Race Report - Osprey Sprint Triathlon 2014

I went into this race very undertrained.  I knew that from swimming 2 times a week I would be fine in that area.  I also knew that it was only a 15 mile bike ride, mostly flat, and I would be fine in that area.  The big issue was that I have not run at all for a long time.  As it turns out, the run was the least of my troubles!

Pre-Race
I spent the night with Colleen at her house.  It was so great to catch up with her...we both stayed up later than we had intended.  But I woke up on race morning feeling rested.  The weather was questionable - with a chance of thunderstorms overnight and into the morning.  However it was not raining when I woke up.  The pavement was damp so it must have rained at some point overnight.  Colleen left before I did in order to meet up with another friend who was doing the race.

Matt was again racing the Osprey.  This year he was joined by his wife Sharon and his brother Don...it was the first triathlon for both of them.  In addition, my friend Kellen was racing it as her first triathlon.  Kellen had gone to check out the course the day before and had posted a picture of a jellyfish on her Facebook page.  Of course that sent me into the same panic that I had last year. 

When I arrived at the race site, it was really windy.  The water had whitecaps and the current was strong...in the wrong direction.  We would be swimming directly into a strong current with very large waves.  The good news was that there wasn't a jellyfish to be seen.  All of the athletes I spoke with seemed to be nervous about the swim.  Even Chris, who is a race director and has done numerous IronMan races, was commenting on how the swim was going to be rough on people.

The weather was not cooperating.  There were quick showers that pushed through right as I got to the race venue.  Then it seemed to clear out, but the sky still looked pretty threatening.

Swim
The rough water freaked me out, so I really wanted to get in the water early.  I got in and did some breathing bobs and swam a few strokes back and forth until my wave was ready to go.  Colleen and I lined up to the side but in the front of the group.  I was nervous but excited.  The weather seemed to have cleared just in time for the race.  It was still windy but the rain showers seemed to have pushed past us.

The countdown was on and finally we started the race.  I wanted to establish a good pace from the start so I really pushed it to the first buoy.  After rounding the first buoy, I got slammed in the face by a wave.  I drank a lot of the salty water.  I tried to calm myself down but it rattled me more than I wanted to admit.  The waves were large and the current was coming right at us.  I was trying to get into a good groove when it happened...as my hand entered the water, I touched the top of a jellyfish.  I immediately yanked back my hand and stopped swimming.  Somehow I avoided being stung.  I tried not to scream, but I definitely let out a loud yelp.  I turned and saw several women in my wave swimming towards me.  I knew that I had to keep going or get run over.  So I tentatively began swimming again.

The waves kept knocking me around and my stomach began to lurch.  I feared that Chris' prediction of people getting sick would happen to me.  I kept going and tried not to think about my stomach.  The second jellyfish that I hit didn't cause me to scream, but it didn't do anything to help me calm down.  I realized that I was swimming slightly wide of the swimmers in front of me.  I moved over and got directly behind another swimmer.  I followed those feet all the way in to the dock.  I couldn't wait to get out of the water.

As I ran down the dock towards the transition area, I knew I was in trouble.  My stomach was rolling and I felt like I was going to lose it at any moment.  I took a little bit longer than normal in transition, trying to calm my stomach.  Finally I knew I had to go...I got my bike and ran to Bike Out.

Bike
Once you get on the bike, there are 3 quick turns to get onto the main road out of town.  I made the 3 turns and immediately started looking for somewhere to pull off the road.  Several cars were parked on the shoulder and I had to hold it down until I got to an open spot.  I barely got my bike stopped before I threw up.

Knowing that I had to get myself together and continue on in this race, I took a swig from my water bottle, swished it around and spit it out.  Then I clipped back in and took off.  I didn't want to push it too much but I really wanted to make up time from that horrible swim.  I kept it in the small ring and focused on my cadence.  The wind was pretty tough so I tried to stay as low as I could in my aerobars.

About 5 miles in to the bike it started raining.  It was a light rain so it wasn't too bad but it made me worried about the sharp turn that was ahead of me.  The wind seemed to be in my face no matter what direction I turned.  But finally at one point, I found myself going 24 MPH without any additional effort.  The wind was finally working in my favor! I knew it was time to take advantage of this.  I cranked down to a harder gear and muscled my bike up to 26 MPH.  Unfortunately that only lasted for a mile or so until we turned back into the headwind.

My stomach was finally settled and I could concentrate on getting everything I could out of the bike.  I knew the run would be my undoing.  As I rode back into town, I was dreading getting off the bike.  My transition was pretty uneventful and I headed out on the run.

Run
I was running out of town as the first finishers were headed back in.  This was pretty cool because I could see all of my friends that were ahead of me.  The first mile was tough.  After I cheered for Matt, my head got to me.  I walked.  Then I jogged.  Then I walked.  I was having the mental battle of trying to convince myself to run. 

Finally I got within eye-sight of the turnaround point.  Something in my head just clicked.  I knew that I had 1 1/2 miles to go to finish this race.  I picked up my pace.  I was now running, not jogging.  The young man at the turn around point was dancing as I approached.  The old Karen came out...I danced with him as I made my way around the turn around.  A smile was now on my face.

I picked up my pace even more.  I wasn't looking at my watch anymore.  I was just running.  And I was having fun.  It took until the last mile and a half, but I was having fun.  I did not stop running again until I crossed the finish line.  I had broken through the mental barrier! So in the end, while this may not have been my ideal race by any stretch of the imagination, it was a great day.

Race by the Numbers
Total 1:48:04
Swim (.5 miles) 14:58 - actually 1 minute faster than last year which shocked me
T1 2:43
Bike (15 miles) 52:47 - 17.3 MPH
T2 1:38
Run (3.1 miles) 35:58 - 11:36/mile

Change of Perspective

Monday and Tuesday I attended a work retreat.  It was held at the Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa in Southern MD.  I decided to go down on Sunday evening in order to avoid an early rise and questionable traffic.

I got some work done on Sunday night and went to bed.  When I woke up on Monday morning, the first thing I did was look out my window.  It was a beautiful morning.  The sun was just coming up over the water.  The water was calm.  The colors in the sky and reflected on the water made a stunning view.  I just stood there, taking in the whole peaceful scene.

The very first thought I had was "I wish I had brought my running stuff".  That is literally the first time that I have wanted to run in a long time.  I didn't bring my running stuff because I really didn't expect to have the desire to run.  I was trying to save space in the suitcase so I didn't bring anything "extra".  There was a time when my running stuff would never have been considered "extra".

The retreat started and I got wrapped up in the meetings. I learned a lot and consider it a very valuable use of my time.  At the end of the session on Monday, the instructor told us about a running path.  Several of the class members mentioned that they were going to run in the morning.  I was disappointed that I couldn't join them. 

I don't know what happened to trigger this change of heart about running.  For at least a year it has been a struggle to run.  Maybe I just needed a break.  Maybe I just needed to take the pressure off.

Whatever the reason, I am hopeful that this mindset continues.

Next Saturday is the Osprey Triathlon.  It will be the 3rd time I'm doing that race...the first time was my very first triathlon.  I am undertrained.  I am not "race ready".  But I am looking forward to getting out there and participating.  It was at this race that I crossed the finish line and fell in love with triathlons.  I hope to experience that feeling again.

Down 8 Pounds!

The first week of my "diet", I focused on only my food.  I did not swim, bike or run.  It was very time consuming to prep all of my food for the week and pack my lunches.  I had migraines for 3 days straight.  But at the end of the week, I was feeling a lot better.

The second week I started adding athletic endeavors back into my routine.  I continued to follow a strict diet, although there were events where I had to "make do" with what I could.  We traveled to see Ryann at KSU and we had many meals in restaurants.  I realized that it's probably not 100% clean eating, but it is pretty easy to be healthy if you just make the right choices and be sure to ask for what you want from the waitstaff.

I am now 8 pounds lighter but the big difference is how I am feeling.  I am completely off my caffeine addiction and I am not consuming sugar of any kind.  No dairy either...which surprisingly I don't miss at all. 

My clothes are starting to feel normal again.  They had become so tight and I refused to buy larger sizes.  So now, even though I am pretty far from my ultimate goal, I am moving in the right direction.  Losing the weight is the first step towards getting all of my training 100% back on track.

Stepping Back to Move Forward

So this blog has kind of gotten stale.  I haven't posted regularly and I'm sure that anyone still out there checking my blog is either related to me or just really bored.  So I've decided that I am going to change things up a little. 

The reason I haven't posted is that I haven't had much to say.  I have been very sporatic with my training since my foot surgery.  I have also gained a lot of weight, which mentally weighs me down and physically holds me back in training.  SO, now that September is here, I've made a decision...I am going to take a step back in order to move forward. 

What does this mean?  Well, I will still swim, bike and run but it will be with the goal of getting myself into a good, healthy place instead of with goals of going longer, harder, faster. 

I have always done better when I am being held accountable.  So, I will make a daily post on this blog that talks about the challenges or the successes I've had that day.  This will include both my workouts and my eating, however this will never be a weight loss blog.  I'm just not that kind of girl!

Feel free to chime in if you are on a similar path.  I am by no means an expert and will take any feedback or support that anyone will give me!

So, day 1...here goes...

Success: I have eaten "clean" all day.  Only meat, veggies and fruit today so far.  I have given up my treasured hot tea with Splenda in the mornings.  I have been drinking water all day.  I actually enjoyed my healthy lunch.

Challenges:  I probably did not pack enough food to get me through the day since it is almost 3 pm and I feel very hungry.  My sleep was not good last night so when I woke up this morning with the intent to run, I chose to reset my alarm and go back to sleep.  I did not plan ahead for dinner so I am probably going to be challenged there.

I Don't Know How You Do It

I have heard several people say this to me.  "I don't know how you do it."  They are typically referring to my training, full time job and family responsibilities.  Most of the time I smile and agree that it's not easy but that it's totally manageable.

However, there are times when I can't do it all.  This week is one example.  Saturday I left early in the morning to drive to Ohio to pick up Ryann from her summer session.  Sunday we drove home and didn't get in until after midnight.  Stephen left at 3 am this morning for a hiking trip.  He won't be home until Friday. Plus work is extremely busy and requires some extra time.

I am having a huge challenge in finding the time in my schedule to do any training, much less do the training that is on my plan.  I can't make my Spin90 or swimming classes at all this week.

So what now?  Do I just take a week off?  Do I fit in whatever I can and not worry about the rest?  Whatever I decide, I'm sure that I will feel badly about it.  But the reality of life is that sometimes it gets in the way of training.

I suppose the most important thing is to come out of this week without too much guilt.  Because in the grand scheme of training, one missed week is not the end of the road.  It's just a speed bump.  So I'm going to do what I can and just get through the week.  Next week is another week...

Storm Chasers

I went to Spin90 class tonight despite a weather forecast showing a chance of severe thunderstorms.  As I pulled into the parking lot, John and Robb were comparing radar reports.  I gathered that the storm was far enough away to satisfy them that we could get class in.

As the group surrounded John, he explained the route for the day.  Everything was about being close to the cars in case the storm came in quicker than we expected.  We started with a warm-up ride up and down Race Rd.  Then we did the Hanover Rd loop...which starts with a climb.  It's not an unusually hard climb, but right now I'm not in climbing shape...so I was pretty nervous.

On the warm up I focused on spinning my legs and really getting the blood flowing.  As we made the turn to start the loop, Robb and one of the students (Beth) were right with me.  Robb talked us through the gear shifts and reminded us to breathe.  As we hit the steep incline at the top, I pulled away from Beth.  My legs were screaming.  Robb kept pushing me to keep on my cadence.  I crested the hill and shifted into a harder gear.  Robb yelled towards me to do an active recovery, then he dropped back to get Beth. 

I finally made it to the circle where the fast riders were circling and waiting for the slower riders.  I was about in the middle of the group.  I had to do a few circles waiting for the riders behind me.  Robb and Beth both told me that Robb had made me a target and challenged Beth to go get me.  I laughed and said I was just trying to survive at that point!

We rode down Hanover Rd to the end of Race Rd.  John thought we could get in 2 time trials before the storm came.  So in typical time trial fashion, he sent off the slower riders.  He kept forgetting me.  He didn't send me until right before the really fast group!  As I started, Robb said "Karen's with the strong riders!"  I yelled back "that was a mistake!" 

But in my mind, I convinced myself that I was going to show John that it wasn't a mistake.  I passed the first rider in about 30 seconds.  I set my sights on the next one.  I couldn't tell you about my speed or cadence.  I didn't look at my computer once.  I just looked at the back of the rider in front of me.  John, Robb and one other guy flew by me in a pace line about halfway down the road.  It didn't phase me...I kept focused on the rider in front of me.  By the end of the road, I had passed everyone except 2 riders!  I was pretty impressed with myself.

The way back down Race Rd was supposed to be a recovery ride.  But Robb pulled up next to me and I ended up pushing it a bit to keep up with him while we chatted.  I really didn't think I had another time trial in my legs.  I was pretty spent.  But I knew that as soon as we started, I would get competitive again.

Sure enough, we took off and I was chasing down the rider in front of me again.  Even though I had very little left in my legs, I was going on pure determination.  I wasn't going to look bad after that first time trial.

As we pulled into to parking lot, we heard a clap of thunder in the distance.  Just in time!  What a good workout...physically and mentally!  And the rain held off for us! 

Diamond in the Rough Race Report

I have been remiss in not posting for so long.  So I have a lot of thoughts and updates that will have to be discussed in some posts.  But to keep this post as short as possible, I will only focus on my race report.

This race took place in Perryville, which is over an hour away from my house without traffic. Since I wanted to get there before 6:30 on the morning of the race, we would have had to get the little one up at 4 am. Ugh! So Friday night we decided to spend the night in a hotel not too far from the race site. I didn't sleep well at all but at least we didn't have far to go in the morning.

I was a nervous wreck.  I was almost as nervous as I was for my first triathlon.  As we drove into the park where it was being held, I felt almost nauseous. 

We parked and I grabbed my transition bag and bike and headed off to get my registration packet.  The line wasn't too long and the volunteers were super helpful.  I had forgotten my race belt and was able to buy one for $10.  I actually like it better than my other one!

After picking up my packet and timing chip, I went over to body marking. They were using the body tattoos instead of the normal sharpie marking that I'm used to.  The only other time I had the tattoos was the half Ironman and I remember how hard it was to get them off!  Oh well, I'll deal with that later.  Off to transition to set up my area.

I ran into my friend Steve who was doing his first triathlon.  He was most worried about the swim and I tried to assure him that it's over before you know it and he would be great on the bike and run.

One of the things I love the most about doing these races is the camaraderie that is created with the other competitors.  In transition, I chatted with the ladies racking their bikes around me.  When I realized that I had forgotten my sunscreen, I had 2 bottles of sunscreen offered to me immediately.  I love how supportive everyone is of each other.

Before long it was time to walk towards the swim start.  I found 2 of the ladies who I had met in transition and talked with them as we waited for our turn to get in the water.  In the picture below, I'm in the blue tri-suit...kind of hard to pick me out in the sea of pink caps!

The water temperature was 81 so no wetsuits were allowed.  That actually works in my favor since it takes me so long to get out of the wetsuit.  As we got into the water, I did a few breathing bobs.  I also swam around a little bit to warm up.  For the first time ever, I headed towards the front of the group.  I've been making really good progress with my swimming and I didn't want to be fighting through traffic. 

As we started the swim, I wanted to get into a good rhythm right away.  I started strong and noticed that I was keeping pace with the women around me.  (Good sign I thought since I started so close to the front)  I was sighting well and stayed on course better than normal.  Because it was only a 1/4 mile swim, it was over super fast.  I got out of the water and had to run down the dock, up the steps and quite a way to get to transition. 

 

I tried to be as fast as possible, but my transitions are always slow...and in a sprint triathlon, every second counts! 

I ran out of transition with my bike and noticed one of the other ladies mounting her bike too soon.  I pointed to the mount line and said wait until you cross that line!  She thanked me twice.  We passed the mount line and I got into a good cadence right away.  Before we left the grounds of the park (about 2 miles), I passed Steve.  He said the swim took a lot out of him.  I encouraged him that he was doing great.

The bike course was hillier than I had expected.  Hills work in my favor when I'm in good cycling shape...which I'm not right now.  I need some more work on that, but overall I was pretty happy with my ride.  It was a pretty course, especially inside the park. 

Towards the end of the ride, I was passed by someone in my age group.  I thought that there was still a chance for me to place in my age group, although that wasn't really the goal for the day.
Transition 2 went well, although I still took longer than most people would take.  I tried to remember what Coach Sandra had told me, which was to go into the run with confidence.  Run the first part relaxed and race the second part.  I knew about 1/4 mile into the run that I was just going to run the whole part relaxed...there wouldn't be much racing. 

Steve caught me about 1/2 mile into the run.  (His strength is definitely the run.)  We took a few steps together and chatted about the hilly bike course.  Then he went off on his way.  I focused on the back of the woman in front of me.  I kept pace with her pretty well.  Unfortunately the run course was on a trail for the most part.  In several sections it was a rocky path.  Because of my klutziness, I was really worried about running on the rocks.  I took my time going over the rocks and lost track of the woman I was following.

The turn-around point seemed very far away.  I wasn't worried about my pace...but I knew it wasn't fast.  I loved that it was an out and back run because I saw several of the ladies I had met before the race.  I cheered for all of them as we passed each other.  About a mile from the finish, I was passed by another woman in my age group.  She was trucking...there was no way I could keep up with her and I knew that I had no shot of placing.  Note to self:  work on the run!

As I came into the finishing chute, I heard the announcer say my name.  I crossed the finish line with a huge smile on my face. 

This race reminded me of why I love this sport so much.  The people, the atmosphere, the feeling of accomplishment...I love it all.  It was so well run and well organized.  The volunteers were really great and I made it a point to thank as many of them as possible as I went by.  The venue was beautiful and the course was fun.  I would recommend this race to anyone.

I checked the results and thought I was 4th in my age group.  Later when I pulled it up on the computer, I saw that I was actually 5th.  Honestly, for my first race back after surgery with such sporadic training, I'm just happy I was relatively competitive!