My brother and his wife Karen welcomed a baby Cole into their family yesterday at 10:30am. He weighed in at 8 lb 2 oz and measured at 19 1/2 inches. He's a cutie and has dark wavy hair. He is struggling a bit and will be in the NICU for a bit. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
On Saturday morning, I woke up at 4:30am, got ready and headed over to pick up Tim to head down to Tooele, UT for the race. I had no expectations for the race and was mostly just looking forward to getting my first tri of the season done and under my belt. We arrived at the race site and headed over to packet pickup. I feel like I'm sort of becoming old hat at the whole race morning routine. I'd eaten my poptart in the car and was feeling pretty relaxed.
After I got my body marking done, I headed over to transition to start setting up my stuff. This was Tim's first experience at a triathlon, so he was taking it all in. The racks were sort of tiny and I didn't feel like I had much room. I set up my stuff and made sure that Oscar was in an easy gear and then we headed off to check out the lake. I wanted to get a feel for the ins and outs of the course and I also wanted to relax.
The lake looked totally murky and the swim course looked fine. There was a long run from the swim exit to the transition area, but no worries. Tim and I grabbed a spot on the hill and talked and relaxed for awhile. I was mentally planning my race and just chilling...not a bad way to spend the time before the race. My heart rate was low and I felt pretty relaxed.
When it was almost time for the pre-race meeting, I went back to transition, grabbed my wetsuit, swim cap, and goggles and then headed over to the meeting. The race director did a very nice job of describing the course and asked us not to pass on a certain section of the bike course (this becomes important later). After the meeting, I still had some time so I walked back over to where Tim was sitting and then my hands started shaking. We watched the men start, and then it was time to get in the lake. Tim said good luck and off I went.
I walked in the lake and was surprised that it wasn't as cold as I expected. I swam around a bit and noticed there was alot of grass and seaweed and junk. Plus, the water smelled like duck poop...oh boy. I peed in my wetsuit to warm things up and then we lined up for the deep water start. The race director said "go" and we were off.
I started swimming nice and easy and made sure that my breathing was good. I was mentally calming myself because I had grass on my face and stuck in my fingers and it was kinda freaking me out. I haven't swam in my full sleeve wetsuit since last June so I was getting used to that and my shoulders definitely felt tired. I had no problems with other swimmers bumping in to me and wasn't sure if it was because I was going too slow or what. I did try to swim in straight lines and noticed that most of the other swimmers were about 12 feet away from me and I wasn't sure if I was swimming long or what. Anyways, the first loop went fine and I actually sped up for the second loop. In my head, I was hoping to be out of the water before 30 min, so I was pleasantly surprised when I looked at my watch and the time was 27: something. I felt like I had a solid swim with no freaking out and that I was doing ok.
The run to the transition area was long and my heart rate was high, but once I got there, I got my wetsuit off with no problems, wiped off my feet, slipped on my bike shoes, helmet and sunglasses, grabbed Oscar and was off.
The bike course was a two loop course. I lost one of my water bottles before mile 2 and debated on whether to go back and get it. I decided I would just take the penalty. I felt like I was doing well on the bike and that I wasn't hammering too hard but that I was carrying my speed fairly well. I wasn't seeing any other women and was a little worried that I was WAY behind (I was) but decided to just get the bike done and get to the run. I did get stuck behind a man that was going just slower than me on the road that we weren't supposed to pass on and that was frustrating. I passed him on my way out to the second loop and then he passed me and then I hammered and pulled away from him. I didn't want to get stuck behind him on that road.
I kept hearing lots of sirens and was a little worried, but got really worried when I noticed lots of flashing lights ahead and cars stopped and stuff. I didn't know what had happened, but there were 3 cops, 2 fire trucks, an ambulance and some cars stopped. I had to weave through there and was really hoping that someone just crashed and didn't get hit by a car. I was almost back to transition so I upped my cadence and was definitely ready to be off the bike. (I've been dealing with some saddle sores so I was definitely uncomfortable during the second loop.) I was hoping to finish the bike around 1:30, so I was pleased with my time on the bike.
Tim was waiting for me at the bike transition and I waved and then ran over to my spot. Of course, someone had racked their bike in my place and moved my stuff around which was a little frustrating, but oh well. I racked Oscar, slipped of my cycling stuff, put on my running shoes (note to self...buy new yankz), grabbed my race belt and visor and was off.
The run course was also 2 loops and it was starting to get hot. I grabbed some water at the first aid station and then started trotting along, hoping to get my legs under me. I made it the first turn around, drank some Heed and water, and then headed back. I was starting to get a blister and some rubbing in my usual spot, but wasn't worried. I finished the first loop and knew that I was running at a pace that was working for me. The second loop actually went better. I started picking off some runners. I was working hard and feeling good, but was a little worried that I hadn't seen anyone else in my age group. I was hoping to finish my run in 1:06, so I was thrilled when I finished in 1:01.
Tim was waiting for me at the finish line. He got a big sweaty hug and I got some water. I was definitely thirsty and really wanted to blow my nose. I grabbed some chocolate milk, looked at the results and then we headed back to transition to gather up my stuff. I changed into some comfy clothes, whined about my sunburn, and enjoyed my chocolate milk. We loaded up the car and then headed to Best Burger and had the most delicious cheeseburger of my life. I was all wound up and Tim was cracking up because I was literally inhaling my food and chattering about the race and all of that.
I ended up coming in last in my age group and at the bottom of the Olympic racers which was a bit discouraging. I felt like I had a good race and that I was well-prepared and that I gave a good effort. Oh well...at least the first race is done and now I can enjoy the rest of the season and hope to see some more improvements!
Oh...Tim has decided that he's doing a triathlon in July...apparently my addiction is contagious!
Swim 28:07
T1 ?
Bike 1:25:58
T2 1:15
Run 1:01:45
Total 2:59:07
Last Friday afternoon, my parents and I headed up to Pocatello, Idaho for our races. My dad and I were doing the 1/2 century ride and my mom was running the 1/2 marathon. We arrived at our hotel and just laid around for awhile. My dad had worked the night before so he was pretty tired. When the race check in opened, we headed over to the bike shop to pick up our race packets and then grabbed some dinner at a mexican restaurant. The salsa was fantastic and I ate some yummy fish tacos. We headed back to the hotel and I crashed at 9pm. Apparently, I was wiped out because I didn't move until 5:30am. I went back to sleep until 7am.
Around 8am, my parents and I headed out to grab some breakfast. I have never done a bike race before, so I wasn't really sure what to eat. I ended up eating a piece of bacon, 2 eggs, some hashbrowns, a piece of french toast, and some skim milk. It definitely tasted good. We headed back to the room and started loading up and headed out to the race. We arrived at the park, unloaded the bikes, and started putzing around. My mom was all hyped up to go, but my dad and I were pretty kicked back.
Before the races started, I laid on the grass and relaxed. I was feeling good and prepared for the race. The course had 4 loops and my dad and I had decided to take the first loop easy and then see how it went after that. We watched the kids races and then it was time for us to start. My dad said to line up at the front and I was totally nervous about that. I'm not a fast cyclist so I didn't want to get run over by anyone. When we lined up I noticed that there were not alot of road bikes and not alot of women and I wasn't sure how that would play out.
So, the race started and we were off. Of course, I forgot to put my bike in an easy gear and we made the turn out of the start up a hill so that was fun. My legs felt like crap and I kept thinking, oh great...it's going to be a long day. My dad was ahead of me and we started cruising along. The course had some good rollers and was alot of fun. We hit the turnaround and then got to ride back into the wind, so my dad and I drafted off of each other. I think I got the better deal because he's alot bigger than I am. We finished the first loop and headed out for the next loop.
I really struggled during the second loop. I'm not sure what was going on, but my legs were tired. I kept thinking that I wasn't even to the halfway point and felt like crap. I tried to catch my dad, but just couldn't get up close enough to draft so I was feeling a little discouraged. We made the turnaround and started riding into the wind again. My dad noticed that I'm a late shifter and a masher. I knew that I was a masher so that wasn't a surprise. He started helping me on my shifting and my legs started to feel better.
On the third loop, I was feeling pretty good. I passed my dad and started pulling him for awhile. We passed a woman and I was very excited because I told my dad at the beginning of the race that I wanted to beat her. We cruised along to the turnaround and then came upon another woman who I had never been close to. I passed her on the uphill and then took off. My dad couldn't even keep up with me. I really started pushing and decided that I was going to be the first woman to finish the half century.
On the fourth loop, I definitely hammered. Oscar was doing great. I saw my dad and he wasn't too far behind me so I thought he would catch me. The woman I passed on the hill wasn't too far behind me either, so I turned it up a notch. I flew through the last loop and even did alot of standup pedaling on the hills. I wanted to finish strong and I knew I could beat the other two women I was racing against. I crossed the finish line in 2:53:53 according to my watch and then headed off to set Oscar against a tree and to find my dad. He came in about 3 minutes later.
We hung out and started looking for my mom. I had passed her 4 times so I knew she would be coming. I walked over to the food table and was completely grossed out by the dried out Great Harvest Bread and the brown apples, so I just filled up my water bottle with some water and hung out in the grass. My mom crossed the bridge into the park and was really struggling. I ran with her the last 1/4 mile or so and talked to her. She was really struggling.
Anyways, I ended up winning the women's 1/2 century...out of three women. I averaged 17.2 mph. My average HR was 179 so I was definitely working hard. My dad came in second place out of the men. We had a blast and I am totally looking forward to another cycling event. Oh, my nutrition...I finished two bottles of Heed and 2 packs of Clif Blocks on the bike.
May 18, 2009 - SWIM+BIKE
3100 yds. - This swim went great. I felt fast in the pool and finished in 1:06, which I'll take.
1:43 LT intervals - I hopped on the trainer as soon as I got home and wow...I'm definitely saddle sore. I think the worst part of the workout was sitting on the bike. My legs felt tired during the warmup, but started feeling better as the workout went on. My average HR was 158 so apparently, I was working hard.
May 19, 2009 - REST
I was supposed to run a couple of times today, but was up until 2am on Monday night and was just tired. I've also been dehydrated, so I figured out that it was better to get the water in than to sweat lots.
May 20, 2009 - SWIM+RUN
3350 yds. - I was tired for this swim, but it's the waking up at 4:30am that's tough. The workout was definitely long and I was in the pool for 1:20, but I felt like my form was good. I also threw in some sighting drills since I'm racing on Saturday and want to make sure that I remembered how to do that.
1:30 long run - I didn't get this run done. I'm still struggling with dehydration and fatigue from work.
May 21, 2009 - RUN+STRENGTH
long run with 1 mile repeats - Apparently I don't feel much like running in UT. I didn't do this workout either.
May 22, 2009 - SWIM+BIKE
2700 yds. - This swim went well, although I think I added extra yardage again. Waking up at 4:30am after 3 hours of sleep wasn't pleasant.
4 hour ride - My dad and I headed out for this ride and I had absolutely no snap in my legs at all. I couldn't go...it was so frustrating and I kept thinking that tomorrow is going to be tough. We ended up riding for 1:38 and did 25 miles. Yeah, I was really struggling.
May 23, 2009 - Stansbury Olympic Triathlon
The race went surprisingly well. I'm working on my race report and will have it up soon, with pictures.
May 24, 2009 - REST
May 11, 2009 - BIKE
Before I arrived in Utah, my dad and I made plans to do a ride today. We climbed for about 40 minutes and then rode home in 20 minutes. I was pleased with my climbing, as well as my adjustment to the altitude. Oh, and I also went hiking tonight.
May 12, 2009 - SWIM -
2600 yds. - In the summer, I swim at a pool that is only open from 5-6:30am, so I wake up at 4:30am to get to the pool in time to get a lane. I usually struggle with this, but this morning I bounced out of bed and hit the pool and was there right when it opened. This pool is MUCH cooler than what I've been swimming in so I actually swam super fast, mostly just to stay warm.
May 13, 2009 - SWIM
This was supposed to be an open water swim day, but since there is still lots of snow in the mountains, the lakes are not even sort of warm enough for swimming in. Anyways, I went to the pool and did a 30 min effort at race pace. I worked hard and got 1600 yds in, however, I went too fast and wasn't able to finish the other 30 min interval. Oh well...I did get complimented on my speed and form, so I guess I'm doing okay.
May 14, 2009 - RUN
1:20 intervals - I didn't get this run done this week. I'm still adjusting to my summer schedule with work. Plus, I was being lazy.
May 15, 2009 - SWIM
1950 yds. - This swim went great. I felt good and am still working on getting used to swimming in a cooler pool. Hopefully that will make jumping in the lake next Saturday a little bit less of a shock.
May 16, 2009 - POCATELLO ENDURANCE FESTIVAL 1/2 CENTURY
50 mile ride - This ride couldn't have gone any better. I'll write more in my race report.
May 17, 2009 - REST
May 4, 2009 - REST
I was sick, so no workout for me.
May 5, 2009 - SWIM
2800 yds. - This swim went well. I felt fast in the water and was definitely glad to be feeling better.
May 6, 2009 - RUN+BIKE+YOGA
45 min. recovery run - This run went surprisingly well. My legs were still a little tired, but nothing major.
55 min. cadence work - I need to seriously work on my cadence. I do not do a good job spinning and it definitely showed up in this workout.
last Wednesday night yoga until tri season is over - Yoga flew by. I couldn't believe how fast we got through the 1:15 workout. I was also surprised at how well I did considering it was my third workout of the day.
May 7, 2009 - SWIM
2000 yds. - This swim went well. I felt slow in the water but I think it was from the drills and counting dps.
May 8, 2009 - BIKE
2 hour easy ride
May 9, 2009 - REST
Probably will run with the team
May 10, 2009 - REST
On Friday afternoon, Katie, Carolyn, and I started our drive to Indianapolis with the help of Lola the GPS who always seems to have issues. We missed our exit and ended up sitting in major traffic and arrived at our hotel later than expected. Of course it was raining and so after we threw our stuff in the room and made a quick pit stop, we headed over to the expo. It was super busy and I got a little frustrated walking around...the whole crowd thing. We picked up our bibs and timing chips and then started shopping. We ended up with matching t-shirts and then wandered around and started making dinner plans.
Originally, we had planned on eating at the Old Spaghetti Factor, but we found out there was a 2 hour wait which meant we wouldn't get to eat until 9pm, which doesn't really work for me. The three of us were not interested in eating that late, so we went to Alcatraz Brewing Company and we actually got seated as soon as we walked in. Apparently, runners don't eat at brewing companies the night before a race. Dinner was fun, the food was tasty, and I even got called "honey." Oh, and of course the waiter had to say something about my water habit...yes, I'm still a camel who can put away lots and lots of water. I ate half of a cheeseburger, some fries, and some onion rings.
After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and started setting our stuff out for the race. I was tired, but knew it would be hard to sleep, so I was looking forward to a long night. Katie and Carolyn fell asleep first and then the tossing and turning started. Someday, I'll learn how to sleep in a hotel. I don't think Carolyn and Katie slept well either because the room was definitely quiet, but not the everyone is sleeping quiet.
Anyways, the alarm wen toff at 5:45am and we got up and started getting ready to go. I ate a poptart and drank a glass of water, my breakfast of champions. I wasn't sure how cool it would be outside, but I figured it would probably be a beautiful day for running. We left the hotel and started walking to the start. While we were heading to gear check, I stopped at the portapotties to make a deposit which made me so happy that I actually did the happy dance in the portapotty. That meant there would be no issues during the race! Yay! We made it to gear check and then started walking back to our corrals. I stopped at G, made a quick portapotty stop, and then started looking for people I knew. I bumped into another one of my students and then Sherry and Kim and then Howard, Tammy, and Karen who were all in the G corral.
Finally it was time for the race to start. We crossed the start line 5 minutes after the start. Howard made a quick stop at his woods and it was so humid that I had my long sleeved shirt off before mile 1. We passed the elephants, even got to see the baby elephant, and got to mile 1 and of course, I realized I started too fast. I started to slow down but I got to mile 2 in 9:40 which was WAY too fast. At some point I bumped back into Karen and we started running together.
We cruised along and then I stopped at a portapotty for a quick stop and headed into the speedway. I was feeling okay and then started noticing some achiness in my back between miles 7 and 8 so I stopped and walked for a few minutes. I wasn't sure if I was just being a sallie or what, but I really didn't want to have any long term back issues, so I decided to kind of see how I was feeling. Karen came by and I was surprised she was behind me so I started running with her. We headed out of the track and around mile 9, Karen mentioned that she was struggling. I told her we just had to run to Tipton. We got to mile 10 and I told her we only had a 5k left.
I was feeling really good at this point and felt like I could have picked up the pace (I guess I was just being a sallie), but Karen was really struggling. I really struggled in my head with the decision to leave Karen or to help her along. At one point, I actually kept running through a water stop and then decided to stop and wait for her. I talked her through the last mile and we crossed the finish line together. She gave me a big hug and said thanks and we made our way to the Team in Training tent.
We bumped into Howard, Sherry, and Tammy and started talking about the race. The weather was absolutely perfect. It was humid, but the sun didn't come out until mile 9 so it wasn't too hot. We talked for a little while and then they all headed back to the hotel and I sat down to wait for Katie and Carolyn. Eventually they showed up and we talked to Carolyn's parents before we headed back to the hotel for showers. We met Carolyn's family at Arni's Pizza and had an eventful lunch that included me dumping marinara sauce on Carolyn's cousin's phone (welcome to my life!) and good conversation.
We finally got on the road and were cruising along until we came to a complete stop for 45 minutes. We got to turn off the car while the fire department managed a burning car. That was a new and different experience. We got home around 7:30pm, which was alot later than I expected but it was a really fun weekend. Carolyn, Katie, and I have already made plans for our race next year. We're headed to Orlando in March for the Princess 1/2 Marathon. That should definitely be a great time!
Splits
Mile 1 10:28 (156bpm)
Mile 2 9:39 (167bpm)
Mile 3 10:24 (165bpm)
Mile 4 10:06 (165bpm)
Mile 5 10:43 (165 bpm)
Mile 6 11:24 (164bpm) - This is where I stopped to pee.
Mile 7 10:48 (165 bpm)
Mile 8 10:44 (164bpm)
Mile 9 12:21 (155bpm) - This is where I walked for 3:30.
Mile 10 11:31 (162bpm)
Mile 11 11:22 (160bpm)
Mile 12 11:36 (162bpm)
Mile 13 12:08 (162bpm)
Mile 0.1 57 (172bpm)
