Nations Triathlon, Olympic Distance, September 8th, 2014

Last race of the 2013 triathlon season, done! I decided to do this race after getting injured for the Rock and Roll D.C. Marathon in March. I have been to the DC area a few times and have loved it. So choosing this race was a no brainer! I figured what a great way to end the season in a city that I love, and a shorter distance!

I drove to the race Saturday morning and checked into the host hotel, The Washington Hilton. The expo was right there. For an Olympic distance race this expo was awesome! There were plenty of vendors and free stuff! I scored some free gels, tire levers, a souvenir cup and a pair of running socks!

After the expo I had to get my bike ready to take to transition for overnight. I fixed my race number on my bike and decided to ride it to the transition area since it was at least two miles from the host hotel. Seriously, what a great idea! I rode my bike through DC with running shorts and run shoes on. But the best part was, I got to maneuver myself and Trekie around the National Mall! The day before the race I try to get in a 30 minute easy ride, just to get my legs spinning, and then follow that up with a 10 minute run just to get my legs turning over. So I decided once I dropped my bike off in transition I would do my 10 minute run back towards the hotel.

 

 

Trekie got to take in all the sites!

Transition was located next to the Potomac River and by the Lincoln Memorial. The transition area was huge!! I had no idea how many people were doing this race, but come to find out it was close to 5,000 athletes!

During my scenic ride to transition my brakes seemed to be rubbing, so for the first time in my triathlon career I took my bike to the onsite mechanics. It was bothering me, and mentally I knew it would be better if I had someone check it out, that way I didn’t have to worry about it come race day. I have learned this year to make races as stress-free and relaxed as possible. There is no use in wasting valuable energy. So the awesome dudes at the mechanic tent fixed my bike, nothing major was wrong, just a little adjustment needed.

Now I had to find my spot on the transition rack. Where to start? The best part about this transition was that each row was numbered. There were huge numbered flags in the middle of the aisle, there were about 30 rows! I was row 24 and about 3 spots from the end of the rack! I remember smiling and laughing, thinking if I lose my bike in this transition there is something seriously wrong! For once this season, I am not going to lose my bike! Run to row 24 out of the swim, left hand turn down the aisle, run to the end! Check!

As a pre-race ritual, I walked my paths into T1 and out of T1, and then into T2 and out of T2. I knew I had a short run into T1 but a long run out. Short run into T2, long run out.

 

Race Morning: 5am wake-up and caught the complimentary shuttle by 5:30am. Transition closed at 6:45am, race started 7am. They announced in transition that the water temperature was 80 degrees and therefore it was a non-wetsuit swim. I was stoked! But seriously, who would have thought that in September I would have my first ever non-wetsuit swim!  The only down-side for me was that I was wave 30 at the swim start! So I figured I would have a good wait after the race was officially underway. It was a time trial start which meant that a few athletes were sent every 20-25 seconds. With 5,000 athletes, I was in for a wait. I took my time walking around to stay loose, and ventured down to the water and watched other athletes take off to become familiar with the process. I sat a lot, trying to save my legs. I had so much time at the swim start, I was bored! I swear time stood still. The waves of athletes before me seemed like they were barely moving. People were EVERYWHERE!

Swim: Finally, it was time to move and time flew now! Next I knew I was in the swim chute and out onto the boat launch staring up the Potomac! I realized that all athletes had to SIT on the boat launch and at the sound of the whistle enter the water feet first. I can’t say that I was a fan of this swim start. However, the best part about this course is that it is shaped into the Washington Monument! How appropriate! I knew heading out to the turnaround I would be against the current, but coming back I had the current. This was probably the most well marked course. Huge orange buoys, clearly marked by 100 meters and floated nearly 6-7 feet off the water! If I swam off course, something would definitely be wrong! It was also really neat to swim under the bridge!

I do have to say that being wave 30 made for a lot of congestion from the start. I had mentally prepared myself for all the congestion and stayed relaxed through the swim. And, I didn’t swim off course!

SWIM TIME: 25:12

T1: I found row 24 like it was nobody’s business! Left hand turn, ran down the aisle, and whoohoo found Trekie faithfully waiting for me!

Bike: This was a two loop course. I headed out feeling great and my legs were ready to rock! After only being out on the course for a short time, I came upon a volunteer waiving a caution flag telling cyclists to slow down because there was a no passing zone coming up. I tried to get ahead of any slow riders before that zone came but to my luck I ended up behind someone who I believed to be a novice rider. She was constantly on her brakes. It got to the point where I yelled at her to keep moving forward and to lay off her brakes! At this point I realized that I should have gone to the athlete briefings that were offered throughout the day at the expo. I decided not to attend one because I was rushed for time. However, note to self, always attend!

Another reason I should have went to one of the meetings, was that there were many turn arounds on the course. It would have benefited me to know where they were. By turn around, I mean sharp turns where my speed was reduced to 4-5 mph. At one point on the course the turnaround was over a wooden ramp!

Positives to this course: it was very well marked! Mostly flat. A few inclines. None of the inclines required me to get up out of the saddle.

Negatives: besides the no passing zones and turn arounds, I was under the impression that the course would go around the monuments. The only monument I was ever near was the Lincoln Memorial. So that aspect of the course was deceiving.

BIKE TIME: 1:14:15

T2: I dismounted my bike and started to run into transition only to find another wooden ramp that I had to push my bike over and run over with bike shoes on! I was able to find my rack without any effort. Racked my bike, threw on my run shoes, visor and race belt and out for a 10k I went!

Run: I had full intentions on giving this run everything I had left in the tank. I promised myself that when it started to hurt (as it eventually always does) that I would push through it and run harder. The first mile of the run was uphill, not tremendously, but enough that my legs felt the incline. As I approached mile one, it was marked with a huge flag and was very easy to see. At this first mile aid station, I grabbed a gel that one of the volunteers was holding out. Yes, I was already hurting and it was only mile 1. But one great piece of advice I have been given is that when things start to suck on the run, eat something! You will always feel better. Truth! The gel was a GU Orange Cream. Damn, did it taste good! I gulped it down and washed it down with a cup of water as I ran through the aid station.

A volunteer yelled as I passed that mile 1 was the only hill on the course and that it was all flat for the next 5.2 miles! I started trucking and he was right. It was a very flat 10k right along the water.

As flat as the course was, I saw many signs of weakness from other athletes. Maybe it was the heat? By the time I was on the run course, it was late morning and I do remember being hot. Other athletes were walking, breathing heavy, grunting, checking their watches every second, etc. I smiled a few times and told myself, “no matter what, never show any signs of weakness!”

I checked my watch at each mile and knew I was running the same pace and I was feeling great! I made sure to stay up on my nutrition and hydration, so at every aid station I made sure to grab something, even if it was a cup of water to hold on to for a few minutes and then dump on my head. It made me feel better. I only took that one gel at mile 1 though. After that gel I knew my stomach wasn’t going to handle anything else. I knew that if I just kept myself hydrated and cool that I would be just fine.

Indeed I was just fine. I ended up finishing with my best pace off the bike all year and not to mention a new PR by 2 minutes at the Olympic distance!

RUN TIME: 52:30

OVERALL TIME: 2:35:43

2013 has been a truly great year for me. I have learned so much about the sport of triathlon, about myself, about training and especially about racing. I have met some inspirational triathletes that I have the privilege of calling my friends! I have taken all of their advice and I believe it has truly helped in my performances this year. I have the best support system and the best training partners. I already cannot wait for 2014!

 

Timberman 70.3, August 18th, 2013

Timberman 70.3, August 18^th, 2013

I signed up for this race after I PR’d at Syracuse 70.3. I couldn’t settle until I gave myself a shot this year to break 6 hours at the 70.3 distance. I remember when I registered, I told myself a 5:59 would be just fine. But I wanted it and I knew what I had to do.

I drove to New Hampshire the Friday before the race and stayed at a secluded lake front property about 25 minutes from the race site. Once I got there, Kenrick and I went to pick up our packets and scope out the race expo. I have to admit, I was not impressed. We were in and out of there quickly and went back to the house for a short swim in the lake. A 20 minute swim had me huffing and puffing. My taper was right on point!

Saturday morning I woke up with a scratchy throat and stuffy nose. It seemed like the air in New Hampshire was dry. Maybe it was the pine trees? But my allergies were in full effect. Great! We ventured out for a 30 minute ride with a few race efforts, and followed it up with a 10 minute run to get the legs moving. My legs felt heavy on the bike but towards the end of the 30 minutes they started to feel better. My legs felt awesome on the run. I knew I was ready to rock.

We decided to drive the bike course on the way to the race site to rack our bikes. I am so glad that we did this because we were able to see where the hills were on the course. And yes, there were plenty of hills. The hills didn’t seem to be too strenuous but they were certainly there. There was one decent climb around mile 10, which meant one decent climb around mile 46, and also one climb leading back into transition.

When we got to the race site I was in awe! It was beautiful! The first thing we did was walk our bikes into transition and found our spots on the rack. I was located closest to the shore line about three racks in from the barriers, short run out of T1, longer run out of T2. I walked my path in and out of both transitions, visualized over and over again, looked for easy ways to spot my rack/bike, etc. I didn’t want to forget where my bike was like I did in NYC!

 

I walked down to the water and the first thing I thought was, “ is this an ocean or a lake??” It was CHOPPY! As experienced of a swimmer as I am, even I was a little intimidated. It was going to be a battle in the morning if the water stayed like that!

 

We drove the run course as we left the race site for the day. I thought it looked good, a few inclines here and there and one decent climb towards the end of each loop. It was a two loop course, so I had to climb it twice. I felt confident though. I knew I put in some great work on the run leading up to this race and I just told myself to take it all in. Don’t get worked up. I can honestly say that the day before the race was the first that I have ever felt so relaxed and at ease. I knew what I faced, I just needed to go out and get it done.

RACE MORNING: 4:30am wake up. My throat was still scratchy. Nose was stuffy. I tried not to dwell on it and go about my normal race morning routine; bagel, coffee, banana, race chip around ankle, double check transition bag and off to the race!

We drove to the shuttle which was located about three miles from the race start. Athletes could park at the race site, however no cars could leave until 5pm. So we decided to leave the car at the resort and use the shuttle. Athletes were boarded on the shuttle first, so Kenrick and I got on and caught up with his family at the race site. We sat in total silence the entire ride. Three miles felt like forever. I kept thinking about the race at hand. I spent a lot of time listening to other athletes converse about the race, the course, etc. It seemed like everyone had the dreaded hills on their minds. A few times I caught myself smirking and chuckling. In a way I felt confident knowing I was not intimidated by the hills on the bike. I train on hills everyday!

Once off the shuttle, it finally hit me that I was racing! I was in the midst of the race day whirlwind. Body marking, the hustle into transition, setting up transition, the hustle to the bathrooms, the LONG line at the bathroom, the brisk walk to the swim start. It is all second nature to me now. I never once had the pre-race butterflies or the panicked “what-if” thoughts. I was the most relaxed I have ever been. I have been in this situation before, I have done this before, I have felt this pain before. There was nothing left to do it, but to do it!

I remember looking at the time and thinking wow I have a long time to hang out until I start. I was wave 17 so I started over an hour after the actual race start. I don’t think I have ever started that far back in a race either. My age group is usually one of the first waves in the water. I knew I would be trampling over quite a few athletes. It was chilly so I stood on the shore bundled up as long as possible. I decided to forgo a swim warmup and would use my actual 1.2 mile swim as my warmup, after all, a half ironman isn’t a swim race!

Just as I felt like I looked at the time and thought I had forever and a day until I started, time seemed to sneak up on me and it was almost go time. I put on my wetsuit and made my way to my corral. Kenrick was wave 16 so he lined up at the same time. He gave me a few words/thoughts of encouragement. One really stood out. He said, “no matter what, no matter how things turn on you, even if/when they get bad, always stay positive!” I wished him good luck and told him I would see him out there!

SWIM: I casually walked out to the buoy start line, other girls swam. I adjusted my goggles and sunk down in the water to get my wetsuit soaked and warmed up. The announcer gave the thirty second warning and I started my watch. I wanted to know my swim time when I finished. I took off quickly at the start, as I always do, to find clear water out in front. I remember briefly thinking “how am I going to swim well when I can’t even breathe from these allergies!” But just as quickly as I thought it, I quickly forgot it and remembered what Kenrick told me, “stay positive!” I kept pulling forward.

This swim course consisted of two right hand turns. I had clear water to the first right hand turn, however it all changed the second I made the first turn. I immediately found myself in traffic! I caught the athletes from waves before me. At this point it felt like an ocean swim. The water was choppy and there was a current pushing me towards the shore. I was fighting other swimmers, waves and a current. I told myself to relax and swim as smooth as possible. There was also a fog coming off the water and I had a hard time seeing. At one point I stopped and swam breaststroke, lifted my goggles off my eyes just to find the next buoy! I thought, “wow this may not be a good swim.” Stay positive…

I managed to find my way to the last right hand turn which lead for home and I kicked it into high gear. I saw a rainbow of colors, pink, blue, green caps everywhere. I just kept ticking them all off. I swam over top of people, grabbed their feet/shoulders/heads and pulled myself forward. It was very congested. I made sure to swim all the way into shore until my hands touched the lake bottom. I got this swim tip from my favorite pro triathlete and superb swimmer, Andy Potts! People were walking into shore as I was still swimming. Once my hands hit bottom, I stood up, lost my footing and fell face first into the water. Ugh! Stay positive. I stood back up and hustled up the shore. I glanced down at my watch and subtracted thirty seconds.

OFFICIAL SWIM TIME: 29:38.

Fastest half ironman swim to date! It was go time! As I ran into T1, I heard Kenrick’s father yell that I was third out of the water in my age group and two minutes back.

T1: I was smiling from ear to ear as I entered transition. I couldn’t believe I swam so well in those conditions. I found my rack but ended up running right past my bike! “STAY POSITIVE!” Hey, at least I was on the right rack and only a few steps away. I tore off my wetsuit, put on the bike shoes, helmet, glasses and it was time to bring out the pink!

BIKE: Right out of the gate I rode up on course carnage! An ambulance was in the middle of the road, lights on, and four bikes lying on the ground. One person was loaded onto a stretcher and another person was on the ground with a very bloody leg. Stay positive. I paid a great deal of attention to my hydration and nutrition on the bike this race. More than I have ever done before. I had a lengthy conversation with Kenrick the Friday night before the race in which he told me that if you only drink when you are thirsty it is too late. He has a nutrition/hydration plan that he implements during the race and that it was something to consider. So before the race I made my own plan. I committed to drinking something every ten minutes and eating something every thirty minutes. Constantly thinking about when to eat and drink seemed to make the bike fly by! Before I knew it, I was staring at the hill at mile ten. Rather than panicking, like I saw a lot do, I shifted into the granny gear and spun my way up. I saw tons struggling; one guy even got off his bike and walked it to the top. I sat the entire time, my legs didn’t burn once. Nice, steady effort. No. Big. Deal.

The next forty or so miles were flat and very fast! I cleared the thirty mile mark at a 21.5 mph average! I felt great. I did a lot of passing, but was passed a lot too. In past races if I saw someone in my age group pass me, I would go harder and try to catch up with them. Not this race though. I stayed within my limits. I stuck to my nutrition/hydration plan, and the goal of not making my legs burn. After all, a half ironman is not a bike race!

There were a few aid stations on the bike and I made sure to grab something at each one. I grabbed a big bottle of water and drank half of it and dumped the rest of it on me to cool off. I was never overheated at any point, but cold water seems to always bring me back to life. At another aid station I grabbed a banana. Did that ever hit the spot! First time I ever ate something that I didn’t carry with me on the bike.

I was expecting the final climb in towards transition and seemed to take it with ease. I also realized that any time I climbed, it was always time for me to hydrate. There was something comforting to me holding a bottle while climbing. Don’t ask. This final climb was the only time I looked at my overall bike time. I knew that if all went well I was going to have my fastest half ironman bike split too!!

OFFICIAL BIKE TIME: 2:55:28

T2: At this point I knew what I had waiting for me and I knew that in order to go under six hours, I had to RUN.

RUN: Before I get into the meat of this leg I have a side note. A few weeks before Timberman, I had the privilege to be in Lake Placid for the Ironman. I was able to be there and cheer on my training partners as they took on that challenge. I can’t help but point her out in this section because I believe her performance at IMLP truly inspired me for this race. Mandy Lovett plowed through 26.2 miles at the end of an Ironman like I have never seen before. Maybe it’s because she is my biggest inspiration and I truly look up to her, but I thought to myself, “if Mandy can push through 26.2 like it was nothing and look unphased and strong, there is absolutely NO EXCUSE as to why I can’t run 13.1 miles at the end of a half ironman.” I feel that this photo needs to be put in this race report, because anytime I have doubts when I run I refer to this photo. There are no words needed.

 

One more bit of motivation for me was that I was able to read Mandy’s IMLP race report leading up to this race. And in her report she quotes her husband, Brian Lovett. Another inspiration to me. I recited his quote in my head numerous times at Timberman. I am so happy to call these two strong athletes my friends. In his words, “You just make up your mind that you are not going to walk, and don’t.”

As I ran out of T2, Kenrick’s son and daughter stood with their hands out ready for high fives. I was pumped. I went over the time mat and started my watch. At past races, I never used my watch on the run because it played too much on my mind. But this race I had more confidence going into the 13.1 miles and I knew what I had to do to reach my goal. I promised myself that if things went downhill that I would turn my watch off. But I knew in my heart that wasn’t going to happen. I committed to the run and refused to walk.

I got to mile one and felt great. I glanced at my watch, 8:21 first mile. WHOA! I needed to slow down, I had a long way to go!

Every aid station I grabbed something. Water, Gatorade, cola, oranges, banana, ice, cold sponges. By the way, I am totally obsessed with the ice cold sponges. I grabbed two every time they were offered. One for each hand! And just like the water bottle on the bike, it was comforting to hold them.

Kenrick passed me on the run as he was in his final lap. He slapped me high five and told me to keep it up!! It was very motivating to have yet another inspirational friend/athlete out there on the course competing and cheering me on.

I thought of the run as four 5k’s and a little extra. I cleared the first 5k and I still felt great! At Syracuse I got to mile two and felt like I was at mile ten! This race was different. I remember seeing the only real climb on the course and thinking I’ve got you! I refused to walk. Spectators were cheering for me! People were walking all around me, but I did not give up.

Before I knew it, I was already halfway through the run and into the turn around chute. I saw Kenrick and his parents and gave them all a thumbs up! ONE MORE LOOP TO GO!

Throughout the run I checked my watch every mile and could tell that I wasn’t slowing down or losing any time. I was simply plugging away. I knew if all went well I would definitely have my fastest half marathon time at the 70.3 distance. This run simply flew by. I approached the dreaded last climb into the finish, and I will admit I was at the point where I wondered if I had anything left to run up it. Stay positive. Up I went.

I made the turn for home and had a load of energy. I kicked it towards the line. Spectators were screaming out my bib number and my name. I knew I ran just over 2 hours, but had no idea my overall finish time. I knew I was under six hours but not how far under. I knew I had to deduct an hour from the official time clock because I started about an hour after the pros.

When the official clock was in my sights, I glanced at it and saw it read six hours and between thirty and forty minutes. I lost it. Choked up, tears rolling, arms raised in victory. Running and crying. I can honestly say I have never done that, and wow what a task that was! But I knew I accomplished my goal.

I crossed the finish line and a volunteer told me to breathe! Take a deep breath! Easier said than done! I still didn’t know my official time but let’s just say when I found out, the tears were back!

OFFICIAL RUN TIME: 2:06:46

OFFICIAL RACE TIME: 5:35:47 and a new PR by over 30 minutes!

 

I swear as I write this I am still in shock. The whole day felt effortless. After the tears subsided, I remember thinking, “Did I really just do a 70.3?” I did NYC tri a month earlier and felt way worse and that was a shorter distance. Kenrick said that’s when you know you did things right. The cards were certainly in my favor and I truly had a great race. I still can’t believe it. But there is one thing that I learned this race and I will be sure to carry it into all my other races…

“No matter what, always stay positive.”

2013 Syracuse 70.3		2013 Timberman 70.3
0:32:48	1:33/100 yds	0:29:38	1:24/100 yds
0:03:37			0:02:07
3:02:52	18.37 mph	2:55:28	19.1 mph
0:01:40			0:01:49
2:25:23	11:05/mile	2:06:46	9:40/mile
6:06:20			5:35:47

New York City Triathlon, Olympic Distance, July 14th, 2013

	Ideal		Acceptable
Swim	0:16:32	1:00/100 yds	0:17:00	1:02/100 yds
T1	0:04:20		0:04:30
Bike	1:10:00	21.0 mph	1:14:00	20 mph
T2	0:01:15		0:01:25
Run	0:52:30	8:27/mile	0:54:30	8:47/mile
Total	2:24:37		2:31:25

Two years ago I was a spectator at this race and loved every minute of it. I mean what’s not to love about competing in NYC? Great scenery around the Hudson River, lots of people offering support, the mile stretch of 72^nd street and Central Park! Ever since I was spectator I have entered in the lottery to compete in this event. I was never picked, until this year! This quickly became one event on my race lineup that I was thoroughly excited for. I also became more excited the closer I go to this race. A month prior I competed in Syracuse 70.3 and PR’d. I knew I was in great shape, the swim for the event is FAST, the atmosphere in NYC is amazing, and the list could go on forever!

I drove into the city the day before the race; hotel check-in was at 3pm. I arrived approximately an hour early thinking I could check-in early. WRONG. I checked in; however a room was not available at that time. I walked around the corner to the nearest pizza place, ordered my pre-race lunch pizza and scarfed it down in the hotel lobby. 3:10pm rolled around, still no room available. At this point I was getting anxious and pestered the lobby attendants until finally I was able to get into my room. STRIKE 1.
 

I made my way down to transition to rack my bike for the night. This event has close to 3000 competitors of all different ability levels. Therefore, there are two transitions. A red transition and a yellow transition. Red transition is closest to the swim exit, yellow is the farthest. Of course I was in the yellow transition! Being in this transition, I knew I had the farthest run from the swim exit, approximately 700 yards.

I went into transition and racked my bike on the designated rack. Depending on how you looked at transition, my bike was located just shy of the middle. I knew I had to walk transition a few times to familiarize myself with where my bike was placed. I walked to the swim in and then proceeded to walk to where my bike was. I then walked from my bike to the bike exit and then from the bike in back to my rack. I did this twice. I made note of the advertisements posted to the fence too as markers for where my race gear would be located. Once I felt comfortable and convinced I knew where my bike was for T1 and T2 I made my way back to my hotel room.

Race Morning: The night before I made sure to set my alarm twice because this race started earlier than most other triathlons I have done. The professionals were set to start at 5:50am! According to my calculations I was to begin sometime close to 6:30am so I wanted to make sure that I was awake, up and moving with some added time to spare. I set my alarm for 4am and 4:10am. My alarm went off and I looked at the time, 4:10am. I thought, “Why didn’t the 4am alarm go off??” My dad informed me that I slept through the 4am alarm! Wow. I didn’t even hear it. That means that it was going off for at least two minutes and it didn’t wake me. That has NEVER happened. Not even in my everyday life! I am usually very restless the night before a race, this night I was apparently knocked out! STRIKE 2.

I made my way down to transition to set up my bike/run gear quickly and then started the trek towards the swim start. From transition to the actual swim start is close to a 1.5 mile walk. Now add 3000 athletes trying to make the same trek, can you say crowded? It was relatively painless though and I made it up to the start in time to see the pro’s start. I couldn’t help but notice the current sweeping them down the river! I was pumped and mentally prepared for a FAST swim!

Swim: I entered the orange capped corral for females 25-29. There were two corrals for my age group. I walked right up to the front. The swim was a time trial start, so fifteen athletes were sent into the water every twenty seconds. I wanted to make sure that I was in the first group of fifteen in my corral. I always love listening to the pre-race chatter between athletes. I heard a lot of gals in my group talking about this race being their first. I remember thinking, “wow! What a huge race to choose for a first timer!”

I walked out onto the boat launch in the middle of the Hudson and found myself staring the river down! It really was an awesome feeling. Boats, kayakers, jet skis, lifeguards, spectators, EVERYWHERE! I put my toes over the edge of the launch and waited. Age groupers had to do a feet first entry into the water, only the pros were able to dive. The whistle blew, feet first jump and it was off to the races! I maintained a quick arm turnover until I freed myself of the pack and then settled into my pace. I started sighting and scanning for other females in orange and purple caps. I wanted to tick them off one by one! What an awesome feeling it was being carried down the Hudson. I was in a full body wetsuit and a quick current made this swim feel almost effortless. Normally my arms become sore and tired but they didn’t, not once during this swim! I tried to swim in the middle of the .9 mile stretch. However, at one point I became too comfortable and in the zone that I stopped sighting. Next thing I knew, I took a breath and was facing a huge boat! WHOA. My lungs also consumed boat fumes. Something I have never experienced during a tri. Definitely not a good taste/smell to have in your mouth/nose. I must have been flustered by the fumes, maybe even high on them (HAHA) because I found myself swimming far right and slightly off course. Great! STRIKE 3. Wasted time! I continued to pluck away at the purple caps (Females 25-29, corral before mine) and quickly found myself at the exit. The swim exit is a metal ramp and there are volunteers standing on the ramp in the water to grab athlete’s hands to help them exit. The ramp was steep and obviously slippery when wet! I grabbed a volunteers hand and ran up the ramp.

SWIM TIME:  16:31, :59/100 yards, 1^st in Age Group!

After exiting the swim I now faced a 700 yard run to T1. I kept telling myself, “Relax. Get feeling back into your legs and set yourself up for a good bike!” I had a volunteer yell at me after exiting the swim that I have a “river beard” and to wash it off! EWW. I took my hands and wiped my face. Brown and green muck everywhere. I don’t even want to know.

Enter T1: Instantly I couldn’t find my bike. I panicked. How could this happen after I mapped out this transition numerous times the day before? I ran down the wrong aisle and wondered why I didn’t see any pink! I began scanning other aisles. How did I get into the aisle that I was in? Lost bike in transition = STRIKE 4.  More time wasted. I found my bike, still had to take off my wetsuit and put on my helmet, glasses and bike shoes. Once situated, I took my bike off the rack and went to run out of transition but now I heard a rattle coming from my bike. I look down and realized that my chain had jumped. SERIOUSLY? And how did that happen? STRIKE! I stopped in the middle of the runway, put it back on and once again tried to hustle out. I knew this transition was already going to be a long one considering the longer run and well my loss of direction! Now a mechanical! I get stopped behind three guys leisurely walking their bikes out of transition. And I mean leisurely walking. A snail’s pace. I couldn’t run around them because the exit was narrow. STRIKE. (I have stopped counting at this point)

BIKE: I hustle up to the mount line, finally on and all I wanted to do was to pound out this 25 mile ride! The bike starts out with a short straight stretch along the Hudson and then athletes make a sharp right hand, uphill turn followed by a sharp left turn at the top. In the midst of trying to pick up speed and making all these sharp turns I hit a pothole and my water bottle flew out. EVEN BIGGER STRIKE. I figured I would be fine with only carrying one bottle of Gatorade for this ride. It was only 25 miles. Well, I now had to do 25 miles with zero hydration. Panicked. Agitated.  Frustrated. I tried to calm myself down. Eh, 25 miles without hydration will be okay. It’s not like it’s a half ironman or anything. I didn’t feel so bad when I proceeded through the course and saw many water bottles on the ground. I knew I wasn’t the only one.

I rode the left hand side of the lane majority of the course. I passed a lot of people. But at the same time I found myself staring at the road the entire ride. The course was a main highway in the city, so that meant that there were potholes, cracks, craters, you name it, everywhere. I saw lots of athletes on the side of the road with flats. I thought, “Just what I need to seal the deal on the day, a flat!” So I ended up playing it safe. The heat started to take its toll on me. Leg cramps from dehydration arose around mile twelve. My right hamstring and right calf felt like they were going to snap! I took more nutrition than normal thinking it would help alleviate the issue. Nope. I had nothing to wash down the gels; the taste and stickiness sat in my mouth and was just nasty. I remember thinking on a few occasions during the bike, “Why am I doing this today?” I kept looking down at my bike comp and seeing my mph average and my overall bike time. I couldn’t help but shake my head in disgust. My average was nowhere near what I was capable of.

T2: I ran my bike into transition and my legs felt wobbly and my body felt woozy. But at least I was able to find my rack without incident. I threw on my run gear and headed out onto the 10k course.

RUN: Directly outside of T2 was a table with water and Gatorade. I grabbed water, poured it on my head, grabbed more water, poured it on my head and then grabbed Gatorade and chugged it. This was the first time I had any hydration in over an hour and a half! (Swim and bike compbined) After the table, there was a sharp right hand turn and an uphill. Wow. Talk about shuffling up that sucker! But I knew once I got up that hill it was on to 72^nd street and into Central Park! 72^nd street is closed to traffic for this event. There is so much energy at the point. There were spectators crowding around the police barricades, cowbells ringing, posters/signs everywhere, police officers standing at the intersection cheering, and not to mention the high NYC buildings surrounding you. I had a huge adrenaline rush running down the center of this street.

Mile one was complete and just as quick the rush wore off when I entered the park. Legs cramps resurfaced. The run now became a matter of surviving and I knew I faced a lot of hills in Central Park, including Harlem Hill.

Now let’s talk about Central Park. Who wouldn’t want to run there? Well, on this day and at this particular event, CP is not closed to the public. So there were you’re everyday walkers, runners, cyclists, dog walkers, rollerbladers, stroller pushers, etc. etc. etc. And here is the kicker. These people were not moving for racers, the racers were moving for them! It was up to the athletes to maneuver around them. I can’t even begin to count how many times people ran out in front of me as I was running. So, I had 6.2 miles to complete, after a swim and bike, in heat and humidity, in a park loaded with hills, dehydrated, cramping and let’s add on moving around Central Park’s finest. What a cluster.

“SURVIVE.” I found myself repeating this many times during the run. Luckily they had aid stations every mile. Already depleted, I knew I had to grab everything I could at each station. Water. Gatorade. Ice. I took the ice and put it in my sports bra until it melted into chunks. I took two chunks and held one in each hand. I swear I feel better running when I am holding onto something. Weird, I know. At this point my feet and shoes were soaked with water and sweat. I had blisters forming, and definitely more than one! Must keep moving forward! Hills, cramps, blisters = not a good time.

FINISH: I made a right hand turn into the finishing chute and I was really not excited to finish. I can honestly say that I have never been at that point in any race before. Not excited to finish? Not excited to hear your name announced? Not excited to receive the finisher medal? I was not excited in the least bit! I didn’t feel accomplished in any way. I had high hopes for this race/event and was thoroughly disappointed. I knew that on a good day I would be able to PR on this course, especially with a swim as fast as this one. But those cards did not fall into play. I was nowhere near a PR, in fact I was close to fifteen minutes off my last Olympic distance time. I did not rank as high as I knew I was capable of either.

After having time to digest this entire disaster of a race, I have realized that not only do triathletes need to be physically tough, but mentally tough as well. On this day I was neither. I mentally broke down and because of that I physically broke down as well. It is hard to race when so many negatives arise. It was hard for me to keep things intact mentally. However, I have never had a truly “bad” race. I guess it was my time to get a bad one under my belt!

As I write this, I can’t even remember the course scenery. All I can remember are the negatives. This is one race that I will not do again, but I am happy to have crossed it off my bucket list. Unless you are a professional or elite athlete competing in this race, it is not for competitive age groupers. The course is crowded in all three legs, and is built around first timers. It certainly was not the race that I had hoped/looked forward to.

NYC Triathlon. Swept under the rug. Lessons learned. Move on. Keep smiling.

	Ideal		Acceptable		NYC TRI '13
Swim	0:16:32	1:00/100 yds	0:17:00	1:02/100 yds	16:31	:59/100 yds
T1	0:04:20		0:04:30		6:18
Bike	1:10:00	21.0 mph	1:14:00	20 mph	1:21:11	18.4/mph
T2	0:01:15		0:01:25		1:30
Run	0:52:30	8:27/mile	0:54:30	8:47/mile	0:59:58	9:40/mile
Total	2:24:37		2:31:25		02:45.30

Syracuse 70.3, June 23rd, 2013

	Ideal		Acceptable		2012 Pocono 70.3
Swim	0:28:15	1:20/100 yds	0:30:00	1:25/100 yds	0:31:10	1:36/100 yds
T1	0:04:00		0:04:30		0:04:40
Bike	3:06:30	18.0 mph	3:10:30	17.7 mph	3:05:56	18.07 mph
T2	0:02:15		0:02:45		0:02:54
Run	2:20:00	10:41/mile	2:25:00	11:04/mile	2:26:30	11:10/mile
Total	6:01:00		6:12:45		6:11:10

I was so incredibly nervous for this race. A month out I was questioning whether or not to do it because of the marathon injury I battled with for four months! I even had some training partners suggest I pick a race later in the year. But those of you who know me, know I don’t back down without a fight. So I knew going into this race that my swim and bike were where they needed to be, the worry, as it always is, was the run. A week before the race, a training bud of mine dragged me out for nine miles and I completed them. It certainly gave me a little more confidence. However nine miles compared to 13.1 miles after a 56 mile bike is a different story, but I stayed positive.

I was privileged to have my number one fan along for my journey to Syracuse, my Dad! We drove up the day before and went directly to the race site. I instantly fell in love with the venue. The only other 70.3 I did was 70.3 Pocono Mountains in September 2012. This race was so much bigger, had a lot of vendors, food, and lots of athletes! After picking up my packet and visiting the Official Ironman store ( I spent too much money!) I went down to transition to figure out where my bike would be. Then I ventured down to the lake to scope out the swim. The first thing I noticed was the long run from the swim exit to the swim in. This was the longest T1 I have had to map out. I thought lucky for me my bike was right there from the swim in. The only downside was I had a long run out of T1 and a long run into T2.

I made sure to attend the athlete meeting because a very respectable triathlete that I know who did this race last year said that there would be a no passing zone within the last two miles of the bike course. He advised me to be aware of that and to make sure when I’m on the course to get ahead of the slower cyclists. I guess he had to learn the hard way the year before and was held back on the final stretch. During the athlete meeting the race director announced that this year they did away with the no passing zone but just to be careful because there will also be runners on the course too.

After the meeting my dad and I drove the bike course. Another great piece of advice I received and will pass along to other triathletes. Drive the bike course! Know where the turns, hills, declines, etc. etc. are. I could not believe the beauty that this course had to offer. I was in awe. I took mental note of the hills, I counted four with at least two of them requiring me to get out of the saddle. I was excited to get the show on the road after driving the course! I decided to ignore the run course entirely, I didn’t want to totally psych myself out for that! We drove to the hotel, got dinner and settled in for the night.

Race morning: I underestimated the morning traffic for this race. No idea why but it was never a thought that crossed my mind. I think I waited at least thirty minutes in traffic that morning. I rushed to transition to set up my gear with a little over fifteen minutes before transition closed. I headed down to the swim start just in time for the horn to sound for pro start. I put on my wetsuit, swim cap and goggles and jumped into the lake for a warmup swim.

The swim: 1.2 miles. Wading start. I made sure to line up in the middle of the pack and in the front. The horn sounded and off we went. I always start off quicker to get a comfortable spot in the water. At first it’s all a big herd, people kicking and splashing all over the place. I’m pretty sure I caught a few hands to the face. At one point I had lake weeds wrapped around my neck. I was a bit freaked out by that. Yes, even those swimmers who are confident and comfortable in the water get a little panicked at times! I was able to get into a comfortable position and settled into my pace. My goggles fogged up slightly but not like they normally do. Next thing you know, a lifeguard on one of the kayaks yelled at me to stay on course! I stop, pick up my head and look. I was swimming way wide and off course! I sprinted back towards the buoys and tried my hardest to stay as close to the buoys as possible. I made a right hand turn onto the next straight stretch of the course and kept plugging away. Swimming off course round two! I was thinking what the heck is going on? I NEVER swim off course. I knew at that point I needed to truly get my head in the game. I made the right hand turn for home and increased my arm turnover and kick a little. I didn’t want to blow out my legs on the swim. Being one of the stronger swimmers, I always seem to catch the slower swimmers (from earlier waves) approaching the finish. So the trampling and kicking and splashing seems to come back the closer I get to a swim finish. I remember jabbing someone point blank in the neck. Sorry! But what goes around comes around. I got kicked hard in the quad. OUCH!

I put my head down and kept my arm turnover up and swam as far as I could up to the shore, dug my hands into the lake bottom, stood up and ran out of the water. I remember thinking, wow that swim went fast. I looked down at my watch, not the greatest swim time, would have been faster if I hadn’t swam off course twice! Oh well, sweep it under the rug and keep on!

T1: The longer transition run didn’t bother me when I was actually doing it. I was surprised to see how many athletes were on the ground or standing to the sides and getting assistance in taking off their wetsuit! That was a first. I remember thinking, you are doing at half ironman and can’t get your own wetsuit off? I ran into the transition area, found my bike, got my gear on quickly and made my way towards the bike out. The run to the bike out was a little ticky because there were athletes in the aisles and on the ground, trying to put on their gear. It was an obstacle course with a bike!

The bike: As I stated earlier, I drove the bike course the night before so I knew what to expect. The first twelve miles of this course were all uphill. The best way to describe it is, a climb, followed by a semi-flat stetch, leading to another climb. Kind of like a shelf. I remember looking down at my average mph and it was SLOW! I was thinking oh no, there is no way I am going to do well on this course. But after those first twelve miles, the course had some great decents and flats. I put my legs to the test and pounded it out. It was hot and there were some crazy head and crosswinds. I felt like the wind was in my face the entire time. I knew that with as hard as I was pushing it, I had to make sure to take nutrition every 30-45 minutes and to hydrate! I slowed down slightly at every aid station and grabbed a water bottle. Half of the bottle was dumped on my head, chest, arms and legs and the other half I drank. I must repeat that the scenery on this course was awesome! At one point you are cycling parallel to a lake. Breathtaking. I was lucky enough to get a great shot of it!

I felt great the entire course and brought it home the last 10 miles for a better mph average than I had anticipated, given all the climbing in the beginning. On a side note, I should have kept count of how many MEN on the course complimented me on my color scheme. I just responded with “thanks! If you’re going to do it, do it in style!” And I have one more little bit of advice for dudes , do not wear a white tri suit. I know it’s supposed to aid in heat management. However, when you are soaked from sweat and biking in the aero position ahead of me, your suit is going to be see through. Yes, I saw a crack!

T2: The run in from the bike was an obstacle course as well. Some athletes just seemed to be in another world standing in the middle of the aisle. I remember yelling at one as I ran in. A female athlete who was behind me and about to head out onto the run was laughing and said how unbelievable it was that people were unaware of their surroundings. I racked my bike, threw on my running gear and out onto the run I went. Another decent T time for me.

The run: I had to mentally push myself through this course. I knew ahead of time that a.) it was a hilly one and b.) there were two steep hills that I would run twice. This run was a two looper. Great! I told myself to think of the course in terms of 5k’s. I would run four 5k’s and a little extra. Well, I didn’t even start my watch on the run and I’m glad I didn’t because the first two miles my legs felt horrible and it felt like forever. I remember thinking this is going to be a long day. The heat had started to take it’s toll. I passed a Pro female who was walking! I’ve never seen that before. The pain on her face said it all. I kept reminding myself, “one foot in front of the other, just keep moving forward.” Since I didn’t take note of the run course the day before I had no idea where to expect the first steep hill. I had a slight idea but I kept waiting for it. I passed the first aid station and went right down the line of volunteers and grabbed everything. Water, pour over head. Water, pour over head again. Ironman Perform, drink. Water, pour over head. Ice, dumped into sports bra and pants. Sponges, two in bra straps, two in hands. Keep on keepin’ on!!

Shortly after I was staring the first steepy dead on. I started to run up it and next thing I knew my heart rate was through the roof. I thought my heart was going to bounce right out of my chest! I decided at the point I had to walk the hill. I was walking the hill with pretty much every other athlete out there on the course. That pretty much became my routine the entire run course. 1.) Grab everything at every aid station. 2.) Walk every hill. 3.) One foot in front of the other. 4.) Keep moving!

Since it was a two loop course I was able to pass my Dad twice on the run course and a few other spectators that I knew. It was very uplifting! But I’m sure I made a lot of people laugh when I passed them. I was juggling a wad of ice in my bra and my pants, sponges in my straps and in my hands. A total overheated mess! I knew that in order to complete this run I had to stay as cool as possible. I had to just survive! Honestly, it was something about holding those cold sponges in my hands that seemed to get me through. Another great thing about this course was that there were spectators on course with water hoses! I ran through every one to cool off.

I have never heard so many people suffering on a run course. The grunts, screams, painful facial expressions, the amount of walking, it all truly told the story. I have also never heard so many people farting. The amount of gels taken in and the scorching heat I’m sure did not help. I couldn’t help but laugh everytime I heard the toots! I’m laughing now just thinking about it.

My run was not fast by any means, however I took the turn for home like I was an Olympic sprinter! I looked up at the clock as I passed under the finish line and realized that the clock read the overall race time. I started twenty-five minutes after the pro field. If my calculations were correct, I thought I had just PR’d on this course. And in fact I did. I struggled every step of the way on the run yet still managed to struggle my way to a PR. I thought how was that possible? This course was way more difficult that Pocono 70.3 and way hotter!

 I have just recently finished reading Chrissie Wellington’s book, who by the way is one of my triathlon idols. She reads the poem “IF” every race morning. There are a few verses of that poem that sums up my day in Syracuse completely.

“If you can keep your head when all about you  are losing their…   If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you…

                                         If you can wait and not be tired by waiting…

    Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it”  - Rudyard Kipling

	Ideal		Acceptable		2013 Syracuse 70.3
Swim	0:28:15	1:20/100 yds	0:30:00	1:25/100 yds	0:32:48	1:33/100 yds
T1	0:04:00		0:04:30		0:03:37
Bike	3:06:30	18.0 mph	3:10:30	17.7 mph	3:02:52	18.37 mph
T2	0:02:15		0:02:45		0:01:40
Run	2:20:00	10:41/mile	2:25:00	11:04/mile	2:25:23	11:05/mile
Total	6:01:00		6:12:45		6:06:20