Ironman 70.3 Florida: The Bike

I knew I probably had a DNF already. But that didn't mean that I couldn't go out and rock the bike and run portions of the race and know that I could do it. I mean, maybe my watch was wrong. I could race 70.3 miles in a row. I could have given up. But for what?

And there I was in transition, I had ripped my wetsuit off, thrown it on the ground and was preparing to go out on the road to ride 56 miles. I was already far behind the rest of my wave having cramped so badly in the swim. I didn't care. I was only in transition for 4:24. All things considered that was flying through there. I had to get out of the water, run up a sandy hill. I had to remove my goggles and swim cap. Run up a hill in transition (with no shoes, it's harder than you think) and around to get to my bike. Then I had to get my wetsuit off, get my cycle shoes, helmet, and glasses on. Then run out with my bike. 

At mile 2 of 56 I grabbed for my water bottle that was mounted to my frame. I took a salt tablet and needed to follow it up with some water. It was also at mile 2 of 56 that I dropped my water bottle. I missed the cage. And there I was with 54 miles left to bike already down a water bottle. And wondering if I would get a penalty for littering on the race course.

I felt good starting out riding my bike through Florida. Let's be honest I had looked at the course map but had no fucking clue where I was going. I was following everyone else. And by everyone else, I mean, all the men. I was riding with men. I was passing men. Wait, I was passing men! I did get passed by men, but oddly the majority of them were kind and encouraging as they passed me telling me "Good job" or "Keep it up". Small and simple words. And like me, small but mighty.

The first half of the course was pretty flat. And then the rolling hills that were mentioned in the course talk hit. Rolling hills my ass. Does Florida know what a rolling hill is? Cause I do. Those hills weren't rolling. Those hills were nonstop. There was nothing rolling about them. And just like that my just shy of 17mph on the bike tanked to 14mph. I was wearing myself out climbing the hills. 

I made it to the first aid station without having run out of water. I was rationing it since I had dropped my bottle at mile 2 and I couldn't remember how far apart the stations were. Ironman Brain, again. Mile 32 was the station where I got some cold water and it was glorious. Glorious cold, bottled Ironman 70.3 Florida water. 

Then mile 36 hit. 

Mile 36 where I blew a tire. I did what any badass woman out on the Ironman course would do. I got off my bike and swore at the top of my lungs. Then I proceeded to change my tire. I did that in 9 minutes. I only lost 9 minutes! I lost more time than that during the swim cramping up.

Now those 9 minutes I lost, it took me another 15 to really find my groove again. Between the rolling hills (rolling hills my ass), blowing a tire, the time I could have biked in. The time I should have biked in. I was beyond that time. Just like in the swim.

I headed back into town and finally saw civilization again. The majority of the course was in the country fields of Florida. Apparently also known as orange groves, but I was so busy biking I missed all of that. Now mind you the last part of this course was like the bump board express. Seriously. Pot holes galore. I'm guessing that's where I lost another water bottle. My full water bottle to be exact. My full, special Nuun water bottle if we are being precise. I had it at mile 36 when I changed my tire, but by the time transition came to rack my bike at mile 56 I had lost it somewhere in or around Haines City, Florida.

The bike course and my actual ride mapped out after completing it.

I unclipped early to get into transition. I definitely did not want to not get unclipped and crash. That was the last thing I needed. What I hadn't anticipated was the amount of stiffness in my legs and ass bone pain that would make me look like a wobbling fool getting off my bike to run back into transition.

56 Mile Bike Time: 3:56:40.