By Tara G.

We all know how 2020 turned out. When My CT Half ironman race in May of 2020 was cancelled and not offered in 2021 I had to pick from 4 events (Texas, Wisconsin, New York and Maryland) I did the old-”this one sounds good” after ruling out NY as it was ET Camp weekend, and Wisconsin since I’d planned to do the full that weekend already. Texas was a bit far, and Maryland was East coast so I just said-”Sure-that looks good”

Fast-forward to August 2020 when I learned I’d be welcoming our 3rd child in February 2021-one of my first thoughts was “How will my training and 2021 race day plans be impacted?” I live in Massachusetts and everything was closed. Gyms had been shut down since March 2020, and continued through the Winter. I swam and trained as much as I could through the Fall in the open water pond at the end of my street-but by 3rd trimester I was biking upright and walking/shuffling through run workouts on days where the ice and snow weren’t a danger of falling. Pilates and Yoga were my go-to workouts on the other days to keep up my core and muscle balance/stability.

As the time arrived to welcome our sweet baby, Ivy Isabelle, I started to review the course-and read about how it’s actually the exact opposite of the course for Ironman Wisconsin. Eagleman is dubbed as a flat/fast course, but with some hidden surprises like no shade, full sun, lots of humidity, and a headwind coming at you the last 25 miles of the bike course. I read up on tips/tricks to getting through the course from previous racers, and wrapped my head around what to expect.

6 weeks after giving birth I got the clear to workout again, and so began my 8 week training window until race day. The first week was tough-getting my legs, and body back into it-plus I had a new tiny assistant with me on my runs. We still weren’t open for pool swimming until April 7th, so I at least felt like everyone was in the same boat as me there. I joined the next closest town’s gym as mine closed and never reopened, so coordinating drive times to and from the new pool with a little one required preparation, and magic each day for no traffic either way to accommodate my 2 hour window.

Thanks to Coach Joe for getting me in shape via my daily workouts to ease me back into working out and ensuring I used this half iron as a race prep for the real show later in the year in September at Wisconsin. He was right, I did have a base still and it would serve me well on race day.

Thursday June 10the 6AM we loaded up the truck, kids and all, and started our drive to DC. We figured we’d stop for a night before checking in Friday to see the Capital while we were around that way. Forecast was rain, rain and more rain-I was watching the hour by hour literally every hour trying to ensure that race day wasn’t going to be a wash out. 8.5 hours later we get to DC, and enjoy 24 hours drive-by sightseeing and getting used to the humidity in June. Friday we pack up and I pre check in for the 5-6p slot for Ironman village. A bridge closure makes the 1.5 hour trip across the pond almost 5 .5 hours long-not the exact way I wanted to start the weekend, but we finally arrive and I’m able to check in just as the rain stops! Thankfully I swing by and bring my bike for a quick tune-up to avoid the crowds Saturday, I test the waters while they check that out and after the thumbs up from the bike tech we head to the hotel to check in after a very long travel day.

Saturday morning I get my swim gear and ride my bike the 5.5 miles over to IM Village as I have to drop off at transition by 11a. 2 minutes into the ride from the hotel My big ring stops working and I can’t shift. (I have seen this before at ET Summer camp 2020 so immediately start to panic) I ride small ring right to the tech that worked on it yesterday and explained my situation. As expected-long lines ment “come back” in an hour. I head over to get in a practice swim and test the water. Coming from Boston where it’s barely 40 degrees, a nice 74 was welcomed. To my new friend from Florida-it was cold. The river had a nice sand floor and was a step up from the pond water I had been swimming in the last year. There was a current, but I went with the flow, and got my nerves out for race day in that test run. Back to the bike tent I go-only to find out from the tech that my Di2 battery is dead, I need to order a new one, and that I can’t use my big ring for race day. I have him remove the chain slack and head out to transition thankful I didn’t discover this tech issue during the race.

An afternoon spent in the shade, hydrating and thinking of the finish line led me to race day morning. I wake up before my 4:15am alarm-because-i’m ready. Nervous energy is calmed by a quick morning yoga flow and meditation for a safe race day. Finish, no injuries, was my goal. Finish in 8 hours was my next goal. I look to my sheet ET Dietitian Laurie S. prepped for me and I begin my fueling for race day. Rallying my family cheer crew up and out of bed is a challenge but we are ready to head out to the start after the promise of ice cream at the finish. I nurse the baby right before I head out as I know it’ll be 8 hours before I can see her again and then head to transition to get ready. It’s 6am, racers are starting to slot into times for the swim, and I lay out my final items for T1 and T2.

My favorite part about race day morning is hearing the Star Spangled Banner. I say a final “Thank You” for being able to be here and head to my swim seed time of 48-50 minutes.

Boom. Race begins. It’s been over 10 years since my last Tri so I’m excited yet nervous and the girl next to me shares the same energy. The swim is one lap around counter clockwise. I am about 500m in and start to feel the current pulling me so I begin to swim on the outside and correct my sighting. Halfway done I’m on pace to get to 50 minutes. As I hear the finish music I start to get bumped a little on the way out. I exit safely-and check my time-only 5 min off. I take my time getting to transition and gear up for the bike-apply sunscreen and head out.

The first 10 miles are solid, and I’m feeling good, until someone tells me one of my back cages and bottle is upside down and I should pull over. I realize one of the bolts is gone so I try to jimmy it to stay but realize it won’t hold the bottle. After far too long (5 min) of tinkering with it I tighten the screw and hold my water bottle in aero until the first aid station where I can dump it without a fine. I am on pace for my goal of 14.5 mph out as I know I have a headwind on the way back. I stretch, gel, and head out for the next 20 miles. Next aid station I have to stop, stretch, and refuel as I only have 2 water bottles and lose about 50 oz of fluid an hour between sweat and weather. I set out on final leg but start to hear rattling around mile 40. I see my family who found me on the course (Thanks, babe) and head in for the final 16-Around 50 I have to pull over and ditch my cage as the other bolt isn’t holding and its going to fall off-I find a volunteer and hand them it and head home for the final stretch. The head wind isn’t an exaggeration and due to some unforeseen stops I am off my goal bike time by 12 minutes.

I head into T2 ready to run, its now blazing sun, humid and hot, yet I’m thankful I’m safely done with 2 legs-I say to myself 2 hours 45 min and i’m home free. Easier said than done. About 4 miles in I’m starting to feel the burn-my head is saying run, my legs are saying “no” I start to see my average mile drift to paces I did when 35 weeks pregnant. I start to get in my head. This course is 2 loops and at turn 7 miles I tell myself to get it together. As I hit hour 3 in the sun with 3 miles to go- I increase my shuffle speed. Throw my final smile to the race photographer at mile 12 and find a fellow race mate to run with the last mile. As I turn the corner to head into the village I lift my knees and see my family! Crossing the finish line and hearing them say my name was just how I imagined it. Finish no injuries is what I did. I have 90 days to go until IM Wisconsin and lots of work to do, but I’m confident with the Coaching staff at ET on my side I’ll be even more ready for September. Thank you to everyone-it truly takes a village, and I’m super happy to have the support o the entire ET family.