It’s
been five days since IRONMAN Maryland and I need to write my race recap before
I forget moments of the day. However, I feel with each day I remember more
parts of my day that were once a bit fuzzy. So here it goes.
IRONMAN
Maryland lived up to every expectation I had. The IMMD group Facebook page had
- The bike was flat. No hills, however I would need to be
pedaling for 112 straight miles in aero with some crazy headwind. No easy
feat. I would take that over climbing (something I am not strong at) Lake
Placid scares the daylights out of me.
- The swim is in the Choptank River and I knew physically
and mentally I could handle it. Just needed to make sure it wasn’t
canceled due to rough waters which is common for this course. I would have
been devastated if the swim got canceled.
- The run is flat. I like flat :)
Race
day came and I was actually super calm. I had the same sense of calm at Ohio
70.3 and I think deep down I knew I was ready. I’ve put in the work the last
nine months and at this rate the only thing that would screw me up were the
uncontrollable factors (which happened). Coach Ryan prepped me ahead of time to
mentally take in factors I can’t control (someone kicks my face during the swim
and I lose my googles, I cramp in the water, I get the trots on the run, etc.)
With those possibilities I just kept telling myself I will need to adapt and
overcome (my buddy Rooster from Ainsley’s Angels appeared in my brain saying
this to me over and over.)
I
got to transition a little after 5 am to set up all my nutrition on my bike and
pump my tires. Once that was over and I dropped off my special needs bags, I
got in the porta potty line and then just chilled with my family and Janice
until I needed to head to the swim start. The sun was starting to peek above
the water line and I was just so ready to slay the day. We got close to 6:20 am
and I slipped on my wet suit. I had Janice body glide my neck heavily to
alleviate chafing from my wetsuit. I continued to sip my Gatorade to reduce leg
cramps in the water. Some kisses to family and hugs, it was time to get in
line. I cried for a brief moment has Janice hugged me and whispered in my ear how
proud she was of me. I needed to get those tears out. Goodbye fam!
SWIM: Total time 1:16:42 (Goal time – 1:30)
I
seeded myself high in the 1:20-1:30 anticipated finish time. I had a goal of 1
hour and 30 minutes so
Right
from the get-go I had a great rhythm and the water was calm. It’s a two loop
rectangle and I knew the long segments would be calm but the two short turns we
would face a current. Because I’m a strong swimmer I positioned myself on the
inside closest to the buoys taking turns tight and hugging the direct line of
sight with others who aren’t scared to get hit or be more aggressive. I thrive
off that shit. Stroke after stroke I would breathe and I was mesmerized by the
most gorgeous swim I’ve ever had in my life. With each stroke I could see the
sunrise creeping above the water line with the bridge in the background. I
immediately thought of my bud Rob Cass who swam across the Chesapeake Bay a few
weeks ago and witnessed the same thing as he started in pitch black. It’s so
zen-like and I knew only he would understand the picturesque view I saw. That
sight is imprinted in my brain forever. It was breathtaking for about 500
meters and then ZAP! A jellyfish. Those assholes were everywhere. I stopped
counting after about 15 stings and I had two that stopped me in my tracks — one
on my left forearm and the time a jellyfish literally sucked my face getting me
bad on my forehead and left cheek. That one I literally stopped, screamed like
a little girl and kept going. Faster I swam, the sooner I could get out. Never
have I ever fingered (well thumbed) a jelly fish. [Amanda drinks]. First loop
was great, I checked my watch quickly to see my time (38 minutes) and I knew I
was making good time. Before I knew it I was running up the boat ramp and
heading to a wetsuit stripped – a dude looked at me, pointed and said “You come
here, I got you.” Like a wet noodle it slipped off and off to the changing tent
I went where I knew my mom was inside volunteering.
I
grabbed my bag, calmly went through my items, dried off my face and feet,
helmet on, cleats on, drank an apple sauce pouch and off I went to my bike! My
mom asked if she could help me but I was in good shape and other woman could
have used the help over me. I kissed her goodbye and off I went.
BIKE: TOTAL TIME 7:23:52 (Goal time: 6:40)
After
an incredible swim, I jumped on the bike and knew this was going to be the
segment where I needed to focus, work hard, but not too hard so I had enough in
the tank to run a marathon at the end. It is a two loop bike course going
through wildlife refuge filled with headwind and 112 miles of flat roads. I got
on the bike and felt great. The first 15-20 miles flew by and I kept on track
with my nutrition and hydration as I have trained and planned. The IRONMAN
Maryland bike course is the only course in the IM circuit that has two bike
routes to assure we get 112 miles. Due to tidal flooding, we had to ride bike
course B – I previously road bike course A when I did my practice run so there
was a bit of time where I had no idea where I was of what to expect. It was
around mile 30 that it went back to the course I road and I knew where I was.
Going down and riding the course was a huge advantage to me I think (and others
who did it as well.) I knew the sections where we had an awful headwind that
once we made a certain turn it would become tailwind. During the headwinds I
would get super tight in aero and I would tell myself in my head “become invisible”
so little that the wind wouldn’t touch me and I could keep pushing through. (I’m
a big girl and I know I’m not invisible, but it’s a mantra that works.)
Before
I knew it, I looked at my watch and it was the half way point and I was 3:10 in
– that was 10 minutes faster than my half ironman time in Ohio. I knew I was cruising
and felt really, really good. Right around mile 65 there is a segment where you
make a left to go to the finish or you go straight for your second loop. This
little section there were lots of spectators as there is minimal spectating on
the bike course. I go straight past all of the spectators and POP – my rear
tire went. I pull over on the side of the road and this was my bike nightmare.
I’ve worked on fixing flats before but it’s not my strong suit. A father-son
duo run over to me and ask if I need help. I say yes. I work on getting my rear
tire off and pull off my tire repair kit off my bike. I take out my tools and
get working on getting the tire off the rim. They are helping me and slowly but
surely we’re getting me back in action. Competitors are passing me and my morale
is sinking. I didn’t know how much time passed but it felt like forever and I
was panicking. After wrestling with it for I’m not sure how long, tube went
back in, I filled my tire with my CO2, I thanked them greatly, and off I went.
I knew right up the road about a mile away was my special needs bags where I
had an extra tube, CO2 and my liquid nutrition. I stopped, restocked (and
Taylor was questioning me about having a second tube) and off I went out of the
high school. I maybe went 500 yards outside the high school parking lot and
same rear tire, I got another flat. At this point I said some not so very nice
words and had a meltdown on the side of the road. It was right then and there
that I thought my IRONMAN day was over…over flat tires when I have busted my
ASS to get strong on the bike and complete the bike portion in a decent time. I
flip
over my bike, work on getting my tire off and a female competitors stops
and asks if she can help me. We work on my tired and the tire is just so tight
on the rim that we both are struggling. After a few minutes I looked at her and
I said, “this is your day just as much as it is mine. If I cause you not to
finish I will never let that down. Please go, finish your race strong.” She
gave me her tire tools as mine broke when I tried taking the tire off the
second time and off she went. Maybe 5 minutes later comes a couple running down
the road on a training run – they were both triathletes, I could tell by
looking at them. They come over and ask if I need help. Yes, please. The guy takes
my tire and struggles to get the tire off. As we work together, we finally
remove from the rim. I take the tire and rub my finger along the inside and
find a shard of metal/glass about an inch long through my tire. That will do
it. I pulled it out, tube goes in, I get help getting it back on the frame
which I struggle with the most because of the chain, fill up with air and off I
go again. I had some Iron angels out there to assist me and if it wasn’t for
the help I’m not too sure how long I would have been waiting for the sag vans/fighting
with this all myself as I didn’t see too many on the bike course (maybe two.)
At
this point, I am flustered and worked up and I knew I had some time to make up.
I looked at my watch and it was 12:30 p.m. I had until 5:30 p.m. to get back to
bike transition and I knew it wouldn’t take me 4 hours to ride 50 some miles.
So off I went, dropping the hammer as fast as I could, but on the second loop
the headwinds got stronger, it started to rain on us and the Iron gods were
truly testing me. I pedaled and pedaled and pedaled some more. I came across
David who I met via social media and that was the first time we saw each other
in person. We had a quick conversation and I told him he’ll catch me on the
run. The last ten miles felt like forever, but I just kept hoping that my tire
would hold up and I’d get back. Thankfully, I was at the dismount line and into
transition. I yelled to my family I should have been back about 50 minutes ago
and I got two flats. Pretty sure at that exact moment I also yelled to Taylor “If
I don’t make it, I’m signing up for IRONMAN Texas tomorrow!” hahahah
After
the race and looking at my workout from my Garmin, I looks as though I lost
about 32-37 minutes working on flats. In the big scheme of things, I’m super
proud that I would have hit my bike target time pretty close and my coaches
were proud of me too. Yay.
RUN: TOTAL TIME 6:50:40 (Goal Time: 6:20)
I
was so thankful to be off my bike, racked it and went into the change tent. I
sat down with my run
Minus
the mini meltdown on flat tire #2, I really enjoyed every second of this race
and was in the perfect headspace. I had fun, enjoyed the day and make the best
out of every mile. Crazy to say this but I didn’t say to myself “Jesus Christ,
I now have to run a marathon.” I went into the day looking at the day in loops,
not miles. That was a suggestions from my Coach Stacey. The day was going to be
a total of 6.5 loops. Now that I was on the run, I knew I only had 2.5 loops
and throughout that I would see friends participating out on the course and my
family which I knew I needed! Heading out to the run my dad yelled at me “Get
mad, Amanda!” He knew I was pissed about the bike. Speaking of my dad, it was
so incredible to hear antidotes post race about him. Apparently he was a ball
of nerves all day. I don’t think he realized until he got down there what I was
really doing. He was worried about his babygirl. So cute.
The
first loop my body felt amazing and made me realize how much these brick
sessions pay off. I went out with a 2:30 run/:45 walk interval. I got to run
with my friend Lia for a bit which made the miles pass quick. Loop 1 as great
because I didn’t know what to expect. The sun was out at this point after an
overcast and rainy bike ride, so was the humidity. Each aid station I have a
routine: one cup of water to drink, one cup to pour on me, a cup of Gatordae, an
orange slice, two cups ice (one down sports bra and one in my hat), a cup of
water on me and one cup water to sip two sips (repeat another 20 miles).
I
was so excited to see my family and was super surprised to see Caroline, Ryan,
Jen and Amanda there with them. I didn’t want to know who was coming down to
support me and seeing their faces was heaven. A quick 1.5 mile turn around, I
saw them again and off to loop 2. At this point, I knew I was getting semi
loopy in my head. My Garmin was about to die and it was telling me how many
hours into the race I was. I couldn’t figure out on Taylor’s Garmin how many
hours into the run I was so I was constantly asking my family and strangers “WHAT
IS THE ACTUAL TIME…LIKE RIGHT NOW. 7 P.M.? 8 P.M.” From that answer I would use
my fingers to count to midnight. Around the 13 mile mark I knew I had close to
5 hours to make the cut off. I knew I could walk that if I needed to. So around
mile 13 I gave myself a break and started to speed walk. I was booking it as
fast as I could and it felt right for my body at that time. The sun was going down
at this point and at mile 12ish where an aid station was I started yelling to
the volunteers “do you guys live here? Because if yes, this is god damn
beautiful!” They laughed and said to me “This is Cheasapake Country sweetheart.”
It was the reverse zen-like feeling of the sunrise I saw this morning.
Absolutely stunning. This course is unreal. When the sun went down, it got
dark, FAST. I regretted not having my headlamp even though everyoneeee said it’s
fine, they have portable lights, you won’t need it. By 7 p.m. it was dark and
the volunteer team on light duty did not have them on. My eyes struggled. At
this point it was little running, but I tried reserving my internals for a bit,
running :45 and walking 2:30. Just keep moving is all I kept saying. Don’t slow
down, go, go, go. Fast forward, I saw my friends and family again (yippee). At
this point when I saw them at the turn around I said to them “guys, I’m doing
this, this is going to happen!” I knew I would make the 17 hour cut off with no
problem.
After
seeing them I knew my half loop was a 5k out and a 5k back to the finish – I do
this every morning with the Lansdale Run Crew, they all came to my mind and
made me smile because I knew they were all tracking me. At this point my feet
were screaming… I could feel the blisters cutting into my soul and as silly
looking as it was, this trot (or rhino shuffle as my dad calls it) felt better
on my feet than walking. So I moved…a 10k Amanda until you become an IRONMAN. I
met a really nice guy from Florida on my way to the finish and he told me to go
and enjoy this moment. I passed my family again and they all screamed that they
would see me at the finish line. Up the main street hill I went and at the turn
around by RAR, a volunteer stood there. He said to me “Amanda, are you heading
home?” I told him the finish line await. He put out his hand to cup mine in
his, he looked at me and said “Amanda, I am so so proud of you. We in Cambridge
are so proud of you. Now go enjoy that carpet.” That stranger and I shared such
a special moment in that few seconds of time, he has no idea how much I will
treasure that. (Again, that hometown feel you can’t get anywhere else.) Down the main street hill I went and I kept
looking back and no one was even close to me. I was going to get a finish line
all to myself.
“One
more time we're gonna celebrate, Oh yeah all right don't stop the dancing” – I could
hear Daft Punk, my red carpet entrance song. That was all for me, so were the
lights and the cheers and the moment I have played over and over and over again
in my head since signing up for this race. It was magical. And Perfect. I keep
replaying it over and over and over in my head. Like everyone else on the
course that day I’ve pounded hours and miles in my attic, in my She Shed pain
cave, at the YMCA pool, running in every surrounding city of Lansdale, in my
living room with Netflix, on the Trails and beyond.
I’ve
made lots of sacrifices this year and some of them not making me the best wife,
daughter, sister,
We
kissed, I celebrated and my mom was right there at the finish line volunteering
to welcome me with open arms. We shared the most special moment together, both
holding and crying with each other out of pure joy. It is something I will
treasure for the rest of my life. We cried. I cried with my friends and my dad
cried in my arms. The emotions of days like these are what make the journey
incredible. Time stood still for a brief moment and I will never forget it. We
stayed around and watched all the midnight finishers in what was the most epic
party. There is ALWAYS a party in the back :) I will do another post talking
about how I
IRONMAN
Maryland lived to my expectations. I finished in a field that 10% walked away
with DNFs that day. I did the work and provided to people who followed along
that if you put your mind to big, scary goals, you CAN accomplish them if you
work hard and want it bad enough. While I'm so incredibly stoked about how the day went, I of course keep thinking I have unfinished business because of the bike but next time it could be a swim mishap or cramp on the run. I guess that is what keeps us psychos in this sport and wanting more and more like a drug.
A special thank you to my husband, my family,
my friends and run club and tri families who stood by myself during this whole
whacky journey.
Guys,
I am officially IRONMANdee! Amanda Piccirilli-Hall…you are an IRONMAN! [Excuse
me while I continue to cry because I just can’t stop.]
I tracked you on your quest and knew something was wrong with your bike time. When someone explained your flats, I understood and figured you'd get angry and use that to motivate you for the run. So happy it worked out for you. I loved reading your write-up as I really felt I was like the drone that followed you along your day. Very cool to read what you were thinking about as your day progressed and were able to keep an eye on not only your time, but also the beauty of the experience. Congratulations Amanda!
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