Drewwhite's Mentoring Group - Closed (Page 7)

I'm back!  Looks like I missed a lot.  Lynne, you appear to have had a complete makeover -- I didn't recognize you at first!  Drew, come to Houston for your Marathon -- we have absolutely NO hills whatsoever -- seriously.  It's a fun event in mid January & signups just started.  I'll be dong the 1/2 Marathon (my max).  You & wifey are welcome to stay with us if you decide to make the trip.  Mike you are so lucky to have so many Olympic options.  I can't find any in Houston, and it's so expensive and time consuming to travel to races.  I'm slowly deciding to postpone my HIM dream at least until next Spring, though, just because my schedule this summer is so nutty. 

 However, June is my "big" race.  Danskin-Austin was my first Tri in 1999 and I've never been able to beat my original time.  (Granted, it was a different course in 99, but so what?)  I'm DETERMINE to ring in my new "Masters" status by beating my time from 99.  I almost did it last year, but the swim messed me up SO, I think I'll try to hit the pool today.

Mike,

 Good luck!  That's exciting!  Can't wait for the full race report! I'll give you my thoughts, but take them with a grain of salt. 

The Swim: I hate swimming in a mob scene, so I tend to stick toward the outside of the pack for the OWS.  Even with a slightly longer distance, I go faster because I don't get bogged down in the mob.  This is not a good idea if you don't swim straight, though, as you'll have a harder time sighting on your own.  If you're fast, then sprint in front of the group & keep an even speed once you break loose.  (I don't have the "swim fast" problem.) Otherwise, just remind yourself that the swim is the shortest part of the race and probably won't make a huge difference if you have to do some back & forth around slow or uncoordinated swimmers.

Your Family: Your wife isn't allowed to help you in any way during the race, or you'll get disqualified.  However, having someone cheering you on is a HUGE help.  If she can come later, just let her know your swim wave start time.  She can hang out by the bike out/in and run out/in areas to look for you after that.  My kids get super bored at these events, so I usually do it alone & give them the race report when I get home.

 Overall tips that I forgot on my first tri:  Wear waterproof sunscreen.  Bring at least a clean shirt & socks for after the race. Practice transitioning before the race.  (Do that on Friday instead of exercising.)  On the morning of the race, figure out EXACTLY how to find your bike from the swim in and bike in areas.  Count the racks!  I racked one row over from a lady with the exact same bike, shoes & bag as mine.  I figured out the problem because her shoes didn't fit! If you don't have a race belt, get one.  It makes getting your race number on much faster. You'll cool down from the swim on the bike, so don't slow down in transition.  Pack sunglasses (easy to forget in the early morning hours).

 Nutrition: If you're going to eat a Gu or something while racing, make sure to train with it at least once before race day.  Nothing worse than a gel sitting on your stomach like a brick while you ride.  (Trust me, I've done it.) For the sprints, I usually eat a bagel with cream cheese and a banana in the a.m. & if I have a long wait until my swim start, I may have some Clif Blocks and water while I wait.  Don't do anything new to your body on race day in terms of nutrition.  If you usually have coffee, then have coffee. 

You're going to have a blast!!!  This weekend I'm doing the Danskin, which was my first triathlon in 1999.  I'm scared to death.  There are 3,000 women at this thing, and it's a tough course.  However, it's socially acceptable to cry when you finish, so I love the event.  I'm terrified of the swim, though, and determined to PR my time for it somehow.  Wish me luck!

Hi Derek, I hear you.  I was out of town on business last week, and my husband leaves tomorrow for the rest of the week.  Not the best pre-race prep.

Lynne, you're going to love wetsuits.  After you get over how weird they feel, you discover how fast you are when you're floating!  Enjoy!  Water will be around 80 here, so no such luck for this weekend.  Also like the fact that you don't feel people touching you as much in wetsuits. (I'm such a baby in the water!!!)

 Jamie

I agree with what everyone has said so far. I would add that on the run, it's probably best to start out at a pace that's a little slower than you feel like running, just to make sure that you get your running legs working for you.  In addition, if your wife can come, it's always fun to have a fan in the crowd and someone to take a pics of your first race.  Other than that, wear that orange tri suit with pride and don't forget that this is your only chance to do your first tri, so enjoy it!

As I've said before, I think EVERYONE should have to post a picture of themselves in their tri suits to the group.  It's totally unfair that I'm the only dweeb who's posted the lifesize lycra shot! I'm getting a new race suit for this weekend, though.  Starting to have nightmares about the swim, but trying to do deep breathing.  The Danskin is just entirely too big.  There are 3,000 women, so it's impossible not to get kicked, and the bike is a white-knuckler due to all of the large numbers of inexperienced riders.  I wrecked on the bike a couple of years ago because a girl swerved in front of me and hit her breaks in a turn.  (And I thought driving in Houston traffic was dangerous!)  Probably would quit doing this race if I didn't have such a sense of loyalty to it, since it was my first.  Of course, it was only about 1,000 people in '99.  It's a PHENOMENAL course, too.  My absolute favorite of any course I've ever done.