Rev3 Williamsburg Half (70.3 triathlon)

Training race on the road to Ironman Wisconson 2013.

The swim gave me pause at first glance, it looked too long.

 

Setting up for 70.3 miles of fun

Ok, so race morning my cousin, who was racing the Olympic distance race, & I dropped off our T-2 race bags into T-2 at the William & Mary race venue. The RD had organized busses to transport racers to T-1 & the race start, 5 miles away. I noticed, as we walked to our awaiting vehicle in the rain, that the line of racers waiting to get on the buses wrapped around 3 sides of the block. Not ideal, especially in the rain. I was thankful my husband had offered to drive us to T-2 & the start.
Race #323.

The race start was delayed due to the buses not arriving in time. Which gave me more time to warm up. The water was warm, but the RD said still wet suit legal. I think that was a good call, considering this was the worst swim course in HISTORY!!! They had us swimming against the current in the James River; nuff said.

I thought I would never get to the first bouy, the current was sooo strong, when I finally did get to it & tried to swim around it, it moved over my head & I had a hard time getting passed it, got caught up in the ropes. Seemed to me the anchor wasn't holding it in place. The swim was tough & I'm a fairly strong swimmer. The whole time, I thought "someone's going to die today". Thankfully no one died, but over 50 people did get pulled from the swim.

The race needed more spotters in the water. What should have taken 30-35 minutes ended up taking 46. That is all I will say about that disaster. (came out 6/40 AG)

Did notice several half distance swimmers cutting the swim short. 

Next: the run to T-1.

Ridiculous. But, whatever.We got it done. They reversed the flow of traffic into & out of transition area at the last minute. So, there was some confusion for a lot of people, luckily not for me.

the run from swim to bike

The bike course was pretty straight forward. The weather wasn't too bad, cloudy, no rain.  It seemed like the difficult swim elevated my HR & it never really recovered fully. This played into my race, unfortunately. Ave 20.5 for the 56 mile course. The bike worked well & my new ENVE wheels were amazing. So smooth & rolled so well.
Nutrition on the bike: water in front, bottle of Isagenix WME mixed with maltodextrin to equal 240 cal per hour, Metasalt tabs & Hammer gel for when the intensity goes up. Seemed to work fine, good energy levels & no GI upset.
The last few miles of the bike course were funneled into a main road with lots of traffic. The  cars seemed gridlocked from the race & it made it very difficult to pass.
The Run:

I was really looking forward to running on what was sold as a "beautiful run course through William & Mary College Campus". But, was disappointed, it was not scenic & we ran behind the college, through some parking lots & between some dumpsters. My goal was to practice IM pacing, but because of the heat, I chose to walk the aid stations & hydrate & dowse my head with water. This slowed my overall pace down from 8:30 to a 9. By the 2nd loop, my HR was way too high, so I took off my HR strap & just ran on PE. Again, I blame the swim for messing up the rest of the race. During the last 2 miles I suffered greatly, & got passed by 2 girls running together, both in my AG. I had nothing left to give & crossed the finish line in 4th place AG with a time of 5:36.

Overall, it was a good training race. I would not recommend racing any race during it's inaugural year, there were a lot of problems that the race promoters need to work on. But it's not meant to be easy, that's why it's a race & survival of the fittest. I gave it everything I had. Still got some work to do. 10 weeks till IM.

I want a pair of these!

I had a great support team, both daughters were there to cheer, my mom & dad traveled with us & were there & of course my biggest fan, my husband was there as well. Christy, my cousin had a good race too & she cheered me on during the run, that helped a lot.

We spent the rest of the week touring Williamsburg, Busch Gardens & the Outer Banks.

Rev3 Williamsburg Video

Rev 3 Knoxville half-iron distance triathlon race report. 70.3 in the rain!

Wet & muddy race venue

The race took place at World's Fair Park, Knoxville, TN, May 5, 2013. Unfortunately, a low pressure system hovered over the area for a few days dumping 7 inches of rain in 48 hours, during which participants struggled to swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles & run 13.1. This was my first race in almost a year, & the first race since recovering from my crash & clavicle fracture. As a training race for IM Wisconsin, I had 3 goals for this race: practice IM pacing, practice IM nutrition & have a negative split on the run. 

I will preface this report by saying, this was my first Rev3 event & it was top notch! I have nothing bad to say about the event. It was great! Even though the sky was grey & the ground was wet & sloppy, the race people kept it positive & made it seem like we were still having fun :)

The day before the race

Besides the rain, my race did not start out perfectly. First, I arrived to find my front 404 flat & knew something was wrong, it's never flat & found that I had brought 2 extra REAR wheels & no front! Also, I could not find the wristband for my Garmin 310 that I was planning on using for the entire half ironman race to keep track of my heart rate, pace & time. Also, my Rudy's were at home! (my favorite accesory)
Attended the pre-race athletes meeting, in the pouring rain the day before to hear what their plans were, if the nasty weather continued on race morning. It would take the apocalypse to alter the race plans. I talked with some co-participants who were discussing wussing out. But my mind kept saying, "what if it rains during Ironman? You gotta do this! This is your training race!"  So, after checking in my bike to transition, I went to warm up at the hotel. Not much sleep that night since it was prom night & the halls were filled with the sounds of rowdy teens all night long.

Race morning

3:30 am, I awoke to 53 degrees & still pouring down rain. The weather reports were not encouraging, the were predicting record amounts of rainfall today. Yay :/.
 My pre-race breakfast included a peanutbutter & honey uncrustable sandwich, beet juice, banana, Isalean shake & water. Arrived to the G10 parking garage at Neyland Stadium where transition was set up @ 5:15. Kudos to the race directors, this was excellent! Covered T-1 & T-2 & parking made a huge difference on such a horrible weather day.

Again, my front tire was flat. Exhausting all my options, I finally decided to use my only can or Pit Stop, inflate the tire & hope for the best. If the tire didn't hold or if I got another flat during the race, my race would be over. 

Lesson #1, always have extra pit stop & extra wheels, both rear & front :).

After setting my transition area up, the big question on everyone's mind was; "what to wear on the bike?". I heard it over & over. Someone even mentioned wearing clear goggles on the bike! (you know who you are, LOL)
 My plan was to wear my Gore Bike Wear windstopper tank, under my race kit. There was a vest, winter jacket, arm & leg warmers all laid out in T-1. I would decide what was needed depending on how cold I felt after the swim. I downed an Isagenix Eshot energy drink & walked the .25 mile to the waterfront, in the rain.

The Swim

79 women lined up to swim @ 7am in my wave, in front of Calhoun's in Knoxville. The water temp was 61, a few degrees warmer than the air, making this a wetsuit legal swim. Thank God! (seriously) The water was so cold, it took my breath away. The race did not allow athletes to enter the water prior to their wave start, so my hopes of getting a good warm up were disappointed. (I'm old & rusty, it takes a good 20 minutes for me to feel good) I did what I could on dry land & looked like a waving idiot, but hey, my muscles were warm & loose when the gun went off!
The swim began against the current. We swam 1/2 mile to the turn buoy & continued the swim downstream. I had a good swim. I was never able to catch a draft, guess because I was very near the front & had lots of clear water. Found a good strong rhythm & settled in for a 37 min 1.2 mile swim. Thankfully, there was a strong man available to pull me out of the water at the dock. Came out of the water 4th in my division. A good swim for me, since swimming is not my strength. 

Athletes had to run back to T-1, 1/4 mile & this was hard because my feet were frozen & numb & the ground felt extremely harsh. My T-1 time was relatively slow, as my hands were also frozen & numb, making it difficult to get changed & loaded up, but eventually I made it & was excited to see my husband on the sidelines with my Rudy's in hand :) I grabbed em on my way out of T-1 & they made all the difference in how my ride went!

The Ride

The 56 mile bike leg began out of Neyland Stadium parking garage, took several turns around downtown Knoxville & ventured out into south Knoxville country. It was a very scenic & enjoyable course with it's own set of challenges, some steep hills, winding & WET descents & a few fast & flat sections where one could haul a$$. My personal ride was overshadowed by a cyclist fatality that occurred the day before at 3State3Mountain century in Chattanooga where a motorist & cyclist collided head on, on the notorious Och's Hwy. So, I rode very conservatively with this person's death on my mind. With wet roads, the danger factor is so high... I know what my bike fitness is, so this was not the place to test it. Bike nutrition consisted of a 600 calorie bottle of maltodextrin & Isagenix Want More Energy electrolyte mix, salt tablets (in case it hadn't been raining & cold) & water, LOTS of water. Eventually, even though it was pouring rain the whole time, I kinda forgot about the rain & just enjoyed the ride. The cold on the other hand, was unforgettable. My fingers & feet were frozen & numb. I had to shift, using my wrists, because my hands were cramping & my fingers were useless. This made trying to handle anything (salt capsules, gels) impossible & dangerous.
 Concerned about my front tire going flat, I rode even more carefully & stopped to check it half way through the ride. It held!! Feeling a huge relief, I was able to ride more confidently, knowing my tire wasn't going flat. Even though the rain continued to pour down & we were all soaked,  I stayed hydrated, even justified that since it was raining, that it was ok to pee on the bike (a first for me), so I did! & laughed out loud at myself, making sure there was no one around. Figured, I was already soaked & the rain would rinse it away :). No worries.
Passed a lot of cyclist on my way back into town, so guess my nutrition worked. No GI upset, no cramping (except for my hands b/c of the cold), this nutrition plan is what I hope to use for IM, glad to have success with it during this trial ride. What I learned later, was that the event police were having to pull people out of the race left & right for hypothermia. I had chosen to wear my winter riding jacket & that kept my core temperature fairly warm.  I spent half of the ride in a continuous prayer for safety & half of the ride I sang the chorus to Annie, "the sun will come out, Tomorrow!" :) It was enough to keep my mind off how miserable I really felt. I know my guardian angel was there & God does answer prayers.

End bike split was 3:09 & avg of just over 17 mph. Not fast, I know, but careful & steady & in control. Still 4th in my division after the 3 hour ride & happy; because there was lot's left in the tank.

The Run

Again, with the frozen feet! T-2: shed the dripping & soaked coat & grabbed dry arm warmers, put on socks & shoes, donned the race belt & headed out into the rain. My family was waiting outside T-2, encouraging me to run fast. It was so wonderful to see them! Not exactly a great day for them either, standing in the rain for hours to cheer on old Mom...
The trouble was, I could not feel my feet! 

Normally I would use my Garmin to pace myself, but that didn't happen today. No HR info, I just ran on PE & hit the lap button on my watch at every mile marker. My plan was to practice IM pacing for most of the run & then finish with a fast pace if I had anything left & hope for a negative split. So, that is what I did. One fast girl did pass me during the run & I didn't even try to keep her pace. I kept telling myself to stick with my plan, that this is just a training race....stay focused & don't worry about what anybody else is doing. The rain caused flooding & we had to run through lots of water. I gave up trying to dodge puddles & just ran through it. One creek crossing was knee high! Reminded me of IM COZ 2011. It was a challenging course with lot's of hills, but there were many great volunteers out at the aid stations & police were managing traffic well. At the half way mark, I picked up my pace just a touch because I still felt good. No cramping, no stomach upset (another first for me), no blisters...everything was running right on target, despite mother natures attempts to derail the race. By mile 8, I could finally feel my feet again. At the 10 mile marker, elated that I felt so good, my pace picked up & I finished the last 3 lonely miles in the rain with a good 7:37 min mile giving me a negative split! (running is my weakness). I finished with a total time of 5:47 for 70.3 miles & moved into 5th place in my AG. The top 2 girls in my AG were overall winners, so that left me in 3rd place, & happy :)

some pretty hardware

It's encouraging when a plan comes together. All the dedication, sacrifice & hard work seem to be paying off & Ive got to stay positive about upcoming IMMOO. Today's race definitely helps.

wet, but happy to be done

East Ridge Triathlon Teammates

 I'm thankful to my husband for his unending support & encouragement. Also a shout out to East Ridge Bicycle for always being there to keep my rig running fast & smooth. Also thankful for my coach, Steven Bentley for introducing me to Isagenix. I truly believe it has helped me recover from workouts & increased my strength through proper nutrition.
4 months until Ironman Wisconsin! I sure hope it doesn't rain.

You can find all the race results here:
Triathlon Leaderboard

Ironman Triathlon Training gets REAL! Injury Prevention & Training

                 Its official! 20 weeks until Ironman Wisconsin 2013. 

Since the first of March, training has been consistent & I can honestly say, it feels good to start seeing some results. 6 straight weeks of swim, run, bike, weights, core, stretch, Trigger point therapy, sleep, protein shakes, & repeat has gotten my body & brain into a routine of fitness. Even at my most fatigued now, (after a hellacious day at the hospital), my muscles crave the next workout. It's taken my fitness to a new level that I have not experienced before.(thanks to my coach +Steven Bentley ) That's how I feel anyways. The Isagenix products have helped me recover from all of the stress that training brings. So, I am happy to report that as of now, my body remains injury free. knock on wood

Staying healthy & preventing injury is like a full time job for me. After all the time, energy, passion & $$ put into training for IM, my big fear is that a stupid muscle strain or overuse injury will sideline me, preventing me to race at my full potential. So, that is why I have come to love the Isagenix foods; they REALLY help!
 On top of eating healthy, my nights are filled with time on the yoga mat. I will stretch, roll & TP (TriggerPoint) for 2 hours sometimes. This is how I have won the war so far with Piriformis Syndrome, an ankle ligament sprain, a constantly nagging & threatening ITB issue as well as the left shoulder injury that will never be right (after the dog crash & titanium plate...:/)

Next week is Rev 3 Knoxville 70.3 Triathlon. This will be my first race in almost 1 year & I'm psyched!!! In fact, the only reason I have time to update my little blog here is because I'm only doing 1 workout today, instead of 3, hehe :). Since it has been sooooo long since my toes have "toed the line", I'm a bit nervous. But, I want to try out my nutrition plan & test the legs & race gear.
                                                                 Plan for 70.3

The swim:

Wetsuit legal! I will be wearing my Xterra wetsuit that I won at Rock&Rollman 1/2 Ironman many moons ago. It still works :) I will drink an Isagenix Eshot energy drink before the swim start; then just get into a rhythm & enjoy it.

The bike: My race steed is the Argon 18

The plan for the bike nutrition is; water in the front bottle, a combo of Carbo-Pro & Isagenix electrolyte drink (Want more energy now) to make 600 cal. bottle & sip on that, drink the on course Gatorade at times & take in salt capsules every hour. I will have a gel on hand as back up, if needed.

The Run:

Plans are to run with a water bottle at first, preferably frozen beforehand & sip, taking in gels q 30-40 min. Salt tablets as needed. My only question here is what shoes to run in. My racing flats seem a little flimsy for 13.1. So Im yet to figure it out.

10 days to go. Off to the track!

Isagenix 9 day cleanse, getting to my racing weight

Before you start, one must have the following products on hand to be successful:
1. Cleanse for life
2. Isasnacks
3. Isadelight
3. Isalean shakes
4. Ionix supreme
5. Isagenix Natural Accelerator

The company offers this in a convenient package : 9 Day Cleanse as well as a 30 Day Fat Burning & Cleansing System.

If you are interested in learning more about Isagenix or want to try the products, you can go to robynwilham.isagenix.com.

MY Goal Racing weight is 135. Beginning weight 143. Need to lose 8 lbs for this to be a success.

Day 1: weight=143.3 hips=39, waist=29.5

This is what Im eating for 2 days!

This cleanse coordinates with a recovery week in my training schedule. My coach has guided me to this point, every step of the way. He says the effects the cleanse will have on my body are going to be way better compared to a hard week of training. So, we shall see.

Today & tomorrow are "cleanse days". That means I drink the Cleanse for Life, 4 times a day & eat the Isa snacks. That is all. So far all I have had is one serving of the cleanse & Im wondering about my coffee. I am such a coffee addict with NO desire to quit anytime soon. However, I am going to try & do this thing exactly the way it's supposed to be done, that means for now, no java :( Now, I just need to stay busy.

Day 1, 2pm. It's been a struggle for sure. Very hungry. Considering I raced my bike on Saturday & ran 14 miles on Sunday, my metabolism is revved up! I had 5 almonds in addition to my isa delight snacks & cleanse for life. Since Im off today, I took a few cat naps & tried to lay low. Thinking about pizza!       Went to bed in an exhausted heap, hungry, but made it.

Day 2,
weight:140.2 (down 3 pounds)
 Another Cleanse Day; To be at work by 5 am, I have to wake up @ 3:30. Today I had 4 servings of cleanse for life, 5 isa-delight chocolates & 7-8 isa snacks, 1 oz of ionic supreme. Honestly, I felt a little "drunk" at work, foggy headed. Since I work as a nurse, I was concerned about  keeping my head clear, so I sipped on 2 cups of decaf coffee over the shift & nibbled on 1 Hammer nutrition raw bar (180 calories). After work I ate 5 almonds. My work is physically & mentally challenging, so this helped a lot. 10 hours running on my feet was a challenge & my co-workers were amazed when I told them at the end of my shift about my "cleanse".

Day 3= did not weigh. SHAKE DAY!!! :)
This was another day at work for me. I had 1 serving of Cleanse for Life, 1 Isalean shake in the am, a salad for lunch, a few Isasnacks in the afternoon, Isalean shake for supper, a Hammer nutrition bar right before my evening swim & an Isasnack before bed. Today went well, had plenty of energy, was only hungry intermittently. Stayed focused on my goal.
During my even in 2600 swim, I felt strong & fast, which surprised me.

Day 4=weight 137!! Down 6 lbs in 4 days.
This is another Shake day. I am having fasting labs drawn today. Today I rode my bike easy 1 hour & ran easy 45 minutes, along with the shake schedule. Body felt decent during the run & ride, but I went VERY slow. Will be interesting to find out the lab results.



Day 5= shake day, did not weigh. FELT AWESOME TODAY! I worked a long shift at the hospital today, since it is "Fun Friday", I allowed myself a cup of coffee. Honestly though, felt worse after I drank it than I felt before I drank it. A work day on the cleanse looks like this
4:00 am-Cleanse for life & 1 quart of H2O & Isalean shake
5:30 am- 2 Isasnacks & more H20
7am am- Isadelight H20, maybe decaf coffee
9:30am=1 Isasnack
10:30-11 lunch of salad w/ veggies & baked chicken or tofu
1:00 pm- Isasnacks & green tea
3:00pm- Isadelight & H20
4:30-5pm- Isalean shake
6pm- a few almonds or bite of Hammer bar pre-workout.

Day 6= not weighing. It's a shake day, shake for breakfast...similar schedule to day 5. Supposed to run 1 hr today but...I'm feeling very fatigued. We are 2 days out from a full moon & my body is screaming! Got to stay focussed. 3 more days. I reallly want a "cheat day". Both kids are having a sleep over tonight which means Pizza in the house!!
& NO, I wasn't strong enough to resist. After my 7 mile run, I caved & had 1 piece of cheese pizza :(
3 days & roughly 2 pounds to go. May need some encouragement to stay strong.
Will continue to update with progress...

11th Anniversary Ride

Day 7= Sunday, Our 11 year Anniversary.
This is my last shake day. My 400-600 calorie meal for the day was a naked burrito from Moe's/no chips. Then we rode our bikes 2 hours together in the afternoon. I had 3 shakes today, because I was HUNGRY!! & because of the bike ride (figured I burnt a few extra calories.) Im not weighing or measuring until after day 9. It's a full moon & normally, that alone brings on 5 extra pounds, every month, so, I dont want to be discouraged, knowing fully, the power of the moon. For REAL>.

Day 8!!!= It's a cleanse day. Ok, so I got on the scale today :( weight is 140!! not real excited about that but I know the full moon is wreaking havoc on my body, so Im not going to stress about it & stay focussed on my goal today. Just thought you should know, weight can fluctuate during this cleanse. That is why they recommend you NOT weigh during the process.

Today went easier than my first cleanse day. I alternated Isasnacks every hour & a half with Isa delights. Drank the cleanse 4 times & had a few almonds with green tea & the natural accelerator. No meals today. Can feel my body cleansing & it feels good. Energy levels were pretty good today, though I can feel my stomach shrinking, not a bad thing.

Day 9!!! The final countdown> weight 136!
One day & one pound away from my goal. The last cleanse day, no meals today, just the same snacks as yesterday. Getting through the day by cleaning out drawers, packing for Cancun (yep, some motivation staring me in the face to stay focussed :) Drinking my 100 oz of H20 & snacks, cleanse for life... We shall see... I hope the scale says 135 tomorrow when I wake up :) Then it's back to training as usual with a renewed body & recharged battery. All my aches & pains that had accumulated during training are gone.

Day 10= 135.4! This is the end of me cleanse. My goal of getting to 135 has been reached. It's all been worth it. Isagenix 9 day cleanse is a success!

You can learn more about the company & products at http://www.isamovie.com/

Wayah Rd N.C. Pedal in the Sun

For another fun weekend adventure, hubby & I escaped to the North Carolina mountains with our good friends the DeLongs. They rented a gorgeous luxury cabin called the Flirefly through Watershed cabins. The place was AMAZING!! Friday night we settled in & prepared for our epic journey. The 70 mile ride through the mountains was taking place first thing in the morning.

    Saturday, we awoke; Jame's, Stephen & myself rode our bikes from Tsali, through the Nantahala Gorge, passed the NOC & turned left at the put in on Wayah Rd. It was bitter cold when we started the ride. The fact that we started climbing right away into the gorge, without a proper warm up gave me pause. I honestly thought by how crappy my legs felt in that first 30 minutes that I may not be able to finish the ride.

one of the many waterfalls along the way

  But once the blood started flowing & the sun came out, things improved. Wayah Rd, known to the locals as Thunder Road, is a 27 mile climb that begins at US19/74 (at the Nantahala River Put-IN) & ends at Old Murphy Rd near Franklin. This challenging rd has it all, minimal traffic, waterfalls, a gorgeous river & lake views & it's all up hill.

Wayah winds around the Nantahala Lake, at the top of the mountain & continues up through the wilderness finally peaking at 4100 feet. This is where the AT crosses the road. The reward for all that climbing, which took me more than an hour because I rode it fairly easy, is a 27 mile rollercoaster descent! It was soooo worth it! Epic FUN :) Once down, all in one piece I jumped onto Jame's wheel as he rode some "tempo" intervals all the way into Franklin NC. This was our store-stop. McDonalds! For real :/ (Not the best decision in retrospect)

covered in mud :(

The rest of the ride was challenging as my tumultuous gut rebelled against the McTrash I filled it with. The last few miles were killer. James brought us onto this dirt road that ran along another wild river. Dirt roads with all their bumps & rocks on my race bike are not my favorite, by this time I was on the verge of puking & cursing with every pedal stroke. Ironically, this 3 mile stretch of hell was named, "Needmore Rd". Oh my...

The three of us were glad to see the end of the road finally & our car.


Here's the ride, definitely recommend it.
70 BIG miles & 6,000 of climbing.

http://app.strava.com/activities/40354001

2013; New Beginings

It's only February & already, life is full of adventures! From a birthday run around Cade's Cove in the snow, to an epic training ride in the North Carolina Mountains, never a dull moment. Lot's of running, swimming & cycling happening here in the early months. Trying to keep from injury is another full time job too!
     Training has been keeping me busy lately. That & work, family, travel & fun. I can securely apply the motto "Work hard, Play hard, Party hard" to my life.
     Since January first, there have been some changes to my life. New coach, Steven Bentley from Canada has me training hard. He also has me eating Isagenix to supplement my nutrition. Bentley was my original Ironman coach, years ago for my first IM CDA. His expertise & coaching style impressed me so back then. I'm really looking forward to the year ahead.
    The Isagenix foods have impressed me as well. Using the shakes as a recovery product seems to be a perfect match. As the year progresses my goal is to continue updating my Isagenix journey. Since it's so very new to me, all that can be said about it at this point, is it is a solid product & I will continue to use it.

Can you see the moon?

How to navigate this so early in my run?

     For my big 37th birthday & to celebrate both my husband's & my brother's birthday's, our family rented a cabin near Pigeon Forge, Tn. When nobody bit on my invite to climb Mt. LeConte, I decided to run the cove. This is an 11 mile scenic road or trail that is closed to cars if you get there early, & I did. What a spiritual experience! I was the only runner in the park, had the whole place to myself & some wild animals. This was the perfect way to celebrate!
     After the run, we relaxed around the fire, in the hot tub, played Pictionary & Rook. We woke up the next day to >3 inches of SNOW! It was quite beautiful & peaceful. So blessed to have such a wonderful family & very thankful for the health & fitness to be able to do the things that ring my bell :)

ING NYC marathon 2012 & Superstorm Sandy

Bucket list, what I was hoping to be a part of this year

     The last race of the year for me, was supposed to be the ING NYC Marathon. After healing the dog induced bike crash broken clavicle, I was really looking forward to this experience. Even though the training was lacking, due to the healing process, I was invested in making the trip from Chattanooga Tn to NYC with my family.

Great local race!

    My longest training run was the Chattanooga's 7 Bridges half marathon, only a few weeks after being cleared by my ortho MD. But I was prepared to suffer through, for the "experience". So as the storm clouds gathered & headed towards NYC,  I started paying close attention to the radar & TWC.
      Needless to say, watching Anderson Cooper reporting from Statton Island gave me serious pause. He described the devastation around him; people missing, homes without electricity or water, people without homes & worse...This is where the starting line for NYC marathon was supposed to take place. My mind began to swim with concern & doubt. How could 50,000 runners just show up in the wreckage & then run through a town during a state of emergency? How could the race organizers still be announcing that "the race will go on"? Even the mayor Bloomberg was all over the news telling us, "the NYC marathon will go on". WHAT??? I sat at my desk, perplexed for hours. Even though my heart knew the right thing to do. Pictures of porta-johns taped off for runners & pallets of fresh water bottles reserved for runners flashed across the screen, followed by reports of furious residents who had NO homes. Pretty much seemed insane to hold a race there.
      If it wasn't for the $15,00.00 in plane tickets sitting in my purse & the $1000.00 in hotel reservations that were not cancelable, it would have been a clear decision NOT to go. But, since money doesn't come easily to this family, letting all that money go down the drain caused me to have 2nd thoughts. Plus, the fact that so many people had donated $$ to my charity, the Make a Wish foundation & now I couldn't run??? UGH!  However, Thursday night, I cancelled my flight that was scheduled to leave at 6am the next morning. I cancelled my NYC 26.2 spot as well as my hotel that was located on 37th st. The entire town from 36th street & lower was under water.

This is from CBS news 

The very next day the race director made the right decision to cancel the race. Leaving me with the choice between a full refund or guaranteed entry into 2013 NYC marathon (still have to pay the entry fee). Not sure what I will do. This is something that I have been trying to do for 5 years; ever since Lance Armstrong ran it in 2006.

grrrr

Ive put my name in the NYC lottery 3 years in a row. In 2011 they accepted me into the race, only I had to defer it to 2012 because the race date conflicted with my Ironman Cozumel race. So, I thought, this was my LAST chance to run this blasted race! But, it looks like I may have yet another chance.

Not sure how I feel about that...