ONLY ONE PLAN. PLAN A.

Not my fastest but my strongest and for that I am fucking proud. 

I only wish I could have handled my disappointment of my finishing time, a little more empathetically, when I crossed the finish line at IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship this August 26th.

You see, I came to race at IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Lahti, Finland knowing that I was injured.  I had done 3 physical therapy sessions 1 week prior to race week, in hopes to toe the start line healthy.  But eventually my body half way through the run course said enough is enough. 

It took everything out of me to finish the last miles of the run since I was in excruciating pain.  I went into a dark and numb zone in order to get the job done.  But when I crossed the finish line, all I could feel was disappointment. Failure.  Pain. 

I am super competitive and not being able to perform on the run was incredibly frustrating to me. My emotions took over me the minute I spotted Jimmie.  They always do, as I wear my heart on my sleeve and therefore I was unable to rationalize that I was injured and that I gave my best. 

Fuck…. in retrospect, I did pretty fucking good for the injury that I have! 

Now that IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship is behind me, I am re-starting my physical therapy with 5 weeks until IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.  At this stage I have no idea what I will be able to do in Kona and I am okay with that.  I feel like I have achieved already so much in the past 12 months.

In one year I have:

-Finished 5th in my Age Group (AG) at IRONMAN Maryland in September 2022.

-Finished 5th in my AG at IRONMAN 70.3 Acapulco this March and qualified for IM 70.3 World Championship.

-Qualified for IRONMAN World Championship Kona at IRONMAN Texas this past April.

-9th in my AG in El Cruce 10k open water swim from Cancun to Isla Mujeres this past May. This was my first ever swim race.

-Raced in my 4th IM 70.3 World Championship this past August.

-2nd overall female and 1st in my AG in El Cruce de Miramar 5k open water swim this past weekend in August, one week post 70.3 Worlds Champs.

All while living and training in 3 different countries in the past 12 months (Guatemala, United States of America, and Mexico).  Let’s not forget presently training in the hottest city in the world, Hermosillo Mexico as reported by Times Magazine this June!  That by itself, let me tell you, is a fucking accomplishment. 

From all the accomplishments in the past 12 months, qualifying for Kona has been by far my biggest feat!  I already feel like I won!  At this point, racing in Kona is simply to collect my medal regardless if I finish or not due to my injury.

Race recap of IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship below and also on how my injury evolved from good news to bad news in matter of days post-race day.   

RACE RECAP

SWIM 1.2 MILES (TIME:  36.51)

The swim was in Lake Vesijärviwas with water temperature 67F (19C) and air temperature 55F (13C).  These are perfect temps for a comfortable wetsuit race. 

The swim was delayed 30-min due to heavy fog.  It was a good call as by 8am when the pro females started the fog had lifted completely.  The delay also meant that all AG athletes were shifted back 30-min.  At IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, swimmers are seeded based on  AG instead of expected finishing swim time.  This is to make the race as equal as possible for each AG category, as weather can create a whole different race in the same course on the same day. 

We were 2001 females toeing the start line at Lahti.  My AG 45-49, was the last wave to start.  It always is as we tend to be the largest group.  We started around 9:36AM which meant by then the wind would affect the water choppiness, stronger head winds on the bike, and a bit warmer temps on the run.

The swim course started in a protected marina by jumping off a wooden pier.  The course had 3 turns.  By the 1st turn I had already passed a few silver caps (18-24 AG) and by the 2nd turn I started to see a few pink caps (25-29 AG).  Both groups had started about 15-mins prior to my AG wave.  This all equals to a heavy contact swim as you are swimming over slower swimmers.   

For the amount of effort I put into the swim, I should have been 1 to 2 minutes faster, especially with a wetsuit.  But swimming over slower swimmers and water choppiness towards the 2nd half of the swim, it all added to swim time.  A lot of us felt this same way.

T1 TRANSITION FROM SWIM-TO-BIKE (TIME: 5:03)

The swim finished in the harbor running up a set of stairs.  From here you run into T1 where you run past all the racked bikes into the far end to grab your Gear Bag.  Then enter a separate section to change from swim-to-bike. 

As I rushing to get my wetsuit in the bag, my bag completely ripped.  I grabbed my ripped bag with my wet gear and run to the drop off area to hand it to a volunteer.  The volunteer was so kind as she reassured me, she would replace my bag.

From the drop off area, you then run back into the bike rack area were all bikes are racked with your same AG.  The bikes were honestly jammed together very tightly.  When I got to my bike, I found my rear wheel stuck in someone’s break levers.  It took a few seconds to free my bike and by mistake I had shifted my gear.  I grabbed my bike and before taking off I made sure the chain was placed back correctly, and then took off to exit transition. 

BIKE 56 MILES/2917 FT ELEVATION (TIME:  2:54)

I loved every fucking second of bike course! 

From the fast rolling hills on the 1st half to the elevation gain and headwinds on the 2nd half.  I even enjoyed the killer spiked hill entering T2.  I felt engaged with the terrain, with the turns, the roundabouts, and the magnificent Finnish landscape! 

The course was 1 big loop of 56 miles (90k) with a total elevation gain of 2917ft (889m).  My bike time was 2:54, average pace 19.2 mph and I rode the entire course averaging 80% of my Functional Threshold Power (FTP).  It was a perfect bike execution.  I haven’t felt this strong, confident, and happy on my bike in a while. 

Fueling was also on point.  Per hour on the bike, I consumed 60 grams of carbs, 750ml of water, and 500mg of sodium.  Normally I would have consumed more carbs, drank more water, and taken in more sodium but I modified my fueling on the go based on how I felt with the weather conditions and terrain management.

Part of racing is knowing what your body needs.  The key is to be adaptable and be able to trouble shoot on the go.

T2 TRANSITION FROM BIKE-TO-RUN (TIME:  6:31)

Transition bike-to-run was extra complex.  It felt like a labyrinth.   

After dismounting your bike, you run into a big empty warehouse to find where to rack your bike.  All racks where labeled but finding your matching bib number took a few seconds.  Once you racked your bike, you then continued running to the far end of the warehouse.  Enter a path and continue running to grab your run bag.  Grab the bag and run into a changing area.  Once you changed, you placed all your bike gear in the bag and run back where you entered the warehouse to drop the Gear Bag.

RUN 13.1 MILES/ELEVATION (TIME:  2:05)

I knew the run was going to be physically tough if my injury flared.  What I didn’t anticipate was how I was going to feel emotional at the finish line if the injury came back. 

I injured myself 5 weeks before race day in one of my long runs. I felt a slight pain on the inside of my right heel.  I never felt this before so I thought ice, rest, foam roll and a good sports massage would do it. 

The following weekend after resting for a week with no running, I ran a 8-miler.  I could feel a slight sensation on the heel but nothing bad.  But on the last 0.5-miles, the pain came back a bit stronger than the first time.  I took another week off from running and this time I took Advil.  I attempted a short 30-min treadmill run that week to test the heel. That is when I realized that I was injured. 

Two weeks prior to race day, I started looking up physical therapist in Hermosillo.  Since the first onset of pain in my heel, I had been in contact with Kassandra, my amazing sports massage therapist, who advice me to make an appointment with Dr. Armando Campos.

I met with Armando 10 days before race day.  The sonogram showed inflammation of the fascia tissue right under my heel.  We started shock wave therapy, deep heat therapy, dry needling and manual manipulation.   With the time we had before my departure to Finland, we were able to fit 3 treatment sessions. 

On my last session, one week prior to race day, the sonogram showed huge improvements to my fascia tissue.  By then I was able to walk and ride pain free.  I did a short 15-min run on the treadmill which felt better but not 100%.  But I also knew I had a whole week left to continue recovering before race day.   

I went to IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship with only one plan.  Plan A.  To finish.  I finished but unfortunately, my injury flared up midway through the run.    

The 13.1 mile run course was 2 loops with a big long uphill on the first half and lots of steep downhills on the 2nd half of the loop.  It was the downhills on the 2nd lap that flared my injury.  By mile 10.5 I was walking all the downhills and shuffled my way to the finish line. 

I kept repeating my mantra over and over and over again: “I am strong”.  When that stopped working, I kept repeating my 2023 word: “Champion”.  I kept telling myself fight.  Stay in the game.  One step at a time.  I was in a dark survival mode until I crossed the finish line.

FINISH LINE (TIME:  5:45)

As I crossed the finish line, I didn’t cheer or put my hands in the air.  Instead, I looked down at the floor, defeated like a wounded warrior and limped my way out of the red carpet.  Emotions rushed the second I spotted Jimmie. 

When I reached him, all I could say was “I am hurting.  I couldn’t run.  I failed”.  All he said, “but you never gave up.  You finished.  Only one plan. Plan A”.

“Hay solo un plan.  Plan A” where the exact words my physical therapist, Dr. Armando Campo told me as I exited his consultation office in my last visit.  I had asked him for plan A, B and C… and he replied that there is always just one plan.  Plan A.  To finish.

Jimmie and I now love to repeat his quote to each other whenever things get tough at work or in life. 

Injury RecaP: LESSON

Life is full of choices and every decision has its consequences. Racing while injured in IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Lahti was the right decision for me.  I have zero regrets. 

At this time, things have shifted with the new diagnoses from the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) taken upon my return from Finland. With the new diagnosis of the MRI, I am putting my health as my top priority over IRONMAN World Championship Kona. 

You see, before racing in IM 70.3 World Championship, the diagnosis was potential Plantar Fasciitis.  The good news from the MRI, I don’t have Plantar Fasciitis.  The bad news I have a rare degeneration of cartilage in the articulation of my heel bone.  Cartilage lines joints and caps of bones, between joint articulation.  When this is gone the nerves around the bone are no longer protected and pain occurs. 

That explains the excruciating pain I felt and why my fascia and other ligaments were inflamed.  The MRI also showed a cyst that formed behind the articulation.  On Friday when Armando shared the MRI news, he also made an appointment for me with an orthopedic specialist, Dr. Guillermo Vargas.  Dr. Vargas explained in further detail the MRI results, the treatment plan, the action plan, and abstracted 2ml from the cyst with a syringe.  That by itself was a huge relief in my heel.

I guess 18 half IRONMANs, 5 full IRONMANs, and 4 standalone marathons in past 8-10 years are the limiter on what is possible for my 48 year old body.

What’s next?

I am pausing.  I am listening. 

The action plan for the next 3 weeks is no running, no biking, no impact and restart physical therapy to remove the inflammation around my heel articulation.  I am currently taking a prescribed collagen pill for next 3 months, an anti-inflammatory pill for next 2 weeks, and a homeopathic pain reducer.

If in 3 weeks there is no improvement, then surgery could be an option where the bone is scraped to stimulate blood flow to the area in order to produce new cartilage fluid or an injection to fill the articulation to act as a sponge.

Needless to say, the MRI result took me sometime to process and digest especially with Kona Championship 5 weeks away. 

In the positive side, I do feel empowered knowing exactly what I have.  I also trust my doctors here in Hermosillo, Mexico.  I feel heard as an injured endurance athlete and they have their best interest for me with my present and future long term goals. They understand that I still want to toe the start line at Kona and I also understand I will not be able to run in Kona.

This would mean my first ever DNF (Did Not Finish). I am 100% okay with that as I don’t have to prove my worth as an athlete.  I have already won.