St. Anthony's Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic

Found a small group of 4 BTers 'Lucy' Chrisine, Olivette, Irene 'panout' and to start the swim with. As has become my habit I laugh and be goofy before the start as it keeps me calm...whereas most folks are really quite intense and serious.

The swim goal for me was to feel comfortable doing a longer ocean swim. I felt a little panicky about 30 seconds into swimming, but overcame that and just kept swimming without stopping. I'm not fast, but had fun and felt comfortable which is a huge step for me.

I tried to pick up the pace after rounding the first buoy. I had a little trouble drifting right on 2nd leg but sighted more often and corrected quickly.

I actually passed some folks in the waves in front of me not many. The white and red caps caught me.

I'm working with my coach to develop a strategy to improve my swimming. My pace hasn't improved in last year it seems to have gotten slower but my endurance and feeling more comfortable has come along. My two Int'l distance races I did last year I swam 39 & 29...was hoping for 33-37 today.

I'd have been more competitive in my group if I could even have an average swim time...it is a little frustrating to keep working at it with no real results.

I heard my husband cheering for me...which always motivates me.

I went into T1 and saw my time and thought my goal of going sub 3 was shot. I was quick and did well. 3rd fastest T1

Nothing...

Transition went well and I was fast, on the bike passed folks right away and nailed it from the get go as many seemed timid riding on the cobblestone. I had ridden that part of the course 4x the day before so knew I was comfortable with it. Found I was heavy breathing quickly and tried to ease up but had a hard time with that. I found what was my comfortable pushing pace in time and was able to just go and really have a blast. The young fast women in the AG that started after me who swim fast, I raced with...it was great. At one point I was behind this women who we'd been back and forth a bunch, and I hear a motorcycle...referee coming so I pass her as I was kind a close to her but it packed with people. I ended passing about 10 folks and the motorcycle stayed with me about 30 seconds and I knew I was nailed for something. Figured sub 3 was a lost cause here but more annoyed that I didn't think I did anything wrong compared to others.

Turns out I got a drafting penalty and she couldn't read my number so I almost got a second 2' penalty for number issue but she was able to read my helmet number.

There were either 24 or 25 turns we had to make some tight others not. I found that I could carry my speed through the turns better than most folks who braked a lot and then powered up after the corner. I worked with my coach on cornering earlier in the month I saw how much it helped me corner smoother, brake less and waste less energy.

Rest of ride was uneventful, it great though and I really had a blast. I came into transition and knew I had done well as I could see I was around 1:15 turns out I was 2nd and averaged 20...whoo hoo!! Only 1:07 off first in my group. When I started riding, I hit my powermeter button to make sure it was on and ithe nub thing it was on rotated and was dangling stuck on my aerobars...see so many bike problems but still I did well could have been some issues. Last 5-7 miles was windy but I didn't matter riding on instinct.

The competitive me loved passing all those Athenas in the first few miles...they got farther and farther apart though and I think I passed the last one I recalled about mile 20 and only 1 I recall passed me back on the run.

I saw Christine as we went into the Golf Course Loop and Sue on the way out of the Golf Course area and knew she nailed an awesome swim.

I wish they had overall results listed so I could see how I placed overall in my splits.

I drank 40 oz of Gatorade w/extra electrolytes and took a Lava Salt tab, & had 5 Cliff Shot Bloks.



I wonder if I pushed to hard on the bike, but it was so fun to race hard and pass so many folks.

Given what happened on the run, probably needed to take in more electrolytes/fluids on the bike.

Of my whole race most pleased with bike performance I guess all the riding I've done this year almost 1300 miles and riding outside all winter in the cold in MA paid off today. Still I want to get faster...over 21 in an Oly...next year.

Later my coach Will looked over my power file for the race
1st 35' Normal Power was 170 with avg HR of 151
2nd 35' Normal Power was 155 with avg HR of 151

Pushed to hard on the first half of the bike, became either tired/dehydrated 2nd half and pushing hard on bike probably caused the crash on the run. We adjusted my power numbers based on this race. I will be working on proper pacing going forward.

It is cool to come back to transition and see hardly any bikes racked just like when I left; which confirms that I passed many out there.

First time T2 faster than T1 as I put socks on T2 which normally slows me down..not today. 2nd fastest T2.

As I came out of T2 I figured I still had a chance at going sub 3 if I could put together a good run of just over 10 m/m, but man I was proud of myself for an awesome ride and actually teared up on my way out.

Nothing

Run well went okay but really it was hard...I started walking after about 5' to take my Lava Salt and do my inhaler then back to running as I get run induced asthma. The run it was hot...walked a little as needed but only every 8-10'. I was breathing so loud racers in front of me would turn and look at me.

You'll be proud I was able to pee while running oh..got socks and shoes messy...oh well. I now am a tri-peeier if that is a word as I can pee swimming, biking and now running...such excellent skills to learn when you are 45 year old mother of 5.

I started hurting bad (it was only sort of bad before that) with 2 miles left and felt crampy in calves and hammys and I was afraid I'd fall down as I could hardly lift my legs. As I got closer to the finish the cramps would move up or down my legs with every stemp I can't remember which but started or ended in calves and would move up or down to my glutes..it was tough and I felt like I didn't have much control over my legs and that I might tumble over at anytime. Kevin said I looked like I was walking dead was running strange and that I gave it my all and that I was toast. I finished and walked felt much better almost okay.

On the course it was fun to see various BTers along the way...first say Big O, then on way back Lisa (Gatorgirl), then Janice (Foolproof) who I high 5ed and was excited to know she had done the swim WTG!, then Wendi looking good, and I know I saw more women but I'm blanking on who all I saw as I was just trying to push on...I think wearing the BT tri top is cool as all BTers yell at me which is so encouraging even if I don't know them or recognize them at the moment.



Not run in the heat/sun..pretty hard to have a good run as my training runs have been in the 50 degree and under temps and it was close to 90 today. I need to accept I'm 1.5m/m or more slower with the heat. Perhaps I pushed to hard on the bike which hurt my run...but riding was so fun.

I was within 15 seconds of my PB for a run split for this distance so given the weather it was okay; but my run has improved a lot this off season and I want to see the results in my tris. My run pace drops off a lot in tris compared to just running and I hope this year to have that drop of be less.

I wish I knew the answer to having a good run in a tri...why does it always hurt so much? Doing my long runs, intervals or aerobic runs are always more enjoyable than running in a tri.

Since October until March I have struggled with Plantar Fasititis and then in January Achilles Tendinitis so maybe I'm being to hard on myself...as my running was very limited much of the off season.

Tried to find Kevin and in walking around, both my legs cramped up and I feel over face down on the grass and was in horrible pain. Some kind triathletes helped push up my toes as they were stuck pointing down. BTers Rick and Jeff saw me collapse over and Rick said later that as I fell I did it in a way he thought someone having a heart attack would fall. It was so painful...cramps got a bit better..Rick got medical to come get me...finally my husband Kevin found me. I just stood up as if I moved my legs cramped. We got a ride in the cart over to the medical where they worked on my legs and I drank 50 oz of Endurance Gatorade. They worked on my legs by pressure, ice and pushing things opposite way. They advised doing an ice bath to help things get better faster.

They sent me over to massage tent, and I was pushed to front of the line as I had been in medical...hope it helps.

I wasn't able to eat until after 3pm and I finished at 11:24...strange I wasn't really hungry.

I had hoped I could place in top 10 by looking at finishing times of those in my division in the last couple of years thought I really had a shot. While lying in medical tent, saw the results board so we went over there after medical, I find that I'm 9th, but not sure if that includes my penalty if I got one or not. Back side of the board yep I got 2 minutes for drafting while I passed those folks. Now will that push me out of 9th and 10th.

After awhile the awards start so I go up and ask at the table if I placed since honestly I had no desire to stay if I didn't. Yes I got 9th including the penalty. We wait, wait and wait as they go thru all the AGers, once they get to the old folks, the announcer had a story about everyone. They were running 1.5 hours late. Finally the Clydes, then the Athenas...they start at #10, and go in reverse order and don't list me as placing...WTF? I go up to the desk and talk with them, and point out the women who told me I was 9th. Finally they find another list and I'm listed as 9th with the 2' penalty so they give me the men's Clydesdale 40-49 award. Kevin & I waited 90 minutes or more for the award kind of disappointing how it got messed up. When the results were posted on-line at first I wasn't listed anywhere. I emailed with the timing people and they had a bug so all the rule breakers like me were not listed at first.

Because awards took so long my bike was lying on the ground in transition as they were taking it down. If they had run on time or announced what order they were going in, I would have been able to take care of picking up my transition, eating, and changing and be back in time to be skipped.

MOP baby..."You were 654th out of 1264 women" at St. A's...geez I asked the timing officials..not bad for racing as a 46 year old!


1. Heat: Being from MA not used to training or racing in high temps.
2. Fitness: This was a C race for me as I'm working to my early season peak in early June...so was a little fatigued...hard to accept doing C race results though
3. Pacing: We tried something at pushing hard both on bike and run and I paid for my nice bike split on the run
4. Dehydration/Cramping: This is the second Int'l distance in a row that I have had major cramping issues on the run; last one it was in the 70's...need to solve this so I can do well in my upcoming Int'ls and HIM.
5. Swimming...need to set up a plan to improve with my coach.
6. Finishing losing weight..like to lose 10-20 more pounds get to 100-110 total lost...easier to do everything lighter.

I can make the list of what limits my performance, but if I think back in 9/04 I did my first tri and averaged 12 mph on the bike, now 2.5 years later I nailed over 20...it is pretty cool with hard work and smart training thanks to my coach Will how I've improved. 2 years ago my first longer race I was 4:21 in a 1/4 IM (basically a Int'l distance with shorter swim) now I'm a little bummed that I was 3:04 + 2 or 3:06...not 2:59, but does it really matter?

I'm struggling a bit with my mixed feeling about performance acceptance and sort of my dreams/hopes of what I could do. Last year I improved a lot 14-16 minutes on the same sprints as the year before, and an hour at Mooseman Int'l, I need to accept the gains will be smaller this year with probably more effort.This race I PBed the bike for speed, was only 15 seconds off run PB after hammering on bike..it is a early season race should set me up well. It is hard to compare race paces from one race to another as conditions vary as it does from year to year at the same course, but I can't help doing so.

I'd do much better if I was better balanced...I look at my race results and they are farther apart than anyone else's in my division as far as placements. Strange 1.5 years ago I never would have though my run placement would be my second best part well if transitions mattered more I'd rock there too...advantage of being a Mom of 5 chaos always reigns.

I think to much...but it makes it fun for me..even w/o gadgets I was calculating my finish times throughout the race as they have splits at each end of transition I knew I had 63-64 minutes to run to come in sub 3 so 10:15 m/m.

All this playing around in FL last couple weeks, come home & go to work and find someone else sitting at my desk...guess what I lost my job..."they have moved in another direction". More time to ride & train for now...so guess the time off continues.

Strangest fact..I was the oldest women racing in the BT crowd this weekend....it was little weird as I don't feel old.

Later: My coach Will asked a great question have I started any new medications and could they play a part in my cramping. I read the odd side effects of something I started taking in January it can cause heat prostration due to decrease sweating in hot environment...ahhh....well probably not good idea to take while doing a 3 hour race in 85 degree weather. But would that cause me to be overhydrated and not dehydrated...crap...need to figure out if I can take something else instead. Smart thinking on Will's part as I hadn't considered that.



The best thing about the race was all the BTers that were here and all the fun we had before, during and after the race. All of you that didn't do it mark December 1st on your calendar and sign up for the race next year!

'Q' Jeff did an awesome job with the social events...kudos to him!