St George 70.3 Race Recap

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2013 St George Half Ironman

Jess Perry 

The weather, the week, the feeling in the air couldn't have been more perfect on Saturday. I actually couldn't believe the day had finally come for this big race we have all been talking about for a year now! I was nervous excited and thrilled to have such a perfect day in front of me. I was trained and ready to roll. We line up in our waves for the swim start and get into the water...I am not going to lie...it took my breath away for a second. It was cold!! But I knew from my practice swim 2 days before that I would warm up once I was moving. So the gun went off and we started at 7:21AM. The swim was going well and I was feeling great until BOOM...A fist to my face...right in my nose. I shook it off and kept swimming until a few strokes after there it was...I was tasting blood. I had a mini panic attack and rolled to my back. Sure enough, my nose was bleeding. I grabbed a hold of a canoe with a sweet mom type lady in a crocodile Dundee hat and tried to slow the bleeding so I wasn't tasting it and freaking out in my head. Finally, I decided to get on with the swim. The swim after that point felt forever. I was a bit frazzled but new I just had to keep swimming and get through it.

Finally, the swim exit came. I was about 9 mins longer in the swim than I had anticipated but I thought I would just make up the time between the bike and the run. I head up to the transition and get ready to bike. It was cold on the bike. Couldn't feel my feet but was feeling good. I climbed the first hill strong and steady and had my game face on. Then it happened...about 10 miles in...a flat!! What are the freaking chances. I just thought to myself ...this isn't my day. But thank you to the sweet man on the side of the road who helped me quickly change my tire. I continued on the bike and tried to put my set backs behind me! Got back in the groove and biked a strong ride! I felt good about how everything was going!

Got off the bike and into the run. The first 3 miles of this run were mentally tough for me. It is hilly and hard, hot and just drug on. Once I got to the top of the first big climb my running legs got under me. I felt great and was excited for what the course had left for me. At about mile 6.5, right after the turn around, I caught my husband Trent. He was in pain...his IT had locked up and he had shooting pains with every step. My heart hurt for him because I knew how excited he had been for this race! I knew how excited I had been for this race and he twice as excited as I was...almost giddy excited. He was in a dark place. He was frustrated and was hobbling. He was determined to finish but I just couldn't let him do it alone. After Boston, I needed us to walk away from a race with happy thoughts. So at that moment I threw out my race and I walked, ran a bit and mostly slowly walked along with him as he hobbled for the next 6.5 miles to the finish line. During those miles we laughed, he swore, I skipped, we encouraged each other but most importantly, we had a great time! We crossed the finish line together about an hour after I would have finished if I continued at the rate I was going, including my obstacles that came up! But I have no regrets about this race. There were so many great moments and I don't know when the next chance I will have to race and finish with my hubby so it was a great day! Plus it is no fun to beat him when it isn't a fair playing field! :)

In this race I learned how far I had mentally come in my racing. I didn't let little setbacks that happened along the way take me out of the race. I kept moving despite the obstacles placed in my way! I am so proud of everyone I know that raced that day! The St George Half Ironman course is not an easy one so just finishing is an amazing accomplishment. During this race I started out competing but in the end it was about completion. And that made it a perfect race!!

St George Half Ironman

Debbie Tebbs

Let's rewind to one year ago...47 weeks to be exact. Let me also remind you that I hang out with extremely strong, athletic friends who were all excited that St. George was changing from a full Ironman to a 70.3. All of these friends who I LOVE to spend time with,  decided to sign up for this race. I totally gave in to peer pressure! I was excited and nervous to attempt the training and try out the whole Triathlon world.

Fast forward to last Wednesday as I am packing up to attempt this whole 1/2 Ironman, I knew (as well as all of my strong friends) that I was anything but prepared for the swim. The feeling I felt was a lot like the feeling I had when I was driving to Las Vegas to run my first marathon. I hadn't ever ran more than 17 miles and was scared out of my wits.  Well folks, running is A LOT different than swimming, and if you don't prepare and spend time in the pool/open water, you will do exactly what I did Saturday. Panic and fight your way out of the water.  It was so much like the fear I had felt in my 1st marathon, with all of the unknowns right out in front of me in Sand Hollow, I was completely  OVERWHELMED!! So much as to shed a couple tears before I plunged into my sure drowning. I HAVE no idea how I weaseled my way to the first turn and grabbed a hold of the first of 3 canoes that I would make good friends with that morning. I have never been this OUT OF CONTROL in, and WAY UNDER PREPARED for a race in MY LIFE. After having some good time being swallowed up by all of the men in the waves behind me, trying to remember to breathe deeply from my belly and remember all of the other things a super awesome swim coach told me to do. Yep, that one who I waited until the last moment to ask for help from. I even quite enjoyed staring at the sky for some time on my back talking and singing to a higher power.  I made it out.

(Yep, me on FB at mile 33)

Dazed and cold and not in the mood to fight or push, I did what I normally don't do in a race. I just simply wanted to finish and not race. It was going to be my day to feel emotions I have never experienced in athletics/racing. I wanted to enjoy as much as I could without quitting. I was pretty cold on the bike and didn't love the feeling of not being able to feel my feet for 25 miles. I made 2 phone calls on my cell phone as I climbed out of Hurricane and felt a little better when I heard my husbands voice. I got to get those icky emotions off my chest. I am sure that I am not the only one who was completely distracted by all of the Pros running on Red Cliffs, it really was something AWESOME to see them all in perfect action. A reminder for me to keep peddling closer to  T2. Where I was hoping I would feel like me. A runner:)

Let's just say, I had my "running moment" 2 1/2 weeks earlier in Boston. I had the race of my life a PR on the course and experienced SUCH JOY, only to have it all swept out from under my feet an hour after I finished. I realized during that hilly, hot, half marathon in St George, that I never really celebrated the huge accomplishment of my Boston marathon experience, because I had such guilt over all of the injuries and death and pain at my last finishline. I was ok to just "get through" the run. Something I've never felt in a race before. Swearing almost the whole time I'd never do this stupid Ironman thing again. Even telling my whole family who were watching and cheering for me, that I'd rather have four more kids than ever do what I was doing again. :) Which is something I totally take back, I'm too old to have 4 more kids!

Any of you ever had those same thoughts? Ever changed your mind? I think a couple nights rest, laughing really hard at myself, I had time to realize that I want to do better, be better. Heaven help me, I want to become a swimmer and feel "good" in the water someday. So, I will put the swim cap and goggles back on that I swore I'd burn. Who knows, with some help, some serious willpower and a TON of time in the water, I MIGHT be a swimmer someday and "race" another race like the one I finished May 4th.

Disclaimer: There were a few details omitted from my race report:) My husband would be so proud of me for leaving them out.

On a side note, it was a gorgeous day and it would have been a perfect day to lay out at the pool:) hehe

(The Iron kids race the night before)

St George 1/2 ironman 2013

Keri Cannon

Swim- 45:54

Bike- 3:14:35

Run- 1:36:49

Total time: 5:46:34

Like Debbie, I signed up for this race out of complete peer pressure from my awesome friends and my husband.  I was 7 months pregnant and thought it sounded like a good idea. (so stupid!!)  Having a new babe in toe and training is super fun :) I wasn't able to train as much as I'd like to but did all that could in my current life situation with 3 kids 3 yrs old and under and a hubby that is training too.  Lucky for me my hubby didn't train a ton (and of course still totally beat me and many others).

A few days before the race we headed down to St. George to get all situated.  We went out to the lake to do a confidence swim because I needed the confidence!  I had only been in open water one other time and swimming only once every week or two isn't great training :)  To swim  before was really good for me because it made me realize I can get through it.  

The morning of the race I felt really sick and nauseous.  I couldn't stomach my normal oatmeal and banana.  I hardly ever get that way before a race so I didn't know if I was getting sick or if I was genuinely nervous.  Definitely the latter! The triathlon world is so foreign to me.  My hubby had to walk me through every step to make sure I knew what I was doing and that I had everything I needed.  It's amazing how much preparation goes into these races! My swim start was at 7:21.  We entered the water a few minutes before and then the gun went off.  The wave starts are nice but I was still in a decent sized group and got hit and kicked a little.  I put my head down and just started to swim.  I felt pretty good until a bunch of guys started trampling over me. (I want to know what race officials thought it would be a good idea to send 6 groups of fast guys after the 30-39 year old women). After that my goggles filled up with water and it was all mental battle from that point.  I never really panicked but it was super hard for me to get through.  I swam in a total zig zag the entire time.  I bet I would've been hilarious to watch from above! When my feet hit the ground I had complete relief come over me!  I truly don't enjoy swimming so to be done was the best feeling.

I had so much fun on the bike!  The first stretch I was passed by a ton of guys in super nice bikes.  Kind of demoralizing but I knew it was going to happen.  I haven't rode outside much in my life.  I did a sprint triathlon in 2007 and then a handful of rides this year for training and that's it.  I am a idiot when it comes to bikes but for the first time I felt comfortable!  I was able to sit in my arrow bars for 75% of the time which normally I felt so unstable sitting in them for even a few minutes and I was able to go down hills without breaking (but definitely said a few swear words while going down hoping to not crash).  I LOVE climbing hills because it's my strength so climbing Snow Canyon was my favorite!  I would pass people on the assent and they would pass me on the decent. I honestly just felt good the entire bike ride and never felt really tired or exhausted.  I could've kept going (well my butt would probably disagree :) )  I also thought I would die without music but it truly is amazing how fast the time goes in races. 

Finally it was time for my favorite part....the run!  I finally felt in my element!  2 weeks before I had gone down and ran the course.  I think that was the best thing I could've done because mentally I knew I could do it in certain pace.  The run course is super hilly, hard, and true! You start climbing immediately in the run and don't really get a break until mile 4ish but because I love climbing and my body felt great I welcomed the hills!  I felt on fire on the run. I never slowed my pace down and was smiling the entire time. (especially passing a lot of guys :) )  I was on such a runners high!  It still was hot and hard but I luckily had a great day!  The volunteers with water, ice, and wet sponges saved me!  

I had no idea what to expect with this race.  Like I said before I am super inexperienced in the triathlon world.  I never thought I would say this but I THINK I CAUGHT THE TRI BUG!!! The starts aligned for me during this race.  I had so much fun and felt great during and after! My time isn't amazing compared to so many other people but I was beyond thrilled with my time!! I'm ready to take a break from having to swim and bike but I had so much fun in this race and will definitely be signing up for more in the future! (Maybe I'll learn how to swim the next go around).

 Best support team ever...

 Giant sugar cookie for Jess post birthday celebration!  So happy to be done!!!!!