HILDEBEAST'S Magnificently Motivational Mentor Group - CLOSED!!!! (Page 52)

Good luck tomorrow, Hilde and Louise!!  Hope you have better weather than I had today for my first tri this season!! 

My race was rainy and COLD!!  And no swim b/c of the storm, boo!!  They turned it into a duathlon - 1 mile run/10 mile bike/5K run.  Kind of disappointing since I'm strongest in the swim, but what can you do?!  I was definitely MOP but was very happy with my pace (7:45 mi/mile on the 1st run, 16.9 mph on bike and 9:15ish on the 2nd run).  It was so friggin' cold, but that probably helped me b/c I tend to easily overheat during these summer races.  Anyway, it was a good start to the season and I'm really looking forward to my next race in a couple of weeks.

Here's my race report:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=443485

Hope everyone has a great weekend and good luck, racers!!

Way to go, Kristen, really fast pace for your season opener!

Hilde and Louise, I know you are out there battling it out as I type this, can't wait to read the race reports!

I'm taking an unplanned rest day after my epic ride that seemed it would never end yesterday! Here's something I learned that may come in handy for some of you. When your ride goes off the rails and it's been several hours since you left home, and it's pushing 100 degrees outside, you can fit a Slurpee in your bottle cage:

Thought I'd come break the news before Hilde!  She took home 1st in her age group today!!!  The second place person was miles behind her!  Way to go!  

I'll try and get my race report up tomorrow, but I'm happy with my race.  I took almost 15 minutes off my time from last year.  My swim didn't go very well and I'm not sure why, I got caught up in a lot of people a handful of times but it didn't feel like it was slowing down as much as it appears to have.  Oh well, guess I know what I'll be working on in the off-season.  But, that also meant all my time off from last year came in the bike and run!  I had so much fun getting to race with Hilde.  She has been such an inspiration and constant support for the last year.

Way to go Kristen - those are some killer run times!!

Hi everyone, 

I'll catch up with you eventually, but right now I'm being totally undisciplined and letting my studying take over my training, and then not being very disciplined about the training.

Did do 0.7 miles at 6.77 mph today though.

Quite a fast start to your race, Kristen.  Way to go.  Too bad the swim was cancelled.  I've had that happen before and it's a bummer.  All that swim training not quite used the way it is supposed to.

Louise & Hilde - what fun you must have had.  Congrats on the bling!

My training this weekend consisted of 17 miles backpacking in Shenandoah National Park.  Should help my endurance (I think).  I will try to catch up on rest of blog and inspires this week.

Below is when we were starting out.  The little one is my daughter, Casey.

(IMG_3365.JPG)

I've been trying to post some pictures of the mud run last weekend but can't seem to get them to go (tells me they're too big).  Here's a link to some pix on the USO's facebook page.  None of me, but gives you an idea of what the race was like. 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.423971050958226.97698.116386175050050&type=1

It was a lot of fun and I'm hoping I can get my kids to do it with me next year.

Well, just finished checking logs and it looks like there's only one race this weekend, but it's a big 'un!!  Melanie is doing a HALF IRONMAN!!!  She is an awesome triathlete (as are ALL my MMMers!) and I know she is prepared and will do well... please give her some pre-race love!!

GO MELANIE!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck Melanie!  Looking forward to the RR!

I'm actually considering a race this weekend - just a 5k, but it's on the Katy Trail and the proceeds from the race go to preserving the areas along the trail here in Missouri.  So it's for a good cause and it's fairly close to home. 

So my choices for a fall tri are down to 2.  One of the ones I was considering has already reached its max so it closed (it was actually the one I was leaning towards doing but you snooze, you lose).  The other 2 are very similiar - 300y/18m/5k vs. 300y/16.5m/5k.  The one with the shorter bike is a new race and the bike route is 4 loops - don't know if I like that idea.  The one with the longer bike is closer to home and I've done it before.  I know that's probably the one I should choose, but I'm kind of leaning towards the other one right now.  It's on Aug 4th and the close-to-home one is on Aug 19th so I could potentially do both (if I can work it into the budget).  Either way, I'll need to decide soon before both of those close too. 

Hope everyone is having a good week and has a wonderful weekend!
Janet2

I'm making final preparations for Sunday.  The taper for this race was really not fun!!  So I am hoping that it pays off.

Was hoping to get a swim in over lunch but the pool was closed for some emergency maintenance.

Got a bunch of my gear packed last night.  Will get the remaining stuff together on Saturday.

Eagleman is a pretty big race.  2,600 registrants.  About 100 in my age group!  There is mandatory bike racking on Saturday so I'm heading out of town tomorrow.  The race is about 2 hours away.  My wave start time is 6:50am!  That means getting up really, really early to drive to shuttle location, etc.  My hotel is about 15 miles from race site.  

Now just hoping the weather is not forecast to get any warmer.  Current weather is calling for a 91F high with AM temp of 69F.

And...there are jellyfish...

Melanie, I hope you have a great race.  I hope that the weather stays cooler than expected and that you don't meet up with any jellies.  I can't wait to here how it goes.

Kids have been out for summer break for one week and I already feel like summer has swallowed me whole.  I'm still trying to figure out how to fit my training in between all the kids swim lessons/team practices.  I've been going the pool 3-4 times a day between the two of them!  The fun part has been I am doing laps for about 30 minutes during my 3 y/o swim lessons and my 7 y/o has been splitting a lane with me.  I think I've only got another year before she is fast than me!  We bought a treadmill this week!!  I know most people hate TMs, but I usually prefer them to running with my 40 lbs. 3 y/o in the jogger (who also likes to start screaming for the last 10-15 minutes of my run - clearly 30 minutes is his max!).  This will also free me up to run later in the day, as right now if I don't run before 8am I can't handle the heat.  My 3 y/o is also still getting into trouble at the Y childcare, so this summer is looking to be heavy on the treadmill and trainer.

I did finally finish my race report : Danskin Triathlon Series - Austin .  Hopefully that link works, if not it is my logs.  

Next week is going to kick off my official training plan for my first century ride in Oct.  Logistically the training is going to be a nightmare, but I'm just going to give it a go and see how it works out.

Just got in the door from my first OWS triathlon.  I'm working on a race report but still waiting all the official split results.  Here are the highlights:

*  Forgot to pack my bike shoes!  Lunaracers + speedplay pedals= awkwardness 

*  Did not panic in the water.  However, there was a close call when I ran into something hard and then saw it was a huge, dead, black fish.  Ewwwwww.

*  Another women and I took a wrong turn on the run, cutting a mile off the 5K run!  Wish the volunteers there had let us know!  Anyway, the race directors allowed us to add 8minutes (just slower than our run pace) onto our overall time and we were still a long ways in front of the next girl so it did not really affect where we finished in the female race.  Still, it sucks to feel like a cheater!

*  My saddle just about killed my crotch

* Worst heel blisters I've ever had

But wait!  There's good news! lol Finished 2nd OA female (good for $100).  The shin is feeling fine (knock on wood) and I'm not tired at all.

My splits that I remember: 17:xx for 750m swim, 21.4 mph bike (according to Garmin) and 7:40 pace on the run.  I will finish the rr soon.

Hilde, thanks for the checklist.  I could definitely use it!  LMAO at the dead fish vs old lady crotch debate.  I don't know which would have been worse.  I guess I'd take the dead fish... it probably smelled better.

And yes, speaking of crotches I was referring to the aforementioned "girlie parts."  Let's just say it was a little awkward explaining to the young man who performed my bike fit exactly where I was having pain.  "The front 25% of my crotch" is what I finally went with.  May have to check out your Cobb saddle.  I'm currently using the Specialized tri-specific saddle (with cutout).  Also tried Selle Italia LDY gel flow onmy road bike with no luck.  Best so far- cheapie Nashbar sport for women at a very affordable $21.99.

Still waiting on official splits to finish my race report.  DH and I just celebrated with two slices of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake.  When it comes to post-race culinary rewards, we don't screw around.

I finished Eagleman 70.3.

Was not pretty.  But I finished!!!

Race report later today or tomorrow.

I will also have to check out the Cobb saddle.

Erin - congrats on OA placement.