Florida Ironman 70.3 Race Report from The Woodlands' Kim Hager
This past Saturday, May 21st, The Woodlands' Kimberly Hager returned to multi-sport racing after an eight-month absence at the Florida Half Ironman at Walt Disney World. She was 151st of 1,898 finishers, the 22nd female overall, 16th in the field of 19 professional women and was the 2nd overall finisher from Texas as well as the first female finisher from the Lone Star State.
"It has been a long eight months since I last raced. During that time I was confronted with knee surgery and extensive rehab, pneumonia, and overwhelmed with the stress a parent faces when their child has been injured in an accident. Needless to say, when I took to the starting line of the Ford Ironman 70.3 Florida I had no idea what to expect as far as my performance! My goals were relatively simple…test out the knee and see if it can handle the stress, finish the race, and most importantly, appreciate the day.
"My coaches, Ed McNeely out of Peak Centre for Human Performance in Canada and the guys at TriVantage Fitness Loft in Houston, did an excellent job of physically preparing me for my race. They were quite patient and considerate with tweaking my training schedule as other events occurred in my life that impacted my ability to train. Unfortunately the past few months of training have been checkered with interruptions related to illness and family circumstances, but continuous testing and communication with my coaches led to necessary changes to my training schedule that helped me be as well-prepared as I could be for this race.
"The purpose of making the trip to Disney was twofold: I would get to race and my youngest daughter would get to visit Disney World for her first time. We arrived to Disney on Saturday and while my daughter headed off to Magic Kingdom with her father, I went to the race site to register and attend the pre-race meeting.
"It was fun to be back at race site, and visit with friends and sponsors at the expo. I was able to chat with Frank Day at PowerCranks and thank him for encouraging me to be diligent with my training on PowerCranks in an effort to help rehabilitate my leg. I only recently starting implementing PowerCranks into my training, and it was not until then that I realized just how imbalanced my legs were to each other. There is no cheating with PowerCranks!
"As the day progressed, I continued to get a bit more nervous and anxious for race day. The last time I raced was back in September and I was feeling a little rusty. In addition, it had been less than a month since my oldest daughter was hit by a car while biking to school and spent almost a week in the hospital fighting an infection in the wound she incurred from the accident (note: she is doing better, and we realize she is quite fortunate that the injuries sustained were not more severe). Furthermore, it was at the pre-race meeting that I realized that 6 miles of our run would be along a canal that was on uneven terrain! I immediately wondered how my knee would react to the conditions and tried not to dwell too much as I knew it would only produce negative thoughts.
"After checking my bike into transition on Saturday, I returned to my hotel room at the Animal Kingdom Resort. My husband and daughter finally returned from their day at Magic Kingdom around 11:00 p.m. I had to stay up to hear the exciting stories she had to share with me since I missed out on her fun that day. Even though the alarm was set for a very early wake-up call, I enjoyed listening to her and watching her eyes light up as she talked about Space Mountain, Cinderella’s castle, the princesses she saw and all the other rides she went on.
"Race morning arrived and the weather was absolutely wonderful. As usual, the pre-race hours rush by and before I know it I am at the starting line. We had a beach start which is something I had not done in a long time. Yes, I could tell I was out of practice! Oh well, I told myself, “just grab onto someone’s feet!” My goal on the swim was to avoid any alligators and to not swim alone. I succeeded.
"Then, it was onto the bike. I recently received my new Quintano Roo Seduza and was anxious to get it out for its maiden (race) voyage. I felt pretty decent at the start of the race, but then started feeling flat. I figured that was either due to the Ironman training I have been doing (in preparation for IM France) or I was just out of shape (negative talk is NOT good in a race…and, as it ended up, the tire I was using had a slow leak and I was riding with low tire pressure). I kept telling myself to push on, that this was excellent Ironman training, and to just do the best that I could every moment that I am out there. Honestly, I entered this race without specific bike goals. I was so focused on how my knee would handle the run, that I overlooked this aspect. I guess this is why ‘tune-up’ races are important, as it helps remind us what still needs to be worked on!
"As I started the run I was happy to realize that my legs actually felt pretty decent. I was able to keep a good turnover and I did not have a dead leg feeling. My new Seduza was such a comfortable ride, that I was able to get off my bike with a fresh leg feel. The run course was 3 loops. I like loop courses as it helps me to mentally break down the run into smaller intervals. Each loop had a 2 mile portion that went along the canal with some uneven terrain. While I usually look forward to this type of run, I was very apprehensive during this portion on every loop. The legs felt great, but the knee felt unsteady and I did not want to chance things. I knew this would impact my run time, but I still felt like I did the best that I could do during each part, and I was happy to have a strong finish at the end of my run.
"I have been racing enough to know that giving 110% effort does not always produce a personal best when measuring ‘success’ by a clock, podium finish, or a “coveted slot.” However, as I look back at my race goals, I can say that I had some success. Was this my best race? No, but even though I had to make some adjustments on the run, my knee survived. I finished the race. And, most importantly, I did appreciate having the opportunity to be out on the race course with some of the best athletes in the sport.
"Following the race I enjoyed visiting with the other participants and then hurried back to the hotel so I could join my daughter at Disney. Although I was tired and just wanted to rest, I could not wait to enjoy the Disney adventure with her. We had a lot of fun as we ventured onto the Tower of Terror at MGM … something I would not necessarily recommend trying just hours after completing a Half Ironman race!
"Last, but not least, I have to mention that the volunteers were absolutely wonderful at this race. The run course had more than the usual number of aid stations, and those volunteers were kept very busy! They maintained a great attitude and their work and enthusiasm did not go unnoticed. I also have to say thank you to my sponsors, Timex Multisport Team, Bike Lane and TriVantage Fitness Loft, all of whom have been very supportive and whose help is invaluable."
A week before competing in the Florida Half Ironman, Hager is seen here pacing a Luke's Locker Beat participant at Run The Woodlands 5K #153. (Photo by Dave Smart/Run The Woodlands 5K Series)
Kim's overall time was 4:55:50. She did the 1.2-mile swim in 33:44, the 56-mile bike in 2:42:38 and the 13.1-mile run in 1:34:39. Transition times were 2:54 and 1:55 from Swim to Bike and Bike to Run, respectively.
And with many thanks to my good friend and Hager's fellow Luke's Locker Beat coach Bill Dwyer, here is Kim's race report from the Florida Half Ironman:
“You can measure a man by the adversity it takes to discourage him.” -Robert C. Savage
"It has been a long eight months since I last raced. During that time I was confronted with knee surgery and extensive rehab, pneumonia, and overwhelmed with the stress a parent faces when their child has been injured in an accident. Needless to say, when I took to the starting line of the Ford Ironman 70.3 Florida I had no idea what to expect as far as my performance! My goals were relatively simple…test out the knee and see if it can handle the stress, finish the race, and most importantly, appreciate the day.
"My coaches, Ed McNeely out of Peak Centre for Human Performance in Canada and the guys at TriVantage Fitness Loft in Houston, did an excellent job of physically preparing me for my race. They were quite patient and considerate with tweaking my training schedule as other events occurred in my life that impacted my ability to train. Unfortunately the past few months of training have been checkered with interruptions related to illness and family circumstances, but continuous testing and communication with my coaches led to necessary changes to my training schedule that helped me be as well-prepared as I could be for this race.
"The purpose of making the trip to Disney was twofold: I would get to race and my youngest daughter would get to visit Disney World for her first time. We arrived to Disney on Saturday and while my daughter headed off to Magic Kingdom with her father, I went to the race site to register and attend the pre-race meeting.
"It was fun to be back at race site, and visit with friends and sponsors at the expo. I was able to chat with Frank Day at PowerCranks and thank him for encouraging me to be diligent with my training on PowerCranks in an effort to help rehabilitate my leg. I only recently starting implementing PowerCranks into my training, and it was not until then that I realized just how imbalanced my legs were to each other. There is no cheating with PowerCranks!
"As the day progressed, I continued to get a bit more nervous and anxious for race day. The last time I raced was back in September and I was feeling a little rusty. In addition, it had been less than a month since my oldest daughter was hit by a car while biking to school and spent almost a week in the hospital fighting an infection in the wound she incurred from the accident (note: she is doing better, and we realize she is quite fortunate that the injuries sustained were not more severe). Furthermore, it was at the pre-race meeting that I realized that 6 miles of our run would be along a canal that was on uneven terrain! I immediately wondered how my knee would react to the conditions and tried not to dwell too much as I knew it would only produce negative thoughts.
"After checking my bike into transition on Saturday, I returned to my hotel room at the Animal Kingdom Resort. My husband and daughter finally returned from their day at Magic Kingdom around 11:00 p.m. I had to stay up to hear the exciting stories she had to share with me since I missed out on her fun that day. Even though the alarm was set for a very early wake-up call, I enjoyed listening to her and watching her eyes light up as she talked about Space Mountain, Cinderella’s castle, the princesses she saw and all the other rides she went on.
"Race morning arrived and the weather was absolutely wonderful. As usual, the pre-race hours rush by and before I know it I am at the starting line. We had a beach start which is something I had not done in a long time. Yes, I could tell I was out of practice! Oh well, I told myself, “just grab onto someone’s feet!” My goal on the swim was to avoid any alligators and to not swim alone. I succeeded.
"Then, it was onto the bike. I recently received my new Quintano Roo Seduza and was anxious to get it out for its maiden (race) voyage. I felt pretty decent at the start of the race, but then started feeling flat. I figured that was either due to the Ironman training I have been doing (in preparation for IM France) or I was just out of shape (negative talk is NOT good in a race…and, as it ended up, the tire I was using had a slow leak and I was riding with low tire pressure). I kept telling myself to push on, that this was excellent Ironman training, and to just do the best that I could every moment that I am out there. Honestly, I entered this race without specific bike goals. I was so focused on how my knee would handle the run, that I overlooked this aspect. I guess this is why ‘tune-up’ races are important, as it helps remind us what still needs to be worked on!
"As I started the run I was happy to realize that my legs actually felt pretty decent. I was able to keep a good turnover and I did not have a dead leg feeling. My new Seduza was such a comfortable ride, that I was able to get off my bike with a fresh leg feel. The run course was 3 loops. I like loop courses as it helps me to mentally break down the run into smaller intervals. Each loop had a 2 mile portion that went along the canal with some uneven terrain. While I usually look forward to this type of run, I was very apprehensive during this portion on every loop. The legs felt great, but the knee felt unsteady and I did not want to chance things. I knew this would impact my run time, but I still felt like I did the best that I could do during each part, and I was happy to have a strong finish at the end of my run.
"I have been racing enough to know that giving 110% effort does not always produce a personal best when measuring ‘success’ by a clock, podium finish, or a “coveted slot.” However, as I look back at my race goals, I can say that I had some success. Was this my best race? No, but even though I had to make some adjustments on the run, my knee survived. I finished the race. And, most importantly, I did appreciate having the opportunity to be out on the race course with some of the best athletes in the sport.
"Following the race I enjoyed visiting with the other participants and then hurried back to the hotel so I could join my daughter at Disney. Although I was tired and just wanted to rest, I could not wait to enjoy the Disney adventure with her. We had a lot of fun as we ventured onto the Tower of Terror at MGM … something I would not necessarily recommend trying just hours after completing a Half Ironman race!
"Last, but not least, I have to mention that the volunteers were absolutely wonderful at this race. The run course had more than the usual number of aid stations, and those volunteers were kept very busy! They maintained a great attitude and their work and enthusiasm did not go unnoticed. I also have to say thank you to my sponsors, Timex Multisport Team, Bike Lane and TriVantage Fitness Loft, all of whom have been very supportive and whose help is invaluable."
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