I was looking forward to starting the 2007 Season at the Pucon Chile ½ Ironman. It is a great early season race to test your fitness level. This super hilly race had me a little nervous coupled with the fact that the women’s field was very deep including Lisa Bentley (3rd at Ironman Hawaii) Desiree Ficker (2nd at Ironman Hawaii) and American Kim Loeffler.
I had been to Chile two times and was looking forward to a Holiday. Todd and I needed some time together and some rest and relaxation. This race is nice as all the athletes are put up in the same Hotel and we share meals, it’s a great time to see friends. Todd enjoys hanging out with Lisa’s (i.e. Summer Roberts) husband Dave, he’s as cordial as she is.
Our trip was pretty smooth, but the long flights are always hard. We went Tampa to Miami to Santiago to Temuco to our final destination Pucon. Pucon reminds me very much of a small quaint town in Colorado with the Mountains, beautiful water and endless adventures (climbing the Volcano, rafting, canopy) it’s an outdoor paradise.
THE RACE:
The race is great if you traveled far or are not a morning person as it starts at 9:00am. I welcomed the chance to sleep in and then race. It was a beautiful cool day but my stomach was going crazy from nerves in the morning. I couldn’t believe that it felt like ages since I raced, but I was ready. I had done a lot of treadmill workouts to prepare for the hilly run. My goal was to get out on the swim and then just go as hard as I could the entire race. I set a goal of besting my previous Pucon Times.
I had a fantastic swim coming out of the water with a pack of pro men. I knew I was the second female but I didn’t know who was in front. Spectators were screaming and the only words I picked up were “dos” + “chica.” I biked hard and passed Nidia Kondratavicius at around 15k - at the turn-around it was myself, Nidia, Lisa, then Kim and Desiree. I wanted to stay in front as long as I could and pushed the pedals hard.
I also concentrated on fueling myself more as my notes from last year indicated I ran out of gas with a lack of fuel. I got off the bike in the lead and was anxious to see my lead, my bike was three minutes faster than last year. It is a three loop run course so you get a chance to see competitors six times. At the first turn-around it was Kim then Lisa then Desiree. All looked to be running strong but I was feeling great as well. This was going to be exciting, Kim and Lisa exchanged places a few times with them both gaining on me.
Lisa caught me with about 1.5-2k to go and I stuck with her for as long as I could - I had to dig deep. I ended up eleven seconds behind Lisa for second with Kim third and Desiree fourth. I was thrilled as I was almost twelve minutes faster than last year. This marked improvement is an indication that I am heading toward an exciting 2007 Season.
I want to thank all of my wonderful sponsors: Village Bike Shop in Sarasota, The Luna Tri Chix Team, Sugoi, Orbea, Adidas Cycling Footwear, Giro Helmets, Selle Italia Saddles, Blue Seventy Wetsuits, Wigwam and William at the Center 4 Recovery (my massage therapist)
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Friday, June 16, 2006
IRONMAN CDA 2006
IRONMAN CDA Women’s Professional Championships
This was the earliest that I have arrived at an Ironman venue, but I had a dual motivation. We were blessed to meet an awesome home stay family in 2003 and have stayed with them each year since, they have become extended family Connie and Terry are awesome hosts, Terry picked me up at the airport and Connie packed the fridge will any and all necessary food for the week. I also needed to see if my legs remembered the Hills and my body "cold water."
I had not been in my Blue-Seventy Wetsuit (which I love) because the water in Florida is so warm – not like Lake CDA, this I was NOT used to!!
The first day I swam Connie took me down to the lake – the water temp was low 60’s and the air a brisk 58. After fifteen minutes my feet were numb and that was enough for me. Connie drove me straight home in my wetsuit – no way was I taking that off! Fortunately it warmed up, albeit slightly, each day leading up to Race Day.
This is a great format having an all women’s / "fair race" without any drafting issues. Plus, the women get most of the press where it is usually, or should I say almost always the other way around.
Being a past CDA Champion (won in 2003) and second in 2004 the local press was familiar with me and some fun interviews the days leading up to the race and was on the front page of the "CDA Press" on June 24th and the "Spokane Review" June 25th (see attached articles and photos) as well as a "live" TV spot for Channel 6 News in Coeur D’ Alene.
On Friday afternoon I had the distinct pleasure to speak at Ironprayer. I spoke with a very good friend JR Rosania "JR Ironbody" – he is an amazing man with a wonderful testimony of faith and friendship. I have been privileged to speak at several Ironprayer services prior to Ironman Races – without question it is one of the most satisfying events of the week. I am honored to glorify God through my racing.
The day before an Ironman is always an anxious one – you have prepared for months for this event – everything is turned in and there is nothing to do but attempt to control the nerves and wonder what you might possibly be able to eat race morning. At this point I just want to get going! The evening before the race we settled in with our host family and watched "Glory Road" very inspirational as well as a vehicle to take my mind off the race for a few short hours.
The Pro Women were given a 6:25 am start time so it was an early start to the day. I wanted to get in a real good warm-up as the water temp was a chilly 62 degrees. Thankfully however it would be the only time all day that I was cold. The swim course was a two loop course and my strategy was to stay with some of the top swimmers early. As I exited the water after my first loop I was excited to see that I had stayed with some fantastic swimmers like Dede Griesbar, Hilary Biscay and Karen Laberge – unfortunately I lost them right away on the second loop. I tried to stay positive knowing this was the beginning of a long day and ended up having a great swim time, despite losing the group.
I came out of the water in 8th place and was looking very forward to the bike. I love this course and the opportunity to ride somewhere that isn’t pancake flat like Florida. This was my 1st Ironman ride on my new "pink" Ironedge Orbea. I rode strong all day, moving from 8th to 2nd but was passed by a hard charging Kate Major at around mile 52. I did enjoy having the course to ourselves yet it was difficult with no other racers around making it a virtual time trial.
I came out of T2 in 3rd place, 3 min behind Kate Major and a bit disappointed with my bike split, but then again this was much hillier. I was hoping things would have been faster but no time to worry about that now as my attention was focused on making some time up in the run. I was looking forward to the run as I have been really focusing on improving this facet of my racing. At Ironman Arizona in April I set a new PR for myself on the run. I was on my way to setting another PR this day working hard and concentrating on my turnover. I passed Kate Major at mile 7 and worked at holding her off and making up some time on Joanna who was having a career day.
I have been working with KiroKinetics on my nutrition and supplements which fortunately led to only two bathroom stops, (a big improvement). It’s quite nerve-racking when you have to stop and Kate Major is right behind you. I would finish the day in second place with the fastest run split of the day among the professional women.
A very big congratulations to all who finished this difficult race on a hot Idaho day. Special thanks go to my sponsors for whom I am grateful for their continued support. They include; Fig Newtons, Clif Bar, Oomph Clothing, Orbea Bikes, Ironman Helmets, KiroKinetics, Radius Wellcare, Village Bikes, Katalyst Multisport Management, Profile, Blue Seventy, Right Toyota, JR Ironbody, Inside Out Sports and Zipp Wheels. Also, thanks to my husband Todd for continually supporting me.
This was the earliest that I have arrived at an Ironman venue, but I had a dual motivation. We were blessed to meet an awesome home stay family in 2003 and have stayed with them each year since, they have become extended family Connie and Terry are awesome hosts, Terry picked me up at the airport and Connie packed the fridge will any and all necessary food for the week. I also needed to see if my legs remembered the Hills and my body "cold water."
I had not been in my Blue-Seventy Wetsuit (which I love) because the water in Florida is so warm – not like Lake CDA, this I was NOT used to!!
The first day I swam Connie took me down to the lake – the water temp was low 60’s and the air a brisk 58. After fifteen minutes my feet were numb and that was enough for me. Connie drove me straight home in my wetsuit – no way was I taking that off! Fortunately it warmed up, albeit slightly, each day leading up to Race Day.
This is a great format having an all women’s / "fair race" without any drafting issues. Plus, the women get most of the press where it is usually, or should I say almost always the other way around.
Being a past CDA Champion (won in 2003) and second in 2004 the local press was familiar with me and some fun interviews the days leading up to the race and was on the front page of the "CDA Press" on June 24th and the "Spokane Review" June 25th (see attached articles and photos) as well as a "live" TV spot for Channel 6 News in Coeur D’ Alene.
On Friday afternoon I had the distinct pleasure to speak at Ironprayer. I spoke with a very good friend JR Rosania "JR Ironbody" – he is an amazing man with a wonderful testimony of faith and friendship. I have been privileged to speak at several Ironprayer services prior to Ironman Races – without question it is one of the most satisfying events of the week. I am honored to glorify God through my racing.
The day before an Ironman is always an anxious one – you have prepared for months for this event – everything is turned in and there is nothing to do but attempt to control the nerves and wonder what you might possibly be able to eat race morning. At this point I just want to get going! The evening before the race we settled in with our host family and watched "Glory Road" very inspirational as well as a vehicle to take my mind off the race for a few short hours.
The Pro Women were given a 6:25 am start time so it was an early start to the day. I wanted to get in a real good warm-up as the water temp was a chilly 62 degrees. Thankfully however it would be the only time all day that I was cold. The swim course was a two loop course and my strategy was to stay with some of the top swimmers early. As I exited the water after my first loop I was excited to see that I had stayed with some fantastic swimmers like Dede Griesbar, Hilary Biscay and Karen Laberge – unfortunately I lost them right away on the second loop. I tried to stay positive knowing this was the beginning of a long day and ended up having a great swim time, despite losing the group.
I came out of the water in 8th place and was looking very forward to the bike. I love this course and the opportunity to ride somewhere that isn’t pancake flat like Florida. This was my 1st Ironman ride on my new "pink" Ironedge Orbea. I rode strong all day, moving from 8th to 2nd but was passed by a hard charging Kate Major at around mile 52. I did enjoy having the course to ourselves yet it was difficult with no other racers around making it a virtual time trial.
I came out of T2 in 3rd place, 3 min behind Kate Major and a bit disappointed with my bike split, but then again this was much hillier. I was hoping things would have been faster but no time to worry about that now as my attention was focused on making some time up in the run. I was looking forward to the run as I have been really focusing on improving this facet of my racing. At Ironman Arizona in April I set a new PR for myself on the run. I was on my way to setting another PR this day working hard and concentrating on my turnover. I passed Kate Major at mile 7 and worked at holding her off and making up some time on Joanna who was having a career day.
I have been working with KiroKinetics on my nutrition and supplements which fortunately led to only two bathroom stops, (a big improvement). It’s quite nerve-racking when you have to stop and Kate Major is right behind you. I would finish the day in second place with the fastest run split of the day among the professional women.
A very big congratulations to all who finished this difficult race on a hot Idaho day. Special thanks go to my sponsors for whom I am grateful for their continued support. They include; Fig Newtons, Clif Bar, Oomph Clothing, Orbea Bikes, Ironman Helmets, KiroKinetics, Radius Wellcare, Village Bikes, Katalyst Multisport Management, Profile, Blue Seventy, Right Toyota, JR Ironbody, Inside Out Sports and Zipp Wheels. Also, thanks to my husband Todd for continually supporting me.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Ironman Arizona 2006
HEATHER GOLLNICK
FORD IRONMAN ARIZONA RACE REPORT
A Great PR Day!!
I was looking forward to a return to Tempe for IM Arizona 2006. What a great job I have. I get to train and race as a professional athlete. Now that I live in Florida I have had the opportunity to train outdoors for months leading up to this event. The week leading up to an Ironman is always a very busy time for me and this week was no exception. My new sponsor JR Ironbody and Right Toyota had lined up a multitude of media events during the course of the week. I had the privilege of speaking to the Tribe Multisport Club on Wednesday evening. Many athletes were saying how I motivated them but little did they know their enthusiasm and support really Motivated ME – THANKS EVERYONE!!
Friday included a morning interview with Channel 10 from the swim start, a Press Conference for Ironman North America, Television interviews, Radio (ESPN) interview, and my favorite of all speaking at the late afternoon Iron Prayer service to a packed ballroom. Thankfully, Saturday was a day to make final adjustments and get off my feet!
Race Day came and I arose with a sense of confidence that I had prepared myself to the best of my abilities, (yes, there were still nerves as usual). On Ironman morning the minutes pass by quickly and before I knew it the Pro Field was asked to hit the water. I know how important it is to get off to a fast start, so strategy dictated positioning myself correctly. The gun sounded and we were off. We swam directly into the rising sun and I felt that I was moving quickly through the water in my new Blue Seventy wetsuit! I felt strong throughout the swim and exited the water in a time of 53:38, a great start to the day. I made my way through transition, making sure I had all of my nutrition for the day and headed out to the looped bike course. My goal was to try and pick off some of the leaders. Michellie Jones was off to a quick start and the rest of us were attempting to keep up the pace. I found that now being a resident of Florida the heat really did not affect me - in fact I actually enjoyed it – the hotter the better! My position throughout the 5 hour 17 minute journey did not change and I entered the run in sixth place.
I knew that I had my work cut out for me but I had been working very hard on my run over the past few months. I could tell from the pace I was keeping through the first loop that this had the potential to be my best marathon in an Ironman to date. I kept myself well hydrated and fortunately began to make my move passing Tereza Macel, Andrea Fischer and Hillary Biscay. My daughter Jordan who has Cerebral Palsy wrote me a letter before I left telling me that “whenever my legs felt tired, to just think of her and press on”. Great advice and motivation from a nine year old! Desiree Ficker passed me but after keeping a steady pace (and thinking of Jordan) I was able to overtake her once again to move back into second place. In the end I was able to pull away and earn not only my best marathon in an Ironman (3:16), but an overall PR for the day finishing in 9:33. I came across the line feeling like I had won the race. Michellie had a flawless day and I congratulate her on an impressive win.
It was a day I will not soon forget, but no athlete gets their alone. I would like to thank God for blessing me with the ability to do something I love, my family and of course my sponsors whose support is vital to me.
Thanks Clif Bar, Oomph Sports, Fig Newtons,
JR Ironbody, Right Toyota, Inside Out Sports, Zipp Wheels, Orbea, Ironman Helmets, Profile Design, Village Bikes, Radius Wellness, and Penta.
In closing, congratulations to all the first time Ironman Finishers, may this be the first of many.
Heather Gollnick
3-time Ironman Champion
FORD IRONMAN ARIZONA RACE REPORT
A Great PR Day!!
I was looking forward to a return to Tempe for IM Arizona 2006. What a great job I have. I get to train and race as a professional athlete. Now that I live in Florida I have had the opportunity to train outdoors for months leading up to this event. The week leading up to an Ironman is always a very busy time for me and this week was no exception. My new sponsor JR Ironbody and Right Toyota had lined up a multitude of media events during the course of the week. I had the privilege of speaking to the Tribe Multisport Club on Wednesday evening. Many athletes were saying how I motivated them but little did they know their enthusiasm and support really Motivated ME – THANKS EVERYONE!!
Friday included a morning interview with Channel 10 from the swim start, a Press Conference for Ironman North America, Television interviews, Radio (ESPN) interview, and my favorite of all speaking at the late afternoon Iron Prayer service to a packed ballroom. Thankfully, Saturday was a day to make final adjustments and get off my feet!
Race Day came and I arose with a sense of confidence that I had prepared myself to the best of my abilities, (yes, there were still nerves as usual). On Ironman morning the minutes pass by quickly and before I knew it the Pro Field was asked to hit the water. I know how important it is to get off to a fast start, so strategy dictated positioning myself correctly. The gun sounded and we were off. We swam directly into the rising sun and I felt that I was moving quickly through the water in my new Blue Seventy wetsuit! I felt strong throughout the swim and exited the water in a time of 53:38, a great start to the day. I made my way through transition, making sure I had all of my nutrition for the day and headed out to the looped bike course. My goal was to try and pick off some of the leaders. Michellie Jones was off to a quick start and the rest of us were attempting to keep up the pace. I found that now being a resident of Florida the heat really did not affect me - in fact I actually enjoyed it – the hotter the better! My position throughout the 5 hour 17 minute journey did not change and I entered the run in sixth place.
I knew that I had my work cut out for me but I had been working very hard on my run over the past few months. I could tell from the pace I was keeping through the first loop that this had the potential to be my best marathon in an Ironman to date. I kept myself well hydrated and fortunately began to make my move passing Tereza Macel, Andrea Fischer and Hillary Biscay. My daughter Jordan who has Cerebral Palsy wrote me a letter before I left telling me that “whenever my legs felt tired, to just think of her and press on”. Great advice and motivation from a nine year old! Desiree Ficker passed me but after keeping a steady pace (and thinking of Jordan) I was able to overtake her once again to move back into second place. In the end I was able to pull away and earn not only my best marathon in an Ironman (3:16), but an overall PR for the day finishing in 9:33. I came across the line feeling like I had won the race. Michellie had a flawless day and I congratulate her on an impressive win.
It was a day I will not soon forget, but no athlete gets their alone. I would like to thank God for blessing me with the ability to do something I love, my family and of course my sponsors whose support is vital to me.
Thanks Clif Bar, Oomph Sports, Fig Newtons,
JR Ironbody, Right Toyota, Inside Out Sports, Zipp Wheels, Orbea, Ironman Helmets, Profile Design, Village Bikes, Radius Wellness, and Penta.
In closing, congratulations to all the first time Ironman Finishers, may this be the first of many.
Heather Gollnick
3-time Ironman Champion
Saturday, October 16, 2004
KONA - 2004
Fig Newtons continued their involvement as the Official Energy Food of the Ironman World Championships in 2004, and the First American was very glad they did. Read why in Heather Gollnick’s Race Report………………
This year I decided to skip Ironman Madison, and the defense of my title, for the opportunity to get experience on the "Big Island" and the entirely different level of competition at the World Championships. The wind, the lava fields, and the heat – well I got a very good taste of it all, as it will go down as one of the toughest days in Kona History. Here is how my day went.
Race day finally came and I awoke ready to go. I was so glad it was finally here. I could feel the excitement within every athlete I spoke with. The look in their eyes, the nervous jitters, the fierce competition, and the love of this sport – it was all there.
It looked to be a beautiful day. I got in the water at 6:30am as the pros started fifteen minutes earlier this year, 6:45am. It was a much different feeling with the absence of so many bodies in the water, we felt like such an isolated group. As we all awaited the cannon, the entire pro field kept inching and inching forward in anticipation, and before I knew it many took off, yes before any cannon or "GO" before any official start!!! For a minute I was worried they would call us back, but I quickly realized there was no stopping now so I joined the fray. I was happy not to get punched in the swim but did swallow A LOT of water (made note to self to work on this) I got separated from the pack I was in and found myself pulling a small group out to the turn around boat. As we rounded the boat I let Karen Smyers take the lead and do some of the pulling. We kept in our small group of 5-4 until we hit the shores. We came out in 59 min. much slower than I had anticipated but then again it was just the beginning of a long day.
Having a separate swim start was a disadvantage for many of the women as there were so few feet to get on, but this turned to an advantage as we hit the road and found an open highway at our disposal. I was thrilled to get out on the bike and experience the mysterious Queen "K." Last year was a very calm year for the daunted winds. While on a training ride earlier in the week I mentioned to Chris Legh that it was kind of windy today, his response, "this is nothing Heather" boy was he right! Fortunately I was able to continue to tell myself that this was just what makes Kona special.
Thankfully I didn’t know just how "extra" windy race day turned out to be. I thought we would catch a tailwind on the return from Havi but as luck would have it the wind changed and I was going 12mph pedaling hard, downhill. Overall I felt great on the bike, strong into the headwinds, it was the cross-winds and sudden gusts which I found challenging. I passed a few women back into town.
I came off the bike in 12th place, and was the third American at this point. I was now looking forward to my date with the lava fields. I passed Karen Halloway by mile 2 to move into eleventh place but started experiencing some stomach trouble. I passed mile four, where last year’s patellar tendonitis forced me into walking a 22 mile marathon. This year however I caught a second wind and was pleased to be running injury free. Lisa Bentley passed me at mile 9; she looked great and went on to run the second fastest run split of the day.
I kept taking a steady amount of fluids, simply trying to keep it all down. I was successful most of the time. I knew however that I had reached a low point on the run realizing I was energy depleted. I also knew however that the official energy food "Fig Newtons" would not upset my stomach or go through me too quick. Simply put, I was so excited to see the Figs at the aid station. I grabbed six, ate four, drank some soda and kept moving. Boy did they taste great and the simple – complex carbs was just what the doctor ordered! At the next aid station I took three more. Not only did the Figs give me the energy I needed but helped my stomach return to something close to normal.
At that point I remember passing by two friends out on the course, Christine and Sonja. I even told them I did not feel so hot and thought about stopping. Sonja yelled "There aint no room on this race course for quitters," She’s one tough cookie. I was glad I kept going as one of my race day goals along with gaining experience in the lava fields was to learn to push mentally on this island. It is a very different Ironman with the elements involved. Fernanda Keller and Monica Caplan were ahead of me and I was looking forward to seeing what the time gap was at the energy lab. Fernanda had picked it up and was nine minutes up, the good news was Monica was just two minutes ahead of me and I was feeling strong. The bad news, Nicole Leder was flying by Lori Bowden who was also picking up the pace just minutes behind me. I passed Monica to gain position ten and first American, but was passed by Nicole and later Lori.
The last four miles I felt better. I’m not sure if it was because I got a fourth wind or because I knew I was almost finished. The finale 600m was incredible. The crowds cheering, the energy, Mike Riley calling your name. It was the first part of the day I really wanted to go on forever. I no longer felt sick, I no longer was tired, I was motivated and wanted the chute to last. Whatever it is about that magic carpet, if doctors could bottle it up it would change the world for sure. I was happy to complete my day 13th overall and the 1st American. This is a tuff race. Ironman is challenging to begin with but then throw in the elements. Congratulations to all those who started and to all those who finished.
This year I decided to skip Ironman Madison, and the defense of my title, for the opportunity to get experience on the "Big Island" and the entirely different level of competition at the World Championships. The wind, the lava fields, and the heat – well I got a very good taste of it all, as it will go down as one of the toughest days in Kona History. Here is how my day went.
Race day finally came and I awoke ready to go. I was so glad it was finally here. I could feel the excitement within every athlete I spoke with. The look in their eyes, the nervous jitters, the fierce competition, and the love of this sport – it was all there.
It looked to be a beautiful day. I got in the water at 6:30am as the pros started fifteen minutes earlier this year, 6:45am. It was a much different feeling with the absence of so many bodies in the water, we felt like such an isolated group. As we all awaited the cannon, the entire pro field kept inching and inching forward in anticipation, and before I knew it many took off, yes before any cannon or "GO" before any official start!!! For a minute I was worried they would call us back, but I quickly realized there was no stopping now so I joined the fray. I was happy not to get punched in the swim but did swallow A LOT of water (made note to self to work on this) I got separated from the pack I was in and found myself pulling a small group out to the turn around boat. As we rounded the boat I let Karen Smyers take the lead and do some of the pulling. We kept in our small group of 5-4 until we hit the shores. We came out in 59 min. much slower than I had anticipated but then again it was just the beginning of a long day.
Having a separate swim start was a disadvantage for many of the women as there were so few feet to get on, but this turned to an advantage as we hit the road and found an open highway at our disposal. I was thrilled to get out on the bike and experience the mysterious Queen "K." Last year was a very calm year for the daunted winds. While on a training ride earlier in the week I mentioned to Chris Legh that it was kind of windy today, his response, "this is nothing Heather" boy was he right! Fortunately I was able to continue to tell myself that this was just what makes Kona special.
Thankfully I didn’t know just how "extra" windy race day turned out to be. I thought we would catch a tailwind on the return from Havi but as luck would have it the wind changed and I was going 12mph pedaling hard, downhill. Overall I felt great on the bike, strong into the headwinds, it was the cross-winds and sudden gusts which I found challenging. I passed a few women back into town.
I came off the bike in 12th place, and was the third American at this point. I was now looking forward to my date with the lava fields. I passed Karen Halloway by mile 2 to move into eleventh place but started experiencing some stomach trouble. I passed mile four, where last year’s patellar tendonitis forced me into walking a 22 mile marathon. This year however I caught a second wind and was pleased to be running injury free. Lisa Bentley passed me at mile 9; she looked great and went on to run the second fastest run split of the day.
I kept taking a steady amount of fluids, simply trying to keep it all down. I was successful most of the time. I knew however that I had reached a low point on the run realizing I was energy depleted. I also knew however that the official energy food "Fig Newtons" would not upset my stomach or go through me too quick. Simply put, I was so excited to see the Figs at the aid station. I grabbed six, ate four, drank some soda and kept moving. Boy did they taste great and the simple – complex carbs was just what the doctor ordered! At the next aid station I took three more. Not only did the Figs give me the energy I needed but helped my stomach return to something close to normal.
At that point I remember passing by two friends out on the course, Christine and Sonja. I even told them I did not feel so hot and thought about stopping. Sonja yelled "There aint no room on this race course for quitters," She’s one tough cookie. I was glad I kept going as one of my race day goals along with gaining experience in the lava fields was to learn to push mentally on this island. It is a very different Ironman with the elements involved. Fernanda Keller and Monica Caplan were ahead of me and I was looking forward to seeing what the time gap was at the energy lab. Fernanda had picked it up and was nine minutes up, the good news was Monica was just two minutes ahead of me and I was feeling strong. The bad news, Nicole Leder was flying by Lori Bowden who was also picking up the pace just minutes behind me. I passed Monica to gain position ten and first American, but was passed by Nicole and later Lori.
The last four miles I felt better. I’m not sure if it was because I got a fourth wind or because I knew I was almost finished. The finale 600m was incredible. The crowds cheering, the energy, Mike Riley calling your name. It was the first part of the day I really wanted to go on forever. I no longer felt sick, I no longer was tired, I was motivated and wanted the chute to last. Whatever it is about that magic carpet, if doctors could bottle it up it would change the world for sure. I was happy to complete my day 13th overall and the 1st American. This is a tuff race. Ironman is challenging to begin with but then throw in the elements. Congratulations to all those who started and to all those who finished.
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Ironman CDA 2004
CDA Race Report
The road to Ironman CDA was anything but normal for me. Three weeks prior to Race Day I was lying in a hospital bed after a bad bike crash just praying that nothing was broken. God was watching out for me and fortunately I escaped with only a severe case of road rash. Problem was, how could I complete my training.
For the next week I did very little but let the scars heal. Two weeks out I needed to make a decision, I knew if I kept healing at the current rate my body could make it through an Ironman. I also knew that I wouldn’t want to be sitting home on race day knowing inside I could have pushed through, so the decision was made, I would compete and try to defend my title.
The days leading up to the race were filled with Ironman and press obligations, and an autograph signing for Inside Out Sports. Fellow Timex Team members and friends were there to race and I enjoyed some time doing some pre-race prep with them along with some carbo loading. It left little time to worry about my healing body and whether or not it would be ready.
Race day came with the normal race day concerns and jitters, and the hope that I could get some food down in the morning. I made my way to the swim start not really knowing what to expect on the first leg of the race, after all I had been in a lake once since the accident. The Pro men and women start ahead in the swim, I usually get beat up a little trying to stay with the pack. It was funny (at first), I was thinking how great it was I wasn’t getting clobbered in the swim then I realized it was because I was alone and in back (not funny.) My swim turned out to be average, a few minutes slower than last year. I entered the first transition in eighth place.
I was happy to be out on the bike, I love the course and was counting on making up some time on those in front of me. It always takes a bit for me to get warmed up, but once I did, I settled into a grove and had what I felt was a decent bike split. I would have liked to have closed the gap between Linley and myself but it wasn’t to be, she was having a phenomenal bike ride. I headed into transition in second place behind Linley and was planning for a quick run.
The day was heating up and I knew right away that I didn’t quite have that normal spring in my step but regardless I was going to give it my best effort. Frequent stops due to stomach problems made it difficult to close the gap between myself and Linley as she was having a career day. By the second loop I just wasn’t feeling right and in all honesty wanted it to end. The last 13 miles was a mental struggle but there was no way I was going to stop, it’s just not in my nature. I finished the day one minute faster than last year and second to Linley. I would like to congratulate her on a fantastic day. I remember that 1st Ironman win and what a feeling it is!
Fortunately there were so many spectators and fans out on the course. Many whom remembered me from last year or the local race week articles and were cheering my name. In those low spots they were a great source of encouragement, along with all the other Ironman athletes that were cheering during the run, thank you and congratulations.
I want to thank my sponsors, Timex, Inside-Out Sports, Clif Bar and Nabisco. Your constant support and belief in my abilities is so important to my success. To the Coeur d’ Alene Chamber of Commerce, the thousands of volunteers, Terry and Connie Williams and the people of Coeur d’ Alene thanks once again for a wonderful experience and I’ll see you at the races.
Heather Gollnick
3x Ironman Champ
The road to Ironman CDA was anything but normal for me. Three weeks prior to Race Day I was lying in a hospital bed after a bad bike crash just praying that nothing was broken. God was watching out for me and fortunately I escaped with only a severe case of road rash. Problem was, how could I complete my training.
For the next week I did very little but let the scars heal. Two weeks out I needed to make a decision, I knew if I kept healing at the current rate my body could make it through an Ironman. I also knew that I wouldn’t want to be sitting home on race day knowing inside I could have pushed through, so the decision was made, I would compete and try to defend my title.
The days leading up to the race were filled with Ironman and press obligations, and an autograph signing for Inside Out Sports. Fellow Timex Team members and friends were there to race and I enjoyed some time doing some pre-race prep with them along with some carbo loading. It left little time to worry about my healing body and whether or not it would be ready.
Race day came with the normal race day concerns and jitters, and the hope that I could get some food down in the morning. I made my way to the swim start not really knowing what to expect on the first leg of the race, after all I had been in a lake once since the accident. The Pro men and women start ahead in the swim, I usually get beat up a little trying to stay with the pack. It was funny (at first), I was thinking how great it was I wasn’t getting clobbered in the swim then I realized it was because I was alone and in back (not funny.) My swim turned out to be average, a few minutes slower than last year. I entered the first transition in eighth place.
I was happy to be out on the bike, I love the course and was counting on making up some time on those in front of me. It always takes a bit for me to get warmed up, but once I did, I settled into a grove and had what I felt was a decent bike split. I would have liked to have closed the gap between Linley and myself but it wasn’t to be, she was having a phenomenal bike ride. I headed into transition in second place behind Linley and was planning for a quick run.
The day was heating up and I knew right away that I didn’t quite have that normal spring in my step but regardless I was going to give it my best effort. Frequent stops due to stomach problems made it difficult to close the gap between myself and Linley as she was having a career day. By the second loop I just wasn’t feeling right and in all honesty wanted it to end. The last 13 miles was a mental struggle but there was no way I was going to stop, it’s just not in my nature. I finished the day one minute faster than last year and second to Linley. I would like to congratulate her on a fantastic day. I remember that 1st Ironman win and what a feeling it is!
Fortunately there were so many spectators and fans out on the course. Many whom remembered me from last year or the local race week articles and were cheering my name. In those low spots they were a great source of encouragement, along with all the other Ironman athletes that were cheering during the run, thank you and congratulations.
I want to thank my sponsors, Timex, Inside-Out Sports, Clif Bar and Nabisco. Your constant support and belief in my abilities is so important to my success. To the Coeur d’ Alene Chamber of Commerce, the thousands of volunteers, Terry and Connie Williams and the people of Coeur d’ Alene thanks once again for a wonderful experience and I’ll see you at the races.
Heather Gollnick
3x Ironman Champ
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