Last Call Half Marathon--12/6/14

I signed up for this race a day or two after barely missing my PR at Tyranena. I wasn't ready to leave the season without it. The course boasted "flat and fast" and the starting line was a couple miles from home, so there you have it.

It was high 20s and I was in my new tri shorts, well-worn but lucky long sleeved tech top, hat and gloves. It was chilly but I had a good feeling about this one. I hydrated the heck out of myself all morning to prevent the god-awful Cramp of Tyranena. I even scaled back on the morning coffee and pre-race caffeinated gel.

Mile 1: 8:30 pace. What the? I'm not that fast.

Miles 2-6: 8:30-8:45 pace. Something isn't right. I'm seriously not that fast. Did they measure wrong?

Miles 7-10: 8:45ish pace. Not only am I going to PR, I'm going to CRUSH the 2-hour mark. But whoa. Mile 11 is where I got into trouble at Tyranena. Is that a cramp coming on? Take it easy, girl. Don't push it here.

Miles 11-13: 9:00ish pace. Moderate soreness and such slowed me down, plus the aforementioned fear of hitting some proverbial wall.

Done. PR by over 8 minutes, sub 2 hours by over 5 minutes. I won't bother signing up for another half for awhile, this new PR ain't going nowhere.

Tyranena Beer Run (Half Marathon)--11/8/14

I love this race. The people are friendly, the course is varied and interesting, the post-race food and drink highly motivating, the weather is...weather. I've done Tyranena in bitter cold and bitter colder. I've shed and re-applied and shed layers again. You just never know.

This one was mid-high 30s and partly sunny, which is darn close to my optimal running weather. And the elusive PR was the only thing on my mind. Nutrition dialed in, save a bonus cup of coffee on the drive there. How much damage can it do?

Mile One: 8:45 pace. A little fast, but it'll be fine.

Miles 2-6: Comfortable 9:00-9:15 miles. I'll get this PR if it kills me.

Miles 7-11: Hanging around 9:15--not enough for the Golden sub-2 hours, but plenty of PR cushion.

Mile 11: Cramp. Not a run-through-it cramp. Not a Start-to-limp-a-little cramp. Not even a Stop-to-stretch-it-out-for-a-few-seconds cramp. This was a You're-not-running-anymore-for-awhile cramp. Stretching didn't help. Walking didn't help. The PR was slipping away.

An angel of a spectator offered me her water bottle when she saw my pain. I slammed it and it was just enough to hobble through the final two miles.

I missed the PR by a minute and a half. Bitch.

The spaghetti wasn't even as good as I remember.

On my car was a flyer for Last Call Half Marathon in Waukesha a month later. You better believe I signed up for it.

Striderland Half Marathon--8/23/14

I like half marathons. The distance is short enough to not be painstaking yet long enough to provide a bit of a challenge. This wasn't an "A" race this season, more like a chance to get out and do a long quick workout with friends. My longest run (since the last half marathon) was 12 miles, but after a full race season what's another mile?

Weather was nearly perfect--cloudy, low 70s…nearly perfect. The weather forecast said 98% humidity which I didn't realize was a thing until I was standing around pre-race feeling weighed down by air. Then and there I was pretty sure I wouldn't break the evasive 2-hour mark and a PR (< 2:03) was doubtful too. But that's okay for a long quick workout with friends.

The course winds through wooded areas and remains fairly flat. Water stations and sprays from hoses were welcomed and needed more than my GUs and trusty Payday. Everyone looked like they'd just showered and their expressions were labored, even pained. I kept an even pace somewhere between PR and slowest-I'll-allow-myself.

Around mile nine the hamstring tightness reappeared, this time in the left knee. Great. I guess after a full race season I wasn't quite strong enough to maintain a good pace for that long. But at this point I only had a 5K to go and darn it if I wasn't going to get as close to that PR as I could.

I missed it by a little over a minute. I'll take it.

AG Nationals (Sprint)--8/10/14

The recurring lesson of the summer came to a head at this race--my feelings of competency in the sport are currently based on the company I keep. During the school year (off-season) I'm with my friends and colleagues at work, where I can claim best triathlete, second-best cyclist and top-3 runner status. I don't mind this status one bit.

My ego started its beating this season with the Aquathon series, where I repeatedly exited the water in the bottom third of the pack. It continued at the Masters swim classes where four lanes of swimmers do 100s on 1:50 or better. And it culminated at AG Nationals, where the hard-core and the gifted converge to remind me that I have plenty of work to do.

I kept expectations low. While many participants were aiming for a spot at the World Championships I would be satisfied to finish in the top half. I set up transition as always and wandered like a fish out of water waiting for my wave to warm up.

I had a few acquaintances racing as well but didn't feel close enough to them to "hang out" pre-race. There are many benefits to having a strong support system in the tri community and passing time together before a race is one of them. For whatever reason I've stayed on the fringes of tri communities. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Finally it came time to warm up. I had heard the Lake Michigan water temp was in the 60s and we all know my dislike for cold water. It turned out to be quite pleasant (thank you wetsuit).

The horn was off and I gave it what I had. At one point I felt a bit flooded but eventually settled into a groove. I checked my watch upon exit and it was still at zero so I'd have to wait to see how it went but it felt strong and somewhat fast.

Wetsuit removal was just okay. I think I want a new wetsuit. My old one doesn't fit well and has some tears in it. Or maybe all wetsuits are hard to get off. The real frustration was buckling the helmet. For some reason I couldn't line it up and I lost at least 30 seconds on it. Boo.

Mount was uneventful and I was off on the bike. It was now cloudy and breezy but I was already feeling fatigue. After all, it was the first time I biked after swimming all season. I kept up a race pace throughout the mostly flat course but my 18.4 MPH final average was disappointing.

T2 went well thank goodness, and the run began. Wow, do my legs feel heavy. And plodding. Cumbersome. Slow. I was doing 9-minute miles and not feeling like I had anything left. These were not the times I was putting out last year--further evidence of plateaued fitness.

Disappointment rose when I checked online results a few hours later. Swim time was acceptable, but the other times (not to mention the soreness the rest of the day) wasn't what I had hoped, and the top half of my division didn't happen.

But I have a plan. I'll consult with a coach to get a strength training regimen started in the off-season. I'll read up on Ironman training and nutrition. I'll scale back on bike-run workouts to give my body a break.

As for my sense of competency, I figure I have three choices:

-Compare myself only to the people in my life who don't do what I do

-Compare myself only to the people in my life who do what I do

-Compare myself only to myself

I'm working on Option #3.

Aquathon Series #3--7/17/14

I know I have reasons (excuses?) why this one didn't go as well as I'd like, but here I am nearly two weeks later and I can't remember what they are.

I had taken a much-needed vacation with my lobster the week prior to #3 so it had been a while since I'd been in a pool. Slow Swim Excuse--check.

(The swim did clock in at over a minute slower, but the route had been changed to avoid algae so I'm going to claim it's longer and stick with that.)

Transition without a wetsuit went without a hitch. No Excuse Needed.

Run was nearly a minute slower--No Excuse to Think Of.

It's mid-July and I'm pretty sure I've peaked for the summer.

Aquathon Series #2--6/19/14

My little Bean's umbilical hernia surgery was that morning (arrival time: 6 AM) and Master's swim class with Tri-Faster was the previous morning (arrival time: 5:45 AM) so sleep was scarce. My lobster would have preferred I skip this one to take care of our kids at the crucial bedtime and if I was a better mom I would have. But I was thinking about things like rankings and wetsuit experiments so I fixed dinner for the family and then took off.

I didn't wear a wetsuit this time and was surprised that nearly everyone else still did. The water temp certainly didn't warrant one. I figured my swim time was so abysmal last time that I didn't have much to lose. Turns out I shaved off nearly two minutes from the swim (and more from transition) without one. I still had that "swallowed everything under the sun and now my lungs are closing up" issue but I'll work on my swim breathing and hopefully fix that.

The run was a little slower--8:40 average pace--but the aforementioned lack of sleep probably caused that. I finished lower in the standings at #2 but remained part of a small group that had done both of them so far and therefore I sit at #4 in my AG. We'll see how long that lasts.

Horribly Hilly Hundreds--6/14/14

This is the only race (or in this case "ride") I've registered for where a lottery system determines if you're in. And I really wanted this one. I grew up in Mt. Horeb and the area is heavily used by Ironman Madison. If I can do HHH, I'm well on my way to Moo.

On February 10th the lottery took place and I was in. Registration transfer requests began on the 11th from desperate non-selected riders but come hell or high water I wasn't giving up this one. I began planning training rides I never would've dreamed of even last year, including a day of biking to work and back and a 3-hour Saturday morning ride. I consulted with friends about things like nutrition (thanks Amy for the Payday tip!) and neck pain (time to get a new fitting). I began to think of little else (sorry wife and kids).

As it would turn out, our brutal winter translated into extra days of school. The new Last Day was the day before HHH. I never thought this would happen, but I cut my stay at Champ's to one beverage so I could hightail it to Mt. Horeb for packet pickup.

After a relaxing evening at Marc and Peg's house, I awoke at the crack of dawn and drove the short distance to Blue Mounds State Park and the start of the ride. (I always referred to it as a race even though it's not timed and there was no set start anyway but I've never done a ride before so it's all new here.) I'd studied the route map the night before to get an idea of the hills (frequency and intensity). I noticed the rest stops but didn't plan on utilizing them much (back to the "race" mentality). I was alone with no one to make small talk, and since it's a ride most people knew some others so they stuck to their own crowd. I got ready and headed to the start. It was casual, so when I learned we could take off whenever we liked I just did.

At 6 1/2 miles I thought I remembered the first hill beginning, but this was nothing much at all. I figured if this is what they're like then today shouldn't be so bad.

At 7-ish miles the hill really started and then I started to wonder if I was screwed. All this time I thought I knew hills but I didn't know hills like these. Over a dozen times on this ride I encountered "get your bike in the lowest gear possible and then get out of the saddle and then maybe you'll make it up or maybe you'll stop and walk it like so many around you".

Never once did I stop and walk on a hill.

But I did stop at Rest Stops. I took a gel, packed some pretzels, checked out the map, and chatted a little about (what else?) hills. I didn't stay long, but after all it was only a ride.

The last two and a half miles of the ride were the most awful and grueling incline on the planet. I knew it was coming and had fully accepted the very real possibility that I would need to dismount and walk. I still don't know how I managed to stay on my bike up that thing.

After the ride I racked my bike next to a couple making cracks about how idiotic it is to do this. I ended up sitting with them for lunch and a beer (or two). One of them had done Ironman and said HHH is much worse.

That makes it all worth it.

Aquathon Series #1--5/29/14

I haven't swam in nearly a year, open water or otherwise. And an aquathon with its thousand-meter swim and 5K run takes out the middle part in which I've grown to gain ground. But I've got to get the swim back somehow so five times this summer I'll venture out shortly after dinnertime and join a hundred or so hard-core multi-sport athletes who are faster than me.

I brought my wetsuit to the first one. A brutal winter guaranteed icy cold temps though I knew nothing about the lake. Turns out it's small and not that cold but everyone else had theirs on so I did too.

That swim took forever. I swallowed so much water/air/seaweed/god-knows-what that my chest was tightening and restricting breathing--until it was over and I was able to let out the 20-second burp. The swim was slow, too. Almost everyone was faster.

My calf cramped up trying to get off the wetsuit. I don't drink enough water before races. And lake water during the swim doesn't count.

But then the run came and I took off. It was an out-n-back so I could count how many females were ahead and behind me; turns out the numbers were nearly even. The run hovered around 8:30 miles and I'll take it.

No athletic supporters to take pictures at this time of day but with a race less than an hour long it's just a good-effort training session. With plenty of friends around who are faster than me.

Delafield Duathlon--5/18/14

I remember feeling like I'll be back after last year's Delafield Du, and winning my AG didn't hurt either. It still had the hometown feeling a scrappy little race can provide. The course itself was still fine--well marked, plenty of (nonplussed) volunteers, a few spectators here and there, nothing spectacular. Awards and results took forever to announce and timing was archaic (I finished the first run at 8:02 AM--do the math to see how fast it was).

My athletic supporters arrived in time for Run #2 and still got some shots:

I left this one feeling like I'd outgrown the scrappy little race and I still won my AG this year. I'm not Miss Elite Triathlete, but maybe I'm just ready for a little more.

Lakefront Marathon--10/6/13

My second attempt at this marathon, I felt extremely confident.  On the heels of a surprisingly successful race season my training was solid, my form lithe, my spirits high. 

I couldn't say the same for Lydia, shown here in true pre-breakfast mood.

My lobsters dropped me off about half an hour before the gun.  I figured that was plenty of time for a pre-race photo, a warm-up/stretch, and a trip to the port-a-potties.

It wasn't.  With three minutes to the start of the race I was still (last) in line at the potties, and hopes of expelling, ahem, everything were dashed.  A quick pee, then the gun went off.  I felt the need to nearly sprint to the start, strip off my outer layer, and dash off at a 10K pace even though my timing chip would prevent a late start penalty.

My start was rushed and a bit frenetic but I soon settled into a rhythm.  I forced my first walk break at 30 minutes and then forgot to walk again for another 20 minutes.  Feeling strong, I chose to extend the breaks to every 8-9 minutes instead of every seven as planned.  Perhaps that was the start of the demise.  The soreness kicked in around Mile 9, and the GI issues (relieved at Mile 11 with a three-and-a-half minute delay) meant for a more challenging race than expected.  Luckily I had my cute athletic supporters.

Even with soreness and GI it brightens everything to see your athletic supporters.

Here I am saying something unintelligible:

And blowing kisses:

It turns out that Erika contacted the friends we have in the area seeking more spectators.  I have awesome friends.

My girls remained chipper.  Frequent snacks helped.

At Mile 15 I veered off the path to give some kisses.  I was in so much pain I just needed to stop for some lovin'.

I finished in 4:26, about 16 minutes faster than my previous marathon time and four minutes faster than my goal pace.  I don't recall ever being in that much pain when I finally stopped running.

After a chocolate milk and a beer I felt more like myself and we posed...with smiles this time.

Waterloo Fit City Triathlon--8/11/13

To end my stellar tri season I was hoping to feed my obsession for more hardware (an obsession that had begun with a 2nd/AG finish at this very race last year).  So when the email arrived listing lane assignments for the race, I began to scour the list in embarrassing fashion:

-How many females are in my age group?  (8)

-How many females are there total?  (34)

-How many from last year's top ten females are returning this year?  (none)

-How many females claim to have an equal or faster swim time than me?  (2)

And so on.  Why the obsession?  The one so-far elusive achievement was finally within reach--the Overall Hardware.  And my focus had officially shifted.

So when I found myself too fast to stay behind the dude in front of me in my swim lane but too slow to pass him in one length's time or less, I got frustrated.  I didn't have time for this.  And when the Lane 4 volunteer frenetically told me I had swam an extra 50 yards because I didn't see him put the kickboard down (distracted with passing Other Dude, no doubt), I was downright pissed.  Was my chance at Overall down the drain?

Still grumbling, I whipped through T1 in a rainy mist and discovered in the mount that my wet shoes weren't cooperating with wet feet.  Slow shoeless mount, wet slick roads, mist turned to sprinkle, more frustration.

I biked the 14 miles in solitude.  We were so spread out that minus getting passed once in the first five minutes and passing a small cluster in the last five minutes, I wasn't within 50 yards of another cyclist the whole time.  This helped me calm down a bit.  I figured I'd only lost a minute or so, and since everyone else has to transition and bike in the rain, there's no disadvantage there.  I continued to give it what I had.

Quick dismount and off on the run.  The rain has stopped, I'm still by myself, but ready for this race to be over.  Just not feeling it, I guess.  And maybe that's a result of the shifted focus.  A glance at my watch after the swim showed a swim time a fair amount faster than last year's, despite very little pool training this summer.  That's something to be proud of.  The bike split ended up half a mile per hour faster than last year's, despite riding in the rain.  That's something to be proud of too.  And when I crossed the finish line my run split was nearly a full minute per mile faster than last year's.  Remarkable.  But if I'm all about the hardware, how can any of that be good enough?

In the end, I pulled off 2nd Overall--a source of pride as well as an effective motivator.  But spending a fair amount of this race in surliness has been a lesson in attempting to keep my focus on my own achievements, not just as they compare to other's.

Arrival:  Excited, Ready to roll

Bear helps me carry the helmet

Everyone gets body marked

Time to rack

Down time

Let's do this

 I still have the cutest athletic supporters in the world.

 Pooped out.

 My Lobster, Athletic Supporter Extraordinaire

 2nd Overall

Tri-ing for Children's--7/28/13

I had done Tri-ing for Children's once before.  I signed up for the Olympic distance in 2010 and a few weeks later my two biggest fans arrived at my doorstep and training came to a screeching halt.  Darned if I would DNS though, so we showed up and I came in about as close to dead last as one can come.

While "only" the Sprint this time, I came to Ottawa State Park this year with one word in mind:  Redemption.  In a new age group and the best shape of my life, I wasn't planning hardware like I'd managed the past few races but I did expect FOP (Front of the Pack) and maybe even a 20 MPH bike or a run PR.  Plenty to shoot for.

My athletic supporters stayed home again.  My Brave Bear was getting her tonsils and adenoids removed the next morning and we valued her sleep more than her presence.  I arrived, checked in, set up and waited the hour or so for my wave, shivering violently with chattering teeth.  Was it really the end of July?!  Cloudy, 55 degrees and breezy made waiting for the start the most difficult part of this race.

And then we were off.  The water is warmer than the air and my drafting is exquisite.  I'm sighting like a maniac (lesson learned from Rock Roll n Run) and even passing people.  This wasn't expected--my time in the pool this summer has been embarrassing and I'm surprised to say the swim has become my weakest leg.  But the stars aligned that morning and I finished a reputable swim.

Quick transition--I'm getting pretty good at those things--and I'm off.  Damn, I can't feel my toes. Why won't they go into those shoes?  Eventually we worked things out and I settled in for the bittersweet ambivalence of a mostly-flat course with a headwind.  I did what I could but settled for a 19 MPH average in the end.

Ready to run, but can't feel my feet.  The first half-mile was like running with rubber brick-feet, a most bizarre sensation.  But thanks to the looping run course I'm now seeing few if any females my age ahead of me.  Could I place after all?  Suddenly a runner with "41" (her age) whizzed past--guess not.  I was passed again by a "43" so with dwindling chances to place I focused on my best race.  Here I am getting the crowd riled up for my finish:

No idea why my face looks like this, and I really have to do something about those chicken arms.

When results were posted I took a gander:

3

Third in my (new) age group after all, which made up for the no-PR run and 19 MPH bike.




Next up, Waterloo Fit City.  

Rock Roll n Run--7/6/13

First tri of the season, first race without my lobster (home with tired kids), first time-trial start, first river swim with a current...I was anxious to feel the rush (literally) so I set up in transition, walked down the beach to the starting pier and hopped into line.

It was another smaller race and the possibility of hardware was there, giving a push comparable to the flood-stage river.  What I wasn't counting on was my sighting technique, or lack thereof.  Coasting with a current isn't enough to keep you on track, and after a substantial veer to the right (and the struggle to get back where I belonged), I shamefully climbed out on the beach with a swim time a good two minutes longer than it needed to be.

A quick T1 and I was off.  On the map the bike course had a moderate climb for the first four miles or so, but it felt more like normal rollers.  It's a nice change of pace when hills are not as bad as you anticipate.  Not much to write home about this bike--pace was one of my highest, and I was only passed once.

One of my longstanding short-term goals stuck in my brain throughout this run:  "9 minute miles".  When I hit the quarter-mile cliff-of-a-hill about halfway through I wondered if it was still possible, but..."9 minute miles".  The results page posted after my finish gave me 8:27 miles, and I took it with a smile.  So why I look so uptight in this photo I'll never know:

In the end I was 3rd in my Age Group, missing 2nd by three seconds and first by 30 seconds.  Stupid swim.

Beautiful weather, great volunteers, fun ride in the river (just watch where you're going), scenic bike and fast run....I'll be back.

Delafield Duathlon--5/19/13

Coming fresh off a new Half-Marathon PR, I was ready to start the race season.  I'd spent the long winter months changing deeply set (and deeply bad) eating habits and working out religiously and smartly (read: in the morning before work, previously unthought of). I was excited and proud of the results--over 20 pounds slimmer and the best shape of my life.

I stumbled upon a race in its inaugural year--the Delafield Duathlon.  Practically in our backyard, early in the season and without an open water swim, it seemed like a nice cheap option.  With no idea what to expect, we arrived.

The girls were set.

This race, we soon discovered, was small.  Each of the six waves had about 20 racers.  The man said "go" (literally) and we were off.

A subtle reminder...

Most of the run was on a grassy golf course, a surface I don't enjoy.  I pushed myself nonetheless and the split was (for me) near-PR.  Then came the bike, the leg in which I hoped to gain some ground on the runners who passed me.  (My efforts to stay focused on my own self-improvement often give way to the competitive spirit.)

Nailed the shoeless mount...

The bike route was relatively flat and windless, perfect conditions to cruise.  And I did, with a near-21 MPH average.

Excellent dismount in the tiny transition area, and I was off.  Legs are cement-like now.  They're moving along, just very very heavily.  My pre-race plan to match the first 5K pace quickly gave way to "just get through it".

The girls waited patiently for the big finish.

I can safely say I gave this race my all.

Special thanks to the very-pregnant Brzeski's for the athletic support.

Shortly before this family photo I discovered on the Results listing that I had won my age group.

While waiting for the Awards ceremony my lobster let Nya try out the camera.  Not bad.

Waiting for awards can get boring, but we do it anyway because it doesn't happen very often.

Finally.