Belated Race Report - From September 20, 2009

Just last month, I did the Burnet TRI Hard Challenge at Inks Lake in Burnet, TX. Last year, I had a blast at this triathlon camping the night before with a few of my favorite racing buddies. This year, we were unable to secure a camping spot and thus had to stay at a local bed and breakfast. The B&B was nice, albiet a bit creepy as we were the only ones staying there. The restuarants in Burnet were empty and much of the historic downtown was deserted and blighted. It was quite sad. To make matters worse, after the tri as we were leaving the B&B, the B&B owner's female bulldog attacked and bit our mini schnauzer several times, drawing blood in a few places. He recovered and I took care of his cuts in the following weeks, but needless to say it was a pretty traumatic trip. Hence, this update is quite late.

PRE-RACE:
I planned to train through this race, and so I did a long run on Saturday morning with my favorite running buddies. The run was tough for me, I felt very tired until about 5 miles in. This 5 mile-feel-better rule happens to me sporadically when I've been training hard. I usually take rest and I feel better on the next long one when this happens. I had the tri on Sunday, though, so rest really wasn't an option. We got to Burnet, took a visit to Inks Lake to pick up our packets and check out the water. The water was like glass, and it was nice and cool. Inks Lake, in my opinion, is one of the best lakes to stage a triathlon swim. It remains to be one of my favorite lakes in which to compete. The out and back course is easy to navigate because the water is fairly flat and the temperature is cool but not too cold. If only Decker Lake would be so cool and easy to navigate.

Anyway, so we get in to the B&B and then proceed to try to find a relatively healthy place to eat in Burnet, TX. The small town offered Tex-Mex, a southern buffet, and Tex-Mex. We went for the southern buffet, as we figured it would be better for finding carbs and easier on the tummy. That restuarant was an experience all its own, and for the first time in my life I found myself being a tad bit picky. Usually I eat everything, but I took it easy at this buffet. My stomach thanked me for it later.

Sleep was hard to come by the night before the tri, and I woke up before the alarm. I was plauged with premonition-type dreams of flat tires and bike maintence issues. That morning, we warmed up oatmeal in the B&B's kitchen and ate quickly. Then we drove off toward Inks Lake. I did not carefully inspect my bike before loading it, and I realized that my back tire was flat. I'm no stranger to flats, and so I attempted to change it, only to find that my brakes were rubbing. I solicted help from a fellow triathlete and went on my way prepping transition. Somehow, I knew that my bike issues would not be few on that day. I turned out to be right.

THE RACE:
The swim went smooth. Smooth as glass. I loved and enjoyed every second. I came up to transition, took some water and got on my bike. Not 5 miles into the bike course, I hear a disheartening "PSSSSSSSSH" of my bake tire deflating. I stop and begin to change it. I blew through my first CO2 cartridge and was working on the second. I began to have thoughts of stopping. I figured my bike split was shot. Then Liz bikes up and offers moral support and help. I get rolling and somehow I find it in me to try to pass everyone that passed me while I was messing with my back tire for 15 minutes. It was a fun game I played and I really felt like I pushed the rest of the bike harder than I ever had in a tri as a result of that flat. My time, of course, does not reflect that, but I know it and that is what matters. I keep focusing on the mantra "You are an athlete that doesn't give up" and it worked well. I was very excited for the run, although my legs were more tired than they normally are going into it. I sped through like only a fast girl can and was only passed once. The guy that passed me was doing more training, he had already finished. I hung with him for a while, and we chatted. He said I was "baking it on the run" and I told him about the tire issue and how I channeled Chrissie Wellington. He said nice job and then dropped me. I ran behind him, keeping him in sight for the second half of the 5K and ended up with a great run split.

Overall the tri was a success because I went from wanting to quit to finding strength in myself and my athlecticism. I ended up still placing 2nd in my age group, though we did not wait around for awards because I figured I was out of the running. The post-race baked potato was the BOMB and I thank the wonderful folks at the Burnet Chamber of Commerce for putting on yet another small, local, extremely fun race.


Current book I'm reading: The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

GIRLS.CAN.CLIMB - Race Report of Jack's Generic Triathlon

"GIRLS.CAN.CLIMB" was the mantra I was using during the bike portion of the triathlon that I completed this past Sunday. It was called Jack's Generic Sprint Tri. The weather was amazing - a few degrees cooler than normal due to a glorious cloud cover. Since I've been training in 100+ degree temps and high humidity, even the slightest lowering of temperature makes me feel like I can fly! And fly I did, I got 6th in my age group!

Pre-race was fun and relaxed because we got there EARLY. I had the opportunity to chat with a few of my favorite volunteers and wish one of my friends a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I can't believe the fact that my friend was out there ON HER BIRTHDAY volunteering and handing out water and Pure Sport to all of us tired athletes. I really appreciated hearing her cheers and I know she had a Happy Birthday!

Before getting in the water, I ran into a girl who I had met through the Nike Running group last summer. Jack's Generic was her first tri. She was, like many of us, scared about the swim. I told her to wait 5 seconds before starting to go and get to the edge of the pack and SIGHT as much as she could. At 8:16 our wave started, my arms felt sore from lifting weights earlier in the week, but I felt stronger than ever on the swim. I actually enjoyed it, despite the strange smell of the water. There wasn't as much silt or muck this time around, and it went by super fast! I was out of the water in less than 10 minutes. I ran up to transition and my birthday girl friend cheered "out of the water in 10 seconds flat...GO MERCEDES!" it was so helpful and motivating. I got on my bike and took off up the hill, passing people like a mad-woman. The first half of the bike I kept switching places with this guy on a tri bike. Every time we passed one another we would say "good job" to one another. I finally got him on the second half of the bike because as the title of this post says GIRLS.CAN.CLIMB! I channeled the energy from my cycling mentor and I pushed it in to the finish of the bike, ready and energized for the run.

I got my running shoes, hat and water bottle on quickly and sprinted out of transition. I tried to be aware of the fact that I always run the first mile fast in triathlon. I get excited to be on the run, my "favorite" part. (I put that "favorite" in quotes now because lately I've been enjoying the bike and the swim A LOT more. I remember thinking in this last tri that I didn't want the bike to end! I wasn't ready for the swim to end, either! I just love the whole thing!) I held back a bit but I was still passing guy after guy after guy on the out portion of the out-and-back run. There were no girls in sight. I maybe saw 2-3 women on the run on the way out. On the back portion after the turn around I saw a lot of women starting out. It made me feel fast to be passing all of these men. I kept my thinking super positive throughout the run. Even though I was hurting, I kept telling myself "the turn around is just ahead, you're almost there see it in the distance, the turn around is just ahead" and I kept pushing. After the turn around I had it in my head that the back portion was shorter than the out portion, I convinced myself of that somehow and I pushed and just made sure I was passing every guy that was in front of me. At the finishing chute this random guy said "there's about 5 more guys ahead of you waiting for you to GET 'EM" it was so inspiring. I felt really strong. A guy on the back portion of the run used my bib number in a cheer and screamed "206 she's in the mix; she's got it!" and that was super helpful too. I saw a couple of friends and caught some high fives. I love this sport and I'm starting to love all of the people in it.

BEST.TRI.EVER!

Post race was definitely enjoyable. I did not get my body worked on but I did work on drinking two of my favorite beers on the planet and a veggie burger. Oh, and an ice cream sandwich. And did I mention the potato chips? Yes, I ate those, too while waiting for my special to finish. After everyone was through we sat and enjoyed the ambiance of Texas Ski Ranch and chatted with some friends. Again, BEST.TRI.EVER! And another conclusion: THEY ARE ONLY GETTING BETTER!

If they are only getting better, I can't imagine how great the Austin Tri is going to be. And the 1/2 Ironman! And the Ironman! I can't wait!!

Current book I'm reading: Old Friend From Far Away

Couples Triathlon - Full Circle

(Photo by Kevin Saunders)

Couples Sprint Triathlon Race Report - Quick 'n' Dirty from the Triathlon Trucker

So I wrote a race report and I honestly don't know what happened to it. So, until I find it, I will post a truncated-this-should suffice report for the sake of keeping track of all this triathlon jazz.

Woke up 4:45 a.m. Had tire pumping up issues on bike(s). Decided it was a wash to try to fix these issues by myself and so I just loaded up the bikes and headed to the tri after eating a yummy breakfast of organic coffee and steel cut oats.

Arrived at Walter E. Long Park at approx 6:05 a.m. I'm quite proud of myself because I did not get lost going out there this time. I think it was a combination of the fact that I was following someone with tri bikes on their car and I've been riding out there at Decker Lake a lot more often and so things are starting to look more and more familiar to me. I can't explain why that area still alludes me after a year of racing and riding out there. Very strange. Hopefully this triathlon marks that day that my penchant to getting lost in this area is through. We'll see.

6:45 a.m. Grab an awesome spot at the end of the line for transition and set most of it up. Then I proceed to plead with the wonderful Sam, a Jack and Adam's mechanic and bike-angel to 1.) recommend a better pump 2.) fix my chain which I had somehow pulled off the previous night while cleaning it 3.) fix a tire for me. And he did. And I probably owe him cookies or something for this great work.

7:15 a.m. Everything is set and my bike got a mini-tuneup thanks to Sam. I'm a little perplexed that my partner is still not there. Transition will soon be closing. I try not to worry and chat with my many wonderful, beautiful, fast and awesome friends who were accompanying me in this tri. Jess A., Becky, Rebecca, Jodi, Jennifer, Sylvia, Jason, Mike P., Joe, Dan M., Lisa S... it was great to see everybody.

7:25 a.m. My partner arrives in the nick of time. I'm quite relieved to hand over the extra cap, goggles and timing chip I had been carrying around. We head down to the swim start to check it out.

We all head down to the start. There is a warmth and an excitement in the air. I keep looking for my girls but I can't find them. My right quad keeps seizing up, I remember thinking it was probably due to the mileage I ran the previous day. I do some drills while standing in place and the warmth helps the soreness/seizing go away.

The gun sounds and a mess of hundreds of women's bodies bubble up around me. This was by far my worst swim start yet, but I remained ever-calm and just kept trucking through the water. It was so crowded. And so warm! I suppose I got used to swimming in the chilly 68 degrees of Barton Springs and so the nuclear-warm waters of Decker were not comfortable for me at all. I could feel myself sweating. Girls were pumping into me left and right. Usually in a tri swim I find my own space and get ahead of the pack. That never happened on this swim. There were girls grabbing all parts of my body - my quads, my butt, my shoulders. I was suffering through the swim but I made it out of the water in a good time. 16:52 or something.

As I slog up the hill to transition I see my buddy David volunteering and cheering. It helps me run faster. I think I see Jennifer's parents. I'm feeling good and ready for the bike.

I make a game-time decision not to put on my bike gloves. It didn't seem necessary on a 11 mile bike. I honestly did not miss them.

I get out near Decker Lane and my newly installed bike computer pops off. I freak out a bit, wondering at first what fell and then seeing the computer missing a little bit too late to stop. I note the surroundings and figure I'll come back after the tri to see if it's still intact. (SIDE NOTE: Fortunately after 20 minutes or so of looking the lovely Liz finds my bike computer on the side of the road after the tri. I was very grateful. And yeh it still works!)

I push the hills on the bike. They are familiar and I felt good throughout the bike. This is a first for me. Usually I feel good on the swim and the run, never the bike. So I know I've been putting in good hours on the bike and it's paying off. My legs were happy. I kept thinking my cycling mentor Rebecca C. would come up on me and push me toward the second half, but that never happened. I came up on Jennifer P. on the big hill near FM 973. I cheer her on as best as I could on the hill. My happy my legs still have it despite me training through this tri.

Transition is smooth. Note to self: get those quick tie laces already. I run out of transition only taking a slight wrong turn and see Carrie B. She cheers me on and I greatly appreciate it. I start out too fast on the run like I always do in tris. Somehow this is never a problem for me in running races but in tris I just get so excited (at first) to run. Somehow I end up with stomach pains during the run. Maybe it was the goo I took at the start of the run, not sure. I am in pain. I feel like the run is a death march. I catch myself in some negative thinking about how hard the 1/2 Ironman is going to be here at this same location. I catch myself thinking "its ok to slow down a little, you're tired." Bad thoughts. I am a fast runner. I know this. But I'm not thinking that way. Not that day. Somehow I find it in myself to push, but I'm in pain. I want to walk on the hills, but I don't. I feel like a tired bull dog. Don't ask me why. I always feel like I run like a bull dog when I'm tired. The sun is beating down on me yet I'm getting chills. Not sure what that means. I try to think positive but there is no positive thing in my head aside from the finish. I try to feed on that and just keep looking ahead. I pull my tired legs up the last mile long hill to the finish. Immediately at the end I feel like I could have put more in. I guess that's what training hard through a tri will feel like at the end.

I turn and see Jennifer P. finishing right behind me. It's nice to have someone there at the finish right when I finish. I love that girl. She's so tough and so motivating to me. I get some Pure Sport for us both and I also see my buddy Mike P. and go chat with him. I ask him what he did the previous day...he says "70" (referring to his bike mileage) but I thought he said "7" (referring to running mileage) I gleefully joke "I beat ya" and hold up eight fingers. He takes this to mean 80 miles on the bike. Cha...I wish!! I figure out my mistake and I congratulate him for his amazing 70 mile ride. I know WILL get there someday. I start to feel better about the tri overall. I know I got a course PR and that alone starts to make me happy. I forget the tough time I had on the run and bask in the joy of the finish.

I cheer in all of my friends and partner into the finish with a huge smile on my face. I drink a Coke (shocker) after all friends were finished and enjoy half of it along with some other bad-for-ya food. I never drink pop so the craving was new to me. I'm going to roll with it. A treat like that once in a while is ok. I get some ART work done and the Dr says I need to be trigger point rolling daily. I cringe at the thought. He says that if I'm truckin', training and racing as much as I am I really need to be on top of the trigger point. I told him I'm a trucker, yes, and I might consider getting on the trigger point regimen. Ack...another thing I need to buy.

Next tri is August 2. I'm ready to truck through that swim, enjoy the bike again and kick some major on the run! Wish this little tri trucker some good luck!

Me? A future Ironman... AND a Rookie? Yes sir-ee!

This Sunday I will be competing in Jack and Adam's Rookie Triathlon!

http://www.therookietri.com/

And I have been pondering the question, after 4 or 5 triathlons and duathalons, am I still a Rookie?

When do you go from Newbie (or my preferred spelling Noobie) to Rookie to Amateur to Experienced to Age Grouper to Pro? Where am I in the grand scheme of things in the triathlon world? After about about 5 minutes of pondering, I'm going to say that yes, I'm probably still a Rookie.

As a Rookie though you are always learning. As a Rookie you are always improving. As a Rookie you are always asking the right (perhaps crazy) questions and finding answers. How could that be bad? Heck, I'm a Rookie Future Ironman, and honestly I'm so excited about that. Rookie-Future-Ironman. Could that be the new name of my blog? No, I don't think it's catchy enough.

The Rookie Tri this weekend is just a little dip in the water, about 300 meters, then the bike is 11.1 mile over flat terrain and I've heard a few and rolling hills. The run will be fast, so I've heard -- it is flat and short. I will have it in my head that I'm doing a 5K and I'll actually be doing 2 mi. I'm gunna kill it on the run. I am totally stoked. I'll report how I do on Monday!

Oh and I want to mention how cool it is that the slowest swim time will WIN a free swim clinic courtesy of T3. That's neat.

Anyway, wish me luck!

Current book I'm reading: The Wednesday Letters and Superwomen by Jodi Buren

My First "What Was I Thinking?" Moment

Dear Self,

The illustrious Britney Spears said "I'm a smart person, what ... was I thinking?" when reflecting on her recent psychological trauma and strange behavior. I am saying that to myself after seeing the elevation of the run and bike courses for Ironman St. George. The 112 mile bike course contains two, eh-hem, hills, er--I really mean MOUNTAINS that climb up to almost a mile high. Basically, 1,700 foot elevation gain on the bike. Then a 500+ foot elevation gain on the run. Now when they said that St. George was at 3,000 feet, I took that literally, and I knew I could operate at that altitude. I did not take into consideration the massive hills they might throw at us. And if you take a look at the map pictured here of the St. George bike course, you'll see they are quite massive. I did not expect to be biking at 5,000 feet. Alas, as it turns out, I am. Or, I will be. I'm freaking out just a teeny-tiny bit.

The good news is my first response to seeing this course was "well, at least there are huge down hills after all of those huge up hills." That's my response and I'm sticking to it! Up hills with subsequent kick-backs make it worth the work. I will work, too. Super duper hard. And I will stay positive! I will search for the positive and squeeze every good-thinking bit of energy I can out of it. That's my plan and I'm sticking to it!

In other news, I felt like a wild animal during my workout at Quarry Lake last night. I did a fast 750m wet suit swim in the open water of the Quarry and then a 2+ mile run. For the first time in a long time, I took only 5 seconds to jump into the icy 65 degree water of Quarry Lake. Granted, I had a wet suit on, so it should have been easier to take the initial plunge, but I have to admit even when I have a wet suit I take upwards of 2, 3 to even 5 minutes to get into cold water. I have a sinking sensation that this cryophobia (fear of cold) will not bode well at the upcoming Lonestar Quarter Iron. I know that I will need to be able jump into the cool water of the Gulf. And so I have to find a way to make myself do it. So, I devised a very complex plan in order to bribe myself into getting into cold water. In my head, I said "Ok, Mercedes, if you don't all OUT JUMP into this water in 5 seconds there will be NO POST WORKOUT SMOOTHIE for you!" And so I counted down, part-way through wondering if I would actually jump in, and by the count of 5, I was in, and I felt SO STRONG in the water. On the run afterward, I used the 1.1K loop to help me do a tempo run. I ran the first 1.1K slow, in about 5:30. The next loop was 5:09, the next loop was 4:30, and the next loop was 4:00. Then I did a long cool down. I used the same complex bribing tactic as I did to get myself into the water quickly. In my head I thought "if this repeat isn't at least 20 seconds faster, no SMOOTHIE for you!" And needless to say, I got the smoothie. And it tasted even sweeter than I thought it would.

Current book I'm reading: The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

Neglect Yoga and the IT says HEEEY!!!

So the past couple of weeks my IT band at the hip has been saying "HEEEY" a little too often for my liking.

So much so that I skipped out on two Dripping Springs 30+ milers because I thought it was an injury from cycling with the new shoes/pedals. So much so that I couldn't do my long run last weekend. This is a serious problem if I want to get geared up for the triathlon season. The achy hips screamed after I ran or cycled, I didn't know which to blame. I thought it was running...then I thought it was cycling.

Turns out I was wrong. It was neither.

The IT was just tight because I was neglecting my yoga practice. I realized this upon looking back at my training logs and seeing that I was just running, biking and swimming and then doing nothing else. A few push ups, weights, drills but no yoga. I think my body relies on yoga to keep it loose after all the pounding from running. And now, even more so it relies on it from all the time on the bike.

At the VERY LEAST, I'm doing yoga three times a week. That's at the least. There will not be happy hours scheduled over yoga. Dates and social events can wait, my body NEEDS yoga. It needs the hips stretched out in order to be efficient in racing. My body doesn't like to run if I haven't been to yoga. My body doesn't like to cycle if I haven't been to yoga. My body will swim, but that's a given.

I have realized lately that my cycling and running performance hinge on my yoga practice. No more excuses, I need to GET ME TO YOGA!

...Om...

Current book I'm reading: The Artist's Way