It turns out that Mother’s Day weekend is pretty good weekend for me to race. Last year I set my 5K PR (24:30), and this year I managed my fastest sprint tri time to date! TriRock Annapolis was a great race, and I highly recommend it. The course and logistics were well organized; Annapolis was a charming host; and the weather could not have been more perfect. Moreover the marketing and PR for the race was pretty fantastic. Because I was one of the first fifty people to register months ago, the brand sponsor – Asics – sent me these sweet shoes:

Pre-Race

For whatever reason, I thought this race started at 8AM so I neglected to book a hotel room – believing that an hour long drive to Annapolis wouldn’t be so bad at 5:30AM. It wasn’t until last Tuesday that I realized the start time was actually 7:00AM. Too late to book a hotel room that wouldn’t cost me $300, I began to psyche myself up for the inevitable 3:30AM wake up call on race day.  I went to great lengths to get myself organized and packed the night before, so the only thing I had to do was pull on my tri kit, eat breakfast and pack my gear in the car. I timed this perfectly so I would roll out of my driveway precisely at 4:00AM. (Yes, I made a checklist and schedule on my iPad. Isn’t that what’s for?)

I easily found parking about a half mile from the race, and I arrived at transition just before 5:30AM. For reasons unknown to me before Saturday, I somehow ended up in the first swim wave. This was new for me, and I found the idea of being in the first swim wave both exciting and terrifying. Exciting because I could – for a brief moment – pretend be an elite athlete, and terrifying because the first wave is almost always made up of the “fast” people. Now I can hold my own in the water, but I would never describe myself as “wave 1 fast.” The woman beside me in transition clued me in as to why I was in the first wave. Apparently, the race organizers seeded the waves according to experience and goals for the race as well as the usual age groups. A series of  questions asked during the registration process such as “how many triathlons have done” (answer = 11) and “do you plan on racing or just taking in the sights” (you really need to ask that?) helped to determine the waves. 

Being in the first wave added a little pressure to get my butt into transition early so I could set up and have a few minutes of quiet time to collect my thoughts. I had a fantastic spot in transition – smack dab in between the bike in/out and run in/out areas and right beside the bike mechanic’s tent. Gotta love it when there’s a landmark right beside your spot – makes it so much easier to find your gear in the middle of the chaos.

Swim – 500 meters (10:51)

After setting up my area and chatting with the woman racked besides me, I made my way over to the swim start at 6:45AM. My nerves were definitely started to kick in as the National Anthem was sung and the last minute announcements were made. Before I could be really nervous or worry about the cold temperature of the water, they were ushering my wave into the bay. We made our way down a short ramp to a floating pier and from there the only thing left to do was jump in and swim about 25 meters to the start buoy. The cold water (65 degrees) at Rumpus in Bumpass last month affected my swim performance significantly, and I was really hopeful the same would not happen during this race. The shock of the cold water (62 or 63 degrees) was fierce, and my feet almost immediately went numb. However, there was little time to bitch about it because about thirty seconds after I jumped in they blew horn and we were off!

For the first few seconds, I did my Tarzan drill (thank you Team Z) as I tried to find a clear lane. I remembered the advice of my coaches and put my head down, did long, deliberate strokes and breathed every other stroke. There wasn’t much chop, but I did manage to get several mouthfuls of salt water. After the third or fourth one, I realized I needed to keep my mouth shut otherwise I going to risk getting sick to my stomach. The swim remained pretty crowded throughout the first 250 meters, and I kept running up on other people’s feet. The back half of the swim was much calmer, and I was able to find a nice and comfortable rhythm. Before I knew it, I was at the swim exit.

T1 (2:38)

I had to wait for what felt like forever before there was a ladder free for me to climb out of the bay. Once I was out of the water, I began a quick jog towards my bike. I easily got out of my wetsuit, and I began to pull on my socks, shoes, helmet and glasses. I felt a little dizzy, but I figured that was from leaning over to pull on my shoes and socks. I took a quick drink of water, and I grabbed my Cervelo and made my way to the bike out.

Bike – 12 miles (48:35)

The twelve mile bike course was a two-loop course with some rolling hills but nothing truly taxing. There were portions of the course that I thought were too narrow, but for the most part it was really scenic and the roads were in good condition. The bike is my least favorite leg of triathlon, and it is usually the part of the race were I do the majority of my cursing. The cursing is usually aimed at myself for being a complete whimp on the bike. Saturday was no exception. I know there’s speed in my legs, but the horrible bike phobia in my brain won’t let me bomb down hills – instead I cautiously cruise down them like I’m out for a Sunday spin. Pathetic, I know.

T2 (1:58)

After taking my sweet ass time on the bike course, I cruised into T2 and quickly switched into my run gear. It was a relatively easy transition, and I was quickly out on the run course.

Run (26:13)

While I was on the bike, I made a pact with myself – if I was going to loaf on the bike, I had to be prepared to hammer the run. I didn’t bother with my Garmin because it was a sprint. I knew I would be running somewhat blind since I would be without a watch telling me my pace. My legs felt pretty fresh, and there wasn’t any sort of lead or jelly feeling in them. The only issue I had was my feet were still numb from the swim. It wasn’t until nearly the two mile marker that they began to warm up. I picked off runners as I made my way down the out and back course. The final quarter mile of the race was a nice down hill section on Main Street. I picked up some speed as I headed towards the finish line.

Post Race

My total race time was 1:30:15. I had hoped to finish in under 1:30, but I can’t complain with the result. It was a PR for the sprint distance. The run was definitely the highlight of my day. Battling nagging injuries all year has left my self-confidence rattled, but Saturday’s performance proved to me that I still have speed my legs. My swim was decent – not great, but not terrible either. My times in the pool are at least two minutes faster, so I see more open water swim practices in my future. The bike was disappointing, and truth-be-told I’m a little sick of my ridiculous fear. I love this sport too much to be hindered by the fear of falling off my bike. Perhaps the tri bike isn’t the machine for me, and I should go back to a road bike? Or maybe I just need to spend more time in the saddle? Whatever the reason, I want to figure this out and soon.

My mixed emotions of the race were washed away quickly after I had the pleasure of meeting this world champion at her book signing in Columbia:

What are your tips for channeling your inner Chrissie Wellington on the bike? Drop me a comment and let me know!

1. I’ve been swimming since I was six years old. My parents threw me and my brother into swim lessons at the Y, and then we found our way onto a neighborhood swim team. I usually swam back and breast strokes in meets. I figured out that fewer people swam those strokes – especially back – so it was easier win races. (Yes, I was Machiavellian at an early age.) Swimming has always felt really natural to me, and I love being in the water. Despite having nearly thirty years of swimming under my belt, there are still elements of my stroke that need tweaking from time-to-time.

This morning at my group swim practice, one of the coaches noticed that I was crossing my arm in front of my shoulder as I began my pull. This is not a new critique of my stroke – it’s definitely something that I have struggled with for years. The coach’s advice was to think about swimming with my arms at “10 and 2″ to keep them wide upon entry into the water. I started my next set with a focus on “10 and 2,”  and the next thing I knew my shoulders were extremely fatigued. It felt as though I engaged all new muscles as I was pulling. While the coach said “10 and 2 ” will feel “weird” at first, I wasn’t sure that meant fatigued. We chatted after I finished my set, and I explained the weird fatigued sensation. He said that wasn’t supposed to happen, so he called for another coach to come over and watch my stroke. She actually moved me to an open lane so I could do some drills without disrupting the other swimmers.

According to the second coach, my arms are in line with my shoulders when I begin the pull. And she believes that the fatigue may actually be the result of me not allowing my shoulder to naturally drop into the pull. Rather I’m trying so hard to not let my arm drop before I begin the pull (an issue I’ve had before) that I’m forcing it stay up longer than it should. Are you following me? I know, I was a little confused too. The bottom line is I need to allow my arms and shoulders to move in a fluid motion through the glide and pull. My homework over the next week is to perform foundation drills focusing on keeping my arms and shoulders aligned.

2.  I love my group swims on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The only down side is I have to get up really early (4:45AM) to make my 5:30AM practice. To ensure that I get the most sleep possible, I always pack my work clothes the night before. Sometimes this leads to somewhat weird outfits (your fashion insight is dramatically decreased right before bedtime) or leaving critical toiletries at home (like your hairbrush – which happened to me on Tuesday. My hair looked stellar that day.) Today’s minor bump in the road involved me breaking off the straps of – not just one – but both of my sandals as I walked to work. I’m honestly not sure how it happened, but I think it takes a great deal of talent to break straps on both shoes. Instead of wearing my cute strappy sandals today, I’ll be wearing my shower shoes in all of their hot pink, peace sign glory. It was either that or my cycling shoes, and the latter probably would not be as comfortable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. I’ve been racking my brain trying to think of a third thing for “3 Things Thursday,” but I’m fresh out of ideas. The shower shoe incident has really thrown me off of my game today. Instead I’ll leave you with a picture of the cutest puppy on the planet. Who doesn’t love a cute puppy? Happy Thursday, folks!

Can you keep you secret? Yesterday, I rode my bike for 16 miles and I think I liked it. Shocking I know considering there has been a serious hate/hate relationship with my bike for the past four years. I’ve vented and cursed the bike on this blog more times than I can count. The upgrade to the tri bike last season didn’t do much to thaw our chilly relations, but I’m making a serious effort this year to like – or at least tolerate – the contraption on two wheels. We all know by now that I have my sights set on finishing a full Ironman in 2013, and there’s no way to cheat your way around 112 miles. The time to get serious about cycling starts now!

My 70.3 training plan calls for three rides per week – hills on Tuesday, speed on Thursday and distance on Saturday or Sunday. Admittedly, I’ve been a bit lax on my weekday workouts substituting indoor cycling classes for actual outdoor rides.  Don’t let someone convince you that indoor cycling classes are a good subsitute for outdoor rides because they are not. It’s a fun cardio workout, but it’s not riding YOUR bike. (Riding your bike on a trainer is completely different.) I fell into this trap last year, and I had my ass handed to me on race day. This year, I want to follow my training plan as closely as I can so I’m better prepared for – not only my A race in September – but every other race between now and then. That means packing my bike in the car, hauling it to work and making time to get in three rides per week.

With my new found commitment to cycling, I drove down to Haines Point yesterday after work to do a few loops. My training schedule called for a 40 minute “easy” ride – just enough to engage the legs but not an intense workout because we’re in a recovery week. (My team follows a 2 week build, 1 week recovery training cycle.) The Haines loop is 3.2 miles, and it’s virtually free from car traffic. It’s also flat as a pancake with long straightaways making it ideal to practice my aero position – something I have not mastered after a year on a tri bike. Yes, I know, I’m a big sissy.

Much to my surprise, the ride was extremely relaxed and peaceful. The weather was ideal, and I was easily able to find a comfortable Z2 pace for the duration of the ride. I spent a little time practicing going in and out of aero, but I mostly focused on finding a comfortable gear so I wasn’t trashing my legs. Before I knew it, I had completed five laps – or 16 miles – right at the one hour mark. My legs felt great post-ride, but more importantly I was in a great place mentally. I usually spend so much time worrying about traffic or crashing that I don’t concentrate on the cycling. Yesterday, it was all about me and my bike.

Fingers crossed, this may be the beginning of the beautiful friendship…

Source: pinterestgreatdeals.com via Lucille B. on Pinterest

 

How do you overcome a fear whether it’s on the bike or maybe it’s swimming in the open water? Drop me a comment and let me know!