Race Report: Win at Tri Adventure Summer Sprint

husband at right, possibly pretending not to know me! photo by J. De La Garza

The Tri Adventure Summer Sprint was a welcome no-travel race as it was only 20 minutes from the house. This is just the second year for this well-run pool sprint tri that draws a number of new triathletes from the area.

My parents came into town to see Grant's summer play production on Thursday and stayed through my race on Sunday. It was the first time my mom had been to a race and I was SO happy to bring home the overall female win! Local speed queen Edie Nault, who would have been tough to beat on this course, was up working the Culpepper triathlon. Taylor Jennings won on the men's side.

With men's winner Taylor Jennings; photo by B. Jennings

As a good scientist/engineer, results first, then discussion.

• Swim (400m) – 8:05 (13/62 women; would have been 30/93 men) 
• T1 – 0:42 (5/62 women; 9/93men) 
• Bike (20k) – 34:39 (1/86; 3/93 men) - 22.7 mph 
• T2 – 0:32 (4/86 women; 14/93 men) 
• Run (5k) – 21:07 (2/86 women; 3/93 men) – 6:48 pace 
• Total – 1:05:03 (1/86; 5/93 men)

My times in 2011 were 8:08 swim, 38:17 bike, 22:08 run, total 1:10:28. I cut 5:23 off this year; most of that was on the bike. 

Swim

We were seeded by swim times, and the 50m pool accommodated two sets of swimmers - evens and odds (bib numbers) each with their own 4-lane snake swim. The difference in time between my fast 400 and relaxed 400 is not that big so I figured I'd focus on technique, shaving time at the wall, and just getting as much as I could out of each pull. I was SO excited to see I was right behind my favorite very funny newspaper reporter pal, Mark T. That made for some rich, highly-motivating pre-race banter and I knew I'd enjoy a good draft and/or have fun passing him.

So yes, of course I passed him - about 250 yards in. I'm not sure I'd have worked so hard to pass if he'd been anyone else but it just seemed like a fun thing to do. After he got a nice rest behind my feet, Mark swam up alongside me in the final 50 and he and I, along with our friend Mark L who passed us BOTH, pushed up and out of the pool together, all in a row! Since bikes were racked in our swim order, it was chaos at racks 25-34!

Bike

The bike starts up a steep hill so I put shoes on in transition and mounted normally. I had to employ a few evasive maneuvers to avoid some very wobbly riders and then went on my way. The road surface was very good and I just did my thing, reeling in riders ahead, and keeping the intensity up. I'd done a tough uphill time trial about ten days prior and drew on that as a barometer of effort I could expect from myself. According to Garmin and Training Peaks, during my "peak 30 minutes" of the 34 minute ride I averaged just over 23 mph and a 163 bpm heart rate.

photo by B. Jennings

Run

A set of stairs started our run, then it was up a small hill. After a taper week that left me stir-crazy, the legs were happy to be set free!

Run start - putting on number, watch, stashing gel. photo by K. McPherson

I didn't get my watch started until the top, but I saw that my first mile split from there was a 6:31 which is good for me. I got a rhythm going then I saw 22-year-old Chrissy Esposito ahead of me and hadn't realized this fast girl was racing! No one passed me on the bike so I knew she started the swim ahead of me, but I went off at 7:02:20 so there couldn't be that much of a buffer. My second mile popped up as 6:26 so I just stayed relaxed and pushed on, reserving a little for the final uphill and already thinking about how good that final kick would feel! (Training Peaks has my peak 20 minutes at 6:39 pace with an average heart rate of 168, max of 173. I was working hard!)

photo by B. Jennings

Coming into the finish, I heard my husband, my dad, and friends calling my name. It's downhill, and I just let 'er rip with a big grin on my face! This race just felt extra positive, relaxed, and fun. This is the feeling I want to take with me to Burlington and USAT Olympic Age Group Nationals. The win was just a total bonus.

photo by T. LeRoith

You are NEVER too old to feel good about making your parents proud ;-)

me and my mom; dad is taking the picture!

Post-Race

This was my 20th triathlon! What I'm discovering in this, my third season, is that racing is rarely about the heroic efforts that the media plays up in athletics. It's mostly about showcasing what we discover and practice in training on a regular basis; the race simply requires more sustained intensity and extra suffering.

My parents left straight from the race and my husband had returned to the campsite where he and the kids and friends were set up. Driving home I could think of no better way to celebrate (haha) than to do some returns and finish school supply shopping for the kids since it was on the way home. Mom first, triathlete second! I figured who would I see in Target on a Sunday morning? Lots of people, it turns out. When I was checking out, friends came up behind and said "We figure we'll get behind you because we KNOW you will check out fast!" LOL. True.

After that, I joined the family at the river and enjoyed a nice beer out of my award mug! I took the afternoon off, but it's back to reality today!

I can't race without a flood of gratitude to all - my family, sponsors and supporters, my "equipment manager", Coach Jim, Kurt, the race organizers, volunteers, and the community of triathletes and runners that I am blessed to be a part of.

This win definitely goes to my mom and dad. I love you both so much and appreciate the 45 years (and counting) of encouragement and genuine interest in all I do.

Olympic Track - Lotsa Yellow Shoes!

 

Watching the start of Olympic Track and Field, I couldn't help but notice ALL those yellow shoes!! Just like mine.....only faster! The women are flying on the track, awesome to watch!!

 (photo credit)

Championship swim meet - learning something new

Spencer and I hit the Southwest Virginia Summer League championship swim meet Saturday. We both did 100 free and 50 breast; I did 50 free too.

We got off to a rough start that morning - kid brought the wrong suit that was missing the essential string to make the suit "dive safe". Thankfully there was a swim vendor on site and we bought a suit WITH a drawstring. After all that, the goggles then proved not to be "dive safe" and he lost those off the block. He shook it off and came back to swim a solid breast stroke. I was proud of him!

I have to confess, my heart was not totally in this meet, nor were my legs. My legs were sore and tired from a great week of workouts. It was a rare but welcome feeling of the "adaptation-causing" kind of sore. Other than this meet, they'll have almost 48 hours off.

This was certainly not anywhere near an "A" race for me as evidenced by the total lack of butterflies and nervous energy, but still it was good. Most of all it's nice to share time with Spencer and to cheer each other on as teammates rather than just mom and son.

I think I am FINALLY over my paranoia of diving in with goggles (despite Spencer's mishap) and I now know what the various whistle blows mean for get ready, get on the block, etc. There's so much about swimming that I don't know.

Speaking of all I don't know, I was talking to my fellow swimmer Kristi (who was also Spencer's substitute Algebra teacher; it's a small town ;-) and the conversation led to how body roll is important because it allows you to get your shoulder/arm lower in the water where the water pressure is higher to give you more to "grab". She explained that is why taller swimmers fare better - they have better reach. I'd never thought about that before!! It probably explains why I read that you are supposed to push off the wall and streamline about 2' down rather than just under the surface, maybe so you have some better water to pull out against.

10 am - it was way too early for Spencer

The cardio room at the pool had a Vasa Trainer. Some top triathletes use this dry-land equipment so I played with it a little bit. I can see how that could be very beneficial to develop sport-specific technique, strength, and endurance. Spencer and I schemed about how to make a homemade version with a skateboard, plywood, and bungee cords. Then we joked about the all-indoor triathlon you could do on a Vasa trainer, stationary bike, and treadmill.

I posted on Facebook that I was at a "wait meet" with occasional bursts of swimming. It was then that I realized that one of the things that I love about triathlon is that it's a sustained period of "hurrying". Once you start, there is no waiting, only hurrying! That is MUCH better suited to my personality. Much. Swim meets are for training (trying) my patience.

This is why it's important that people find activities and sports to suit their personality. Swim meets are not for everyone. Triathlon is not for everyone. The Olympics are a great example of the rich diversity of sports and athletes.  So I'm sitting on my butt, resting my legs, and engaging in an Olympics-watching marathon as much as possible!

Focus amidst chaos

This was fun to get in my email box the other day. "You have now been successfully registered for this event by your National Federation." Never mind that "National Federation" probably means some college kid doing a summer internship typed my name and info into an online form. Hey, it's still cool.

We also got ordering information for Team USA trisuits and clothes.

This provided a nice little boost and renewed focus in the midst of a life that is bursting at the seams. Training volume and intensity have been fairly high. So has the general level of life chaos.

Summer is NOT leisurely. Why do I think, year after year, that it will be? The kids are busy. I have some major (but exciting) job changes going on and the hubs just took on teaching a senior level college course on top of work in the fall.  Grant is involved in an intensive drama camp that required me to order plastic asparagus. Spencer came home from camp with about 1000 bug bites. We are going full-tilt.

Somehow, in the midst of all the overwhelm, training is solid. I hit mile repeats on the track at times I could not have done even 6 months ago, took a big chunk of time out of an uphill bike time trial as compared to last year, and I'm swimming...well....I'm swimming more!

I love training (and racing)...just love it! But I have to say when things are crazy it takes a little more effort to get out the door and to find the intensity I need for the tough workouts.

Through the chaos and "busy brain," I find it reassuring that the body somehow remains faithful and delivers. For me, a bit of speed (and suffering) is the best stress-buster around.

USAT Olympic Distance Nationals: Preview the bike course with...Cort!

This is so cool! Last year at USAT Age Group Nationals, as a newly minted member of the Endurance Films Racing Team, I had the opportunity to have the "GO cam" mounted on my bike, gathering video of the whole course. I provided some written narration about my thoughts of the course and Endurance Films worked their magic and just released it!

Rewatching this, I get totally FIRED UP to return to Burlington in a few weeks to swim, bike, and run with the best. I look forward to meeting up with the returning and new members of the racing team, and see the great folks from the EFRT sponsor Jack Kane Custom Bicycles who take good care of our bikes!! Thanks to team sponsors Champion System, Training Peaks, Aqua Sphere, Sweat Vac, and Eco Sports Bottles.

I'm humbly thankful for my sponsors Solar Connexion, Hyperion Consulting LLC, Endurance Films, and my friends, family, and supporters!

I can hardly sit still now just thinking about it all! YEEHAW!!!