Monday, August 31, 2009

Go Girl Triathlon Race Report

Saturday was the last triathlon of the season. This race was my one year anniversary of triathlon racing. The Go Girl was my first race last year and after a terrifying swim, I am shocked I stuck with it.

So, how was the race? GREAT! I didn't get to see my race results until today and I am really happy with my times. When they posted results on Saturday, my name was suspiciously not anywhere on the list. I knew my chip was working because I heard it beeping during the race when I crossed timing mats. I emailed the guys at Tuxedo Brothers and they kindly researched the issue and figured out what my times were.

500 meter Swim: 15:07.01 (PR)

I did get to wear my new wetsuit. The wetsuit does help keep my big butt floating, however, it requires me to slightly modify my stroke and I haven't swam in it enough to figure out how not to make my left arm really sore and tired. The other issue I didn't experience in the pool was the feeling of claustrophobia and constriction in the open water. Again, it is just a lack of practice in the wetsuit and I am confident that next time I'm out in open water it will be even better. This was the first race I really have experienced effortlessly passing LOTS of people in the water. It was kind of cool! I didn't feel like I had a great swim when I got done, but this is the fastest 500 meter open water swim I've ever done.

T1: 3:27.3

T1 was SLOW. First time dealing with the wetsuit made me a little slow. I also was having issues with my cycling shoes.

The bike was MUCH improved over the last sprint tri. The hill that is immediately after transition did NOT kick my butt this time! I was not as fast as the Oly, but that course is totally flat. There are a few good rollers on the Eagle Creek course. Jarrett also did some quality adjustments to my bike fit. I took the seat up and adjusted my aero bars. The seat adjustment made a HUGE difference. No more knee pain!

10 Mile Bike: 0:39:38.7 (15.1 mph)

T2: 3:50.6 - Yeah...I don't know....I can't blame the wetsuit this time....maybe it was the search for the Kleenex?

The run was good. The hill out of transition did kick my butt on the run. I grabbed water and ran about half way up before I had to walk. I needed to finish my water and clear the water out of my head. I picked up my pace quickly and managed to find another runner to pace. She was wearing a watch and muttering to herself about a 10 mile pace and I thought "Score! I'll stick with this one!" It worked out well for me. I ran on her heels until about a quarter of a mile to the finish where I took off and sprinted ahead of our little pace group :)

3 mile Run: 0:30:18.9 (10:06 min/m)

Overall Race Time: 1:32:22.6

So what has a year done? Last years time: 1:40:26.3

My biggest improvements are in the swim. My swim last year was 21:19. The bike was also a slight improvement. Last year was 0:42:01.1 (14.3 mph). Last years run was 0:31:33.6 (10:31.2 min/mile).

Monday, August 24, 2009

And the race is on!

I have decided that HIM Augusta 2010 is going to be my race. I had a very difficult time choosing between Augusta and Florida. The main reason I went with Augusta is the time. September 2010 is 13 months from now. I will be ready. Florida is 9 months away. I could be ready, but I would also be missing running the Mini and the chance to get a few more sprints under my belt before the big race.

I bought my first wetsuit today! It is a Blue Seventy Reaction. I got it for a steal at the end of the season sale at my local bike shop. I tried on a total of four suits before settling on the Reaction. It fit, the price was right, and I hope to get a chance to use it this weekend at the last tri of the season.

In other news - Jarrett finished his first sprint triathlon last weekend! I am very proud of him. He has committed to doing another next year but has no desire to train for a HIM.

The fuzz kids are great. Maddie, our rescue sheltie, is doing very well. Mimi is as adorable as ever and Chloe the kitty thinks she rules the house. Frosty has made AMAZING progress this summer. After our last disastrous horse show, he and I have made some great strides. I've had to work through some fear issues from a rather nasty fall early in the summer, but I think I've got that all behind me now.

The house is coming along nicely. We just replaced the carpet in the majority of the house. We put down some nice laminate flooring in our spare room and master closet and are in the process of choosing a nice wood or laminate for our first floor. After the floors are done we're moving on to our master bath. Other then the house being in a constant state of disarray, it is starting to look really nice.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Tri Indy Olympic Distance Triathlon Race Report

Please excuse my lack of blogging, but I'm not sure where the time has gone these last few weeks...Oh wait...it has gone to work, training, eating, riding (horse or bike), and sleeping!

My first Olympic distance tri was last weekend. It was a unique experience and possibly the most physically challenging thing I have ever done.

I was up at 5:00 am to start my pre-race ritual. I had my english muffin with jam, double checked all my gear, and started hydrating. I decided to take a Pepcid AC and allergy pill. I've noticed this season that I have bad acid reflux about an hour into any strenuous activity. This was the first race I've doped with the Pepcid, but I figured it was worth the risk.

My honorable sherpa husband loaded the bike in the Blazer and we were off to White River State Park in beautiful, yet under major construction, Indianapolis. The transition area was well organized. I chatted with a few of the other athlete in my rack and found that I was surrounded by some very seasoned athletes and some newbies. John, one of the newbies, was given the Oly as a 40th birthday present from his twin brother, who was also competing. His brother is a Marine. John is a working dad...more on this later.

The pre-race meeting was pretty standard stuff. After it was over, Jarrett and I headed down the canal for the 1500 meter walk to the swim start. It was a wave start in 30 person groups. I started about 30 minutes after the first group. The downtime before the swim start gave me a chance to make one last bathroom stop. The swim start was uneventful. I was more comfortable during this swim and I can tell that my swimming is improving. I did still have to throw in the occasional breath stroke and I did stop to fix my goggles once.

1500 meter Swim Time: 0:44:07.9

I had a nice surprise in T1. My step-brother-in-law Zack decided to come down and observe the festivities. He is competing with his girlfriend and Jarrett this weekend in their first Sprint Tri. I'm their sherpa! He had his video camera and was being very encouraging. T1 was a bit longer then I would have liked. There were a ton of distractions. Zack taking pictures, John wanting to chat, and my complete inability to hold on to my sunglasses. I dropped them like 5 times before I got them on.

T1: 3:02.6

The bike was great. The course was basically flat. There was one very fun downhill part, but as usual, it was followed immediately by a hairpin turn. I saw three people wipe out so I rode it pretty conservatively. The bike course was a double loop. Unfortunately, I didn't check my bike when Jarrett put the wheel back on and didn't realize that he put the wheel on backwards so my bike computer wouldn't work :( I managed to successfully stick to my nutrition plan - 2 Cliff Shot Blocks every 30 minutes and a bottle of water every hour. John, my transition buddy was immediately in front of me when we left transition. This would be the start of the two of us leap frogging the entire bike course. At one point, we passed the fast peeps on their way back to transition. We just happened to pass his twin who was totally kicking our butts. Then again, he is a Marine. I expect him to be able to kick my butt!


25 mile Bike: 1:34:21.8

T2: 2:34.6

I grabbed my fuel belt and headed out for the run. It only took me about half a mile to realize that it was FREAKING HOT! When I was on the bike, there was a pleasant breeze keeping things moderately comfortable. As soon as I hit the hot pavement, I felt the 92 degree heat penetrating my will to live. I did press on and managed to have one of the slowest 6 mile wogs ever. The run was also a double loop. My only complaint was that they did not have the turnaround for the Oly well marked. I missed it and ended up having to back track so I didn't get an off course penalty. It cost me a good 2 minutes.

6 mile Run: 1:19:52.9

Total Time: 3:43:59.8

Learning's:
1. I need to run more. My running has seriously suffered this year.
2. I need to train smarter. I currently have a half-ass training plan. I need to write it down and follow it...not wing it.
3. I can do this!
4. I want to do a HIM next year. I know I can if I train consistently.