Nation's Tri Race Report: How One Woman Turned an Almost-DNF Into a PR

Nation's Tri, Sept. 13, 2009
Total: 4:02:36 (2008: 4:08:27)
Age: 52
Swim 1.5 K: 46:56 (2:52/100m) (2008: 48:07)
T1: 6:05 (2008: 5:11)
Bike 40K 1:44:59 (14.2 mph) (2008: 1:45 /14.1 mph)
T2: 4:26 (2008: 3:49)
Run 10K: 1:20:12 (12:56 min/mile) (2008: 1:25/13:49 min. mile)
overall place: 3762 out of 3933
division place: 65 out of 71
gender place: 1313 out of 1453

I'm like the boy who cried wolf: I always say I'm not ready, so people tend to tune me out. But this time, I was really not ready.

I haven't been sleeping well. My training wasn't what it should have been. I wasn't mentally prepared. Plus, Saturday I had an argument with the kid so I was a wreck emotionally.

I just wasn't ready.

I got to transition at 4:45 a.m, for my 8:33 a.m. start (this was mostly so I could get a decent parking place). I was in wave # 31, the very last wave.

I seemed to spend a lot of time before they closed transition just staring at my set up. Maybe I was asleep on my feet. It was weird.

(Sidebar: Big shout-out to TIM! an underground reader who recognized me from these pages. HI TIM!!!)

The ladies around me were unfailingly nice and kind, although one had a little trouble with which way to rack and then where to put her stuff. Luckily, this guy is now an official and was on hand to strong-arm her ("hey I think it might be easier if you put your stuff on the other side..." Adam was fresh from a stellar performance at his first SECOND half-Ironman, the day before. I don't even know how he was standing up!)

Soon transition closed and me and 5,999 of my closest friends moved into the holding pen.

I was feeling jittery, like I was hepped up on caffeine, even though I hadn't had any caffeine. I was cold and tired, and my susceptible brain was busy remembering every swim scare story I'd ever heard. I was trying hard to counter all of that by remembering how many times I've done this, and my new favorite line heard the day before at packet pick-up: Swimming is when you get to lay down!

There was a slight breeze, and the water temp was a refreshing 72F, so wetsuit legal.

Into the water, wait 3 minutes, the horn blew and off we went. My legs felt constricted in the wetsuit. I swam for maybe 10 minutes, trying to loosen up and relax. No go. I suddenly knew that I was done. DONE. I wanted no part of this. I was exhausted, I was upset, I had zero confidence, and the buoys just looked too damn far away.

I looked around for a kayaker, and waved to her. She quickly paddled over, and told me to hang on to the end. I told her I was DONE, it was OVER, I wanted OUT. She told me I could rest and then go on if I wanted. No, I said, I am DONE. She had to keep shooing me back to hanging on to the end of the boat; I guess I thought I was going to climb in with her, but no, she had to signal to the jet ski guy. I was so relieved that I was finished. I told her how I'd swum this distance many many times, and I didn't know what was wrong with me. I told her this would be my first DNF. She (cleverly) said it didn't have to be, that I could still start up again if I wanted. Nope, I'm done, I said again.

I hung on for a few minutes, waiting. I starting thinking about all your comments, and about how I was going to explain this to everyone, and how I was going to feel getting my bike and going home. I thought of AJ, and I actually thought of that cheesey saying, "Pain is temporary, quitting is forever." I thought, well, what the hell, if I have to wait, I might as well swim while I'm waiting. I asked "my" kayaker if she would stay besides me while I tried again, and she said sure. So I started.

Major suckfest. I'm not fast but I'm usually pretty steady. Not today. I ended up doing a lot of breast and side stroke on that first leg, which made it seem like I was swimming on a treadmill.

At some point my kayak escort judged that I was going to make it, and took off. I looked around and realized I still had plenty of company.

After about 10,000 years I made it to the first turn and starting swimming across the river, parallel to the bridge. I think it was here that I finally finally FINALLY got into a rhythm and starting swimming freestyle, counting strokes to try to focus my mind. And from then 'til the finish I passed people like they were standing still. Damn, I'm a good swimmer!

It was a miserable, horrible swim. I was pleasantly surprised to see my watch reading 45 minutes when I finally exited.

Swim 1.5 K: 46:56 (2:52/100m)

I'm guessing that my mental freakout meltdown cost me at least 10 minutes. But yay to the 10th power to me for finishing that swim. God must have been with me because there is no way I finished that by myself.

My heart rate was skyhigh. I took my time in transition

T1: 6:05

The bike course was beautiful and I tried to enjoy it but my legs felt like lead. Despite there being 6,000 people on the course, I spent a good deal of it by myself, right up until the last turnaround when I finally got some kind of groove going.

I spent a few miles leapfrogging with two guys, a son and his father. The son was FILMING the dad as they rode, which meant that most of the time they were either riding side-by-side, or drafting, and of course the son wasn't exactly watching where he was going. These guys were a mess, and a menace.

WHAT IS IT WITH PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO FOLLOW THE RULES??

I told them to please move over, that they were riding dangerously, but they ignored me. I finally dropped them because I was really afraid to ride near them. Fear, ladies and gents, is apparently what motivates me to push.

In fact, I was pushing the entire way. Was there a headwind? It felt like it. The course was relatively flat. I concluded that that I was just undertrained. My long weekend training rides, with their long leisurely stops, were just insufficient.

When I start to look forward to running, you know delirium can't be far off. My back was hurting, my neck was hurting, my legs were hurting. This was not fun.

Bike 40K 1:44:59 (14.2 mph)

Despite everything, I managed to beat my bike time of last year (1:46), which should have made me happy. But by this time I was on automatic pilot, just trying not to think.

T2: 4:26

Last night I had figured out that if I ran 13-minute miles, I would PR on the run. Now, 13-minute miles sound quite doable in the abstract, don't they?? I mean I can WALK a mile in 15 minutes.

My heart was pounding as I left transition. The run out was right next to the FINISH line, where hundreds of spectators lined the finish chute, and tons of athletes who had already finished were milling around. It was rough.

And here is where 21st Century Mom gets a big shout-out for encouraging me to run after every bike ride, which I faithfully did. And thank God.
Run out, scarfing a gu. Thanks Ray!

No matter how bad I feel, stick a camera on me and it's all sweetness and unicorns.

Look, I'm really running!

I programmed my brain to make me run for 13 minutes at a pop. If I took a 2-minute walk break, I still had to run 13 minutes. This strategy actually worked.

11:54
12:15
12:45
13:29
14:19
15:24 1:20:12 (12:56 min/mile)

If I had a dime for every person who encouraged me and told me "looking good," I'd be a rich woman. My DC Tri peeps were at the mile 5 water stop, where I ran thru a gauntlet of high-fives. I love my peeps.

And then, ta-da, I was done.

I was dizzy. My stomach was a mess. Every part of my body hurt, but especially my shoulders. Carrying a bottle of water felt like carrying a 10-lb barbell.

Miserable as it was, props to the race organizers for moving the finish next to transition, which meant no 1.5 mile walk back, like last year.

I walked back to my bike and just sat on the grass for a while til I got the strength to pack up. I headed toward bike out, and stopped by an abandoned water table to fill up my water bottles when a volunteer yelled to me not to use the gallon jug of bottled water because someone had just taken a swig from it. "Dude," I said, "I just swam in the Potomac." I laugh at the germs on a water jug.

When I finally reached bike out, it was locked up. Last year this was one of two exits, but not this year. I almost cried. There were about five volunteers there, so they could have easily been checking people out. One of them, obviously a saint or an angel, or both, took pity on me and opened the gate for me. I think he could tell I was about to lose it.

And then I drove home, feeling sick to my stomach and weak, and just wanting to get into bed.

Verdict? I am one tough cookie.

Also: I have a the greatest friends in the world. Many many thanks to all my blog peeps for your encouraging words, and to my D.C. Tri peeps (Becky, Sandy, Julia, Tuan, Shannon, Lindsey, Carolina, Lynn, Jason, Alejandro, Neal, Hugh, Travis, and all the rest of you!) for putting up with all my bullsh**.

I couldn't do any of this without you.

So Unfair

(via Charitini

Slump

What do you do when you're in a slump?

I've been in one for a few weeks and I'm scheduled to compete in the Nation's Tri on Sunday.

I'm contemplating bagging it.

So, what do you do?? How do you get out/over/on top of this thing?

How to Stalk Your Kids on Facebook and Twitter

Facebook, Twitter Revolutionizing How Parents Stalk Their College-Aged Kids

We Have a Winner!

So many worthy entries!

But...you're not going to believe this, and I couldn't have planned it any better if I tried, but the winner is:

A.J.!!!

About time this woman ran into some luck.

I entered all your e-mails into this handy little random list thingy (well all the e-mails of those of you who um, actually read the directions), and bodabing, aj popped up first.

Well done! Dick will be contacting you shortly with your Major Award.

(Tuan, does this mean it's ...off????)

Weekend in Review

First, let me share my Major Award from the North East Olympic Triathlon:



It seems to have an inner radiance, non?

They don't just hand these things out like candy, people! (Well, they kind of do...)

Anyway, we can all revel in this high point of my life so far.

But wait!

I followed up that stunning victory with the final D.C. Tri Training Tri last Saturday.

I am pleased to report that our long national nightmare is finally over.

Progress. Has. Been. Made.

	August 22, 2009	July 12, 2009	July 13, 2008
swim 400 yards	10:47 (2:42/100m)	10:34 (2:39/100m)	11:11 (2:48/100m)
t1	3:50	4:05	3:47
bike 16.8 miles	1:02:38 (*16.09 mph*!!!)	1:04:58 (15.52 mph)	1:04:51 (15.54 mph)
t2	1:29	1:32	1:24
run 5k	36:17 (11:40 min/mile)	38:37 (12:27 min/mile)	36:50 (11:53 min/mile)
Total	1:55:01	1:59:46	1:58:03

I have finally broken out into 16 mph on the bike.

I'm a 16 mph-er!

Of course, to achieve progress on the bike, I (apparently) had to give up a little on the swim. Sigh.

And no walking during my blazing fast run, either, of which I am damn good and proud.

Afterwards, as usual, we all gathered for post-barbecue and other goodies at the picnic area on Haine's Point. I was feeling good!

Right up until I passed out.

I had just introduced myself to Alejandro, and he was in the middle of answering some fascinating question I had tossed his way, when all of a sudden: Who turned out the lights??

Everything went dark. I knew I was about to faint, since that was a favorite pasttime of mine during high school. I quickly sat down and put my head between my legs and proceeded to sweat to death. I wasn't feeling so great. I asked Jason if people would think it was weird if I laid down on the ground, and I don't remember what he said, not that it mattered. Quick-thinking Jason put his first-aid skills to use by making me eat a bag of chips, stat. Thanks, man!

I am prone to low blood pressure, so that's what I think it was. I had a Gu and HEED during the race, so I don't think it was low blood sugar.

Always the drama queen...

Everything was fine after that.

So fine, in fact, that I came home and ate everything in sight, and then got ready to take my friend John up to my 'hood, Skyline Drive (part of the Shenandoah National Park), at o-dark thirty Sunday morning:

Photos courtesy Tammy, who we happened to meet on this overlook.

John is a trooper!

Elevation. I love this ride. It's haaaard.


This time the only wildlife I saw was a turtle crossing the street, and some squirrels. I am getting better at going downhill, too. I no longer spend the entire time contemplating death by bike.

A beautiful, peaceful day in the mountains. Toss me some chocolate milk at the end, and I'm GOOD.

Oh, and I made another pie after I came home (technically? A cobbler.) Blackberries and peaches.

Summer

Last Chance at $100 Gift Card!

Contest closes tonight at 11:59!

Details here.

If you already left a comment and a reason why you think open-water swimming is great, but forgot to leave your e-mail...rut-roh, you are OUT!

I will write a post in a few days a) extolling the virtues of open-water swimming, and b) announcing the winner. Watch this space!

North East Triathlon Race Report!

Well, my third Olympic Triathlon is in the bag, and I gotta say: It's exactly as hard as I remember it. It does not get easier. But, I came home safe, uninjured, happy and healthy, and with 3rd in my age group! WHEE! (MUST I tell you how many people there were in my age group??? Sigh. Three. There were three.)

Swim: 41:30 This is a huge improvement. The water temp was 85F, so wetsuits were totally out. There was no current, and no wind. It was like swimming in a bathtub. I still freaked out beforehand (mostly because the race directors kept up a CONSTANT patter about what to do if you get freaked out, and how you can still drop down to the Sprint if you think you're going to freak out, and I gotta tell you: It freaked me out! Many thanks to Will, and Becky, and others who helped talk me off the ledge! And to Shannon, who mostly made fun of me. Heh.) But I didn't have to stop once after I got going. I just got in a rhythm and kept it going the whole swim. No freak out. It was awesome. Yay me.

T1: 4:42 I can explain this. When I got out of the river, I started my gimpy jog, determined to knock some sense into T1, but felt shooting pains in my left breast, every time I ran. I don't know wtf that was. But that's how I blew T1. Pain went away on the bike. Well, that pain went away. Sigh.

Bike: 1:46:45 (13.2mph) Very hilly. It took me a while to get going, I was kind of hyperventilating at first, so tried to slow down. The hills were rough, but not as bad as at Columbia, for instance. I tried to let loose on the downhills. The course went through lovely countryside, lots of woodsy parts, and had a decent amount of shade. I passed a few people. And that would be the last of that...

T2: 2:27 Also a nice improvement. Heading in the right direction.

Run: 1:24:44 (13:40 minutes/mile)--This totally blew. It was brutally hot and hilly. The course was 10k out and back along the side of a highway, with no shade. I pretty much just threw in the towel, and decided to walk fast, and run as much as I could on the downhills. I maybe ran 2 miles total. Oy. But the beauty of out-and-backs is you see so many people running towards you. I saw tons of D.C. Tri peeps. Everyone was unbelievably encouraging, which is why I love this sport!

Total: 4:00:06 (My goal was to come in under 4:00 hours. Good enough!)
Place: 3/3 F50-54 (YAY!!)
Gender: 112/114 F

Oh, and p.s.: D.C. Tri won 5th straight MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP! Go us!


And for you history buffs:

July 28, 2008
New Jersey State Olympic Tri (race report)
Swim: 46:42 (51:53)
T1 4:35
Bike 1:32:53 (15 mph)
T2: 3:45
Run: 1:27:01 (14:02 min miles)
Total: 3:54:54
Place: 12/12 F50-54
Gender rank: 254/263 F

Sept. 14, 2008
Nation's Olympic Tri (race report)
Swim: 48:07 (this swim was long, I'm told)
T1: 5:11
Bike:: 1:45 /14.1 mph
T2: 3:49
Run: 10K 1:25/13:49 min. mile
Total: 4:08:27

Sept. 21, 2008
Savageman Olympic Triathlon Relay (race report)
Swim: 43:43

Kayak, Bike, and That Other Thing You Do in the Water

Kayak:
Last night I went kayaking for the first time ever. It cost $5. Since I don't have the kid's camera anymore, and strangely, other people don't feel the need to photograph every single thing they do, you'll just have to imagine the scene: The C & O canal, dusk, sun slowly setting, mosquitoes slowly eating me alive. It was blissful, and peaceful, and I got told by the instructor that I need to "put more force into it." A familiar rejoinder, sadly.

It kind of looked like this.

The instructors taught us a few strokes and then had us play tag with the kayaks. A lovely way to spend a hot summer night.

Bike:
Saturday I went on a 33-mile bike ride on the very very hilly Eat-a-Peach charity ride, out in the hinterlands of Westminster, Maryland. I was grouchy and grumpy and not feeling it, but I just got in the car and put it in drive, bitching to myself the entire way. I should have manned up and gone for 40 miles, but I gave into my worse self. I rode alone most of the time, and what do you know: My mood actually lifted. It really IS all about the bike!!!

The ride went through bucolic (and hilly) Carrol County, out in some real country, with no cars, lots of corn, cows and horses. Also geese. The first rest stop was at 9 miles. Are they kidding?? I was barely warmed up. The second was at 20 miles, at a cute little country nursery. There were a ton of people stopped, including a bike team that was helping some chick change a flat. I flew right on by. 33 miles took me 2.5 hours which, if you're keeping track, is slow. But whatever. I passed people like they were standing still. The ride organizers saved their worst for last, of course: the longest and steepest hill at about 31 miles out. It went straight up. God knows how I didn't fall ass over teakettle. Instead, I passed one teenager pushing his bike up a hill. I felt smug (and what the heck, why not?) even though he was riding a banana bike that was about 6 sizes too small. I take what I can get.

At the end I forced myself to run, and got in 2 good miles in the hot sun. (I've been following 21st Century Mom's admonitions to always run after biking, no matter how short or long. Listen to the mother!) So that was my longest brick yet.

While out on the run I heard my name called (is there anywhere where I am not known??? The fame thing--so hard!) It was none other than the overachieving Adam, who rode 67 hilly miles, fast (read his excellent ride report). We met up after my run to gossip while I stuffed my mouth full of bagel and he of pizza. After that, I stuffed my pockets full of peaches, came home, and in a fit of "Julie/Julia" madness (the link is to the blog that inspired the book that inspired the movie), made this:



And finally, the sport Whose Name We Dare Not Speak:
I have a triathlon coming up, the Northeast Olympic Tri, this coming Sunday, located in the unimaginatively named town of Northeast ("The Land of Pleasant Living"), Maryland. I'm considering this my "G" race, cuz that's how far down in importance it is to my "A" race. (What is my "A" race, you ask? Lemme get back to you ...)

I'm considering it a long training day. I'm considering it a time for FUN in the water, a FUN bike ride, and then some FUN running. And while I'm busy lying to myself, my brain is busy freaking out over the s***. And the run. Yeah, everything but the bike. So to calm myself down, and re-convince me that I can indeed go 1500 meters in open water, I hied myself down to the Hain's Point 50-meter outdoor pool on Sunday after church, all ready to do 10x100, and 10x50.

Which I did. And immediately got depressed because it took me 45 minutes. In a pool. After all those lessons, and all that practice.

I want a refund.

Anyway, my plan is to magically become faster on Sunday. If I could get a s*** time that starts with a "3" I'll be deliriously happy.

There's loads more to report, but I know how you like me to keep things short, so I'll leave everyone with this inspiring video of Captain Kirk explaining Why He Is Climbing a Mountain, inspiration which I plan to use on my next hilly ride, run, or s***:

I Did Too Work Out

Part Two of my Road Trip took me from New Haven to Falmouth, Cape Cod:


to visit Renee, my college roommate, at this lovely house she rented
Lovely outside, but reminded all of us of the setting for The Ice Storm.

I hadn't been to Falmouth before (is this the lower or the upper cape? I can never keep that straight), so this was a new adventure. Falmouth has apparently just finished its "From Sea to Shining Sea" bike path, which runs from North Falmouth down to Woods Hole. I think it's about 10 miles, but it's kind of hard to find decent info on it.


I didn't have the kid's camera, so couldn't take any photos. But it's a gorgeous path.

We were staying in a cul-de-sac in North Falmouth. My only criteria was that I get my training in. I everything carefully planned out, thanks to this handy site, with my training happening early mornings or in the evening, so as not to interfere with some serious daytime downtime. Thus:

Wednesday morning: group bike ride
Wednesday evening: track workout
Thursday morning: 1-mile ocean swim
Friday night, my last night: the Falmouth Track Club Friday Five mile race (Highly recommended by Anne, of Run DMZ (that always sounds like the name of a rap group) fame.

And, instead of that, this is what happened:

Wednesday morning: Hmm. That bike ride? Advertised as "a big boy/big girl ride...There are spots where the pace gets over 30 mph." Um, nevermind! At least I'll do the evening track workout.

Instead I went for a calmer bike ride, and then we headed to the beach:


Where I did venture into the ocean once and swam for about 1/2 hour...pretty much going backwards the whole time. And then I slept. Waking up at oh, 4:45. The track workout was at 5:15.

Oops.

Well, nevermind about track! Sheesh, it's a vacation!

I was soooo glad I brought the bike. Every morning I woke early and rode about 3 miles to the start of the bike path, and from there to the local coffee shop, Coffee Obsession, where I blissfully lingered over a latte and bagel and The Boston Globe, catching up on the latest installment in Gates-gate (heh), which totally dominated the news, and the conversation.

Thursday: Early-morning open-water swim. I spent most of Wednesday night worried sick about this, but got up and drove to the appointed spot by 6:15 a.m., for a 6:30 start. Hmm. Place was pretty empty. No gathering of any swimmers. At 6:35 I figured I had dodged a bullet and hightailed it outta there before anyone could show up. Got back to base and jumped on my trusty bike, back to the coffee shop. Ahhhhhhh.

We spent the rest of Thursday biking to Woods Hole, deciding at the last minute to jump on the ferry to Martha's Vineyard, reconsidered since we were throwing a grown-up (sort of) dinner party that evening, meaning it might be nice to, you know, actually prepare food, tooling around Woods Hole (very cool place), and riding home. I took myself off for a massage, raced back, made a grown-up dinner of shrimp scampi



and posed on the extremely hip 1970's spiral staircase



My last night there, I ventured into charming downtown Falmouth, and met the Falmouth Track Club for the Friday night Five mile race.

Me: Five miles, 53:00, fourth from last. Which, ladies and germs, is a PR for moi. Ooh-rah.

Later that night, I gingerly learned how to operate a gas grill, wherein I overcooked the tuna (sigh)


And also looked at the night sky.

I miss New England.

Saturday, for Part Three of the Road Trip, I drove to the Big Apple, to spectate at the New York City triathlon. My friend Sarah's brother, Mark, was competing.

And all I have to say about that was: It. Was. Awesome.

Well, and this: Mark (and his abs) placed 12th/349, and 36th overall.

Watch it all here.