2014 Eagleman 70.3 Ironman – the BIKE…

I’m dividing my Eagleman 70.3 Ironman Race Review into 3 parts, because it’s just like the race itself:  SWIM. BIKE. RUN. I hope you enjoy it!

I wrote about the 1.2 mile SWIM here, finishing with an official time of 1:04:53. Swimming without a wetsuit in open water for the first time ever, I was very happy with my time.

Now it’s time to run from Swim to transition, hop on my BIKE and ride for 56 miles.

But before I take you on this ride, please give me a moment to explain my philosophy of life ~ which is pretty simple, I think.

Agatha Christie wrote: One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life is, I think, to have a happy childhood. I agree with this 100%. I had what I consider to be a “happy childhood.” I moved around a lot because my Dad was in the Navy, but this actually shaped my life in many good ways. I met lots of kids and lots of adults and was exposed to activities from one United States coast to the other. I spent lots of time playing. Running around. Roller skating. Ice skating. Ice hockey. Swimming. Softball. Croquet. Badminton. Hula Hooping. Basketball. Riding my bike.

Riding my bike. Each of my bikes was a hand-me-down from someone or other until my 9th birthday. My family had just moved from California to New Hampshire and on my October birthday of 1961, I got my dream-come-true gift – a brand new BIKE. It was royal blue. It had a kick stand, for heaven’s sake. And a light attached to the front fender. It had a horn that my Dad had attached. It wasn’t fancy or 3-speeds or anything like that. But it was perfect and it was mine. I rode that bike everywhere. Every single day that the weather permitted. Back in 1961, us kids rode our bikes to school, which was a few miles away, across some rather busy streets, over bridges and parked them in school lots with no locks. Didn’t even know locks existed. I rode my bike with my friends all the way to Hampton Beach, NH in the summertime, along winding country roads of hills and soft shoulders and laughter and HAPPY.

The thing is, though, we can carry that HAPPY right into adulthood. Or we can create that HAPPY, even if it never existed in our childhoods. I believe, especially now as a Grandma: One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life is, I think, to have a happy adulthood.

Hopping on a BIKE and pedaling your way to HAPPY, no matter how long or short or fast or slowly or awkward or sleek or high-tech or no-tech or 30 speeds or an adult 3-wheel bike/trike, racing or cruising or sight-seeing… is a connection to childhood, playing and happiness that cannot be overestimated.

So there. That’s that.

I did my first couple of triathlons on an old 10-speed, recreational bike. It was my children who affectionately (I think!) nicknamed this bike the wicked witch of the west bike (all that was missing was the basket in back), and insisted that if I were to continue with this triathlon thing, especially my 2010 Providence Amica 70.3, I needed a racing bike.

I relented. I set about getting a racing bike and discovered a whole new world of cycling and a whole new world of vocabulary – like apex of my anatomy. I was looking for things like comfort, maneuverability, stability and, well, perfect fit for long rides. At one point on one test ride with one of the bikes, I hit a little patch of sand and slid ever so slightly – not falling off the bike sliding, but the kind that makes you pause – pause with “holy top tube measurements, Bike-Man”… ‘cuz if those apex measurements weren’t accurate, I would now have my crotch up around my chin.

I settled on a Cannondale Berserker Green baby that I just love. First, she fits me, apex and all (I’m 5′ 2″); and second, she is bright enough to easily find her in any bike corral…

One of my most precious and favorite art masterpieces is this one of my racing bike, drawn by my 5-year old grandson Henry ~ with both sunshine AND a pumpkin! It’s heartwarming to know that my 11 grandkids know what I do and why I do it and how much I love it…

So NOW I’m out of the Choptank River in Cambridge, MD, at the Eagleman 70.3 Ironman with a Swim time of 1:04:53; and it’s time to run to transition, hop onto my BIKE and ride 56 miles.

The bike corral was just beyond the Swim exit. Easy. Even among the 2,800 or so bikes and competitors, the aisles were wide, the corral numbers were easy to find and there was plenty of room between individual bikes to get ready for the ride – cycling shorts, sunglasses, helmet, riding gloves, sunblock (lots of it, because the temperature was scheduled to reach mid-80’s to 90’s), socks, shoes, compression socks – all of which I had brought there prior to the swim.

(My body had already been marked with my race number and my age written on the back of my left calf…)

I thought I was zipping along with this transition, but Barry says he was wondering what was taking me so long! LOL. My official transition time was 6:26. I know. I need to work on transitions.

Then I was off and out the Bike exit, which you must walk until you hit the mount area…

The photos are courtesy my husband Barry. My family calls him Where’s Waldo, because he has an uncanny, genius sense of showing up at spots all along a race route to find his peeps. He found me at Mile 45 on the bike, surrounded with people ringing their bells and shouting, Go Sharon! He also was standing at the Bike Dismount area, shouting cheers of happiness and encouragement… all the while in a big boot wrapped around a stress fractured foot. What a guy.

Now, there are a couple things of which I must make note regarding my Bike. First, I forgot to put on my compression socks. In the excitement of the transition, I forgot to put on the compression socks that were sitting right there inside my bike helmet – green ones – the color of my bike. How could I miss them? I had gone over this transition in my head a hundred times. I never, ever cycle without compression socks. This oversight would come back to haunt me during the run.

Second, I don’t use clip-on bike shoes. So sue me! LOL again. I tried. And tried. And took one too many falls of terror to continue. Almost killed myself. I said from the very beginning of my triathlon days that JOY was the main goal. That happiness thing. Clip-on shoes and the humiliation I was made to feel from a couple of local bike shop personnel for NOT using them almost made me stop cycling. I know all the positives about clip-on shoes. I really do. I just want to be happy while cycling, and clip-ons don’t make me happy. Period. Thank goodness I hooked up with the good people at Providence Cycle, personnel who recommend but do not judge. LOVE these guys.

Third, I don’t belong to a cycling club. I don’t do spin classes. (Well, I did ONE spin class where I had to use the pedal cages on my Spin Bike.  Yep. The only one in the class. A class of 17 spinners WHO ALL KNEW HOW TO DO THIS THING perfectly and magnificently, talking and laughing and adjusting their clip-ons and gears and saddles and knowing each other like a class of happy 4th graders where you’re the new girl in town. I intermittently wanted to cry, vomit or quit while I was ahead – which means I hadn’t yet stepped an un-clipped foot in the room.) I, instead, use my indoor trainer during my New England winters and inclement weather, and cycle outside on my lovely Bike Path every chance I get.

The Eagleman Bike Route took us 56-miles on a one-loop path through Dorchester County, MD, and into the rural Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge…

The route began on the shaded streets of the lovely town of Cambridge, MD and then headed out on the quiet and pretty loop. There were a windy few miles close to the marshes, but mostly the rolling hills were calm. As always during the Bike portion of a triathlon, there was plenty of encouragement along the way from other cyclists. Many younger and experienced cyclists give great words of encouragement as they fly by – Great job. Way to go. Keep going. They have obviously seen the big 61 age number on the back of my calf! Triathletes are a supportive group of athletes. I think it has something to do with the individual nature of the sport and coming together as a whole in a race. Of course, there is fierce Age Group competition, but the wide range of ages gives this kind of racing an interesting factor. The Eagleman had 2,800 registered competitors representing 47 states and 22 countries and I went into the water with an 84-year old woman. It’s amazing.

There were plenty of water stops with the most friendly, helpful, encouraging volunteers. The route was very well marked and race officials were visibly on-hand to direct racers. The morning was warm, getting warmer with each mile.

My goal time for the 56-mile Bike was 4 hours. I had trained in the 12-15 mph range, and had hoped to maintain 15 mph during the race. I knew I was cycling fast, 14-18 mph, sometimes reaching 19-20 mph. I was so excited to reach those couple of miles of shaded streets back in Cambridge at a time of around 3:30, according to my watch.

My official Bike Finish was 3:25:12 – averaging 16.5+ mph.

And in addition to crushing my goal time by 35 minutes, it was a HAPPY ride – one of the luckiest feelings in life. I felt like that 9-year old girl back in 1961 on my brand new royal blue bike.

My Eagleman race goal was 7:59:00.

When I dismounted, I felt I had this race. This goal. I was elated with my Bike. My 13.1 PR is 2:12.15. I recently ran a 2:14:07 Rock “n” Roll Half.

I was looking at a 7:30. I thought.

Now onto transition and the RUN…