Matt Gilmartin's 2nd Quarter Group- back in the pool! FULL HOUSE (Page 14)

Hey, have you seen this site on USATriathlon? www.usatriathlon.org/audience/athlete-resources/kid-zone.aspx

Sorry this was so long. I'm back home now ready to start swimming. At least there I know that I'll be soaked and will have goggles!

Way to go Steve!!! Incredible race report and diligence in the face of adversity.

Proud of you Bro!

Bryan

I have never tried one. Let me know how it works out for you. I find that when the race starts my pacing goes out the window and then I have to slow down to recover and get back on a proper pace. Anything we can find to do better pacing ourselves has gotta help.

Bryan

I forgot - in what part of Germany were you and your family assigned?  Most cities in Germany have beautiful schwimbads (swimming pools, if I remember my spelling at all).  It's worth the initial stress of going "native" and kind of fun once you get used to it. 

I lived in Landstuhl, Vogelweh, Ramstein with the DOD back before the wall went down.  I didn't like visiting Germany but I LOVED living there! 

Best wishes!

Went to an OWS clinic Saturday, my first time swimming in anything but a pool in like 20 years! I was a little intimidated but felt comfortable as soon as we got in, it wasn’t that bad! It was a great clinic and we swam for two hours, learning how to turn around the buoys, how to draft and breathe on both sides, how to enter and exit the water, different swim drills and all that. It was a great experience and I think I’m hooked.

Tomorrow is my first tri, I can’t believe how early I have to get up - 5 a.m.?! But I really can’t wait to do it. Should be fun!  

Glad you did the OWS clinic - really helped me in not freaking out at my race.

You will have a blast tomorrow and the endorphins will keep you floating during and after the race. You will be amazed at the sense of accomplishment that keeps you floating the next few days!

Good luck and have fun!

Bryan

Melinda, I've honestly never even heard of one before you mentioned it.  What about a large screen watch?  Might be a less expensive option.

Awesome Jen!!!!!  So excited for you to git er done!  Text me if you have any questions in the AM.  I think you have my #, if not PM me and I'll get it to you.  Good luck- race hard!

Thanks everyone! Yay, I get to write a race report  Sorry it's so long!

Usually there’s some kind of mishap or adventure when I do new things, and our family has a hard time being on time or not getting lost, so I am still amazed at how well everything went. I had been preparing for a while, even tapering and increasing fluids and carbs and all that leading up to the race. But I waited until the night before to pack and check everything off the list. I had my husband check my bike to make sure it was ok and he said I had a rear flat. My tire is super hard to get off for some reason (I’m going to ask a bike shop about it because 3 people now have told me it’s the hardest they’ve seen; something must be wrong?) so it took a while and used up my last tube. I should just buy a case. Nate thinks I am underinflating and he pumped it almost to the max. The bike felt great after that and no problems. I also realized while reading the USAT card that I needed end plugs, but looking at my bike I was pretty sure they were already there. So I panicked a little bit the night before over the tire and plugs, worrying that I might have to take the ancient mtn bike, and didn’t get to bed until 12:30. (I had to work off and on until midnight). Lesson 1 – do all this a couple nights before.

So I guess that was the bad part because everything else was fine. Since I have no idea what I’m doing I wanted to get there early. We got there at 6:30 for the 8 a.m. race. That’s a miracle for our clan. I had plenty of time to find a good spot and set up my area and change. I went to a transition clinic in April and had been running it through my head for a few days so I was able to set up without any problems. I laid everything out and it worked great, wouldn’t change a thing. I had to ask for help figuring out the timing chip and ankle thing and race belt but the woman I asked was really nice and showed me what to do. Turns out she won second overall female, so I asked the right person! I warmed up a little and stretched bit, but lesson 2, next time I would do a little more. Then it was time to go.

Swimmers went every 15 seconds and there was a ramp down into the indoor pool (85 degrees!) so we lined up and waited. I talked with two other women and they assured me the bike was ok, it was the run that was really hard. They went over passing in the pool with me. I thought of April and her race videos while I was waiting to start because a guy just started walking in the middle lane at one point. Looked pretty funny. Then it was time to start. You swam up and back in each of the six lanes. I passed a few people and at one point I was passing and so was someone coming at us so there were 4 across, but it worked out somehow. Then climb out of the pool and run through the pool area, down the hall and to transition. The swim and all that was 6:07. A very short 300y swim.

I took forever in transition. 2.5 mins.for T1. I don’t have a tri suit so I just swam in my bathing suit and put shorts on over it. Then sat down for shoes and socks. Then up for helmet and lost some time trying to get gloves on wet hands. Took a drink, shook out some Jelly beans… lol Then took my bike down and headed out. I just took my time and didn’t hurry so I was really slow. Next time I will move faster.  

The bike was pretty awesome. Lots of long hills but cool downhills too and a few flat portions along a river. I actually had a lot of fun with it. Got passed a lot, but also passed a couple people, one who was walking her bike. I averaged 15.5 mph, which is the fastest ever for me. I’m normally around 14-14.5 mph. The hills were hard but I went slow and steady without feeling like I was going to die until the last half of the last hill to transition, where I was really struggling to finish and of course Nate was waiting with the camera. My goal was 40-45 mins and I was so happy to finish the 10 miles in 38. That was a real victory for me. T2 took 2 mins., rack bike, off with helmet and gloves, sit down and change shoes, more drink and the rest of the beans, put shirt on and then race belt. Smooth but slow again.

The 5k run was really tough. Glad I didn’t scout it beforehand or I would have been dreading it. In Asheville there are lots of hills and they are steep but short. At this tri 20 mins. north, the hills were more gradual but went on forever. I was proud of myself for running the whole thing because plenty were walking and I passed several people, but at the last third of the last hill near the finish my left hip was killing me so I walked for about 15-20 seconds. Oh well. Then I sprinted across the finish line and was finally done! It took me 29:55 to do the run, which is slow for me and kinda disappointing, but the run was so hard that I’m not surprised.

This was a fun race and I can’t wait to do another. I wouldn’t do much differently for each of the legs, but really need to hustle in transition instead of dragging my feet. I pushed myself in each leg without draining myself and I know I gave it my all and couldn’t have gone any faster. You can’t ask for anything better than that. We got free smoothies after the race which was awesome in the hot sun. The weather was great for the bike but the sun really came out for the run.

The race was small, only 72 people, so I placed third in my age group. I don’t think there were any more than three of us in it to begin with, but it was still neat. When I did my first 5k last May I finished in 32-plus mins. and still placed third in my age group (there were only 150 runners), which is really weird. The next four tri’s in the Asheville area are much larger though, so there will be different challenges. And my hips really hurt after the race like they do after brick workouts, so I need to address that. Not sure if it is form or impact or a medical issue. But other than that, what a great race and I’m still smiling. Finally a triathlete!    

Jen, congrats! That's a great report.  

"Since I have no idea what I’m doing I wanted to get there early. We got there at 6:30 for the 8 a.m. race. That’s a miracle for our clan." Anyone with a family can relate LOL!!!  

2 bits of advice:

End caps- they always have them at races, so if you are for some reason missing them, there's usually a kindred sole with an extra set.

Skip the gloves on the bike.  Racing flies by, you'll waste more time putting gloves on/ taking them off- that will defeat ANY benefit you get from them.

Otherwise, awesome job.  I'm very proud of you <wipes tear>

Thanks for the advice! I did have to go to the local bike shop's tent to get part of my ankle band thingy cut off, but didn't think to ask about the end caps. Pretty sure my bike already has them - the ends look like everyone else's, anyway. 

I thought about ditching the gloves, I feel more confident now that you recommend it though! 

Thanks Matt, and for all the help and advice! Having a mentor and everyone in this group has helped so much.

I had a question about headphones - at the tri, the packet said no headphones. During the pre-race meeting the guy said remember, "no headphones on the bike course," not mentioning the run. And during the run, I saw a runner with headphones (although she was on a relay team - would that matter?). So are they allowed during the run, or is that a race-by-race decision? 

USAT forbids them- it's a safety issue.  If she was caught by a race official she should have disqualified her whole team.

I hate the rule- especially on the run, but I understand why they have it.  Some races that are non-USAT sanctioned can ignore the rule, but if you're racing a non-sanctioned event you're taking a lot of personal, unnecessary risks in my opinion.