Swim: 1500 meters
Bike: 25.4 miles
Run: 10K
I feel that it really helps to be present in the moment during tough races like this. By present I mean: aware and connecting with people, encouraging others and acknowledging the encouraging words they bestow upon you, thanking the volunteers and smiling. After all, I do this for fun, right? :)
This race was my first triathlon of the season, and it felt like it had been forever since my last one at Richard B. Russell State Park in August. Both this race and Richard B. Russell are labeled as Intermediate Distance, however the bike course of Richard B is only 22 miles. I have a goal of finishing sub 3 hrs in this distance, but with the longer bike course and notoriously hilly bike and run course, coupled with the heat, I accepted that it would have to be a miracle for that to happen. My primary goals for this race were to dust off the cobwebs from my race gear, get into the racing mindset again, and to have fun. Of course there were other goals in the back of my mind like: Improve my swim time, crush the hills on the bike, and push through the hills on the run, but do not overheat too much or cause damage since I have bigger races ahead of me.
I arrived at Blalock Lakes just after 5:30 and it was still completely dark outside. By the time I gathered my things, walked to registration, and dropped items off in transition, the sun had started to rise across the lake. It was foggy and eery and beautiful.
I was pretty calm as I set up my transition area. Friends and more familiar faces started arriving, and it was nice to laugh and talk and have some fun prior to the race start. Since this race is less than an hour from Atlanta, it is pretty popular with the locals and all the fast kids showed up. Even after doing this for 4 years, I am still in awe of how incredibly fast the ladies in my age group are! They seriously rock!
The Swim: 1500 meters (750 meter loop done twice)
There were 4 waves at the swim start. The first 2 waves were age group men, followed by my wave with all women age groupers, followed by the final wave with the Novice, Clydesdale and Athena athletes.
This was one of the most violent swims I've had. Within the first few strokes I was elbowed in the jaw. I felt my teeth hit and did a quick tongue check to make sure nothing was chipped as I kept on swimming. I was fine and just kept going. There were lots of kicks and side brushes, and people grabbing at my feet off and on for pretty much the entire swim. I felt like I was swimming fast (for me) and pretty strong for the most part. As usual for open water swims, my left hand went completely numb and tingly feeling by the halfway point. Lifting my head to sight must be pinching a nerve in my neck or something.
We started out swimming directly into the sun, which made it difficult to see the buoys in the water. Everything was lost in the glare of the bright sun and it was disorienting. There were times when the volunteers on paddleboards were yelling "Go to the right, to the right!" and I am so thankful I heard them and saw them waving when I turned to take breaths!
When I got out of the warm bath water (I'm serious), I glanced at my watch and saw 38 minutes. While it was a few minutes faster from my last race time, I felt like I swam my heart out and it should have been a little faster. After the race, I checked my Garmin and it said I had actually gone 1.17 miles instead of .9! Assuming my watch is accurate, that means I swam an extra 300 yards due to not swimming in a straight line, and that cost me valuable minutes. Whoops! :) Looking at the map of my swim I can clearly see that one loop I veered further out and there are a few zigzags in there too :)
The Bike: 25.4 miles
When I got to transition I was dizzy and took a bit too long just because I needed to take a few seconds to regain my balance. Then I was on my way. Once on the bike I was absolutely fine, didn't waste any time and was in my zone. I LOVE the bike. I pushed hard, passed some people one by one, and felt strong on the hills...until we got to the first real climb. DANG! I had no choice but to go slowly in my granniest of gears up that one, took some time to recover at the top then sped back up and continued on my way. I remember there being one other pretty tough hill, but mostly it was some easier rollers. My legs were definitely feeling the burn, and I LOVED it!
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| This goat sticker arrived in the mail with some gels, so I HAD to put it on my bike for race day :) |
My bike time was 1:25 and I kept an 18 mph average pace. Would I like to
be faster? OF COURSE! But I am happy with this time as well, because I
know I AM getting stronger on those hills and all of my training is
really paying off...even if in small increments.
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| Sports In Motion Photography |
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| Sports In Motion Photography |
The Run: 10k (6.2 miles)
The run, the run, where do I begin with the run...it was HOT, and it was HILLY. The first few miles were just not good for me...side stitches/cramps, overheating from pushing hard on the bike, and trying to desperately get in some kind of groove. I train on hills, so I know I can do the hills, even though these hills were their own kind of special evil, but it was the heat that was getting to me. I'm pretty sure it reached 90 degrees-- mostly in the direct sun. The first 3 miles I had to walk some of the hills just to get my body temp to cool down. I poured the cold aid station water all over my head and chest and by mile 3 I was able to keep a pretty consistent run. I made a run buddy at mile 3, too. Her name was Rachel and this was her first Olympic distance race. She was doing awesome on that challenging course for it being her longest distance! We kept each other company until mile 5; it was great having someone to chat with as we shuffled along. It really helped take my mind off of the negative and she helped keep me running. Thank you Rachel!
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| Sports In Motion Photography |
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| Sports In Motion Photography |
I feel that it really helps to be present in the moment during tough races like this. By present I mean: aware and connecting with people, encouraging others and acknowledging the encouraging words they bestow upon you, thanking the volunteers and smiling. After all, I do this for fun, right? :)
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| This Dynamo lady was so awesome--riding her bike on the run course and yelling encouraging words at us! Whoever you are, THANK YOU! |
My run time ended up being 1:06...definitely not my best 10k time, but not my worst either!
The total race time was 3:12 something (I'm too lazy to look up the exact seconds right now :P)
Two years ago I did Rev3 Knoxville Olympic distance race, and it also had a 25 mile bike course...I remember it being an intensely challenging race for me and took me 3:43 to complete. It is so easy to compare myself to others and get discouraged, so I take time to look back at where I came from in order to keep things in perspective and not be too hard on myself. Progress IS progress! There are lessons learned in every race and every race teaches me more about myself.
Now excuse me while I go practice swimming in a straight line with my eyes closed...
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| Remains of the race day. I always write Smile :) on my arm below my Garmin watch so that I am constantly reminded to smile and enjoy the race. |
