5:44:21 (Goal: 5:30:00)
What a rainy start to a tri.
My biking buddy, Brian, and I left Philly around 4:30 am, prepared for a long, WET day.
We drove the 80 miles up to Beltzville State Park, our bikes getting an unnecessary wash down before our 56 mile ride.
I was quite cautious as I set up transition, making sure I had all of my bike and run shielded from the rain. This, I realized was impossible for my cycling shoes, as I was attempting my first T1 with shoes already clipped in to the pedals.
***
SWIM--1.2 miles: 35:30 (Goal: 36:00)
As soon as I looked at the water I felt a wave of nostalgia for the fieldwork I left behind in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala some 4 years ago. I saw the mist rising from the water, the clouds crowding around the mountains across the lake. I felt surrounded my the Atiteco volcanoes I ran through everyday and the lake I jumped into every morning after my run. And I saw a little current pulling in the direction of the buoys. It felt heavenly.
Again, I started at the head of the pack and took it out to the last buoy out pretty steady. At the turn around, I hammered harder, trying to catch up with the couple of red caps (Female half ironman distance) ahead of me. I probably spent a bit too much time sighting going out. Now that I do have better form down, I need to be confident in my streamlined position and not question it with sighting every 3 breaths. I can probably go 5 or 6 breaths without sighting and trusting I am hitting the buoy I aimed for.
***
T1: 04:44
Obviously, quite a wreck!
Definitely could improve this next time.
We had to wear our timing chips on our wrists and mine got stuck in my wetsuit. I was about to bite a hole through my wetsuit when I stopped panicking, lied on the ground and pulled it off like beast.
Happy I had my shoes clipped in already to make the rest of the trek through wet grass and mud a bit more tenable barefoot.
Shoved my pb&banana down my shirt, my spare CO2 cartridge in my back pocket and mucked out of T1.
***
Bike--56 miles: 3:21:29 (Goal: 2:58:00)
Roads were slick, visibility was poor, and our safety was most important.
Now I am terrified of speed. If you've ever ridden with me, you know I pump my brakes going downhill. I may have jumped out of an airplane, but I have never been on a roller coaster and I do not drive with my windows open. I know this fear of speed is something I need to judiciously address before Placid, but I wasn't tackling it today.
I certainly could have pushed harder on the bike had I been more familiar with the course. (**The Tuesday before race day I did an FTP test at 3.9 W/kg--a very good test, but I didn't give it on race day) Next time, I will take the time to gain familiarity with my territory. I spent way too much time being cautious in loop 1...approaching each ascent in little ring and each descent on the hoods.
My Garmin 305 also crapped out on me around mile 10, so I was working on perceived exertion and my Cateye Cadence meter (and this race I actually took time in T1 to put on my heart rate monitor!) It was too wet for the Garmin to handle and it started blinking fiercely less than 30 minutes into the bike.
I ate my pb&banana within the first 10 minutes. I was quite hungry. Probably would have been a good idea to slip a chomp in my mouth right when I got out of the water. Though I wasn't hot and thirsty, I also downed my gatoraid in the first 30 miles. Ignored the bottle drop on that first loop and just toughed through with my bottle of water.
Second time around I knew I needed more fuel--started feeling my glycogen stores depleting. I knew I was not hitting my 2:58:00 time target, just took too much time to make those first 28 miles. Hills were hard.
I also spent a lot less time in little ring for the ascents--I knew they weren't as hard as they appeared after fierce descents--and less time on the hoods, feeling more confident in aero after the first menacing loop.
I definitely hit the bottle drop on this loop, dropping my empty gatoraid bottle for some cherry gatoraid and feeding my starving muscles. I will experiment with protein containing, more calorie dense drinks over the next two months to see what best suits me. Don't want to damage those muscle fibers more than I have to!
Overall, I felt comfortable on the bike, but only after loop 1. I was working with a new crankset--167.5 cm (Ultegra--woot woot Stages compatible) vs my old 170 cm (which contributed to some niggles in my peroneous and soleus after Devilman Halflite--just wasn't getting the flexion I needed in my ankle for a safe, efficient stroke). Thanks, Joe Wentzell at Breakaway for the great fit the week before the race...definitely improved my performance!
I was also working with a new saddle--Bontrager Hilo RXL vs the Fizik Aliante. The Aliante really roughed me up during Devilman and it didn't even take me out to dinner first! The Hilo was comfy even during this hilly ride.
***
T2: 02:24
A bit better transition than T1. No crazy things to rip off and I just unvelcroed my shoes and hopped off the QR, jogging barefoot to T1.
But I was getting close to the wall here and had to rush over to my tri bag (which I moved to the side of the fence to be a nice triathlete) for some chomps before I hit the run.
I had no need for a hat nor glasses--it was not raining, but overcast.
***
Run--13.1 miles: 01:40:13 (Goal: 1:45:00) -- (7 min 39 s mile avg)
I realized just as I left transition that I still had that CO2 in my back pocket--after it kept hitting my sacrum. I decided to remove it and run with it in one hand. I was really counting on my Garmin to have started working again by now to get a sense of speed. I knew I needed to start off at 8 minute miles, spend the first 5k getting into it, then do my weekly 10 mi nonstop run. But, this was going to be based on perceived exertion and as Todd, my coach, said, see how many people I could run down.
I knew there weren't that many women ahead of me...I was pretty confident I had to be top 5. When I passed the first woman and I kept passing men, I knew I was up there, so just men to pass from then on.
The run was quite unexpected. It was a trail run. Nice packed trails, some cliffs and hills to maneuver, something I was used to after living a year in the burbs and doing 3 mile repeats on Haverford's trail.
I grabbed Heed a couple of times to keep my glucose up. As I passed people and they cheered me on, I asked how fast I was going/they were going and they said, just keep it up. I saw Jerre from T3 on my first loop out and again, as I was getting close to starting loop 2. As I was about to finish loop 1 then lead cyclist pointed me lead female. I said, no! He was confused. I guess I looked that good. Then, I was fourth female and that is where I stayed.
Then, I saw Brian from T3. I eventually passed him as he started his first loop and I, my second. Then, I passed Jerre's wife, Chrissy starting loop 1. Then, I ran down Jerre. As I finished mile 12, I knew 1 mile to go, a woman in the opposite direction said I didn't have anyone to run down. I felt great. I felt like I could have kept that pace had I pushed a little harder on the bike.
I crossed the finish victoriously, waited around for Jerre to finish (he came in about 10 minutes after me). We grabbed some fuel--I was sure to consume some protein via yogurt and pizza :)
We waited around for Chrissy, then Brian.
Right as Brian came in they started announcing awards. I was 10 minutes off of 3rd overall (I ran the second fastest half marathon--second only to 1st place). That time came in on the bike. I was 3 minutes slower on the swim than 3rd place, but Val, my swim coach, says next step is 33 minute swim.
So, success.
-First time getting top 5 OA.
-PR'd my half marathon (on trails after riding 56 miles)
-First time 1st in my AG
