Laura vs. Rev 3 Williamsburg

And here is part two of Laura’s story.  Spoiler! She starts the race after all.  But what happens next??

Rev 3 Williamsburg Olympic Triathlon

We drove to Williamsburg Saturday morning arriving around noon. We went to the mandatory athlete meeting and then went to check out bikes at T1. This was my first race with 2 transitions and night before bike check.  We checked the bikes. We checked out the swim. The official cheerer scoped her path to cheering us both on, and we went to dinner. Everything was ready. I was excited. I prepped all of my bottles the night before. I was ready.

We arrived at the second transition in the morning with it pouring. I set up my Bike to run stuff, in a bag so my shoes wouldn’t be soaked, and we caught the bus to the start. So far everything was going well. The water temp was 77.6F, barley wetsuit legal making my choice to leave the wetsuit in the car a good one. Fewer things to worry about.   There was a last minute change with the entrance and exit of Transition for the bike, and then the pros were off. We all noticed that the pro males and females had to run to the first sighting buoy before it was deep enough to swim. This was good to know, and funny to watch. I saw some people I knew and said hello. My friend from Canada was doing the Half (70.3) and was in the first non-pro swim wave. I was in the last swim wave.  I started an hour later.  It had stopped raining right before the race started. We were all happy about that.

As I entered the water I thought to myself “This water isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” It was warm and didn’t taste bad.  I felt the swim was a little rough, and felt like I was in an endless pool at times, but not a choppy swim. I was able to spot well at the start but had chosen the darker goggles because the sun was out when I started. It went back into hiding as I was halfway through the swim and that made it just dark enough that they were too dark and they were a bit fogged up by then,  I could still spot just not as far away.  I got out of the water and made it to transition which was about .3 mile from the swim exit. My transition time reflects my inability to really run well without my inserts in my shoes so I just walk to my bike.  I drank a little and was off on the bike.  Over all I had fun swimming, but I really like to just get in the water and swim so no shock I enjoyed it.

My goal for the bike was to break 2 hours. I did it in 1:57 (If the timing is to be trusted).  Somewhere around mile 6, I was putting my bottle back on my bike and it flew through the bike and is lost forever. My second bottle was wedged in so I had to stop to get it unwedged but I drank it on the rest of the bike course. At mile 10 the half bike course merged into the Olympic course. With my pace and when I started I was suddenly with the fast folks doing the half.   There were some dangerous pot holes along the course at the bottom of hills, and some roads should have been closed to traffic that weren’t.  I was approaching some cars stopped in the single lane, I was in the bike lane, and then suddenly the second vehicle (a huge SUV) decided he had had it with waiting and tried to go around, using the bike lane I was in. I yelled the car behind him honked and he stopped fast enough to not hit me but I did put my hand on the back window. The biker behind me agreed with my assessment of the driver, and I just kept on riding and didn’t worry about it.

My friend and I told his wife to expect us at T2 at the same time. She laughed at the fact that he started an hour earlier and was biking further yet we expected the same time in to T2. She didn’t expect it to happen. He passed me .1 mile from the dismount line for T2. I was in T2 a few seconds longer because I was drinking. (Ironic)

Then out on the run I went. I was having a few issues with the run because my shoulders were killing me from the bike. Not the legs, but the shoulders. I knew then I should have spent more time on my bike.   By mile two I was only walking and skipping the runs. I was drinking water like a fish and had sponges in my shirt front and back. I was getting hot. At the top of the hill about 2.5 miles, which was a turn around, I was noticing some of the half racers I had seen as I was at mile one, coming back were now coming towards me again on their second loop. I needed to pick up the pace.  I tried to run a little and that was not working. I was feeling hotter.  At this point I remember several police and medics asking if I was ok, as I passed them and I said yes. I was wondering “How bad do I look?”  I kept walking. I knew at the mile 4 marker I should go to the medic when I was done. I wasn’t sure why, I just had the urge to go there.  At mile 5 I saw my friend and cheerer and said “I feel like poop!” Well, that is what I wanted to say, she heard something else, not sure what. I started running again thinking about just getting done and some more ice to drink.  Then from mile 5.2 on I kept looking at my garmin thinking “1 mile to medical”, “.8 miles to medical” , “.6 miles to medical”…. I am sure I started walking funny and not straight. I was a little scared I wouldn’t finish. But I knew I could do it.  I looked at my watch and couldn’t believe it was taking me as long to do the run as the bike. But there was the finishers shoot and I grunted at my friend.  I just kept going to the finish. I wanted the medical tent.

I FINISHED!! I was handed my medal. I said “Medical. Hot!”  The next person asked my size for my finisher’s shirt. I said “Medical. Hot!” He gave me my shirt. The next lady offered me water. I said “Medical. Hot!” She pointed me to a woman in a red shirt; I said to her I said “Medical. Hot!” She said “Sit in my wheelchair!” and rolled me into the medical tent.  I don’t remember everything of what happened for the next few minutes (nor do I want to share some that I do). I am not sure how I got on the gurney, but I do know that I was told if my temp was over 102 I was going in the ice. I heard the nurse tell the EMTs 102 and they started taking everything on me that was not my shirt and shorts off and putting it in a bag. I next remember standing in the water having them encourage me to sit down and me saying “Cold”.   I found out later that I kept repeating “Hot. Hot.” any time they asked me anything when I first got there and my temp was 102.5 when they took it.  They proceeded to try and get an IV started. It took 4 tries. I am normally an easy stick.  Not this time.  I was in the medical tent the longest of the legs at 2.5 hours and received 2 bags of fluid and 2 bottles of water. No one would let me leave till I needed the restroom.    I left the medical tent with a temp of 98.4 and a huge purple bruise.

Overall I enjoyed the race, just wish the medication had not made me overheat, and that there was more shade on the run. I do know I need to log way more bike time before my next triathlon (yes I am looking for the next to do).

Thanks, Laura!  Based on your experience… I am not sure I ever want to do this race.  I don’t like heat or needles.  But I give you a ton of props for finishing.  

Also, I have mixed feelings about the message you sent me post race.  “I finished.  Was hot.  Went to medical.  Temp 102.5  Ice bath then 98.5  Getting IV fluids.  I’m ok.”

Definitely a medal well deserved.  Display it proudly.