Posts Tagged ‘racing’
Race morning! I actually slept fairly well, but did wake up before my alarm. I was the first one up, made breakfast and was feeling pretty awake (not a walking zombie like I am sometimes at these crazy early race morning hours).
We headed out on schedule and the plan was to get body marked, drop off special needs bags, visit bike in transition to add bottles, add air to tires and make sure bike was good to go. All this didn’t take too long and then we were headed to the swim start. A (rather lengthy) detour for the last bathroom break where we (not planned) met up with Merrick and April while we waited in the (long) line.
After we all were set we resumed our walk to the swim start. We had gotten close, but not actually there and when we saw lots of people in the street putting on their wetsuits and doing the final prep….we realized that the actual swim start was crowded, hence the need to use this space further out. The time was passing quickly and while we were not late, we didn’t have extra time. Before long, the Canadian military jet “fly over” happened….we heard it, but did not see it. It was foggy and visibility was low, but we certainly heard their presence.
Ready to Race (before we knew about the delay)
After arriving to the actual swim start, which was super crowded, we said our goodbyes to our super Sherpas and Merrick, April, Bill and myself found our respective swim corals, which was based on expected total swim time. Bill and I were in the same time range so we found out spots together. My general swim time goal was to improve over my Lake Placid time of 90 minutes, but I hoped I would be under 1 hour 25 minutes…possibly around 1hour 23 or 24 minutes. Still I lined up in the 1:25 coral.
The fog over Lake Tremblant
We soon heard of the delay in the swim start. To hear the formal announcements that were being made was impossible. It was word of mouth amongst the athletes and volunteers that passed the news. Initially we thought it would be a short delay, but then the delay switched to one hour. This was due to the thick fog that had settled over the lake. (I don’t know the actual sequence of events or how many delays were actually announced, I only know what I heard.) Thankfully, Bill and I had each other to keep company. We did not see Merrick or April during this time and our paths never crossed with Matt pre-race. Despite wearing a full sleeved wetsuit, I was cold while we waited (it was in the low 50s). Other than that, I felt calm and the delay did not make me anxious (however, the thought of an extra hour without food did creep into my mind).
The fog had lifted some before start
Before the hour was up, the fog had lightened up and they announced the swim was going to begin!!! The fog actually thickened back up before the official start, but at that point, it was “go time” or the swim would be cancelled (which we heard later).
More fog when we actually started the swim
After the pros were started the rolling start for the age groupers began. The amount of time that they planned to allow to get the swimmers in the water between the corals, quickly decreased, as they wanted to get this thing going and be able to give all athletes the full 17 hours allowed to finish the Ironman.
The water felt nice at 72.5 degrees as I began my swim and the start to my day that I had worked so hard for. All the months, weeks, days and hours came down to the day ahead of me. I knew I was ready to give it all I had and that is a great feeling and all I can ask of myself.
As a result of getting swimmers started faster, the swim was VERY CONGESTED. I don’t really get too aggressive in the water and I do try to minimize body contact as much as possible, but it is generally inevitable (there was one particular instance where I was being sandwiched between two male swimmers and that is just not a good situation to be in!). Overall I found my swim groove early and felt comfortable with my pacing. The terrible chop that was present during Saturday’s practice swim had diminished and while all the swimmers certainly stirred up the water, it was nothing in comparison to the day prior….thank goodness!!! I had not swum in my wetsuit since May. I had done ALOT of open water swimming during training, but it was just too warm for me to practice in my wetsuit during that time. However, I was quickly reminded that my Roka wetsuit is really magical!! I can’t say enough about it and this is the first full sleeved wetsuit that I have liked, let alone loved!
The visibility was really low and when I would pass a buoy it was often a bit of time before I could see the next one. However, I just sighted to the masses of swim caps and hoped that the majority of them were all swimming as straight as possible to the next buoy. With the yellow sight buoys, we were able to pass on either side, so swimming out I decided to have out them on my left since I have a tendency to pull left in hopes that strategy would keep me a bit straighter. At the turn buoys, they had to be on the swimmers’ right side. After the first turn, I did get a little confused as I thought there would be two turn buoys (red). But the first one after the red turn was orange so I kept going. Then I found the second red one which indicated that I needed to turn again. (Apparently I did not study the above course map enough!!!) After the first turn, I noticed that the congestion had started to thin out a bit. It also seemed that I while there were swimmers passing me, I was also passing some as well. I felt like I was having a good swim, but no idea of my time!
At that point, I was over half way, which is always a mental boost. The visibility had improved as well. I knew that I just had to keep doing what I was doing and thought I would be just fine…each buoy at a time. For some reason, after the second turn, I never made my way over for the buoys to be back on my left side. I was consciously aware of this but also felt like I was doing a decent job with my sighting and trying my best to maintain a “straight-ish” line. There was one instance where I recall really going astray on my line, but overall I kept it in the forefront of my mind and that helps a lot. There were a couple of times were the congestion arose again, but way better overall than the first 1.2 miles.
At the end of the swim I had gotten to the point to stand and make my way on foot. Little did I know that the bottom of the lake was very squishy and was not easy to stand. I immediately stumbled but as I got my footing, I glanced at my Garmin for a time check. I was not quite ready to hit the lap button, but I saw that my time was 1:20:xx. Yes!!!! As I sloshed through the final exit to the stairs, I felt like I had done my job with the swim. I finally hit my lap button just before climbing the stairs (I was smart and held to the railing with both hands) and my unofficial “official Garmin” time was 1:21:36.
Official Swim Time per Ironman
I could not have been happier! What a great way to start the day!
The calm before storm of the swim finishers! Clearly all the fog had lifted and blue skies were everywhere!
I quickly made my way to the wetsuit stripper where two volunteers did a fantastic job of quickly getting me out of my wetsuit. As I was running along the chute to T1, I saw Paige and then Tony.
My first bit of work was done!
I am pretty sure I shouted out something to him about a good swim, but he could probably tell from the smile on my face anyway that I was in a happy place.
All smiles to see Tony
My day had started off great!
In T1, I grabbed my bag and started doing what I needed to do. There was not a volunteer to help me, but I managed ok (I didn’t do the best job spraying the sunscreen on my back, but I got most of it). I was unsure about putting on my arm warmers, since the weather was nice, but I opted to put them on (they are easy on and easy off) since all my training in the heat would make the early time on the bike feel cool. Overall I would have been fine without them, but I wore them for probably about an hour, so not a bad decision. Funny thing happened in transition….I had been in the women’s tent for two to three minutes when I noticed beside me a guy that had just walked in. He was SUPER focused and he didn’t realize where he was until I mentioned it to him. He quickly ran out embarrassed!!
Official T1 Time
As I left the changing tent, there was an empty restroom, so I took full advantage since that does not happen all that frequently and I hate having to wait while the time ticks by. I also prefer to take the extra time during transition versus on the race course.
I found my bike easily and felt ready to ride. The sun was out and it looked to be a beautiful day to race! 112 miles, here I come!
Going into this season of Ironman training, I was not sure what, if any, races I would participate in for a lead up to race day. When I raced Lake Placid in 2014, I did not race a half prior to. I didn’t necessarily feel that I was at a disadvantage, but it’s never a bad idea to dust off the cobwebs and feel those pre-race nerves once in the season prior to your “A” race. Having Raleigh 70.3 in your backyard certainly gives one obvious choice for a half IM. However, having done that race three times (and the brutally hot run), I was not super anxious to give it another go this year. Unfortunately, the final running of Raleigh 70.3 happened this year and I won’t have the opportunity for a fourth go, which I had wanted to do at some point.
I read about a half iron distance race called Mountains to Main Street in Greenville, SC and it peaked my interest. Timing wise it would fit into the training calendar very well, plus it was two weeks earlier than Raleigh 70.3 which gave some hope that this race would be a bit cooler and wet suit legal. I was not able to find out a lot about the race (specifically race reports) for several reasons. It is a much smaller race than any IM 70.3, 2016 was the inaugural year and the 2017 edition was cancelled due to severe weather. I did learn that the bike course was new for 2018, so the little I did find about the race was not helpful for insight into the bike. Weighing the pros and cons with my training partner, Bill and I decided to give it a go. We did know that this bike course would be challenging given the elevation gain published about the route, which would be good training for IMMT. This was also my sixth 70.3 distance and a new race experience was appealing.
One side note to add is that about 10 days before the race I started having some pain in my right foot. It was in the area of the inside of the low ankle above the heel. In the past, now and again, I have had soreness in my Achilles, but I would give it some TLC and within a couple of days, it would subside. At first I thought this was the same, but I gradually realized that it was not! The Monday before the race I saw my PT and by this point I was not walking too well. I was better upon leaving the PT and adhered to his follow up instructions during the week. I had already decided that there were be no running during the taper week in hopes that I could get back on track. On the day we traveled, I was still not at the point I wanted to be as far as feeling ready to run. In some odd fashion, the pain/tenderness and actually crept over to the outside/right side of my foot as well! I was trying to not stress over it but knew that there was a chance that I would not run on Saturday.
The four of us drove/rode down together from Raleigh early Friday morning. There was some rain along the way, but we still had our fingers crossed for a drier day Saturday (race day). With a car full, the drive passed quickly as we chatted the entire drive. We drove directly to packet pickup which was at a really nice Tri Store (Carolina Triathlon) in Greenville, SC (even though I was really confused with the tag line on the store’s sign that said “run, bike, swim”…).
After packet pickup, we grabbed lunch at a really nice spot downtown where we sat outside and enjoyed a nice afternoon as the rain had moved out for a while and we was a really pleasant afternoon. Post lunch, we checked into the Air BnB house which we were all sharing, dumped our gear and then headed out to drive the bike course. Since this was a point to point race, we had to drive (about 50 minutes) out to the swim start which was also the bike start. We were able to get the lay of the land for the swim course, T1, etc. We also had a chat with a racer that we saw finish up a swim in the lake. We asked him his opinion on the water temperature as we saw that he swam with a full sleeved wet suit (the water temperature had already been announced as wetsuit legal for the race at 77 degrees so I was on the fence about wearing my new full sleeved suit (which is what I wanted to wear since I had only worn it a few times so far) or my ol’ reliable sleeveless since it was on the high side of being wetsuit legal). The recon for the bike course went well. So glad we took the time to drive it and there were lots of areas to keep in mind (for safety, strategy, etc). After the drive, it was back to the house for race prep, out for pasta dinner, finalize last minute gear details and then off to bed with an early alarm on the horizon!
We were fortunate enough to have wonderful Sherpas for race day (Tony and Paige). This allowed us to drive/ride to the swim start (and not rely on the shuttle) and have our bikes with us on race morning (instead of leaving them in T1 overnight in the rain). We arrived and had plenty of time to spare, which was awesome because I still felt asleep after arriving to the park despite a longish drive!! I also had lots of time to get my wetsuit on, which was needed. Despite a warmer water temperature, I decided to wear my “new this season” full sleeved wetsuit. I packed my sleeveless, but the main reason I purchased the sleeved was for IMMT and since I was mainly doing this race as training, I wanted to use the same gear. I have trained a few times in this wetsuit, but it definitely MUCH more difficult to get on (and position correctly) than my sleeveless (which has broken in after several seasons).
Getting the wetsuit on
The swim took place in Lake Keowee which is located in South Cove County Part in Seneca, SC. It was a really nice park and the water was very calm for race day. I lined up on the far left side, which gave me good position for sighting and my best approach to streamline my swim course (and stay as straight as possible).
Its almost “GO” time!
After I was able to get my swim going and felt warmed up, I was able to get in a very good rhythm and had a smooth swim overall. Little contact with the other swimmers (bonus for small races) and buoys allowed for plenty of visibility. Only once do I recall getting off track and that was at one of the turn buoys and I was a bit too aggressive with the turn.
First race in the new wetsuit!
I was pleased with my swim execution and overall, I think this was my best 70.3 swim as well as the best 70.3 swim venue I have experienced.
Onto the bike.
We were not on course too long before I tucked away my sunglasses and knew rain was going to be a factor. Throughout the bike, the rain was not crazy intense, but enough to cause slick roads with hazardous descents. This made the course even more interesting than it would have on a dry day.
A wet day!
When we drove the course on Friday, there were several areas of pavement that we knew were not great. However, with the bike, the “not great” quickly turned into “poor”. A great majority of the course had poor to terrible road conditions (the race web site describes the road conditions as good to ideal…???? If this was good to ideal in SC, I would hate to see bad!!!). There were some sections that met the “not great” criteria, but this was in the minority. I have ridden plenty of crummy roads in training and racing, but you eventually get relief when you turn a corner or just finally get lucky with some smooth pavement. We did not have too much luck in that department on this ride.
First race for the Purple Butterfly!
There was also A LOT of climbing on this course (around 3700 feet), which we were expecting. However, the huge challenge came on the descents. Any opportunity to gain speed or momentum, was cut short due to slick roads or just the nature of the course being downhill and ending at a stop sign or a turn with no room to gain speed. I had to break much earlier than normal to feel as if I had a safe stopping distance on most of these downhills. The course was also long, which we knew it to be advertised at 58 miles (my Garmin actually captured over 59 miles).
Trying my best to cruise along on the unfortunate road conditions
The great thing about this course was that since it was a small race over 59 miles, it was not crowded so Tony and Paige were able to make frequent stops, take a lot of pictures, cheer us on, and even stop oncoming traffic at an intersection where there was no police presence! Needless to say, unlike the swim, this was not my favorite bike course and I was more than ready to wrap it up!
As I started the run, the big question mark of the day remained. Would I be able to get through 13.1 miles after the soreness I had been experiencing? I wanted to give it enough of a go to allow my foot to warm up and transition from the bike to the impact of the run before I made the decision. The first two miles were tough and I was really on the fence (even stopped a couple of times), but it loosened up and I felt good enough to continue. I found my consistency and only briefly walked at the aid stations (to supplement the Infinit in my hand held with necessary water). The start of the run was briefly on packed dirt before it transitioned over to a paved greenway/trail system (called the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail). It was a two loop run with the turn-around points at miles 3.6, 6.2 & 9.0.
Starting out on the run and pulling out the sunglasses
As our luck would have it (or really not), the rain stopped and the sunglasses came back out just in time to start running! OF COURSE!! The run did get warm, but it was not horribly intense as some races I have done (not to specifically name Raleigh 70.3, but I can’t help myself). The trail system did provide some shady areas which is always appreciated!
Enjoyed the shade when I could!
I really liked the run course and will say that it is one of the best for this distance I have experienced. The trail system is open to pedestrians, but I didn’t have a problem with this at all.
I was happy to see Tony as frequently as I did!
The fun part is that Tony retrieved my bike from transition (using the buddy pass) and rode it down on the trail to lend some encouragement and snap a few photos.
Great run course!
Feeling a bit warm here!
The last couple miles seemed to last forever.After completing the loop section, you veer off, still on the trail, but are headed downtown towards the finish line. At this point, there were far fewer races and the course was not marked too frequently.
At a couple of points, I wondered if I was still on course! As I was close to 13.1, I still could not see a finish line, hear music, etc, and I was SO READY to be done.
Finally close to the finish line!
I finally emerged off the trail, did some looping around, crossed a bridge and the finish line was in sight! 13.28 miles and I was done!
The finish line was so sweet!
DONE!
I was excited to learn that I grabbed second in my age group. This was definitely not a personal best race for me, but it was very beneficial in my Ironman training and experiencing a new course it is great opportunity.
2nd place in AG!
It is so unfortunate that the road conditions are so poor because the swim and run courses are really great. The climbing was a great challenge and I would jump at the chance to give it another go (and hope for a dry day), but there is no way I would be in for another 59 miles on those roads. It was nice to support a local race and there are some great benefits, but this one is not one I will be looking to redo.
Garmin data
Safely in 2nd….not too close to 1st and good cushion over 3rd
Post-race was crazy easy! Tony and Paige had already gathered ALL our gear and all we had to do was walk to the car! WHAT?!?!? Yes, BEST SHERPAS EVER!!! We enjoyed some down time and relaxation before celebrating with dinner, drinks and my customary milkshake!!!
For several years, I had the idea to get in routine trail runs during the off season. However, this was something that I had not followed through on. This year I had the same idea, but I did it.
After my last triathlon in October, I started getting in a few trail runs here and there and before I knew it, it was in my regular weekly rotation and I was enjoying it.
My first time in the Salming Elements (right) and I quickly fell in love with them. Tony’s choice is the Salming Trail (left). #nononsense #runswedish
I even took advantage of the open Xterra course when we were in Maui for Tony to race at Worlds.
A very muddy course a few days before Tony’s race
I managed to stayed on course!
Post muddy run and my Salmings helped me stay upright!
I had tried trail running in the past and I knew that it was a “risky” activity for me. The very first time I ever ran trails, I fell two or three times. This was the main reason I had in my mind that this was something I wanted to reserve for the off season. The trail we run is very technical (and that’s just not my inexperience talking) so it was a big challenge every time I went out. I am typically one that really likes to “zone out” on my runs, but when running trails, I have to keep my mind in the game and engaged with every step! However, there is just something about running in the woods that is just good for the soul!
Over the weeks, I improved and felt more comfortable, but still, was unfortunate enough to have a few painful spills along the way. Just rub some dirt on it and keep going…..right???
23 degrees didn’t keep us from our weekly trail run (and that’s cold in NC)!
The idea of doing a trail race came up with my training partner and so I thought, why not? It would be fun to do a new race format and to have a goal tacked on to our off season activity as well as a good way to start 2018. The UGTB Grindin’ trail race was this past Saturday and it was produced by @fsseries, our local race company, at Harris Lake County Park. There was a 5 mile or 10 mile race option and most of us opted for the 10 mile option.
The crew ready to run!
The 10 mile course involved two loops, but not the same loop twice. The first loop was on the park’s mountain bike trails which are generally not available to runners. From what I had heard prior going in, these trails would not be as technical as what we had been training on, but still I didn’t really know what to expect.
The first loop was fun. It was much less technical, but I liked it a lot. It was not too rocky and while there were roots you had to keep your eyes open for, the packed dirt course allowed for a bit quicker pace than that from our training. The course then took us almost back to the start and then on a paved road for a bit longer than what I expected. We then picked up the second loop which consisted of the running trails. These were more technical than the bike trail we had just completed and a bit more like our training trails.
We had a beautiful morning and I had only one big goal going into the race….stay on my feet!!! I am happy to say that I accomplished this goal. I didn’t have a time goal in mind and just wanted to enjoy the format and the day. Overall my pace was much better than training, but as previously mentioned, this was to be expected due to the difference in the terrain.
I am glad that we decided to start the season with this race. More importantly, I am glad that I spent time in the off season rediscovering why I have been wanting to spend more time on the trails!
Luckily race day #2 didn’t have to start terribly early. Start time was 8:30am and the drive would only take 20ish minutes with simple parking logistics. The morning was even cooler than Saturday and I don’t think most of us were ready for it to be in the low 50s. While it would give us another beautiful day to race, it was a chilly start for sure!
Tony and I arrived as planned…picked up race packets and quickly spotted the rest of the crew doing their own preparations. As expected, parking was conveniently located to packet pick-up and transition, which is always a bonus. Set up went smoothly and once again Tony and I were racked in transition side by side. We all reconvened with plenty of time to get some pre-race snapshots and then find a spot of sun (we were all cold!!) to wait.
The crew ready for day #2!!
This race was new to all of us racing from the team. It took place at the Sandling Beach State Recreational Area at Falls Lake. It is a unique distance…a hybrid between a traditional international distance and a half iron distance. The distances were 1 mile swim, 40 mile bike and 9 mile run.
The swim was a time trial start with all participants starting the swim one at a time going off every couple of seconds. The 2-loop one mile swim was a triangular shaped course with the swim start/finish on a sandy beach area. We swam the first lap of the swim, briefly exited the water, and then re-entered the water to swim the second lap. By the time we got to the swim, I think we were ready to get in the water since we were all quite chilly. The water temperature allowed for a wetsuit legal swim, but we knew the water was going to feel nice compared to the morning air temperature!
As I began my second day of racing I was not sure how I was going to feel. I started swimming and realized that I was not feeling that bad! I was able to get in my groove fairly quickly. As expected, the water felt amazing, so not a bad start at all!!!
As I rounded the first turn buoy the water definitely changed. I could immediately feel the chop and the attempt to swim in a straight line was even more of a challenge than normal because I could feel like I was being pushed out from the buoy line. I needed to sight more frequently and try my best to compensate for the current. Overall, I think I did a decent job with the conditions. As I approached the second turn buoy, I was getting a bit pinched between two men. One of which decided to try to hammer over me and unfortunately I let that piss me off. Wasted energy….I just don’t get it though…this is a small race and I certainly didn’t start at the front of the pack to battle the typically more aggressive swimmers!!!
As I was sighting back into the shore, I was having a bit of trouble seeing the dancing man at the finish line. After I finally spotted it, I felt like I was back at shore pretty quickly. I made my way out of the water and just a few seconds out before I was starting the second lap. This time through was a bit smoother. I knew exactly what to expect and I did not have any body contact to distract me. Before I knew it, I was making my way out of Falls Lake for the second time and headed into T1 to strip out of the wetsuit and jump on the bike.
The 40 mile bike course exited the park where we made our way out onto the course before beginning the two 15.5-mile loops. The bike course description is described as “rolling”, but definitely includes a couple of pretty challenging hills. We were fortunate enough to ride the course a couple of times in training, so knew exactly what to expect….including the hills. I had planned to take the first few miles very easy in order to keep the heart rate in check and try to figure out what I had in my legs for the day. The loop section starts on Beaverdam Road and this is one stretch I was looking forward to the least. It does not have the toughest climbs, but it is not flat and ends up being more challenging than you expect as you ride it. Plus, it feels like it will never end! I was glad to get though with Beaverdam Road for the first time but also knew at that point that my legs were feeling some fatigue. I pretty much knew I would not be able to push like I usually like to on the bike…there was still a 9-mile run remaining to complete this double down challenge. Usually during a race I am very focused on my Garmin data, but decided to take a different approach and really go by feel for the rest of the ride. The hills were just what I knew they would be and I tried to take them as easy as possible, keep the effort at a reasonable level and not spike my heart rate too much.
The second loop was pretty similar to the first in the way I rode and the level of effort. I checked my Garmin a few times during the ride, but it was nice to mix things up a bit and not have the extreme focus on the numbers that I typically do. I was happiest after completing Beaverdam Road for the second time, even though the toughest climbs were still ahead. There is just something about that stretch of road….
The 9-mile run course stayed completely inside the park boundaries. It was a two loop course with each loop being 4.5 miles, and because the run is entirely on park roads, much of the entire run course is shaded (even though heat was not a factor). The first mile was tough running off the bike. I thought, oh no! This is going to be a very long nine miles! Before the end of the first mile, I felt like I had a small twig in my sock. I debated back and forth about whether I should stop and try to clean out my sock and finally decided that was the smart move. While it did cost me about a minute or so, I think it was the right decision. After that brief stop during the first mile, I felt like I finally got my legs within the next half mile. YAY! I saw Tony and the other guys soon thereafter.
As I progressed on the course I felt like I was able to stay on a pretty consistent pace throughout the nine miles. I think making the decision to ride by feel on the bike helped me to stay strong on the run. Overall I liked this run course…there were a few rollers we had to contend with, but nothing too crazy…just enough to keep us honest! The bonus was the format allowed me to spot my teammates on course.
The finish line was a welcome sight. Tony was there and I immediately said to him“the off season starts now”! This back to back race format was certainly a challenge, but I am glad that I tackled it.
Garmin Results which are close to official results
Garmin Run Splits
Post-race included awards where a couple of the guys had podium places, including Tony being awarded third place overall for the double down challenge as there was a separate awards group for the folks that completed both races. They somehow botched the recognition of the women that completed both races when they announced that only two women had completed it (when there was actually nine and neither I, my teammate April, nor the several women I was standing around were included in the two that were recognized).
Tony on the podium again!
I later learned that I had placed third overall woman of the double down challenge.
Those of us that raced were joined by several others from the team for a cookout there in the park. It was a gorgeous afternoon and a nice way to celebrate our two day racing affair.
Later that evening Tony and I had a quiet dinner for two sitting outside at our favorite sushi restaurant. My birthday was celebrated doing something I love to do with great people! What better way to start a new year than challenging yourself to do new things that are tough and outside your comfort zone? Especially when I can share the experience with my husband and three amazing training partners! I was thankful to start year 43 this way and know that this will be a fantastic 43!
After Chattanooga 70.3 in May (which was my season “A” race, at least early season), I was not sure what I would tackle for the rest of the season. Initially my thought would be some local Olympic distance or sprints. One of my teammates that has also completed Choo, found a challenge that she threw out to the rest of us. It was called the “Double Down”. It was a collaboration between two local production companies. The FS Series race called the Battle at Buckhorn (sprint) was on Saturday and the Set-Up Events race called the Sandling 50 (not a standard distance race….a total of 50 miles) was on Sunday. They were offering a super economical price to race both (the total just a bit over the cost of one stand-alone race). At first I thought…”nope”, but as the time passed through the summer, I thought it might be a cool challenge to go for. What better way to spend my birthday weekend than racing back to back….right?!?!?!? In the end, there were five of us that ended up going for the Double Down challenge!
Welcome to the Battle at Buckhorn!!
Saturday’s race is one of my favorite sprints. Well now that I mention it, maybe it IS my favorite sprint since I have completed it four times. In the days leading up to race weekend, I had thought about how I wanted to handle these races. The final decision was that I would go for the sprint and give it an effort level like it was my only race for the weekend and then just give whatever I had left in the tank for the race Sunday.
Saturday morning was like a typical race morning. No drama or hiccups….we left (generally) on time and arrived to race parking at the goal time. The parking is a short-“ish”walk from transition, just still far enough that you need to plan accordingly. Most of the team arrived within a few minutes of each other and we made our way together.
Leading up Saturday, we had warmer days, but a couple of the mornings late in the week had temperatures cool enough that we expected a wet suit legal swim. Also, temperatures for race weekend were expected to drop and feel very “fall like”. Great racing weather!!!!!
The Oak City Tri Crew sans April who had to run back to her car for goggles!
The swim included three waves….all women started at 8:00, men 39 & under at 8:07 and men 40 & up and 8:10. They used the “ladies first” format that they started last year and I am glad they have maintained it rather than the mass start with the guys from a couple of years ago. The water was 76 degrees and I felt good in the water. I was able to quickly get my rhythm and maintain it throughout the 750 meter swim. Plus, I felt like my sighting was really good (big win for me). According to my Garmin, I swam 841 yards (769 meters). With the wetsuit, I feel I should have averaged a quicker pace, but I will focus on the positives!
The 17 mile bike course is fairly typical for our area. A few rollers, a few flats and one memorable hill. This year the race company threw in a bit of incentive by making the aforementioned “memorable hill” a Strava segment. They awarded Queen of the Mountain and King of the Mountain for the first time this year. The overall female winner won QOM, which is not complete surprise, but it was a neat concept to track.
I feel like I rode fairly well overall. The hill is around mile 12 but it was not until after that where I felt like I could really gain extra momentum. I rode better than last year, but still my PR on the bike course stands from two years ago (and that was a hotter year….ugh!!).
Onto the run.
The 5k distance in a sprint is never easy and I wanted to see what I had. My run splits got progressively faster, which I will take. I was pushing hard and was hoping to squeak out a sub-8 minute average (which was my Garmin PR from AGAIN 2 years ago), but I was happy with my effort. I knew there were a couple of other girls in my AG really close and I stayed strong. Little did I know that Tony was making up serious ground on me and passed me just 50 feet or so from the finish chute! I was happy for him because I successfully served as his “rabbit” which gave him a super run time!!
You can see me in the background here….Tony had just passed me as we entered the finish chute!!!
DONE!
We hung around for awards because we had a couple of podium finishers in the group, including Tony nabbing second in his AG.
Tony with his buckle for 2nd place AG!
I finished fourth overall in my AG, but was pleased with my race effort and delivery.
Official Race Results
Official Race Splits
Garmin Times
Garmin Run Splits
The team headed back to Raleigh where we met up for a great brunch (pancakes and French toast everywhere) to discuss our individual experiences and to chat about the longer of the two races the following day. The rest of the afternoon was all about recovery and being in the best shape we could going into day two!!!
Day two race report, still to come!!
This event is a repeat event for me. I raced it last year and it was my first Olympic distance in 2011. Last year there was a lot of uncertainty leading up to the event about the swim. Due to lack of rain, the water conditions were a concern. In the end we were cleared to have the swim. Unfortunately, this year was the same, however, it was due to having too much rain. A email was sent by the race production company on Thursday saying that due to the abundance of rain lately, the results of the water test showed that the conditions were not safe for swimming. Another test was performed on late Thursday afternoon and we were notified Friday afternoon that the conditions had improved some, but still did not meet the minimum requirements for safety. The swim was cancelled and would be replaced with a one mile run to start. Obviously not what we were hoping for, but can only make the best of it!
The morning began extra early (4:30am) since our drive was around 1 hour 45 minutes. We left at the time we planned (5:15am) and Tony was sweet enough to act as driver, race sherpa and photographer. My training partner Bill and his wife, Paige, rode with us, so the drive time passed quickly in the car with lots to chat about. Race start was 8:00am and we arrived with plenty of time to setup transition and perform all other final preparations for the race (including a running warm-up). It was overcast and humid with low chances of rain during race hours. We were all hoping that the clouds would stay in place to help control how hot it would feel as the race progressed.
Pre-race with my #1
Before we knew it, it was go time! The start began like it would have if we were swimming. The Olympic distance men (there was also a sprint race) began at 8:00am and the Olympic distance women began at 8:03am. I didn’t have a goal pace in mind, but I wanted to get in a solid start. It was a simple, flat out and back.
Starting out with the one mile run
I tried to get through T1 as quickly as I could and then onto the bike. We were lucky enough to still have some cloud cover at that point. I jumped on my bike and headed out of the park area, which included a few speed bumps. As suspected, I saw Tony on the way out of the park poised to take a few quick photos.
Leaving the park to begin the first bike loop
The bike course was a two-loop of the sprint course on flat roads with minimal turns. The worst part was coming back into the park area to start lap #2 because you had to cross the speed bumps again (both in and out) and make a sharp turn around, therefore losing your momentum. The design of the course allows you to spot your teammates frequently, which is always a bonus!
There was a noticeable headwind on the way back in from the turnaround for each of the two loops that was definitely a factor. Not sure that I felt ANY tailwind on the way out though! I felt strong on the bike and I was working hard! I was fairly confident that I knew my positioning in my age group when I entered T2.
Finishing the bike
I had a hand held water bottle in T2 and I am glad I did. By the time we started the run, the earlier cloud cover had burned off. I don’t prefer to run with a hand held (I use a fuel belt more in training), but this was the easy go to, and I was really glad to have it! As the run continued, the heat did as well. The run is a two-loop design through the downtown waterfront area with hardly any shade. As with the bike, the course design allowed me to see my teammates and we could all pass along words of encouragement or thumbs up. This is what makes the team events THE BEST!! The start of the second loop took us back into the park near transition/finish line (this is the only area where there is a bit of shade) where I saw Tony.
Coming in the start the second loop of the run
I just had in my mind that I was half way done and to stay as strong as possible.
Enjoying the very brief amount of shade as I pass the half way mark
I was focused on trying a maintain a consistent pace, but I know the mile 4 to 5 was my slowest and that was when I reached the last turn around and all I could think of was how tough the heat and sun were. I tried to think of Tony’s approach which is the faster I can go, the sooner I will be done! (Fast was definitely relative, but it kept me from slowing down too much). As always, it was awesome to cross that finish line where I immediately found some shade.
Post race with my Oak City Tri Peeps in our favorite Salming shoes! @salmingrunningnorthamerica #nononense #runswedish
Catching up with my friend MC that I don’t get to see very often.
Garmin Times: Obviously “unofficial”, but it is important to me because it always gives me a better gauge of my true times, since the distances tend to not be “exact”. Also, it gives me a better opportunity for analysis.
I was happy with the first mile run that we started the race with. I started easy and gradually built as I warmed up even more. As far as the bike, I was able to hit a new PR…it was just a smidge over last year, but a PR is a PR! As far as the run, I didn’t quite hit the pace I was hoping, even what I was able to do last year, but I know I gave it all I had.
Garmin Times
Garmin Run Splits
Overall, I am happy with the day and was pleased that my official results had me at second place in my age group.
Second Place Age Group
Official Race Splits
Official Finish Times
I feel that Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga was a long time coming. I really wanted to do this race in 2016, but I missed registration and it sold out. I knew this race would be on my calendar for 2017 and things turned out even better because I had company!
This is only the second race out of state that I have done. The other being Ironman Lake Placid. We are very lucky to have a wide variety of races in North Carolina to choose from. With that being said, the travel logistics took a bit more time planning and even changed fairly last minute.
There were five of us from the team racing and we were also traveling with other family members, teammates and friends that were going for support. Most of us had all planned to leave Friday morning to embark on the 7-8 hour drive from Raleigh to Chattanooga. The last minute detail that changed is that Tony was able to fly the two of us. He learned that the plane he flies has backseats that recline. Therefore, with some consolidation of the bikes, we were able to get both bikes and all our gear in the plane. Needless to say, that saved us a lot of travel time and added extra adventure to the weekend!
All of gear safely packed for travel!
On our way!
We arrived in Chattanooga around lunch time after around 2 hours of flight time. After unloading the bikes and all the gear and packing the rental car, we were off!
First stop was lunch at Big River Brewery in downtown Chattanooga. We had a nice lunch and ended up being within walking distance of the Athlete Village for check-in. We decided to go ahead and get that taken care of and since there was no line at all, it was great timing. There was some shopping as well and I lucked out and found a great shirt on the clearance rack!!!
Scoping out the river and the swim finish
There was a bit of time to kill since we were not able to check into the rental house yet (the team and crew were staying together for the weekend). We found a coffee shop that the waitress from lunch had recommended. It is called Rembrandt’s and we both had a nice cold brew coffee. Hit the spot!
When it was time, Tony and I made our way to the house to get settled in. It would only be an hour or so before others started arriving so it was good to get in, get unpacked and start relaxing. Over the next few hours, everyone arrived that was supposed to have a Friday arrival.
View from the porch of the rental house as a barge floated by.
We had a nice evening including dinner outside at a tasty restaurant called Food Works. It was before crossing the bridge in the downtown area, so we were hoping it would not be crazy busy with all the out of towners. We had a great table outside and it was a perfect way to officially kick off the weekend!
I had a great nights’ sleep and woke up Saturday to a beautiful morning. The morning included breakfast, coffee and lots of conversation about race prep and the day ahead. There was some discussion about getting in a short swim that morning. Our house was directly on the river so it would have been super convenient. In the end, no one ended up swimming and I think that was a good decision…at least for me! The remainder of the morning was spent prepping our bikes because we had bike drop off later that afternoon. Everyone had done packet pick up on Friday so that was handled.
Bike prep done and ready to go!!
After bikes were prepped, we all piled into two different cars and drove the bike course. So glad we made this decision. I think it helped everyone in different ways, but it was time well spent. For lunch and we ended up at a place called the Frothy Monkey. Sandwiches all around and it was a good find. We headed back to the house to grab our bikes and take them for check in. With it being hot and also rain in the forecast for overnight (and into race day), we all planned accordingly for leaving our bikes in transition.
All the girls!
Her place for the evening.
Team photo after bike check-in
With all the errands finally done we were at the house to rest, make final preparations and have a great dinner. Later on in the evening…..it happened. The heavy downpours of rain started. The forecast which had been monitored frequently for days and days and days called for 100% chance of rain (yes….100%, not 99%…., but 100%) and a bit milder temperature (upper 70s I believe) for race day. That had dropped from being forecasted in the mid to upper 80s from earlier in the week, which we were happy about, but that rain was definitely on our minds. The consensus was to PLEASE let us get off our bikes safely and then it was free game to rain! As the rain began Saturday evening, my mood definitely changed. I had raced in the rain before….heck my biggest race ever included torrential rain…but it was not something I was looking to repeat. We had also discussed the idea of the swim being cancelled since it was raining so hard, and that was definitely not something we wanted to happen! When I went to bed that evening, I was not in the best place mentally. All I could imagine for Sunday was pouring down rain from the time we left the house to the time we returned.
The CRAZY EARLY alarm at 0’dark thirty on Sunday morning and everyone’s pre-race ritual starts. I am not a morning person and certainly not one at 3 something in the morning. There was some small talk over breakfast, but personally, I know I was just trying to wake up and get my head in the game…this actually took much longer than normal. The good news is that IT WAS NOT RAINING! It seemed that the rain had moved through the area much quicker, so YAY to that!!!!!
Our house was about 15 minutes from downtown and we headed out by 4:15am. Since no one in our group had done this race before, we were not familiar with the logistics. We got downtown, parked, body marked and into transition for final preparations. We had to catch a shuttle for a very short ride to the swim start (no line to catch the shuttle). In the end we had plenty of time, but better to be safe.
Race morning team photo
Once arriving at the swim start, this is where the waiting began along with a bit of frustration. The Athlete Guide read that it was a self-seeded rolling swim start. The only other self-seeded swim start I had participated in was at Lake Placid. They had volunteers with signs of expected swim times and you gather behind the sign that is appropriate. When we arrived at this swim start, there was just a long line that we joined. Shortly after arriving, we overhead a volunteer announcing…”If you are a fast swimmer, then you need to go to the front of the line”. [This started the confusion and frustration for a lot of people. I don’t consider myself a “fast swimmer”, but what does that mean exactly? In the end, they did provide a bit more detail regarding “fast” and which light pole we needed to be lined up at for a particular time range, but there were no time signs and it was very unorganized. In the end, Tony went closer to the front, three of us were more in the “middle” and one decided to head further down the line from the three of us.]
At 6:50 the pro men started and then 6:55 the pro women. The age groupers were scheduled to start at 7:00. However, soon after the pro women started, we noticed that there was a boat moving a buoy (also causing lots of wake in the river) which made us start asking questions to one another. 7:00 came and went (without us starting the swim) and eventually there was an announcement made by the race organizers that they were removing the “upstream” portion of the swim thereby shortening it from 1.2 miles to approximately .80 miles. Apparently, the pros were having some difficulty in the upstream portion (due to the heavy rain) and the decision was made to keep things as safe as possible for the age groupers and change it up. I was definitely bummed out, but totally understand why this decision was made. More time passed as the changes were made to the swim course and I am not sure what time the age groupers actually started. However, I was definitely ready to go by that time!
After the horn was sounded, we slowly made our way to the river. There was a small dock that we had to go from. I was watching most people just jump off the dock and I was not wild about this idea. What if my goggles or seal came loose just enough for water to seep in? Maybe I will hold them as I jump in….decisions….. Then I saw someone quickly sit down at the edge of the dock and slide into the water. That might have taken 2 extra seconds, but when I saw that, I knew that was what I was doing! I had discussions with my two teammates that I was in line with about how we would get into the water. Tarina and I decided to take the same approach. Major props go to Bill who had planned to not do a repeat of his Ironman Louisville swim entry (which was a quasi belly flop) but did exactly that! It made for a bit of comic relief seconds before my own swim start but lots more post-race!
The official water temperature was 73.6, so wet suit legal! When I got in it only felt chilly for a few seconds. I quickly fell into my rhythm and felt like I maintained it throughout. For at least half the swim I was side by side with Tarina and we even bumped into each other one time…oops! There were plenty of swimmers but I never felt like it was not crowded, which is great for me. I tried to keep my head in the swim, which is key, and stay focused on my technique. I have found that this typically gives me better results overall. Before I knew it, I was aiming for the ladders surrounded by volunteers to help us out of the river. SWIM DONE!
I saw my swim time and distance as soon as I got out of the water (I usually hit the lap button on my Garmin as soon as I stop swimming instead of waiting to cross the timing mat for transition). I actually saw .82 miles, which seemed pretty close to being on point. It was hard to gauge my time since it is a swim with the current and shorter than planned.
The run to transition was not a short one but included a brief stop at the wet suit strippers that did a fast and fabulous job! At that point the weather was still cooperating…it was not raining and very overcast. I tried to be as efficient in T1 as possible, but I know I need to improve to cut down my time.
Onto the bike! This is where I am most comfortable. However, I had a bit of concern in the back of my mind. The past several weeks leading up to the race, I had some issues in my right glute/hamstring. It was only when I was on the bike (not on the run) and it had improved the last week or two just before the race. I had also spent a TON of time on the foam roller; however, I was still going in with my fingers crossed!
I was very excited about this bike course. Having driven it I felt prepared and was ready to tackle a new course. Well, frustration set in within the first few miles. There were a couple sets of railroad tracks and despite them being covered, the area gave us a rough ride. Over the first set and immediately I heard my back bottle hit the ground. CRAP! I stopped, laid my bike on the ground and ran back (as best I could in bike cleats) and grabbed it. Ok…big loss of momentum, but back on the bike and into my groove. Shortly thereafter there was another set of tracks and AGAIN I had a torpedoing bottle. It actually crossed my mind for one second to keep going. Since I use Infinit though, all my calories were in the three bottles I was carrying on the bike. I didn’t have a choice. Same routine with stopping and it felt like the second time took me even longer. I was so pissed, but what else could I do? I tried to put it out of my mind and ride the way I know I could.
Before I knew it I was out of town and this is where the course really gets enjoyable. Overall I think the course was a bit crowded, but in comparison to Raleigh 70.3 (which I have done three times), I would say not too different. My guess is that a shorter swim course provided a smaller window of time for people to get more spread out.
I was just doing my thing and stayed of out of the draft zone when I was not sure I was ready to pass, but also did plenty of passing when my legs gave me the go ahead. It still blows my mind how many people will ride in the middle or to the left of the lane. The concept is quite easy…STAY TO THE RIGHT…PLEASE!
The biggest advantage I gained from us driving the bike course was the preparation it gave us leading up to the short, STEEP climb on Andrews. Otherwise upon making that left hand turn, I definitely would have been in the big ring and HATING life at the point! However, I did know when to expect it and shifted to my small ring and was ready to hit it! Upon the turn, I immediately saw two people walking their bikes up the hill and one lady that appeared to have dropped her chain. YIKES! That is a legit hill! Thankfully it was short and I just gradually shifted my rear gears and spun up. I was glad to have that one done and ready for the nice recovery section after.
As I was covering the back half of the course, I would do periodic checks with myself and I continued to feel good. I knew my pace was great but wanted to keep it in the forefront of my mind that “I was not out to win a bike race” (wise words by my training buddy Bill). Really, I wanted to push when I could but didn’t want to leave it all on the bike when I still had a half marathon to run.
As I entered back into town, I was excited about the ride I had. I was still mad because I had dropped a bottle twice, but I knew I did the ride I could and really exceeded my expectations. I just wish my Garmin bike average had carried over to to my official finish time.
Since my Garmin is set to auto pause (and didn’t capture my stops for the dropped bottles), I know my true ride time and distance and a 20+ average would have been crazy exciting to see in my race results. Still a new PR for that race distance is something to be very proud of!
Ride data from my Garmin
As I was coming into T2 I saw my training buddy Bill. Since seeing Tarina early on the bike, I had not seen any of my teammates or Tony racing. However, the support crew that was there to cheer on our team was loud and so awesome! It made me smile every time I saw and heard them!
I tried to be as efficient as possible in T2, but once again, I need to improve on my time here. I started out on my run and my legs didn’t feel that bad. Maybe I had actually been able to ride that bike course and not crush my legs!
Starting out on the run
I expected the course to be relatively hilly, but other than that, not sure what to expect. Overall I was feeling ok…I did have a slight touch of uneasy stomach, but nothing too concerning. I planned to take Coke at the aid station to hopefully keep it settled.
The early part of the 2-loop course was definitely not my favorite. This section is along a highway stretch with no shade and some long gradual hills as well. The next section was much better as it was along a river walk and had some breeze and shady areas. There was also a terrific aid station which was a luau theme and lots of fun volunteers.
After you emerge from this stretch you hit THE HILL! I continued to run up it on the first loop until about half way. Then power walked up to the top which was a much better decision.
The next section of the run took us over a huge bridge which was pretty cool. I was excited to be nearing the end of loop one. I had some tough stretches during that loop. It was starting to warm- up as the sun was peeking out. I was ready to get through this.
Loop two I knew I needed to keep my head in the game. Overall, I think I did a pretty good job. I minimized any walking to be at the aid stations were I was trying to stay cool and keep my stomach happy. When I hit THE HILL the last time I did power walk as I learned the first time through that was the best plan.
As I neared the finish line I told myself to let go of the focus and enjoy it. This is something I don’t always make a conscious effort to do, but is was great! I found myself more emotional than I expected. With a new PR in the pocket (includes accounting for the shortened swim), I was relieved. The fifth finish line for a 70.3 is still as sweet as ever!
I immediately found Tony and Bill and we all shared hugs and congratulations. We met up with our cheering section who were just awesome throughout the day. Soon after, Tarina and April crossed the finish line and we were all together again.
All smiles!!! (from left to right) Tony, me, Tarina, April & Bill
We knew soon enough after quick conversations that everyone on the team had raced to new PRs!!! Even estimating the additional time the shortened swim would have added we had met some great goals.
We gathered all our gear and headed back to the house. Everyone was ready for showers and some serious relaxation! Hanging out after the race at the house was great. We took turns in the Norma Techs and shared details of each of our days. This quality time after the race was truly one of the highlights of having the house that we all shared. Since no race day is complete without appropriate celebration the entire group went out to dinner at a downtown restaurant called Stir. It was great ending to our day!
Since I have had time to really reflect on my race, overall I am happy with my day. My ultimate goal was to lock in a new PR at this distance. 5:53:43 was my long standing PR from Beach to Battleship half in 2012. I was able to do that. I felt strong in the swim and only wish it had been safe for us to have the full course. With the exception of the bottle mishap, I don’t think I would change anything about my bike. I thought I would be able to gut out a faster run, but I gave it all I had, and that’s all I can ask of myself. Another one in the books!
This was my third year in a row at this event. In 2015, I raced this duathlon for the first time and really enjoyed the “new” format. The timing was a bit earlier this year, which actually worked out great as it serves as a lead up to IM Chattanooga 70.3. The timing in the past years was ideal as it served as lead up to IM Raleigh 70.3, which is a few weeks later on the calendar. They offer a short course and long course, but I has always opted for the long course since the 70.3 distance was close behind. There were five of us from the Oak City Tri team racing, including my hubbie!
Oak City Tri
Our first race together in several years
As the case with last year, this event served as the USAT Long Course Duathlon National Championship. Therefore, the “local” flavor was somewhat replaced since there were lots of participants from out of state. In fact, in my age group, I was the only one from the Raleigh area (very unusual). The race was a speedy one for sure!
The race takes place in Cary, which is only about a 35 minute drive. There was a slight change in venue, but basically it was located just beside the venue from the past couple of years. It was again a 7:00 am start…however, unlike last years’ event where we had a nice cool morning, when we left the house it was already in the low 70s and feeling a bit muggy. The forecast for the day was to be the warmest day so far of the year.
We arrived a bit early, but Tony wanted the on-site mechanic to take a look at something relatively minor on the bike before the race. It would not have been a deal breaker, but we always want things to be as smooth as possible. Lucky for us, there were two mechanics set up outside of transition, just waiting for someone to help! He was able to make a small, quick adjustment and we were all set! I picked up my packet and timing chip and made my way to transition. I had plenty of time to set things as I wanted and did a short easy run down to the ladies room to get the blood moving a bit. There was time before the race to pair up with everyone and share a little small talk before the start. The plan was for two waves of long course men to start at 7:00 and 7:04 and then for all long course women to start at 7:08. The short course athletes would start at 7:30 (remember this for later…).
The long course event was a 5 mile run/31 mile bike/5 mile run. With the slight change in venue, a new course was on tap for this year. The run was 2 loops of 2.5 miles each (so yes….4 loops total for the race). Most of the run took place in the park and the neighboring USA baseball complex. It included sidewalks, parking lots and very little on the actual road. The bike course included fast, flat, rolling and climbing sections and multiple views of Lake Jordan.
Starting out
The run started and it was I planned to just see how I felt early on to decide how much to push. I did not know what to expect exactly from the run course. Since we started out on a sidewalk, it was rather crowded, so initially, it was more of finding your personal path. That was ok. There were plenty of course monitors to direct us on the course which involved a lot of turns.
As I was nearing the completion of the first loop, I noticed the large group of people ahead that just so happened to be the short course folks starting. Lucky me I was now behind ALL of them, so even more of a crowd of navigate around than when I started! I will admit, I was kind of frustrated with this format!
Getting mixed into the start of the short course group….all the white bibs around me!
Trying to stay in my rhythm
With starting loop two, I now knew that the run course included a few hills, one short steep hill, but plenty of flat as well. The best part in the format was seeing Tony and my other teammates on the course.
Onto the bike. Once again, I did not know specifically what to expect with the new course. I knew it would be a rolling format that is typical for our area. I was actually happy to get on the bike as it had started feeling hot and I knew there would be relief from riding.
There was one thing I was rather nervous about and that was my leg. I had been having some pain in my right glute/hamstring while on the bike (not on the run at all). I thought it may have been due to some slight bike fit adjustments that I had done due to a new saddle. Things had been not so good the week leading into the race, that I had some tweaks done just two days prior to the race. I had been so uncomfortable that I figured it could only improve.
The course ended up being pretty much what I expected. There was some climbing early on and then we hit a flat, fast section, that was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, about 30 minutes in I was starting to feel uncomfortable due to my leg. Not to the extent that I had a few days prior, but definitely not what I was happy with. I tried to focus on aero and staying strong, but I was definitely ready to get off the bike.
Overall, I liked the bike course and can’t really remember anything major I would suggest changing. I just wish I could have enjoyed it more without the distraction of my leg.
The one positive is as soon as I was off the bike and on my feet, my leg did not bother me at all. Back to the run….two loops down and two to go!
On the third loop, I saw one of my teammates still racing and one that had come out to cheer (since he had finished), but I didn’t get to see Tony. Racing with friends is really the best!
Starting the FOURTH loop! UGH!
As I continued my run, I focused on being smart with my pace. This day, while still morning, was already feeling hot and I didn’t want to fade just because it was….but also didn’t want to push too much considering. In hindsight, I think my training took over as my pace didn’t waiver a whole lot. That is one of the things I am most pleased about. I really wanted to maintain a sub 9-minute mile for the second loop and I was able to do that.
Finish Line…But focused until the very end!
Also, I was able to really test my hydration/nutrition in a race environment. This season I have switched to Infinit and while it has worked great in training I wanted to give it a go prior to Chattanooga. Overall it worked great and I am excited to have this locked down prior to Choo!
Tired and happy!
Post-race there was plenty of socializing and hanging out. There were good choices for food, and while I had a bit, we all had planned lunch out post-race, so I knew a good burger was in store for me. I was a little disappointed with the event overall. It had really become one of my favorites and with the new run course, it just didn’t excite me as much anymore. It was still fun to race a duathlon again and it also served as a great lead up to Chattanooga 70.3.
Garmin Results
Splits from first run
Splits from second run
Many folks come into triathlon with a running background. Having done lots of road races, they look for a new challenge and give triathlon a go. That was not my story and therefore, I don’t have a lot of experience at running races. Actually, I have only done two running races…..a 5K (my first ever race) and an 8K. That is all. I have done the half marathon distance plenty….having completed 4 half Ironmans and a full Ironman, I think people are surprised when I say that I had never raced an open half marathon. I have only done the distance in training or after swimming and biking!
I have had a goal for quite some time to race one. I signed up for the Kiawah half marathon in December 2015 and I had to cut off my training at the end of October that year due to injury. I planned to give that race another go this past December, but decided that it made more sense to start the year with a 13.1 rather than end my 2016 with one. With a May 70.3 scheduled, it seemed to be a good idea to get some early run fitness and hope that it translated into some gains for Chattanooga 70.3. My main for Tobacco Road Half Marathon was simple….sub-2 hours. During the last couple of weeks of training, I added a stretch goal…sub 9-minute/mile average pace.
Race morning started like many others….an alarm that goes off way to early, getting into my gear, eating a good breakfast and trying/getting out the door by the planned time. This race is local and several of my team members were racing as well. With a large majority of the parking being at a remote lot and having to be shuttled to the race site, we were fortunate to secure a parking pass that allowed on-site parking. Tony and I met three others so we could carpool and all take advantage of the convenient parking.
Sunday morning ended up being a few degrees warmer than forecasted. It was supposed to be in the upper 30 and was closer to mid-40s when we left the house around 4:40am. It changed my attire plans only slightly.
When we arrived to the race site at 5:30am, we had so much time. We were close to bathroom facilities as well as the start line so we actually just sat in the car for a while to stay warm and passed the time talking. Before we knew it, it was time to get moving and get our pre-race done and to the start line.
This local race has been happening since 2010 and has become very popular over the years. It hosts a full marathon (1500 participants max) and half marathon (2500 participants max and sold out) and is considered to be a generally flat course. The majority of the run (8 miles for the half) takes place on the American Tobacco Trail which “is a recreational rail-trail located on an abandoned railroad corridor of the Norfolk Southern Railroad. Constructed in 1906, the original railroad traveled from Duncan to Durham near the New Hope River, transporting tobacco leaf from farming communities in Wake, Chatham and Durham counties for processing at the American Tobacco Company in Durham” (from the race web site). The trail is mainly compacted dirt surface that is a combination of flat or slight inclines/declines. The first and last 2.5 miles is on the road with a few rolling hills.
Due to the crowds and me not claiming a spot early in the lineup, I was further back that I originally planned when we took our spots in line for the 7am gun start. This did not concern me at all. I had not planned on running with a pace group and was just going out to do my thing. It was definitely crowded at the beginning. Since I have not run a lot of running only races, I am not used to having to account for lots of other runners around me. In triathlon, by the time you get to the run, there is plenty of space to find. I planned to go for a solid first mile. It is key for me to get the legs really moving and start strong. Of course, the key is finding a good balance of not too slow/not too fast. Plus mile #1 contained the first hill, so I had to keep that in mind.
I did a good job of executing my plan of starting strong. I actually followed my training partner for a first bit as he weaved in and out laid a path. I knew he would have a strong start, faster than I needed to go, but good to hang on out of the gate. I felt good and was excited to get going (mile 1 was an 8:39 pace). As previously mentioned, the first 2.5 miles are on the road with some rollers. I got into a solid groove early on and didn’t feel the impact of these rollers too much. I was happy for that!!! Before I knew it, we were taking the turn onto the American Tobacco Trail. This is an out and back stretch. I had started farther back than planned and I passed people, and people passed me. Early on, this was not much of an issue. However, as we got deeper onto the trail and the first runners had already passed the turn-around point, it became more narrow. Since we needed to start allowing for two way traffic, it became a bit more difficult to maintain a clear path. At some points the trail is naturally narrower but then widens in sections. There was really only one point where I felt that the traffic was really clustered amongst us, but that didn’t last too long and was able to get back into my personal groove. Overall, I was continuing to feel good. My heart rate was definitely higher than where I had been training my long runs, but this was race day and I felt strong!
After I passed the turnaround point, there was one pace group just in front of me. I had made up a lot of ground to them and when I was able to pass them, there was actually a lot more open space on the trail….which was really nice. Overall, I felt that time has passed relatively quickly. Between my tunes and all the people “keeping me company”, I was not glancing at my Garmin too often. I also saw my training partners along the course, all except for one. This is always a nice boost!
Eventually, my quads started feeling the effects my strong run. I don’t particularly remember which mile, but I am thinking it was around mile 9. The way they were feeling is not something I was used it. Typically, I feel my glutes and hammies more during my long runs. My plan was just to hold on. Well, mile 10 was an unpleasant surprise. I am not sure if I had just let up some, lost my concentration, or what, but when my Garmin showed me a lap pace of 9:18, I had a quick talking to myself to keep pushing. I had goals that I wanted badly and I needed to finish what I had started!
As the route on the trail ended and my time back out on the road started, I knew I had some rollers between me and the finish line. I kept thinking about what a friend of mine said about one of the early downhill sections going out….”remember that hill you go down in the beginning because it will be the one sucking the life out of you at the end”! In reality, it was not horrible, but MAN did I feel it! As the road makes the final turn back into the park, I knew it was downhill from there. This section was very tough on my quads, but I was just trying to stay strong until that final step over the finish line.
Almost to the finish line!
I knew I had met main goal of sub 2-hours as well as beating my stretch goal of a sub-9 minute/mile pace average. I was so thrilled!!!!
I gathered my medal, rang the PR bell and found Tony to share my excitement.
Finally found Tony!
The hard work was complete! What a day! I pushed hard….I raced! I raced myself to complete what I had worked so hard for. While there were thousands of others on the course with me, it was ONLY ME that I was racing against. The self-pride that I felt was undeniable.
YAY! Feeling great about my race!
Some of my awesome teammates from Oak City Tri!
Post-race, we socialized a bit and after everyone finished we met up to head out for our brunch reservation. We celebrated our accomplishments and had lots of fun sharing our unique race experiences. What a great day and even better to spend it with awesome people!
How did I spend the morning of my birthday? Racing of course! My last triathlon of the season just happened to fall on my birthday (October 1). The Battle at Buckhorn is a great local sprint distance race and this was the third year I have participated. Calendar-wise, it fell much later in the season…no complaints about that, because it has been known to be a pretty hot race! Last year it was in August. Also, last year, I had a pretty fantastic race with a couple of PRs associated with that.
At the beginning of the week, the water temperature was posted to be 77 degrees. With cooler morning/afternoon high temperatures, it seemed likely that the swim would be wetsuit legal. A few of us even did an open water swim Wednesday morning to get in one with the wetsuit prior to Saturday. It has been several months since my wetsuit was in the lake!
The race had an 8:00am start and the venue is about 40 minutes away. Early alarm, but luckily, not crazy early! The morning was uneventful and Tony and I arrived at the race site about the time I planned. My teammates April (she was racing) and Bill (acting as support crew since he was in taper mode for IM Louisville) arrived just a few minutes later. Good timing!
April and I rode our bikes down into the park since it was a bit of a walk. Participation wise, it was a bit smaller race this year since there was another triathlon by the other local production company in the area. I got all the logistics taken care of…packet pick-up, body marking, transition set-up etc fairly quickly. I was able to get a decent spot on the rack and I did notice that there was more room between the bike racks this year which makes navigating in and out much easier. The water temperature was announced and unfortunately it had crept up just enough to NOT be wetsuit legal. It was a cooler morning and predicted to be a nice day, but the morning fog was lingering much longer than expected. The pre-race announcements including some words of caution since there were some pockets of fog still out on the roadways.
April and I ready to race! We were the only reps from #oakcitytri, but I think we represented well!
This year all the women started first for the swim. YAY!!! Last year, it was a mass start with the men and I did not prefer that format, especially for this small race.
As we waded into the water, it felt CHILLY! A wetsuit would have been great, by my standards!
Feeling chilly to me!!!
Easing in!
April and I had one more cheesy moment for the camera!
The 750 meter swim was a triangular counter clock-wise course. At go time, there was a little bit of congestion, but only for a short time. From the start, I felt good and I found my groove…which is always a good thing, I noticed that the fog was hindering my sighting, but I just aimed to keep an eye on the other pink caps and look for the orange buoy as best I could.
After the first turn as I was beginning to search for the second buoy….it was nowhere to be found. I could not see it at all!! The fog had gotten worse since we started. I sighted more frequently in hopes to get a glimpse, but it was quite a while before I could see the buoy again. I kept my eyes on the other pink caps and kept my fingers crossed that we were all headed in the right direction! As I rounded the last turn to head toward shore (and hoped that the orange buoy would be in my sight path), there was no improvement in the fog situation. I continued on, as best I could, and was happy when I was able to see the buoy to guide me to shore. I swam until my fingers hit the bottom and felt good as I ran out of the water.
Swim done! Notice the fog in the background.
Headed to T1
The run into T1 was short and I made decent time in transition. Out to the bike course!!! The 17 mile course is fairly typical for our area. A few rollers, and few flats and one memorable hill. As I was settling in I noticed that my sunglasses were definitely hindering my vision. The fog was still thick. I slid them down my nose and that helped, but realized that I could not ride the entire way like that. The small pockets on my tri top would not hold them and my bento box is not large enough. After a few minutes of trying to figure out what I do, I decided to tuck them down into my top….which worked perfectly!!
The not so good news though, is that my bike legs were not there. I was working, but just not generating the power and speed that I am able to. I kept hoping that they would snap out of it and wake up to the fact that I was racing! Despite my best efforts, I did not deliver the ride that I know I could. I was nowhere close to my average speed from last year on the course. I had been riding well lately, so I am not so sure what happened.
Onto the 5K run, where I was actually quite nervous as what I was going to be able to do. The last two runs leading up to my race were cut extremely short due to some muscle pain in my left inner thigh. This had started a couple of weeks prior, but I immediately saw my PT and the dry needling helped right away. I had a session at the beginning of the week which should had been thing to ensure there would be no pain on race day. I was surprised that I felt pain on the on the taper runs leading up to the race and it made me very anxious as what to expect on Saturday.
Headed to the turn around point on the run. Tony was there cheering me on!
As I started out, I thought I would know within the first couple of minutes, generally how things would go. It started MUCH BETTER than I anticipated. As I continued on, I was realizing that it seemed that I was in the clear on this run. I ended up pushing more than I thought I would be able to and was pleased at the outcome. I did not beat the 5K PR that I clocked last year that this event, but I was faster than even I thought was “best case scenario”. I’ll take it!
Big smile as I crossed the finish line.
We hung around for the awards because I had placed first place in the 40-44 age group. Last year at this event, I had placed third with a faster time. Last year was also my first time to win a belt buckle, which is the unique prize given out to the winners. I wanted to pick up my second buckle! (The overall male and female winners get a super fancy buckle.)
My belt buckle!
When we were hanging around, I was SUPER surprised when I heard my name called for first place Masters’ female! I was even more pumped that I won a $75 check for this placement. Woo hoo!!
My $75 check!
“Spectators” along the race course!
Overall, it was a pretty good day, race wise. Definitely not the bike performance that I am capable of, but I gave all I had that day. There were some unexpected outcomes which contributed to the excitement (I have NEVER finished first in my AG on the swim!). We celebrated the day with post-race pancakes (thanks to my teammate April for the treat!!)!
As far as the real birthday celebration, I wanted something very low key. Tony and I met friends for an Italian dinner and on the way home we all stopped by a local bakery for dessert “to go”. We enjoyed our dessert with a glass of wine while relaxing on our screened in porch on a beautiful evening. It turned out to be a great birthday!
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