Oh my, is it really over? Say it can’t be…
The day I have waited for all year has come and gone, leaving it’s mark both in my hamstrings and in my heart. How smart of Little Miss. Me to make this year about Pumpkinman, because truly, I’m honored. I’m a Pumpkinwoman and darn proud of it! What an awesome day it was.
Writing a race report is not always the easiest thing to do. People want to know about the race, yet, often times we have so much reason & emotion weaved into the miles that it’s hard to only write about the swim, bike, run, volunteers, RD, organization, and what food they offered at the aid stations. I can say this, short & sweet, about Pumpkinman- it’s top notch. Kat, the RD, does an awesome job, and as a woman who still races endurance events herself, she knows what she is doing. If you need a later season Sprint or Half distance race- do the Pumpkin- you’ll be thrilled you did.
The longer, more descriptive RR starts here: The swim. The swim is gorgeous in crystal clear water- a 2 loop course. We started almost an hour late because the thick fog was hiding our course markers. About an hour after we all had gathered on the shore, at about 7:35am, the sun was starting to peep through and the adrenaline started to pump. Looking out into the water I was amazed at the beauty surrounding me; 550 athletes, all ready to take on the day- all strong & beautiful & offering a part of themselves not only to the race but to the memory of those we lost in 9/11. We honored the brave, applauded our freedom, and took in the awesome energy the morning sunshine offfered down to us. Tears flowed, muscles warmed up, and slowly the fog lifted revealing the 1km loop that would start our day.
Age group W30-34 dove in as the last wave. I was with a group of mostly local ladies- they knew the course. I knew nothing. 8:02am, my fight began.
T1 is on the top of a big ass hill that they challenge you to run up after the swim. Half way to the top of this mini ski hill I stopped to take my wetsuit off. There is a prize for the fastest man / woman to summit this beast of a hill- I say take off your wet suit at the bottom and use this hill drill as prep for the run course (more on that in a bit). It’s a sign for things to come. I was expecting a much slower swim on my part- because my swim training fell to pieces this season. I’ve done 1 or 2 OW swims p/wk, nothing I could say was adequate for a Half Iron. But I enjoyed the swim course and once we, the last swim wave, had passed the slower swimmers who took off ahead of us, the water opened up and I was able to cut almost a minute off last yr. HAPPY!
The bike is B U tiful. Stunning. Practically traffic free in regards to cars, because security is on high alert. It’s also almost traffic free in regards to bikes too…which, after having done Timberman last year, I can say this free- to- ride race has given my future races a new standard. Kat limits the field to 550 athletes, and although I wasn’t sure how fun that would be, it was awesome. At Timber I spent the bike focused on everyone else around me…. We rode in packs only because there were so many of us out on the course. It sucked. At Pumpkinman, you get passed, or you pass, but besides a rider several meters out in front, and one several meters in back, you can put your head down and work. 2 packs of about 5-6 athletes came by, drafting off each other, which at first frustrated me, but then I brushed it off and got back to racing my race. If people want to cheat to gain an advantage, go ahead. I’m staying 3 bike lengths back and will have an honest time for myself.
The bike is not rolling accept for 4 very fun rollers in the middle of the loop, but it is gradual. The ups are gradual and there are plenty of them. Sneaky buggers. The downs are just as lazy, nothing steep enough to allow you a recovery break- just throw it in high gear and make up some time lost from the ups. In no way would I call the bike course flat, it goes up, an although I saw a few in front of me get up and stand on the pedals, I kept it low and in aero for (mostly) the entire course.
Mercy was loving the ride, and my legs had a good burn to them. Mentally I allowed myself the freedom to push, knowing my bike is what would place me where I wanted to be. Last year I relied on my run, this year, the training meant ride on the edge of too hard, then hold on for the run. So I rode, and enjoyed every painful second of it. I let the tears flow twice on the ride- with an overwhelming feeling of joy, relief, and Thankfulness. The scenery fed my fairytale, while the race itself gave me time to think of all the wonderful people in my life- Mom, Derek, Ian, Lynn, Francois & Do, Ellen, Liz, Jesse, everyone at Immunotec and on FB and the boys @ SynergyCycle who showed such awesome support this season, and of course my baby boy who was waiting for me at T2- I cried and blew snot bombs in total gratitude of my life and how brilliant this sport is. If Timberman was the start line to freedom, Pumpkinman was a celebration of how far we’ve come.
I rode into T2 right where I wanted to be. Cut 22 minutes off last yr, in what I consider to be a tougher course for a few reasons. HAPPY!
Run- OH MY GOSH. I let my run fall apart this yr to focus on the bike. That was a choice I made. I'm happy with it.... mais, this course was up hill… up up up hill. A superb challenge! My plan was to 1) remember I have a base, dig deep & find it. 2) not allow myself to be intimidated by the fact that I was totally unaware of what the course was. I hadn’t previewed it, had never trained on it, and had zero idea of what I was in for- I had to forget that and just go forward as fast as I could one mile at a time. 3) run the race, walk the water stations to get in good nutrition. I’ve had my family come to only 1 other race, where they saw me collapse due to dehydration. The run course didn’t offer the shade that the bike did; it was sunny & it was time to be smart. So I followed my plan and it worked. I ran as fast as I could, never gave in even on the big ups, walked when drinking. When I did want to stop, I knew it was because I was simply fed up, but I had no real physical pain until the last 2 mi. Then it was obvious the bike & the hills had worn into me and it was time to HTFU to the finish. Turn the last corner and there is a big, steep, mother of a hill. It felt like an eternity. It put me in a place of pain I had never ever been before. Somewhere on that hill I lost all concept of reality, I went into a daze and only knew that Dylan was waiting for me. It took all my will, all my sanity, all my might to get me to the finish…. I saw stars and pink bunnies and as I gave my legs over to a higher power, I ran on determination….I was empowered to run with perseverance and I just counted my steps, followed the pink bunnies & fuzzy stars, gave thanks for the moment and kept going. Rounding the corner on the up & over the finishing chute appears. It’s the longest and steepest downhill of the day and it took every last ounce of me to not embarrass my mother by simply tucking it in and rolling down.
I saw Dylan on the sideline, I burst into tears, and ran smack into the volunteer who held my medal.
Pain, joy, gratitude, more pain and more pain all came over me at once. It was over, and I knew I had more than beat my time, I had kicked it’s scrawny butt. I only got my time once they posted it an hour later- holding onto the bouquet of dead dandelions that Dylan gave me, I found my name on the list: Julie Gorham 5:45. 11th in my AG of 32 women. HAPPY!!
I AM A PUMPKINWOMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I couldn’t eat, could hardly walk. We sat at the top of that last hill and cheered on the last athletes coming in. In the midst of cheers and encouragement, with salt and snot and sweat caked on my face, I felt like to most beautiful Mommy alive. PPD has left a black hole of missing memories- so be it. Dylan & I are building new ones. Sitting in the grass that afternoon, hearing my baby cheer and play his harmonica for these awesome athletes- I lingered in my physical pain knowing I wanted it to last, so I could remember it and how worthy and deserving this celebration race was. Dylan and I both learned a lot during the 70.3 miles that make up Pumpkinman- we learned that our family, as silly and irrational as we might seem, we are a team. We are strong and able and totally blessed to be who we are. For as long as I don’t finish last, then we will be on the sidelines to cheer that last person on. We know what it means to need some support. And since life gave us that chance, since we got through and we survived the toughest race, we will be here to cheer on the other families who are raging the battle against PPD…..There is a finish line, there is passion where the void now rests, there is love waiting to fill up the darkness- just walk, one step at a time, through the aid stations and hold on….
Most people finish a race thinking, "I could have done this better, or pushed more there..." No Way! I was at the limit and I knew it and that is what balancing 3 sports + life + being a Mommy is about. It’s what I’m striving & learning for everyday in training- to simply be the best I can for those I love. 5:45 is the best I could have done on Sunday, and I'm darn proud of it.
Thank you, all of you, YOU ARE AWSOME!!
