - maybe not fast, but strong.  But a series of bad rides and a crash after getting buzzed in training shook my confidence - I was concerned about my fitness, my bike handling skills, everything.  I knew this portion would come down to my mental game, and at this point, I knew if I could keep myself in check, I would be ok.  A recent course change revised my goal to a 7:15 on the bike, which I thought would be doable.  Add in 15 minutes transition and some wiggle room, and I was shooting for a 13:30, which would have been a 24 minute Placid PR.  

How much back story can I give you?  Plenty.  Back to THE day now.  After the alarm went off, we went about the business of race prep - bagels and peanut butter, coffee, tri kit donning, and the short drive to the Oval.  We caught the shuttle and were in transition by 4:30am.  The pink clouds in the brightening sky gave a foreboding feeling, but we were determined to think the best.  We prepped our bikes, checking tires, breaks, bike computers, and loading nutrition.  I lubed up, sunscreened up, triple checked bags, and gave out hugs to everyone.  We headed to the swim start for a quick warm up and the winds started to pick up, as we heard athletes checking the radar with tht band of storms that were settling over the mountains.  As I looked over at Whiteface, I could see the rain forming in a threatening cluster over the peaks, and the trees started to sway.  OMG.  The wind.  Just what this nervous biker needed.  But....one discipline at a time.  Greg and I hugged, and he headed off to his corral of 1:00 swimmers.  I headed for the 1:20, and stood, shivering on the beach.  The anthem sounded, and I placed my hand on my heart, thumping with nerves.  The cannon sounded, and we started moving up the beach......

To be continued.....