Boutilier's Blog: Ironman Texas!!

I've been trying to update my blog for a couple weeks, but having picture issues. Finally, found a work around.
We headed to Texas for Ironman #5! The Woodlands - about 30 miles north of Houston. We knew there was a possibility that it could be hot. Well, it didn't disappoint! 104 heat index on the bike & mid 90's air temperature. Wowzer! Just the week before, it was low 80's.

Racking the bikes on Friday - Race was Saturday! This time, our race numbers were close, so our bikes were racked right next to each other. Usually our race numbers correspond with our age groups, but I guess they do it differently in Texas :)

Our gear bags. They have a nice hanging systemin Lake Placid, but here, you just put them on the ground in number order. Most triathlons allow you to set up your transition next to your bike (it's where you would keep your bike shoes, helmet, running shoes, race belt...) But Ironman has clean transition area, so you keep your gear in bags. A Bike bag which would hold your shoes, helmet, sunglasses. And a Run bag which would hold your running shoes, visor, race belt, food)

The Ironman Texas course was great! It was a one loop swim - with a 1,000 yard swim down a canal. Sounds strange, and it did get crowded, but it was pretty cool to swim down a canal with spectators just a few feet away. The water was 77 degrees, so no wet suits. So, our swim was longer. Right around 1:20. On to the bike - sun was out & it was already warm. Got loaded up with sunscreen & headed out. I wasn't particularly excited about riding 112 miles, but it had to get done. At mile 20, I hit a big bump, and lost one of my bottles. Unfortunately, it hit my computer, so my speed & cadence stopped working. Kind of a pain. A few minutes later, Chris passed me on the bike (I was out of the water just a couple minutes earlier than him). He looked great! I told him my computer wasn't working, but I didn't want to stop & try to fix it. I didn't know how long it would take, and I'm not that tied to it. The bike course was only one loop. It had a lot of rolling hills. More than I expected. Nothing big, but a lot of a little. I wasn't as prepared, since we rode our trainers for almost all of our rides. I was hoping for a faster bike time, but I stopped at a few aid stations to get sunscreen & exrtra drink. I don't usually stop - just ride through & grab my drinks. Chris had a great bike ride. He doesn't sweat too much, so he doesn't have to take in as many fluids. His split was over 30 minutes faster than his previous best time! And he had a good run too! The course was 3 loops - almost 9 miles per loop. It ran around the lake that we swam earlier in the day, and along the canal. Lots of crowd support! Some really funny groups. And of course, the much needed aid stations every mile. The heat was still working in Chris's favor, so he buzzed right through the marathon. He said he slowed down on the last lap. But he had no stomach issues or any other weird ailments (that always seem to strike on race day) Yeah, so happy that he had a good race! He's been working hard to get there! Due to the heat, I had cramping in my calves. So rather than run, I tripped my way through the marathon. It wasn't easy - my calves cramping & causing me to trip. I got 4 really serious charlie horses during the run too. The kind that stop you in your tracks b/c it hurts so bad, you can't move. Fortunately 3 out of the 4 times, a volunteer, or another racer would rub it out for me. Whew, that was a long run. I kept fighting though. I didn't want to walk the whole race, so I kept at it, even though the calves were not cooperating. And I finished too! Yay!! Chris was checking the web site for my progress, so he met me at the finish line. We changed, ate a little, and went back to watch the final finishers.

Can't believe there is so much trash on the ground - final finish line shute!
Me & Chris at the finish line. Nice & cool, once the sun went down :)
Our hotel was a couple miles away, so we didn't go back, shower, change, like we usually do. But once I change, I usually feel much better.

Still smiling here - until we realized we had to go pick up our bikes & lug them back to the hotel. Bummer!

The next day, we went back to the canal. Tons of restaurants, condos, shopping... A really great area. Couldn't believe we ran it the day before. The area seemed so much wider & bigger when we were running.

We did a lot of walking to loosen up the legs, and also found some time to chill

And we watched a little of the awards ceremony. They had the AC on way too high, so we didn't stay too long. I think it felt so cold, since it was so warm outside, but it was still uncomfortable.