Beer Drinker Appreciation Society (BDAS)--OPEN (Page 66)

Safety check bike ride of 15' and a 20' shake out run this morning. My bike has me thinking it might have a slow leak in the back tire. I'm going to keep an eye on it today until bike check in and if there are any doubts before then, it is getting changed.

Also, I figured out why the race is starting so late (8am)--the sun didn't rise until 7:45!! I'd hate that if I lived here!!

Nicole--how did your race go?

5am race morning. It is 46F. The sun won't rise for another two hours. I have expensive tri gear spread all over this county. The bike course is hillier than I expected based on the elevation maps posted online. This is one of those moments I question this hobby as crazy.

Gretchen, how did YOUR race go?!

Mine was mostly good. Will post a report late but here are the highlights: I screwed up on the swim and swam a bunch extra, which caused me to miss the podium in my age group. Pretty upset about that still (I swam to the buoy where we started but should've gotten out at the one before that. Probably added about 400m to my swim). The bike was torture. I was in no man's land for awhile and have a really hard time pushing myself on the bike. The only people I really saw were the insanely fast people with their aerobars and helmets that made me look like I was sitting still. I also had a pain under my right glute and was super uncomfortable the entire ride. Run was awesome though. Had a moment where I was again stuck in no man's land. Then a girl came up behind me and it reminded me that I was in a race. We ran together for awhile then on the 2nd lap I realized I felt pretty awesome and took off. I'm super excited for my sprint next weekend b/c I know the course and it's SO MUCH SHORTER.

Awesome job, Nicole, despite the missed buoy! Looking forward to the RR! You will crush your sprint!!

Race Report: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp...

I have to say that during the bike I vowed I would never do another Oly again. After finishing though and looking back, I feel really positive about the race. I feel a bit like an idiot for missing the swim finish, but it was certainly a learning experience. I do think I need to do a bike fitting since clearly something was off this weekend. I've never been that uncomfortable on my bike before. Hopefully my sprint this weekend isn't that painful, but at least it's only half the distance!

Thank you guys for your advice and support. I definitely didn't need any nutrition during the race since I made sure to eat enough before. Having some gatorade on hand helped though, and there was gatorade at the water stations if needed (which I didn't).

Nicole--glad to hear your race went well, missed buoy and all!!

I DNFed my race. I made it though the swim and 44 miles of the bike. I knew from about mile two on the bike that I wasn't going to make it through the whole race. My right foot/ankle started acting up soon after getting on the bike. Burning pain going from about halfway down the shin down the top of the lateral half of my foot. Burning pain I thought I could deal with, but then it started shooting pain up my leg to the knee around mile 35. I did another nine miles out of stubbornness and pride.

I'm off to the doctor this afternoon.

Oh no, Gretchen! I hope it is not serious! Rest up and let us know what the doctor says.

Congratulations Nicole, looks like you had a great recovery after some early adversity. Sub 50 minute 10k, great run!

But unfortunately commiserations to Gretchen. Good luck at the Drs, and hopefully whatever the injury is heals fast and fully, and you're back training in no time. There's always another race. You'll nail the next one.

No break in my foot. Bad strain according to prompt care folks. Prescribed a brace, icing, and steroids to reduce inflammation. And, the warning to rest it. Two weeks no bike, no run, no swim kick. It might be the most well rested I'll have been since starting triathlon!

Gretchen - sorry to hear about the injury affecting your race but also glad it's not serious. There will always be more races and frankly it's about the process right? The race is simply a celebration of all the training. Enjoy the rest and don't ramp up too quickly when you return.

Nicole thanks for the race report, congrats.

On a sadder note, I'm listening to tom petty while watching coverage of Las Vegas. Drinking a lot of bourbon. Sad day

-Matt

I wrote up a race report for my event on Sunday (http://beginnertriathlete.com/RaceLog/races-edit.asp?raceid=286766). It isn't much, but then again, I didn't finish! I'm okay with that. I was really disappointed at the time, but as others have said, it is really about the process and the race is simply the icing on the cake. I enjoyed the process this year much more than last year. I was stronger during long workouts and spent much less of my time in debilitating soreness. I looked back over my training logs from last year and this year was just better. That's what I'm in this sport for, personal improvement over time.

Now that I'm in my off season, I plan to take a couple of weeks to recuperate without any type of structured plan. I may not even do much of anything to give myself time to heal up. Dr. says I can swim with my ankle, but I have a sore left deltoid, so I might even skip that. Maybe some long walks with the dog or a hike or two after my ankle gets feeling better.

Your positive outlook is inspiring! You are certainly the most committed triathlete I have come into contact with, and it is no surprise that you felt stronger this year. Enjoy your rest! It is much deserved. So glad that your injury is not too serious.

Echo Nicole's thoughts Gretchen!

-Matt

Thanks everyone for your support! I always thought a DNF would be more difficult to deal with mentally/emotionally, but I've moved on relatively quickly. Maybe I just have too much other stuff going on right now. :P

Does anyone have any more races this season? Are we all in the off season now?

What does everyone have planned for the off season (if anything)?

I have a sprint tri this weekend! Haven't been doing much this week so hopefully I didn't lose my fitness!

I also just signed up to run a relay leg in the Baltimore Marathon (6.3 miles), I will run a turkey trot on Thanksgiving, and signed up for a 5 mile race in December called the Celtic Solstice. Swim meets will start up soon again as well. All these will hopefully motivate me to stay in shape over the winter!

Dang! That is a busy off season! Good for you Nicole!

Busy - story of my life these days! Hopefully school doesn't keep these aspirations I have from coming to fruition.

Open turn is okay! My coach open turns sometimes b/c he had the same surgery as you I think. It's all about the experience and the competition with yourself! We have another woman on our team who also had that back surgery and she's swimming her fastest times ever! Just sayin'...

Happy weekend all. Just checking in tho no training to report for me. I can't get out of my funk so whatever I'm just not gonna push it.

Even if I have no training to report I can still participate as I had some beer tonight. One of annual go to's, Sam Adams Octoberfest. Love it.

Enjoy the weekend.

-Matt

Oh! Well, if we are just reporting beer consumed, I'm in!! Enjoyed some Edmund Fitzgerald Porter tonight along with some Red Stag bourbon by Jim Beam. Both are great!

I love me a good Oktoberfest too!!

I did somehow drag myself to my Saturday ocean swim. Can't believe I said drag myself. But honestly I didn't feel like going. If it weren't for a friend I recruited new to the group I told I'd be there, I wouldn't have gone. ??

Anyway, it was a great swim. Water still warm here. (Almost 70!). Glad I went.

Back to reporting on the "B" in our name! More octoberfest with dinner tonight and now I'm watching the light go away with some Old Forester single barrel bourbon. And still listening to Tom Petty btw

-Matt