Weather conditions were brutal for IMNC70.3, but I raced strong and crossed the finish line. More to come on that, but Erin requested a recap of the “2026 safety pin incident,” which now is known as the IMNC70.3 Pin Party. I owe her big time, so here it is. (Even before I blog about 2025 IMNC70.3, 2026 IMJax, or 2026 IMNC70.3 race!)
Race morning went as usual. One thing of note to this story - I always wear my one-piece tri kit on my bottom half only with a tank top on top until after my last portapotty stop. I keep a backup kit in my tri bag, and I had made sure it was packed for this trip. Race morning, I put on my tri kit and tested the zipper. I decided not to move my backup kit to my morning clothes bag because that would be overkill. No, I don’t know why I thought something that took up so little room should be left behind, but I just thought I was being paranoid (despite a kit malfunction prerace last year, which is why I keep one in my tri bag now) and didn’t need it.
After getting T1 set, Erin and I rode the bus to swim start. We went to the “fast” lot to hop in the portapotty line. As people lined up at 6:50, we continued to chill and use the portapotty because race start wasn’t until 7:10. Last year I got in with the folks estimating a 35 min swim at 7:40 and I was thinking I’d start a bit further back this year so figured around 7:20 I’d put my kit on and use my inhaler then drop my morning clothes bag off.
I took my tank top off, put my arms in the kit and pulled it over my shoulders, then went to zip it and the zipper came off. I was immediately flooded with panic and anxiety. Marcy kept me calm and tried to put the zipper back on, and I asked Erin to go to the volunteer tent to see if there were safety pins while I called her husband to see if he could get into my hotel room (a Hail Mary since there was no way he’d get it to me on time).
The zipper absolutely was not going back on. Erin and Marcy kept me calm and worked together to safety pin me up. They came up with a great strategy and set to work. About halfway in, the fact that I was setting myself up for nasty chafing set in. I saw there was Vaseline on the volunteer table and tried to rub some on quickly as they kept pinning. They debated leaving the top of my kit open, but I told them I wanted it totally secure. I had a brief moment of panic when I thought of the fact that there’s no way I could get out of the kit if I had to use the bathroom (quite the problem for someone with exercise-induced IBS), but I quickly pushed it away - a problem for another time if it came up.
With what felt like the 800th pin in place, I threw on my swimskin, ran across the parking lot to drop my morning clothes bag, ran back across the lot, made my way through the athletes wearing wetsuits, and was the last non-wetsuit athlete to enter the water (at 7:37!). I got to the timing mat with my goggles not even on yet! No time for race nerves - put goggles on and start!
And that was my Pin Party and how I ended up racing IMNC70.3 looking like Sally from Nightmare Before Halloween. I am forever grateful to Erin and Marcy for keeping me calm and helping problem solve to get me started. That finish would not have been possible without them!
Special shoutout to Natalia who put an extra tri kit into my T2 bag while I was out on the bike course in case the pins weren’t working and I needed to change!
And how did I get them off? A nice paramedic in the med tent post race (just in there warming up) was kind and patient and took care of them so I could get out of my wet kit.
And where are all those pins now? I made a pin necklace out of them and it is hanging with my medal.
