Gasparilla Ultra Challenge 2016

I think this is how the conversation went...

Tammy: "Hey, you know what sounds like fun? A little 5K at the Gasparilla races in Tampa.
Kayla: "We should just go ahead and do the 8K, 15K, and half marathon, too...haha!"
Tammy: "Okay."

And that is how this crazy idea of 4 races in one weekend with 5 ladies got started. But by golly, we had a lot of fun.

For the WIN!

2015 has been a physically challenging year and an emotional roller coaster. I don't think I expected the ups and downs that come with training for an IM. But the high that I experience at Augusta, I still feel 2.5 weeks later.

It Feels A Little Like This

Augusta 2014 was a great race for me. It was my first ever 70.3 and I got to cross the finish line with both my parents (they are my biggest fans). But prior to the race I struggled with some minor health issues that I felt set me back and initially defeated me. Still, I pushed through to finish the race and became even more determined to return. Back in November, I made the decision to run a IronMan race and registered for the race ready package that included IMFL and Augusta 70.3 six weeks prior. Although IMFL is the longest race and requires the most work, Augusta was my 'A' race; and I wanted some course revenge.

Over the past few weeks, I've experience those ups and downs, I've gotten up far too early too many days a week, I've put in the miles, I've not stop eaten food, I've toned up everywhere, and I've really found a deeper routed passion for the sport. Yes, I have those days where sleep seems to be the only thing I want to do, but I also have so many great workouts and accomplishments that they seem to be the part I remember.

Heading up to Augusta I was all butterflies. I was focused and driven, but scared and anxious. I knew that once I arrived, I'd be greeted by my parents yet again, and even cooler, my uncle decided to join us for the race.

We arrived the Friday before the Sunday race: got banded, swam the swim course, and ate dinner - easy night to keep the butterflies at bay.

Getting Banded Together.

Bike Check Day.

Pre-race beer with the cutest athlete to calm our nerves.

Morning of the race and we are all smiles (except mom, she felt awful and had to sit this one out). I felt like I actually got a little sleep that night. I think the beer helped. So, when the alarm went off, I was up and ready to get things going. Of course, it takes a bit of time to get through all the waves, which gave my dad, uncle, and I plenty of time for a pre-race cry fest. I don't know what kind of screwed up gene I got from them, but it became apparent that my happy cry was indeed genetic.

I spent a lot of preparation time on my transitions and moving from the swim to T1, so I love that you can tell I'm running out of the water here.

When we swam the course the Friday prior, it was obvious that the flow of the water was far less than the prior year, so I wasn't expecting a faster swim time, but when I got out of the water and saw that I did indeed swim faster, I was ecstatic. With a solid 37:38 on the swim, I was in line with the goals I set for myself.

The weather was perfect for a nice 56 mile ride. It was high 70's, overcast, and mild mist the entire ride. I definitely felt way more comfortable out there this year and felt like I was cruising along. But when I crossed the 50 mile mark, I noticed I was 14 minute behind schedule and that really fueled my fire. Somehow, I powered through the last 6 miles and made it through T2 and was then only 3 minutes behind where I wanted to be.

On to the run and I was feeling good and cruising along. I was surprised by my first 5 K and the pace I was keeping. In fact, in the first 3 miles, I had already made up those 3 minutes, so I just focused on having fun and keeping that pace steady. Here I am trying to catch my 'in the air' run pose. Not perfect, but I was doing what I set out to do...have fun.

Crazed run look. Just missed that jump. This is about half way through the run and I was already calculating that I could indeed have a PR and smash my 6:30 goal.

Before I turned the corner to the finish, I saw my father and Josh (who both had already finished and PR'd the race) and I just couldn't hold back the tears. They of course thought I was injured, but I made sure they knew I was well on my way to a really great PR. And then the tears couldn't stop, they kept flowing and the ugly cry came out.

Still crying coming down the chute.

There is nothing more exciting than seeing a year of dedication paying off. In one year of training I cut my finish time by 1 hour and 2 minutes. Hard work pays off!

Post-race photo with the cutest athlete.

A 6:22 finish time. I long doubted that I could ever break 6:30. Thanks Justin Bieber for believing in me. ‪#‎NeverSayNever‬. I'm so grateful for the support and encouragement of my friends and family. It truly has been an awesome journey...and I'm not done. And did I mention the Josh, dad, and my uncle all had PRs too. FOR THE WIN!

Pinappleman Triathlon

Pinappleman Triathlon is one of my favorite races and of course, how could I miss it this year? But with my focus on 2 70.3 races and a full IronMan races this year, I was in a completely different training mode. But heck, I knew I was putting in the work, so worth still racing and having a good time.

Of course, racing with my best training partner always makes the day better. Tammy and I setting up transition for the day and rocking our new tri kits. #badassisbeautiful

They switched up the swim course this year and I swear it got longer...if it didn't I got way slower. I felt like I was swimming strong in the water but seeing my time was frustrating and confusing at the same time. So what do you do when you aren't performing well? Push harder. And that is what I did. On to the bike I was determined to make some moves and make up the time that I felt that I was behind, so I hammered out as hard as I could. I managed to have my best course ride by almost 5 minutes that day, which I was stoked about. But, it was an extremely hot day, so by the time I got to the run, I might have overdone it. The run is one of the best because it goes through a neighborhood and everyone comes out to cheer on the racers. Even with the heat and pushing hard on the bike, I managed to pull through a solid run for a good finish. I was actually 4 minutes slower than last year...I've learned this year that training for an IronMan and for a sprint are two very different things. In fact, I might have been slower, but I was way less tired than years past due to some of the longer workouts I've done. Maybe next year I will focus on sprints and getting some big PRs!

Post race celebrations!

IM 70.3 NOLA

After finishing Augusta 70.3 last year after juggling a few challenges, I knew I needed to find another 70.3 to focus on. So even though I knew I was going to register for Augusta 70.3 and IMFL, I figured New Orleans would be the perfect place to start the season. I somehow convinced Josh, my dad, and my mom to register as well. I don't know if they hate me or love me for it...but it is such a cool experience to have with so many family members.

We've arrived and it's a family affair! This would be my mom's second 70.3, Josh's first.

Banded and ready for some NOLA fun. (Yes, for some reason I imagined that it would be a little like Mardi Gras on the run.)

It has become a tradition for me to get a jumping photo at the races. Check!

And it was morning race time. This photo is following a completely stressful morning of sitting in the car in the parking line for over an hour and a half while and missing the transition time. Obviously since so many people missed the transition time, they extended it and hour and pushed back the start of the race. Josh and I were ready to roll and look forward to the race. I will admit that with the move to DC and the amount of snow we had over the winter, we struggled getting the distance in, especially on the bike, but we did way too many long hours on the trainer to miss out on this day.

Checking my swim time. Someone should have told me I was also rocking a mud beard.

Rocking out the bike. Although we hit very strong head winds on the second half of the bike, I managed to cut some time (even with the limited indoor training) from Augusta.

And on to the run. This is my favorite part and you can always tell by the pictures how much I actually enjoy running.

And as usual, having fun with the 'in air' photos on the run.

Coming down the chute and nothing but smiles.

And that is what winning feels like. Truly seeing and feeling the training pay off. So excited to have PR'd the race!

Post race photos of Glory!

The Heart in Heartland

Last December, after completing only my first sprint triathlons, I (pretty much over night) decided to complete at half ironman in the 2014 season. With the race fast approaching and my uncertainty in the water, even after many Lucky's Lake crossings, I still wanted to test my swimming skills in a race longer than a sprint. And that is where the Heartland Olympic race comes in.

Nothing new, as I approach transition, the nerves set in and I realized that I would actually have to not drown in the water and then somehow ride 40K and run 10K following the potential drowning situation. The morning was filled with nerves, doubt, and of course tears.

First shot of the lake. Looks calm, so that is good, but 1.5K is a really, really, might I add really far way to swim. Trying to fake not being nervous, but it wasn't much after this that my tears began to fill a bit with tears. The race had both the sprint and olympic distance races that morning. So I tried to focus and warm up as the sprinter's waves each set off into the water. Once it was our turn to line up and wait for the gun, nerves came over me and the tears that filled my eyes finally started to stream down my face. A nice lady came to reassure me that everything would be alright. And I tried to reassure myself, that is what training is for and I got this.  The gun went off and I took a second to let the others go ahead and walked out to the drop off. Finally I jump in. Once I got going (maybe 25 meters out). The nerves disappeared and I was finally getting in a groove. I just focused on swimming; not fast, not hard, just strong and consistent. I never looked at my watch or worried if I was ahead of people, I just swam. Turns out, I can swim! Making it to the end and then popping out of the water to cross the mat and head into T1 was such a good feeling that day and at that moment, I knew this would be one of the most memorable races of my life.

I was seriously so thrilled with completing the swim and coming so far from just two years ago when I took swimming lessons and attempted to get in triathlon mode. And what better way to celebrate than to take take this lovely photo while trying to focus on the bike.  Okay, probably not the safest thing I've ever done, but you have to live every once in awhile!  The bike and run were great. Not my fastest but still my best effort for the day and with a smile on my face the entire time. The run portion of this race is both interesting and fun in itself. It is a 5 star loop, so lots of spectators and opportunities to talk with the other athletes, cheer each other on, and meet some new racing friends. I gave it my all that day and I think that is what puts the heart in Heartland. For my first OLY, it was one for the books and obviously now my current PR. It was a great distance and lots of fun, so I am certain I will be back next year to see what more I can do. 

Ice Blocks

The start of the race, Ocala Hits Triathlon, was delayed to wait for the sun to rise; not sure if they wanted the sun for the light it would provide or for the potential heat it would provide.  Waiting on the shore that morning, the air was 52 degrees and the water was 64, I noted that doing a triathlon in March may be too early in the season...even in Florida.  This was the first race of the season and the kick off for my official "Road to Augusta 70.3."  I was, as usual, nervous.  Super nervous in fact.  I always doubt myself when it comes to the swim. And even with a few open water swims for the season (at Lucky's Lake), I was still nervous about the 750 meter swim.  Most sprints are only 400 meters.

Pre-race nerves setting in. Trying not to freeze, cry, or quit.

Coach Tammy giving me a prep talk.  Still dying inside here.

And we are off!  Yes, I am one of the people still running at that point.  I am always confused to when the right time to start swimming is, when the water is barely waist deep.  But eventually I had to start swimming.  And that I did.  When it comes to open water, I am hesitant to just "swim." I know that sounds strange, but I constantly check my watch, stop to breath "extra," and worry about people around me.  So my goal was to worry little about time and focus on only looking up to site.  I did stop a few times, but my swim felt good...

But when I saw my time, I was mad...I was really mad.  This is me stomping and pouting my way out of the water cause I was 3 minutes slower than what I wanted.  For a brief moment, I was questioning why I even wanted to do a tri. I spend several hours a week in the gym, I give up some social time, I give up sleep, I give up my weekends...for what?  To get up at 4am on a Saturday, drive to another city, freeze my booty off, stand among people thought to be crazy by their friends, and swim a crappy time after all that hard work...EEERRRRRR.

But, I would at least finish.  Let's be honest, the race shirt was pretty cool; and you can't wear it unless you finish.  So get it together; run through transition, strip the wet suit, grab the helmet, and hop on the bike is exactly what I did. I wasn't much happier on the bike for the first mile or two.  I was wet and cold and pissed...really pissed.  But then, that anger turned into something glorious, strength.  I reminded myself, that just because my swim was weak, didn't mean that my bike or run had to be weak; strong mind = strong legs.  I repeated that mantra in my head over and over and over.  All of a sudden, I was having fun again.  Hauling butt out there and taking names.  Before I knew it, I was back at transition and ready to rock the run.

The combination of wet feet and then the cool breeze created on the bike, made for an interesting run.  I hadn't noticed on the bike, but once I hopped off, I realized my feet were ice blocks. And every s-i-n-g-l-e step HURT.  Or maybe it burned.  Either way, I didn't like it.  But since my attitude had changed so dramatically, I didn't care.  I just thought, "the faster I run, the faster my feet thaw." So I went hard and fast and tried to make up those 3 minutes from the water.

Doing work and pushing hard AKA huffing and puffing my way to the finish line.

What could have easily halted my training for triathlons turned into an amazing race with great lessons and hunger for more.  I say all the time that there are completors and competors that show up to these races. I've always considered myself to be the completor.  There for the race, but more importantly the experience.  But this race help me to realize that even though I am not winning these things, I am winning against myself (I know corny...but true). And every time I wake up earlier, go further, push harder; I get stronger both mentally and phsically.  That is winning in my book.



And by some strange happening, I place that day too.  I took second place in my age group. Tammy totally rocked in the OLY taking second in her age group as well.  Here is us celebrating the win for the day and the kick off to an amazing season ahead and the Road to Augusta 70.3.

I forgot the best part...

They crowned us and gave us booze.
That's the perfect end to an awesome race!
Excalibur 10 Miler

Run, Fun, and Finish

What could be more fun than waking up at 4am on Sunday morning to go run 10 miles?  How about waking up at 4am to run 10 miles with a theme!  That's right, the Excalibur 10 miler was in full renaissance mode last Sunday morning.  And I was in full running mode.  This was actually my first 10 miler race, so my expectations were low.  Just finish, have fun, and run.  Well, and if I broke 1 hour 30 minutes...that wouldn't be a bad thing either.

Starting the day with Tammy and a few new friends.

Great start to the morning.  First 3 miles flew by.  I was in my running/music zone and didn't notice how fast they flew by.

 I might have been having too much fun out there.  I ruined this poor ladies picture.  But yeah, I kinda love races like this.

Speaking of having fun.  Tammy was having more fun than anyone.  She was taking photos, facebooking, and meeting new friends.  She always makes this look way too easy.  But she kept me motivated to keep a solid pace.  We scored this sweet goofball photo along the way.

Somewhere around mile 7 and I was still having a good time, jamming to my music, dancing, and of course smiling.  This was probably around the time that I realized I could actually run a sub 1:30. Maybe all the effort, time, and of course intervals were paying off.

With a strong sprint, I managed to finish 1:28:51.  8/83 for my age group.  Definitely can't complain about that.