Ironman Cozumel 2011 Race Report

Pre-race
I woke up race morning with a sore throat and tons of congestion, I did NOT feel good and I was NOT happy about it, definitely not the way I wanted to start my race morning. I told Jeff and Kristen that I felt sick and they both said "you'll be fine" so I tried to just go with it, but I was nervous. I mean, is it even safe to do an Ironman when you're sick??
My awesome Sherpa crew! Jeff, Linda, Kristen, Melissa, Katherine, and Ramona
Cindy cheering!
Kim, me, Ingrid and Del heading into transition

I aired up my tires, and put Infinit in all my bottles and went to find my crew. By the time I found them, I felt like I needed a nap, and of course that made me even more worried. If I was tired already how in the world could I do an Ironman?
still smiling for the camera, but really worried about my race. Check out Jeff's cool shirt!

I went back through transition and then handed Jeff my shoes and extra clothes over the fence. I started to cry, yeah I was that unhappy but I knew there wasn't really anything I could do (I had Jeff pretty scared at this point), I got a final hug and headed toward the swim.
They made the athletes stay back near T1 this year instead of letting us crowd around the pier. I walked up to the front of the area and sat down on a rock. I knew I needed to find a way to turn my attitude around. Even though I didn't feel good, I needed to find a way to race happy and enjoy the day even if it didn't turn out the way I wanted.

I started to think about THE BOOK. Emmie wrote:
"'in every sport there comes a moment when a spell of bitter weeping seems like a fair recess from whatever tough work is going on. It's only the steeliest among us who can fight the urge to turn negative...call it grace under pressure...' ...You are ready! The one unknown is what the race day is going to give you to contend with...when all is exhausted it will be your determination that puts your foot across the finish line. You are strong! If the environment overwhelms you or your physical strength fails you, cling to your determination..."

Wow Emmie! talk about giving me just what I needed! I thought about those words over and over all day long.

I also thought about what JoAnne wrote (it was really sweet and inspiring, but long so I won't put it all here). I told her a few months ago, "everyone has a bad race, it doesn't mean you're a bad triathlete, it just happens" I really didn't want my "bad race" to be Ironman Cozumel, but I also realized I didn't want to give up before I even started! I could feel my mental attitude shifting! I decided I was going to race happy and pay extra attention to my body, if I felt like I was truly hurting myself I'd stop, but otherwise I'd try my best and see how the day unfolded.
While I was having my mental pep talk the spectators were watching safety divers get in the water
Then we all listened to the Mexican national anthem
The pros started, and then they let the age groupers onto the pier. I walked along the pier hoping to find Jeff and my Sherpas, I really wanted to let them know I was feeling better mentally.
Hey! there you are! I know they were all SO happy to see me smiling and feeling better (mentally at least!)
Jeff told me to race safe and be careful out there, he's never told me that right before a race, so I know I really scared him when I was crying in transition.
I got a great big Mama Mudge hug! I could tell from the hug that she was also SO happy I had my smile back! I thought about that great big hug and Katherine's encouragement a lot through out the day too.
I found Del, he was easy to find in his new swimsuit! and we got in the water together again this year. We chose almost exactly the same start position, along the pier to the right. We kept wondering when the dolphin show would start, last year we watched it before getting in the water and while we waited in the water. This year they didn't start the dolphin show until after the age group swim start, probably to keep the athletes from gawking at the dolphins instead of getting in the water!
Swim
The gun went off and I started swimming, I felt like I was getting pushed and hit quite a bit, I think I swam closer to the buoys this year than last which is probably why I had more contact. I took advantage of open space whenever I could and tried to push through or get around people when I could, next thing I knew I was at the first turn buoy! wow that came faster than I thought! I checked my watch, 15 minutes in. My throat still hurt and my nose was stuffy and a little runny too, sometimes when I exhaled I could see snot floating through the water (disgusting, I know), but it didn't seem to be affecting my swimming! I made the first and second turns and it really seemed like I could feel the current pushing me along. I had more clear water at this point, but still quite a bit of contact. Whenever I had open space I watched for cool fish, and enjoyed the beautiful water! I saw a safety diver at one point and waved to him, he waved back and gave me a thumbs up! I kept trying to count people I passed, like Sandra told me, but I kept losing count. At one point I sighted and the submarine looked forever far away! but again I was there before a I knew it, checked my watch, under 1 hour! I knew I had a good chance at a swim PR. The stretch from the submarine to the swim exit seemed to take the longest. I saw a blue tang (Dory) during that time and sang to myself "Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming" all the way to the exit. I climbed up the steps and saw 1:20 on my watch, a swim PR by 1 minute! YAY!! I was SO happy! Official swim time is 1:20:20
High fiving my IronSherpas as I run down the pier to the changing tent.

T1
T1 went pretty smoothly, I rinsed off well in the showers, grabbed my gear bag, easy to find with Linda's red ribbon on it, and ran to the tent. I really really needed to blow my nose, I didn't have any kleenex so I used my towel and I kept thinking how gross that was going to be after the race, as if my wet swim stuff wasn't going to be gross anyway! I got some help getting my bike jersey on and getting sprayed with sunscreen by a Mexican volunteer. I grabbed the rest of my stuff and jogged out to my bike, put on my race bib/tracker and my helmet and took off for the mount line. There were people everywhere yelling "Animo" "GO, GO" "Si Se Puede" "Vamos" etc. I smiled and thought this is exactly why I wanted to come back for Ironman Cozumel again! I stopped just past the mount line and Jeff was right there! He yelled "I love you!" as I was pedaling away I yelled "I love you too!" T1 was 12:06.
Bike
I started pedaling and I didn't feel super fast and great but I didn't feel too bad either. There were lots of very animated spectators so I enjoyed them and hoped that my legs would warm up and feel great soon. I hit the first headwindy spot about 6 miles in and my legs felt tired and heavy, I knew that was not a good sign, but I didn't really get upset about it, just kept pedaling waiting to make the curve and see the waves crashing on the far side of the island. Ingrid came flying by me just before I made the curve, I knew that meant she had a good swim! I made the curve and felt the crosswind, but enjoyed the view, it's so beautiful out there! I wasn't going as fast as I had hoped in the cross wind, but I knew in 12 miles I'd make the turn to head back into town and get the awesome tailwind! I also saw a plane flying a banner, all I could really read of it was Vamos but I assumed it was a good luck to the racers banner. Later Martin from our hotel said there was a "really rich guy who paid someone to fly the banner with his name on it" Oh well, at least during the race I thought it was for everyone!
I made the turn to head toward town and I felt the tailwind, but I didn't feel like I was going fast with little effort, instead I felt like I had to work super hard even though I had a tailwind. But I knew there would be lots of spectators out cheering so I decided to work as hard as I could through that section and really feed off the awesome spectator support. It worked well, there were tons of people out chanting "Si se Puede!" and shaking their homemade noise makers. Even though I wasn't going as fast as I had hoped, it was really fun! By the time I passed by my Sherpas in town I was really happy! They thought I was still on pace for a bike PR and assumed everything was going great!
As I started lap 2, my legs felt really tired and I felt like I needed a nap. I was happy to stop and mix Infinit for the next 2 or 3 hours (my stomach never felt great on the ride, but it never felt too bad and I followed my nutrition plan pretty well). After stopping for a minute I felt a little better. I decided I needed to not worry too much about my pace and just concentrate on finishing, I was only 39 miles into a 112 mile ride and I was pretty worn out already. I loved passing the resorts and getting cheered for and I even loved being passed (and passing the few people I got to pass) because most racers were really encouraging and nice. I hit the headwindy section and felt exhausted, I wasn't sure I could finish the bike, let alone make the cutoff time! I decided I'd stop at the aid stations and rest for a minute (and blow my nose, which I was doing into the front of my bike jersey so I had a jersey full of snot by the end- disgusting!). I usually felt better when I started again, so that seemed to work. Kim G. had written "when you move those arms and legs in Cozumel, you're actually powering our smiles in Austin" for THE BOOK. At one point I thought "wow, I'm moving pretty slow, I bet they don't have very big smiles in Austin right now" and for some reason I thought that was hilarious, I may have even laughed out loud thinking about it.There were at least 4 or 5 big "seaweed signs" on the beach on the far side of the island, I loved seeing them!

Kim E. passed me on the cross windy section and she was having a really tough ride too. I told her I had to average 12 mph to make the cutoff time and I wasn't sure if I could do it. Yikes! But I kept moving and finally hit the tailwind again, this time I didn't try to go fast, I just tried to regain a little energy and draw encouragement from all the spectators. I rode through town to tons of cheering and finally saw my IronSherpas! Smiling because everyone is cheering so loud for me!!
This time Jeff was worried, I was pretty far off pace and as I rode by he asked if I was ok.
This is me replying "yeah I'm ok...well mostly" with Katherine and Melissa cheering their hearts out in the background.

It had rained a little during my second lap, but it rained quite a bit during my third lap, there were hardly any turns on the course so I didn't feel like the rain slowed me down. I still wasn't sure I could make the cutoff and I have to admit there were a couple of times I thought it wouldn't be so bad to miss the cutoff and get to go take a nap instead of run a marathon! But as I kept going I felt more positive that I could make it. I didn't really get any headwind on the normal headwindy section, but then I turned onto the crosswindy section and got straight on headwind. It didn't even occur to me to be upset about the headwind, I just thought about Emmie's words- "cling to your determination" and "grace under pressure" and even though it was windy and rainy, it was still beautiful out there.
I watched for all the seaweed signs and really appreciated the spectators who came all the way out there. There was a big group of extra enthusiastic spectators from Team Z (a DC area tri team) and they must have all stayed out there until the cutoff, and they cheered like crazy for me (they cheered for me on every lap, but it was extra special on lap 3!). I also met and rode with a guy from Shreveport for a few miles, it really hurt my throat to talk to him, but I appreciated the company so much that I didn't care. When I made the turn toward town, I got no tailwind at all, but I knew I only had 9 miles to go and I was going to make the bike cutoff! I actually passed at least 4 or 5 people on that last section and I tried to be super encouraging and tell them they were easily going to make the cutoff!
Sherpas Jeff, Linda, Melissa, Katherine, and Ramona- with the Spirit Stick on the bike course
Super happy to have finished the bike in time! Bike time was 8:17:28 and I actually finished over 30 minutes before the cutoff time.

T2
I got to transition and Jeff, Katherine, and Clara from the dive shop all cheered like crazy for me. I told Jeff I didn't know if I could finish the marathon, but I was going to try and it would be close. I really felt like I did NOT have a marathon in my legs, but at the same time I knew I didn't have 112 bike miles in my legs and I managed to do it anyway. I walked into the changing tent, sat down in a chair and took my time changing clothes, I was SO happy I had planned on a full clothing change, my bike shorts were soaked and already starting to chafe a little and my socks and shoes were also drenched. T2 was 9:45, which seems fast considering how long I felt like I was taking.
Run
I got onto the run course and saw that it was a couple minutes before 5:00, I had 7 hours to complete the marathon, under normal circumstances that would be easy, but on this day, I didn't know if I could make it. I did some triathlon math and figured I needed to average 15:30 minutes per mile to finish. My legs felt completely trashed, but I hoped maybe I could keep a 13:30 pace for the first half and slow down if I needed to for the second half.
Starting the run. My plan to be super visible for my Sherpas in my yellow hat and orange trimmed shorts worked perfectly!

I was able to keep to my 13:30 pace for most of the first lap (8.8 miles), there were tons of spectators on the course, even way out at the north end where it was a little lonely last year. I saw our divemaster Mariano (the one who asked about my bike shirt), when he saw me he jumped out into the street and yelled "Go Heather!...Vamos!!"

It had been raining a lot and a one point on the course there was a huge puddle (more like a lake), it was at least 6 inches deep and I couldn't see any way to avoid it, so I sloshed through knowing I'd have to do it 5 more times and knowing that it was very likely to cause some major blisters.
It's hard to tell from the picture but this flag is HUGE, it's one of the fun things to see each lap, when you can see it coming into town, you know you're less than a mile from the turn around.

Toward the end of lap 1 I started to feel really awful, my stomach hurt, my legs hurt, my head hurt, my throat hurt and I was SO tired. I knew there was no way I could keep my 13:30 pace much longer and I wasn't at all sure I could keep a 16 minute pace to finish. As I passed by my Awesome IronSherpa crew they had this sign for me! It was the BEST sign of the day!
They asked how I was feeling and I don't remember what I said, but I know it wasn't good something like "not good" "terrible" or "like I'm going to die" They were pretty close to the turn around, so I saw them again just a few minutes later and Kristen came out to walk/jog with me for a little while. She listened to me whine for a few minutes, then I asked her to figure what pace I needed to keep to finish by midnight. I'm usually really good at triathlon math, but I was really tired and I just didn't feel like figuring it out right then. She didn't say anything after I asked her, so I looked over at her and I saw her fingers and lips moving :)- normally I would make fun of her for that, but I was too tired. I did make a mental note to remember it though :) She finally came up with 16 minutes per mile and right then we were doing 18 minute miles. That made me really nervous! I told Kristen I felt so sick I didn't know if I could run much more at all, but if I didn't run I couldn't finish!

That's when she said "you know you have nothing to prove Heather. I'm really proud of you and you know everyone at home is proud of you too, no matter what happens" I really needed that! Finally I started running again, Kristen ran with me for a minute, then decided I was good and she turned back. Less than a minute after she left, I got a horrible side stitch, and I was walking again- ugh! I ran for most of the first 9 or 10 miles, but after that my body rebelled every time I tried to run.

Then a guy from North Carolina passed me, he was walking too, but walking really fast, I talked with him for a minute, but I couldn't keep up. Then I decided that maybe if I could walk super fast like him, I might be able to finish. So I started walking faster and I caught up to that guy! I kept walking super fast (and passed that guy) and checked my Garmin after each mile, I was walking at about 15 minutes per mile- I just might make it! I definitely felt better walking, my stomach settled down, my legs felt a little better, even my throat felt better since I wasn't breathing as hard. I passed by my Sherpas again and told them "if I can keep this pace, I think I can finish!" It was obvious to them that I was feeling significantly better.

Kristen came out to walk with me again and she had to jog to keep up with me. I told her "I'm not slowing down!" she said "you shouldn't!" I made the turn around and started my third and final lap, it was really late, but there were still lots of athletes on the course and still tons of spectators out! All the volunteers were still super enthusiastic and encouraging, and the music and parties were still going strong at every resort on the run course! Team Z had groups of spectators dressed in costumes at some of the furthest out points on the run! It was also getting crazy windy (like 30 mph windy!)! I knew a Norte was blowing in, so I was impressed that everyone was still out there!

I knew as long as my stomach held up, I could finish, but my stomach kept feeling worse and worse. Every time I ate or drank anything I felt worse, Infinit, Coke, oranges, even water made me feel worse. I have a fairly sensitive stomach anyway and I think between not feeling well in general and being out there SO long, my stomach had just had enough! With about 6 miles to go I decided since everything made me feel worse, I just wasn't going to put anything else in my stomach, it was only 6 more miles- although 6 miles walking takes a LONG time! I got to the turn around and only had 4.4 miles to go! Then I realized that 4.4 miles was going to take me an hour and 15 minutes! Yikes! ok, don't think about that just Keep Moving Forward (it's a line from Meet the Robinsons, one of my favorite Disney movies) and "when your physical strength fails, cling to your determination" Thanks again Emmie!

About a mile after the turn around I started to feel a little dizzy, I knew it was from not getting any calories or water, but I knew if I put anything in my stomach I would get sick and have to stop, so I just kept moving. Every time the wind gusted I was afraid it would knock me over and I started noting the people and ambulances along the way. Thank goodness there were still so many people out cheering! I was getting more dizzy, I knew I was in bad shape, but I also knew that mentally I was fine (I could still do triathlon math), and if I did collapse it wouldn't take any time for someone to get to me and help me. I tried to decide if I should go straight to medical at the finish or go find Jeff and my Sherpas and let them decide if I needed to go to medical. I finally only had a mile to go and over 30 minutes to do it!

With a little over half a mile to go I saw JEFF walking toward me! I can't even describe how happy I was to see him! He said I had slowed down so he was worried. I told him I felt dizzy and if I fell he should catch me (I did say that right Jeff? um seriously, you handled that REALLY well, I'm pretty sure if YOU said that to ME, I'd totally freak out!). I told him I wasn't sure I could run across the finish line, but I was so happy I was going to finish! When the barricades started, Jeff went to the spectator area and I kept walking, high fiving every one along the way. I turned into the finish chute and was super impressed to see there were still tons of people there cheering like crazy! About halfway through the chute I passed my sherpas and I decided I'd try to jog to the finish line. Wow! When I started "running" the crowd went insane! It was one of the coolest things ever! I made it!! Just before I started "running" in the finish chute

Run time was 6:47:35 and total time was 16:47:14, almost 13 minutes to spare. Obviously it wasn't the day I had hoped for, but I'm 100% happy that I was able to finish! I said all along that I'd love a PR, but if the day turned tough, I'd be completely happy just to finish no matter the time. I'm still not sure if it's safe to do an Ironman when you're sick, but I know it's possible- not pretty, but possible. This was easily the hardest thing I've ever done physically and I really feel like I pushed myself to my absolute limits to finish. Obviously I had some pretty low moments, but I feel like I mostly did "race happy" and enjoy the day, and I feel like under the circumstances that's a huge success! I'm proud that even on a tough day I was able to appreciate all the great things about this race, amazing spectator support, having my awesome Sherpa crew there for me, the beautiful bike course, the gorgeous swim, the support of so my other athletes, etc.Post-race, not looking so good. I think I'm either saying "Oh my god that was hard!" or "Oh wow my legs don't work anymore!"

I thanked my IronSherpa crew for being there. It was pure determination that got me to the finish and without my awesome IronSherpa friends and husband there encouraging me and believing in me and without the words of my friends in my head from THE BOOK I would not have finished. So THANK YOU to ALL of you!

I'd also really like to find that guy from North Carolina, I don't know his name or number so I'll probably never find him, but I don't think I would have realized I could walk super fast if I hadn't seen him doing it and I'm pretty sure if I had continued to try running I wouldn't have made it. I never saw him again after I passed him, so I don't even know if he finished.

Post-race
As soon as I stopped moving I felt my legs cramp like crazy! I shuffled through the finisher area, got my shirt and found my Sherpas. I congratulated Mohamed (he had a great first Ironman!) and Ingrid. Ingrid went with me to get my bike, then Kristen, Linda, Ingrid, Katherine, and Melissa pretty much carried me home while Jeff dropped my bike off at Tri Bike Transport. Ingrid, Kristen, and Linda carrying me home.

My legs were completely giving out when I tried to walk, and my feet felt like they were going to explode (I had nasty half dollar sized blisters on both feet). I was sure I wouldn't be able to walk at all the next day. After about an hour I was able to drink my recovery drink and eat a little. I woke up at 6 am (why does that happen?) and surprisingly didn't feel all that bad. My legs were sore, but I could definitely walk. I was still super congested, but my throat didn't hurt much anymore. The blisters hurt more than anything else.

My Sherpas took extra good care of me post-race too. Kristen and Linda went to the finisher store for me (and sweet talked the guy into letting them buy stuff for me) and got me a post Ironman care package. The Mudges set me up with the best blister band-aids in the whole world!My Post Ironman Care Package included, a cute fishy swim cap to make me happy, little bananas for potassium, chocolate milk for recovery, orange juice for my cold, soft cushy socks and band aids for my blistered feet, and Oreos cause they're yummy. Jeff also got a clown marshmallow pop and chocolate milk.

Turkey Tacos 2011

We're going back for Ironman Cozumel 2011!!

When I told Jeff I would "definitely" do another Ironman right after Ironman Cozumel 2010, I didn't really consider whether I'd want to do an Ironman race again in 2011, but I definitely do!

I asked Jeff if he wanted to go back to Cozumel, he said "of course! but is there a different Ironman race you'd want to do this year" No, I think it will be hard to beat the Ironman Cozumel experience. Of course I'd love to do Austria, Brazil, and New Zealand at some point (and I'd love to do a Rev3 iron distance race if they ever do one somewhere cool like Costa Rica), but this year I'm 100% happy to go back to Cozumel.

Jeff also asked "will you be upset if a storm comes in and you have horrible wind on race day?" No, I know I'm taking that chance in Cozumel in November and as long as I finish I'll be super happy, and even if I don't, I'll be disappointed, but I don't think I'll be devastated like I would have been last year.
I just hope I have as much fun this year as I did last year. I still can't believe how much FUN I had racing Ironman Cozumel! Based on that, I think my goals will be the same this year as last year.

Goals for Ironman Cozumel 2011
1. to finish!
2. to have fun and take it all in!

Of course I would love a PR, but there are so many things to consider and so many things you can't control in such a long race and they pretty much all went really well for me last year, so I'm happy to just train hard, hope for the best, and see what race day brings.

Ironman Cozumel Race Report!!

Goals for the race
1. to Finish! 16:59 would have made me ecstatic! (I did some math and figured if everything went perfectly I might come in close to 15:30, but I didn't really think that would happen)
2. to have fun and take it all in!Chankanaab pre-race

I woke up race morning with my stomach in knots, I assumed it was just race nerves, but I took the Imodium that Carolyn had put in Jeff's Sherpa care package just in case. Thanks Carolyn! At 5am the Vista Del Mar contingent (me, Ingrid, Del, Kim, Wilmer, Goron, and Jeff) left for Chankanaab. We got there early and I had plenty of time to turn in my special needs bags, put bottles on my bike, turn on my GPS tracker and anything else on the list Jeff made for me :) We got to use the restrooms inside at Chankanaab and the lines weren't even long! I met up with Jeff and my parents before the race. We watched the pros start and the dolphins jumping. Then I went into the huge mass of athletes to get ready to start.

I found a girl named Adriana and talked with her, then I actually saw Ingrid, Kim, and Del! Del and I ended up walking down the pier and getting in the water together. steps that Del and I used to get in the water

We said we'd draft off each other the entire race. When we got in the water we lost each other but we had both followed Coach Jen's advice to start off to the right, I saw Kim walking down the pier and yelled her name, she didn't hear me but Del did and yelled my name, he was only about 3 feet from me! So we hung out together and watched the dolphins jumping until the gun went off.

The gun went off and I started swimming, I was afraid I'd get swum over and knocked around, but it never happened. Actually from where I started I had a pretty easy mass swim start, less contact than any Splash & Dash! Swim start from my dad's point of viewand a close up from 2digital

I swam along looking at cool fish and corals under the water, I barely had to sight since there were people on both sides of me I couldn't be off course. When I got close to the first turn buoy I saw it was super crowded, so I swam wide around it and completely avoided the pile up. Same with the second turn buoy. Then I had the current with me and felt like I was swimming really fast back to the pier, past the pier and all the way down to the submarine. I saw a couple of small stingrays in the water, lots of fish and some safety divers. It was the most beautiful swim ever! I turned around the submarine and buoy and didn't really feel like the current was slowing me down. I got close to a guy breast stroking on that final stretch, I kept trying to get away from him, but kept ending up near him. He never did kick me. Before I knew it Chankanaab looked really close and then I could see the steps where we got out. I got out with no issues, but Scott said at times the steps were so crowded that people were standing on top of each other! Guess I got lucky! HAPPY getting out of the water!

I jogged through the HUGE crowd toward the bike bags and changing tent. People were screaming and cheering like crazy, but out of all the noise I heard my dad yell "HEATHER!" clear as could be! He has a really distinctive voice. I also heard "we're so proud of you!" and I knew it was my mom! I saw Jeff and Jon as I went by too. Swim time was 1:21:49. I was hoping for around 1:30 so I was super happy! I know I was grinning from ear to ear as I ran through to the changing tents. I pretty much expected the Ironman Cozumel swim to be the best and most fun swim of my life and I was not disappointed!Just after the best swim of my life!

T1 actually went a lot better than I expected. I was assuming with a complete clothes change and everything it would take me about 15 minutes and when I saw how far we had to run from the swim exit to the tents, I thought it might take closer to 20. I got to the showers and rinsed off the salt water, grabbed my gear bag- thanks for the red ribbons Cindy! made my bag very easy to find! I lost my goggles along the way, but I didn't even consider going back to get them. I ran to the changing tent and changed clothes with help from an American volunteer, she sprayed me down with sunscreen, I got a piece of gum- Thanks Carolyn! and my bike stuff and took off to go get my bike. I got my bike and ran through the HUGE crowd again! I couldn't stop smiling, it was absolutely amazing! I heard "Animo" and "GO GO" and "Si se puede" and "VAMOS!" and then I again heard my dad yell "HEATHER!" I looked for him, my mom and Jeff but couldn't see them. the crowd at T1
getting ready to start the bike

They later told me they were 4 or 5 rows of people back, that's all the closer they could get to the fences. T1 was 10:15.

I got on my bike and was SO happy! I started riding and I'm not sure if I had a tailwind or I was just super happy and excited, but I was going 17+ mph without much effort! Some of the slower swimmers/faster cyclist started passing me and I got lots of "Hi Heather from Texas!", "how's your race going?" "Great Job!" etc. from other athletes! Lots of people said they liked my license plate too, good thing Julie got me a new R so people didn't think I was HEATHEP! There were crowds of people spectating at every hotel and beach club along the way. I started to get some headwind after a few miles, but it wasn't bad at all. I stopped at the second rest stop to get water and mix my next 2 hours of Infinit, the volunteers were super nice and helped me fill bottles, and put lids back on for me, I was back on the road in less than a minute!

Just after the rest stop I made the big curve and could see the ocean, it was SO beautiful! Not too much later I heard "Is that my Heather?" from behind me, I knew it was Ingrid! As she passed me she said "this is SO Amazing!!" I completely enjoyed the far side of the island, the view was amazing and the wind wasn't even that bad! There weren't as many spectators, but it was so beautiful I barely noticed. I made the turn to head back into town and immediately felt a strong tailwind, I felt like I was flying and it was so much fun! There were groups of spectators along the way and they were all cheering like crazy! The closer to town I got the more spectators there were, until there were thousands of them all screaming and cheering like they were there just for me! I thought, even if the rest of the race ends up being completely awful, it was totally worth it for the swim, T1 and lap 1 on the bike! I couldn't believe how many people were out there or how loud they were cheering! I just kept thinking "this is SO Freaking Awesome!!!" I went past T2 and soon passed Scuba Club, my parents' hotel, they were sitting out front in lawn chairs with signs and cheered like crazy when they saw me!My dad took this picture as I rode by

Just after passing Scuba Club I saw Jeff, Jon, Tommy, Kristy etc. walking back toward town from Chankanaab. They all cheered for me and I yelled "this is SO FREAKING AWESOME!!" I rode by Chankanaab and finished my first lap in 2:25, I had thought that if everything went perfect and there was no wind the fastest I could go per lap was 2:30, so I was super happy! Lap 2 was pretty much a repeat of lap 1, the wind had picked up a little, but I was still having so much fun! The volunteers were super nice and really seemed to want to help me, I rarely needed anything since I use my own Infinit. I said "no gracias" a lot as I rode by them. They always cheered and encouraged me as I rode by. At one aid station I told a boy, probably in high school, "no gracias" for a gel and he replied "You are beautiful!" hehe! I started to wonder if I had been going too fast and it would make lap 3 harder. When I got to the head and cross winds, I tried not to push too hard, but when I turned and got the tailwind and the huge crowds cheering again, I couldn't slow myself down! I passed Scuba Club again and my parents cheered and my dad took pictures.
I passed Chankanaab right at 5 hours into the bike and started my last lap! I usually have songs in my head during long rides, but this time I had the chant "Si Se Puede!" in my head, I heard it millions of times through the crowded areas, so it stuck in my head for the not so crowded areas. It made me happy because it reminded me that soon I'd be back in the area with all the people cheering.

The wind had picked up quite a bit for my third lap and I could really feel the headwind, but I also knew I had less than 32 miles to go! I had kept up with my nutrition perfectly, I was starting to feel a little tired, but I knew I could do it! I thought about all my friends at home watching my little GPS dot move around the island and I thought about the final lap of my windy P-ville ride with Cindy, Kendra, and Elizabeth. The cross wind on the far side of the island was also stronger on my last lap. There were painted black lines on the road and I had read that each black line marks a turtle nest on the beach, so I tried to count black lines, I got over 300, but there were too many to count.

I was definitely getting tired before I made the turn toward town. But finally I hit the turn and got the awesome tailwind! I stopped at the aid station just after the turn, I added some concentrated Infinit to my aerobottle and a volunteer filled it with cold water. I stood there for a second to stretch my legs and back, and a sweet volunteer looked at me and said "You can do it!" She was obviously super excited for me! I took off and thoroughly enjoyed my last time riding through the crowded streets of Cozumel. I saw my parents and Jeff just before I got to T2. Jeff was supposed to give me my running hat at Vista Del Mar, and he told me "Jon has your hat for you"
Still really happy after riding 112 miles! It was definitely the BEST bike ride of my life! Total bike time was 7:42:15.

I got off my bike and handed it to a volunteer. I walked to the changing tent and they already had my gear bag ready. I started changing clothes and a couple of girls ran over and shielded me with big trash bags so no one would see me naked, I really didn't care and thought it was kind of funny. A volunteer tried to put my second compression sock on while I was doing the first one, also pretty funny, but it worked. T2 time was 7:46.

I ran out of T2 feeling good, again there were HUGE crowds of people all cheering like crazy! Vista Del Mar was less than 1/2 a mile from transition. As I got close I looked for Jon. I had forgotten to put Nicki and Drew's "good luck on your first Ironman run" hat in my T2 bag so Jeff was going to hand it to me, since I hate running without a hat and I obviously wanted my good luck hat! Jeff and my parents had made it back to Vista Del Mar so Jeff handed me my hat as I ran by.
trying to put my hat on, while everyone at Vista Del Mar is cheering for me
Ingrid's mom had the Inspiration Stick out all day, this picture is from the swim start, but I didn't really see it until the run. She had put something for each of us on the stick, my good luck charms were a fish necklace and a dolphin necklace, what a cool idea!
Our cheering section at Vista Del Mar. The people who work at the hotel were also out there cheering and the people who work at our dive shop next door were there cheering too. Ok, really I'm pretty sure everyone on the entire island was somewhere on the course cheering! There really weren't many places on the course that weren't crowded with spectators and everyone yelled my name as if they knew me! It was like running through the Tri Zones Team Tailgating area for an entire marathon! I'm pretty sure I high fived every person on the island of Cozumel during the run! It was SO much fun!! I saw Ingrid and Catherine during my first lap, they both looked great! I felt great for my first lap, I had told Jeff the absolute fastest I might do the first lap was 1:50, I did it in 1:47! After my U-turn, I passed Vista Del Mar again and my dad ran with me for a minute, he told me he had mistaken some other girl for me, he had yelled "Heather" and she had yelled "DAD!" so he took pictures of her, thinking everyone else had missed me go by, he showed the pictures to Jeff and Jeff laughed at him for not recognizing me!

I tried to slow down a little during lap 2, but I got to 13.1 miles in 2:45. I really didn't think I could keep up that pace, so I walked a little more on the second half of lap 2. I had a hard time running at a slower pace, so the only way I could slow down and catch my breath was to walk. By the end of lap 2 I was starting to feel tired and I couldn't drink any more Infinit. It didn't taste bad, I just really didn't want to drink it anymore. Coke and oranges sounded really yummy and I knew if I drank a lot of Coke I would have to walk more so my stomach wouldn't get upset. As I ran by Vista Del Mar again, I told Jeff, "I'm going to walk more this lap, so don't worry that I'm slower, I feel fine, just need to slow down a little". I made my U-turn and heard Ingrid! I told her I was feeling good. She had just finished, had an awesome race and a 13 minute PR! I handed her my fuel belt since I had no intention of drinking any more Infinit.
Starting my last lap of the run! I was so happy to start my last lap! I knew that I was going to finish! I checked the time on my Garmin and it wasn't even 8:30 yet! I did some math and figured if I kept a 15 minute per mile pace, I could finish in 15:30! Wow!! My feet were starting to hurt, especially the ends of my toes and the balls of my feet, they felt like they were getting rubbed raw. I definitely slowed down, drank a lot of Coke and ate some oranges. The volunteers were super nice on the run too. I almost felt bad not taking something from them. At one point a boy started going through the list of stuff asking if I wanted anything, I told him "no gracias", he said, how about some support? I laughed and said "I never turn down support!" So he gave me a great big high five and cheered extra loud as I went by.

On the first half of lap 3, I caught Del, he was having some nutrition issues, I walked with him for a minute and told him he could walk slow the rest of the way and still finish. I felt bad when I started running again and left him. I finally saw Sandra the first half of lap 3 too, she was going the opposite direction, so it was just a quick hi. I started to feel really hungry, so I took a powerbar from an aid station, I never eat power bars and now I know why! Yuck! After the turn around I checked the time again, I had less than 5 miles to go and it wasn't quite 9:30 yet! I only had to do about 16 minutes per mile to finish by 10:30 pm (15:30)! I was SO happy!! My feet were really hurting by then, but I knew the sooner I finished the sooner I could take off my shoes!

There were still tons of people out cheering, all yelling my name like they knew me and offering high fives! I also got lots of "love that smile!" As I got into town I saw the Croatians had come out to cheer for me! Then I got to Vista Del Mar and saw Kim and Wilmer on one side of the street and I assumed Ingrid, Ramona, and Jon on the other. They were all screaming my name like crazy! I wanted to get rid of my headlamp before the finish chute so I took it off and just as I threw it toward them, I realized that the 3 people were not Ingrid, Ramona, and Jon, they were complete strangers! Kim and Wilmer must have told them my name. The last half mile from Vista Del Mar to the finish was completely crowded with people all screaming and offering high fives! It was absolutely AWESOME! I high fived everyone as I ran into the chute, I looked behind me and saw no one, so I knew I had time to take it all in before anyone else came up behind me.
coming down the finish chutehigh fiving everyone!

I expected Jeff and my parents to be close to the finish line so I didn't look for them until after the turn in the chute. They were right at the turn and I completely missed them. I kept high fiving everyone while looking for Jeff and my parents, then ran up the ramp and across the finish line as the announcer was saying "Heather Herrick from the United States, Heather you know what's coming! Heather YOU are an IRONMAN!!!" SO FREAKING COOL!! my dad got a picture of me finishing on the big screenRun time was 6:01:38 and final time was 15:23:43! Wow!! Faster than I thought possible and way more fun than I expected!

My catcher asked how I felt and I said I felt pretty good, so she let me go, I got my medal and shell necklace and a bottle of Coke. I was super happy and really wanted to hug someone, it was all I could do to not hug the volunteers!
Then I saw my crew, they were outside the fence and I didn't know how to get out to them! My dad gave me a "finger hug" through the fence. I got my finisher shirt, my post race picture, and some pizza then found Jeff and my parents.
I got my bike and stuff and we walked back to Vista Del Mar. While we were walking toward the hotel Jeff asked if I would do another Ironman and I said "Definitely! This was the BEST RACE EVER!!!" Dad took some pictures, then I decided I wanted to sit in the swimming pool for a little while. When I took my shoes off, I saw that the bottoms of my feet were rubbed raw (maybe from sand in my socks) and the ends of my toes were raw and blistered, no wonder they were hurting on the last lap!
LOVE the medal!!!
and the shell necklace!
Ingrid and Jon came down to the pool too and Ingrid and I shared our race stories. She asked what my favorite part was, I thought for a minute and said "Surprisingly, I think it was the bike, I expected the swim to be awesome, and I knew there would be tons of people spectating for the run, but I didn't expect the bike to be so much fun!"