{race report} Playtri Festival Sprint Triathlon

{race report} Playtri Festival Sprint Triathlon

6.04.2013

I can't believe this race marked my 5th triathlon in exactly one year. My how far I've come...

C and I planned on doing this race for awhile but we signed up super last minute. I did this same race one year ago and it was my first ever triathlon. I loved being able to do the same race again and really see how far I've come.

I hadn't really trained for this race at all. May was insane for us and I just didn't feel motivated. In fact, before this race, I hadn't ridden my bike in 1 month, since the last race we did at the beginning of May. But I figured I'd be able to get through it just fine.

And what would a race be without a little drama...somehow the alarm wasn't set Saturday night. That means when we finally woke up at 7:00am, transition had already been closed for 15 minutes. In a state of panic, we shoved waffles in our mouths and decided to head out to the race and beg the officials to let us in.

Well, it worked. After a quick reprimanding, we were allowed into transition to rack our bikes and get set up. Nothing like a hectic morning to get your heart rate going before a race.

Our waves didn't go off until after 8:00am so in the end we had time to get ourselves together. However, those waffles did not have enough time to digest, which proved to be a bit of an issue for both of us.

This race, miraculously, was wetsuit legal. I know, insane that the water temp was below 78 degrees in Dallas, in June. I love my wetsuit because it makes me feel fast and I'm super buoyant in it.

When it was time for my wave, I felt really good jumping in the water. I was able to keep my heart rate down before the start which was a huge change from last year. The horn went off and I started swimming with ease. Before I knew it, I was climbing the stairs out of the water. Supa fast.

I breezed through transition and was off on my bike. I figured since I hadn't been on my bike in a month that I would be struggling. I pushed myself to take advantage of every downhill and tried to tackle the hills as best I could. I was shocked to see that I averaged 16 mph which is over a full mph faster than all my previous races. Improvement!!

Heading out on the run, my legs were definitely feeling a little weird. After about a half a mile, I felt much better and started to get into a groove. About half of the run was shaded which was really nice. I also dumped a few cups of water on myself. I held a good pace but was a little disappointed to see the the run course measured short. Oh well.

Overall, it was a great race. I beat my previous year's time by over 10 minutes and the bike part was 3 miles longer than last year, that's a major improvement! It's also good to know that I don't lose that much fitness in 1 month :)

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{race report} TexasMan Sprint Triathlon

{race report} TexasMan Sprint Triathlon

5.24.2013

It absolutely makes sense to sign up to do a race the morning before you leave on a transcontinental flight to London. Naturally. 

But honestly, it wasn't that crazy. Our flight to London wasn't until 6:45pm and all we had to do was sit on a plane. So it made complete sense. 

Overall, this was a really fun race. The water was a little chilly and the bike course was a little windy, but hey, we can't all be perfect. This race also has a bit of a funny ending...for me. 

We hit some serious traffic on the way out to the race which made for an anxious morning. Luckily, we weren't the only ones so they held transition open a while longer to accommodate all the latecomers. After frantically setting up my transition area and making the necessary bathroom stop, it was time to head down to the beach. C did the Olympic distance and started over a full hour before I went off. 

SWIM

This swim was an easy 500 meters. The trickiest part was the chill of the water which easily takes your breath away when you dive in. This race was also a beach start, my first. I loved the beach start aspect because I hate having to jump in the water and expend all that energy treading water. Even though I wore a wetsuit, I still struggled to quickly acclimate to the chilly temps. But in the end, I think the cold water made me swim faster because I had a good swim time (for me) of 13:09. 

wetsuits, y'all. so sexy.

T1

It was quite a long jog up the beach and through the parking lot to my bike rack. My feet were numb which made running across the very rocky pavement, a little less painful. Cold fingers and toes doesn't make for an easy transition though. I definitely took a little too much time getting myself situated. Oh well. 

BIKE

I got new shoes and pedals literally a day before this race so I was a little nervous about jumping on my bike. But once I was on, I felt good. It was slightly chilly as I headed out onto the course but I knew I'd warm up quickly. The course was an out and back along the shoulder of a road that had a lot of chip seal on it. That was sort of frustrating because there wasn't a lot of room to pass or maneuver in the shoulder. We also had SERIOUS headwinds on the way out which made every hill feel like a mountain. I think I averaged 10 mph on the way out. Sad. But as soon as I turned around, I felt like I was flying. All that wind was finally behind me and helped push me along for the 8 miles back to transition. I was hoping that would really help me average a faster pace but alas, it didn't. I ended up completing the 16 miles in about an hour. 

T2

My toes were a bit numb which always makes putting on your sneakers a little tricky. But once I got my laces tied, I was off. 

RUN

My toes tingled for about half of the run. Sort of annoying because it was slightly painful but I just tried to focus on my breathing. I felt really good on the run and was holding a 9:30/min mile pace which felt easy (go me!). Then all of a sudden, I saw the finish line and was impressed with how awesome I was feeling. I sprinted to the finish and couldn't wait to tell C how hard I'd pushed myself. My run splits were going to be so good....

....but here comes the funny part. As I rounded the corner to the finish, I noticed that my watch said I had another half mile to run. So when I crossed the finish line, I told C that the run course must have been really short. HA! Wishful thinking. I somehow managed to miss a turn during the run and totally cut it short. Ugh. Idiot. But at that point, there was nothing to be done. Technically, I ran a 30 min or so 5K, but my official time shows me running a 26min 5K. The day I actually run 8:30/min miles will be a miracle. 

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{race report} Dallas Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon

{race report} Dallas Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon

3.28.2013

Just mere days after completing my first half marathon, I had signed up for my next one. My legs were still sore and the pain I felt after finishing that race was still fresh in my mind. And yet, I coughed up the $85 and put the March 24th race on my calendar.

I took a LOT of time off between my last half in December and this recent race. The "off-season" got the best of me and I was very unfocused on training. When the days are short and the temps hit freezing, there's not a chance I make it outside for my runs. Let me just tell you, the treadmill is a poor substitute for pavement. Maybe it's just me, but I always feel very off balance on the treadmill. I also get very bored. I don't really listen to music when I run so I have to rely on the TV. As you can see, it can become a complicated situation for me, especially if the treadmill right in front of the TV is taken.

In the end, race day came and I didn't feel prepared at all. But whatever, it was just 13.1 miles. I'd managed to cross that finish line somehow...

I obsessively checked the weather all week. 40 degrees with 35 mph winds. Super. At least that sounded slightly better than the humid, 80 degrees I ran in for my last half.

But let's cut to the chase here. There was something like 14 corrals and you better believe I was assigned corral 12. That meant we shivered in the cold for an extra 30 minutes or so. Oh and yes, "we" being me and C because he so graciously agreed to start with me. He's a keeper, that one.

It wasn't until about mile 4 that I could finally feel my feet and legs. C was probably more miserable and thankfully agreed to run the whole race with me. It was fun having my own personal pacer.

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{race report} Dallas Hot Chocolate 15K

{race report} Dallas Hot Chocolate 15K

2.12.2013

As I admitted in earlier posts, I really slacked on training for this race. I figured I'd end up walking a lot and just trying to have fun. 

The alarm went off at 5:20am and it was 45 degrees outside. Brrrrr! I took a waffle with almond butter to the face and we were headed out to Fair Park. 

Traffic and parking (free!) was a breeze, shockingly. We arrived at the race at 6:35am. The 15k didn't go off until 8:10am but the race advised to arrive plenty early because the 5k had a large turnout. 

We waited inside one of the Fair Park buildings until they herded us out to load the corrals. I took a chocolate CLIF gel and said good bye to C as we headed to our corrals. 

It was still pretty chilly at this point but I knew I'd warm up very quickly once we started moving. The start was easy and well organized, albeit lonely for me. I started the half with my friend Jessie and she stuck with me for about 6 miles! Starting this race alone and not running with ANYONE made the first few miles feel very boring. Also, I think the cold weather made everyone a little quieter. There was very limited chatter. The course also had about 7 spectators. Very different than the Dallas Half. 

The mile by mile play by play isn't really relevant here. I stuck to my coach's plan - run a mile, walk 1 min. Seems to work really well for me and my speedy heart rate. I also did not take any gels other than at the start of this race. I just brought a handheld water bottle and filled it with water/gatorade at the aid stations. I think my stomach liked this strategy better. 

At the start of the race, I made a mental note that my goal time would be 1:45. I've never run a 15k before and my only other long race was the half in Dec. I like to keep the goals attainable...and small. 

I was THRILLED to cross the finish line feeling good and making my goal time (finished in 1:44 - about 11/min miles). I even managed to find a little extra energy and shave 30 sec on my last mile split! 

I never made it to the tent with the chocolate fondue and finisher's mugs. It was cold and I was now sweaty which doesn't mix well with chilly wind. I headed straight inside to meet up with C and our friends. I was really glad that my stomach felt great (miserable at the half) and that I didn't feel too drained. All in all, it was a fun race! I managed to get through it and had a good time. Win-win!

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{race report} Dallas Half Marathon

{race report} Dallas Half Marathon

12.13.2012

I signed up for this race back in July. At that point, December was so far away that I wasn't concerned about running 13.1 miles at all. But then we hit the 30 day mark and I was pretty freaked out. The most I had run at that point was about 1 hour or 5-6 miles. No where near 13.1. 

But alas, the day quickly approached and I had no choice but to be ready. I laid out all the necessary ingredients for the race including compression sleeves, arm warmers, sneakers and gels (chocolate and strawberry banana). I ate a balance dinner of grilled chicken, salty rice and a little broccoli. I set my alarm for 5am and prayed that I'd cross the finish line in one piece. 

After a fitful night of sleep (probably due to Saturday afternoon's 3 hours nap), I woke up at 5:15am full of adrenalin. I munched on a bagel with cream cheese and a cup of coffee. I made up a water bottle with grape Nuun and filled my SPIbelt with my gels.

Getting to the race in the morning was less stressful than I anticipated. With 25,000 runners and even more spectators trying to get within a mile of downtown Dallas, I had prepared for the worst. Another couple met us at the apartment and C drove us down to the race. He dropped us off, gave me a good luck kiss, and headed off to park. 

Jessie, Brian and I headed into the Convention Center to drop off a bag at the bag check and use the "non-porta potty" restrooms. The energy was infections and I somehow wasn't worried at all.

 

At around 7:20am we made our way over to the start line which was about a 7 minute walk from the Convention Center. The majority of the racers were already lined up in their corrals so Jessie and I had to fight our way into a good spot in Corral C. Shout out to sweet Jessie for starting back in C with me and calming my nerves!

At about 7:50, I took a gel and our corral started to creep toward the start line. It's really an amazing scene. All these runners in every shape and size making their way toward the confetti filled start line as the MC hyped up the crowd and the music blared.

Then, all of a sudden, we were running. Well, more like jogging. But that was it. It was happening. I was going to run 13.1 miles. 

Per my coaches instructions, the first 10 min was an easy warm up. I just tried to focus on not tripping over everyone else's feet and trying to navigate the crowd without running too many extra zig-zagging miles. 

From there on out, the plan was supposed to be run 1 mile, walk 45 sec. Originally, I admit, I thought that was a silly plan. I figured if I just ran slow and steady, I wouldn't need to walk. False. 

Miles 1-4 were fun. There were SO many people around and there was a lot to look at. Jessie was running with me the whole time (even though she's much faster than me) so it was great to have a buddy while I got my legs under me. 

Mile 1 - 11:41

Mile 2 - 11.:31

Mile 3 - 11:04

Mile 4 - 10:51

After these four miles, I realized I was having a really tough time keeping my heart rate down. Training pace for me is 155-175 but my heart rate was already at 178 (race pace = 175-185) and staying there. Even for my walk breaks, it just wasn't coming down at all. I was a little worried about this because I knew I would have a hard time sustaining race pace for 13.1 miles. I was still hoping it was just adrenaline. I took a gel at mile 4 as well (originally supposed to take a gel every 30 minutes).

Mile 5 & 6 still felt really good. I saw C and my coach at Mile 6 and gave them a big smile. I was feeling strong despite my high heart rate. 

Mile 5 - 11:40

Mile 6 - 12:07

         

Jessie pulled ahead after Mile 6 so it was just up to me to get myself through the next 7 miles. Mile 7 was downhill a lot and I took another gel just before the next water station. At Mile 8 we ran through part of Highland Park and I saw some more familiar cheering faces which was a nice boost. I was actually pretty surprised how good I felt at mile 8. My heart rate was still through the roof but when I looked at my watch as I passed the mile 8 marker, I was excited. I thought there was still a chance I'd make my sub 2:30 goal if I kept feeling good and could kick the last few miles.

Mile 7 - 11:05

Mile 8 - 12:33 << I thought I was doing better than this at Mile 8...

Things took a turn for the worse at Mile 9. I was kind of ready to see the finish line at that point. (Good news, I think I'll like doing a 15K...) I felt like the time between Mile 9 and 10 was an eternity. I probably should have taken another gel at Mile 10 but I didn't think I could get it down. My legs were so tight and my knees were starting to ache. I was also starting to realize how hot it was. I thought Mile 11 was never going to come.

Mile 9 - 11:01

Mile 10 - 11:49

Mile 11 - 10:55 << Somehow, even though I felt awful, I ran one of my fastest splits. I think this was a big downhill...

Then surprise, at Mile 12, you get to run out and back. So you think you're so close to the end and then you realize you're just running away from the finish line and will soon have to loop back. That was cruel. Just cruel. I think they also forgot to put water stations towards the end of the race. At least that's just my opinion, maybe I just really needed more water at this point.

Mile 12 - 12:05

Mile 13 - 13:14

FINALLY I could see the finish line. It took everything I had just to keep putting one foot in front of the other and get myself to cross the finish line as quickly as I could. It actually felt worse to be walking at this point. I was SO ready to be done. 

As I got close to the finish, I spotted C and my coach. With a pained look and a pouty bottom lip, I gave them a thumbs down as I realized I would be 9 minutes off my goal (2:39 finish). But hey, at least I ran 13.1 miles and got a PR! 

So much pain...also, why are my hands doing that....?

All in all, it was too hot, my HR was too high, I probably need more fuel and more water. But I freaking ran 13.1 miles! So I'm pumped. I actually already signed up for another half in March! I need a new PR!!

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let's make this personal.

let's make this personal.

10.11.2012

Today, I’m swallowing my pride.

Have you noticed I don’t post times with my race recaps? I never talk about how fast I ran during training runs. I don’t talk about swim splits or average mph on the bike. Me and the clock, we don’t get along.

I should probably back up here and say that I’ve only done a handful of races. I’m in no position to complain about my results. I just started this whole endurance training thing. But I’m competitive. I train and train and train and train and then I race. For me, I need the end goal of racing. I love the thrill of knowing I’ve worked so hard to be there. I like waking up early for a run or ride with the purpose of getting faster for my race.

I expect to see results. Fast. Like yesterday. If I could run 10/min miles on Saturday then I should be able to run 9/min miles by next Monday right?

No, wrong. I know that’s wrong. But every time I look at results from a race, I compare. I stare, dwell, fume, plot over those results. I look at the other people in my age group and wonder if I’d just tried harder, swam more, sucked it up a little more, could I have beat them? Things get personal. I become spiteful.



Me and last place are really bonding these days. We’re getting to know each other really well.

For awhile, this was discouraging. I know, it should be fuel the for fire. But it wasn’t. I just made excuses. I told myself I’d never be “fast”. I should have probably stuck with golf. Who was I kidding? Endurance sports obviously weren’t my thing.

But when someone finds out I raced a triathlon, do you know what they say? “Holy crap that’s amazing! I could never do that! Wow! That’s so impressive! You’re so awesome!”

They don’t ask how fast I went. They don’t care what place I came in. They are nothing but kind and supportive.

I’m my own worst enemy. I’m competitive. I want results. I don’t want to be in a relationship with last place anymore. So, we’re breaking up. It’s going to be a bad one. It’s going to hurt a lot, this break-up. There will be tears and sweat and possibly blood. But I’m over it. We’re done.

So, here’s to second to last place. I’m coming for ya.

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{race report} US Open Sprint Triathlon

{race report} US Open Sprint Triathlon

10.09.2012

Let’s just set the scene here for a second. Overcast skies. 48 degrees. Slightly windy. 2000 racers. Hilliest transitions. Even hillier bike/run course. Did I mention it was 48 degrees?

Ok so picture that scene. Got it? I’ll get started now.

C and I arrived at the race around 6:15am. It was pitch black and freezing cold. C was wearing about 4 layers. Cold. C (aka my pit crew) checked my bike and put air in my ties. I gathered all my things and headed to transition.

I basically had to undress to get body marked since I was wearing about 3 layers. After that, I climbed a never ending hill to my transition area. It was a three tiered parking lot and you better bet I was on the highest, most furthest away tier.

After getting all my gear laid out, I helped sweet Becca (we were 1083 and 1084!!!) get her things together. Then we gathered up our wet suits, goggles caps and BodyGlide and headed into the hotel to defrost.

While inside with my team (taking pictures and joking about how crazy we were for racing in this weather), I managed to work myself into a mini panic attack that might have involved a tear or two. I honestly don’t know what happened. I managed to psych myself out to the point where I thought I might actually throw up. It was bad. C has no idea what to do with me when I’m like that. It wasn’t pretty.

Once I managed to calm down, get my wet suit on and get a hug from C, things started looking up. I almost forgot that it was 48 degrees outside.

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so about that race in nine days.

so about that race in nine days.

9.27.2012

My race is next Sunday. That’s 9 days away. Why do these things always sneak up on me? It’s like I train, and train, and train and then BAM! out of now where, it’s race day.



Let’s not pretend like I’m some triathlon expert here, this is only my third race…and it’s just a sprint triathlon. But after two very different races, I think I’ve learned some pretty great things about preparing for race day.

> Start hydrating. Obviously you can’t hydrate your body in one day so I’ve found, that for me at least, I need to start thinking about how much water I’m drinking at least a week in advance. Especially when it’s hot hot hot.

> Figure out what I’m going to wear. I’ve still yet to find the perfect racing outfit but I’ll live. It’s not like I’m doing an Ironman or anything. For this race, I’m planning on wearing my Lululemon Velo Vixen Short in Black which I’ve already tested out in the water. I’ll probably wear my Blue Seventy tri tank as well.

> Decide if I’ll wear my hair in a ponytail or french braid. Ok, this is obviously ridiculous but I can’t STAND having my hair bothering me in a race. There’s no time to be fixing/worrying about your hair! And mine at that weird length where it’s just short enough to be a pain. So yea. Part of my routine is figuring out what the heck to do with my hair.

> Focus my training. This isn’t really something I think much about - I try to just follow whatever schedule my coach gives me. The best part of having a coach is not having to think!

> Mentally psych myself up. I’m still a newbie in the triathlon world so I still get nervous about “surviving” the race. I’m always slightly scared I’ll drown, pass out, crash, hyperventilate…you know, the really common stuff. Let’s all be realistic here, I’m not going to win. I’m probably not going to place (unless there are only 3 girls in my age group…) so I should really just be having run.

> Pick out some yummy gels. I like to try new ones all the time. Sometimes I get a chance to try them before a race, sometimes I don’t. I like to live on the edge.

Are there specific things you do to prepare for a race? Are some of them silly? Superstitions? Lucky hair ties? Weird things you eat for fuel? Share them with me! I’d love to hear all your tips and tricks!

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{race report} Playtri Festival Sprint Triathlon

{race report} Playtri Festival Sprint Triathlon

6.05.2012

I did it! The race was so great and I had so much fun doing it. It was really great to see all my fellow group members out on the course. I could not have done it without them. I’m also very thankful for all the coaches at Playtri who believed I could do it! Your support was invaluable. I need to especially thank C and our other awesome Playtri friends who’ve been encouraging me for the past eight weeks. Y’all are the best!

Race Recap:

Swim (500 meters) - The swim was harder thank I thought it would be. When you jump in the water (deep water start), your heart is already racing so by the time the whistle blows to signal the start, I had a very hard time catching my breath and slowing down my breathing. The course looked so long (and felt long) but I managed to complete the swim. It took me a lot longer than I wanted it to but that just leaves lots of room for improvement.

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6.04.2012

Playtri Festival Sprint Triathlon

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{triathlon training} week 8: RACE WEEK!

{triathlon training} week 8: RACE WEEK!

6.01.2012

This. is. it. All those weeks of training comes to this. I can’t believe the race is just days away. I feel like I’ve been talking/thinking about this race for at least 6 months.

Monday - OFF

Tuesday - Group Swim — Well the private party interfered with our regularly scheduled swim practice so I hit the pool at Baylor with C and practiced my stroke.

Wednesday - OFF — Dinner Date!

Thursday - Group Track — I bailed after 30 minutes at track to head to Luke’s Locker for some sweet hot pink compression sleeves. Let’s hope I can rest these legs and heal this injury before the race!

Rocking compression under my jeans at work...

Friday - OFF

Saturday - 15 min bike, 15 min jog

Sunday - Sprint Triathlon RACE DAY!

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{triathlon training} weeks 5 & 6

{triathlon training} weeks 5 & 6

5.20.2012

Sunday (5/6) - Extra Credit Swim — C and I hit the SMU Outdoor pool to swim some laps Sunday afternoon. It was a little more challenging because the pool is 50m instead of 25 but I think that made for a better workout.

Monday - Optional Club (Bike/run) — I couldn’t make the club workout last night so I conducted my own workout of a 30 minute interval bike (1 min hard, 4 min easy) and a 30 min run. It was SUPER windy because I storm was blowing through so I struggled a little bit but overall I felt really good. I ran with music this time and I think that really helped (thanks needtobreathe!). I’m also recovering a lot faster which I think is a sign that I’m getting stronger!



Tuesday - Group Swim — I was literally sitting in the parking lot, debating turning around and going back home. I just wasn’t feeling that hot and it was chilly (around 73 degrees) so I wasn’t really feeling like jumping in a cold pool. BUT! Alas, I went so as not to disappoint my group, C and myself. And…as usual, after the workout was over, I was glad I went.

Wednesday - 30 min Bike followed by 30 min Run — This week has been a scheduling nightmare since we’re leaving town on Friday but C and I managed to squeeze in a 30 min run. We wrapped it up with dinner at Company Cafe on our way home. Then I promptly ate a burger smothered in goat cheese…oh and fries. Pretty much cancels out the workout.

Thursday - Group Track

Friday - OFF — UMASS to see my baby sister graduate!!

Monday (5/14) - 45 min easy jog — C and I hit the trail to tackle the longest run on my schedule so far. We kicked that run’s butt! And you know what….it. felt. good. yes. success.

Tuesday - Group Swim — I’m starting to feel really good about the swim. I might have a false sense of security swimming in a pool but I guess the truth will come out on race day.

Wednesday - 1 hour moderate bike — Last day of youth group with my sweet girls so I didn’t make my ride. Maybe I’ll make it up on Friday…

Thursday - Group Track — This was the hardest track workout to date. We probably ran the most miles with the least amount of recovery time…not to mention it was HOT. Blazing hot. But somehow I managed to make it through…

Friday - Off

Saturday - Transition Clinic — We learned all about how to set up for transitions and different strategies for being comfortable and efficient. It was really helpful and also made the impending race date more real. I was also able to spend a little time at the center talking to one of the coaches about nutrition and race day fuel. I can’t believe the race is only 2 weeks away!

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