Rumpass in Bumpass - Race Report Part 2

My training buddies and I were in the same swim start wave – which was very cool. We eased into the water, chilly, but really not that bad. We went through the previous day's tips and added pouring hot water down our wetsuits – which was incredibly helpful. So much so, that even getting out of and back in the water was no problem.

After a final group hug, our blue cap wave was about to set off. I followed Ironwoman Canada’s directions to start more toward the front of the pack. The swim felt great and I didn’t even mind being close to other racers. The first yellow turn buoy arrived fairly quickly. At this point, I still had two racers on either side of me who had been swimming with me for awhile – so I just continued along with them around the turn.

Stroke, stroke, stroke, sight, don’t see the buoy for awhile.

Stroke, stroke, stroke, sight, still no buoy.

Stroke, stroke, stroke, there is the first buoy ahead.

Stroke, stroke, stroke, sight, look for next buoy.

Notice there are NO swimmers ahead and STOP.

My swim partners kept going while I looked around. Yep, no one was ahead, though a few poor souls had followed us – as we basically had made a U-turn and were heading back to the start. Did I just blow any chance of a PR within the first 10 minutes? Wasn’t my race number supposed to be a good omen? I saw a bunch of blue caps on the correct path and concentrated on narrowing the ever growing gap. Somehow, I caught up with a group of them by the second yellow buoy and, thankfully, managed to stay on course for the rest of the swim. My time was 32:10 – about 40 seconds off my best Olympic swim time – 5/15 in my age group. Considering the extra meters, I was grateful.

In transition, I tried not to dawdle as much as I usually do – and actually did OK – again 5/15 in my age group.

I was excited to get on Patriot Sangria. Before the race, I decided to push the bike – I had an average mph goal in mind if the weather was good and I was feeling strong.

I settled in, ate and drank a bit before the turn to the main road. Then, I gradually built up speed. Since my legs felt good – I tried to figure out that point between what I could maintain with a good push vs. what would be too much. The course was slightly rolling with one climb that was a bit deceiving and a beautiful smooth stretch of road where you could fly. Not many women passed me – and I gradually moved my way up through the crowd, passing a bunch of girls in green team shirts.

Around mile 10, I ran into TRIgirl JS – she looked strong and was having a great bike.

With loop one almost done, I looked for information about loop two. I saw a sign with different arrows pointing to the finish and the second loop.

I swear I followed the right arrow.

But as Devilface wisely commented a few years ago, sometimes you just get race drunk.

I think I sensed something was off – I called out, “Loop 2, Loop 2?” but I don’t think anyone heard me.

Then I see the transition area. Then the dismount line. I slow down and stop.

“Loop 2?”

“This is the finish. You missed it – it is back up by the main road.”

“SH*****TTTT!!!!”

I made it back to the main road to start loop 2 - adding probably a little over a half mile to the day's course. I cringed seeing all those green shirts again - and it took probably another 10 miles to make up lost ground. I was happy that I appeared to be maintaining my pace - maybe it was SuperAnnn's magic candy. I didn't know my overall bike time because I hadn't reset my the trip time (doh) before the race. When race results were posted later, I found out my bike was 1:18:29 - 4/15 in my age group. I met my goal and with a little cushion - especially if factoring in the extra distance!

Pulling in, it was great to see SuperAnnn and Barracuda BL's big smiles.

T2 wasn't quite as good as T1 - 9/15. Maybe because I wasn't nearly so excited about running as I had been about biking!

After leaving transition, it was back onto the trail from earlier in the morning. It was muddy in places - not overgrown, but with a few serious roots sticking up here and there. After pushing on the bike, I definitely felt that wonderful (awful) "brick" feeling - and more pronounced than I'd experienced in a long time.

The run out and backs were mostly on the road, with many rollers. It was getting warm - but still nice and dry - so dumping water felt good and kept me cool for most of the stretches between aid stations.

All the TRIgirls and I were pretty close on the run and we'd see each other on the out and backs. At one point, I told TRIgirl JS that I'd pay someone to do the second loop for me.

I had the Garmin for the run - so I knew my run was averaging at a slower pace than my best for an Oly race. I actually started to feel a little better during the last 2 miles (not that my pace improved at all). Though the last few hundred meters seemed much longer!

Coming around the corner to the finish, I saw and heard our great sherpas cheering. I mustered up a small sprint - and hoped the time I saw on the clock was right. And that the start time was right.

Because if it was...

I found out later my hopes came true. I had a PR - of a whopping 35 seconds - 2:59:28, just barely breaking 3 hours for the first time. Even with my lackluster run of 1:03:12 - 8/15. Overall, I finished 5/15 - with the fourth place finisher beating me by 15 seconds.

All my training buddies had solid races, too. TRIgirl JB shared my need for a compass as she missed a turn on the run and probably did an extra half mile (I'll take extra time on the bike any day vs. the run). And there was some hardware to celebrate! Barracuda BN placed first in his age group and TRIgirl PH finished second in hers. We waited to watch them receive their awards - very cool and impressive glass mugs - while sipping some of SuperAnnn's champagne.

I think all of us were enjoying the day - and we decided to extend it a little longer with a final stop back at TRIgirl JS' home.

For some Rumpus wine and cookies!

Race Report - Route 66 Olympic

brrrring, Brrrring, BRRRRING.

The wake-up call sang out to me Sunday morning around 5:15.

"I really wouldn't mind if it is raining so I can roll right back over" was the first thought in my mind as I looked out the window to see a clear, dark morning mocking me.

So, instead, I stretched out for a few minutes before resigning myself that there was no excuse to skip the day's race.

No nerves, nothing to really do, I dressed, grabbed my gear - and met up with three other co-workers - all guys (and a fabulous sherpa girlfriend).

One coworker and I joked about how easily we could be convinced to find a rich 'ol, fattening, yummy breakfast - until we were split up by the more dedicated and motivated of the bunch to head over, once again, to El Reno Lake.

The drive - and company - helped my mood. I progressed from "I don't want to do this" to "I guess I have to do this" to "I'll do this and think of it as a training day." The open water exposure would be a good warm-up for next weekend - and the rest of the race would help burn off the abundance of conference calories waiting for me. I'd left my Garmin at home by accident - and knew that without a watch there wouldn't be much of a way to really keep track of how I was doing.

We arrived at the race site. It was humid, but overcast and less windy. The water was calm.

The coworkers I raced with were awesome - I think we were more concerned with helping each other than anything else.

"Need some body glide?"

"Want a tray to wash your feet?"

"Do you have an extra towel?"

The race announcer seemed a bit...grumpy from the previous day. He chastised us about the record number of penalties given out at the previous day's Sprint. He warned us that he did not want a repeat of yesterday's swim - and if anyone was even remotely uncomfortable in open water, he'd let them race in the "Land Lovers" category.

We all headed down to the lake as the race was a mass start. After my coworkers and I gave each other last high fives - I headed to the back of the pack. The gun sounded and we were off. The water was very murky - similar to the James River. If there were any fish or debris, I couldn't see it.

I soon realized I probably shouldn't have started quite so far back. Big, oblivious men created a road block as I tried to settle in. One particularly annoying guy would not let me pass as he criss-crossed in front of me while I tried to swim around him. I gave up on keeping a path close to the buoys and veered off to the outskirts of the course. There, I finally started to find my groove.

Exiting the water, one volunteer unzipped my wetsuit, another pulled me up to the race exit - and after a short run, a couple more helped strip off my wetsuit (how cool was THAT at an Olympic distance race???!!!). Going into transition, I checked the clock - 31:10.

And I smiled - a nice 6-7 minute gain from my past Olympic PR swim.

In transition, I started to prepare for the bike. One of my coworkers exited the swim and since we were racked together, we spent some time trading stories.

I breathed a sigh of relief starting the bike. There was wind, but not nearly as bad as the day before. Still, I was only cautiously optimistic. Three days in Oklahoma had taught me that the winds tended to pick up throughout the day.

My luck held out. Just a steady, reasonable crosswind for the entire bike. I passed through the same course as the previous day, then hit the race hills. I'd worried about the race climbs, but they were really just a series of long rollers. Four each way on the out and back of the extra 13ish miles. The worst part of the bike was a valley between two climbs, with a particularly bumpy asphalt pot hole patch, further complicated by the array of abandoned water bottles.

Pulling into transition, I met up with two other coworkers for a couple of minutes as we got ready for the run. Trying to do the math when checking the race clock, my bike time looked decent - about 1:22 for 25 miles. A noticable pacing improvement from the previous day's relay.

I started the run. It was humid, warm - but overcast for the first three miles. The run was a two loop out and back, with about half of each leg on packed dirt. No shade, but nice views of the lake.

I swear the 1.6ish legs seemed way longer. I walked all the water stops as the humidity was getting to me. One coworker, who was competing in the "Land Lover" category, ran by and was quickly out of sight. My other coworkers and I trudged along, giving each other high fives, as the sun started to heat up the course a bit more.

Finally the second loop was ending and the finish was in sight. My fastest Olympic tri run at 1:01:30ish.


Was I reading the clock right - did it say 3 hours and 40 seconds? An overall PR of about 19 minutes and PRs for all three legs - swim, bike and run? TRIgirl CD had predicted it a few days ago, but I hadn't believed her. I was never more happy to be wrong.

And oh, that 40 seconds. Had I known just 40 seconds would stand between me and a sub 3 hour race, my transitions may not have looked like this:



Yes, out of all women, I finished LAST in both T1 and T2.

Overall I was very happy - the day turned out well. Racing with my coworkers was very cool. We cheered each other across the finish line. One lifted me in a big bear hug to celebrate.

We took pictures, ate - and packed up our gear as storm clouds started to come through.






Only later I would learn, after the results were posted online, I placed first in my age group.

Now there were only five people in my age group.

But I can't deny it felt very cool to see my name at the top of the list instead of the bottom!

White Lake - Race Report

"...Even the birds were chirping nervously," observed TRIsherpa GG as he recorded the White Lake morning preparations on his digital camera.

After four-five hours of sleep (I think a group of triathlon volunteers were partying it up outside my window till midnight), race morning dawned bright and clear. Our Lake Shore Condo group was organized, efficient and fairly calm. We were only a half mile or so from the start - an easy warm-up as we pedaled our bikes to the transition area. TRIsherpa GG followed in his car with our gear in tow.

I wasn't feeling 100% - there was a heaviness in my chest and sinuses - but the sore throat/cold/allergy attack was better than it had been for the previous few days. Thankfully, my pre-race stomach was fairly calm - only one or two trips to the port-o-potties.

Pre-race, I ran into Guppy KB and many TRIgirls. I am not sure what percentage of women racers were with our crew, but everywhere I turned, there were friendly and familiar faces. Words can't describe how awesome it was to see so many of my team mates in wave 11.

The gun sounded. Since drafting has become less foreign, I was hoping to catch the feet of someone slightly faster than me. Unfortunately, it seemed like the fast group took off quickly, with only a few other women and me straggling along in the middle. Even though I couldn't catch a draft, the first two-thirds of the swim went well. I think I zig-zagged a bit for the last 750. Overall, with a kind current, the swim felt smooth.

Climbing the ladder to exit the water, both calves hinted at cramps, which probably should have signaled a red flag. I looked at my watch and realized Garmin was completely screwed. Jogging to transition, I saw a few strong TRIgirl swimmers preparing for the bike, so I figured my swim was decent.

Since Garmin was not behaving reliably, I was on my own for the rest of the race. I tried not to dawdle too much in TI. Heading off on the bike, I was happy. The course was flat, though the wind was stronger than predicted - up to 20 mph gusts. I pushed a bit when the wind was behind me and cruised along more conservatively during the course's long consecutive stretches with 15-20 mph winds. Yeah, a bunch of guys passed me, but not many women (Okay, I was in the second to last wave, so that may have been a factor). TRIgirl CD DID pass me - like a female Lance, she whizzed by, and all I could do was smile.

Getting off the bike, I was happy, my legs FELT GOOD.

I started the run, the first 3-4 miles seemed fine. Unfortunately, the next 8ish miles were a bit of a cluster. Looking back now, I realize I was trying to hydrate from the outside in vs. the inside out. Historically, nutrition while biking has been more of an issue for me, adjusting during a tough, hot run became an unexpected challenge.

During the White Lake run, I threw towels over my neck, dumped water on my head and consumed half a Gu every two miles. It was hot. And I wasn't handling it well. Though I'd been taught to deal with heat and knew better, my head was not in the game. Why didn't I drink more of the sports drink waiting in my fuel belt bottles - or take in electrolyte tablets? TRIgirl LD was one of the few that had a strong run, dealing with the tough conditions.

Since the splits have not yet been posted, I am guessing that a better than hoped swim, T1, bike or T2 carried me through a 17-18 minute PR - 6:24 overall race time. For this, I am most grateful. My run should have been better. Its lackluster results have taught me a few lessons.

But White Lake's most memorable moments transcended my race.

Did I mention 25ish TRIgirls and Guppy friends were participating in White Lake? Including my awe inspiring travel buddies, TRIgirls BL and SJG?

Or that, for many of my team mates, this was their first half IM?

Can I relate how encouraging it was to see all these fabulous, strong women on the course? High fives and encouraging words more frequent then the aid stations?

How my allergy woes were quickly put into perspective by the battles TRIgirls KB, KG, CD and Annnn confronted?

What about the brave, determined TRIgirl who persevered through her fears during a swim that would have left me handing over my chip at T1? Who may have not officially finished the 70.3 within the allotted time, but whose spirit deserved the biggest medal of all?

These were the moments that truly turned White Lake Pink.

Monument 10K Race Report

Prologue...

Sitting down to write this race report, I realized I haven't blogged much about my running lately.

Between a few changes in perspective, some encouraging training sessions - and the cooler weather, the past six months were scattered with new pace goals and PRs.

Reflecting back, I think I've been afraid to jinx it. Maybe these were fluke training sessions. It seemed premature to put it out there in black and white. My running was improving?

Now, before any ridiculous ideas start crossing your mind, please know, I am still slow.

But possibly a little less slow.

The Report...

Starting the season with a running race was a relief. The night before, even with packing my bag with numerous options for the weather, getting ready wasn't a big deal. I filled two bottles with Gatorade, picked out my running clothes and clipped my number to my fuel belt.

The day before included an early morning long swim and a late evening bike. I slept well (except for waking up a few times to loud, torrential downpours that I hoped would be gone by morning) and woke feeling fairly rested.

Thankfully, the worst of the rain did pass. Race morning was cloudy, humid, drizzly, damp, but no thunderstorms.

I drove to TRIgirl BL's house. She and her husband drove us to TRIgirl SJG's house. We grabbed garbage bags to keep us dry for the mile-ish walk to the race start.

We ran into a bunch of TRIgirls (over 60 TRIgirls were participating) - and went through the usual last minute search for port-o-potties. Then it was off to find our wave, where tons of women in pink were already clustered together.

TRIgirl BL and I had been discussing our race plan for a few days. We'd settled on aiming for 9:30 for mile 1, then taking off five seconds per mile for the next 4 miles, then one final pick-up for the last 1.2 miles.

Given my running history - and that last year's 10K was a 1:01:26 - a smidgen under a 10 minute mile pace - this was an ambitious plan. I dropped my prediction to 58:30 from 59:00 for the TRIgirl contest to see which team could come closest to their estimates.

Our wave gradually made its way to the start. We hit the mats and TRIgirl BL and I began weaving through the crowd for the first half mile, looking for openings. Once we found a decent place to settle in, we noticed TRIgirl LD was right there with us.

The three of us ran almost the whole race together. First mile, felt good, pace was fast - 9:18. Revised our plan - hold 9:15ish for the next few miles. Mile 2, still felt good, 9:11. Mile 3, going along fine, 9:16. Mile 4, not bad, 9:02. Mile 5, 9:16. It was time to pick-up the pace and my race started to get hard. TRIgirl BL encouraged me as I fell back a few feet (thank you, TRIgirl BL). Having to go to the bathroom did not help. I was soon keeping up again, but barely. Mile 6, 8:56. Last .2, TRIgirl LD sprinted ahead. TRIgirl BL and I crossed the finish line, I was one second behind her - at an 8:24 pace.

Overall race time - 57:05 according to the official results.

A PR of about 4 minutes and 20 seconds since last year and 2 minutes from any runs this year.


Epilogue...

The rest of the day was a blur of TRIgirl activity. We found the rest of our teammates and heard others' stories of great races and PRs. We had a champagne toast at TRIgirl Annn's (with perfect post race nutrition - chocolate covered marshmallows and bananas - YUMMM). Then it was off to TRIgirl AM's housewarming party. The evening wrapped up with our half IM dinner - which was fun and very informative.

It was a great race - and a great day. I owe much to TRIgirls, Ironwoman Canada (who called me after the race and said next year would be 55:00!) and my teammates.

Thanks to them...

I am still not fast.

But possibly a little faster.

Why Do I Do This?

Saturday morning, the alarm rings too soon - 5:15 in the morning. There is no padding with the time set, as I need to meet a bunch of TRIgirls at 6:00 at a Wal-Mart parking lot about 20 minutes away. I sigh, get out of bed, and have my first "Why do I do this?" moment of the day.

Moving quickly, I dress, grab my bags and cooler packed for the day's training. I load up the car, driving in the still darkness. Trying to fight the sleepy feeling that wants to win so badly - I grumble to myself - why do I do this?

At Wal-Mart, many TRIgirls are congregating. I start to feel a little better, but envy TRIgirl KO's ability to fit in time to make a cup of coffee. After Coach G and Coach B arrive, the caravan heads off to Naylor's Beach - for an open water swim practice and trial bike for the Olympic race on September 30th. Which will be the warm-up for the day's goal of a 90 mile bike ride. It is going to be a long day.

We pull into Naylor's Beach an hour or so later. The air is chillier than back home - so I am happy to have the new TRIgirl hoodie sweatshirt that Coach G hands over to me. While preparing our bikes, I hear a few TRIgirls echoing my same thought - "Why do we do this?"

As the coaches set up the swim course with Ironman JW (big thanks to him and his family for coming out on their boat to set up the course and watch us) - which turns out to be a little less than 1/2 the distance than the race swim - we put on our wetsuits and wait. The skies that just saw a sunrise begin to darken again. A morning storm is predicted and seems to be looming right over the Rappahannock River. And the river confirms, with choppy waves and even a few whitecaps. Several more "Why do I do this" type of comments can be heard.

Then it is time to start swimming. The water is warm; the the first leg is rough. Waves slap me in the face when I try to sight. I get to the first makeshift buoy and begin to turn around. TRIgirl MS, who has kindly volunteered her time to kayak to also watch over us (another big thank you!) calls out my name and points to an orange flag quite bit further out. Oh. Grrrrr. "Why do I do this?"

As I battle the water to get to the orange flag, I realize that I am more relaxed with swimming through the choppiness.

I do this because it makes me overcome my fears.

After the first turn, we are moving more with the current - and the swim becomes enjoyable. I pull up on the beach with the first wave of TRIgirls coming in - and we watch the rest of the group. They are finishing strong and come out of the water with smiles.

I do this because I have the honor of being a part of a great group of women that makes sharing the challenges, pains, nerves and accomplishments all the more special.

The skies begin to lighten again as we head off on the bike. I'm wearing a sleeveless shirt and tell myself that I won't be so cold once we start moving. We ride the Naylor's course - and I remember quite a bit of it from last year. Other than one long climb I despise - and still can't ride up all the way - the course has many pretty spots. Tree lined quiet streets, rolling hills, water views.

I do this to be outside and enjoy nature.

Per our coaches' directions, I am not pushing too hard on the bike. We have another 64 miles to do after Naylor's. I finish in the back of the first wave of cyclists and begin loading my bike on the car - the IMFL folks will be heading back to Ironman JW's neck of the woods - the lovely Route 14. I am a little jealous of the girls packing up to go home - their workout is finished for the day. Another "Why do I do this?" tries to sneak in, but there isn't enough time to dwell on it - we are on the road again.

The sun grows stronger, drying up the humidity as we start on Route 14, dappling the streets with shadows. I feel so strong as we start the first "out and back" - only to later learn how much of that was because the wind was with me. Yes, we'd be facing major wind on both of the 17ish miles that make up the back loop.

Everyone finds their own pace - though occasionally we catch up at a turn around to refuel and can ride together for a little while. Ironman JW, Coach B and TRIgirls KB and SK do a few extra miles, being the overachievers of the group. At one point Ironman JW rides with me before passing me again - and tell me he thinks I win the award for most improved cyclist. Coach G had also commented during the ride how impressed she was with my improvement. While I know a big part of it is Patriot Sangria, part may actually be me, too.

I do this because it gives me something to work on to improve myself (quite a few things, actually!).

The ride is long. I dread the last stretch into the wind. My legs don't feel that bad, but my shoulders and neck are very uncomfortable. My butt can't wait to get off the bike seat. I am tense and stressed from dealing with the gusts. TRIgirl KB takes pity on me and lets me draft off her for awhile. She is so fast and I know I am holding her back. I tell her to go ahead, but she says the company is nice - talking makes the miles go by more quickly. Soon we just have a "West Creek loop" remaining.

I do this because it reminds me I am stronger than I think I am.

Ironman JW's house is in sight. I end up doing somewhere around 95-96 miles - 5 hours and 45 minutes riding time. (I took a nice little 20-25 minute break for lunch at the country store - only to find out, the riders I'd been waiting for had turned around a few miles earlier to try to hit 90 exactly). I get off my bike, and though I can't picture running a marathon, my legs feel strong enough to run a few miles anyway. The overachievers and several other TRIgirls are pulling in, too. For many of us, we've just finished another distance PR.

I do this because of the sense of accomplishment with hitting new goals.

And like so many other triathletes have said.

I do this because I can.

Two Landmark 80s this Weekend

Training is about to be kicked up a notch heading into September and October. This weekend saw two distance PRs.

It started Saturday, with an 80 mile bike ride led by Coach B and Ironman JW - through JW's picturesque and minimally traveled backroads (Route 14). After the last few long, lonely rides, I really appreciated the company of Coach G and TRIgirls KB, SS, SK, SQ, and DL. We hit two challenging, but reasonable, hills four times on the out and back, then out and back again. We also hit a great little country store for an icy snack. Then we were hit during the last 15 miles with a worsening, stressful crosswind that had me holding onto the handlebars for dear life - not a whole lot of aero position. The ride finished with a relaxing and recouperating dip in JW's gorgeous pool. Nutrition wasn't bad for the first 2/3 of the ride - but basically came to a halt when battling the wind. 4:35 riding time. 1000 - 1100 calories.

Swimming followed on Sunday. 2.5 miles makes for a great counting exercise as well - 80 laps! The pool water felt great and surprisingly the laps didn't grow as tedious as I'd anticipated. 1:35 minutes of swimming time.

Best part - I feel great today - the Guppy swim and short run actually seemed to help with finishing up the muscle recovery from the past two days. Keeping my fingers crossed to feel half this good with some of the other mega workouts coming up in the next few weeks.

A PR (Tiny) in a Hurricane (Almost) - or the Powersprint Race Report

Saturday afternoon, I packed my bag for a hot and humid Powersprint Triathlon. I was starting to chill out for the evening when my husband announced the weather conditions for Sunday - rain all day, heavy at times in the afternoon. Hurricane Barry was acomin' and about to leave us some miserable tropical depression weather as a gift.

No! That is not what I was expecting! I even packed electrolytes, a visor and sunglasses!

I went to bed a little after 9:00 pm Saturday evening and slept fairly well until the alarm went off at 5:10 am. I took the Butt and Fezzy for their morning out - humid and warmer than I anticipated, but not bad. I threw my light windbreaker into my race bag and drove the five miles to the Powersprint.

I arrived a few minutes earlier than past years' races - to a very empty parking lot - wondering if the weather scared off a few participants. Since no numbers were on the bike racks, several early TRIgirl racers marked TRIgirl "alley" with a duck helium balloon.

Seeing TRIgirl volunteers was encouraging. TRIgirl JH welcomed me to the race and TRIgirl CH magic markered the numbers on my limbs - and even added a "Go TRIgirls!" inspirational message to my left calf (and TRIgirl Fave's, too!).

At this point, the rain was alternating between a drizzle and downpour. I noticed that most racers had not set up their transition area. So, basically, I just tried to organize my gear bag with what I would need for the bike on top and for the run below. Then zipped it up the best I could to keep things dry.

The temperature seemed to be dropping steadily as I waited with many TRIgirls and Powersprint racers for the swim to begin. My predicted start time put me just after the top third of the swimmers and I was never so happy to step into the steam room like pool conditions. I had a decent swim - took over 30 seconds off last year's race time for the 300 meters, though I was secretly hoping for another 10 seconds more. Still, I ended up finishing in the top 25% for my age group and gender with the swim.

Supposedly, my lackadaisical transition, including finding my pink flip-flops before running across the muddy terrain to get my bike, amused the TRIgirls and Coach B - who I later found out jokingly commented to a few TRIgirls - "What is she doing?" - and "She will not be doing that next week." My T1 was slower than last year - but at least I had the excuse of not having anything laid out!

With the wet weather, I resigned myself to a slower than originally hoped bike. I was not going to risk skidding out and hurting myself one week before Eagleman. Hearing TRIgirl CD remind me that this was not my "A" race and to be safe as I started out of T1 made me feel better about the decision.

The first two-thirds of the bike were wet, but not miserable, as there were occasional breaks in the rain. I even was able to push it at a decent pace on a few flat straights. I was very cautious, slowing down at anything resembling a hill or turn. The last third, though, was smack into some serious headwind. Worse than my blustery day experience, as sheets of rain were also pouring down. TRIgirl Patty whizzed by me like a demon at one point about halfway through, but other than that, I think I was holding my own on the bike, passing as many riders as those who passed me. Overall, I shaved off about two minutes on the bike - which I won't sneeze at given the conditions.

I was so relieved to dismount at T2, with a Guppy volunteer cheering me in. I rummaged around in my very wet bag to find my running gear and headed out onto my least favorite and weakest part of the triathlon.

The rain just continued to get heavier and heavier. Though I have to say, when it comes to running, I'll still take a tropical depression over 90 degree temperatures and high humidity. I took off about a minute and a half on the run, ending up with a 5K race PR - and not just triathlon 5Ks. Ironically, my run pace was a 9:39 - 1 second faster than my training tempo pace.

I ended up having an overall race PR by about 3 minutes - and as we all joked - in a "hurricane!" I would have ideally liked another two minutes off - but I'll take what I can get. I finished exactly at the 50% percentile for all women. While several new TRIgirls did better (sometimes way better!) than me (after two years of training) - I remembered where I started - and was truly happy for all (including myself) who competed the day Hurricane Barry rocked Richmond.

Because my estimated swim time was on the shorter side and it was a pool swim, I was able to catch quite a bit of the remaining race. Thank goodness TRIgirl MM and her boyfriend shared warm wool blankets with the cheering squad - including TRIgirl TB and Coach B's cute niece (we did a great impersonation of an Emperor Penguin with our littlest fan). It was so much fun to watch the TRIgirl racers and several coworkers - almost all turning out for the race (including many newbies) - cross that finish line, tears, smiles, exhaustion and all!

The Great Eight (5 Amigos, Big Dog and the 2 Speedy Ones) Ride 75!

A new bicycle distance PR! TRIgirl SD posted the following to our Eagleman forum - which sums up the day perfectly:

"Yippee!! We successfully completed the 75 mile adventure and it was certainly a test of our fortitude, endurance, and tires. The first 37.5 miles were a breeze and we should have known we would not get off that easy. For the first half our biggest issues were a couple of dropped water bottles and direction questions. And then there was the second half . . . at somewhere around mile 50 the "Big Dog" (TRIgirl CD's husband) had a flat tire and the five amigos (TRIgirls DL, DB, MW, AM, and myself) waited for him to change it and get back on the road. The 2 speedy ones (TRIgirls CD and LS, of course) were well down the road. Unfortunately, Big Dog had another flat and the 5 amigos were ahead of him and at our next scheduled stop - we realized we were a man down and made phone contact with him. Big Dog didn't have another spare and had done some walking and was picked up by the kindest gentleman who brought him to the 5 amigos. After determining Big Dog had a hole in his tire and fixing it with his flashy $20 bill (We were all impressed that he and TRIgirl CD had sooo much money!!) and we were on the road again. Well, TRIgirl DL was not going to be out done by Big Dog so she had a flat at mile 65. Luckily, TRIgirl CD had tired of waiting for the 5 amigos and Big Dog so she arrived during the changing of the tube to deliver cold (YES, cold) water. Last 10 miles completed with out any further flats and the "Great Eight" finished our long ride!"

Just a few extra details to add to TRIgirl SD's great account of our ride - we made an appearance at Indian Fields Tavern again and probably freaked out a few diners who were trying to have a quiet Sunday brunch when we paraded in to use the bathroom in all our bike gear. We also found out later TRIgirl JH had thoughtfully protected us from afar by warning tourists to the visitor center where she works about the bicyclists on Route 5. And I have found a solution to my drinking while biking dilemma - a SipAway bottle (not to be mistaken for a sippee cup, though I do look a bit "special" when using it)!

Fezzy also was excited when I got home - as I was a human salt stick. He licked and licked as we began celebrating my hubby's birthday.

Monument 10K – Race Report

After all my moaning and groaning about this week’s bad runs, yesterday couldn’t have been a better day for a race.

The weather was perfect – 55-60ish and sunny.

I was a good girl the night before. After organizing all my race gear, I was in bed early with nary a sip of wine. I slept fairly well – and woke rested – no muscle soreness.

TRIgirls DL and LD – and honory TRIgirl AT – carpooled with me down to the race. We found parking reasonably quickly and met up with the mass of TRIgirls preparing to invade Monument Avenue.

TRIgirl DL and I started together in the same wave. Between padding my time and improving a bit since I registered, I probably was in the wrong heat, but I was able to find a clear path by sticking to the outside.

I knew we are supposed to try for a negative split during the race, but I just wanted to see if I was going to have any chance at meeting my goal for a race time averaging less than 10 minutes/mile. So, looking down after mile one and seeing a 9:23 time gave me hope.

Mile two was a 9:30. For most of mile three, I was maintaining about a 9:30-9:40 pace – though I took a break at a water stop – and ended up with a 10:06. Mile four – 9:34 (I think without the water, I would have slowed down – and I am glad I was able to get myself back up to a good pace for me). Mile five, I needed another water stop – 10:01. Mile 6 was a 9:59. And a sort of-almost sprint for the last .2 (which said .36 on my watch). Overall time – 1:01:26, beating my predicted time by 14 seconds and meeting my goal. I took off about 6 minutes from last year’s time – and 3 minutes from my previous PR.

TRIgirl Devil Face and I were even able to find a spot near the finish line to cheer in my little sister, TRIgirl KB – who completed her first 10K.

Post race, it was TRIgirl reunion time. Just like the Shamrock – everyone seemed to have a wonderful race. Standing around, I heard stories about amazing times, first time races, PRs everywhere.

A big thank you to TRIgirl AN who invited us over to her house for a great champagne toast.

Congrats to everyone on a great race!

Shamrock 8K - Race Report

And a great time was had by all...

OK, maybe that should have been the ending to this post, but it also felt like the right way to begin. With the Shamrock 8k as the first race of the season for 11 TRIgirls (and tomorrow's half marathon for a few others) this weekend's races have set the stage for a promising season.

Thank goodness the weather improved from yesterday's pouring rain. Thank goodness eight TRIgirls were able crash at TRIgirl MW's wonderful beach home. Thank goodness we had a great pre-race meal of yummy pizza and a healthy salad - and a relaxed, fun evening of fabulous conversation.

And a big happy birthday to TRIgirl TD!

Now on to the actual race report...

Pre-Race Registration and Expo - Smooth as silk - and great deals on sneakers and training gear (and yay - finally found my Mizuno sneakers - in pink - at a terrific price).

Weather - Chilly, windy, but clear. I'm guessing the temperatures were in the 30s with wind gusts up to 15-20 miles per hour. But the rain was gone - and for most of the morning, the sun shined down to warm us up just enough for good race conditions. A few times, the wind would whip between the buildings to surprise a bit, but overall, it wasn't too bad.

Course - Virginia Beach has a very flat course that runs through a "strip" of restaurants and shops, as well as a nice concrete boardwalk for the last mile or so. It was great to run with TRIgirl MW for the first half the race - until she picked up the pace a bit more than I thought I could handle. For the last few miles, had the weather been warmer or less windy, I would have positioned myself along the closest perimeter to the ocean. But since the wind was in my face at this point - I tried to plop myself in the middle of the boardwalk.

Times - I think every TRIgirl had a good race. Some ran the distance without walking for the first time - some took off signifcant times or had PRs. For me, the race was a PR - 48:27, including one mile close to my "new" tempo pace at 9:25 and two miles within reason to my old tempo pace of 9:40. My first mile was not very good - a 10:05 - but mostly because a group of us started so far back, that the first mile became a zig zag game to find an opening to get into the groove. My last .9ish mile, though I felt like I was pushing it, was also at a slower pace - probably around 10+/mile.

I went into the race just wanting to finish at a sub 10 minute/mile pace - which I did - possibly for the first time ever for an official race (there may be one 5K from my younger days, but I am not sure). But after hearing about the major gains by a few TRIgirls, I started to feel like my 3-5 minute improvement from previous 8Ks really wasn't a big deal. My progress in this whole exercise thing is so painstakenly slow at times.

And then I wondered if I just set the "bar" too low. I was a special education teacher for nine years - and became an expert at setting reasonable, reachable goals for my students, breaking down their learning tasks into realistic chunks that they could attain.

Am I breaking down my own training too far? Should I be setting goals a bit further ourside my comfort zone?

Then I decided to just stop over analyzing the situation.

Could I have ran faster? Maybe.

Did I have a better time than ever? Yes.

And, most importantly, did I have fun? Yes.

It was a beautiful day and I participated in an event with some of my favorite people. From piling into MW's SUV to find parking - to celebrating in the race tent with beers (just a sip or two for this wine loving TRIgirl) and at a local bagel shop for breakfast - I reminded myself of all the things I should be grateful for this race weekend.

...and a great time was had by all.

Think Pink!

To celebrate Valentine’s Day – and the first official TRIgirl run of the season – here are some new pink items I’ve added to my repertoire.

After misplacing my goggles after Monday’s guppy class, I was forced to buy new ones. My Dad had sent me an Amazon gift certificate (Thanks, Dad!) – so I browsed their selection. Lo and behold – pink goggles!

Since I had a more left to spend, I decided to check out athletic wear sunglasses. I’ve resisted this long, but think with the upcoming ultra long workouts – it might be a good idea to give them a try. I found a pair online that matched my criteria (pink and cheap). They seem like too much of a good deal with an $80 discount – but what the heck.

Finally, the hubby surprised me with a cool Valentine’s Day gift – a pink MP3 speaker case for my IPOD. I’m already envisioning bringing it with me to the beach and pool, post-workouts.

Too much pink? Never!

Happy Valentine’s Day – and a big welcome to all the new TRIgirls who came out for our first workout. You all looked wonderful and strong. Speaking of today's run – I had a PR for one of my ½ mile repeats – 3:46! (Must have been the after effects of lots of yummy chocolate sent by my brother and sister-in-law!)

First Attempts at Our Running Goals

This week’s training included two runs using our new paces.

On Monday, to ring in the New Year, I attempted the first workout - running one mile at the easy pace – and then two miles at the daunting tempo speed. I tried setting up a “workout” in Garmin to warn me if I was off pace. It sort of worked, but I need to play with it some more. I focused on slowing down for the easy pace – and was pretty close to achieving my tempo target with 9:42/mile. By the end, I felt I could go a little further at that pace, but still thought the idea of running six miles was preposterous. It is a lovely dream, though – especially with the Monument 10K scheduled as our first race for the season. Let’s see – at a 9:40 pace I’d finish in just nudge under 60 minutes. To be honest, I’d be thrilled if I can get in the 62 minute range.

Yesterday I joined TRIgirls Molly who?, DL and MJW for our second run drill – two ½ mile repeats, with a 4-5 minute break using our easy pace. Since we met at 6:00 am, it was still dark when we started. The course we run is quite lovely – packed dirt gravel – easy on the joints – and there is a marker exactly at the half mile point – (Garmin consistently says .50 every time). There is one little hill I’d like to see demolished when we do the repeats, but other than that, the course is flat with nice winding turns surrounded by pretty trees.

We did an easy warm up first mile, giving a little moon howl about halfway through. Then it was time for the repeats. Feeling nervous because I hadn’t slept well the night before – and it had been a few months since last doing the repeats – I just sighed and told myself to do my best. With one last look to kick-off Garmin – we were off.

About half-way through the first one, I was ready to stop – and slowed down a bit – so I resigned myself to not hitting the time – except that I did. Not only did I hit it, but I beat it. And not only did a beat it, but I had a PR for a ½ mile with a 3:55. All four of us did great.

We finished the 5 minutes of the easy run – and as we approached the mile landmark to get ready for the second repeat, we ran into Coach G – and took a break for a few minutes to chat with her – and share our exciting results.

As tempting as it was to call it a day, we gritted our teeth for the second one. Since the first one went so well, I was ready to accept that the second one would be a mess, figuring I exerted myself too much and would be tired for the next go round. Again I started out faster and slowed down a bit about half-way through. After crossing the half mile post, I almost choked when I looked down and saw my time – 3:53 – even better than the first one and a new PR. Maybe it was the unofficial break – maybe it was running with our speed demon, TRIgirl MJW – or maybe it was the adrenalin from the excitement of the first repeat. I don’t know, but I wish I could bottle it for the future.

Happy that the worst was over, we jogged the last of the three miles. At the end, TRIgirl MJW jumped in to run with me (she’d finished quite a bit ahead of the rest of us) and – I hesitate to use the word – but it felt like – a sprint - for the last few hundred yards. I seriously don’t think I’ve ever run that fast for any distance – and so appreciate MJW’s pushes and little tips of what my body should be doing when running faster.

Now if I can only figure out how to keep my pace more consistent so I’m not slowing down halfway through the repeats…

Can Turkeys Run Uphill?

I love the concept behind the Turkey Trot – going for a run with family and friends to free up some calories before the big feast. Last year, I did my first one in New York – with my brother and his wife (fiancée at the time). We had a great time, so I was looking forward to this year’s race. My brother and sister-in-law were going to run it again with me, though they ended up sleeping in instead, quite understandable since they arrived late the night before and were both fighting colds. So, there I was, waking early on a rainy and chilly Thanksgiving morning, heading out to U of R, happy that several TriGirls would be out on the course.

As soon as I parked my car, I immediately ran into TriGirl DL. Together, we fumbled around to find the registration area, which was a bit chaotic and not exactly convenient to the parking lot. We did arrive a little on the later side – so we were stuck with the only remaining shirts - which were huge. As we were bringing them back to the car, some guy kept screaming out how many minutes were left to the race starting. We literally just made it to the start seconds before the race began – and were literally in the last row.

I had heard that the U of R course was very hilly. TriGirl “Little Dickens” reminded me to hold back a bit on the early hills because I’d need some energy at the end. The first hill started right after the first turn. I thought I was going to be in big trouble – hills are not my friend. I made it up the first one just slightly out of breath and told myself I’d run up as many as I could – but would give myself permission to walk further along in the race if needed. And the rest of the 10K was truly a series of ups and downs through the pretty university course (I swear it seemed like more ups). I plugged my way up the next, then the one after that, wow, then another, here we go again, surprising myself, not only because I was still running up the hills, but also because I was actually almost enjoying the challenge. I saw several other TriGirls on the race – Devil Face, KO, looking strong! Before I knew it there was one more long last uphill (I was done with enjoying the hills at this point) – then a great downhill to the finish line, where TriGirls were cheering from the sidelines – and TriGirl MJW (our speed demon) ran me in – pushing me to a strong (for me) finish.

A few of the TriGirls headed out right after the race to begin their holidays, but six of us were able to tailgate for a few minutes, enjoying some celebratory bloodies and glogg.

I am still not even close to fast, but was really happy with this race – not only because I am pretty sure I had a PR for a 10K, but also because of overcoming some of my mental and physical issues with hills.

Don't hold me to it, but who knows, maybe the next time a hill workout is announced – I won’t even groan.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!