There are pros and cons to doing the same race two years in a row. The pro... you know what to expect. The con... you have expectations.
This race is the unofficial start to the Chicago area triathlon season. Last year, I came into this race as an unknown and with little pressure placed on myself to perform. Nerves were fairly low. The weather and logistics created some excitement, but, for the most part, I was able to just go out, do my thing and have a great time. I came out with a second place finish that was merely icing on the cake to a great weekend. This year, I have to admit, I felt a little pressure. And it was mostly just pressure I put on myself. Knowing that this race plays to all my strengths... hills, heat and a relatively short swim... and knowing how hard I've worked to improve over the past year, I was secretly hoping for the win. But, at the same time, I knew there were some fasties out there and I would certainly need to work for it!
Along with the difference in nerves and expectations, race day conditions were also just about opposite from last year: The water was a comfortable 70 degrees, compared to last year's 60 degree frigidness. The day was sunny and warm, compared to last year's cool and cloudy/rainy morning. And to go along with the theme... my race tactics seemed quite a bit different, as well.
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| Me and Michael just before the swim start |
Swim: One of my 'immeasurable' goals for this season was to become confident and strong in the water to the point where the race starts at the sound of the horn (or cannon), NOT when I exit the water. I lined up at the front of my wave and, at the horn, I sprinted to the water and went out hard for the first 30 or so seconds and swam with the front pack. Unfortunately, I soon got dropped. And as soon as I lost the feet, I lost my ability to swim a straight line. I was blinded by the sun and swimming too wide and kept having to correct towards the buoys. Not efficient. But, keeping in mind that this is only a 10 minute swim, I stayed focused and knew that I needed to remain confident in my abilities and not let this setback bring me down. I kept a strong and steady stroke and eventually got into a rhythm by the time I hit the back stretch. After the last turn buoy, and swimming towards the exit, I was all by myself. I wondered if I was going the right way. I looked up every once in a while, but didn't catch much of a picture because it was so sunny and bright. I eventually exited the water and saw Michael cheering me in ;) Time: 10:16... surprisingly a few seconds faster than last year despite the issues. Not quite what I was hoping for, but moving forward.
T1 was not bad, not great. I struggled to get my wetsuit over my timing chip and then wasted a few seconds wiping rocks off my feet before putting on my bike shoes, helmet and sunglasses. Time: 1:39.
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| up, up, up, up, up... |
Bike: Here is where I was looking for the biggest improvement from last year. I've been training hard on the bike and after a solid week of riding last month at Trek Travel/VisonQuest ride camp, I was hoping to see some results. My other 'immeasurable' goal of this season was to grow some cycling legs... Thunder Thighs, if you will. It's not too noticeable to most people, but I've gained a solid two pounds of what I believe to be muscle ;) That's ~2% body weight, so I'll take it! The bike started fine as I was sharp enough on race morning to put my bike in an easy gear to get going up that first hill of 12% grade. And then it was a series of 8-10 climbs at 30-90sec each (with respective descents following), i.e. ALOT of shifting. Problem here: I was hesitant to shift into my small ring. On the warmup, I dropped my chain while shifting to the small ring and didn't want to run the risk of that happening during the race... not a great course for staying in your big ring :P But I did for the first series of hills. I had a few spikes at 280-300 watts, but for the most part I was able to keep it in the Zone 4 range, albeit at a lower cadence. I knew I unnecessarily burned some matches and that this could affect how my legs would hold up for the run, but I just thought that it's less than an hour ride and less than a 30' run, so not QUITE as big a deal. Eventually, though, I hit the long, steep climb about halfway through the course and I very carefully shifted to the small ring... SUCCESS! I did not drop my chain and I was able to ride the remainder of the course at a steady power of 170-200 watts and cadence of 90-100 rpm. Because it was not raining or too windy, and also because I've gained a little more confidence in my bike handling, I was able to ride more aggressive on the descents and take advantage of the aerodynamics of my Speedy Concept. The last couple minutes were a steep, winding descent and I took advantage of the last bit of speed before getting out of my shoes and dismounting at the line. Time: 48:57... ~1.5 minute improvement over last year.
T2 was fairly smooth at 1:18
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| down, down, down, down, down. |
Run: One word: THIRSTY! As I mentioned, it was a warm, sunny day. My one bottle of fluid on the bike went quick and I rode the last 5 miles drink-free. As soon as I exited transition, I grabbed some water from the wonderful volunteers. But alas, it was just a tease. I got a few drops in my mouth that just left me wanting more. I started down the first hill on the run course and saw Shannon Moore to my left riding into transition. I cheered her in and she let me know there was a girl about 200 yards ahead. The downhill quickly transitioned to an uphill and I just focused on staying strong and hoping my heavy legs would come around. I certainly felt a lot heavier on this run compared to last year... maybe it's those 2 extra pounds :P At the top of the first hill, I saw John Naab standing there with his bike and water bottle. He was a fantastic spectator picking out all the VQers and calling us by name. But, all I could focus on was his water bottle. I wanted to grab it and squeeze all of its contents into my mouth. He told me to pick 'em off one by one. I passed a couple girls and then saw Kristy Juno up ahead. She looked like she was running fast and strong. I didn't seem to be gaining much on her... I would start to gain a bit up a hill but then she'd fly down the backside. Eventually, I caught her and told her she looked strong and to keep it up. There were some great spectators on the sidelines and they yelled "First Female!" as I went by. I was obviously very surprised to hear this as I looked at them and said, "Really? There's no more???" "Nope, you're it.", they said. Now I was running scared. I knew there were some fast Females in the 35-39 Age Group, as well as the 40-44, that started in the waves after me. So, I was still not in the clear. The last couple miles were mostly downhill and my goal was to push it and finish with nothing in the tank. That was my biggest disappointment last year when I crossed the finish line hardly breathing because I didn't go fast enough on the downs and the finish line just snuck up on me. This year, I knew to expect that and, on top of the fact that I just wasn't feeling as fresh, I was pushing hard and putting on the hurt. I saw Chris Meewes and Connor Shannon cooling down as I cruised down the last hill towards the finish. They told me the finish was just about in sight as I kicked it into my final gear. I proudly crossed the line with an empty tank. Time: 26:21... a few seconds slower than last year, but I was definitely working harder so I'm fine with that.
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| With Katie Culp Reget and Shannon Moore at the finish |
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| With Michael after the finish |
11 a.m. on Saturday. The race is complete and we still have the entire weekend ahead of us... Saturday races rock!!!
No one was quite sure when the awards/food started and what to do until then... but, eventually someone came up with the bright idea of getting Frappuccino's- YUM! This is my usual post-race treat. Usually, it's a big treat because I ward off all caffeine and sugar in the week leading up to a race. However, with this race being so short and smack dab in the middle of a big IM training block, I didn't have the will power to do that ;) I almost
needed my coffee fix at this point.
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| VQ Project Blue- representing, celebrating and collecting harware |
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| Top 3 Overall Females |
The afternoon came to a nice close at the Awards Ceremony. Plenty of energy from all the tight-knit teams. Music, food and drink. Always a nice reminder of what this stuff is really about... fun, friends and health! Oh, and maybe a burger and a beer ;)
We had many VQers collecting medals and it was an exciting surprise to hear my name called as the First Overall Female with a time of 1:28:29... 2+ minute improvement from last year. Making gains, but always learning ;)
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| Topping off the weekend with a Sunday long ride with the girls! |
Thank you to all theVisionQuest and VQ Project Blue Sponsors:
Trek of Highland Park- Friendly and efficient service every time I stop in... you guys rock!
Cobb Saddles- Thank you for helping me find the saddle that I can ride in comfort!
Giro- Hands down, best helmets ever! My Giro Advantage is fast on race day and my everyday training helmet is light and breathable for those long, hot rides!
Oakley- Comfortable, light sunglasses that fit my face and protect my eyes from sun and debris!
TYR- Perfectly sized transition bag to fit all my racing needs and keep me organized!
FRS- Healthy Energy to get me through my long training days... and it tastes good, too!
SRAM, Napleton's Northwestern and IBJI Sport Medicine- We are proud to represent you and could not be more appreciative of your support.
