Story Index:

Adjusting Expectations, IRONMAN 70.3 Oregon
07/15/2022

My 100th Finish Line, at White Lake Half Pro-Am
05/12/2022

The Chance of a Lifetime, IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships
10/10/2021

Now or Never, IRONMAN 70.3 Ecuador
07/22/2021

Is This Fun For You? A 2020 Race Report
10/10/2020

Campeche 70.3 Report: The Last Race Standing
03/30/2020

Knock Me Down and I'll Just Grow Back Stronger
03/11/2020

Underwater
12/31/2019

IRONMAN Wisconsin, My Cinderella Story
09/20/2018

IRONMAN Boulder, Coming in Hot
09/20/2018

IRONMAN Texas: Everything's Bigger in Texas (except the Ironman bike course)
05/01/2018

Uphill Both Ways (Oceanside Race Report)
04/16/2018

The Things We Deserve
03/06/2018

When Life Gives You Lemons... IM 70.3 Santa Cruz and IM 70.3 Boulder (sort of)
09/23/2017

The DNF Strikes Back
07/11/2017

Oops, I Did An IM
06/16/2017

IRONMAN 70.3 Santa Rosa
05/22/2017

IRONMAN Oceanside 70.3
05/19/2017

December in the Desert: HITS Palm Springs 70.3
12/07/2016

The Coolest Prize I've Ever Won
10/26/2016

Running With the Big Dogs
07/23/2016

The Inaugural Wisconsin Milkman 70.3 Triathlon
07/04/2016

Early Season Ups & Downs
06/28/2016

XTERRA Real Granite Bay
04/11/2016

Urbanathlon, Where You Been All My Life?!
11/25/2015

The Top 17 Reasons You Should Have Been at Scott Tinley's
10/21/2015

Rock & Roll Half Marathon
10/04/2015

Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz
09/23/2015

This Seems Like a lot of Work for a Free Banana
09/01/2015

Sometimes the Best Race is the One I Didn't Win
08/03/2015

Tales of a Swim Meet Rookie
08/01/2015

Victory at the California International Triathlon
06/30/2015

Wildflower Will Show You What You're Made Of
05/07/2015

Mama Didn't Raise No Quitter
04/22/2015

HITS Napa Half, 5 (Plus) Hours of Fun
04/17/2015

Off-Roading: My Trail Run Debut
04/04/2015

Lake Tahoe Marathon Weekend
09/16/2014

Farewell to Madison
09/09/2014

Being Comfortable With Discomfort
08/18/2014

Wildflower 2012, Team Goodell
06/09/2012

USA Triathlon National Championships
10/02/2011

How About a Road Race?
08/06/2011

Tri-Ing for Children
07/25/2011

The Women's Sprint Triathlon - Where it All Began
07/12/2011

Defending the Title in Pleasant Prairie
06/27/2011

Capitol View Triathlon
06/13/2011

Tri Club Party in Madison
04/10/2011

Be A Better Runner
03/28/2011

Hello, Felt
03/20/2011

I'm Going With You
01/03/2011

2009 Triathlon World Championships
09/12/2009

Kim completes her first Half-Ironman
06/10/2008

Kim Visits Home for Wildflower Triathlon
05/16/2008

Kim Blazes Chicago Triathlon
08/27/2007

More Triathlons for Kim
06/15/2006

Kim in Chicago Triathlon
08/31/2005

Kim graduates from Willamette
06/17/2002

Kim returns from Europe
02/02/2001

Kim Travels Europe
11/24/2000
Uphill Both Ways (Oceanside Race Report)




IRONMAN Oceanside 70.3 was my 2018 season opener. And I guess my main takeaway is... There's nowhere to go but up.

One major setback at this race cost me significantly, but there were plenty of positive moments too, and at the end of the day, I don't have any tears to shed about finishing 17th versus ... I don't know, maybe 14th? We all got the same burrito at the finish line.

Oceanside brings out the top competition, in both the age group and the pro fields. The front of the women's race was exciting this year, with former Oceanside champions Heather Jackson and Holly Lawrence, Olympians Sarah True and Paula Findlay, QT2 superstar Jeanni Seymour fresh off a win at IRONMAN 70.3 South America in January, and Anne Haug (the eventual winner) fresh off a win at IRONMAN 70.3 Dubai in February.


The race was supposed to start on the beach this year, but our swim course got changed at the last minute due to the threat of "four foot waves" at the original swim start. Apologies to the surfers in my Ohana, but I have no idea what this means. Four feet of snow is big snow, so four feet of waves must be big waves.

I mean, I'm sure Eddie would go, but I'm just a triathete; shredding the gnar isn't part of my agenda.

So we were back to a harbor swim (like last year), much to my delight. The water was smooth and calm in the harbor, and 62 degrees is about perfect for a sleeveless wetsuit. It's chilly in the morning, but the sun comes up just in time so we're not swimming in the dark. I lucked out this year and found my peeps -- five of us formed a tight little pod and I enjoyed the twenty nine minutes of bubble massage to my face from the kick of our lead swimmer (However, I could've done without the gash on my hand from one of my fellow swim twins who forgot to trim her claws).


I had a massively clumsy T1 as my pre-chilled (and mysteriously bloody?) hands fumbled with my race belt. This is unique to Oceanside; the requirement that the race belt be worn during the bike, due to strict security within Camp Pendleton where the ride takes place.


This is from the EMJ site... this is not actually how (most) of them were riding. Because that would be drafting.
I had conveniently forgotten how hilly Oceanside's bike course is, but I remembered the hundreds of age group men blowing past me last year. Coach Tim had me make a drinking game out of it: every time a dude passes, take a drink of Gatorade (in other words, pay attention to your own race and your own hydration, don't worry about the guys who aren't even your competition). Things were peaceful for the first five miles, but a short little out and back section gave me a good look at the swarm of black and blue headed my way. Every Man Jack, a men's elite age group team, was fast approaching (despite my eight minute head start) and I was about to get real hydrated...

This year the three major climbs were marked with a sign identifying the hill's nickname, followed by "Enjoy!" I remembered Hell Hill, the first and worst (Ahem. Best...) of them. It's a long, steep grind that lasts for close to forever. After I hit the third hill in the series, and I'd been passed by what seemed like at least eighty Every Man Jack machines, I thought to myself -- this course sure is hilly... Why does it only seem to go up? In reality, the route goes up 2300′ and it also comes down 2300′.

However, unbeknownst to me, I dislodged my rear wheel torquing my way up one of those climbs, which meant that my rear brake was keeping my wheel nice and warm for the entire back half of the course. I averaged 21 mph on the net uphill for the first 25 miles, and 18 mph on the net downhill for the last 25 miles. Race day isn't the ideal time for resistance training but luckily I was paying more attention to power output than actual speed, so I didn't take it personally. I went out there to work hard and race fast, and at least I successfully nailed one of those objectives.




Uh oh. Bad news...
T2 had a surprise waiting for me. Although I hadn't detected the slightest wind out there that day, one of my socks had migrated away from its home in my left running shoe, and I was momentarily faced with the choice of wasting time on a scavenger hunt for my missing sock donut, or just enduring what could end up being a rather bloody 13.1 miles. Luckily, I spotted the rolled sock a few doors down just as I was preparing to head out, and I wormed my way under the neighboring bikes to retrieve it.

It turned out to be worth it, because without the fear of blistering up my foot, I was free to enjoy the ocean views, the mild morning weather, my tired legs, and the incessant beeping of my watch for the next ninety minutes.


I've been training with Garmin's metronome function to help increase my leg turnover, but I usually mute the beeping unless I'm running alone. For some reason, I couldn't disable it this time (No one has ever accused me of being tech savvy), so I ticked my way around the whole course like Captain Hook's crocodile nemesis, which prevented me from sneaking up on anyone.

In the end, despite a few mishaps, a fun time was had by all.




Here's me doing one of my favorite things: running uphill!

And here's Brad doing one of his favorite things: spectating five hours of triathlon!


(reposted from EliteWaveTraining.com)



Posted by Kimberly 04/16/2018
FreeStyle Journal 19.03.21
©2003-2011 by Dan Goodell

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