Race Coverage

Katy's Cozumel - Part II - Wobbly Docks & Projectile Vomiting...

Monday, 09 December 2024 00:10

Photo - Julie Halvorson oceanside

By Katy Bloomquist Freitag

  Swim:   1:17:38 -  3rd in age group 

I had a long wait to get into the water.   I seeded myself 1:20-1:30.      My previous IM swim at Cozumel in 2022 was 1:10 on a year that we were told the current was not much help, and was 1:13 on the first Cozumel, so this was by far my slowest Cozumel swim.         

Waiting to get into the water was a bit alarming as the dock was so wiggly from the waves, I almost fell in. I also had a lot of extremely nervous people around me and I was trying to stay calm. I could see the waves were more than my last two IM coz, but I also had trained in waves and I knew that it was a beautiful buoyant swim so I tried to stay calm.

  I did eat and drink all the way up to 5 minutes before - it was a cooler than normal Cozumel morning so no issues with overheating this time like I did for the IM 70.3 in September. After I checked on   my bike and placed my nutrition and pumped up tires at T1 (completely in the dark in a very dark corner of transition,)   I was bused to the swim start and then I   waited and waited for my turn to swim. I did see a beautiful morning sunrise over Marina Fontinu!

My heart rate was way up waiting- nerves were high. I do not consider myself a fast swimmer, just a steady swimmer and I do try to keep my heart rate low to save my energy for the bike and run. I also have asthma, if I go out too hard, fast, or panic I have had an asthma attack in the swim. So, my goal is always to go out very easy until I am very relaxed and ensure that I am breathing fine then pick up the pace.

The first 1500 was hard and slow and against the current but I kept thinking calm and easy and patience, after which I was able to start pushing and pulling more, and I started to pass people.   The very last part of the swim was with the current.   I was surprised to be stung multiple times by jelly fish. (Some said sea lice? Regardless it was unpleasant) The only one that really bothered me was on my face - swatting at it I almost knocked my goggles off.   I also had my right foot cramp up, so I kicked more and tried to release my toes. That was new and different. I also got sandwiched between two big guys. I was trying to swim forward between them when they kept going crooked and swimming into me. One guy finally swam on top of me. I went under and then just swam at an angle to get away from them! It was harder to sight due to the swells, as I would lift my head and only see water.   I had to sight at top of a swell.     It did calm down the longer we went.   

  This was the hardest Cozumel IM swim I have done due to the waves, jelly fish and everything,  and it was slower than my last two Cozumel swims   but I was still    happy with it given all the challenges.   I stayed calm and no asthma attacks! 
 
Transition - 7:35 

HOW annoying. No showers to wash off salt water, and no one manning the bags. I had watched and taken a picture of where they had put my bag the day before when I dropped off my bag, but they had moved it. When I brought my bag they forgot to put numbers up for 1300 and up, and with my number being 1712 I didn’t know how they would find my bag… so went to the store, bought a red and white bow and a magic marker to make my bag more visible. Well, they took off the red and white bow which I somewhat expected.   My bag did not have a number where it was hung, and they had moved it, so I had to find it. Usually, they give you your bag. No help in transition either, the sweet young girls there did not speak English. Loads of lost athletes in there.   It was a very long round about run from swim exit to the changing tent but that is typical, so a slower transition time than I wanted but it was    about what to expect given all the issues. 

Bike 6:51 - 4th in age group  -

I wasn’t sure what I could do on the bike as I knew I had less power than the previous Coz race so I was going by a combo of perceived effort and power wattage.    I started out strong.   Then left calf started to have sharp pains… cramping? Not sure what it was.   I tried to switch to pulling up more as that seemed to feel better than pushing down.   The wind on south and east side was intense. My speed when way down and power up.   (Speed varied from close to 20 to 14!    Big variance with the conditions, but normalized power stayed fairly consistent).  I really focused on ignoring my dropping speed and focused on power, prioritizing that I wanted a good run so I didn’t want to burn my legs out. :) I have always had a really good bike then tanked at the run.   I wanted this year to be different.    
 
On second loop my calf got better. But my stomach took a dive. I was eating and drinking regularly according to plan of 90 carbs per hour, and ingesting salt.   No clue why - but I made sure I was dumping water on myself at the aid stations. At special needs about 63 miles in I pulled up and when I tried to chew a tums I projectile vomited, and my bladder let lose at the same time.   LOVELY - GROSS.   At least I did not hit the kid that gave me my bag.  

  I threw up one more time a few miles into the bike.     I kept up with the nutrition and hydration even with the stomach issues as I know I had to do it no matter what! 

  Overall I enjoyed the views, and enjoyed my bike even though I was not exactly where I wanted to be with the power on the bike and even with the wind and my stomach.   The sunny day was not as hot or humid as past races here, but that heat/ humidity and the wind was still taking a toll with loads of ambulances on the course. But the third loop I was just so happy I was moving forward when I swore that between the wind and a gentle incline I was practically at a standstill. 
   
  I did lose some nutrition over bumps so I was happy I carried extra in a run belt around my waist. I did pick up my frozen drinks at special needs - which were not frozen any longer but warm! Usually, I remember to bring a freezer bag from the US. I forgot to do that this time.     I had a pre-race nutrition plan that I had practiced, however my stomach has not been tolerating carbs as well ever since the intestinal surgery.    I continue to work on that issue. 
 
I also stayed ahead of any heat issues by dumping cold water over myself at every transition, this took time, but I didn’t want to overheat. I also tried to ride on the edge to stay in the limited shade, which also helps me.   

  This was my first race going tubeless, and as I saw a lot of flats I was happy that I had made this transition.    My final time was significantly slower than my 6-hour bike at the last Cozumel, but given where I was at in training and what the conditions were like, I was not happy but satisfied.