I'm Still a Rookie - Loveland Lake to Lake Olympic Triathlon Race Recap; June 23, 2012

Being a rookie has many connotations associated with it: young, inexperienced, immature, newby, etc. etc. While I don't often consider myself a rookie in the triathlon world (most of the people I associate with would think of me as experienced and knowledgable in this area - but those people are not triathletes, for the most part), I have only been doing this sport for 2 seasons, 2012 being the 3rd. I've done 5 olympic distance, 2 sprints, 3 70.3s, and only 1 full IM in those 2.5 years. I have another 70.3 and a full IM left this season (and another Marathon). The reason I call myself a rookie is that I still find myself making significant improvements race to race; which is typical of a rookie - to make leaps and bounds in the first few years until you get to that point where something new needs to happen in order to continue to see gains - and they will be small gains at that point. I must admit - it is fun being a rookie.

Who doesn't want to see great improvements and new PRs (personal records), at every race. If that is what being a rookie means in the tri world, can I stay a rookie forever?!

The Loveland Lake to Lake Olympic Triathlon is a phenomenal race, one of the best run races I have been a part of. With the fires near Ft. Collins the bike course had to be changed just a week before the race, then the construction messing with the run course did not get completed on time and the run had to be changed. Even with all those complications and last minute changes it still all went off without a hitch - great organization that runs that race! And for me, personally, on a 100 degree day, a shorter bike and run were fine by me! The bike is usually 30 miles and when changed it became less hilly, and only 24 miles. The run is supposed to be a 10k (6.1 miles), but when changed it became 5.1 miles.

With the long training I have been doing, an Olympic distance triathlon is short. I wanted to see great improvements over this same race last year (where I had a great race in 2011). The course changes bugged me a little bit because, except for the swim, there would be no apples to apples comparisons.

As we did last year, Bill and I went to Loveland Friday night to stay the night in a hotel the night before the race. We went to eat at a mexican place and I at a large grilled chicken burrito with rice and peppers in it. Even staying near the site, we still got up at 4:30am to get ready and get to the race. I ate oatmeal, and drank a gatorade before we left the hotel. I at a PB&H while setting up transition and took a gel right before starting the swim. My swim wave (and Bill's) was going to be the last to start, at 6:50am. I don't like being the last to start, but not having the power to change it, well,  I just had to get over it ;).

We arrived at the race about 5:30am, set up transition, got body marked, did the usual business and socializing, and got into the water to warm up. It was already warm, due to be over 100 in Loveland that day! I was hoping to be done shortly after 9am, and it was forcast to be in the mid 80s by then! UUGH!

SWIM: 28:40 1500M
When my wave started, the first guys of the elite wave were just getting to the shore (they started 20 minutes ahead of us). I got into position just behind the front line, started my watch, and started swimming. I was swimming hard, and trying to find someone at the right pace to draft behind. Maybe it's mental, but I really do feel a difference when I can do that - If they are just the right pace, I can easily stay behind them and it feels easier. Of course at each turn, I had to re-evaluate and find another, or maybe the same guy, you never know who is who out there!! I felt good swimming and only corrected my course a couple of times (I have a tendency to pull to the left). I got to the shore and checked my watch (26:49) - I was very pleased with that for a 1500m swim - probably my fastest yet. The timing mat for this race is all the way up by the transition area - so for the race, the swim time includes a 1/4 mile run (approx) - which made my official swim 28:40. Last year I was 30:45! I was stoked on a 2 minute PR for the swim!!! I was 9/58 in my division and 50/231 females for the swim.

T1: 1:26
Stripped the wetsuit off as I was running into transition and finished pulling it off at my bike. Put my shoes, helmet and glasses on and got on my way. This is a 10 second improvement over last year's T1 - I still need to shave about 30 seconds off.

BIKE:  1:08:59    24 Miles      20mph avg.
I got moving on the bike and tried to bring my breathing in check. I wanted to push hard though for the duration of the race, and the first few miles of the bike are uphill, so I did the best I could to calm myself down! I felt great and was passing a lot of riders (being the last wave, I knew that would happen) - most of them were not in my division, but passing is still passing and it is better than being passed! There were 2 girls that I passed on the bike that caught up and passed me, but then I passed both of them again just a little bit later. The course was rolling hills, with most of the climbing in the first half of the ride. I took on 2 water bottles (1 was EFS fluid); and 2 gels while on the bike. My husband passed me between 5-8 miles into the bike (I swam faster than he did on this day). He flew past me and did not get passed by anyone for the rest of his race :). At the aid station halfway I took a water bottle and dumped it on my head. I wasn't hot, but knew I would be getting hotter as the day went on and the water helped. Overall, not one girl passed me on the bike and only a handful of guys did. I have been practicing taking my shoes off before I get off the bike (trying to save those extra seconds in T2) - So I loosened my shoes and got my feet out with just a few hundred yards to go. My bike time was 6/58 in my division, and 41/231 females.

T2: 1:11
Racked my bike, took off helmet, threw on visor and shoes and got on my way. 8 second improvement over last year.

RUN: 38:38   5.1 Miles    7:34/mile pace
The first part of the run was HARD and it made me nervous! I was going just under an 8 minute pace and wanted to be going faster, but didn't know if I could! So I settled in at around 7:45 pace and tried to (again) get my breathing in check. I have slight exercise induced asthma and I wondered if the smoke in the air from the fires was maybe affecting me. I always take 2 puffs on my inhaler before races, so I was hoping that I would be ok. My friend came up behind me and commented that I wasn't even breathing hard. I totally was, I felt, but hearing someone else's view helped me mentally. I began to get into the groove and upped the pace. I took 2 cups of water at every aid station and dumped them on my head. It was about 8:30am by now and was in the mid 80s already! I drank either gatorade or water at every station as well. I began reeling people in, I think one or two guys passed me on the run, but that was it!!! I passed tons of girls and a lot of guys as well. I kept looking at the girl's calf to see if they were in my division. I did not see many. I knew I had passed a couple on the bike and I passed at least 1 on the run, that I saw. I was hoping that meant I was near the top of my division. The run was a loop around the lake we swam in. As I got to less than a mile left I saw my husband sitting on the side of the course, he cheered for me as I went by. I upped the pace for the last half mile and crossed the line at a sprint. Last year's run on this course (similar, but not exactly the same) was a 7:55 pace. I was hoping to be closer to a 7/min pace for this race, but I know I gave it my all. I am hoping the heat and air quality are what slowed my run. All in all I was VERY pleased with my race! My run time was 5/58 in my division and 25/231 females.

TOTAL RACE TIME: 2:18:56,  4th in my division 35-39F, and 28/231 females

Bill and I after the race

Because I had not seen any of my division on the bike or run (that I didn't pass) I was hoping that I would be near the top. Last year I was 6th out of 68, and was only 6 minutes off the winner in my age group. This year I knew I went so much faster and harder and am so much stronger that I was hoping for podium. I told myself as I went to check results to not be disappointed no matter what the outcome, because I had a great race, and this is one of the larger Olympic distance triathlons in Colorado. But still, when I saw I was 4th, I can't deny, I was a little disappointed. I am getting stronger and faster, but so is everyone else!! And this year I was 16 minutes off the leader in my division! You can only control your own race, you can never control who else shows up to race. But hey, I'm still a rookie, so as long as I continue to see great improvements, you won't hear me complaining. ;)

3rd Time's the Charm : Race Recap - Utah Valley Marathon, Saturday, June 9th, 2012

Bill and Me (he ran a 3:10:16)

Thursday, June 7th - I drank tons of water and 2 bottles of pedialite (as per my coach), and we travelled to Provo, Utah that evening. 2 days out is supposedly the most important nutrition, hydration, and sleep day. I try to start avoiding the high fiber foods about this time as well to prevent the obvious bathroom issues that are associated with lots of fiber ;) Bill and I got into Provo about 8pm and went to a fabulous dinner at Texas roadhouse: baked potato, veggies, lots of rolls with cinnamon butter, and fillet medallions - delicious. I had been doing no sugar for the three weeks leading up to the race, just to see if it might help. I am a sugar-a-holic and it was not easy.

Friday, June 8th -slept in, went for a 5 mile easy pace run, picked up race packet, and drove the course. While the elevation shows mostly downhill, there are several pretty good hills. It is always good for me to drive the course to get an idea of where and when those hills will hit. I ate a great lunch at CPK, (thai chicken pizza and bread), and dinner at Malawis - (chicken pesto pasta) and drank water and more pedialite all day. I went to bed around 9pm.

Race Day, Saturday, June 9th

3am - alarm went off! very early! ate oatmeal and banana. We left at 3:30 to head to the bus pick up (to drive us to the starting area). I met Kari (coach) and Debbie (friend) at the bus pick up and we all loaded on the bus. I was drinking water and gatorade and ate a PB&H sandwich on the bus ride up. Kari, Debbie, and I were planning to run the marathon together, assuming everything went as planned (which we all knew, it never does). We sat by the fires they had set out to keep us warm and then about 5:30 started warming up with a bunch of dynamic stretches and drills. I hit the bathroom a couple of times while waiting for the start. At 5:58 we ran over to the start and dumped our morning clothes bag, and got near the starting line. The temperature at the start was in the high 50s and was supposed to be mid 60s by the time I finished - PERFECT!!!

START: The gun went off a little after 6 (probably about 6:03ish) and we jumped in right behind the first mass of runners. The road for the first 7 miles was somewhat narrow and I did not want to have to weave in and out of runners. We had some pass us, but not many. The first 7 miles went by quickly and were easy and fast. Mostly downhill and with a tailwind, my pace for those first 7 was just under an 8 min mile. I was holding back on those miles and kept my heart rate in my high zone 2 / low zone 3 area (155-165).

As soon as the course turned onto the main canyon road, we had a major headwind - ugh - and it kept blowing hard up the canyon (in our faces) for the next 13 miles!! About at mile 8 is the first of a couple of miles of hills, rolling really, but the first of the longer hills. None of the hills were nearly as bad as the only other open marathon I have done though and so it actually felt ok. Pace slowed to high 8's for 2 miles of hills but my HR stayed mid zone 3 and that was the goal. I recovered on the downs and flats and picked up pace again until mile 12, where the next hill was. Debbie, Kari, and I talked while we could (when we could hear each other, because of the wind). I was feeling really pretty good, and trying to not get too excited that I was going to accomplish my goal, but also trying to not get too anxious if it wasn't going to happen. I had been there before.

Miles 13-15 were faster than goal pace (which was 8:23minute/mile for the duration) and I was getting excited, but was also feeling the impact of each step in my legs more now. IT band and muscles were fine though, no major pains, thankfully! Mile 16 was another hill, probably the steepest one (or so it seemed, being at mile 16). My Garmin lost satellite at some point for about a 1/2 mile after going through one of the tunnels and when it picked up again it had the distance off. It showed that I had run .2 miles farther than I actually had (according to the mile markers on course). I adjusted my calculations in my head and still felt I was going to have a bit of a cushion to make it under 3:40. The next few miles were mostly downhill but my pace was slowing slightly. When I hit mile 20 and came out of the Canyon into Provo, my average for the 20 miles was 8:11 (at least that is what my watch showed). I tried to keep each mile under 8:30 and was mostly successful.

At mile 21 I had 45 minutes to finish and earn a Boston Marathon qualifying spot. 5.2 miles in 45 minutes - that's just under a 9 min pace. I was stoked, knowing I could easily do that. The last 6 miles are either flat, very slightly down, or slightly up - no major hills either way.

As I got to mile 24.2, I realized somewhere my calculations had been off, I had 16 minutes left to finish before 3 hours 40 minutes. That's 16 minutes to run 2 miles - that means I had to run an 8 min/mile for both of them. I racked my brain as to where I went wrong calculating, but sped up my pace while I was doing that! I feel very lucky that I was able to pick up the pace those last couple of miles. My lungs felt great throughout the race and my legs felt pretty darn good too, for running that distance. My Garmin was showing my pace at under an 8 minute mile for the last two miles and I sprinted (or felt like I was). My watch turned to 3:39 and I could see the finish, I gave it all I had and crossed the line while my watch still said 3:39. If I made it, it was going to be very close!

I was nervous to go check the official time, because it could very well be over 3:40 (no matter what my watch shows - it's the chip time that matters) and I'd be out of luck. I waited for Debbie and Kari to come across the line and we went and checked together. 3:39:49 My knees almost buckled right there as I realized I had actually done it! The 2 previous times I have run a marathon with hopes of a Boston qualifying time, I had 6 more minutes to do it in. But this year, Boston tightened the requirements for every age group, making each age group essentially 6 minutes faster. I used to be in the 3:45:59 qualifying time, now I am in the 3:40:00. This marathon time for me is 19 minutes faster than any other one I have ever run (old PR was 3:58:10 - 1st ever marathon in 2009). 


RECOVERY
chocolate milk, compression pants and socks for 24 hrs afterwards, ice on my knees, trying to walk around as much as possible, and lots of yummy food and sleep! My quads were sore for 2-3 days afterwards, I swam and ran light on Monday and then had a monstrous ride on Wed following the race (100Miles) - that was the hardest 100 I've done - I was still pretty fatigued. Over a week out now and I feel mostly recovered. My run yesterday was 7 miles and still not super fast yet, but getting back to normal. I have an Olympic Distance Tri on Saturday, I hope it was not a mistake to plan these two races so close together.

me & my 100 mile girls!