Dominion's Sprint/Oly Focus Group - OPEN (Page 18)

Chris, nice report! That race sounds so intimidating - the largest race I've done had like 120 people total, lol. My AG is usually single digits. That's got to just be a crazy experience.

Race day today for me! Another local sprint, maybe 15 minutes from my house. Won my AG again, 3rd woman overall - behind the two local ladies who will be representing at Worlds. I'm way behind them, haha. Official times aren't posted, and I managed to lose my printout. From memory I think it was 1:25:34 overall, with S 10:51, T1 2:53, B 41:04, T2 1:??, R 27:?? (Run split didn't print for anyone).

We started over an hour late due to crazy heavy fog. Swim felt good to me. Wore my wetsuit, but wasn't any faster than at my last race without. The posted distances were the same, but who knows. I felt better with it on, since our mornings are pretty cold this year.

T1 was long due to a super long barefoot jog - maybe 400m? up a path to the parking lot they were using for transition. Got my wetsuit off easily and didn't feel like socks and shoes took too long. Had to run the bike all the way around transition too.

Bike felt good, but didn't go hard enough. I really really need a GPS of some kind though - this course had no mile markers and I didn't know I was almost done until the last mile or so. Should have pushed harder earlier. The 12.5 miles felt really short today. I also lost my water bottle and stopped to retrieve it bc I didn't want a penalty. Watched someone else leave theirs, don't know if an official saw or not. Cost me probably a minute to go fetch it and get back up to speed. The bike and run started and ended on the same path, and no one was told to keep to any particular side. I had to slow way down at the end to dodge runners (and people walking from their cars to the trail runs that followed the tri) which was annoying.

T2 was slow. I took time to drink a little, as it was getting hot and I was afraid to touch my water bottle again after dropping it on the bike leg. I kicked myself later for all the time the water issues cost me.

Run was okay, not great. It was all on roads and mostly in the hot sun. I had a hard time pushing myself to go faster. Again no mile markers, so it was hard to pace myself without a watch (someone local is going to lend me one for a while, but we haven't been able to connect yet). I got passed late by someone in my AG, and that's when my water snafus pissed me off. She was clearly a faster runner than me - I couldn't keep pace with her at all - but I'd had a lead all race that should have been even bigger. Turned out she finished behind me due to a penalty, but still.

Thought I did okay, but not quite as well as I'd hoped. Kind of knew that might happen though, as I just found out (like 3 days ago) that I'm pregnant again (!). Figured I was trained for this race, and I wouldn't push myself crazy hard. Once I get an appt I'll ask about my Oly in September. I'd still like to do it, but won't beat myself up trying to podium if I get the go ahead. So my big plans of building fitness over the winter are shot, lol.

After a layoff of a whole week, I completed my 2nd triathlon today. I really didn't feel any effects of having done a sprint the weekend before until about a mile into the run. I felt like my 2nd mile on the run was kinda slow, but once I saw that mile 2 marker and knew there was only a mile to go I got my second wind and picked it back up a notch. The real point to this race was to get redemption on my swim since I had had such a poor performance (relative to my training and expectations).

The swim was a little different. They did a "time trial" format where they sent 3 swimmers off at a time with a 10 second gap between each set of 3. It was good in that I didn't get caught up in a huge mass of people at the start. The swim was only 0.25 miles (vs. 0.34 for my last one), but I judge my performance on my pace and not the distance. I finished the swim in 8:04, good for 19/23 in my age group and 158/297 overall. Converting that pace to the distance from my A race and it would be faster than anything I had ever done before, so I'd say mission accomplished!

The transition area was set up a significant distance from the swim exit and the bike start. I had to run up a fairly steep hill and probably 50-70 yards in total from the swim to the transition area. After getting my bike gear on and grabbing my bike, I had another 50+ yards to run out of the transition area, up another hill, and to the bike mounting area. My T1 went pretty smooth and my time was 3:02 and all I had to do was put on my socks, shoes, and helmet!

The bike was 13.6 miles and I finished in 47:57 (17/23, 141/297), which almost exactly matched my pace (17.02 mph) from last week (16.93 mph). T2 was also long because of the length of the transitions, again it was pretty smooth but my total time for T2 was 1:49. The run was 3.0 miles (vs the traditional 3.1 mile 5K). Just like last week, I got a cramp in my calf about a couple tenths of a mile into the run. I spent 20-25 seconds stretching the cramp out. I finished the run in 28:05 (18/23, 192/297) a pace of 6.41 mph vs. last week at 6.47 mph pace. So bike was a little faster, run was a little slower.

As a whole, the race went pretty well. I got the type of performance from the swim I was looking for and my bike and run paces were comparable. Other than the 1 mile or so on the run, I don't think I had any real "hangover" from the race the week before. I don't think I'll do any more tris this year. It's back to training. I've still got a ways to go with my swimming, although today was encouraging, I need to build my bike strength, and I think I need to focus on improving my running since it has been my weakest sport for both races. That's strange to me since I've been doing 5Ks for several years now, but only took up swimming and biking this year! But I love what I've been able to accomplish this year and look forward to racing in 2015!

Edited by rjchilds8 2014-08-17 9:10 PM

Race Report: West Plains Wunderwoman Sprint Triathlon
Medical Lake, WA

This was a women-only event, although men were allowed to volunteer and spectate There were quite a few no-shows, so the final competitor count was about 475, including teams and those racing the Olympic distance.

This course was the same as the Troika Sprint Triathlon, in which I competed on May 31. The Troika was my first triathlon, and the West Plains Wunderwoman is probably my last triathlon of the year, so this was an opportunity to judge my training effectiveness over the past ten weeks. I know this course fairly well, not only from having competed on it previously, but also from training on it several times. (There was supposed to be another triathlon here two weeks ago, but it was canceled last minute. I went ahead and did it, anyway.)

I had to leave my house at 3:30 a.m. in order to get one of the 200 coveted parking spots, so I was pretty tired as I hadn’t slept well, either. After several days of thunderstorms, the day dawned bright and clear. Temperatures were about ten degrees lower than my previous two triathlons, which made me very happy, and the weather mirrored that of the Troika Triathlon.

The event was the most well organized of any of the triathlons in which I’d participated. The transition area was set up on the ball field, with bikes organized by age group. Being one of the first there, I found a great spot, set up, and then wandered around picking up trash and talking to the other competitors.

My wave started at 8:30 a.m. I was able to take a quick warm-up swim first, and the lake was great. I started near the front of the group, and when the starter gun went off, I was off with everybody else. This was the largest wave I've ever started with as there was about 100 women all fighting for space. Unfortunately, even though I started near the front, I got stuck being a wall of slower swimmers, which really surprised me because I didn’t think I was that fast. I had to swim the first third of the course with my head above water, trying to figure out how to get around them. I was finally able to pass, and then my swimming really picked up. I didn’t look back, but I knew I was toward the front of the pack.

I hit the beach running and got to the transition area and into my socks and shoes without too much difficulty. I was a little wobbly, but I had positioned my bike where I could hold onto the rack if I needed to, which was good thinking. I grabbed my bike and ran to the mount area. When I hit the road, I pedaled as fast as I could and started passing people. This was the first time I’d ever actually raced in the middle of the pack before, rather than at the back. I passed tons and tons of people. I realized I had forgotten to clear my bike computer, so I was only able to use it for my speed, which I think was actually a good thing. During the previous triathlon, I kept checking the time and got discouraged when my ride took longer than I thought it should. However, I really didn’t even look at my computer that much this time—I just hammered those pedals as hard as I could. I knew the course well, so no surprises, and the volunteers kept traffic to a minimum, so we pretty much had the entire lane to ourselves, and we used it!

I got back to the transition area with no issues at all. Dismounted, racked my bike, swapped my helmet for my visor, and ran to the run area. My legs were pretty tired because I worked hard on my bike. But I knew the swim and bike were where I could improve on my time from the Troika Tri, so I went all out on them. As a result, I wasn’t able to run far at first and had to walk for a few minutes to catch my breath, but I power walked. I decided since this was my last triathlon of the year, I was going to give it everything I had, even if it meant I wouldn’t be able to walk for a week. If I had to walk, I was going to power walk. I kept up alternating between power walking and running and pretty much was able to hold my own. By the last mile, even though I didn’t (seem to) slow down, all the sudden I started getting passed by people in my age group. I counted fourteen women in my age group passing me, which was pretty discouraging. However, I knew I wasn’t on the podium—with 50 women in my group, there was no way I would be in the top three—I still pushed hard because my goal was to improve upon my Troika Tri time. Basically, I was just racing myself. I kept up the running and power walking, maybe doing more running, just so I could shave a few more seconds off my time.

I crossed the finish line—actually, tripped over it, so the photographer got a great picture of me with a surprised look on my face and my hands up in the air—grabbed some snacks, and went to check my time.

Today’s time:
Swim 12:00 Overall Place 198/335 AG Place 21/50
T1 4:15 Overall Place 171/335 AG Place 21/50
Bike 39:22 Overall Place 165/335 AG Place 25/50
T2 1:54 Overall Place 94/335 AG Place 8/50
Run 44:44 Overall Place 304/335 AG Place 45/50
Total 1:42:17.6 Overall 254/335 AG 36/50<--REALLY happy with this!

Troika Tri (same course, May 31):
Swim 16:20
T1 4:10
Bike 45:03
T2 1:39
Run 50:19
Total 1:57:31 59/63 2/4

So, I am really pleased with my race today. It was not only a personal best for me at 1:42:17, but also I improved in every area (the transitions were very different, so I don’t compare those). I improved on the swim by 4:20, on the bike by 5:41, on the run by 5:35, for a total improvement of about 15 minutes. For the first time ever, I ran a sub 15-minute mile! For a change, I finished not in the back of the pack, but solidly in the bottom of the middle of the pack, and all my times except my run time place me right square in the middle. I feel really great about it and look forward to getting even faster over the winter so I finish next year’s Troika in under 1:30. Running is still where I need the biggest improvement. Once I get better there, then my transition times will decrease, as well.

Chris, great job on the Nationals and your personal record, as well as your flawless dismount! I wasn't able to sleep that morning, so I'd gotten up to early watch the live webstream, but they had technical difficulties. MMW37--congrats on your race! And your newest family member. Scott, sorry you didn't get to race, but glad your little one is OK. Rjchilds8, it sounds like your first race was a great experience. Might I suggest when someone blocks you in the future to say something like "coming through!"? My guess is the person may have been preoccupied and either not noticed you were there or didn't realize you wanted to get past her. I'm pretty oblivious to stuff like that myself and really appreciate it when people let me know they need to get by. Especially in a race situation. I'm always happy to let faster people through.

I'm off to Burning Man now, so good luck to everyone on any upcoming races. I'll be back in a few weeks and re-evaluate my training goals for the winter. I may compete in a triathlon the Saturday after Burning Man, but I'm not sure I'll be ready for it after 14 days of sleep deprivation, although Black Rock City is a pedestrian and bicycle-only city, so I'll get lots of riding time in. I'm also looking at a 10K run in October, although I haven't done a distance like that since high school.

Y'all have fun! I know I will

Great race report! Congrats on your PR! Improvement all the way around! Way to go!

Good call on the Desoto brand, Chris! It fit much better and did arrive in time. I ended up wearing the Desoto jersey with my 2XU shorts for the entire race including the swim and it felt fine, no issues. I did not experience the extreme tightness of the 2XU top that I had bought before and I don't feel like there was any impact on my swim. Couldn't have been because my pace for that distance was better than anything I had ever done including practice in the pool!

I most certainly will keep up with my training over the winter and am hoping to train enough to compete in an Olympic next year. I think that will be a one-time deal for me. The amount of training it takes will largely affect my decision since it means a lot of time away from my family. I'll see where I am after the winter and assess the situation from there. But I do want to continue to compete in sprints, which are probably be best suited for me. I think 2-3 events per year as long as my body can handle it (just not on back-to-back weekends!).

No time to rest. I'm doing a Tough Mudder with my older brudder this weekend. 10-12 miles of mud, obstacles, and fun? LOL I guess I'll rest after that.

Anybody have an idea if there is a particular month or time of year when companies start having their clearance sales or heavy discounts on gear and equipment? I have been tempted to order one or two things, but figured I was better off waiting for the off season in hopes of getting some good deals. I'm also wondering if the same goes for bikes. I trained and competed this year on a super cheap road bike from Walmart. I was looking to upgrade my wheels for next year and beyond. Nothing crazy, and it doesn't have to be a TT bike. Does anybody know of any good web sites to buy discounted (new or used) bikes?

Thanks!
Randy

I've been watching http://www.performancebike.comclosely all year. They seem to have decent discounts and offer free shipping on the heavy items on occasion. Just need watch for the sales. I'm considering upgrading to a road bike through them with an aluminum frame and carbon fork. Looks like I'll be holding out for a spring bike though unless a deal comes up that I can't resist....

Scott

Is anybody out there?! LOL Seems like everybody has been dead silent for about a week now. Is everyone essentially done with their seasons and this is down time? I finished a Tough Mudder yesterday. It's an obstacle course with about 20 obstacles over a little over 10 miles. I really only focused my training on my triathlon and didn't do any strength training in preparation for the Tough Mudder. But the tri training turned out to be enough because I only failed one obstacle and that was because my hand slipped in some mud on the bar I was holding onto. It was a fun event but my knees took an absolute beating with all of the crawling I had to do for some of the obstacles. I've got a couple weeks to heal and then my rec football team starts its games. No resting for me!

Coming to BT is a little depressing for me, because I think my season is over I'm supposed to do that last Olympic in about a month, but the pregnancy is hitting me pretty hard with fatigue. I was on vacation last week, brought running stuff, and didn't go once. Hit the gym for 30 treadmill/30 spin today and I was huffing and puffing like nobody's business. If I don't get more energy soon, there's no way I'll be able to complete what will be a 3+ hour race. Plus I'm sure I'll have to pee on the course! Ah well, at least I'm saving money on wine I can't drink...

I've been kinda exhausted. Tried a down week last week to see if I could recharge. I have 4 races down and one to go. It will be my first oly and I'm kinda dreading a 30 mile bike followed by a 10k. My furthest bike had been 31 Miles and I have trouble getting my riding in. Need a new seat and a thicker pad in my tri shorts. Also planning on a half marathon . Not so worried about that yet, but also another first. Hold to get some good work in this week.

What do people do on the off season? I had planned on continuing thru (whole changing my lifestyle thing) with dressed intensity. Thoughts?

Hi! I'm still reading all your updates, but I've gotten involved in a local group that is about to become a tri-club. I've been working out with them, the head guy gives us workout plans based on what races we have coming, etc. He owns a bicycle shop in Columbus, GA and is doing this just because he enjoys it (he's also a pretty friggin' awesome triathlete himself). It's very focused on having fun, being healthy, understanding that people have lives and family outside the pool/bike/road. But if you wanna make the podium at a race, he can absolutely help you get there. It's really cool, but it means I haven't been logging my workouts here or posting my questions here. But I've been watching/reading all your posts and cheering you on!
I have one last sprint tri in Maryland in October and then I'm done for the season. Not sure what I'll do over the winter.
Hope you are all doing well!!!

OK, so it was just some down time for a lot of people. Glad to hear that others still have races on their calendars. I'm done for the season. My football season starts in less than 2 weeks and that takes 3 days a week off my calendar in terms of being able to work out. I won't work out the day before a game, on game day, or the day after a game (since I'll need that for recovery!).

So it will be a little tough. I'll have to stay disciplined to make sure I take advantage of the other 4 days to keep up with my workouts. I have a 5K in early October with the coveted CBF Cup on the line. A little trophy my brothers and I came up with that goes to the best time in the 5K at our annual race. I'll probably focus on my running only between now and then to have a shot at the cup!

Otherwise, I plan to keep up with all of my training throughout the winter. Once football is over for me, I'll go back to training in all 3 disciplines. Does anybody own a bike trainer? Living in New England, I'll need something to keep up with my bike training during the winter months. All of my swimming was done in the pool at my local Y, so that won't be an issue. And I own a treadmill, so I'm good for running, too. Just wondering if there are any brand names that are considered better in terms of bike trainers or if they're all about the same. I don't want to break the bank, but I also don't want to get something so cheap that it is a waste of money.

I have 2 tri's left on my calender. An Olympic mid September and a sprint early October. Hoping the weather holds for the sprint. It's a pool serpentine swim start and then we go outside for the bike and run portions. Could be blustery cold in Michigan that time of year, so keeping my fingers crossed! The sprint is a last minute decision to do. It was posted late and its local and supports the high school pool. I've got many other things goin on too. 1/2 marathon in October and November. Tough Mudder 6 days after the Oly and that's all that is official for this year. Possibly a 5k and 10k but those will be last minute decisions late into November and December respectively.

I do have a bike trainer. I spent about $200 on it. I've been using it more lately because I can't get on the road while it's still light out anymore. Its a fluid trainer and has the ability to increase the resistance. It does a great job from my point of view of getting a solid ride in. Especially using the different resistances. I don't have many hills to train on so I try to simulate them with the trainer. I have a cadence and speed sensor hooked up to my bike to know how far/fast I'm going. Seems to do the trick.

I'm gonna give the winter maintenance plan an honest shot this winter and hope that I can keep up with it. I tend to loose motivation/focus during the winter months, so it'll be a challenge to get those swims in.

Congrats on you upcoming bundle of joy! Chin up! I won't recommend anything one way or the other than to stay as active as possible, eat healthy and enjoy the ride for the next several months! You'll be back at it in no time and you'll be a great role model for years to come.

Scott

Our local tri club is awesome - definitely stay involved with yours! Ours is run by a local coach. Club membership is $50/yr, and that gets you weekly practices led by her as well as discounts at the LBS and running shop. Benefit to her is it promotes her coaching services, and a lot of the members use her. She tries to structure Saturday practices to what her coachees need, which means it pushes me. I love(d) going!

His name is Jeff Gordy and he owns Arnold's Bike Shop in Columbus, so our "team name" is ABS Racing. He's a really cool and sweet guy; retired GBI.
I'm toying with shooting for the International Distance at the Turtle Crawl next year. Maybe I'll see you there!

After having just done the Tough Mudder out here, I'd recommend wearing some protection for you knees! Just based on the amount of crawling we had to do for some of the obstacles, my knees got beat up pretty badly. There are plenty of rocks under all of that mud! My forearms got banged up a little, but not nearly as much as my knees. Laying on top of some of the obstacles to help other competitors contributed to all of the nicks, cuts, and bruises on my knees, too. Not sure if I'll do another TM next year or maybe try a Spartan Race, but whichever one I do I know I'll be wearing some protection for my knees! The picture is a little blurry, but you get the idea.





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