Baystate Half Marathon (10/16/11)

At the conclusion of my 2011 triathlon season, I decided to focus my 'off-season' on a Half Marathon and Marathon PR.  I've run 2 other Marathons in the past, but have little pride in my finish times.  Since I consider myself to be in the best shape of my life and I'm not getting any younger, now seemed like a good time to take care of that problem. 

The past month has been a challenging, yet fun, running focus.  I felt ready for the Half and hoped to break 1:25.  If I could do that, I would feel more confident about a sub 3:00 Marathon in December.

In the 5 days leading up to the race, I followed my usual protocol of no sweets or caffeine.  I kept hydrated and slept well.  The 2 days prior, I focused most of my calories on easily digested carbs, lean meats and limited roughage the day prior.  My Saturday dinner was at a perfect time of 5:30pm and consisted of pasta with sauce, grilled chicken and a sourdough roll.  Thanks to my early work hours this month, I was able to fall asleep by 8:30pm and got a full 8 hours sleep the night before the race.  I woke naturally at 4:30am and was eating breakfast at 5, exactly 3 hours prior to race start.  Breakfast was the usual whole grain bagel with peanut butter and honey, a banana and green tea.  After several successful trips to bathroom, we were out the door and on our way to the race.  So far, everything was going according to plan.



Me and mom- race sherpa/photographer/master spectator!



On the drive, I was talking to my mom about the lack of anxiety I had for this race.  It is so much less stressful than a triathlon- less to pack, less to worry about.  I was really looking forward to just going out and running!  The weather was almost ideal.  Temperature was perfect at about 50 degrees.  It was a little windy, but coming from a good direction.  It's a two-loop course and you start into the wind which, in my opinion, is good.










I started my warm up about 40 minutes prior to the start:  15 minutes easy + 5min build + 3min easy + 3x30sec strides.  I finished up the warm up right before the national anthem and then found a spot a couple rows behind the start line. 

When the gun went off, I went out solid.  I glanced at my GPS quite a bit to make sure I wasn't going too fast.  It's easy to get carried away at the start with the adrenaline and excitement.  I tried to stay between 6:20 and 6:30 pace until I was able to find a good rhythm and feel.  Since we were headed into the wind for the 1st few miles, I tried to stay tucked in a pack but with little success.  There was a solid group about 1 minute ahead of me and scattered people around that I was either passing or being passed by.  I ran the first 3 miles right around 6:25 into the wind.  I felt settled into a rhythm at this point and as a guy passed me, I tucked in behind.  I stayed with him and ran the next 4 miles in 6:10-6:20 pace with a slight tailwind.  Starting the 2nd loop, I was feeling good.  I knew to expect the headwind and some slight inclines.  That's what I love about multiple loop courses- you know what to expect and can mentally prepare for it.  I stayed focused and mentally strong.  I kept repeating to myself, "you're strong- you got this".  The spectatorship was great!  I heard from multiple people that I was the 3rd woman and 2nd place was about 1 minute ahead.  I knew throughout the race that I wasn't gaining ground, but I was just happy with how I felt and that I was exceeding my expectations.  I just wanted to hang on and finish strong.  With about a mile to go, the 4th place female came up alongside me.  Nobody warned me about her- I thought I had 3rd in the bag!  As she pulled up to me, I asked her if she was on her 1st or 2nd loop.  She said 2nd and I said, "OK" and took off!  I had no idea I had this extra gear and didn't know if she had one too.  The final mile was into the wind and I was digging deep to find whatever I had left.  My final 1.1 miles was at 5:54 pace.  I finished in 1:23:27 (6:22 average) and secured my 3rd place overall finish.




2nd, 4th and 3rd Place Women!


I was ecstatic with my race.  All the pieces fell into place, which is rare.  I ran a 5 minute PR and beat my goal by over 1.5 minutes.  It was nice chatting with the 2nd and 4th place girls at the finish line.  They were both preparing for the Philadelphia Marathon next month. 

I held my glow for the remainder of the day as I focused on recovery and preparing for even tougher training to come.  Hopefully, I can replicate this performance in 7 weeks at the California International Marathon!

A huge thank you goes to my Mom for all your support during the race weekend!  You're the Best!!!

Ironman 70.3 World Championships (9/11/11)

Hands down, best race experience of my life.  What an opportunity!  To race against the best in the world... at an incredible venue... on one of the toughest courses out there.  I can proudly say that I left it all on the course that day.  I followed the plan to the T- raced aggressive, yet smart, and maintained confidence in my training and in my abilities. 

Since this was my first World Championship race and the first time it would be held at the new venue in Nevada, I came in with zero expectations... besides doing the best I could possibly do.  There was alot of talk about the difficulty of the course, thanks to the massive hills and the desert heat and winds.  The race director was proud of himself for creating a challenging and fair race that would separate the very good from the very best.  According to him, this was not the place to set a PR.




View of Ravella bridge/swim venue

When we checked into the Ravella hotel on Thursday, I have to admit I was a little intimidated by the intense energy and extreme focus radiating from all the chisled, spandex-clad athletes.  I wasn't sizing myself up to them by any means, but I just felt like I was behind the curve.  Everyone seemed ready to roll and I still had a list of things to get done... athlete check-in, pick up my bike and make sure it was good to go, get a glimpse of the course, etc, etc.  But, I think the thing weighing heaviest on my mind was my bike.  

My new baby

I got the surprise of my life a couple weeks ago when Michael bought me a sexy new Trek Speed Concept 9.5!!!  I was super excited about my new speed machine and the fact that I was lucky enough to have such a generous, thoughtful and loving boyfriend... but I was also a little nervous to ride an unfamiliar bike at the biggest race of my life.  But, the super fantastic salesmen and mechanics at Trek of Highland Park worked passed closing time in order to get the bike ready and dialed in to exactly match the position of my Felt.  I had 2 days to stretch the new cables, get comfortable and fine tune the fit before dropping it off for Tribike Transport.  It felt good on the 2nd ride and I was pretty confident that this bike would not cause me a problem on race day... and more likley, make me even faster!

Pixley, me, Michael, Kristy and Mike

Friday was kind of a disaster.  The plan was to hit Ironman Village when they opened at 9am, pick up our bikes and ride them 15 miles back to the hotel.  This would give us a chance to shake out our legs, make sure our bikes were working properly and also view the last 15 miles of the bike course (in reverse)... all before it got too intensely hot out.  Two very big problems prevented us from completing this plan:  1) I forgot my bike pedals and 2) Michael had a broken spoke on his back wheel.  After 2-3 hours of wandering around in the heat with limited water, we finally had complete and properly functioning bikes.  At this point, in our tired and dehydrated state, we had no desire to ride 15 miles at the hottest time of the desert day.  Michael decided to go for it anyway and I packed my bike in the car and met him back at the hotel.  I got 10 minutes in on my bike just to make sure it was all good, which it was ;)  After a couple hours of relaxation, we met up with Pixley, Kristy and Mike for the Welcome Dinner.  We were treated to some great food and a little pep rally!  When I heard the WTC CEO mention there were 54 Countries being represented, it started to sink in that this is the World Championships.


 

Saturday A.M. Practice swim

Saturday was a day to relax and mentally prepare... but mostly just relax.  My nerves were behind me now that I got the busy work done and I felt pretty chill about the whole thing.  Ready to just enjoy the experience and celebrate the end of a fantastic season.  I had a good chat with Coach Dan in the a.m.  There wasn't much to say about the race since he had already sent a lengthy email of the race plan.  I felt confident and relaxed and he could sense that.  We did a practice swim at about 7am and the water felt good.  Perfect non-wetsuit-legal temperature in the high 70's.  It was calm and overcast and even a little chilly getting in!  After the swim, we headed out for a 30 min ride.  I finally got a taste of the hills.  Holy Crap!!  This was no joke.  You start with a 4 mile climb out of transition, followed by a 3 mile steep, winding descent into Lake Mead National Park and then another 5 miles of tough climbing.  This is pretty much the theme over the 56 mile course.  There are no flats.  At all.  And I am going to love every minute of it!!!  The roads are smooth with limited traffic.  This is my dream bike course ;)  For the remainder of the day, we ate, watched TV (college football, of course) and ate a little more.  My plan was to be alseep by 8pm or so, but thanks to 'Jazz in the Park', I was kept awake by the vibrations of their booming bass.  Who's bright idea was it to schedule a live band on the night before a World Championship race... at the hotel located at the starting line!?!?  Oh well, I finally fell asleep about 10pm... and woke at midnight- apparently the excitement finally got to me ;)  2 hours... that'll have to do.  I didn't sweat it since I slept like a champ every night leading up to this.



Happy to see my sisters before the start!

Staying at the start line was KEY to an easy race morning.  Ate my usual prerace breakfast, went down to transition to put the final touches on my bike- nutrition, tire inflation... then walked the 1.5 minutes back to my hotel room and relaxed (and used the bathroom a couple times) before GO TIME.  No port-a-potties for this girl ;)  We went back down to the start at about 6:30, saw the pros go off and got in line for my 7am start.  Jen and Lindsay (sisters) found me a few minutes before I got in the water- YAY!!!  This made me SOOOO happy :)  I was afraid I wasn't going to see them until mid-race!  Emotions started to rise all of a sudden and I felt like I could almost cry.  I was so overwhelmed by the magnitude of this race and having my two sisters, who I love so much, there to support me.  OK, shake it off and focus.

Females 30-34

SWIM:  It was a deep water start and we treaded water for 5+ minutes before the thundering cannon.  I started wide and worked my way in towards the bouys.  My technique, energy and strength all felt good.  There was limited contact with other swimmers and I pretty much enjoyed the entire swim.  Don't get me wrong, I couldn't wait until it was over... but, as far as swims go, this one was going pretty well for me.  I had girls around me at all times to help with sighting, drafting... and confidence (I knew I wasn't being totally left in the dust)!  I exited the water with a 1.2 mile swim split of 37:58 (1:59/100m).  68th out of 93 girls in my Age Group.



T1:  Once exiting the water, we ran around the southern tip of the lake to the transition tent.  This was my first experience with transition bags and tents.  I have to say, I liked it very much.  It felt like VIP treatment!  As I approached the area, volunteers start yelling my number, 845.  They're passing it down to the people handing you your bike gear bag.  Somehow, my 845 turned into an 848 and they were trying to give me the wrong bag.  I almost had to stand there and convince them that they were wrong, but I was sharp enough to realize it wasn't worth my time.  I bent down and grabbed the 845 bag and ran into the tent as they were still trying to tell me I was grabbing the wrong bag.  Once in the tent, there were more volunteers helping me organize my bike shoes, helmet, sunglasses and race number.  This was great!  I was out of there, grabbed my bike and headed for the hills!  T1 time 3:41.


Sister spectators killing time while I ride ;)

Bike:  Starting the climb out of transition, I focused on staying in my power zone and allowed others to pass.  The plan called for riding mostly 160-180 watts.  I stuck to this on the climbs, sometimes going slightly above... but, never above 200.  On the descents I would get into the toughest gear and my most aerodynamic position and spin until there was no pressure left on the pedals.  This seemed to work pretty well, as I would get passed on the climbs, but quickly pass them back on the descents.  Most of the descents were done at 35+ mph, topping out at 42.  Nutrition was going great- I refilled my aero bottle with Ironman Perform at all of the 4 aid stations and used my lower bottle of water to spray my body to cool off (thanks again, Michelle!).  The bike was pretty much going according to plan, with a couple surprises in the middle.  I got PEED on!!  I had been jockeying with this one girl for most of the ride- she would pass me on the climbs and I'd pass her back on the descents.  Well as I was coming up to pass her once again, she moved her butt to the side of the saddle and I got sprayed... EEEWWW!!!  I was mostly disgusted, but also slightly impressed.  I have never been able to pee on the bike and she made it look so easy.  About 1:45 into the ride, a group of guys pass by.  The girls that were around me got sucked into their draft.  It was hard to avoid, but I wanted no part of a drafting penalty.  Just as I was thinking that, I hit a large bump!  The velcro on my aero bottle came apart and out of the loop.  I was lucky the bottle didn't fly off!  I tried working the velcro back through it's loop while riding, but it just wasn't happening.  I was forced to pull off to the side and put in back together.  It probably cost me a little over a minute.  The only silver lining was that I was away from the drafting pack.  For the last hour, I was able to ride my own race without worrying about those girls and I finally caught back up to them and passed them for good as we approached T2.  My 56 mile bike split was 2:52:21 (19.5 mph) and I had moved up to 46th out of 93.



Exiting T2


T2:  T2 came up out of nowhere around a corner.  I had just enough time to undo my shoes, but didn't get my feet out before the dismount line.   I just unclipped and took my shoes off once off the bike- I knew I'd run alot faster barefoot.  One volunteer took my bike and another took my shoes- what service!  I ran into the tent with my Run Gear Bag and a volunteer poured it on the floor.  I kind of had it set up nice and organized in the bag... she meant well ;)  T2 time 1:11.



Pure Runner's High



Run:  I saw my sisters as I started the run and got really excited!!  I felt good from the get go and had to hold myself back in order to not go out too fast.  Emotions started to build in me again.  I was so happy that this race was going so well and so happy to have so much love and support from all my family and friends!!  The next time I saw Jen and Lindsay, I just blurted out "I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE HERE!!"  The run was 3 loops.  The first mile was downhill, followed by a 2 mile climb and then another 2 down... repeat 2 more times finishing on a 1 mile downhill.  I was running ~6:20's downhill and just over 7:00 pace uphill.  I was hoarding fuel at every stop- Perform in the mouth, water over the head and ice down the shirt.  I felt good!... right up until about mile 10.  The last 2 mile hill was slow at ~8:30pace.  I was thinking how this is what the Ironman shuffle must feel like.  As I rounded the last turnaround, there was a mile to go and it was all downhill.  I saw a girl up ahead that had a 33 on her calf.  I picked up the pace and slowly started gaining on her.  She knew it because she kept looking back at me.  My legs weighed what felt like a ton, but I moved them as fast as I could.  I focused on pumping my arms and hoped my legs would follow.  The finish line was creeping up and she looked back at me about 5 more times until she knew she had it.  She beat me by 4 seconds.  13.1 mile run split of 1:33:40 (7:09/mi).

Bringing it home

My overall finish was 5:08:51.  20th out of 93 in my Age Group.






Time to celebrate a great season!

I couldn't be happier with how the race unfolded.  This was the perfect way to finish an amazing triathlon season.  I have to thank all of my family and friends who have supported me throughout my training and racing.  Knowing you are all pulling for me, helps get me through those days when I just don't know if I have it in me.  To all my new training buddies who I've met this year- it's been motivating to follow along with all your training and racing adventures.  Keep it up!  A huge thank you to Robbie Ventura and Dave Noda- VisionQuest Coaching is top notch.  I'm so grateful to be a part of something so special that has helped me grow into an even better athlete.  To my coach, Dan Litwora, you've brought me to the best shape of my life and (knock on wood) NO INJURIES!  This is huge.   Bigger and better things to come ;)  And the biggest thank you of all goes to Michael.  You have endured many a 'Cranky Adrienne' days and you're still here!  Thanks for putting up with me and enjoy the off-season because Ironman training could be even worse! ;)                 



Chicago International Triathlon (8/28/11)



What doesn't break me, will make me stronger... that is how I am looking at the result of this race.  I was mentally split going into the race.  I LOVE this distance and it's a hometown race, so I was hoping to do well and MAYbe even go for the top 3 overall amateur!  However, I also knew that I wasn't fresh- 2 weeks off a 1/2 Iron with my big 'A' race of the season just 2 weeks down the road and the main focus right now.  It ended up being an off day for me... actually, the worst race performance of my season due to lack of freshness, lack of mental strength, poor nutrition and rookie mistakes.  I was able to walk away not feeling completely defeated, as I got a heck of workout and was reminded of what NOT to do 2 weeks from now ;)

Watching the Sprint distance athletes

The day started with a 3:30am wakeup and the usual breakfast of rice cakes with peanut butter and honey, a banana and applesauce.  (My first mistake...Probably shorted myself about 200 calories and didn't consider the extra hour of waiting for the Sprint race.)  Michael dropped me at transition about 4:45 and I set up and scouted the area while he parked the car.  With about 10,000 athletes competing in this race (the biggest triathlon in the world), transition was huge!  In the dark of the morning, I wandered for a while trying to find my rack, the Swim IN, Bike OUT, Bike IN and Run OUT.  I did my best to figure out the best routes, but it was CRAZINESS (not that I wasn't warned ;)!!  Transition closed at 5:45 and the first wave of the Sprint race went off at 6am.  Michael and I walked down to the water and hung out until my wave start at 7:20.  It was about a 15 minute walk to the start and as soon as we arrived, I remembered I forgot to put my bike in an easy gear!!  Because I was cleaning the chain last night, it was in the hardest gear.  It's too late now :(  On top of that, my shoes were clipped into the pedals and we start up an onramp.  Getting started was going to be slow and energy-wasting.  At 6:45, I went out for a short jog, then ate my caffeinated gel, donned my wetsuit and got in line with the Elite Amateur Wave, comprised of 32 Men and 17 Women.

Elite Wave

Swim:  Starting with the Elites was good and bad.  The good was that we went off as the first wave of the International distance and, therefore, avoided the extra hours of waiting around pre-race as well as the crowds on the course.  The bad was being left in the dust!  I knew this wave would be full of fast swimmers and I had secret hopes that all my swim training this season would finally pay off... Not so much.  Within seconds of the horn, I was basically by myself.  I went out hard and tried to hang, but I was anaerobic and it was hopeless.  The water was extremely rough and I was fighting to survive.  All I thought about for the first 5-10 minutes was whether or not I should just climb up one of the ladders and call it a day.  I never considered dropping out of a race before, but I just didn't know if it was worth putting myself through this misery when it was barely a 'B' race... more so a 'C' race.  Then I thought about how I'd probably be so mad at myself later if I quit, so I kept trudging along and looking forward to the swim exit and the rest of the race.  We swam with the current for a short bit and then around the bouy and against the current for the majority of the swim.  I was getting slapped in the face non-stop by the chop and sucking in gasoline-flavored water (from the boats).  This was not fun.  I could see Michael and Shannon walking alongside as I swam- I wished I could trade places with one of them.  A little over 1/2way in, another purple cap came up from behind!  I then realized I wasn't the slowest one out there!!  This gave me a little motivation.  As she passed, I got on her feet and tried to take advantage of a draft for the remainder of the swim... though I think she got a little annoyed that I tickled her feet a couple times ;)  I finally reached the swim exit after about 33 minutes (~6 minutes longer than usual for this distance).  The volunteers were AMAZING as 2 of them grabbed me by the arms and hoisted me up the stairs!  I was so happy to be out of the water, but knew I was WAAAAY behind and needed to get a move on if I still had a chance of catching people.  

Midway through the .93 mile swim that felt more like 9.3 miles!

Totally exhausted!

Transition 1:  I saw Michael and Shannon immediately as I exited.  All I could say was, 'THAT SUCKED!'.  Then I couldn't find my shoes that I had planted to protect my feet during the long asphalt run to transition.  Someone decided to cover them with their swim cap... no wonder!  I lost a few seconds there, but didn't focus on it.  What I was focused on now was that my legs weren't working.  I never felt so heavy!  I was trying to book it to transition, but felt like I was moving in slow motion- just like those recurring dreams I have!  Once I got to my bike, I was pretty smooth with getting out of there.

Bike: The ride is 2 out-and-backs on Lakeshore Drive.  It was a windy day and we rode into the wind first.  Still, my legs were heavy.  My power output was low at ~155watts, as was my speed at about 18mph.  I was hungry and thirsty and was sucking down my Clif Replacement Drink, but knew I needed to ration since I just had the 1 bottle (which is all I normally need for this distance).  About 15 minutes in, I saw Christine Anderson heading in the other direction.  I didn't know how far I was from the turnaround, but seeing her gave me the motivation that I needed to focus and start hammering.  I got my head out of the clouds- my mental strength rose, and with it, my power and speed.  For the remainder of the ride, I was looking at mostly 165-180 watts and 20-22mph into the wind, 25-27 with it.  I ran out of drink a little over 1/2way into the ride... which was not good, but it didn't slow me down.  My bike split was 1:09:06 (21.9mph).

Transition 2: This went pretty smooth.  Probably the only part of the race where I didn't make any major mistakes.  I was all business- grabbed my run stuff and put it on as I exited the area.  



Starting the 10k run with a mouthful of sugar!



Run:  As soon as I exited the transition area, there was an Aid Station... THANK GOD!  I was so thirsty and hungry- I poured as much gatorade as I could fit into my mouth while on the move.  I didn't know where I stood in the field at this point, but knew I still had alot of work to do.  Unfortunately, my legs were still heavy and slow to turnover.  I hoped they would soon wake up, but just did what I could with what I had.  My first 2 splits were 6:36 each.  The run was 1 long out-and-back, so I could count how many women were ahead of me as they passed in the opposite direction.  I saw Christine in 1st and she had a large lead on 2nd place.  I passed 2 girls right around the turnaround point and just tried to keep those legs moving in hopes of seeing more women up ahead.  I passed 1 more girl with about a mile to go and that put me in 7th place for the finish.  My run was 40:21 (6:30 pace)- a full 2 minutes slower than what I've been putting out for a 10k this year.  

My best fake smile

I'm not happy with how I performed, but I'm happy to have had the experience.  I know I made alot of mistakes and those are all mistakes that I don't plan on making at the 70.3 World Championships on 9/11/11.  I am mentally stronger because of this race.  Every swim workout I completed the following week was one of the best workouts of the season.  2 days after the race, I swam the 4 fastest 400's I'd ever swam!  And another fantastic set of 800's 2 days after that!!  And this past weekend, I tackled the same choppy open water... but, this time I felt strong and fast ;)  I've been saying for years, 'Confidence is the key to Success'.  I did not have confidence in the water at the Chicago Triathlon and I let it get the best of me.  It was a good reminder of how important mental strength is in endurance sports.  Onward.

  





Ironman 70.3 Steelhead (8/14/11)

After almost 2 months since my last triathlon, I came into this race with high hopes and a little uncertainty.  Since my last race at Pleasant Prairie, it's just been a solid focus on training.  I'd been stretched a little thin with juggling training, work and social life... or lack thereof ;)  I knew that a big training block was necessary to peak properly for the end-of-season races, but I couldn't help but feel a bit burned out.  I even started to question why I even do triathlons.  Since this was the first race of the season that I officially tapered for, I also placed high expectations on myself.

Friday afternoon (2 days before the race), I received an unexpected phonecall from Robbie Ventura, former Pro Cyclist and founder of VisionQuest Coaching.  He commended me for my positive representation of VisionQuest thus far and also gave me a pep talk for the upcoming race.  I don't know if he realized how much this gesture meant to me, especially at this vulnerable time in my racing season.  I listened closely to his words of wisdom- stay aero, cut the tangents, think positive and pass that positive energy along.  This short conversation helped bring back some of that lost motivation- Thank You, Robbie!

Saturday, I got the pep talk from Coach Dan.  In so many words, he reminded me that I'm well conditioned for this race.  I've put in some solid training and I should be riding 160-170 watts on the bike.  My lowered confidence didn't believe this was possible, but I said I'd do my best and try to make him proud.  He also told me not to start racing the run until after the first hill at mile 1-ish.  Wilco!      

My goals going into this race were many.  At the top of the list was to have fun and remember why I do this!  After that, were the more clear cut goals.  Since I raced Steelhead last year, I had a good idea of about what times I wanted to put out: 

1) Improve last year's swim split of 34:59 (1:50/100m). 

2) Improve my bike split by about 10 minutes (last year was 2:47:41, 20.04mph). 

3) Break 1:30 on the run (another 10 minute improvement from last year). 

Altogether, I was looking for a finish time between 4:40 and 4:45.  I knew I had the ability to accomplish these goals, it was just a matter of all the pieces falling into place.

The big variables for me are always proper eating and sleeping the 2 days prior.  If these 2 things go according to plan, I am ready to rock!  For this race, all was good.  After a solid 7 hours sleep, I felt fresh, rested and light on race morning.  Let the games begin!!



Trying to stay warm pre-race



Swim:  Didn't happen.  Some things you just can't control.  Mother Nature was in charge here and with winds around 25mph, 7 foot waves and riptipes... I think the race director made the right call.  The triathlon-turned-duathlon was bittersweet.  Despite the swim being my limiting factor, I was disappointed that we weren't able to do the full triathlon.  I've been training hard and was looking forward to seeing where I stand overall in the field.  Guess I'll just have to wait until Vegas, baby!

Bike:  The race started as a Time Trial in order of bib #.  Athletes were sent 2 at a time ~every 3 seconds.  I'm used to coming out of the water from behind and having to pick people off on the bike and run.  Starting together with about 6 other girls that were similarly paced was new to me and I didn't quite know how to approach it.  I was trying to avoid a drafting penalty, so I either had to ride below race power to stay out of the draft zone or above it to stay out in front.  We all jockeyed for position for most of the ride.  I was focused on efficient pedaling and staying tucked in the aero position like Robbie said.  My average power was in the low 150's and dropped a few more watts over the last hour when it was a tailwind and mostly downhill.  I was a little discouraged seeing the lower power, but my speed was much higher than expected and I finished the 56 mile bike in 2:31:22 (22.2mph).

T2:  T2 was actually T1... but who's counting.  I decided to keep my shoes on since there was wet sand all over the transition area.  I figured it would be faster to run in my bike shoes and not have to wipe off my feet before putting on my running shoes.  Transition was pretty smooth at 1:49.

Run:  After a fast bike split, I was feeling strong and settled into a comfortably hard pace just below 7:00 miles.  Just after the 1 mile marker and starting the first of 2 loops, I saw Coach Dan and put my arms up in a 'what the heck are you doing here?!' way.  He yelled "don't smile at me... RUN!".  I was not expecting his support out there and really appreciated it.  I was having a great time during the run and tried to pass my positive energy to other racers with words of encouragment as I passed... remembering why I do triathlons!  I felt strong and my splits were solid.  As I started the second loop, Dan told me to run 'a hard 5 miles'.  So, I picked it up and knocked out a few 6:35 to 6:40 splits.  This felt good.  I was able to maintain the pace all the way to the finish.  Dan rode behind me for a bit just before the last mile telling me "don't leave anything on the course".  My effort level rose a bit and I finished strong.  I was proud of myself for the effort I put out and even gave a fist pump as I crossed the finish- ha!  That is not like me ;)  But, I was happy...this race was fun- just what I needed after all those hard training weeks.  And at that point, I didn't even know that my run split was 1:29:59 (6:52 pace).  I broke 1:30 by 1 second!!

I am officially out of my funk.  My confidence and motivation are back and I'm ready to tackle these last few weeks of the season.  For Vegas, I'm going to push the bike a little harder and try to be in that 160 to 170 range.  Also, Dan says I have the ability to average 6:40's on the run and I agree.  Oh, it's on.
                  


3rd Place Female 30-34



Me with Aubrey, Jen, and Kristy...A few of my 'Vegas Girls'

Fleet Feet Women's 10k (7/17/11)

I raced this local 10k last year and really enjoyed it, so I decided to go for it again... except this time with higher expectations!  I love women's only races because of both the comaraderie and the competition.  With over 2,600 finishers in the 5k and 10k combined, this was a decent field of empowering women with some solid talent.  Same as last year, I ran this as a 'C' race in the middle of a heavy training block.  Because the start line is exactly 3.5 miles from my house, I turn it into a long run (13.2 miles) with some fast running in the middle.  Even though I was not even close to fresh for this race, I still hoped to pull out a solid time and finish well.  Last year I finished in just over 40 minutes and placed 5th overall.  This year, I'm in much better shape and hoped to run my first sub :38 with a top 3 finish.

The day was hot and humid, but that was expected this time of year.  I arrived at the race site ~15 minutes before gun time with just enough time for a pit stop, a few strides and some friendly talk with the other girls at the start line.  At the sound of the horn, I quickly settled into a comfortably hard pace.  Several women were in front of me, but I had no idea who was 5k and who was 10k.  About 1 mile in, I found out who went out too hard as I started to catch them.  At a little over 2 miles, the 5k and 10k split and there was just 1 girl in front of me.  I tucked in behind her for a bit until I started to feel the pace slowing.  I wished her a great race as I passed, but that was not the end of her ;)  We basically ran side by side for the remainder of the race.  If I would drop behind to take advantage of a draft, she would slow the pace.  I knew I would lose in a sprint to the finish, so I hoped to get out in front before then.  But, she responded to every surge I threw out.  This game was alot of fun for me because I've never been a contender to break the tape in a race this size.  We had a cyclist leading us just like the motorcycle in front of the lead pack at a marathon.  As we rounded the last straighaway, we merged with the mass of 5k finishers.  The lead cyclist did his best to clear a path for us, but it was a lost cause.  As we sprinted to the finish, we did our best to BOB and WEAVE through the crowd.  I gave it all I had, but it was not enough for the win as I crossed the line is 2nd place in a time of 38:33.  The winnner, Margaret Connelly, deserved to break the tape.  She is a strong runner and I just hope I gave her a good run for her money ;)

I wasn't sure about racing this 10k this year because I was afraid it might interfere with my 1/2 Ironman focus.  But, with the go-ahead of Coach Dan, I'm glad I did.  Not only was it a heck of a workout... but, it was a BLAST!!           

Pleasant Prairie International Triathlon

Another fun local race with great weather, but this time a flat and fast course.  Thanks to these factors, along with a competitive field and strong VQ athlete and spectator support, I set a nice PR and won some prize money to boot!

After coming off an 'A' race (Ironman 70.3 Kansas) just 2 weeks earlier, my nerves for this race were low.  I was looking forward to the camaraderie you get with a local race, as well as a good workout.  Of course, as I always admit, my competitive spirit was still there.  I'm always looking to reach new levels in competition and within myself.  This race was no exception.  I saw the finish times of the winners from the previous year (2:13 and 2:14) and knew they were racing again this year.  Those times seemed like a bit of a stretch for me, so I was hoping for at least 3rd... top 3 win money ;)

With an hour drive up north, the 3 a.m. wakeup came early.  But, eating a home-cooked prerace dinner and sleeping in my own bed the night before a race is a rarity and totally worth the early alarm.  It really was a strange feeling- just hanging out, watching a movie at home.  I almost forgot I had a race the next day!



Heading out for a quick warm up (green cap)


We got to the race site a little after 5 and the first wave went off at 6:30.  ONSITE parking!!!  Another rare treat- this is an underestimated feature of a good race.  No shuttles, no stress.  We set up our transitions, made a few trips to the port-a-potty and then got suited up for a warmup swim.  I dilly-dallied in transition area too long and heard the announcement for people to start getting out of the water as I was still pulling on my wetsuit.  I ran over, got a quick couple minutes of swimming and was the last to exit the water (just setting the stage for the race ;)

SWIM:  My wave went off at 6:49 and included Females 34 and under.  There were about 70 or so women in the wave, but somehow it didn't feel crowded.  I never got kicked, punched or swam over.  I don't know if I even got touched!  The water was smooth as glass and perfect temperature.  I got into a good rhythm and really enjoyed the swim.  The best part about it was that I had a good picture of where I was and where I was going.  I think this had a lot to do with my new goggles.  My favorite race goggles were accidentally taken at the last race and I was forced to try something new.  The old ones were socket-type and mirrored to reduce sun glare.  The new ones are clear with larger coverage.  No leaks, no fog and a wider view.  Sometimes change is good!  So, since I could SEE, I knew there were several women ahead of me that I would have to catch on the bike and run.  I exited the water with a swim time of 27:15 (1:48/100)- not a fast time, but decent for me. 

As I ran up the beach, pulling off my my cap and goggles, I heard Dave Noda (part owner of VisionQuest) tell me Michael just exited the water and to go get him!  It's a running joke about the 2 of us.  We always finish within seconds of each other and because we always start in separate waves, we don't know it until the results are posted.  Michael beat me by 7 seconds and 39 seconds at the last 2 races.

BIKE:  My first time racing with power and I was looking forward to having those numbers as a guide.  Since joining VisionQuest, I've learned the importance of power and power-to-weight ratio on the bike.  Because I am light and have a 20 minute threshold output of 215 watts, my power-to-weight is pretty decent at over 4 watts/kilogram.  However, I was not fresh for this race and did not expect to see the numbers that I would have liked.  I tested on Tuesday and my average power was 20 watts lower than usual.  The rule of thumb is to ride about 90-95% for an international distance race.  On a fresh day, that would be 183-193 watts.  With my recent test result on tired legs, I'm looking at 167-175.  This is just a guide, however, and I ride mostly by feel and perceived exertion.  The course was flat and the wind was light.  I focused on a smooth pedal stroke and staying aero.  The result was good.  Another solid split of 1:06:45 (22.6 mph, 168 watts)- over 1 mph faster than I've ever ridden for this distance and good enough for 3rd fastest bike split overall!



starting the run



T2:  Thanks to a recent 'Transition Clinic' led by Coach Dan Litwora, my T2 was seamless at 58 seconds.  I've learned that, at this level and especially in shorter distances, the race can be won or lost in transition.  Both my transition times were right on par with the elite level athletes and that comes with practice.  I heard Noda again letting me know that Michael was just up ahead.  He started 3 minutes before me, so as long as I cross the finish line less than 3 minutes after him, then I'll have bragging rights ;)  But, my focus was on the women.

RUN:  I worked hard on the bike and didn't know what I would have left for the run.  But, from past experience in this race distance, I can usually pull out a good run despite a solid bike effort.  I didn't know where I stood in the women's field at this point, but I did know that because I started in the 1st wave of women that any female in front of me was certainly beating me.  There were a few out and back sections on this run, so I had the ability to see who was there.  I counted 4 ahead of me.  I had some work to do.  About 1/2 way in, I passed the 4th place girl, Karin of Well-Fit (another local race team).  She was friendly, let me know the girl up ahead in pink shorts was in 3rd and to 'Go get her!'  So I did.  I didn't know at the time that she was in the 40-44 AG, so I didn't have to just pass her, I had to gain 5 minutes on her!  But, I had 2 more women ahead of me.  They didn't seem within reach, but I kept up a solid pace.  All of my mile splits were steady at about 6:15.  My last 2 splits were 5:56 and 6:07.  As I was coming around the back side of the lake with less than a mile to go, I heard the announcer say Michael's name.  I looked at my watch and it read about 35:30.  I crossed the finish line with a run split of 38:20 (6:10 pace)- Fastest overall run split and another 10k PR!

My overall finish was 2:14:36 and 3rd place female.  I couldn't be happier with my performance and the result.  Everything came together for me in this race and I am continuing to see personal improvements in every aspect of the sport.  It's nice to see my hard work paying dividends.  Oh, and I beat Michael by 11 seconds.  He'll get me next time ;)

I have to give a shout out to Kimberly Goodell for looking out for me at the awards ceremony.  There was a mix up in the timing tent and 3rd place was announced as another woman, who was actually a DNF.  Kimberly, the overall winner, went out of her way to get the problem addressed.  That was so sweet and a true indication of her character.  Thank you, Kimberly- you are a winner in more ways than one! 

 

Ironman 70.3 Kansas

Despite not having tapered my training in the weeks prior, I felt fairly confident going into my first 'A' race of the season.  I did have 1 reduced training week, but the 2 weeks prior to that were my biggest training weeks to date at 16 hours each and the 2 longest rides I've ever done at 80 miles each.  These training weeks gave me the confidence in my fitness level, but left my legs less than fresh.  Coach Dan explained that because it's early in the season, it is more important to be as fit as possible than to be as fresh as possible and that I will have more taper for my races later in the season.  This is fine with me because, at this point, I need as much time on the bike that I can get!

To go along with the theme of this spring/summer weather, severe storms were forecast for early on race morning to last throughout the day.  They talked about a good chance of hail and tornadoes and I wondered if we would even race.  That type of thought process worked well because it took away some of the nerves and excitement and I slept like a baby for 5 hours until my 3am wake up.  Overnight, the storms decided to change course and passed just to the south of us!  We saw them off in the distance as we drove to the race start.  It was GO TIME!!!

Michael and I at the swim start

We set up T2, then T1.  I got a quick 20 minute warm-up run in and then headed down to the water.  The pros went off at 6:30 and my wave went at 7:06.  

SWIM:  This was the most brutal swim I have ever experienced.  I was kicked and punched like never before at the start.  I swam wide to avoid it as much as possible.  As soon as we got a few yards out, the water got extremely choppy.  I breathe to the left when I race and that's the direction the waves were coming from, so I took in water with almost every breath I took.  To make matters worse, my goggles fogged up- with that and the chop, I had a difficult time sighting and was probably zig-zagging all over the place.  To mentally get through it, I kept telling myself how much better it will be once I hit the turn-around and the waves are coming from the other side.  Well, it only got worse!  The waves were so big and frequent that they were crashing over my head and I was STILL sucking in water.  I tried not to get too negative, but I just could not wait until the swim was over.  It felt like it was never ending, but I knew I would be fine once I got out of the water and on the bike.  My swim split was 39:47- slowest ever and far from my goal of 33-35 minutes.  It was comforting to see/hear later that most people were ~5 minutes slower than usual (including the pros) and there was even talk that the swim course may have been long.

55.9 miles to go!

BIKE:  I was really looking forward to this bike course.  We drove it the day prior and the roads were open, smooth and hilly.  Just the kind of hills I like, too... long and gradual so you can get into a groove.  I stayed in an aggressive position for the downs and really took advantage of every ounce of speed I could get.  I was fairly conservative on the climbs, staying in the saddle, knowing that I have 2.5+ hours of riding ahead of me, as well has 1.5 hours of running.  I did not want to blow up too early.  I felt like I was doing a descent job of pacing.  I started to feel the burn in my legs not too far into the ride and this was a nice reminder that I need to do more training in the aero position.  Those muscles were not used to this.  About halfway through the ride, I made a friend ;)  A 38-yr-old woman passed me and we leap-frogged back and forth for the remainder of the ride.  We'd have a short conversation about the race each time one would pass the other.  A big shout out to Shea for your encouraging words- you rock!  About 3/4 into the ride, I was passed by a 33-yr-old... where did she come from!?  I was shooting for top 3 in my Age Group and didn't know where I stood at that point, but couldn't afford to let one go.  I rode my own race, but kept her in sight.  She was out of the saddle on every hill and I knew she would feel that on the run, so I'd get her back then ;)  My bike split was 2:43:29 (20.55mph), a few minutes off my original goal of breaking 2:40:00.  The winds were tough, but not an excuse.  I still have plenty of room for improvement on the bike.

Mid-way through the run and feeling the burn

RUN:  Ahhh... my comfort zone.  The goal here was definitely sub 7 minute pace.  I felt good for the first half of the run and all of my splits were well below 7 minutes.  I passed a couple girls in my Age Group that I saw, but didn't know how many more were ahead of me.  There were lots of sharp turns and out-and-backs in this 2 loop course, so I had the ability to see who was in front of me as we passed in opposite directions.  I didn't see anyone in my age group within reach and my last 3 miles were a little slower at just over 7 minutes each.  The final out-out-back seemed never ending.  I was so ready to be done at that point and wanted so bad to find that final turn-around.  Once I did, there was a little over a mile to go and I felt like I was dragging it in.  When I came around the final corner and saw the finish, I also found a huge burst of energy and sprinted it in.  Where was that energy 20 minutes ago???  My run split was 1:30:19 (6:53 pace).

Me and Chrissie Wellington at the Finish Line

I crossed the finish and saw Chrissie Wellington, multiple World Champion and 3-time winner at Kansas.  As she put a medal around my neck, I almost started crying and told her it was an honor to meet her and Congratulations on her race.  She was amazing.  I cannot brag enough about her.  She stayed until the final finisher came down the chute and ran along side her for those final meters. 

I finished 5th in my Age Group in a time of 4:56:55, within a minute from the 3rd and 4th place girls.  I had no idea they were right there!  After chatting with the 4th place finisher, also name Adrienne, at the awards... she said the same thing!!

Overall, a fun race and a great day!  We got so lucky with the weather.  Perfect temperature... a little windy... but so much better than hail and tornadoes ;)  It was icing on the cake when I learned that the Ironman podium goes 5 deep (thanks for that info, Michelle).  And turns out the top 2 finishers already qualified for the World Championships at previous races this year, so I got a rolldown slot!  Now I have plenty of motivation to get even faster!

Top 5 Females 30-34

Michael and I with Kristy at the finish

A huge THANK YOU to Kristy, the spectator of the day!  I know I looked mean on the final miles of the run, but I really appreciate you running around all morning cheering and taking pictures.  It was so nice to have a familiar face on the course.  Watch out, Mom and Lindsay, you have some competition for the Best Cheerleader award ;)  And look out for her at future triathlons.  She is an up-and-comer in the 25-29 Age Group... and a FASTY!!

Also, a huge Congrats to Michael on his 2nd Half Ironman finish and 20 minute PR!!  WooHoo!