Los Angeles Triathlon Championship Series #3 - TriathlonOlympic

Oy, the swim started off really bad. I started having breathing problems the suit felt so tight across the chest and I was having a hard time catching my breath. Oh I also felt bloated and like my torso was sinking. Great. Swimming with the pack was brutal, I couldn't do it. I probably also started out too hard. At one point I stopped and thought about going back, that I didn't think that I would make it. I really really did. I treaded for water for a few seconds, looked back at the shore, then the buoy and thinking yesterday's ride killed me. wahhh, I want to call it a day.

I then thought about how the person I rode with the day before knew about my race and expected to hear about it. I could not live with having to tell him I DNFed, he'd never go out with me again.

So I HTFU and kept swimming, after about 10 minutes the suit opened up, I felt great and started really getting it together. Tho it felt as if it was taking on water I think it's too big in teh torso but too tight in the chest. UGH! I started passing people, I passed a few people from a previous wave. I've never had that happen before! I started to feel most exelent :) I wonder how much time that cost me but lesson learned.

Warm up better, swim more in my suit.

Both T times are in the bike split so Im guessing here. I don't know wtf is my problem..I suck at transitions. Oh well. My mom was waiting at transition for me so I tossed my wetsuit at her and I totally dried and cleaned my feet off with a towel.

Oh I have got to learn when there is a sprint and an Oly race MOST people do the sprint. Just because they are tearing down the transition area does not mean you are DFL or even close. I did better than last time.

I don't know. Go faster? Get a better spot, I had a lot of running in bike shoes.

So I finally get on the bike, I am kinda happy to be here. Bonelli is a three loop afair, it is either up or down, pretty much NO flats. I like the course but I would say it's difficult for a tri course. I've heard roadies call it rolling and we all know rolling to roadies means hilly to tri geeks ;)


My goal for this race was to ride like I didn't have to run, then I was going to run anyway! I thought I would take the first lap easy then pick it up. RPE wise it felt that was, however numbers don't lie and I rode the first lap the hardest of the three.

Lap 1

Ok, Im on the bike, Im feeling pretty good. There is a super steep driveway right out of transition I just walked up it. On the bike, and thru a parking lot (important detail for later) rolling hills. At the first hill going over the 57 Freeway my quads are like "Dude WTF....we hauled your fatazz up a freakin MOUNTIAN yesterday WHAT are you DOING to us today! Do not even think you're going to run after this." I glared at them and said "HTFU! We have a HIM to do in 41 days"

Since I know the course I did a pretty decent job of making the best of my downhill speed to power up the rollers. I realize oh...food...eat...hmm, Im kinda hungry. Ok I have a gel in my pocket. Oh water bottles, hey I have 1/2 a bottle of GU20 left on my bike from yesterdays ride....eh, that will get me thru the race....talk about unprepared. Oh lots of very cute boys on very hot bikes out there. Lots of clueless people on beach cruisers too.


Lap 2
More of the same, I tried to push it but I could tell I was pushing it and getting the same speed. As to quote Faeron after her RnR "my legs were bascially giving me the finger" Thanks Faeron. when I read that in your log I loved it, I'm sure you don't mind me stealing it :)

Pretty uneventful, less people on the course but things are ok :)


Lap 3

Ok, here is where I get pissed. The course marshalls start slacking in areas. A dude towing a boat tries to kill me among other hazards. I think I get lost and freak out (clearly Im mentally fatigued) and I run out of calories, I've had about 150 so far. I know i"ll be ok but like wtf ever already. And yeah, Im starting to think about the run...eh. Finally I am riding on that F-ed up rough road FOR THE LAST TIME. If you've been to Bonelli you KNOW what Im talking about. I finally make it back and I go thru a parking lot to transition and wtf there are CARS LEAVING THE PARKING LOT. I am dodging cars left and right, dude whos brilliant idea was it let people use the parking lot that is on the way to transistion. My mom later told me she saw more than one cyclist get hit by a car and yelling going on. What makes me really sad is it was mostly sprint racers leaving the lot. Still I put the blame on the organizers.






Eat breakfast, take more than one gel and a left over half filled bottle of GU20? Over all considering the brick I did the day before Im pretty happy with my ride. :D

I was pretty pissed off from dodging cars thru the lot. I was not looking forward to running and I had nothing invested in this race other. So I just took my time. Really. I did. Oh, ate another gel I had stashed. Im no longer running on empty :D

Not chat with my mom....fuss around with my shoes, socks, hat, glasses waiting for gps to get lock...you know.

The poor course control continues. I leave transision and have to wade thru people leaving. Im kinda pissed there are no volunteers and nothing really marked. Eh, I get over it quickly. My plan is to run easy to start and gradually build to a faster/stronger pace. I know this course is not flat and I want to finish strong. My legs feel pretty good, I am suprised by this and wonder how long it will last. In fact, I feel dang good overall.

I signed up for this race to give something to focus other than my HIM, as I was getting stressed out about it. I made it a goal here for today to NOT think about Vineman and to stay focused on THIS race. However I did start to think about Vineman and for the first time thought that while I probably will not finish as fast as I would like too that I will finish. I feel as if I can do anything now, wow this is better than runners high, it's TRIATHLON HIGH.

The bike ride I did the day before was a huge confidence boost in and of itself. It was a very challenging ride up a mountain at elevation. Not only did I survive that, I woke up today to do this race with minimal rest and zero preperation as far as nutrition. I do very well with my nutrition during training I just uh...failed to pack it with me here today....And this may sound silly but I kinda did it on purpose. My thought was if I can get thru this race on with no rest and poor nutrition I can get thru a HIM well rested and prepared. It was more of a mental thing that a fitness thing. Call me crazy, it's ok if you're reading this you are crazy too :)

Ok, enough blabbing on to the run.

There were no mile markers, split data from my garmin. I did correct it via ground control. I pretty much ran easy for the first two miles walking the uphills and trying to hold a 10ish pace on the flats and downhills.

It started to get hot so I stopped at every aid station and dumped water all over me as I was getting salt crusted. I also peed on myself twice. Tried to do it while running but I had to stop. I waited until I was within site of an aid station before letting go.

I will say there were a lot of aid stations and very nice boy scouts at them. I wish they were handing out something with calories but thats my own fault for being a dumbazz.

I felt really alone out there for about the first mile, then people start to pass me. BOYS are passing me, and I hear a GO TEAM ZOOT! And a freakin HOTTIE in Team Zoot Gu shorts and re racing flats (no top, yum!) flies by.

There were three waves for the Oly race, I was in the last race with all the other Women. So this means that any guy that passes me had a head start on me. I think how the hell did I beat that hottie on the bike. I wish I could catch up with him. Every time someone passes me I think that I beat them on the bike and one day I will learn to run and then I will seriously kick some azz. Ok probably not but it's still fun to think about. Hottie probably had a flat tire or something.

We go thru some nice trails, some shaded areas. Very pretty and peaceful. After a bit I am back on the part around the lake and approach a boat launch. I see an SUV backing a boat into the lake. For a second I think i can beat it, then I realize I am goign to be flattened. I stop and wait. I am pissed becasue I lose momentum. The volunteer was like "oh, sorry" and obviously didn't mean it. I yell back at him "hey, thanks. Good work" and totally didn't mean it either. Whatever.


at about 4ish miles we hit a pretty big hill, I decide to walk up it then I will run the rest of the way picking up the pace. I hit the top of the hill and then I see a "1 mile to go" sign. WTF, My garmin says 4.4 miles....I mean I know it's not 100% accurate but dude...come on. I don't belive the sign, maybe it's for the sprint race? There have been ZERO mile markers so far so I am distrustful. I am back to running along, stop at an aid station more water over the head etc.

Then I turn and can see the finish line maybe a .25 mile away. Crap I would picked it up a bit sooner. Oh well, I start sprinting as fast as I can and haul it in!

Mile 1-10:51
Mile 2-11:19
Mile 3-11:28
Mile 4-12:16
Mile 5-12:37
Mile .4?




Run harder. Not waste time at aid stations. Learn to pee while running.

Waited in line and got a burger. A long time. Stretched etc.


way too fat :(