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Athlete Cristie

Meet EFC Athlete Cristie Nutter. Cristie works full time, juggles 2 busy kids and trains smart! She's an Ironman finisher and Boston Qualifier. Follow along with Cristie as she shares her training and racing stories.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

70.3 World Championship 2011

On Friday, September 9th, Mike and I headed to Las Vegas so that I could compete at the Marines Ironman World Championship 70.3. I was so excited about qualifying for this event! 1700 athletes from 52 countries qualified to participate at the first Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Las Vegas. And I was one of them!!!

I checked into the athlete registration right away on Friday and brought my bike into the Ironman Bike Store to be reassembled. Athlete registration was about 12 miles away from our hotel, which made it inconvenient to travel to. Taxi costs were $45 each way, so Mike and I decided it would be best to just rent a car. We explored the Ironman Store and I bought just about everything inside! One of the shirts has the IM logo on the back and written inside the letters are the names of each and every athlete participating in this year’s event. So cool!!!

On Saturday, I checked my bike into the transition area, set it up and made sure it was ready for the tough 56 mile ride the following day. I had to add the picture above – All these guys waited at the entry to Transition (under the shade of their umbrellas) and took notes on every bike that passed by. I felt like I was in a bike parade. I guess they wanted to know what components each rider preferred. I thought it was great that someone actually wanted to know what I was riding!!!

I am all smiles through the entire day. I’m just so excited to be here! I am one of 573 female athletes participating today – the remaining 1128 are men.

Mike got some great shots of me heading into the water. I really wasn’t nervous up to this point. Sure, I was intimidated by some of the muscles on these women. Some were in INCREDIBLE shape! I had been nursing a sprained ankle for 3 weeks and felt a little unprepared for what was ahead of me. But my goal was not to rush out and try to achieve a PR, but to enjoy the day, finish the race and NOT come in last in my age group.

While in the water waiting for the cannon to boom, the announcer took some time to enlighten us with some facts about some of our fellow competitors. Can you believe one of these women is also a super model from New York? Are you kidding me? Beautiful AND a World Champion athlete? We were all trying to figure out who it was…

I struggled a little bit in the water. After just a few minutes of swimming, I had a panic attack. It was not mental, because I was definitely prepared for this swim. It came from the pit of my stomach and I couldn’t move. I just stopped for a couple of minutes and tried to recompose myself. It didn’t help that the athlete behind me was clinging to a buoy and gasping for air. I made sure she was OK and then I continued on with my swim. Now that my entire age group had already swum ahead, I had a clear path to swim without being clobbered by anyone. The only problem was that I didn’t have any feet to hang onto or guide me in a straight line. I tend to swim sideways and get way off course. Today was no exception. I was finally out of the water in 43:02.

I was glad to be out of the water and back on dry land. I always consider the bike to be the beginning of my race – that’s where I catch up to all the awesome swimmers. There was a long run from the Lake into T1, where I was greeted by a pair of volunteers who helped me get ready for the bike. I peeled off my Aqua Sphere Suit, threw on my Aquaphor top, helmet and sunglasses. One of the volunteers thoroughly sprayed me down with my 100 SPF sunscreen before I ran out of the tent. I grabbed my bike and ran up the steep hill to the street. This run was excruciating for me. The mat was uneven from the sand beneath it and it was challenging for my ankle to support me on this terrain. Once I was on the bike, I was feeling great and ready to go!

The views on the bike ride through Lake Mead National Park were incredible! I was enjoying my ride out and commenting to fellow riders on the scenery. This was amazing! I was trying to conserve some energy in my legs and not hammer up the hills.

The downhill rides were thrilling and a little scary! I was reaching speeds up to 40 mph on the downhills, then pedaling hard to try and get back up the other side. I was feeling pretty good up until mile 35. I knew I needed to continually hydrate with air temperatures around 95 degrees. I switched my nutrition to mostly water, with one GU packet. I doused myself with water every 20 minutes and continued to hydrate. By mile 45, my legs were exhausted and I felt like I couldn’t get enough water. Thank goodness there was only 11 miles to go. We passed Lake Las Vegas, while heading into Henderson for T2. I rode as quickly as I could to finish up the bike course, but ended up with my worst bike time ever (3:08:48, average speed 17.8mph). That was a challenging course!

I was glad to hand my bike off to the volunteers at T2. I was surprised to see other athletes handing off their bikes and telling the volunteers they were done. Not me! I’m finishing this course! I have too many “finisher” shirts that I won’t be able to wear if I don’t conquer this course!

I quickly laced up my running shoes, tossed on a hat and took off on the run. The run course had one long uphill climb and two shorter climbs. The course was a loop that was repeated 3 times, so once you got through the first loop, you knew what you had to conquer on the next 2 loops. I made sure to grab a Gatorade and water at each AID station then toss ice down my top and inside my hat. My hydration was better, but my legs were spent from the bike (and probably from the lack of running over the past 3 weeks). I walked on the uphill and ran the down hills. There were so many amazing athletes on this course, running strong! I talked to a few people along the way and it made the time go by quickly. Although I was not running fast, the run course went by pretty quickly. Around mile 8, at a turn around, I rolled my ankle again on a crack in the road. UGH! I was just about to approach a nice downhill stretch and I planned to run that as quickly as I could. After wincing for a minute or two and hobbling on one leg, I told myself to suck it up and just go! Down the hill I went and off to my third lap. The last three miles went by fast, and I couldn’t wait to make it to the finish line! The last downhill stretch went straight into the finish line. I felt like I was sprinting that last mile! It felt great to finish the course and celebrate my first World Championship race!

I truly hope I am able to get to Vegas again… only next time I’m planning to race hard, with no injuries! This was just my practice run… watch out for me next time World!!!

Run time 2:12:56. Total time 6:13:35. 77th / 95 in my AG (So, 77th in the WORLD!!!)

… and (most importantly), not the last one in my age group!

Posted by Athlete Cristie on 09/15/11 at 10:08 AM
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Sunday, August 14, 2011

Whirlpool Steelhead 70.3 August 14th, 2011

Well, this is the race I’ve been training for all summer. Steelhead was my “A” race with the goal of finishing the course Sub 5 hours and claiming a highly coveted slot for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas. If the sun, moon and all the other planets line up for me, I should be walking away from this race a very happy girl.

I’ve done quite a bit of work up to this point. I’ve been pleased with my long ride times. I’ve over-trained on the run a little bit (in preparation for an upcoming marathon), which should really help me get through the final miles of the half marathon at the end of a long race day. The only discipline where I’m still lacking speed is my swim. But I was hoping my wetsuit would help me improve my swim time.

So I packed up my little Ford Fusion and headed to St. Joseph, Michigan, where I was staying at a friend’s house for the race. Registration went smoothly and I was ready to go. Everyone had a watchful eye on the weather report, as they were expecting some big storms to pass through Southern Michigan on Saturday night, bringing 4-8 foot waves and rip tides in Lake Michigan. Word was that the swim would be cancelled (bonus for me!)

A couple of Professional Triathletes were also staying in the same beach house, so I was carefully studying some of their pre race habits and nutrition. Who knew that Spaghetti sauce, canned tuna and pasta was the meal of champions? I’ll have to try that next time! I did take some advice from Chris Legh and drank one glass of wine with dinner. I actually slept on Saturday night (I NEVER sleep the night before a race).

Sunday morning brought about the wind, waves and rip tides and a cancelled swim. The race was started as a time trial bike, starting by race bib number (lowest to highest). Not exactly ideal for me, because it’s difficult to see how well the other athletes in my age group are doing and, more importantly, how I measure up against them. After a short wait, off we go on the bike!

I was feeling GREAT!!! I was pedaling into the wind at 22mph and soaring down hills at over 35 mph. My race number was 528, and I had already passed everyone with the 35-39 age group marked on their right calf. So I started cruising by athletes with bib numbers in the 400s, 300s, 200s and even some in the 100’s. What an exhilarating feeling! My nutrition was spot on. I was sipping my Infinit, which tasted a little salty today. I grabbed half a banana at mile 20. And I sipped at my water whenever I was thirsty. I was expecting a nice tail wind at mile 42, so I just kept pushing forward to that mile marker. Unfortunately, once I got to that point, it seemed that the trees were blocking the winds and I didn’t benefit as much as I thought I would. I would have to push a little bit on these final few miles. I was hoping to make it back to transition in 2:35. But my hips and pelvis were getting a little sore on the final few miles and I came in with a 2:37 on the bike. I was really looking forward to getting off the bike and starting the run!

I ran my bike through the narrow transition area, popped on my shoes, socks and hat, and off I went! I was surprised by how quickly I got my legs under me. My first mile was a sub 8 minute pace. There was a nice hill at mile 1, which I allowed myself to quickly walk up. Miles 2-4 were quick and easy. I was cruising through the aid stations, grabbing water and Gatorade at each station. Another hill between miles 4-5, which I negotiated with myself to run ½ way up then walk. I wanted to run as much as I could on this course. I have steep goals for this race and I’m going for it! I rewarded myself with short little walk breaks through every other aid station (no more than 10-15 seconds each), then I had to pick up the pace. My goal was 1:45 for the half marathon and I was still on pace. The hills set me back a little bit, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from achieving my goals. I just kept pushing forward. The weather was perfect (low 70s, overcast, breezy). Final 2 miles! Let’s go Cristie! Push it! I could hear Coach Kelly pushing me in my mind. Suffer for a little bit longer! Whenever I get to the final two miles of a race, I like to think of the 2 mile loop I frequently run around my house. It’s such an easy little run, why couldn’t I run this as fast as possible? I can!!! My finish time was 4:28 (run time ended up being 1:48). I was pretty pleased with my performance today.

I waited after the race for the World Championship roll down slots. I was able to get the third and final slot! Wow! What a great day!!! Now I’m looking forward to Vegas, baby!

-Athlete Cristie

Posted by Athlete Cristie on 08/14/11 at 05:29 PM
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Monday, July 11, 2011

Lake Zurich Olympic Distance Triathlon – July 10th, 2011

I took on Lake Zurich Triathlon yesterday with a podium finish in my sights. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out the way I planned. There were some fast chickadees there this year!

Started out the day hearing that the water temp was 81 degrees, so NO WETSUITS. Not a big deal, because I just finished Eagleman 70.3 without a wetsuit.

As I’m standing on the beach waiting for my wave to go off at 6:54 am, I am sweating already and I know I’m going to want to hop back in this lake later in the day to cool off.

I positioned myself on the inside for the swim. I have been trying to get faster in the water, but I think I have this mental block that if I swim too fast I won’t have energy for the rest of the course. I tried to keep up with the group and I think at times I couldn’t see any other swimmers at all (I’m sure I swam off course a few times). I try to focus on the buoyes more than anything else. Then I just find a little song to hum in my head and swim along. I started out with "just keep swimming, swimming swimming" from finding Nemo. Maybe I need to find something a little more upbeat to make me faster :o). I ended up finishing with a 33 minute swim (which included a 200 meter run to T1). Ranked 13th swimmer out of 24 (so basically average).

T1 is quick - I position my helmet upside down on my aerobars, with my sunglasses inside and my race belt laid across it. Pop on the race belt while I slip on my shoes. Sunglasses and helmet on and I race off to the bike course. T1 finished in about 1 minute.

Bike course is a bit more hilly and windy than expected. I can ride a half ironman course at an average of 21 mph, so I was hoping for 23 mph average on this olympic distance course. Goal was to push it hard and test my limits. But some of the hills straight into the wind had me spinning at 14-16 mph, which killed my average speed. GRRRR! I passed many riders on the bike, knowing that I had to catch up to those girls who killed me in the water. I was only passed by 2 male riders on the bike. I was so hot, and I could see the sweat dripping down from my helmet to my sunglasses. I ran out of water with 5 miles left on the ride. Unfortuntately they didn’t offer any water stops on this course, so I just had to suck it up and get to T2 for some water. I was shooting for 1:07 and finished with 1:09 on the bike (21.3 mph avg). When I looked at the results later, I saw that I was 4th overall female on the bike. I’ll take it!

T2 is quick again. Rack my bike, Rip off the sunglasses and helmet. Pop on my running shoes. Squirt some water in my mouth that I stashed away in transition. Grab my hat and run while I’m putting it on. Quick glass of water in my face on the way out of T2 and I’m off!

My goal for the run was #1 NO STOPPING! #2 7:45 splits #3 Run strong and stay positive #4 Pass as many girls as I can

First mile my legs felt wobbly from the bike and tired from the heat. But I remember #1 No stopping! First mile split 7:44, right on track. Mile 2 heads into the sun and up a nice hill. Runners all around me are walking. Yup, I thought about it… I could just walk up this hill then start running again. But I’ve learned something about myself. If I let myself walk once, I will do it again and again. No walking today, my friend! Now is your chance to go for #4 - pass as many girls as you can! Mile 2 - 7:45 split. Now it’s starting to get warm and my belly is not too happy with me. I think the heat is trying to make me slow down. The loop is run around the lake where we swam, so I’m staring at it thinking I could just hop in there for a minute and cool off. FOCUS woman! Goal #3 Run strong and stay positive. Alright, coming back toward the race start (it’s a loop run twice) and I see mile 3. Watch is showing me that I’ve slowed a little bit 7:53. Only 3.2 miles left - so back out onto my second loop. Now I know what to expect and I’m looking for the sunny hill. No stopping, no stopping. My pace definitely slowed for miles 4, 5 and 6 to about an 8 minute pace. But I’m happy because I’m going for it! I AM STRONG! I can feel how strong my body is and I’m going to push through the pain and the heat. Up another little hill back toward transition and the finish line. I am now sprinting toward the finish and raise my arms up in the air as I cross the finish line! 2:35 finish time, a new PR for this distance. 8th female overall out of 142 female participants.

But the best part of the day was after the race. I went to the cooling tent and found another athlete struggling - stomach problems and obviously overheated. I spent some time with him and helped him through it, bringing him gatorade and water and talking him through it. Then I headed to the back section of the run course where there was no spectator support. I cheered on the runners and smiled as they ran by. There were quite a few that just needed that extra boost to keep going. It felt great to help the other athletes keep going at that point of the run. I had a few people thank me for pushing them afterwards. THAT is what it’s all about. Supporting each other in reaching your goals! If you ever have a chance to do this after your next race, please do! It’s an awesome feeling to help support people you don’t even know. Just a kind word goes a long way!

-Athlete Cristie

Posted by Athlete Cristie on 07/11/11 at 03:55 PM
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Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Boston Qualified

I tend to do things a little backwards. Last year, I embarked on a journey to compete in the Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon. The hours of training were difficult, to say the least. But in the end I completed what was one of the most life changing journeys for me. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. I learned many things about myself on that day, but most importantly, I learned that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.

Although the Ironman consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, followed by a marathon, I never considered myself to have competed in a marathon. So I decided to take on yet another challenge and I signed up for the Illinois Marathon on April 30th, 2011.

Coach Kelly guided me through the training, which included some grueling speed work: 400 meter, 800 meter and 1600 meter repeats. Mileage distances totaled close to 40 miles per week, with my longest run at 22 miles. I was feeling strong and confident! My legs looked like tree trunks!

Two weeks prior to the marathon, my body decided to play a little game with me and bless me with a head cold, ear infection and sinus infection. So I rested and waited for the cold to ease up. After 7 years of competing, I’m learning to roll with the punches.

As if the cold was not enough, yet another challenge presented itself… 20+ mph winds in store for race day. While everyone else was complaining about it, I just had to laugh. I had a sense of determination for this race and I wasn’t going to let anything get in my way. So as I quickly dressed myself in my Team Aquaphor apparel on race morning, I heard myself say aloud “Bring it!”

Race morning was full of excitement and anticipation for me. I had a goal to qualify for Boston today. And I wasn’t going to let anything stand in my way. Coach Kel was great at helping me understand the challenges I would face today (both mentally and physically) and she told me to dig deep and remember those difficult repeats and the sense of accomplishment I had when I conquered each one of them. Race day was going to be a series of challenges and I needed to get over each hurdle and keep moving toward my goal.

I found the 3:30 pace group at the start line and settled in. It was going to be a long day, but I was prepared for it. The first few miles were fantastic! I ran a nice easy 8 minute pace and chatted with a friend of mine from high school for a little while. After a couple of miles, he gave me a smile and said he was going to find his pace a little further back (his first marathon too). So, again, I found other runners to chat with for a little while and I found myself running a sub 8 minute pace. I was feeling great and was running well ahead of the 3:30 pace group! Wow! Maybe I can finish around 3:28? The thought entertained my mind and I kept moving forward.

My friend Karen met me at the half marathon point, giving me a big smile and cheering me on. That was a great distraction from the running, but I was starting to get a little tired from the wind. I managed to keep my pace under 8 minutes/mile until mile 14, when I heard my stomach grumbling. Although I had eaten a good breakfast and already gulped down a GU gel at mile 7, I was actually starving! Luckily, a runner just ahead of me was getting a banana from his wife and she had an extra. So I quickly asked if I could swipe her extra banana from her and eagerly scarfed that down. I noticed my pace started to slow down a little bit. The next 2 miles I was running an 8 minute pace, but still well ahead of the pace group. 16 miles down, 10 to go!

Around mile 17, I was really starting to feel the effects of the day wearing on me. I expected to start feeling the fatigue at mile 22 (which was the longest distance I had run), but wasn’t prepared to hit the wall this early. Miles 18 and 19 went by slowly and my pace slowed with each mile… now around 8:30/mile. Mile 20, the 3:30 pace group passed me by. Oh no! I tried as hard as I could to keep up with them, but my legs just wouldn’t go any faster.

I decided to take a little walk break at the next aid station. I gulped down a full glass of water and Gatorade. I was taking in plenty of calories and fluid, but I was still very thirsty. My quads and calves hurt so I stopped and stretched at a light post. Ok, I thought to myself… let’s readjust the strategy. “You can still run a 3:35, with an easier pace and a little bit of walking time through the aid stations. Only 6.2 miles to go. You can run a 10K! Let’s go!”

So I started up again and pressed forward. Miles 20, 21 and 22 were tough! So many thoughts went through my head. I really had to dig deep into myself to find the strength to get through those miles. There was so much doubt running through my head. I felt like I had a little person sitting on my shoulder telling me I just couldn’t do it and I should just give up now. How could someone who completed an Ironman just 7 months ago be struggling so much to get through a marathon? My legs felt like lead and I was running a 9:30-10 minute mile pace. The wind had picked up and felt like it was coming from all directions, causing the trees to bend sideways. All I could think about was just moving forward.

Mile 23 brought a fruit table and snacks (finally!). So I grabbed an orange and some water again and headed off. Only 3 miles to go! I could feel it was getting closer! A little surge of energy from the orange and I picked my pace back up. Mile 24 greeted me with what seemed to be a never ending hill. I treaded forward and upward, thinking that I only needed to get to mile 25. I kept my focus on each mile and what a triumph it was to get that far. Only 1 more mile to go, but I was completely spent!

The last mile was straight into the wind. I was literally in tears. How could I get this close, yet still feel so far away? I held onto anything positive I could say to myself. I heard a couple of guys on my right talking a female friend to the finish line. They were pumping her up and pushing her toward the finish line. They were also (conveniently) blocking the wind for her….how I wished I had a support crew like that! So I pretended they were MY support crew. I listened to every word they said. “Once we cross the overpass, the stadium will be right there! Wouldn’t it be great to see 3:39 on that clock as you cross the finish line! Come on! You can do it!” I pushed as hard as I could and saw the stadium up ahead. This was it! This was the end and I was almost there! I glanced at my watch as I entered the stadium and noticed I only had 20 seconds to cross that finish line if I wanted to finish at 3:39. I felt like I was sprinting to the finish line and I crossed with 6 seconds to spare! I DID IT!! 3:39:54 and I qualified for Boston! It was a tough journey and I have a new found respect for marathon runners. That was an unforgiving distance and a huge challenge! But I did it! I pushed myself to my limits and came out on the other side a champion!

-Athlete Cristie

Posted by Athlete Cristie on 05/04/11 at 05:57 AM
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Thursday, March 31, 2011

Give your body the opportunity to amaze you!

You see it every day… athletes who break course records, runners who compete in ultra marathons, triathletes who crush Ironman courses. Sometimes, it just seems impossible to believe the human body can complete these impressive feats of strength and endurance.

I started my triathlon/running journey with a small neighborhood 10K. I never gave any thought to competing in an Ironman or a marathon when I started. In fact, if someone told me then what I would accomplish by the age of 36, I would have said that’s crazy!

Each year I have found the strength and courage to push my body a little bit harder and compete outside of my comfort zone. I have progressed from Sprint Triathlons to Olympic distance… followed by Half Ironman… then the leap of faith into Ironman. I have hurdled from 5Ks and 10Ks to my first marathon this Spring.

It has never been easy. I used to avoid doing the hard work. I would go out running and turn just before that big hill. But I realized I wasn’t going to get any stronger by taking the path of least resistance. Embrace the moments that you have to push through today because they will make you stronger tomorrow.

There is a fire within each of us. We just need to find the strength and push ourselves a little bit more every day. So go out and run those intervals! Go find a monster hill to crush! You won’t believe the feeling of accomplishment you’ll have when you’re done. And you’ll see the results when you crush your 5K PR this summer!

So give your body the chance to show you what it’s got! You CAN achieve greatness!

-Athlete Cristie

Posted by Athlete Cristie on 03/31/11 at 01:56 PM
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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Relax and Go Faster!

If you know Coach Kel and Coach Rob, you have already heard this many, many times…. “relax and go faster.” I’ve had the pleasure of working with Coach Kel and Coach Rob for several years now and this is a saying I’ve heard frequently but it’s probably never really sunk in until my training this year.

I am training for my first marathon this year and have a lot of time to think on my long runs. I am beginning to understand and listen to my body now (really? It only took me 36 years). I can feel myself tense up and get nervous before a tough workout. And during a workout, I can sometimes feel my adrenaline pumping, my hands clench into fists and my body tensing up. I can actually feel my heart racing as I prepare for the next interval or tackle the next hill.

But where does all this anxiety get you? I’ve found that I waste valuable energy by tensing up, grimacing…and yes, sometimes grunting. Imagine how much faster you could be if you channeled this energy into your run and didn’t let it work against you.

I remember competing at Ironman Eagleman 70.3 a few years ago. I was on my bike and struggling. The temps were around 85-90, it was hot and humid, and I was headed directly into a headwind in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. My hands were clenched around my aero bars, my face was tense and my back hurt. Suddenly, Coach Rob approaches me on my left. I will never forget what he said as he passed me by so effortlessly… “relax and go faster!” And do you know what I said in return? “I’m trying”. I have to laugh at myself now because I could not have been any more high strung than I was at that time. If I could have just left my fears behind, focused on my pedal stroke, and set aside the weather conditions (everyone has to deal with it, why should I let it bother me?), I could have focused that energy on moving forward as effortlessly as Rob was.

After all this time, I am learning to control my emotions, calm myself down, and focus my energy on the task at hand. I think about how strong I am and how much I enjoy each workout. I focus on my goals and how each workout will help me achieve those goals. And when I look at my watch, I am amazed at my speed and how easy it was to get there!

-Athlete Cristie

Posted by Athlete Cristie on 02/15/11 at 02:47 PM
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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

I don’t want to…

How many times do we say this to ourselves in one way or another when thinking about an upcoming workout? It comes in many different forms. It could be “I’m so tired today, maybe I’ll push my workout off until tomorrow.” Or how about this one “the weather conditions today are not optimal – too windy, rainy, cold…” And we all know the best excuse of them all… “ I’m just too busy”.

I am Athlete Cristie, and believe me, I also find myself making up excuses why I cannot complete a scheduled workout. I’m not lazy by any means. I’m like so many other athletes struggling to fit everything in (full time job, kids, spouse, housework, pets, and workouts). It’s so easy to put your workout schedule on the back burner and blame it on something else.

How do we overcome the desire to put off a valuable workout and just get it done? This has been the topic I’ve discussed with myself for the past 2 weeks, while trying to get myself out the door for a run in the cold Chicago temperatures. You see, I am in training for my first marathon, which just happens to be in the Spring (what was I thinking?). So I am constantly trying to convince myself to just get my foot out the door. It really is that easy.

Our minds are incredibly powerful. If you convince yourself that you’re too tired, too overwhelmed, too busy, you most certainly will not get that workout in. I have found that if I bargain with my mind, I can get my foot out the door and on the right path to completing my task for the day. I start out by simply putting my workout clothes on. I might putz around the house a little bit after getting dressed. Then I find my shoes, put them on and lace up. Wow! I’m almost to the door. Then I bargain with myself. If I’ve told myself that I’m too tired for 12 miles, I say “well, get in 6 then, it’s better than nothing”. But as soon as I step out that door, it’s like magic. All the barriers I’ve created in my mind will melt away. It’s really not that cold… I’m really not that tired…I think I can complete this whole workout. For as easily as we can convince ourselves why we can’t do something, the mind is just as powerful at turning those convictions around.

So follow your training plan, without barriers. It really is as simple as just getting one foot out the door. You will become a stronger person, both mentally and physically.

Posted by Athlete Cristie on 01/19/11 at 01:05 PM
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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Athlete Crisite Ironman Wisconsin 2010

With just two weeks to go before my debut at Ironman Wisconsin, I was strung up with emotion: both anxious and nervous. I made the decision almost 12 months ago that I would commit to this distance and conquer it. It has taken months of lengthy workouts, mental commitment, and tons of support from my family. There is so much emotion involved with an Ironman… the emotion of surviving the grueling workouts (yes, I have cried during training) and also enduring the emotional demands put forth by trying to balance your life (work, family, training). It’s not easy, by any means. So first and foremost, I need to thank everyone in my life for dealing with me for the past 12 months. My family deserves a gold star, to say the very least. My co-workers have been kind enough to allow me to work the traditional 9-5 hours, instead of being available nights/weekends. My friends have been very supportive, meeting me for training workouts and offering words of advice. And my coaches, Rob and Kelly Wissolik have been incredible, helping me balance my training around my busy schedule, while keeping me injury free.

The Friday before Ironman, I packed up the car with everything Triathlon related that I could think of and headed up to Madison. The atmosphere in Madison was incredible! Everyone here has the same goal - to conquer the Ironman. I am finally among people who understand me. I am amazed! I waited through the lines for registration, signed my life away and even got weighed. The athlete dinner on Friday night was a ton of fun and offered plenty of photo opportunities.

Sunday came very quickly. I think I slept a total of 3 hours on Saturday night - I was so excited! I ate a bowl of oatmeal and some pancakes, drank some coffee, water and OJ then headed out the door. I could not believe what I was about to do! I think I was almost numb, just going through the motions, saving my energy for the day ahead.

Coach Rob helped get my bike ready - filled my tires with air and helped me mentally prepare for the day. We headed down to the swim start and almost did not make it to the water in time. I tried to connect with Mike before the swim start, but there were too many people and just not enough time.

The swim is by far my weakest leg. There are 2,800 athletes in Lake Monona, all treading water waiting for the canon boom. The excitement in the air is literally tangible. I try my hardest to stay calm. I know that in just moments I am going to be clobbered, scratched, swam over and punched. I positioned myself between the shore line and the ski jump, about 6 rows of people back. I figured it will be safer for me here. The canon booms and off we go! If you’ve never seen an Ironman, it’s a mass of white churning white water with legs and arms everywhere, seemingly moving forward as one entity. I mentally broke the swim into four legs - two out, two back. I was clobbered a few times, had my feet tugged in (to which I gave a nice little kick back), slapped across the face twice and swam over by one very large male swimmer. I sing songs to myself to keep myself calm and focus on finishing the swim. Today, my song of choice was "I wanna be a Millionaire". It absolutely worked! Thought of all the things I would buy…

In case you’ve never seen someone so happy to get out of the water, here’s a great picture....

I finished the swim in 1:21:37, which was right where I wanted to be. I headed over to the wetsuit strippers - this was so much fun! The girl I chose told me to lay down and she yanked my wetsuit off in 2 seconds flat. I was so excited to be out of the water, I ran up the helix smiling and laughing the entire way. I headed straight into the transition changing area, where I was greeted by the most fantastic volunteers who helped me get ready for the bike. These people are fantastic! I headed out, grabbed my bike, then rode down the Helix toward the bike course.

Ironman Wisconsin is known as the second hardest Ironman bike course in the entire Ironman series. If I had seen the bike course prior to registering, I might have had second thoughts. Luckily, I had the opportunity to ride the course for the first time with my coaches and they taught me how to conquer the course, while reserving my legs for the run. I rode the first 40 miles moderately, trying to save up my energy. There are four very significant hills on this course (I have some fond names for them, which I will not share with you here). The first go around on the loop was fun. The spectators on the course were amazing! The hardest hills were heavily populated with crowds cheering you up the hill. Some spectators even wore crazy outfits… anything to make the athletes laugh and take your mind off the pain you’re going through. I laughed and smiled through almost the entire bike course! Along the way I met some phenomenal people, including the Ford Everyday Hero, Jeff Glasbrenner, who lost his leg during a farm accident, and made it his mission to complete 8 Ironman Triathlons in 8 months. I had the pleasure of riding alongside Jeff for a few minutes and exchanged kind words. We also commented on one another’s bikes (we both rode Orbea Ordu’s).

I executed my nutrition, just as planned. Infinit for the entire ride, followed by water when my stomach started to get upset. I also took in two bananas along the way. It worked and my stomach was feeling great! I only stopped once for a refill on my Infinit at "special needs" and one bathroom break. I finished up the "stick" back with a nice steady 20mph ride. I slowly rode back up the helix toward run transition. I was feeling good, my legs were a little sore, but I was excited that I had finished in my goal time, 6:04:39. Not bad for 112 miles!

As I entered transition, I became quite dizzy. I decided to sit down and put on my shoes and sunscreen. Again, the volunteers were phenomenal, preparing me for the upcoming marathon. I ran out of transition and headed out on the run course. Everything in my body told me to walk and get my bearings, but my mind had decided that I would run the first 13 miles and I was sticking to my mind’s plan (for the time).

I was able to run the first 8 miles at a pretty solid pace, somewhere around 8:45/mile. I tried to convince myself that I could run forever at a 10 minute/mile pace. But at mile 8, my body decided it was ready for just a little break. I walked the aid station, drank some water and ate some pretzels. My goal for the run was between 4-4.5 hours, but having never run a marathon before, I didn’t know what to expect. I had heard many grueling stories about the marathon segment of an Ironman. I was reassured by my coaches and friends that it was okay to walk, and even okay to lay down on the side of the road if I needed to. You can imagine how horrible I thought the marathon would be with those expectations. But I really felt good, all things considering. I would bargain with myself. I setup mile marker goals - If I could run up to a certain point, then I could walk a minute or two. I finished the first 13.1 in just over two hours. I was greeted along the way by my husband, my sister, my friends and my coaches. It was great to see everyone out there cheering for me! I was pumped when I saw everyone at the half way point. I was even more excited that I was still on track for my "A" goal, which was 11:40. I knew that I was going to walk more during the last 13 miles than I had my first 13, but I was going to give it my best. After all, my husband told me before I left to "Do your best and have fun" (our motto to our children before each softball, baseball, soccer game).

I ate and drank at each aid station - whatever my body needed. Grapes seemed to be the easiest to tolerate, so I took 3-4 grapes about every 2-3 miles. I tried not to take in too much gatorade, as it can upset my stomach. I felt like I had to go to the bathroom for the last 12 miles or so, but my body was playing tricks on me… probably in an effort to get me to sit down. I came around mile 20 and found my friends and family waiting for me again, cheering me on the whole way. At this point, I was walking again, trying to keep it together and keep moving. My friend, Steve, told me that I could run the last 10K. After all, who can’t run a 10K? I had 1 hour left until my goal (under 12 hours) and I only had 6.2 miles to go. The rest of the run was kind of a blur. I ran as much as I could. I walked a little bit, but when I passed mile marker 23 I just knew I had to finish! I bypassed all the aid stations and pressed forward. The spectators were amazing, cheering me on by name! I could hear the announcer calling out the finishers "you are an ironman!" I could not wait to get there! I was giving High Fives as I proceeded toward the finish line. I think I might have even sprinted toward the end, not sure where the energy came from. And then finally it came… "Cristie Nutter, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!!" What an accomplishment! My husband was waiting for me at the finish line, helped put my finisher’s medal on and then held me up. I finished! I am an Ironman!

I would not have traded this experience in for the world! It is one of the most amazing things I have accomplished in my life! There is nothing that compares to completing an Ironman. I look forward to next season, full of possibilities and challenges. Next up… my first marathon. Should be a piece of cake compared to this.