Triple T – A race like no other!!

Last summer at a race in July, Chris Palmquist came up with this crazy idea to do this race call The American Triple T – over an Ironman distance race in 3 days.  I hesitantly jumped in with two feet, and that is where this journey begins. 

First I thank God everyday for the opportunity to live a good life, I get up each day and can walk, talk, care for my family, work and train.  That in itself is a gift that many others don’t have.  So adding to that, I am so thankful I have, and have had, the opportunities to race, many triathlons, two Ironman and now I add to the mix this adventure called Triple T!!  I have made AMAZING friends thru this sport, and having been a participant in so many other competitive fields, triathlon out weighs them all with it’s many great benefits.

The race is set up in the Shawnee State Park outside of Portsmouth Ohio.  The scenery was unbelievable, living in Illinois has many great advantages, BUT visiting other parts of the country really opens your eyes to it’s great beauty.  Driving to the State Park was exciting, and a bit scary (at least for me) I think we were starting to get a small taste (in a car) of what our race weekend was going to feel like terrain wise!!

Chris Palmquist, my friend, training partner and coach, Allison Moe and Mike Platzke, also friends and thru the course of the weekend have become CLOSER friends – you learn a lot about people when you race, sleep, eat, talk, laugh, border line cry and drive 16  hours with…….it was all good!!!!!  We all set out for this adventure on Friday Morning at 5 a.m.  We had a race that night at 5 p.m.  So no time to waste.  The trip out was good, I think I drive too fast for Chris but she handled it fine, if you ever want to travel with someone, she is the one!!  She had maps, routes, perfectly navigated our trip, all I had to do was drive!!  There are many “sayings” that you perfect during a trip like this, one of them “four bikes!!” We had all our bikes on the back of the car – and yes, I sometimes would forget that small detail when parking, passing others on the road, etc….All the bikes made it safely. 

We arrived at the race registration with a couple of hours to spare, checked in and headed up to the lodge where we checked into our new home!!  The lodge was awesome, we had a room with 2 double beds and 2 bunk beds, a great view of the trees.  Our balcony soon became the staging area for all the “wet” clothes, wetsuits, bike and run shoes, it was a feat getting all the right clothes on for each race.  I took one of the bunk beds, the mattress was about as thick as a piece of paper, but I soon didn’t care, just laying down and being off a bike, out of a wetsuit and NOT in my running shoes was the goal. 

RACE #1 – Friday night 5:00 pm – the excitement is in the air!!  Every one is ready to get into the lake, we have set up our transition area, headed to the start for a small pre-race meeting, learned what the swim course would be and lined up!!  We had a small moment of silence in memory of the loss of Steve Larson, he was such a great asset to the sport of triathlon.  250 meter swim, no wetsuit tonight, water temp was good and race short enough to go without.  5 mile bike had the hill that brought you up to the lodge which I thought was challenging (that changed after the following races, now that hill is NOTHING!!)  1 mile run, 1/2 mile out on to the run course (major teaser of what we were in for down the road) and 1/2 back to finish.  I took it all slow, just setting myself up for the  next 2 days. 

After each race we had a great meal, pasta, sandwiches, salad, fruit lots of things to eat.  HFP who promotes this race did such an awesome job!!!!  They have a top notch set up and make everyone feel at right at home!!!  So we ate, packed up our stuff and headed back to the lodge.  We were pretty spent, long drive, small race and a full belly, we were ready for bed!!

RACE #2 – Saturday morning 7:30 am.  Excitement is still there, we have started talking to our new racing friends, transition is a new home in itself – headed back to the swim start where we learned our new course and lined up again.  Since I was racing as a team with Chris, we did this race and last nights race separately and the last 2 races we had to start and finish together.  So my strategy for this race was again to take it easy, and not kill myself on any leg of the race.  1 mile swim, nice steady pace, 25 mile bike – NOW this was a eye opener – after a few miles of rolling hills we make a hard left turn onto a 18% climb!!  That really opened up the legs!!  Coming down from that was a little nerve wracking – your on a narrow road with steep switch backs, paint on the road demanding that you slow down and believe me if you didn’t you would bite it bad with the pavement!!!  Going down I felt like I was at any moment going to fly off the front of my bike!!  A few more challenging hills and back to transition to head off on this 6.5 mile run which I had only heard about.  Well – I at this point was concerned as to how I was going to do this run AGAIN later tonight AND TWICE on Sunday!!  I personally have never done a run this hard, total trail run, lots of hills and steep ones, and lots of rocks!!!!!  I think the only positive was it had shade for most of it, but that brought a lot of bugs!!  So I again took a steady pace approach, had to do this again later!!  Thru all the races you meet new faces.  My running partner on this one was a man named Calvin, he had done this before and filled me in on all the details of my next 24+ hours!  We had a common background of bodybuilding competitions so the 6.5 miles went quickly.  I crossed the finish line, Mike on the sidelines taking pictures!!  Back to the meeting area, another good meal, a 15 min massage (Wendy my therapist there was AWESOME!) and the four of us chatted about our 2^nd race of the weekend!!  Mike was out there blazing fast, surprise, surprise, Chris, Allison and I were steady and happy with that.

We headed back to the lodge, a small nap, continued eating and hydrating and patiently awaited our next race in a couple of hours.  

RACE #3 – 3:00 pm.  Since the lodge was at the top of the hill, and the transition area (main staging area for the race) was at the bottom of the hill, some of us rode down to the race and I followed with the car.  Now Chris is one of the most organized people on race day, and probably all aspects of her life, that I know.  In fact I often look to her for some of that organization to rub off on me!!  So when Chris finally made it down to the race, I learned she had left the lodge without her transition bag, and her room key.  So halfway down the hill she realized this, climbed back up, begged the front desk for a new key and was able to  get her transition bag, and head back to the transition area.  She was also missing her timing chip, we had to hand that back in after each race, but quickly pulled it together and we set up for our first “team” effort!!  Don’t worry, there is a story in race number 4 that details my lack in race preparedness!! Now this third race was truly unique!!  You bike FIRST!!  We lined up in pairs, with your partner if you were a team and with another individual if  you were racing solo.  We headed out of transition and Chris and I just did our own little pace line, taking turns pulling (this was a draft legal race with your partner only).  It was a out and back course, rolling hills and a LONG downhill on the way out and yes, coming back you new exactly what to expect!!  On our way out there was a ambulance in the middle of the road, and bike in pieces on the side and the biker had gone over the guard rail!!  Makes you a little nervous!  So we turn around and know exactly what we are heading into on the way back!!  One long ASS climb!!  I had a few choice words thru the course of these races, without writing them I am sure you can imagine what they were.  Back to transition, now in the back of my head I am thinking I am 2/3 done!!  I always think that in a triathlon – off the bike and onto the last leg!!  NO – we have to now swim.  So, it is 4 o’clock or so in the afternoon, high 80’s, humid and we are sweaty.  WE have to get a stinking wetsuit on!  At one point I was laughing so hard and trying so hard to get this thing on, no amount of body glide was going to help me, one of the guys in transition was either laughing with me or probably at me, and stepped over to help!  I tell you these HFP guys have seen it all.  So Chris and I leave transition, waddling to the swim start for our mile swim.  We get there, it is a 2 lap course, and people are just kind of floating, walking, saw a lot of back stroke.  Chris drafted the swim with me and we took it very easy, didn’t kick a lot and I was able to escape without too much cramping.  My right calve and side of my calve/shin got pretty bad, but we made it out!!!!  A little slower to transition, just knowing that run course now and having to do it again was not something I was “rushing” to!!  Chris prefers to run by herself and I preferred to run ahead a little so I would walk a little (mainly on the hills) and she would catch up and we did this thru the run because we had to finish together.  I met a new friend on this run Blake, you learn so many new life stories!!!  Chris and I finished race number 3, Mike again there to take our picture and we shared a foot ice bath with another new friend Nick!!  Good times!!!  Off for massage number two with Wendy, a hot pasta meal and back to the lodge for a good night sleep, we were going to need it!!!!

RACE #4 – The half Ironman – 7:00 start – NOBODY was moving at the same pace as they were 24 hours ago.  No huge excitement at the lake this morning, the promoters of the race had to basically push us to the beach!!   I felt like I was in that movie Ground Hog day, where Bill Murray keeps waking up and starting the same day over and over again!!!   The swim again for me was slow and steady, Chris and I tried to stay together but met in transition with only a few minutes apart.  Then we headed out onto the last bike of the weekend, I was actually excited and felt really good!  I knew Chris’s back was bothering her, so I pulled the first loop, and later learned I may have gone a little too fast, Chris pointed out we start out races very differently!! J The scenery on this course was amazing and so beautiful BUT the hills were relentless,   The longest climb was on a narrow road, switching back and forth, no guard rails, I was starting to get dizzy and hyperventilating!!  I don’t like riding by the edge when it goes straight down, Chris knows this from our trip to Arizona last year, as she found me freaked out on the side of Mt Lemmon!!  Anyway, she kept me close to the inside where I could breath!!  I was now pretty convinced there are no real flat areas in this state.  The course is two loops, you head back to the transition area where there are tables set up with bottles of fluid you put there earlier in the morning.  We stopped, picked up our stuff stretched and away we went on loop #2 – knowing FULLY what to expect!!  Chris led this one, I think she wanted to control the pace, I have always had issues with this!!!!  So 42 miles into this bike, I tell Chris we have to stop, I want to check my tire it felt flat.  Now back to the beginning, this is my “lack of race preparedness” I had a valve problem, or tube problem, which I let the tire guys pump up on Saturday and then didn’t touch again!!  I knew if I messed with it, it would leak.  So – now it is leaking and my tire is almost flat.  I have 2 or 3 co2, can’t remember, but one of them is empty….oops…..I blow one up in Chris’s face….oops…..we blow another one up outside of the tire….F*#@!!!!!!  WE only have Chris’s co2 left which she is refusing to give me because she knows this isn’t working!!!!!!  BUT, what a great bunch of racers!!!!!  Everyone stopped or threw co2 cartridges at us or helped, LONG story and LONG 20 min or so stop – we got some air into my tire.  Chris rode behind me and convinced me I still had air, she was lying thru her teeth, but it kept me going for 14 more miles!!!!!  Her advice, don’t hit any pot holes, take it easy on the decents and I just started praying.  We had one more big hill, that about killed me BUT we made it back, I was riding my rim by the end of that race.  AND now 2 loops of the run!!!!!  Back to the trail, back to the rocks, back to the awesome volunteers who get you thru this last part of the day, back to the hills and some welcomed rain, it was getting hot!!  Chris and I did our staggered run, it worked well, my feet were killing me, I twisted my ankle BUT nothing and no one was keeping me from that medal that said I did this!!!!!  We crossed our last and final finish line with a high five and a hug, a big smile and a new sense of accomplishment.

Back to the food area, I couldn’t stop eating!!!!  We packed up, went to the awards ceremony, Chris and I – our team name “Iron Mom’s gone mad” pulled off a first place finish in our masters 80+ division (not too many in that division!!) But loved being able to pull hardware from one of the most amazing race weekends I have ever had!!  We ate some more and packed the car and headed on the long trip home.

I can’t say enough about HFP, race volunteers, and the racers at this race were amazing.  I have NEVER raced where so many people cheered you on from within the race,  even in their own misery and hard times,  they always had a kind word of encouragement, a helping hand, a person to walk or jog with, a co2 cartridge or just a smile. 

I want to thank Mike – I saw him on every run, he always had a high five and a postive take on my day, he was always at the finish, cheering us in, taking a picture and getting us drinks or whatever we needed.  PLUS – hanging with 3 women for 3 full days could drive anyone crazy!!!!!

Mo – you are amazing, you never gave up anything!!  You pushed thru a long event with a smile, and a consistent positive attitude.  Your sense of humor kept us going ALONG with 174 songs on your IPOD – made the car ride very fun!!!! 

Chris – What can I say, you’re my training sister!!!!  My racing partner…..my coach….but most importantly you’re my friend and you put up with my craziness,  you are an inspiration to me and thanks for taking this on- or I guess, signing me up!!!  What’s next!!

  Thanks for reading – if you ever get the opportunity to do this, I would highly recommend it!!!!

Carla