Tuesday, October 26, 2010

the great floridian – 140.6 race report

GFT logo
first things first, i want to sent a big happy birthday shout out to my j-man and an even bigger shout out of thanks for all of his help this year with my training and especially this weekend...i couldn't have done this without you!

before i give my perspective on the race and the course, i want to share something that Bill Floyd (http://www.trifloyd.com/), a Level 2 USAT Tri coach in the Tampa Bay area had to say about it in his weekly email:

Few people worldwide have ever trained and completed an Ironman distance race.  After all, here are the distances, and they are not easy, even by themselves: 2.4m Swim-112m Bike-26.2m Run.

When a person decides to do one of these distances, it places them into a category of people on earth who have shown to be unbelievably strong, courageous, capable of withstanding pain, resolve beyond reproach, mental strength, emotional strength, spiritual strength, tenacity, and and "never give up" attitude that only one can see when they are placed into a testing situation that is tough, and sometimes perceived as possible death around the corner.  A person's body temperature goes up to over 104 - 105 degrees, sometimes you throw up on the course, sometimes you urinate blood, and sometimes you are really cranky, and other times, really, really relaxed and enjoying each moment.

The Great Floridian Triathlon, located in Clermont, Florida, and where the city is known as the World's Triathlon Destination, is held by Fred Sommer, one of the premier Race Director's in the World.  This particular Ironman distance triathlon is known throughout the triathlon community, worldwide, as one of the top two to three toughest triathlons in the entire world.  Even most of, and some of the best conditioned triathletes, shy away from coming to it. The best can not stay away from it.

Well, Tampa, Florida, has a new triathlete to add to this distance -  in the Top 5 Overall Ladies at the Great Floridian Triathlon, Kristine Mondello-Concepcion!  And, she did it in a really fast time on a course that has big hills (including the famous "Sugarloaf") and hills on the run, with a blistering time of 12:31:42, burning it in the marathon with a 4:08 time! Congratulations is always in order when one reaches into their heart and soul and pulls out a completion of a distance this large, and still manages a smile after the race!  Great race, Kristine!
smileyi said before, that i never chose this course because it was one of the hardest, i chose it because it was close to home and didn’t cost an arm and a leg. although i knew i had trained really hard almost the entire year for this race, i didn’t expect to do as well as i did or feel as strong as i did the entire time. honestly, i didn’t know what to expect since i’ve never done anything like this before. i can predict my marathon time within about a 5 minute window but not with something this long. many things can go wrong so it is hard to predict a time, but thankfully, everything went according to plan. i couldn’t have scripted the outcome of the day any better.  

so here are the numbers and my thoughts in red about each part:
Swim - Round 2Swim: 1:30:34 – the swim was wetsuit legal so i was able to finally test out the full Xterra Vortex i bought in May and had yet to use. it was wonderful and worked like a charm.  i predicted this swim time to the exact minute. i swam very relaxed, never freaked out or felt anxious. i just got into a good groove and pretended that i was in the pool doing a long morning workout before work. funny how the mind works like that. this swim was 1.2 miles so we had to exit the water, cross the timing mats and head out for the second half to complete the entire distance. i had to assert my kick a few times when i felt someone grabbing me or about to come over me and it worked every time. i claimed my space out there.
Swim done
wetsuit woesT1: 8:39 – uneventful transition. had to get wetsuit off but wetsuit strippers wanted me to sit in the dirt and i wasn’t about to get my butt dirty…not with as much white as i had going on with my tri shorts so i had them help me take it off while i was standing up. once at the changing tent, i took the time to rinse my feet that were covered in dirt and grass and apply sunscreen. also, i felt a little drunk coming out of the swim which always happens to me, so i sat for a minute to put my shoes on and then i was ready to go.
bike out
Video 11 0 00 05-05Bike: 6:38:33 (avg speed 16.9) – lots of wind and hills (3600+ ft of climbing). having done the exact course a month ago, i felt very confident out there. it was a 3 loop course so i came back to the park where the race started 2 more times to refuel. too many people assume that Florida is flat but i will tell you that this course is an ass kicker of gargantuan proportions. i think knowing the course was a huge advantage and my goal was to not kill it so that i would be able to run most of the marathon. mission accomplished! yes, i could have gone faster on the bike but at what cost? in other words, let’s say i had done a 6:15 on the bike (approximately a 20 minutes faster), trashed my legs, then completed the run in 5 hours, where is the logic in that? so anyway, very happy with the bike.

T2: 5:46 – had the changing tent all to myself. by the way, i wore my IM K-Swiss kit the entire time, so i never had to “change” out of anything. had some defizzed coke and some water, threw on my running shoes, poured cold water on my head, grabbed 4 hammer gels and off i went.
Video 14 0 00 07-17Video 13 0 00 10-10Run: 4:08:13 (avg 9:29/mi.) – i just held a steady pace the entire time. this was an out and back course x 3. the way it was set up, we passed thru the main park where everything was centered around, 6 times. so i was able to see some of my friends that were there, which was really cool.  it was somewhat hilly, not very shady but i just continued to pace myself and ran steady. i drank some water and g-ade at almost all of the aid stations and maybe had 3 hammer gels. i just couldn’t take anymore of them after i had the orange flavored one. i thought i was going to puke…the taste was just awful. never buy orange flavored hammer gel, you’ll be sorry.  i also had 2 defizzed cups of coke within the last 8 miles which really seemed to help me keep pushing along. the tour de france riders swear by defizzed coke!
Run to finish

Final time: 12:31:42 – very pleased with this time. i was done by 8pm, at the hotel, showered, and home in my own bed by 10pm.

31 OA

5th OA female

2nd AG (they didn’t do age group if you placed overall but had they, i would have been 2nd)
Team KCmy personal team of cheerleaders…they rocked!

the next post will focus on the nutrition and hydration i incorporated before and during the race. until then, much love and peace out!

P.S. it is almost 3am. this race totally messed up my sleep and i’ve been getting up the last few days at about 1am and feel like i’m starving! how crazy is that? thank goodness i’m still on vacay.

46 comments:

  1. Well done KC, you're an absolutel champion!

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  2. Congrats KC!!! SO great to see you knock this one out of the park. It has been great following you from start to finish for this race.

    Thanks for the tip on drinking Coke. Will have to experiment with it next year.

    Rest up! You deserve it!

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  3. Wow! I am truly impressed. Congratulations on an amazing, awe-inspiring race.

    How do they de-fizz all of that Coke?

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  4. Awesome job! I am very excited for you... absolutely amazing!

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  5. You are such an amazing athlete! You rocked this race! I can't even imagine doing what you just accomplished! Congrats on a killer race:) BTW, you look so freaking good and I love your Tri-outfit!

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  6. AWE-some!!
    Congratulations on an exceptional performance...and you look amazing, you are a *ROCK*STAR*

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  7. Absolutely Awesome blog KC! It was so cool watching you complete this, Johnny and I are totally in awe of what you have done and totally inspired to step up our game! Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Congrats on such a stellar race! I am in complete awe of you. You are a total rockstar!

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  9. Congrats! Congrats! Congrats!

    What an amazing race! 5th OA!!?!? You rock girl!

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  10. Just amazing KC! You look so fresh in he post race pics and it is so cool seeing you had a big smile the entire time.

    Thank you for sharing your journey with all of us!

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  11. Great job again!

    I think I need to mix up my training plan next year and put the Clermont bike loop on one of our routes a few times. Looks like a good "character builder"

    If you got hardware, be sure to show it in your next post!

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  12. I think that "unbelievably strong, courageous, capable of withstanding pain, resolve beyond reproach, mental strength, emotional strength, spiritual strength, tenacity, and and "never give up" attitude" sums you up pretty well.

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  13. This is flat out awesome and the suspense of putting it together in different posts is killing me.

    Your positive attitude in this report is intoxicating. You set out a game plan and stuck to it and the results show.

    Again, Congrats and Awesome!

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  14. A great post! And I am so there with you about orange gels. Nasty!

    As I have said many times I am in awe of you and what you have accomplished. Thanks for sharing your story!

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  15. KC--So incredible! You absolutely rocked it. Soak up every moment of it and enjoy!!

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  16. You rock so very well. It's funny, when I first saw my results I thought "I know KC can do that bike course faster than that." Duh, of COURSE you saved yourself for the run, and did so quite admirably. Way to keep control and execute a good plan with amazing aplomb. You're my hero!

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  17. Okay. Everyone is using the word "amazing" to describe your race.

    THAT IS NOT THE CORRECT DESCRIPTION OF YOUR RACE.

    "Amazing" implies some level of surprise at your performance. From reading your blog, I am not at all surprised at your race results.

    You trained hard and (more importantly) raced SMART. To run 4:08 on that ridiculous course demonstrates not only a huge vault of run fitness, but very smart bike pacing. I know you could have gone 30 minutes faster on the bike, but you made the right decision to hold back so you could run steady in the marathon.

    Anyway, great job out there. Keep up the hard work and I'll see you in Kona :) (Well, I won't be there, but you might.)

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  18. KC,
    Wow, what a great race, congrats over and over for a stellar performance, you truly earned it! You're such a superstar!
    Take a breather, you deserve it. What a great year you have had! I can't wait to hear about your adventures next year too.

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  19. CONGRATS ON AN AWESOME FINISH! YOU ARE AN IRONMAN.

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  20. Great recap and very humble concidering the outcome. Congratulations on all the hard work paying off.

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  21. I am BEYOND impressed - awed, humbled. You DESERVED the awesome finish you had - you not only became an ironman but put up some terrific numbers. WOW.

    Congratulations times 140.6 ... and beyond. You are an inspiration!

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  22. You are amazing Kristine! What a great race and race report. Putting in all the training time AND having an outstanding race is BLISS! I can't say I've experieced too many of those races...but we keep going after it anyway! YOU rocked it!!!!! Hope you are feeling great and still celebrating your awesome FINISH!

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  23. Incredible! Huge congrats; amazing time!

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  24. I'm so excited for you!! Way to accomplish what you set out/prepared to do!!

    You're my new hero!!

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  25. Congrats KC!!
    Most of all it looks like you enjoyed it:)
    Thanks for sharing
    -Derek

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  26. KC--Haven't been online blogging much lately but hopped on today and found your event post....

    GREAT JOB!!

    I want to look back over things and get caught up a little but also want to take time to say well done.

    I agree on the Coke. Between the sugar and caffeine, its like JET FUEL!

    Congratulations again!!

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  27. Kristie, There was never any doubt in my mind that you were going to do this well. I love what Bill Floyd wrote about you. The description of who an Ironman athlete is is totally you (I might add that I can feel a slow fire in my mind that says....you must do this). That's so weird that you have been waking up. That just shows how much of a stressor it is on the body. You are one in a million...really you are!

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  28. Congrats Awesome race and awesome effort getting 5th overall in your first Ironman.

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  29. Absolutely incredible! What an awesome day. I loved reading your report and am so, so thrilled for you.
    Starving, eh? Hmmm, wonder why? (yes, that is sarcasm)

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  30. WOW!!! Amazing job KC!!! I am truly inspired!!! Congrats and LIVE IT UP girl...you deserve it!!!

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  31. Congrats!!! You strength and dedication is truly inspiring!

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  32. I just looked over this again and my comment wasn't there!! So I am commenting again!!! STELLAR PERFORMANCE!! Congrats on an Awesome race!! You are an inspiration to many! :) Cant wait to hear about the nutrition portion!

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  33. Glad I finally had time to get to your race report. Great job out there KC! Congratulations, and welcome to the club.

    I also felt a bit drunk after the swim.

    Are you already thinking of number two? I am going to run Rev3 Cedar Point again next year.... would love for you to pass me on the run!

    —M

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  34. Hey KC!! I am just getting to your RR - it was an awesome one!! Thanks so much, I want to save it to read before my big race. You are such a rockstar, I am so proud of you!!!

    Way to assert yourself on the swim, be smart on the bike, and power through the run. Congrats KC!

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  35. Holy cow - I did not realize how how much climbing was on that course!! (IMFL is a whopping 161 feet!!) Congrats on the great race- you should be VERY proud of yourself. Infact, I still hope you are wearing your metal!!!

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  36. Hi KC - I have been out of town so wasn't able to read your blog until know, and have been just dying to. You are one amazing woman. Congratulations to you, I bow to your greatness!!!!

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  37. I am ridiculously behind on blog reading, but I just wanted to send a very HEARTY congrats your way! You are a terrific example of what someone can achieve in this sport through time, patience and dedication. Thanks for being such an inspiration and again, congrats on a fantastic finish!

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  38. Congrats! Sounds like a great experience and 5th OA female is AWESOME - esp. for your first one!

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  39. Congrats on a great race. Very impressive marathon time.

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  40. Wow. That is sooo great!!! I am 18 years old. This blogg just inspired me to train for this!! Thank you!! I've ran 5ks for about 4 years now, did the warrior dash in florida this year, I am doing a half marathon on may 1st, and plus my 5ks,10k, and other races this summer. If you can give me any good pointers on how I should train for this that would be great. I am thinking about doing it in Nov. 2012 or Nov. 2013! Again Congrats on your race and KEEP IT UP!(:

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