Ironman Coeur 'd Alene: Why Everyone Should Ride a Felt

Ironman Coeur 'd Alene was my 14th full Ironman. I crossed the line in 9 hours and 58 minutes after partaking in one of the toughest Ironman battles of my career. The course topography, the Fahrenheit and fierce competition all stepped up to deliver a worthy engagement.

9 hours and 58 minutes is 35,880 seconds. The peculiar thing about this race is the second that stands out most in my mind is the one right before the starter fired the gun. That fraction of time between the command 'Get Set' and the start. Index finger flexed on the trigger.  I remember feeling immensely happy and excited. I was ready for the pain of racing and more than ever I was hoping for a battle.

Well, Amber got what she wanted. (Laying on the suspense pretty thick here...)

But first up on deck is a BIG THANK YOU to my wonderful Homestay: The Pinkertons. They welcomed me like family, fed me, laughed with me and cheered me on during the race. I miss them like family and I will be back to CDA next year for sure. Thank you Pinkerton's!!! I can't tell you how much you eased my nerves and made me feel at home.  Also, big shout out and fist pump to my new friend Matt Lieto.

I just got a Rubix Cube Tattoo in your honor #IsThatCreepy?

The average temperature in Coeur 'd Alene is 78 this time of year. When I saw the 10-day forecast calling for 108 on race day I laughed out loud and thought for sure that would change. It didn't. I'm pretty sure I suffered some form of heat exhaustion just walking the 5 minutes to the PRO meeting.


Race day tactics were going to have to change.  The night before the race I had a little chat with the coach and it went like this:

Me: Kurt, I promise I will ride smart and won't take any stupid chances. I will ride steady and conservatively.

Kurt: That's nice to hear you say out loud Amber but you're a honey badger. Just don't do anything TOO stupid.

Me: Doh!

Race morning I woke at 3am, ate breakfast and applied sunscreen like it was going out of style.  Before I knew it I was on the start line at 5:30am with the rest of the pro girls.

Finger flexed on the trigger. Time stands still. I wonder what adventures this race will bring? (More suspense...oooooohhh)

Swim portion brought to you by ZONE3 :  The moral of the swim story is Amber needs to learn to GET. OFF. THE. LINE.  When I say if feels like 'time stands still' right before the starter fires the gun maybe it is because Amber is still standing STILL after the gun is fired. Doh! The PRO girls have taken off, better go chase!  The good news is I only lost 2.5 minutes to super swimmer Dede Griesbaur and I didn't overheat. Which will be the ONLY time I don't overheat all day.

Bike portion brought to you by FELT and MC CYCLE and SPORT:  I sprint through transition, grab my 8 bottles of Infinit and I am off and riding in 6th place.  I am feeling strong and at the first turn around I get a time split on 3rd place. 4 minutes up the road. Only 4 minutes!  Someone woke the honey badger and I spent about 30 minutes overriding trying to close the gap.

And then I smarten up. It's only 8am at this point and the temperature is on the rise. I think for the first time in my pro career I decided to ride steady and I had moved myself into 4th place and was feeling strong. For 3 hours I road solo in 4th and was being very conservative (ie: Boring). This means no standing on the hills, watching the Watts like a hawk and reminding myself that it is now 100 degrees and the race is not even half over.

At around the 3 hour mark 4 age group guys passed me coming down a hill and into another sharp incline. 99.99% of the time I would have dropped out of their draft zone and then sprinted and re-passed the guys to get out of a potential sticky situation. (The age groupers have different draft rules than the PROs so it can be very tricky riding near them.)  But I was being a smart athlete and trying at all costs not to spike the heart rate. So on this particular day when the guys passed me, I sat up, starting drinking and chilled out.  And then I got a penalty. My first penalty EVER. And the referee explains that because I didn't drop out of the draft zone fast enough I deserve a penalty. The kicker was we were on a STEEP HILL. I like to keep this piece of Internet space family-friendly but that was a BULL SHIT call.

And then I get a flat tire.  Double whammy!  I jump off my bike and as I do 2 guys pass and scream: 'GO FELT!' And one throws me a Fix-a-Flat. Talk about an act of kindness. The flat tire is fixed in no time and I hop back on and ride like my butt is on fire to the penalty tent.

And then I sit and wait. I watch 4 pro girls pass me. Now I am in 8th.

5 minutes. The longest 300 seconds of my life. But what was so cool was the athletes riding by screaming: "GO FELT!" and "You'll catch them back FELT!"  IT. WAS. AWESOME.

Enter stage left: Dumb Amber. No more riding like a smart girl. The honey badger was out in FULL FORCE. I was so irritated that I spent 3 hours riding conservatively and got a penalty that I road with the intention of catching everyone back. And I did. I was figuratively (and now that it was 108F) literally on fire. Soooo hot.

So there you have it. Ride a FELT because the acts of kindness you will encounter are endless. Riding a FELT also awakens your inner honey badger and that is never a bad thing.

Run portion brought to you by VELOCIO:  I immediately started running and shoving ice down the bra and shorts and chugging the Infinit. My race kit was designed by Brad Sheehan who has an amazing creative gift and is a talented cyclist. He is passionate about the sport and it shines through in his company. I loved the cheers I got from spectators shouting: Go Velocio!! The brand is picking up steam and for good reason. It is hands down the most comfortable and cooling fabric I have ever raced in.

But it's not ALL about fashion. While my kit looked cool, I assumed the role of the fiery Tasmanian devil at all the aid stations. Ice in the bra, ice down the shorts, water on the head, Infinit in the mouth.  I ran in 3rd for about 13 miles and then the speedy Kim Schwabenbaur  passed me. I couldn't respond. I gritted my teeth for 13 miles to hold 4th position and then as the finish line drew near I heard a roar from the crowds. I took a look behind and there was 5th place about 25 yards back. GULP!  I sprinted the 300 yard straightaway to the finish line to just clinch 4th place.  A sprint finish after 140 miles of race. What a way to end the day!

Next Up: Iceland Ultra Marathon and then Ironman Mont Tremblant!
       

  

WHAT IT TAKES

The start of 2015 has been a relatively quiet year in regards to racing and for good reason. I needed the break.  

Mind, body, and soul.  

Athletically, 2014 was the best season of my pro career. And it was NOT only because of the work I did in 2013. It was the hard, consistent work that happened in 2012, 2011, 2010 and even in 2009. It was the ability to push my mind and body through 25 hour training weeks. Week after week after week. It was calling on the confidence to keep training hard even when I didn't win. It was chasing after a dream and believing in myself even when the going got tough.  
 

 But why was 2014 such a soul-sucking, energy sapping year?  

Last year’s Kona qualifying season I went 9:07 at Ironman Florida, I came 3rd at Ironman Texas with one of the fastest run times and then the big WIN came at Ironman Lake Placid. I received dozens of e-mails congratulating me and asking if I had punched my ticket to the Ironman World Championships as a professional. 

I had to politely explain that, as a professional, I race for points and I had just missed the cut off. What that meant was I needed to race yet ANOTHER Ironman in just 3 weeks if I wanted to race on the big Island as a professional. 

But what I should have politely said was, as a FEMALE professional I need to race again in 3 weeks. 

Because if I were a MALE professional I would have been able to put my feet up after Placid, punched my Kona ticket and planned my attack for Kona.  

But I am a FEMALE. And we as FEMALE professionals fight for 35 slots to the IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS when the MALES are awarded 50. 

In a 12 month span I raced 5 FULL IRONMAN distance races. How could I hope to race well at the World Championships with a schedule like that? It's less than ideal. It's not sustainable. And it is NOT fair.  

This is an open question to Andrew Messick, IRONMAN CEO.  

Dear Mr. Messick, 

Throughout history, women have faced intense discrimination—from a lack of legal rights and ability to vote, thought to have inferior brains and amazingly even encouraged not to run marathons for fear of their uteruses falling out! Isn’t it a shame that while Ironman could be seen as a bastion of hope and motivation to all the female athletes out there striving for equality, you instead opt to create a rift in equal opportunities at your highest level on the largest stage?  

My question is WHY? As an entity, Ironman has so many good things going for it. We finally have equal male and female prize purses, we have moved the start of the FEMALE pro race back from the MALES so that we have our own separate race. We promote a fun healthy sport to the masses. Why not seal the deal for gender equality in ALL aspects of the sport? 

Gender inequality at the biggest stage this sport has to offer is a glaring affront to all those female athletes who race and all those young girls potentially exposed to the sport. If Ironman claims that 'Anything is Possible' why not make this harsh inequality go away? #50womentokona 

Dear Andrew Messick, how will you explain to this little girl that when she grows up she will have an unequal chance to qualify for Kona?

Never Stop Fighting

Just a few quick words from my homeboy E.E. Cummings:

"A lot of people think or believe or know they feel.

But that's thinking or believing or knowing; NOT feeling. 

Almost anybody can learn to think or believe or know, but not a single human being can be taught to feel. 

Why? 

Because whenever you think or you believe or you know, you're a lot of other people.

But the moment you feel, you're nobody-but-yourself.

To be nobody-but-yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight....and never stop fighting.

The 55th running of the NORTHEAST DELTA DENTAL Mount Washington Road Race took place this weekend.  A unique race that makes your lungs scream, your muscle burn and your heart ache right from gun.  No coasting on the downhills, no catching your breath, no weenies allowed.

And this girl believes there is NO better feeling than that of your ragged breath, your heart pounding, and your muscles moving. Moving you up, and up and up to the highest peak in the Northeast.  Learn to love the mountain, and it will love you back. And never stop fighting.

This year the women's field was littered with Olympic trials qualifiers, Mount Washington Champs, Western States 100 miler champs, and members of the US Mountain Running team. An epic battle was about to commence.

We had 2 minutes of quiet on the start line before the gun sounded. I wanted to keep the speedy Denise Sandahl in my sights for as long as I could as I knew she would be a top runner and just went an impressive 2:47 at Boston. Keep her in my sights I did but never actually closed the minute gap she inched out on me. 

As the hill climbed on and the air got thinner I demanded a few things of myself and those were: Are you pushing as hard as you can? Are you digging as deep as you possibly can?

And Never Stop Fighting.

This race hurts. And THAT is what makes it great. Psyched and honored to finish 6th FEMALE. Now just 6 days until Ironman Coeur d'Alene. Fight ON!

Photo credit: Gloria Cullen - Thanks for the cheers MOM!

I train with a sub 1:10 guy. #betterforit

My sponsor and GREAT friend Tom Raffio of DELTA DENTAL.  Brush your teeth, kids.

The Views from the race. Wow.

 

As always a HUGE thanks to my sponsors: DELTA DENTAL, MC CYCLE AND SPORT, VELOCIO, RUDY PROJECT, PBM COACHING, INFINIT NUTRITION, BEET PERFORMER, ROTOR COMPONENTS.

     

Lessons from Africa: Part III

With another race around the corner I thought it best to wrap up the multi-part Ironman Africa blog. Although it feels like I could have written forever on the adventures in Africa all things must come to an end.  I give you Part 3: The End.

Luckily for me, I survived the great white shark diving adventures because I had a race to get on with!

Part of this blog is inspired by a new friend who has a wonderful characteristic of wanting to master something. This is very different than the desire to succeed. Success is the need for society's approval. The desire to master something is LOVING the process.  No loss of enthusiasm even if things aren't going your way.  It is the ability to go from failure to failure with no loss of that intense enjoyment.

I believe we thrive not when we have done it all but when we realize we have way more to give, way more to chase after.  A deliberate flaw or poor result is a reason to continue to work, and push, and discover, and suffer so you can realize there is NO END.  No end, just the knowledge that you need to let go of the past and embrace the new you.

As an athlete I am constantly changing and evolving and loving the process. I went into Ironman South Africa sick and on antibiotics but really wanting to dig deep and experience the race.  My mind was ready, my body was not.  I pushed and suffered more than I ever have and came up short. At mile 130 I was top 10 and running strong in a field littered with World and Ironman Champions.  But endurance racing is fickle. With what seemed like the blink of an eye the wheels came off.  As disappointing as this was, the race experience was extremely empowering. Even as top 10 slipped away and I was hurting (and hobbling) I was smiling.  Smiling because I LOVE the chase.

After Africa, it was back to the swim, bike, run grind with a little photo shoot or 2 thrown in there. Courtesy of the uber talented Brent Doscher.

I also decided to throw in a trail race to test the legs, lungs and heart.  A group of us went up to race Pineland Farms Trail Festival and a festival it was!  Complete with ferocious run terrain, smiles and post race beer.  A fantastic event with fantastic people. I was honored to cross the line as first female in the 25K but even more psyched on the performances of this All-Star crew.

Let's review the execution:

Deidre Cullen: The plan was to race the 25K. Twenty Five K. On outrageously hilly terrain. She decides 2 nights before to race the 50K. I will do the math for you. That's double the distance.  Well, the little sis sure showed me and threw down a VERY respectable 50K.  She now has blisters the size of Texas but the post race smile is all I needed to see to know that it was worth it.

Deidre is the one in the fleece lined hoody. (It's 90 degrees at the race start). She is trying to get into heads of the other racers. Mind games. 

Becky Chase: Another gal that attacked her first 50K and finished in style. Becky wore socks. She has no blisters.

Jonah, Rhonda, and daughter Amber. Rhonda raced like a wild caribou on Red Bull and beat her time by like 3 hours. Amazing. Their daughter Amber ran her first trail 5K and rocked it.

Myles Chase: MC registered for the 50 mile but decided 'that was soooo last year' so he switched it up mid race and did the 50K. He ran way faster than I could ever dream of running a 50K all while chugging PBR's and sporting a cotton button down. Savage.

Christopher Francis: Even more impressive than his perfectly executed race and 2 HOUR 50K PR was the fact he dribbled and flicked a field hockey ball the entire way. Amazing. Man of many talents.

Ryan Kelly: And of course my training sidekick who has not written a blog in 4 years so he does not get a hyperlink.  He may be sloth-like at blogging but quite the opposite at trail racing. He averaged 6:16 pace and that, my friends, was almost a course record.

What a crew!

Up Next: Mountains to climb and Ironman to attack in IDAHO!

  

Lessons from Africa: Part II

I'll assume all you faithful blog readers read my last blog and have literally been on the edge of your seats this past week waiting for Part II. So I will pick up where I left off which was Danny and I speed-touring London, minding the Gap and just making the 11 hour flight to Jo-burg, South Africa. Phew!  

And let me make it crystal clear that the 11 hour flight was a DELIGHTFUL part of trip. Here's what happened.

1. Store luggage in overhead, take a comfy seat and buckle up. 
2. Decide which 7 of the 30 movies to watch and add to your own personal playlist.
3. Take off. WHHEEEE!
4. Order water, coffee, wine (free!)
5. Watch about 1 hour-ish of first movie in the 7 movie line up.
6. Order MEAL. And it was delicious. And HOT. And there was REAL silverware. And a side salad.
7. Pause movie to take a cat nap (~3 hours in duration)
8. Repeat from line 4.

It. Was. AMAZING. Pretty much like a flying retirement home with a fabulous wait staff. So I was disappointed to leave the land of cat naps and food but also excited to be on the other side of the globe on a crazy adventure.

In the past, landing and dealing with a bike box is a big pain in the rump. But not in Port Elizabeth. And definitely not when you have Theuns and Tess Kotze owners of Cycle Service Center on your side. Theuns met me at the airport, gave me a fist pump and whisked my bike away to build and tune it. I hope he reads this and knows that HE IS THE MAN. If I were to speak Afrikanns I would say: 'Theuns you are ongelooflike!!!'

And speaking of ONGELOOFLIKE humans the van Eyke family welcomed us into their home and fed us espresso and koekesisters and date balls and copious amounts of ostrich steaks and they were also so wonderful that we are still wondering how in the world we can repay them. 

The race adventure/vacation started out on such a positive note that Danny and I decided to ride this high all the way to the Tsitsikamma forest. This was hands down the most beautiful place I have ever been hiking. It was a dream like day full of caves and ocean views and lush single track. However it also involved getting stalked and hunted by a troupe of Baboons. Oh the drama!  And ironically one of the locals had just finished telling us how nasty Baboons can get.  So the GOOD and the BADS of this day pretty much stacked up like this:  

GOOD:

BADS: I honestly can't think of anything bad except the Baboons. This is just an unnecessary gap filler to the longest multi-part blog ever.


The next day was filled with warthog sightings and giraffes and zebras galore. 

However, we had ventured off that day to see the stunning elephant in the wild. Just when we thought this day was not our elephant sighting day a Mom, Dad and Baby elephant came bumbling out of the thicket to drink at a watering hole. We could NOT take our eyes off these magnificent creatures. It gives me chills just thinking about it. 

   
And by the end of the day we had seen so many elephants that it was like. "Move aside elephant! We got places to be!"  And one of those places involves an 8 foot by 8 foot shark tank!

To be continued...OH THE SUSPENSE!!!

Editor's Note: I WILL eventually thank my sponsors and discuss my race.  Stay Tuned!

Lessons from Africa: Part I

I know one thing for certain and that is life is fragile. Relationships, adventures, races, friendships are PRECIOUS. But, eventually, everything comes to and end. "And it is not the strongest of the species, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." - Charles Darwin.

If you have never been to South Africa I say put it on your bucket list and make it happen. It is a country with breathtaking beauty and energizing adventures.   It's extremely hard to avoid falling in love with the natural wildlife and the beautiful people.

This guy!

My new friends Arnie and Annika. I hope I get to go back to SA some day and visit these two.

  Admittedly I entered this race slightly under prepared after the brutal NH winter, the physical stress/fatigue from the 2014 season and...bronchitis.  Phew! The triple threat! However, being surrounded by awesomeness changed my outlook on the race.  Something about being 2 feet away from elephants and warthogs and giraffes opened up my introspective capacity. I don't think I would have made it to South Africa had I not had the courage to pursue this crazy passion.  Mentally, I wanted to suffer and fight and have a good race but deep down I knew my body was still rebuilding. When it was all said and done I decided to indulge in the beauty of the county, explore, taste the local foods - especially the desserts - and by the way, it's impossible to make an educated decision on dessert yumminess unless you've had at least 2 or 3 servings - and then enjoy the race with whatever energy I had left. And if race energy was measured by pre-race calorie intake I was good to go.

Koeksisters + Date balls  = The reason why I was 6 kg heavier on race day.

Okay so let me back up. Before I talk about THE MOST AMAZING bike mechanic, and the Van Dykes, warthogs galore, giraffs, elephants, a troop of Baboons in tsitsikamma forest, an 140.6 mile adventure, monkeys, the Indian ocean, the beast of the East,  a pod of 200 dolphins that was only overshadowed by a whale sighting which was only shadowed by great white shark diving which was only over shadowed by the most amazingly lush and gorgeous scenery and terrain...

It was only day 1 and I spotted my first Baboon! 

Another Baboon! What luck.

 ...let me start in London.  "Being a penny pincher is the only way to be." -Greg Cullen. (My Dad)

 If you agree, when booking your South African adventure you should purchase the cheapest ticket and that golden ticket will have you stop over at the London Heathrow Airport for a luxurious 11+ hours.  However, if Danny and I know how to do one thing right it is SEIZE. THE. DAY.  Sit in an airport for 11 hours or take the tube to embark on a speed tour of London? No brainer! We researched London and sought out the advice of our friend and colleague Neelz who worked in London for a few years and established a master plan.  We minded the GAP and speed walked, beer tasted, and buzzed our way around London on rented bikes.  After 7 hours in the city which included taking a super secret tour of an amazing anatomy museum, soaking in the architecture, admiring Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the House of Parliment, and the London eye we were minding the Gap again on our way back to the airport to board the plane for South Africa.

Two Baboons in London. Amazing!

To be continued....