Angela and I began our trip 5:30 Thursday morning to the Grand Coulee Dam. Neither of us has ever been to this part of Washington so this was going to be our little adventure and what an adventure it turned out to be.
As we drove through Yakima and headed North the sky seemed to be hazy with smoke. Along the road and off in the distance you could see where there had been previous range fires so I figured the farmers might be burning their fields now or it was left over smoke from earlier fires. As we continued up and out of the Yakima Valley, the smoke cleared.
We were both amazed with the beautiful landscapes in this part of the state. It is very desolate on the Yakima Reservation and it holds a unique ambiance of solitude. When we crested the summit up and out of Yakima, we saw the Wenatchee Valley. It is lush and green and a very welcome site after driving through the Reservation. All I could think about when I saw the valley was “fresh fruit!”
Traveling along we came to George, Washington and the beginning of farm country. It reminded me of the Midwest with all of the crops of corn, alfalfa and different grasses. Just outside of Ephrata we saw in the distance some type of crop being loaded. As we came closer the smell of fresh onions filled the air! They were loading white onions and the best way to describe the smell would be onion rings!
We came out of the farm area and began entering the Coulee area. We stopped at Dry Falls
which is similar to the Grand Canyon (except MUCH smaller!). We were both amazed that there are places like this in our state that we had not seen. At Dry Falls we start noticing the smoke again and we heard a couple of people talking about the fires. They told us the fires were “up at the dam.” We continued our drive towards the dam and as we started into Grand Coulee, the smoke began to get thicker. The closer we came to the dam the heavier the smoke became.
The Coulee Dam is an awesome site. It is huge! Our hotel faced the dam so we had just an
incredible view of it. The view was through wildfire smoke though! We were told the fire was east 3 to 4 miles and there was no danger to us other than heavy smoke in the air. Being outside was like having the smoke from a campfire in your face all of the time. I was coughing, thinking “Hell, there is nothing that I can do about it so don’t worry about it”! Thursday afternoon we drove the bike course which helped ease my mind a bit.
Friday morning, there was still smoke in the air but not as bad. There was a covering of soot on all of the vehicles. Still, the air was getting better. Angela and I went for a bike ride to get the lay of the town and to stretch our legs. The smoke didn’t really bother us any but others were saying that it was bothering them.
Friday afternoon Angela volunteered at the registration/packet pickup area for about 5 hours. During this time I rode a bit more to burn off some of my nervous energy and to check out my bike. I went back to the hotel and sat down at the pool. The rumors were running rampant amongst the athletes at the pool. Some said the course was going to change; some thought the race would be cancelled. After listening to all of that noise, I took a nap and then went to get Angela. We took my bike to Banks Lake to drop it off in transition. Then we went to the athletes meeting and got confirmation that the course had been changed due to the smoke.
The bike course changed and after the Almira Grade, instead of a counter clockwise loop and going across the dam it would be clockwise and go away from the dam area and finish back at Banks Lake. The run changed from running on a trail along the Columbia River downstream from the dam to an out-and-back along Highway 155 from Banks Lake. The only difficult part of the course change for me was not being able to drive the new part of the bike course before the race. We had driven the original course Thursday so I had my landmarks picked out but now there would be new territory to explore!
Angela and I arrived at Banks Lake at 8 a.m. and I set up the bike. We watched Ironman athletes leaving on their bikes, then headed over to the grassy area by the water and watched athletes finishing their swim. I could do nothing but smile thinking about what a great day was ahead of me. I climbed into the water at 9:20 to start my swim warm up. The night before at the meeting we were told that the lake temp was 70. I have to tell you that was the coldest 70 degrees that I ever have felt! When my face entered the water during warm up I gasped! The cold water spiked my heart rate and I continued to try to get used to it. The group started to get closer and get ready for the start and I placed myself in the middle of the pack. The starter horn sounded and the swim began. A kick to my head. An arm to my face. Pushed and held under water. Ahhh, the start of a triathlon! My heart rate became too high and I couldn’t catch my breath. I started doing the breast stroke to lower my heart rate and catch my breath but it took a long time! I continued swimming with my head out of the water for the first 500 yards. As I rounded the first buoy I was able to finally start my breathing. My stroke fell into place and I started passing a few people. I thought to myself: “This is going to be an ugly swim time but just keep going!” When I rounded the last buoy I set myself for a quick strong stroke. I knew that I only had about 700 more yards to go and I would be done with the swim. I came into shore and ran up the hill to the change tent hearing Angela cheering me on. The swim was over.
After getting my wetsuit off and putting my shoes on in the transition tent, I ran through transition to my bike. On went the helmet, sunglasses and my Garmin. Angela was cheering me on and I grabbed my bike, crossed the road, and set off for a long ride. The ride began with a quick ¼ mile flat and then we began our climb up the Almira Grade. I was spinning comfortably starting up the hill and the grade began to get steeper so I kept telling myself to keep my heart rate in check and don’t stop peddling for anything. The climb was going well and people were starting to slow down. I passed a few folks on the hill. My legs were feeling good, the sun was shining and the birds were singing, so what could go wrong? I came to the steepest part of the grade and got forced into the inside apex of the corner and my pedals almost came to a dead stop! I thought “oh no” but muscled my way through it. As I continued to climb, I passed more riders which was great for my confidence.
As I crested the top of the grade I knew that it was time to start my nutrition and hydration plan. The route ran along the top of the mesa and I was picking up speed. I kept myself from hammering because I didn’t want to cook myself. Time for that later. ;-) As I got to about mile 9 I picked up a pretty strong headwind. I just told myself that I couldn’t control it so just accept it. Well the wind in my face continued until mile 22 and by that time I was starting to wonder if it would ever stop. As I turned onto Highway 2 the wind was at my back so it was time to make up some time. The final portion of this section of the course is a gentle downhill to Highway 155 for the final assault back to the lake. Well, coming down this hill I grabbed every bit of gear that I had and hammered. Coming up to the corner I could see Angela waving and hear her cheering. (Mo' cow bell...) That was such a mood lifter for me! As I came into the corner I start to bleed off some speed but I came in too hot. It took everything that I could do from crossing the center line. Close, but I did not cross it!
The final 26 miles were in a gorge along the lake. It was an amazing sight but riding on a bike in a race you don’t get to see much of it. This part of the bike course was nasty from the standpoint that there were cracks in the road every 15 – 20 feet so each time I hit a crack (every couple seconds), I would be jarred. There was no escape! Just another uncontrollable I told myself, but it did wear on my nerves. Rollers and more rollers and then what they call “the miracle mile”. This is a 1 mile climb that really isn’t that steep but it takes a lot out of you. The downhill you earn is worth it! After that hill were another 13 miles of rollers and back to the lake. Coming into town more and more people were out cheering and it helped a lot. It was getting warm as I came into town and I just kept thinking how nice it was going to be to get off the bike and start my run. Coming into transition Angela was there again (when did she pass me?) cheering at the top of her lungs! She asked me how my ride was and I told her “awesome” and I know that I just had the ride of my life.
I took off my bike gear and put on my shoes, race belt and hydration belt. Man I was feeling good! Angela asked me how my nutrition plan was going and I told her “It’s working great. I have to go now.” Off I went with the plan of running at a 9 to 9:30 pace. My legs were feeling great and my heart rate was still doing awesome! Well I could tell that it was getting warm so I kept taking my Endurolytes faithfully and drinking water at every aid station. On the run course there were aid stations every 1 ½ miles so I knew that was going to work well.
Mile 1 - all systems were a go. Mile 2 - things were still going well. No increase of heart rate. My nutrition and hydration plan was working. Mile 3 - my legs were beginning to feel heavy and I was getting HOT. The next 2 miles I was getting really hot. I was stopping at every aid station and drinking 2 cups of water and dumping 1 cup on my head. I made sure to thank the volunteers for their help. Coming to the aid station at the turnaround, I began walking. Man I was hot! I walked into the aid station for my water and they had some ice in cups! Oh how enjoyable that was putting it onto my neck and into my shirt. I walked for about a quarter mile and began running again. The legs were feeling really heavy and I began thinking to myself, “Just keep moving forward.” The course headed back towards town with a pretty long hill. My heart rate alarm sounded and my heart rate spiked really high. I was starting to feel a bit loopy but not like I was bonking. I touched the back of my neck and I noticed I wasn’t sweating. I was out of water, so I dumped some of my nutrition cocktail on my head. This cooled me down a bit and I kept walking until my heart rate came down. After what seemed like forever it dropped back to an acceptable level and I began jogging slowly. I had two more aid stations to go and at this point I knew I could finish this race!
At the last station I grabbed 2 waters and didn’t stop - just drank and dumped water onto my head and started into the park. When the volunteers directed me off of the hot highway and into the park, I could hear the cheering. It was wonderful coming into the long finish chute. Over the PA I heard “from Vancouver Washington Randy Wells”! I did it! 70.3 miles.
When I crossed the finish line they stopped me right away to take the timing chip. The most wonderful volunteer handed me a 1 liter bottle of the coldest, sweetest tasting water that I ever had. I turned around and looked at the time. It said 6:38. I was pretty amazed at that because after the swim and slow run I figured it would be at least 7 hours. I walked for a bit and found Angela. It was so good to see her! After a brief chat I went and stood in the cold lake for a bit to cool down. A few minutes of that and then it was time for my post race massage.
Official times for my first half Ironman
Swim: 00:40:06
T1: 03:50
Bike 03:27:16 16.5 mph avg.
T2: 03:35
Run 02:23:28 10:57 pace
Finish time: 6:38:17
I couldn’t be happier with my race. I did the training and trusted my training. I had a plan and stuck with plan. I didn’t let any uncontrollable factors bother me which sometimes can be very difficult for me. I really enjoyed this distance and I am sure that I will do it again.
My deepest thanks to everyone that supported me this season and everyone that trained with me. Angela, I couldn’t have done this without your love and support. I love you!
Ironman CDA - Here I Come!
PS Pictures can be seen here.
http://www.racephotos.net/RunnerDetails.asp?nRunnerID=460252
As we drove through Yakima and headed North the sky seemed to be hazy with smoke. Along the road and off in the distance you could see where there had been previous range fires so I figured the farmers might be burning their fields now or it was left over smoke from earlier fires. As we continued up and out of the Yakima Valley, the smoke cleared.
We were both amazed with the beautiful landscapes in this part of the state. It is very desolate on the Yakima Reservation and it holds a unique ambiance of solitude. When we crested the summit up and out of Yakima, we saw the Wenatchee Valley. It is lush and green and a very welcome site after driving through the Reservation. All I could think about when I saw the valley was “fresh fruit!”
Traveling along we came to George, Washington and the beginning of farm country. It reminded me of the Midwest with all of the crops of corn, alfalfa and different grasses. Just outside of Ephrata we saw in the distance some type of crop being loaded. As we came closer the smell of fresh onions filled the air! They were loading white onions and the best way to describe the smell would be onion rings!
We came out of the farm area and began entering the Coulee area. We stopped at Dry Falls
which is similar to the Grand Canyon (except MUCH smaller!). We were both amazed that there are places like this in our state that we had not seen. At Dry Falls we start noticing the smoke again and we heard a couple of people talking about the fires. They told us the fires were “up at the dam.” We continued our drive towards the dam and as we started into Grand Coulee, the smoke began to get thicker. The closer we came to the dam the heavier the smoke became.The Coulee Dam is an awesome site. It is huge! Our hotel faced the dam so we had just an
incredible view of it. The view was through wildfire smoke though! We were told the fire was east 3 to 4 miles and there was no danger to us other than heavy smoke in the air. Being outside was like having the smoke from a campfire in your face all of the time. I was coughing, thinking “Hell, there is nothing that I can do about it so don’t worry about it”! Thursday afternoon we drove the bike course which helped ease my mind a bit.Friday morning, there was still smoke in the air but not as bad. There was a covering of soot on all of the vehicles. Still, the air was getting better. Angela and I went for a bike ride to get the lay of the town and to stretch our legs. The smoke didn’t really bother us any but others were saying that it was bothering them.
Friday afternoon Angela volunteered at the registration/packet pickup area for about 5 hours. During this time I rode a bit more to burn off some of my nervous energy and to check out my bike. I went back to the hotel and sat down at the pool. The rumors were running rampant amongst the athletes at the pool. Some said the course was going to change; some thought the race would be cancelled. After listening to all of that noise, I took a nap and then went to get Angela. We took my bike to Banks Lake to drop it off in transition. Then we went to the athletes meeting and got confirmation that the course had been changed due to the smoke.
The bike course changed and after the Almira Grade, instead of a counter clockwise loop and going across the dam it would be clockwise and go away from the dam area and finish back at Banks Lake. The run changed from running on a trail along the Columbia River downstream from the dam to an out-and-back along Highway 155 from Banks Lake. The only difficult part of the course change for me was not being able to drive the new part of the bike course before the race. We had driven the original course Thursday so I had my landmarks picked out but now there would be new territory to explore!
Angela and I arrived at Banks Lake at 8 a.m. and I set up the bike. We watched Ironman athletes leaving on their bikes, then headed over to the grassy area by the water and watched athletes finishing their swim. I could do nothing but smile thinking about what a great day was ahead of me. I climbed into the water at 9:20 to start my swim warm up. The night before at the meeting we were told that the lake temp was 70. I have to tell you that was the coldest 70 degrees that I ever have felt! When my face entered the water during warm up I gasped! The cold water spiked my heart rate and I continued to try to get used to it. The group started to get closer and get ready for the start and I placed myself in the middle of the pack. The starter horn sounded and the swim began. A kick to my head. An arm to my face. Pushed and held under water. Ahhh, the start of a triathlon! My heart rate became too high and I couldn’t catch my breath. I started doing the breast stroke to lower my heart rate and catch my breath but it took a long time! I continued swimming with my head out of the water for the first 500 yards. As I rounded the first buoy I was able to finally start my breathing. My stroke fell into place and I started passing a few people. I thought to myself: “This is going to be an ugly swim time but just keep going!” When I rounded the last buoy I set myself for a quick strong stroke. I knew that I only had about 700 more yards to go and I would be done with the swim. I came into shore and ran up the hill to the change tent hearing Angela cheering me on. The swim was over.
After getting my wetsuit off and putting my shoes on in the transition tent, I ran through transition to my bike. On went the helmet, sunglasses and my Garmin. Angela was cheering me on and I grabbed my bike, crossed the road, and set off for a long ride. The ride began with a quick ¼ mile flat and then we began our climb up the Almira Grade. I was spinning comfortably starting up the hill and the grade began to get steeper so I kept telling myself to keep my heart rate in check and don’t stop peddling for anything. The climb was going well and people were starting to slow down. I passed a few folks on the hill. My legs were feeling good, the sun was shining and the birds were singing, so what could go wrong? I came to the steepest part of the grade and got forced into the inside apex of the corner and my pedals almost came to a dead stop! I thought “oh no” but muscled my way through it. As I continued to climb, I passed more riders which was great for my confidence.
As I crested the top of the grade I knew that it was time to start my nutrition and hydration plan. The route ran along the top of the mesa and I was picking up speed. I kept myself from hammering because I didn’t want to cook myself. Time for that later. ;-) As I got to about mile 9 I picked up a pretty strong headwind. I just told myself that I couldn’t control it so just accept it. Well the wind in my face continued until mile 22 and by that time I was starting to wonder if it would ever stop. As I turned onto Highway 2 the wind was at my back so it was time to make up some time. The final portion of this section of the course is a gentle downhill to Highway 155 for the final assault back to the lake. Well, coming down this hill I grabbed every bit of gear that I had and hammered. Coming up to the corner I could see Angela waving and hear her cheering. (Mo' cow bell...) That was such a mood lifter for me! As I came into the corner I start to bleed off some speed but I came in too hot. It took everything that I could do from crossing the center line. Close, but I did not cross it!
The final 26 miles were in a gorge along the lake. It was an amazing sight but riding on a bike in a race you don’t get to see much of it. This part of the bike course was nasty from the standpoint that there were cracks in the road every 15 – 20 feet so each time I hit a crack (every couple seconds), I would be jarred. There was no escape! Just another uncontrollable I told myself, but it did wear on my nerves. Rollers and more rollers and then what they call “the miracle mile”. This is a 1 mile climb that really isn’t that steep but it takes a lot out of you. The downhill you earn is worth it! After that hill were another 13 miles of rollers and back to the lake. Coming into town more and more people were out cheering and it helped a lot. It was getting warm as I came into town and I just kept thinking how nice it was going to be to get off the bike and start my run. Coming into transition Angela was there again (when did she pass me?) cheering at the top of her lungs! She asked me how my ride was and I told her “awesome” and I know that I just had the ride of my life.
I took off my bike gear and put on my shoes, race belt and hydration belt. Man I was feeling good! Angela asked me how my nutrition plan was going and I told her “It’s working great. I have to go now.” Off I went with the plan of running at a 9 to 9:30 pace. My legs were feeling great and my heart rate was still doing awesome! Well I could tell that it was getting warm so I kept taking my Endurolytes faithfully and drinking water at every aid station. On the run course there were aid stations every 1 ½ miles so I knew that was going to work well.
Mile 1 - all systems were a go. Mile 2 - things were still going well. No increase of heart rate. My nutrition and hydration plan was working. Mile 3 - my legs were beginning to feel heavy and I was getting HOT. The next 2 miles I was getting really hot. I was stopping at every aid station and drinking 2 cups of water and dumping 1 cup on my head. I made sure to thank the volunteers for their help. Coming to the aid station at the turnaround, I began walking. Man I was hot! I walked into the aid station for my water and they had some ice in cups! Oh how enjoyable that was putting it onto my neck and into my shirt. I walked for about a quarter mile and began running again. The legs were feeling really heavy and I began thinking to myself, “Just keep moving forward.” The course headed back towards town with a pretty long hill. My heart rate alarm sounded and my heart rate spiked really high. I was starting to feel a bit loopy but not like I was bonking. I touched the back of my neck and I noticed I wasn’t sweating. I was out of water, so I dumped some of my nutrition cocktail on my head. This cooled me down a bit and I kept walking until my heart rate came down. After what seemed like forever it dropped back to an acceptable level and I began jogging slowly. I had two more aid stations to go and at this point I knew I could finish this race!
At the last station I grabbed 2 waters and didn’t stop - just drank and dumped water onto my head and started into the park. When the volunteers directed me off of the hot highway and into the park, I could hear the cheering. It was wonderful coming into the long finish chute. Over the PA I heard “from Vancouver Washington Randy Wells”! I did it! 70.3 miles.
When I crossed the finish line they stopped me right away to take the timing chip. The most wonderful volunteer handed me a 1 liter bottle of the coldest, sweetest tasting water that I ever had. I turned around and looked at the time. It said 6:38. I was pretty amazed at that because after the swim and slow run I figured it would be at least 7 hours. I walked for a bit and found Angela. It was so good to see her! After a brief chat I went and stood in the cold lake for a bit to cool down. A few minutes of that and then it was time for my post race massage.
Official times for my first half Ironman
Swim: 00:40:06
T1: 03:50
Bike 03:27:16 16.5 mph avg.
T2: 03:35
Run 02:23:28 10:57 pace
Finish time: 6:38:17
I couldn’t be happier with my race. I did the training and trusted my training. I had a plan and stuck with plan. I didn’t let any uncontrollable factors bother me which sometimes can be very difficult for me. I really enjoyed this distance and I am sure that I will do it again.
My deepest thanks to everyone that supported me this season and everyone that trained with me. Angela, I couldn’t have done this without your love and support. I love you!
Ironman CDA - Here I Come!
PS Pictures can be seen here.
http://www.racephotos.net/RunnerDetails.asp?nRunnerID=460252
