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Texas Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


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Canyon Lake, Texas
United States
Seidel Productions
40F / 4C
Sunny
Total Time = 4h 31m 20s
Overall Rank = 172/173
Age Group = Athena
Age Group Rank = 3/3
Pre-race routine:

Derek and I drove out to Canyon Lake from NOLA over 2 days. Got lost a couple times, but finally found the 70's love shack on the Guadelupe River! Met up with the BT gang at the Guadelupe Retreat cabin Friday night. Got to meet Bill (RGRBill), Celeste (CitySky), Brandt (OldAg92), Dennis (dgunthert), Colleen (triveggies), and Colleen's friend Ryan. Haley (Comet) and Aaron (JeepFleeb) were also at the Love Shack. I shook my head, watching 4 BT'ers sitting in the living room with their laptops open, all logged onto BT at the same time!
Went to bed around 10:30 and set my alarm for 5:00, because I'm neurotic like that. Dressed, went outside and laughed/cried when I saw frost on our windshield. Loaded up the bike, my jockstrap took care of the rest of my gear. Drove 20 minutes to the race site and said hello to 6 deer along the way. 30 degrees at this point. Race had been pushed back to 8:30, but I was really skeptical on how much it would really warm up before then. Picked a transition spot close to the T1 entrance/T2 exit, but out of the way so I wouldn't hog a spot for the real speedsters of the race. I wore my red tri top with my Desoto tri shorts under my wetsuit, but I laid out a pair of tights, gloves, handwarmers, headband, and extra socks just in case I needed the extra warmth, or the race directors would decide to throw in an unexpected dogsled race or something.
I know this has already run long, but let me say, I was in quite a bit of denial this week about the difficulty of this race. Not to disrespect the course, but I think this was my defense mechanism to prevent myself from freaking out. Well, once I started setting up my transition, the freaking out began. I overheard a guy with a P3 carbon say "yeah, that bike course...it's pretty challenging." After I set up, I went to find Derek and I started to cry. Not sobbing, not Sybil-like or anything, just quiet, I'm-so-out-of-my-mind-to-be-doing-this tears. Derek tried to calm me down, but it wasn't helping much. That lasted about 5 or 10 minutes, then I put on my wetsuit. That thing must have been like my Superman tights, because after that I calmed down a lot. Pre-race meeting, blah blah.
Event warmup:

Haley and I slid (literally slid) down the scummy boat launch into the lake. Honestly, the water wasn't as cold as what I thought at first, but I also peed in my wetsuit pretty much right off the bat. :) Unfortunately, they made us get back out to start the waves, so we slid back up the ramp (almost did a face-plant) and shivered on the ramp while the first 2 waves took off.
Swim
  • 43m 49s
  • 1500 meters
  • 02m 55s / 100 meters
Comments:

Oh...my....God. As much as I had been worrying about the bike course and whether or not I could finish that, this swim was the only part of the race where the thought of quitting crossed my mind. The water absolutely took your breath away, it was so cold on your face. My wetsuit filled up pretty quick, so my body got used to it, but the rest of me was having issues. I stayed on the inside/back of the ladies wave and felt good about that until the relay wave came up behind me. Luckily, no issues with kicking or being kicked, just a lot of grab-ass. At this point, I still hadn't made it to the first buoy. I was swearing like a sailor because my goggles kept fogging up, the RD passed by in his speedboat making unexpected waves and the kayaks weren't doing a great job, IMHO, closing in the course enough to help with navigation.
My swimming technique was as good as it has ever been, considering I was breathing every other stroke. I was really trying to concentrate on my hand entry and reaching and catching the water. No need for bilateral breathing, but my left-sided neck soreness today says I should have at least tried.
About halfway through the swim, Brandt (OldAg92) passed me and I warbled out a cheer for him. At this point, I had made peace with myself that I was going to be dead last out of the water. But surprise, surprise, I made it around the last buoy and passed a woman after some encouragement and well-wishes. I pulled it in, gladly letting the Air Force volunteers pull me onto the ramp.
What would you do differently?:

Swim in warmer water. Honestly, I don't see how it can get much colder than that.
Transition 1
  • 05m 51s
Comments:

I was extremely dizzy coming up the ramp into T1. I started drifting over to the right, a la the Dizzy Bat Race. Luckily I straightned out and got my cap, goggles and wetsuit halfway off. Had to sit down (twice) getting the @#$%$ wetsuit off my left ankle. Decided against the tights and handwarmers, but pulled on my long-sleeved cyling jersey. All the while getting running commentary and comic relief from Celeste (CitySky) about her swim and pending potty break! :) I was so glad to have her nearby to keep me laughing!
What would you do differently?:

Fight harder to get the wetsuit off efficiently.
Bike
  • 2h 10m 17s
  • 27.96 miles
  • 12.88 mile/hr
Comments:

This is what I have been dreading since I signed up for this race. Going back to the denial part of my preparation, I didn't drive Devil's Backbone prior to the race. Glad I didn't. I was pretty proud of myself the first 4 miles. I even got out of my saddle to power up a hill. At mile 5, there was this long, steady climb that seemed at least a 1/2 mile. I had made another peace with myself that this coonass would jump off and walk if I had to, which started my mantra of "There's no shame in my game." Purgatory Road wasn't too bad, lots of rollers, with one short, steep climb that I had to jump off again. The monster downhill everyone was talking about certainly lived up to its name. The last time I checked my computer, it was at 37 mph, but I know I got higher than that. I just got so scared of crashing, I didn't want to look down anymore! The roads were extremely rough...brain rattling. I even pulled into a restaurant parking lot because it was smoother than the shoulder. Finally made it back to the park entrance and had to yell at the sheriff's deputy and the cars that wouldn't listen to him so I could make a left turn into the park.
What would you do differently?:

Obviously, change the topography of the city of New Orleans to include a few monster hills to prepare myself for races like these. Sure, my avaerage speed was slow, but I literally had never climbed a hill prior to this race. The fact that I finished is so awesome to me that I just don't care.
Transition 2
  • 02m 2s
Comments:

I got to the rack and had to fluff up a little at the guys already finished who racked their bikes in my place. I think I said something to the effect of, "Come on guys, leave a little space for the slow girls!" They quickly slid their bikes over for me, which was great. Pulled on my shoes, got my number on and ran/walked while pulling my hat on.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. My legs were pretty shot from the bike, so I hope to be able to run in and out the next time.
Run
  • 1h 29m 19s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 14m 23s  min/mile
Comments:

I come out of T2, and who is standing there waiting for me but Haley. :) I don't think I was so relieved to see a familiar face in my life! Bill, Dennis, Colleen, Ryan and Brandt were also there cheering me on. After the first half mile, Derek, Courtney (CourtneyLeone) and her boyfriend were waiting for us with beers (Haley took, I passed). I stripped off my long sleeves and chugged along. I had planned on walking the whole 10k. Luckily, Haley had other plans. We ended up doing a run 2, walk 1 minute pace for the first lap. We met up with an older guy doing his first Oly too (lots of first-timers) and made up a little time there. Joked around with a couple of the Air Force volunteers and promised them beers on our second lap. We walked most of the second lap, talking about everything under the sun and enjoying the amazing weather that had thankfully warmed up to the high 60's. Brought beers to the AF volunteers and made fun of them b/c they were bitching about having to STAND all day...wimps. Had the BT crew run me into the chute. My jockstrap handed me a beer and I sprinted into the finish.
What would you do differently?:

I need to run more, but the hills really ate my lunch throughout the race.

Post race
Warm down:

Took 2 sips of my beer from Derek and thought I would throw up, so I gave it away. The post-race party had already packed up, so there was no food left, only warm bottles of water. That really pisses me off. Yes, we're slow, but we're out on the course longer than anyone else and deserve at least a piece of fruit or something after busting our ass out there. Ok, rant over. We waited for Celeste to come in and cheered louder than anyone when she pulled in. She did so great!!!!!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Hills, Hills and more Hills. I only found out about this race about a month ago, so my Oly training was pathetically behind. No matter. I finished and that's what counts to me.

Event comments:

Some people may think this sounds hokey, but at this point in my tri-life, this was my Ironman. I don't think it hit me until Derek and I got in the car to leave. We were talking about how far I had come in the last year. One year ago, I couldn't do any of the three events. Today, I swam a mile for the first time, I rode 27 miles for the first time and I rode and ran/walked in hills for the first time. How incredible is that?
But let me say, I couldn't have done it without the help and encouragement of Derek and Haley.
Like he does with everything I say I can't do, Derek is always there trying to get it through my thick skull that I can and will succeed in anything I set my mind to. After this race, I think I might be a little easier to convince. He was a great jockstrap and I will gladly do the same for him next year. (I've tentatively decided not to do this race again because of the crappy roads).
And Haley...the person who got me to register for this race in the first place ("Come on! It'll be FUN!"). Well, it was fun most of the time. She sacrificed her times for the run to wait for me and drag me into the finish. How cool is that? She kept me laughing and running throughout, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
A thought that kept running through my mind for this race was "There's no shame in my game." I was thoroughly humbled by this race and am so impressed with the performance of all participants, especially my fellow BT'ers: JeepFleeb, the ultimate Comeback Kid, CitySky, the fighter til the end and all the rest of the gang, who all did fantastic in my book.

I don't know that I'll ever do an Oly again. I think the soreness and the scariness of it all needs to wear off before I can commit again, but I am definitely ready to keep racing. What a start to the season! :)


Profile Album


Last updated: 2006-03-26 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:43:49 | 1500 meters | 02m 55s / 100meters
Age Group: 3/3
Overall: 166/173
Performance: Average
Only looked at my HRM once, only to see how bad it was after about the first 200m I think it was around 146bpm. My heart felt like it was beating out of my chest.
Suit: Ironman Stealth Sleevless
Course: Counterclockwise traingle in Canyon Lake. The RD reported the water temp, but I think he might have taken the temperature next to someone who peed, because that water was friggin COLD!!!!!!!!
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 61F / 16C Current: Low
200M Perf. Bad Remainder: Good
Breathing: Average Drafting: Bad
Waves: Average Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 05:51
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
02:10:17 | 27.96 miles | 12.88 mile/hr
Age Group: 3/3
Overall: 167/173
Performance:
Wind: None
Course: Out of Canyon Lake Park, then clockwise loop onto hwy 306, to Devil's Backbone (Soooooo appropriate!), to Purgatory Road, then back onto 306.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Bad
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 02:02
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
01:29:19 | 06.21 miles | 14m 23s  min/mile
Age Group: 3/3
Overall: 167/173
Performance: Bad
Couldn't check my HR because my watch got water under the face during the swim.
Course: Two loops around Canyon Lake Park. One big hill at mile 2 and 5.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized?
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? No
Post race activities: Bad
Race evaluation [1-5] 1

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2006-03-26 9:19 AM

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Expert
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McKinney, TX
Subject: Texas Triathlon


2006-03-26 9:32 AM
in reply to: #379635

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Elite
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Hurst, Texas
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon

Hey Laurie,

Great report.  I'm really proud of you...way to stick it out through a tough course.  I also had the "dizzy bat" syndrome BAD after that swim...it was my worst swim ever.  This race kicked my a$$ like none other.  You did great and kept a great attitude through tough conditions.

It was fun hanging out with you guys...you and Derek are first class.  Thanks for taking care of the love shack arrangements.  Hope to see you guys soon at another race!

 

 

2006-03-26 9:45 AM
in reply to: #379635

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Champion
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Bellingham, Washington
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon
Perseverance!   Congrats on finishing a tough race.
2006-03-26 9:59 AM
in reply to: #379635

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2006-03-26 10:04 AM
in reply to: #379635

Champion
5183
5000100252525
Wisconsin
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon
Oh my gosh. I think I just read a preview to my first (and onlyl!) Oly next month.  The good news, is... YOU FREAKIN DID IT!  I hope it really is a preview !  WTG!
2006-03-26 10:15 AM
in reply to: #379635

Queen BTich
12411
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,
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon

Laurie you did a FANTASTIC job! The bike course was hilly and I'm impressed that you did so well, and well mentally with it. I kept thinking on the bike "I know Laurie is cussing me right now, this is a big a** hill!"

Congrats, and I had a great time doing the run with you!



2006-03-26 10:16 AM
in reply to: #379635

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2006-03-26 10:18 AM
in reply to: #379664

Queen BTich
12411
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,
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon
JeepFleeb - 2006-03-26 11:16 AM

It was so much fun hanging out with you and Derek this weekend.  And even though I'm sitting 5 feet away from you as I post this, I miss you already!

Well, y'all could just move and sit together. Geez.

2006-03-26 10:20 AM
in reply to: #379665

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2006-03-26 10:30 AM
in reply to: #379635

Elite
2706
2000500100100
Hurst, Texas
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon

***HIJACK***

I miss that couch...I miss all of you.  I don't miss that freakin' course!

Everyone have a safe trip home (Well, for Haley, there is no home, but you get the point).  It was great seeing you all.

2006-03-26 10:33 AM
in reply to: #379635

Expert
1085
1000252525
New Orleans, LA
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon

WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!

 You did it!!!

It's all downhill from here



2006-03-26 11:50 AM
in reply to: #379635

Elite
3088
20001000252525
Austin, TX
Gold member
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon
Great job Laurie! I was so glad I made this race and got to meet all of you. Coming down on race morning just wouldn't have been the same.

I realized on the way home yesterday that I totally forgot to pay you guys for the house. PM me with you full name and address and how much I owe you and I'll send you a check.
2006-03-26 1:40 PM
in reply to: #379635

Master
2314
2000100100100
Gulf Shores, AL
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon
Congrats on a great job. Every so often you read a race report that really grabs you. This was one of those!!
2006-03-26 2:41 PM
in reply to: #379635

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2006-03-26 3:42 PM
in reply to: #379635

Elite
2796
2000500100100252525
Texas
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon
Hey mama! You did a GREAT job yesterday! I'm currently in full geek mode with my wireless laptop flying over the scene of the next OLY site: The Battle of San Jacinto. C'mon it'll be FUN! At least the water will be warmer.....maybe. Great meeting you all. See you soon!
2006-03-26 3:48 PM
in reply to: #379635

Pro
4612
20002000500100
MA
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon

Wow Laurie, you did it!!  Nice job!!!

I like the description of 4 BTers with laptops logging onto BT!  Laughing



2006-03-26 7:21 PM
in reply to: #379635

Master
1728
100050010010025
Pulaski TN
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon
Way to go!!!
2006-03-26 11:36 PM
in reply to: #379635

Champion
26509
500050005000500050001000500
Sydney
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon

Woohoo!! you did great!!!

Congrats on your FIRST Oly Laurie sounds like an awesome day with great support.... COngratulations!

Cat

2006-03-26 11:38 PM
in reply to: #379635

Elite
2796
2000500100100252525
Texas
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon
Here's the slide into the swim start



(preswim laurie haley.JPG)



Attachments
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preswim laurie haley.JPG (67KB - 45 downloads)
2006-03-27 1:10 AM
in reply to: #379635

Expert
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500100100100100
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon
Congratulations
2006-03-27 7:26 AM
in reply to: #380080

Elite
2421
2000100100100100
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon

Nice job.  I know that jump from sprints to olys seems huuuuge.  Way to take it on such short notice.

bts 



2006-03-27 7:55 AM
in reply to: #379635

Elite
3201
20001000100100
South Florida
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon
Whoa - this was the best race report I've read in a while! I feel like I was there watching you guys. Congratulaitons on finishing what sounded like a really hard race! I love your mantra of "No shame in my game!" I wish I knew that before I did my first (and only so far) tri - I had the dsame problem with having to get off the bike on a huge hill in Massachusetts. I trained in flat Florida - there was no way I was getting up a huge hill!

Anyway - you might have inspired me to do the Oly I was thinking of for this season. I'm not signing up yet, but I am keeping this race report in the back of my mind while I decide!
2006-03-27 7:57 AM
in reply to: #379635

Master
1292
1000100100252525
McKinney, TX
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon
Great job! Doing my first Oly this year, but it's in Dallas in July. Cold won't be an issue.
2006-03-27 8:38 AM
in reply to: #379635

Master
2052
20002525
Colorado
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon

Yay! You did it you did it you did it.

GREAT job!

2006-03-27 10:50 AM
in reply to: #379635

Expert
950
5001001001001002525
McKinney, TX
Subject: RE: Texas Triathlon
Just posted pics in the album!

Edited by tri_it_cajun_style 2006-03-27 10:50 AM
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