GrooveTime!group - CLOSED!!! (Page 161)

Thanks Steve!

I'm glad you told me about the 15-second rule with passing. I didn't know that one.

I'll probably be the dork that runs with her helmet on.

Ya there's quite the void between now and then, huh?

Well, the wetsuit is rented, the bike rack borrowed, and this tri is becoming more real by the day. Such a weird feeling.

I briefly considered skipping out and foregoing the whole thing, but eventually I'm going to have that first awkward and out-of-my-element tri experience, so I may as well get it over with now. I just don't like not knowing what I'm doing and possibly looking like a fool. Hmf.

As for wetsuits, I went with the longsleeve, and the first suit I tried on. The guy sized me pretty well even though I'm well off the sizing charts (apparently 5'4" girls are supposed to weigh 123 - 141 lbs...I don't think I was that small even in high school!). Or maybe I don't know the difference with fit. I figure it can't be that bad if it's such a short swim. As long as I can move my arms and breathe, I should be alright.

Next step is trying it out in the water. It looks like I'm going to have to be the weirdo at the pool since the Boulder Res is not open for OWS til next week even though it's warm enough. Lame.

As for worries...how about everything! I'm actually most concerned that my ankle won't hold up as I've been hobbling around for the last week or so. Playing touch rugby and indoor soccer sure didn't help after the initial injury so I think I'm going to stay off it completely til Sunday, which means I won't have run at all in over a week. Not good for my running confidence at all. But then again, I hate running, so at least I have a legitimate excuse this time.

That's about it. The next hurdle is having enough self-control to play flip-cup with water, or stop the beer at 9-ish, on Saturday after our rugby tournament. I'm spectating the rugby, by the way, but may be forced to defend my title in the annual Flip Cup Championship. It'd be shameful to not give it a try at the very least. BUT, if the self control fails, there is no way I'll be up early enough to be there at 6 ish. So that should be incentive enough.

Double sigh. Just read about it.

Is a jerk, jerk, jerk, jerk, jerk. 

Ha! Well, that isn't as bad as actually almost leaving transition wearing your bike shoes like me!  

Everyone gets nervous.  You, my dear are going to do just awesome.  I know these things.  And the most important part of the whole thing is to have fun and then of course tell us all about it!

Cheers,
Mandy

Ohhhh flip cup.  Good luck with that one - you probably are going to have to defend your title.

Looking like a fool? - everyone is so concerned about their own race, no one is going to notice what you are doing.  Remember - you are not the only one doing it for the first time that day, and you are also not the only one nervous about getting out there.  And don't cut yourself short, you know what you need to do, even if you haven't actually done it yet.  I predict you will surprise yourself at how well you have figured out the scheme of things come race day.

Hey, at least you know you won't have to shoot the boot at the end of it, right?    Seriously, what would happen if Ruggers ran a triathlon? 

Take care of that ankle, and good luck with the OWS!

Mandy

Cheers,

Mandy

Heh, as a rugby fan, I feel your pain.  BUT - release the title!  You'll find the tri so much more rewarding - and then you can drink ALL the beer on Sunday! 

As for nerves, you are already a rugger (sp? is that even a word?), so there is nothing that this tri will throw at you that you don't have to deal with on a rugby field. 

Lastly, just remember, everybody is watching EVERYbody, but nobody is watching anyONE.  That's one of the benefits of being in a sport with a bunch of narcissists - we are all too concerned with ourselves to notice what anybody else is doing.  Unless of course, we are being passed.  And if someone is looking at you while you pass them, then who cares what you look like...speed makes up for everything!

Good luck, you're gonna do GREAT!

KASIA, a story from my tri last month ... I was feeling a little doubtful that morning, looking around, and asking what am I doing here ... I'm not sure I "belong".  They put the 45+ yo women in the last wave, lucky #13, so I was able to walk along the shoreline while some of the other swimmers were in the water. There was a man who started swimming ... probably about the 35-39 yo wave, looked really fit ... swam about 50 yards, then over to the shoreline. He unzipped his wetsuit and stood there about 15 seconds, and off he went again ... about 25 yards, then back over to the shoreline. He started to take off his wetsuit and I asked him if he'd like me to take it and set it off to the side for him ... and I did. He swam about another 10 yards straight to the kayak, and was done. He came over to the shoreline, walked over to where I'd set his wetsuit and all I could think to say to him was "I'm sorry".

I'm just telling you this, so that if you have any doubts about whether you feel that you "belong" there or not ... you've worked hard and deserve it as much as the next person ... and looks can be very deceiving! You will likely meet some other first timers in transition and they will all be as nervous as you will be ... just like those that are "veterans".

You are going to have a great time ... I just don't envy you in that cold water!!  Just be prepared for that to take you breath away for a bit!

Lisa

STEVE -

I owe you a few responses, and yhat may take a day or two, but for now:

First and foremost, hardiest congratulations on being the proud owner of the 4000 post of the group! Lots of people land Kona spots, but only one person can nail down the 4000 GrooveTime! post, and that is you. Holy-moly!

Second, is your "Floyd...." dirge related to Landis? I only know that the talk kjocks on one of the sports shows were talking about him tonight, and the nearest i could tell, cominginto it late, was that he is somehow blaming Lance for his own problems. Is that about right, or is there more to it?

How is the motivation coming for you? Still incremental, perhaps, or gathering some decent steam? ("I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!")

KASIA -

Everything that others have said is very true, and I don't really know where to begin with reinforcing it. I could tell you about the debacle of the swim at my first triathon, which turned out fine after about 30 seconds of hyperventilating, or the time just three seasons ago I exited onto the run going back out where the bikes came into T2*, and needed the announcer to notice this and point it out to me. I can further tell you that with that episode I felt that EVERYBODY there must've seen that and thought i was a complete ninny, and that it took several days before I realized that likley three pople saw it and all of them forgot it by the time they woke up the next morning.

I have body-marked at races before, and it is amazing how nervous people get....but I've also seen them post-race and they have had a ball. The nerves really are a part of it, but ultimately this is just like other things in your life that you have done for the first time, full of fear and trepidation. And once you have done it once, suddenly it all begins to fall into place. The second race you do will show a dramatic difference, just because you'll be that much more savvy - maybe hard to see it that way now, but that's how it will be for you.

I am really glad that you are going through with Sunday's race, as it seems like a very good one for someone new to triathlon. And with the meteoric rise of triathlon, there will definitely be lots of other first-timers, amny of whom, i am confident will be much more nervous than you will be.

Get the early, as early as you can, and take the time to check out the site -- and get into the flow and vibe of what is happening. One thing I was confused about was your comment about renting a rack. I'm not quite sure what this is, but as for a spot on (at?) which to rack your bike, these will be provided -- probably long metal things; you can't miss'em! Don't be afraid to ask questions! If I had a nickel for every time I hace been asked a question at a race........I'd have a whole bunch of dollars by now!

But again -- get there early. Earlyearlyearlyearlyearly! Avoid parking hassles, and just allow yourself all the time available to get set up and begin to understand how things are going to move. You'll want to know:
--swim in
--bike out
--bike in
--run out
So, find where the swim exit is, and walk from there to "swim in" -- where you enter transition after the swim. Then get your bike's position in your mind's eye so you can get to it as quick as possible. Then walk from there to where "bike out", noticing where the mount line is. After that, locate where "bike in" is, which is where you will re-enter transition after your ride. And also notice where the dismount line is. Then walk back to where your bike is, once more trying to fix that spot so you can run right to it with your bike. Finally, wander over to "run out" - where you will officially begin the run. There! Feel better now? A bit more confidnet and in control, perhaps?

There have been times in which I have walked through this process two or even three times, just to make sure I had it all firmly in my head. And where I had the * above, that was to tell you that at that particular race I HAD walked it trhough beforehand, and I rehearsed it in my head as I was into the last mile of the bike. I KNEW where I had to go.....I just brain-cramped and screwed it up. DOH!!!!

See my next post to Tracey, okay?

TRACEY ( and KASIA) -

An additional thought on penalties:

You cannot mount your bike before the mount line, and you cannot dismount beyond the dismount line.

However, you can mount at any point BEYOND the mount line, which is usefiul to do if you get to that point and there are a bunch of other people all there trying to mount as well. Just run ten feet beyond and get way over to the right side and get on your bike. Piece of cake!

About going out on the run with your helmet on.......I have seen that attempted. The other thing I saw last year was someone about to get on her bike, and an official telling her that her helmet was on backwards. Oops! Certainly she knew better, but it just goes to show that silly things happen under pressure --- even fun pressure like at a sprint traithlon!

LISA -

That's a good story about the guy at the Woodlands swim. My guess is that he will be back for another one, that he won't let that deter him forever. Also, you were very kind to be there to not only help him out, but to console him afterwards.....

That was a wetsuit-legal swim, eh? What did they figure the water temp was?

MANDY -

How is the calf today? And the PFish foot?? Are you feeling that in your inner arch, right as it's going into your heel bone? Let me know more about that little crudcake!

Did you ever tell me if Monday the 19th might work for our T-man recon? I think i asked that a few days ago, but it might've gotten lost in the pre-Sugarloaf stuff. Or maybe you responded, but I didn't see it. (It's amazing how often I think I have replied to everything, only to go back and see a post of three that I have missed.)

KASIA and TRACY, two more helpful hints ... When STEVE B says to get in your mind where your bike is racked, you might 1) look for a landmark, maybe a tree by itself that is at the end of your particular row; 2) count the the bike racks from the swim in and the bike in, so that you know where yours is; and 3) take a bright bandana and place it at your spot on the rack.  And don't forget to put your bib number on before the run ... I actually put mine when I get out of the swim, before I get on the bike, because I'm afraid I'll forget it (a race belt makes this really easy ... where it in the back on the bike and just turn it around on the run) .... If you don't do that, make sure that your bib is anchored down in your transition area, because I have heard of them getting blown away. 

Oh, you all are going to have so much fun!!  I'll be roasting at a baseball tournament with the heat index expected to be 100 degrees and our games at 2:45pm and 4:30pm.

STEVE B, water temp was a comfortable 76 the morning of the Woodlands race.

LISA

Edited by lufferly 2010-05-20 9:21 PM

Oh dear - I just thought of something,  This will be my 1st time in wetsuit.  How does the velcro chip thing you wear on your ankle work with the wetsuit?  I mean - does it go under the wetsuit leg? Or do you wear it lower on the ankle below the suit leg - seems like that would be a problem when you're taking the wetsuit off
Denise

Edited by LadyNorth 2010-05-20 9:48 PM

Kegstands, probably. Haha!

I really should've scheduled my tris better. But then again, it was either this one, which is the day following the rugby tournament, or next weekend (Memorial Day), which is smack in the middle of a town-wide weekend festival during which the rugby team runs the beer tent. Rock and a hard place, really.

I think I chose the lesser of two evils, at least when it comes to hanging out with the rugby team, because we all know you can't do that without a beer in hand.

Wow, Groovetimers, you are one heck of a support group!

Thanks for the anecdotes and the pep-talking. I'm still super nervous about this whole thing, partially because it's new and partially because I'm insanely slow and don't want to be so far back that they're picking up the cones after me. But, like both STEVEs said, no one will really care an

I'm comforted by the fact that it's one of the first tris of the season over here so there will be plenty of first-timers, whether of the season or to tris, and also everyone triathlete, cyclist, swimmer, or runner I've ever met, whether in real life or on BT, has been insanely supportive. So this weekend should be fun!


STEVEA - Yup, rugger is totally a word. I will probably forgo most of the beer and play a round or so just because, but that's about it. I never sleep well before any early morning activity since I'm such a night owl, but I don't need to be hungover or anything of that sort on race day. As much as rugby and tris are different they take the same mental and physical toughness, so I definitely plan on tapping into that mindset come race day.

STEVEB - The bike rack is to mount on the car for transport to the tri and back. The race is in the next town over, so I can conceivably ride my bike there, but 6 is a bit too early for that and I'm not quite that hardcore. Yet.

LISA - Somehow the fact that the water will be frigid has not hit me yet. For some reason I feel like it'll be this nice, pleasant Caribbean water where I'm sweating in the wetsuit. Boy, am I in for a shock. Haha!

DENISE - Good question. That thought hadn't even crossed my mind. Any answers?


All in all, I definitely feel much better about doing this than I did yesterday. So thanks, gang. You're amazing

DENISE -

Ah, yes! The timing chip and the wetsuit conundrum!

I always try to get mine under the wetsuit, just because I'm-not-sure-why. I think it was initially out of a fear that the chip strap might get undone and float away, and that if I had it under the wetsuit that would never happen, but I have since mostly lost that fear so I'm not sure why I do what i do.

What is means, wherever it is, is that you have to be more careful removing the wetsuit from that leg. At one race several yars ago I was about five miles into the bike and caught a glimpse of my left ankle -- no timing chip! I got all in a dither about this, figuring I'd receive no time for the race blahblahblah, and my only hope was that it was somewhere back in my transition space. And sure enough, that's where I found it -- inside the leg of my wetsuit. It took me maybe 20 seconds to find it and a few more to slip it back on, and I ended up getting an accurate official time for the race (minus the bike split!),

ANYHOW, as you go through the final stage of removing that leg from the wetsuit, make sure your fingers go lower than where the chip strap is, so you aren't leveraging it down, too. This is also an argument for keeping the chip strap as tight as possible on your leg, and.....

It is also an argument for keeping it just above your ankle bone ---- so that would mean that it would NOT be under the wetsuit. But if it's there, and if it's tight, there is no real "wiggle-room" for it to go anywhere as you wriggle/wrestle your way out of the wetsuit.

Does any of that help?

Some random thoughts on timing-chip straps (and see above post to Denise):

(1) I always put mine on my left leg, just getting it further away from the working parts (chain, rings) of the bike.
(2) I always put BodyGlide under it, even though I use my own strap that doesn't chafe. But some timing companies use thin straps that can chafe, and in my early days that happened a few times, and it hurts! So, i take no chances, even though my own strap seems kinder and gentler.
(3) (I thought I had a third thought, but if it was ever really there, it's gone now. )

Hi,

Good luck everybody,

Steve - Thanks for the chip advice.  Are you leaving today?  Do you still get a little nervous?

Kasia - I always finish (I've done 3 tris) way towards the bottom, but I always have a total blast.  And there's always a few slower - some are even young and fit who think they don't need to train.  I was just talking to a guy at the pool yesterday who said he got up to 3 laps at the pool and thought he could do the 1/2 mile in a tri - he was a DNF.

Mark - See you in Albert Lea.  Did you see the forecast is 90*? Now, instead of cold water, we have to worry about the run temp.  Sigh - it's always something.

Denise

Lisa,

I wish they'd have a Mama Mia performance in Duluth.  I love Duluth (home of Grandma's Marathon).

Denise

I'm so excited for you Kasia! I'm sure you'll do great. I wish I could offer you some sage advice but of course I'm a newbie too and have all the same worries/concerns that you do.

I hear what you mean about NOT wanting to be that last one having the cones picked up after her. I think that for our first tri (anyone's first tri, for that matter), just finishing is an accomplishment. But I too keep looking at the race results from last year, to see where I may fall with everyone else.

Good luck this weekend!

Thanks for the vote of confidence Mandy.

There are some days when I'm feeling not particularly "athletic" and think, what am I doing?? I'm a total impostor! I have no business doing a tri! So your confidence in me is a big boost!

Tracey

Oh gosh, I'm really a newbie. I don't even know what a timing chip is!!

Steve, good thing you're going to be there for my first tri!