2010 Tri Thread

[jmasgat]

mgsmom Congratulations!!!! Wow---fast swim! Hope the whole experience met your expectations.

Speaking of swim....I went and did my min-clinic today at a (not too) local running store that has an endless pool. The clinic was conducted my a local swim coach/former competitive swimmer. She made a few points about technique--nothing really new (after all, there's only so much to a swim!) And then demo'ed drills. after that, I had signed up for my 15 (+) minute eval. Since I was about 4th in line, I watched while the other people went through. Hard not to, since th e pool is in the middle of the store! It only took about 10-15 strokes before she was able to ID people's flaws and then make suggestions for how to correct. The, each person would try again using the corrections. Depending on flaws, she also had people doing specific drills to work on that. Plus she had a few swim aids: swim buoy, paddles (Rigid ones--interesting model) and this foam donut that you put around your ankles--basically immobilized your legs and made you concetrate on your arms.

So I got in, and once I surfaced after my first bunch of strokes, shes said that I actually didn't have too bad of a stroke I have issues with reaching far enoughin my stroke, my hand entry position and my head was supposedly not level--although I think that was due more to the pool. It does take getting used to swimming in it--feels like a choppy lake! She is sending us all drills to do and then in a while (TBD) we'll each go back for a follow-up.

So I'm glad I went, and maybe there's hope for me!

Maura

 

[bekkiz]

I finished, I didn't die and I wasn't last! My first tri (A super sprint .25miles/9miles/1.6miles) was this morning. I don't know my exact time, just slow! I thought it would take me 1:20, and I think it was right around there. (Looked at the results, I came in at 1:18, so I was pretty good at estimating)

Swim--fine, my wetsuit top is too big, so it was catching water and really weighing me down. I wish I hadn't have worn it as the water was cold, but it was such a short swim, I would have been just fine. (I was 30-45 seconds slower than I had hoped, but 38th overall in the swim, so I feel good about that)

Bike--It was a 4.5 mile loop you did twice. There was one BIG hill. I made it up the hill on the first loop, but not the second. I'm a moron who can't remember how to shift and I upshifted instead of downshifting about 1/2 up the hill and I couldn't recover. I just jogged my bike up to the top and went on my way (ha, ha, ha, yeah, we'll just not talk about the bike and run splits. Both were faster than I had thought I'd go by a a couple of minutes, but still so slow)

Run--I walked most of it with some jogging throughout. I jogged the last 500 yards or so to the finish line, so that was good.

Overall the event was awesome and I can't believe how good I feel right now! I can't wait to see my splits.

ETA: I forgot to talk about transitions. They were pretty bad. I totally ate it in the transition area in T1. And then somehow managed to slice my finger open in T2, I think when I was racking my bike. I didn't realize it until I noticed there was blood on my water bottle. Ew. At least it was mine LOL. I went to the first aid tent after I finished and cooled down, and the race director ran over to check on me. I was kind of embarrassed because it was just a cut!

 

[crewmatt]

Nice job, congrats.

I'm doing one of those swim clinics in July, I'm hoping the guy doesnt laugh too much.

 

[El&Asmom]

bekkiz congrats on your finish!

I did my first open water swim ever today. To qualify, I haven't "swam" since being on a swim team in 5th grade. I started doing laps at our Y about 3 weeks ago, and can do the half mile in about 22min. I have to do a breast stroke since I have vertigo problems and can't turn my head sideways in the water.
So the open water swim was so much harder than I expected. I did it with a friend who was a swimmer in HS and college, and still swims competitively. It was really windy, but we swam during a no wake time. Still felt like big waves to me, and swallowed more lake water than I cared to. She was able to do about two laps in the time I did one. I just keep telling myself: "just keep swimming, swimming, swimming" in a Dory voice and it kept me motivated. I'm glad I did it, and will try to get out in the OP at least one or two more times before my race. It was a good workout, especially since I ran 3m earlier in the day.

 

[BigEeyore]

mgsmom Congratulations! Sounds like you did awesome! How far was the swim?

bekkiz Congrats to you too! I had never heard of a super sprint. Seems like a good way to get into tri's

 

[crewmatt]

DC Tri Race Report (I did the sprint):

So last night I set everything out for the race. They had emailed us saying that the water was going to be in the 80s so to expect to not wear a wetsuit. I packed it and left it in my car anyway, better safe than sorry.

So I wake up a 3:30 about 15 minutes before my alarm, got ready and was out the door by 3:50. I got into DC about 15-20 minutes later, and proceeded to find parking right near transition (about a mile). Really convenient and easy to get back onto the highway. Transition closed at 5:20 so I had some time to get everything put together, borrowed some guys bike pump to test my tire pressure (I had over-inflated just a tad the day before so it would be perfect today). Helped out a few people, one person had snapped his valve stem off into the tire pump. Another guy forgot his number belt so I lent him my spare - which I didn't get back so I guess I gave it to him. Not a big deal.

So I was supposed to be Wave 3 for the start, at 5:40. Ended up getting in the water around 6:10. The swim course was exceptionally well marked, with massive inflatable buoys every 100 meters labeled quite clearly. The water was calm and warm. I actually kept up with the main pack of my age group, so rather happy about that turn of events. Completely forgot to start my watch so sadly no split times.

Got out of the swim feeling pretty good and ran into transition. I'm coming off a knee injury so I was planning on going gentle this race, that didnt happen as much as I had planned. Grabbed a stick of gum to clear the flavor out of my mouth, put on the hydration pack, and had a cliff shot (the gel cubes). Got on the bike and headed out on the course. The course was for the most part 3 road lanes wide at all times, so there was plenty of room to spread out and weave, which made the bike quite fun and interesting. There were also several switchbacks, so while you might think they were annoying they really turned the bike into 6 interval workouts as opposed to a 12 mile straight shot.

Coming up on transition they had signs saying 400m until dismount, 200m, 100m, etc. Very nice, it led to a very well organized dismounting as opposed to some I've seen where you're going full tilt then bam, crowd.

Got the bike away, hopped into running shoes, popped a couple cliff shots and a new stick of gum. Took one last swig out of my hydration pack and hit the run course. It was about 90 degrees at this point in time. Heading out onto the run they had really added some water stops and some misters. They had icey towels as well. Helped cut the heat. I think they're first mile was a little short as according to my watch I did it in 6:20. The run was longer than a standard sprint at 6.7K. It had a bunch of switchbacks including one which was terribly cruel right before the finish you come down this hill 90 degrees to the finish line thinking that thats it, only to see a U-turn sign. Not sure of my exact time but I finished sub 1:30 (gun time was 1:33 when I finished I believed).

All in all a well run race. They adapted to the excessive heat well. Finish festival was well stocked, with these pom smoothies. 2 thumbs way up, they had set up like a little bar scene with some small hightop tables and a bar serving them. It was quite nice. They also had breakfast burrito's at the finish, and in a 90 degree triathlon I almost got sick as soon as I saw a guy sink his teeth into them. Granted after i got home I was craving eggs so I guess they were a good idea, just not right at the finish line haha.

 

[Duanerice]

Hi All,
Mgsmom - great race! Anytime you finish it is a great race! Can't wait to hear the details.
BigEeyore "You don't need no stinkin' wetsuit!" - Is this from "Blazing Saddles - the Triathlon"
DirtBunny - welcome to this side of the tracks. There is no going back now.
EI&A'sMom - Welcome, always nice to have new faces around (even though we don't actually see you) or do we????? Good idea to practice the OWS. I did my first and second in races - not pretty
Maura - I'm sure that took some getting used to, swimming and not going anywhere. Wait, that is like my last ocean swim. Never mind.
Bekkiz - way to go! There are sometimes that I could walk my bike up a hill faster than I am riding it so don't feel bad. Did you pass anyone while walking the bike?
Crewmatt- great report. Sounds like a great race. That heat is tough! Takes it out of you. I agree about the eggs. Last race I did they had a full spread of breakfast items. Couldn't even think of trying it until an hour later. But, it was sure good then!

Coming up to the end of vacation. But, I've been keeping up with the training. Bike ride followed by a lake swim this morning. I am getting used to having the lake across the street.

enjoy,
Duane

 

[mgsmom]

Hey guys -
Okay, so here's long version of my race report from yesterday:

Got up at 6, ate a PB sandwich and a banana. Neighbor picked me up at 6:30 - the facility is only about 10 min away. Start time for the race is 7:30.
Took my time getting my transition stuff set up - well, let me be specific - took my time chatting in the transition area! ha ha ha Struggled to get my number on my bike – one of the holes broke and I ended up pinning it to I think a gear wire in front. Now that’s class! Almost too long - only had about 10 min to warm up in the pool.

But, it’s just as well. I ended up about 2/3 of the way back in line to get into the pool so I had plenty of time to hop in place, stretch, etc. Oh, and it also gave me plenty of time to realize that I had my ankle chip strapped on inside out – hope nobody else noticed… They started us 10 seconds apart and then every 20 people, they took a 2 minute break. I think the idea was good, but it just didn’t work out well in practice. The pool just ended up being a succession of people cloggings.
At one point in my swim, I was passing someone and someone tried to pass me at the same time. Oh yeah, and there was someone coming the opposite way in the same lane. They shouldn’t call it an “outdoor pool swim” they should call it a “people crawl” I’ve never done an OWS, but I can imagine it’s worse so I can’t complain. Plus, it was only 300 yards so I can put up with anything for 300 yards. Just kinda makes you feel like training for the swim is a bit of a waste of time.
Okay, onward and upward. I knew the bike was going to be a challenge – it was actually the leg I was most scared to face. I hadn’t had a ton of time on the bike I borrowed, plus I knew the course (I live near here) and knew it was VERY hilly – and big huge hills, not small ones. So, I take WAY too long in the transition area (I think I was just nervous and trying to be fast, which made me slow cause I kept messing things up). Jogged my bike over to the mounting area and I was off! The course leaves the pool facility and is out-and-back. If you zoom out on a map, it looks like a big “J” – the start point being the inside of the curve. I got about 3 miles in and was doing okay. But I knew the hills would be starting soon and boy did they ever!!! The first big hill, I just plodded through and wondered “How am I going to make it? This is just what I was afraid of” The second hill I did a little better, and by the third hill, I had a little routine going. I was also thinking ahead to what I knew was coming (If I hadn’t known the route, I would have fallen apart I think). Before I knew it, I had passed 2 people (woo hoo) and made it to the turn-around point. Then, I was very happy because I knew if I had done it once, I could do it again! The way back there were a lot of people poopin’ out. I passed at least half a dozen people who were walking their bikes back up the biggest hills. I was so proud of myself for not having to dismount. By the way, the 2 people that I previously passed ended up passing me back. Ha!
Got back to the transition area in a little over an hour – Like 1 hour and 8 min. I was very happy with that! (18 miles)
This transition was really quick – basically park the bike, pitch the gloves, grab my baseball cap. And away we go! I was really confident about the run this time because I worked so hard on it – I just knew I would handle it better. Well, poo on that. The run was 3.4 miles – just a tick longer than a 5k. About the first ¾ mile is uphill, and that’s about how long it takes my legs to loosen up. But, I had practiced this before so I just took it slow and patient and knew I could get there – and I did! Woo hoo – step 1. Not much longer, I passed mile 1 and got a drink of water. It was getting pretty hot, so I went ahead and poured it over my head. Welcome to the Carolinas! It’s 90 degrees at 9am. The heat isn’t what got me – I’ve run enough in the heat that I don’t think that was it. I think it was the sun. It was blazing early and just beating down on me. Made the second turn and headed toward mile marker 2. Had to stop and walk just a little bit before mile 2 – the sun was just killing me. Hadn’t had any shade since well before mile 1. Fortunately, a nice lady who had been outside watering her flowers had made her way to the sidewalk. She was squirting runners who asked her too – and I didn’t see very many say no! ha ha It was fun and she enjoyed giving us a little cooldown. This was the last happy place. There was NO water station at mile 2. WHAT? So now I have flashbacks to that bad run I had a few weeks ago… uh oh But no water station… Really? Often, I run just a 5k and there are like 3 or 4 water stations. We’ve already done 2 events – I expected to have some water. Had to walk once more before I made the turn onto the highway. I tried to walk very little for two reasons: I really wanted to run the whole thing, plus it hurt more to walk. My legs would cramp up real quick, so I would walk for like 10 seconds and then start running before my legs turned to stone. Finally at mile 3 there was a water station – that fueled me enough to walk another 10 seconds and then run it in the rest of the way.
I cross the finish line – woo hoo – running strong and my DH and DD are cheering me on! DD got so excited to see me she ran out into the running lane – luckily, DH grabbed her before she got run over!
Not much exciting at the finish line – fruit, bread, muffins, water, Powerade, that’s about it. I want to find one of those triathlons like you guys do – where was my massage and smoothie????

So, I finish the whole thing in 2:02 – yippee!!
I did not realize how close I was to making the 2 hour mark! Oh, how I wish I had kept up with my splits on my watch better – that might have been the boost I needed on the run!!! But, I am so happy with the results! I did NOT come in last place this time – I was about 15 places from the bottom – there were about 100 people. So, although not impressive to others, it was a great accomplishment for my 2nd tri! Yes, I came in second-to-last on my first tri. And I was okay with it then, but for my 2nd I wanted to do better.
My goal for next year will be to break the 2hour mark, and get that run done in 30 min. (This time was 40min).

So, now that you’re all asleep from my loooooonnnng report – have a good afternoon!

 

[mgsmom]

Bekkiz -Sounds like you had a great time at your super-sprint! Good for you! It is so great to have that accomplishment!

CrewMatt - I can't believe you had to get up at 3:30 I would not have made it! Good job on the time - I'm so jealous! Sounds like your race was a lot better put together than mine. What body of water did they have you swim in?

Maura - That swim clinic sounds really cool!

 

[BigEeyore]

Thanks for the race reports Matt and mgsmom! You guys both did fantastic.
Really awesome bike time mgsmom! I rode the 18 mile race course for my race a few weeks ago and it took us about 1:15 - I'd love to shave a good 10 min off of that and keep your pace!

 

[crewmatt]

Haha, the 3:30 wasnt so bad, the "crewmatt" name. I row at 5 am every morning so it wasnt too bad. I could've pulled off waking up at 4:30 but I like not having to stress about parking/etc. I got a great spot right by the transition, made leaving so much easier.

We swam in the potomac, right by the memorial bridge, it was actually really flat, and honestly didnt taste as bad as the Hudson River in the NYC Triathlon. But thats because the Hudson is brackish (half salt water) at that point. I'll let everyone know how I feel in a few days, but I think the swim was quite clean.

 

[El&Asmom]

mgsmom thanks so much for the report. It's great hearing others experiences. Sounds like a fun day

 

[wtpclc]

mgsmom - Woo hoo!!! Way to go!!!! LOVE people who sprinkle racers! there is a local race here that there are a bunch of people who do that. Just makes it so nice. Way to go hanging in there and not walking thebike hills! DH and I were just saying that startign as tri uphill is about the mentally hardest thing to do. Uphill while trying to get your legs back is killer. Way to go!!!!!

crewmatt - Great job!!!!! I am with you on teh burritos. Last tri I did had licrice adn tootsie rolls. That' smore my post-race speed. DH would go for the buritos, though.

DB - What have you done for training. HAve you done any sprints? Do you plan to befor enxt year?

Maura - Cool about hte clinic. I do hope you do an oly this year. (COme jooin us this weekend if you want. I'll porvide lodging! Probably some food too, but I make n oguarantees. )

bekkiz - Great job on teh OWS!

duane - You give awesome advice!

I have an oly this weekend. I know my training has me more than prepared for it. However, it was our huge distance last year an dthat scares me. Plus, my run absolutely sucks these days. :-( Still, I think I can take at least 15 min off of last year's oly, even if I do a 15 mpm run. I just want ot do my best. I also want ot not be DLF, but I likely will be. I was for teh sprint last year. Very small field. Must memorize maps, so I don't get lost if they call in teh volunteers. I will likely get lapped on teh swim (2 loops). EVen worse. I will likely get lapped by my college roommate. I will be thrilled ot be twice her time, seriously. I just told her she had to be careful not to swat me in the head when she passed me.

wetsuits - Funny, dh got his and our friend (dh of college roommmie) helpped fit him. he said he likes his a little loose and does better this way. I was surprised as I have always heard that tighter was beter. Just read a blue Seventy FAQ where they said the same. They said time were better when tehre was a small layer of water inside teh suit. nothing baggie or anything, but tighter is not always better. Thoght that was interesting.

 

[DiRTyBuNNy]

DB - What have you done for training. HAve you done any sprints? Do you plan to befor enxt year?

A lot of running...not really sure if I'm going to do the Oly or the Sprint but I thought I would aim high and if I don't feel like the miles have been put in for the Oly I'll do the sprint.

--DB

btw, does anyone know how many active triathletes we have here on the DIS/W.I.S.H.?

 

[mgsmom]

Good luck this weekend, Carrie! I'm so impressed you are doing an Oly!! What are your distances?
I'm sure you'll do great!

 

[jmasgat]

Carrie Good luck this weekend. I am on duty to drive and pickup my son from his trip to CA for orientation. Looks like my tri will wait til the next Island Lake one.

Xterra wetsuits is having another sale if anyone is in the market for one.

Started doing some drills that the clinic coach gave....note to self: laminate the sheets of paper! And don't go when the health club's day camp has all the kids in the pool!

Maura

 

[wtpclc]

Good luck this weekend, Carrie! I'm so impressed you are doing an Oly!! What are your distances?
I'm sure you'll do great!

An oly is 1500m swim , 24.8 mile bike and a 10K run.

Maura - Always an excuse..... Hope your drill sheets are still legible!!! Safe travels this weekend!

 

[hoosmi]

Loved all the race reports!!

Carrie- if I don't post again until after your race, good luck!! I'll be thinking of you race morning! If it makes you feel better, you'd totally whack me on the head in the swim if I were with you (twice).

Tomorrow I am driving pretty much forever to pick up Emma from camp. You know how everyone always says to get properly fitted at a running store before you start running?? In four years, I've never done that. I'm going to cut through Atlanta just to go to a running store!! I'm sooooo excited. It should be an adventure. My mom and the almost 2 year old will be with me. I wanted to leave at the crack of dawn so we'd have plenty of time on the road; my mom just said she'll be ready at 9:30. (OK, happy thoughts, happy thoughts... running store will still be open...) I'll report back next week!

Jen in GA

 

[BigEeyore]

Carrie Good luck this weekend! My race is this weekend too, but I am doing a sprint. If I survive it, I'll set my sights on an olympic for next year!

Did spin class this am, I will swim tomorrow a bit and then probably take Friday and Saturday completely off before my race on Sunday. Just going to drink a ton of water and get some rest!
I am really excited about the race - I have been training for this since I signed up in January, and I think I'm going to feel lost come Monday not having this goal anymore!

 

[wtpclc]

Jen - Safe travels!

BigEeyore - Good luck! OSund sliek a good plan! You may want ot add electrolytes with that water this week, though. You are going to have a blast!!!!!!