My first triathlon was such an amazing experience and the feeling of accomplishment carried through the entire holiday weekend, and all of the Memorial Day weekend picnics. After a weekend of barbecues and desserts I was feeling a little full and it was time to get back to the gym Tuesday morning. I woke up really early before the kids were awake and before the babysitting room at the gym opens. I spent this time cleaning up the dishes from the party the night before and getting some much needed laundry done. The job of a mom-triathlete is never finished!
While I worked around the quiet house I thought about what laid ahead of me. I had accomplished the goal that I had worked towards all winter. Now what? Was I finished with triathlon? Could I find the motivation to do another one?
When the kids woke up I got them dressed and fed and headed to the gym. I decided that doing was better than thinking. I checked them in to the babysitting room and headed to the treadmill. It decided to run one mile intervals with three minute walks in between. I used this a lot as a way to run my miles faster. It is a mental game with me. Running at a 6.0 mph pace seems hard on the treadmill if I think I am going to run four miles, but not so bad if I am only running one.
After my third mile Erin came out of class with a few other runners that joined me on the treadmill. The conversation urged me to go another two and all of the talk was about our race this past weekend. Erin wants to do another one soon and so do I. It sounds to me like I need to find another race to sign up for soon!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Tri for Joe Race Report
I woke up with a start and checked my watch. It read 3:22 am. Back to sleep until the alarm went off at 5. Popped up out of bed and put in my contacts. Then squished into my trisuit and sports bra. Not a pretty sight to wake up to! I put on my flip flops and pulled on my long sleeve performance top. It was so reminiscent of all those early morning swim meets as a kid.
Luckily I had set the coffee maker the night before and it was ready for me when I came down the stairs. I had the usual breakfast of Balance Bar and coffee and finished with some more water. Bill was ready to go so we put my gear in the car and set off.
Soon the phone rang. First it was my friend Kristin checking in. Next it was Erin who was just ahead of me on the highway. She gave me some last minute pointers and I felt my stress level go from mild to super high.
As we pulled in to Coney I suddenly felt panicked. Unloading my bike I felt like I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going. Luckily Erin was parked nearby and she directed me to check-in.
I checked in and they gave me a bracelet marked 104 for me and one for the bike. I was also given a cap with 104 on it.
Next I stood in another line to get my "chip" that was a strap that velcroed around my ankle. Then I left Bill and walked my bike into transition. I set up my gear like I had practiced and then grabbed my gear for the swim.
On the way to the pool my stomach felt sick. I hopped into the pool to warm up and quickly my nerves settled as I swam. It's like all of a sudden I remembered that it was swimming and that I love swimming!
I got out and found Erin and Kristin. They were so nervous about the swim and I tried to make them laugh. We merged into the crowd lining up for the swim. They called the top 50 swimmers and the rest of us held back.
I though they would call the rest in waves but they didn't. It soon became long line that seemed to take forever. Instead of climbing to the front I stuck with Erin and we started together. I quickly lost track of her and focused on my breathing and finding my way around the buoys.
I became quickly frustrated by the slow swimmers in front of me and the traffic in the turns but just worked hard to get through it. When I made the turn for the second lap I couldn't believe how fast time was ticking by.
In a blink I was running out of the pool back to the transition area. Running on the pool deck went against all of my lifeguard instincts :-)
In transition I felt slow. I had trouble getting my socks and shoes on and eventually started off clicking on the pavement in my cycling cleats. When I left transition I mounted my bike and luckily clicked in on my first try. As I started riding I realized my bike wasn't quite in gear and I had to pedal and shift to get it there. Whoops! Definitely something to add to my pre-race checklist. Then I realized I hadn't reset my bike computer and was having trouble doing it while riding. Another thing to do next time.
The bike was fun and I worked to stay focused and tried to keep my speed consistent. I passed a lot of people and was only passed by a few. There were a lot of super expensive bikes, but I felt like I held my own with a 40 minute time at an average 18.5 mph.
Another slow transition getting my running shoes on with nothing to hold on to. I decided to try the GU packet I had so I ripped it open and squished it into my mouth as I ran out of transition. I immediately regretted this as I had no water and it tasted like warm strawberry banana toothpaste. This was so gross until I reached the first water station.
I would be lying if I said I felt fast on the run. My legs felt like goo and it took forever to get to the second mile mark. It was getting hot and the sun was brutal. Soon I saw Erin coming back past the turn. She was less than a mile ahead of me after passing me on the bike early on. She said I was doing great. Soon my breathing was going better and I started to feel my strength. In the second mile I made myself think about how much better this was than taking my kids to Target earlier in the week!
In the last mile I just kept pushing and was getting so excited to finish. I kept checking my watch and knew I was close to my goal time. As I approached the finish it felt awesome and a wave of relief rushed over me. I found Bill and he gave me a hug. I was so happy that tears welled up on my eyes.
I quickly wiped them away and recovered my breathing. I headed to transition to pack up and find Erin. She was showing off her first place medal for her age group! She is so fast! There were lots of hugs and photos. I couldn't believe it was over! We found Kristin and took more pictures. I tried to wait for the results but they were having a hard time getting them all loaded. We decided to leave and check my times later. When results were posted a day later I was shocked to find that I had placed second in the Athena and Kristin placed third in her age group. We get medals! My time was a 1:30.15. The results are posted here http://www.hfpracing.com/images/stories/12_results/T4J/sprinttriagegroup.htm
It was really one of the best experiences of my life and I think that I am now officially hooked. Looking at my times I know that I have a lot of improvement to do in making my transitions faster. I know I can also improve a lot on the run. Now I just need to find my next race to register for!
Luckily I had set the coffee maker the night before and it was ready for me when I came down the stairs. I had the usual breakfast of Balance Bar and coffee and finished with some more water. Bill was ready to go so we put my gear in the car and set off.
Soon the phone rang. First it was my friend Kristin checking in. Next it was Erin who was just ahead of me on the highway. She gave me some last minute pointers and I felt my stress level go from mild to super high.
 |
| Erin and I waiting to check in. |
I checked in and they gave me a bracelet marked 104 for me and one for the bike. I was also given a cap with 104 on it.
 |
| My souvenir cap with my bib number. |
Next I stood in another line to get my "chip" that was a strap that velcroed around my ankle. Then I left Bill and walked my bike into transition. I set up my gear like I had practiced and then grabbed my gear for the swim.
On the way to the pool my stomach felt sick. I hopped into the pool to warm up and quickly my nerves settled as I swam. It's like all of a sudden I remembered that it was swimming and that I love swimming!
I got out and found Erin and Kristin. They were so nervous about the swim and I tried to make them laugh. We merged into the crowd lining up for the swim. They called the top 50 swimmers and the rest of us held back.
I though they would call the rest in waves but they didn't. It soon became long line that seemed to take forever. Instead of climbing to the front I stuck with Erin and we started together. I quickly lost track of her and focused on my breathing and finding my way around the buoys.
I became quickly frustrated by the slow swimmers in front of me and the traffic in the turns but just worked hard to get through it. When I made the turn for the second lap I couldn't believe how fast time was ticking by.
In a blink I was running out of the pool back to the transition area. Running on the pool deck went against all of my lifeguard instincts :-)
In transition I felt slow. I had trouble getting my socks and shoes on and eventually started off clicking on the pavement in my cycling cleats. When I left transition I mounted my bike and luckily clicked in on my first try. As I started riding I realized my bike wasn't quite in gear and I had to pedal and shift to get it there. Whoops! Definitely something to add to my pre-race checklist. Then I realized I hadn't reset my bike computer and was having trouble doing it while riding. Another thing to do next time.
 |
| Here I am in the transition area with my bike after the finish. I look like a hot mess! |
Another slow transition getting my running shoes on with nothing to hold on to. I decided to try the GU packet I had so I ripped it open and squished it into my mouth as I ran out of transition. I immediately regretted this as I had no water and it tasted like warm strawberry banana toothpaste. This was so gross until I reached the first water station.
I would be lying if I said I felt fast on the run. My legs felt like goo and it took forever to get to the second mile mark. It was getting hot and the sun was brutal. Soon I saw Erin coming back past the turn. She was less than a mile ahead of me after passing me on the bike early on. She said I was doing great. Soon my breathing was going better and I started to feel my strength. In the second mile I made myself think about how much better this was than taking my kids to Target earlier in the week!
In the last mile I just kept pushing and was getting so excited to finish. I kept checking my watch and knew I was close to my goal time. As I approached the finish it felt awesome and a wave of relief rushed over me. I found Bill and he gave me a hug. I was so happy that tears welled up on my eyes.
 |
| Happy to be finished - pictured here with my friend Kristin. |
It was really one of the best experiences of my life and I think that I am now officially hooked. Looking at my times I know that I have a lot of improvement to do in making my transitions faster. I know I can also improve a lot on the run. Now I just need to find my next race to register for!
Friday, May 25, 2012
All Packed!
Apparently I pack for races like I pack for vacation! I can't believe how much gear I have for this race. Today was a roller coaster of emotions from scared to excited and then back to stupidly nervous. Ok now to get to sleep quickly!
Monday, May 21, 2012
Last Chance Workout
Today I did my last hard workout before my race. 1500 swim, 1 mile run, 30 minutes of spin. I plan to keep it to short easy workouts the rest of the week.
Today was the first time training in my new trisuit! I felt really fast in the swim. I toweled off and threw on a tek top and went for a jog on the treadmill. It worked pretty well and it was great on the bike! I still need to pick up some new goggles, but otherwise I am starting to feel prepared in the gear department.
Today was the first time training in my new trisuit! I felt really fast in the swim. I toweled off and threw on a tek top and went for a jog on the treadmill. It worked pretty well and it was great on the bike! I still need to pick up some new goggles, but otherwise I am starting to feel prepared in the gear department.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
One Week
One week until race day. I am not ready. I am getting in some much needed miles on my bike and am ready to use my fancy pedals. It's hot this week so I may not need my wet suit for the swim. It also means I am a hot mess running outside. Whew!
I just finished 13 miles on the bike trail and now I need to run. Here is a pic of my fancy bike rack, and the super cute coffee place by the bike trail that I can ride to.
I just finished 13 miles on the bike trail and now I need to run. Here is a pic of my fancy bike rack, and the super cute coffee place by the bike trail that I can ride to.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Rat Race Success!
I can't believe it is taking me so long to blog about this race! We went to Clearwater, FL the week before my race and I was so worried that was going to kill my training. Fortunately the weather was awesome and I woke up early a few days! I had this great run over the causeways one day that gave me a lot of confidence. Also the Florida climate was awesome for my allergies.
Sadly I did not run everyday and I definitely did not stay on a healthy eating plan. We flew home the Thursday before the race and Friday I just did a short run and swam.
Saturday I was a ball of nerves and I did not know why. It was cold and I shivered through Liam's soccer game. When I got home I was so cold that I decides to take a hot shower. Bill found it amusing that I was taking a shower before running a 5k. The shower worked wonders and I felt loose and ready to go.
Nancy and Andy picked me up and we headed down to the bike trail. We got to registration later than I had wanted to and they were all out of my size race shirt :( they gave me one from last year and Nancy traded me so it worked out. I told the group that I was shooting for 31 minutes. I know I am slow, but that's where I am.
The first mile felt great! I started towards the back and now I was racing past people. The bridge over the little Miami didn't seem nearly as steep this time. The second mile is always the toughest. I just kept trudging along. Then my friends Emily and Maren went flying past and at mile three I kicked it up again.
I never caught up, but I wasn't too far behind them. I finished with enough left in the tank to sprint it out at the finish line. Looking at the race clock I knew I had broken 30 mins. When I checked the website later in the week it actually said 28:31! That is ten minutes faster than last year!
I know this is slow for runners but I am still getting back into shape and so for me it is awesome. I felt a huge confidence boost for my upcoming tri.
My tri suit is on its way from California. It will not be pretty - but nothing about this race is going to be pretty. I am reveling in the nerdiness of this sport!
Sadly I did not run everyday and I definitely did not stay on a healthy eating plan. We flew home the Thursday before the race and Friday I just did a short run and swam.
Saturday I was a ball of nerves and I did not know why. It was cold and I shivered through Liam's soccer game. When I got home I was so cold that I decides to take a hot shower. Bill found it amusing that I was taking a shower before running a 5k. The shower worked wonders and I felt loose and ready to go.
Nancy and Andy picked me up and we headed down to the bike trail. We got to registration later than I had wanted to and they were all out of my size race shirt :( they gave me one from last year and Nancy traded me so it worked out. I told the group that I was shooting for 31 minutes. I know I am slow, but that's where I am.
The first mile felt great! I started towards the back and now I was racing past people. The bridge over the little Miami didn't seem nearly as steep this time. The second mile is always the toughest. I just kept trudging along. Then my friends Emily and Maren went flying past and at mile three I kicked it up again.
I never caught up, but I wasn't too far behind them. I finished with enough left in the tank to sprint it out at the finish line. Looking at the race clock I knew I had broken 30 mins. When I checked the website later in the week it actually said 28:31! That is ten minutes faster than last year!
I know this is slow for runners but I am still getting back into shape and so for me it is awesome. I felt a huge confidence boost for my upcoming tri.
My tri suit is on its way from California. It will not be pretty - but nothing about this race is going to be pretty. I am reveling in the nerdiness of this sport!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)