Monticelloman Race Report

Instead of enjoying the Apple Blossom festival this year, I headed down on Saturday to race Monticelloman with some of my Snapple teammates. After having the stomach flu the last time I headed down to Charlottesville to race, I was READY to have a solid day and start my season!

Snapple post race!

Swim

I carefully listened to the race director before the race explain the course. It looked simple enough, but with only two main sighting buoys, I was concerned it would be difficult to navigate and knew it would call for extra sighting!

I had high hopes that with the collegiate contingent at the race, I would have someone to swim with, but once my breathing steadied and I got used to the 64 degrees, I passed all the females in front of me and put the pressure on. I wasn't as cold as I expected, but it took me until the final buoy to really get into my stroke.

26 minutes later and slightly frozen, I excited first female and completely disoriented, as per the usual. I came close to falling down in transition, but didn't, so that's an improvement over my last two triathlons.

Bike

Once on the bike, I headed out debating if I should pull my arm coolers on at some point to keep me a warmer. I was in the company of a few males, so I decided to wait until things thinned out and hoped I had a few people to ride with.

After a few cat and mouse games up the early rollers, I put in a hard effort and passed ALL of them.  I would rather have a hard effort early on, then get a draft penalty. Unfortunately, after that, I saw very few people the entire ride so I stared at my bike computer and focused on nailing my nutrition.

The course was two loops, not closed to traffic, and also had an Olympic race going on riding some of the same roads. It was one of the more difficult courses I've done to maintain a steady effort (even with staring at my power meter), so I was thrilled to arrive back at transition right at my target watts.  While my time wasn't what I had hoped, my watts were 20 watts higher than I've done in a half ironman.

I chatted with Chris in T2 while I was putting on my running shoes, then headed out for the final leg.

Run

I took off on the run course at what felt a steady, manageable pace, but my calves were cramping almost immediately. I assumed it was nutrition, so I took a salt pill and had some of the diluted ironman perform I had in my fuel belt.  I wanted to walk, but I thought about the transition run I had done this winter in 12 degree temps, and kept going.

Around mile 4, my stride started opening up and since all my splits had been 7:30 or below, I thought I had a shot at my goal of beating my open half marathon PR (1:34 high). I saw Mindy, Ellen and Bart soon after, so that was an awesome pick-me-up before the turnaround.

Soon after the turnaround, I latched onto a male. I'd catch him on the uphills, he'd dropped me on the downhills and I'd do my best to stay a few yards behind him on the flats to block the wind. I'm sure I drove him crazy with my wheezing, so finally around mile 10 I pulled up with him.  He picked up the pace and surprisingly, I was able to stay with him!

When we hit mile 12, I picked it up and put everything I had into getting to the finish line. I was ready to be done. I crossed the line first female, and eighth overall with a new half ironman PR after 4 hours and 44 minutes.  Hopefully next time I'll break into the 4:30s, but it was a pretty darn good day!

Prizes were pretty awesome - I was very excited about my new watch and another Jefferson cup. HUGE THANKS to my family, Chris and my coach Lindsay for supporting me on my good training days and bad. Thanks to the sponsors of the Snapple Triathlon Team for providing me with the gear to compete and my teammates for providing inspiration daily.

Next up is round four at Eagleman.

Tri-Mania

This past weekend, Chris and I headed out to Bethesda for the Tri-Mania Summit and Expo. I was very excited to meet members of the Snapple National Team, Snapple DC Tri Team and Snapple Club, but a bit nervous for the Team Challenge. I was LUCKILY only participating in the swim and bike, but I was two weeks into a heavy block of training and I wasn't sure if my legs would show up.

For those not familiar with the event, it's an all day expo with a Team Challenge held throughout the day.  The run is done on the Georgetown Prep Cross Country course, the swim is in the Prep pool (and a rather nice pool!) and the bike was done in the same room where the expo was held. Adam gave a great recap of how the day went down, so I thought I would list my top four things from the day since Snapple's teams were 1st and 4th overall.

4.  Good Fitness Check - I'm rather competitive, so nothing gets me more excited than diving off the start blocks or lining up next to some people on the bike. I swim alone so when Matias emailed asking if I could swim 3:15, I laughed, but I came pretty darn close according to the time when I got out (3:18).  The bike was just plain awesome. I made sure to position myself on the end, then it was Lucas, Adam and Matias. I do intervals literally every week (thank you CTS), so I just zoned out, stared at my Quarq and drew strength from my other teammates looking to be in as much pain as I was. After not quite 17 minutes, I was done with a new power PR. I will probably be very unhappy when Lindsay updates my power zones, but for now, I'm just happy that my training is going as well as it is.

The bike setup

3. Remembering how to Suffer - Training alone can be good or bad. The good is I almost always do what's scheduled (sorry Coach), but the bad is I almost never get into situations where I get outside of my comfort zone. Short time trials are a big sufferfest in my book, especially on the bike, so it was a great opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and test myself. Not surprisingly, I did better than I thought, and I've already been able to carry this forward into my workouts this week.

Suffering - love the Louis Garneau Kits!

2.  Good Support  - Triathlons are an expensive hobby and it was absolutely incredible on Saturday night to have Bart, the team manager, give Adam and I our gear. I knew what we were getting and I understand the marketing implications for the sponsors, but I am still amazed by the amount these companies have invested in us. I can't wait to test out all the gear once the snow melts.

AMAZING - thank you Rudy Project, Louis Garneau, Mizuno USA, Snapple, Vita Coco

1.  Good Friendships - I knew some of my teammates prior, but it was a great opener to have dinner on Saturday night and then spend Sunday at an event like the Expo. With plenty of down time, I really got to know some of my teammates and it'll be fun to race alongside with them all year long.  Across the board, there are some very talented members on the Snapple National Team, DC Snapple Tri Team and Snapple Club, so I am really excited to see what this year holds for everyone.

Before the swim

Next up is the Charlottesville Half Marathon and my not so secret goal is to break 1:30 (PR 1:34).  That will take some suffering, some heart and some good ol' fashion luck!

2013 Sponsor Update & the Race Schedule

Well, it's been over a month since my last update and I feel like I'm finally getting my race schedule finalized this year, so I felt it was time to go into more detail about the Snapple National Team sponsorship and share my race schedule!  And from the numbers I'm seeing as of late, I may try to squeeze in a bike race (road race, obviously)

I was very fortunate this year to be named to the 2013 Snapple National Team.  We are working with many companies that have products I used before having a sponsorship agreement with them, so I really couldn't be more excited. My first box arrived from Xterra Wetsuits, so I had that Christmas in January feeling :)

The wetsuit has plenty of room for my broad shoulders - YES! 52' @ IMLP this year :)?

I've listed below some of the additional companies we are working with, so you can click on the links to learn more about the companies. And for companies that I have codes to share, I've also included those.

www.clifbar.com

www.mizunousa.com

http://www.louisgarneau.com/lang_select.php

www.nuun.com - Code 2013snappletri (case sensitive) for 30% off

www.finisinc.com - Code snapple for 25% off

www.xterrawetsuits.com - Code c-lyte

www.e-rudy.com - Code snapple for 40% off

www.tunefootwear.com - Code TUNESNAPPLE2013 for $20 off

I've held off for a long time finalizing my race schedule because I have a hard time deciding what I want to do a year in advance. I think a part of me is always scared I'm going to get hurt, and I'm also just slightly indecisive. Luckily I only had to sign up for a few in the summer of 2012 (and those are repeats), so I've had time to debate on the others and add some new, exciting things for 2013.

04.06 -  Charlottesville Half Marathon
04.25 -  Snapple Team Camp
05.05 -  Monticelloman Half Ironman
05.10 & 05.11 - Tour de Skyline
06.09 -  Eagleman (why do I always do this race??? Oh yeah, I want the BIG eagle)
07.28 -  IMLP (this WILL BE ironman marathon redemption)
rest tbd

My major goals for 2012 were to be the top amateur at an Ironman and get on the podium at Ironman Hawaii. I only checked off one of those goals, so hopefully my season will end with a trip to Kona. And with Hines Ward doing Kona, that's extra motivation for this life-long Steeler fan!

Happy Shopping!

The End of 2012

The last few months have been filled with family and friends. While I haven't been good about blogging, I finally have a few updates and pictures to share.

Post Kona, I was ready for a few weeks of doing very limited activity. So the first weekend back, we went and visited my sister in Williamsburg and I got to meet my new nephew, Logan. Poor Logan has horrible acid reflux and has not been the happiest baby, but he's slowly feeling better (as is his Aunt who's on an 8 week prescription dose - YIKES!)

October 2012 - Preston, KT, Logan

In November, Chris and I headed out to California for Thanksgiving. We went mountain biking with his brother and sister-in-law, and thankfully, while I was pathetically slow and stopped many times on the downhill section, I only managed to crash once and didn't cry.  I would have never lived that down!

Chris checking his phone

 December started out with the exciting news that I'm on Team Snapple for 2013. I couldn't be more excited to race with this team.  I've followed a few of my teammates' blogs for years, so it's fun to now be on their team. We'll be racing in Rudy Helmets (YAY), Xterra Wetsuits and using Clif products.  Awesome. 

And since clearly my bike and kit needed to match, I finally got a new bike. The bike is still at my sister's until this weekend, but I can't wait to start riding it and getting used to the aggressive aero position (free speed - WAHOOOOOOOOOOO!) And thank you Joanna for bringing it back from CO for me!



Have a Healthy and Happy New Year!

SVSR Winter Series 5K #3

Ironman Hawaii 2012

This is the third time I've been fortunate enough to race on the Big Island; however, I feel like this is the first time I've finally been able to enjoy myself and feel like I belonged at the race. Leading up to the race, I was calm and ready to go. I knew I had done everything I could in training, so I didn't worry about all the little things I couldn't control. As long as I went out and gave it my all on October 13th, I didn't care what the outcome was.

Pre-race went smoothly and before I knew it, I was getting in the water with Adam Otstot (go Tribe!). I was a little concerned when the Ford vehicle wasn't in the water to line up at, but I made a point of going fairly far left and lined myself up behind a male wearing Sweedish goggles. I got fairly cold while I was waiting, but remembered this was the only time I'd be shivering all day so I embraced it.

Ready for Battle

Swim - 57:54

The cannon wasn't working this year, so they yelled go and we were off. The first 200 meters were mayhem, as expected, so I forced myself to keep my head down and keep swimming regardless of how many blows I took (quite a few). I got on the feet of a fairly large male and concentrated on breathing every other stroke. Unfortunately he took us a bit wide, but it was better than the brawl on the buoy line. I only saw one other pink cap, so I figured the pace was fine and just kept swimming. I felt strong the entire way, but started getting really disoriented with about 1,000 meters to go. I picked up the pace and passed almost everyone in the group I was in and was thrilled to reach the stairs. I broke my cardinal rule of looking at the time and was ticked to see I swam slower than last year.

I was pretty disorientated going through T1, so I felt like I was taking forever. I made sure to thank the volunteers as they put layers of sunblock on me, and ran out of the changing tents only to get plowed into by a male running full steam from the males' changing tent.  Seriously, you're not going to make up much time running 10 mph in T1, so really folks, unless your Andy Potts, be polite and at least get past the changing tents before you start running hard.

Bike - 5:24:18

Ummm, apparently I thought I should stand & rest before mounting my bike ???

I actually remembered to put my bike into my little gear, so I took it easy coming out of T1. The first thirty miles of the course flew by, I was continually getting passed by a stream of men and started getting very concerned I was riding poorly. Then I realized my average watts were right at my target range, so I told myself to ride within myself and started ignoring what was going around around me. We hit crosswinds around mile 75 of the Queen K, so I knew we were in for it. I made sure to get ahead of my nutrition before I hit the road up to Hawi figuring the crosswinds would be similar to 2010 where I was getting blown across the road. While the wind was strong, I stayed in my aero bars and hardly got blown around at all. The difference from 2010 was simple, I was riding faster and had a much higher power output. Weight really isn't as big of a factor as I once thought, especially considering how much weight I've lost since then.

I saw Haley Chura at the turnaround, so I knew I was having a good ride. I mentally prepared myself for the way down Hawi, but I hit 45 mph and really only got blown across the road twice. I'd do Hawi any day over Skyline. Once we made the left after the road down from Hawi, the headwind was back and I'm really not so sure when it went away. I have rode countless rides this year where I had a headwind for the last two hours, so I ignored it and while it was surely frustrating to be downshifting in some instances while going DOWNHILL, I didn't worry about it. The coolest thing of the entire day was when the TV cameras came by and taped me for a bit. I like riding near the front of the amateur pack :)

Last year I was very unhappy by mile 90, but this year was an entirely different story. I felt strong and in control and passed quite a few males at the end.  I was at the low end of my ranges, so I was excited to see if this was the day I would finally run the Ironman marathon.

Run - 3:57:08

T2 was uneventful (thank goodness!) and I was in and out before I knew it. I didn't have the back pain of Placid and while I didn't feel good starting out, I didn't feel horrible. I met Shawn around mile 1 and stayed running with him until almost mile 8. That was awesome.

My parents were stationed at roughly miles 9.5 and 10 on the course and I was very happy to see them both. I felt good when I saw my mom, but by the time I saw my dad at mile 10, I knew something wasn't quite right. I was starting to get the chills and my face felt so hot. I realized soon after I was badly burned on my face. I had had signs of heat problems at Eagleman and was able to manage it, so I attempted to do the same thing here with fluids and ice. Unfortunately around mile 13, my luck ran out and my stomach started turning south quick. I've been having problems with acid reflux since August, so I'm not sure if it was that, the sunburn or simply my body revolting after 13 miles of running. The last 13 miles were my typical Ironman death march and while it was discouraging to go from 4th to 8th in the 25-29 AG over those last miles, I did not give up like I would have typically done and kept the walking to the minimum.  I still ran my second fastest Ironman marathon ever and it was the first time I ran the first 13 without walking. I will certainly take an Ironman PR on a hard day and know that the best is still to come.

Final time - 10:25:28

As always, thanks to my family and friends for supporting me.  Thanks to Lindsay for developing me as an athlete and always being there when I need to talk. I can't thank my office mates enough for the office decorations and cake upon my return. Thanks to Powerbar for the nutrition products to keep me fueled,  H20 Audio for keeping me entertained in the pool and Cyclelops for helping me be the best rider I can be.

Kona

With the exception of some mechanical issues that left us sitting on the plane for FOUR hours at the Denver airport, this trip has been nothing short of amazing and I will say again how grateful I am to be here competing.  I haven't had one person ask if I received a roll down slot or if I was competing this year, so that is an accomplishment in itself.  In fact, the only thing I've heard is how young I look.

I've swam three times from Dig Me Beach, the start of Ironman.  The water went from being calm on Sunday, to downright wavy on Wednesday, so I guess only time will tell what Saturday will be.

Dig Me Beach

I have rode the Queen K twice - once with Alyssa on Sunday and once alone on Monday. I was quickly reminded how generous the tailwind is on the way out, and how strong the headwind is coming back into town.  I also made a trip out to Hawi to ride the toughest part of the course; unfortunately, the ever prevalent crosswinds were nowhere to be found on Tuesday.  While I'd like to think that will happen on race day, I'm mentally prepared for strong gusts blowing me across the road.

Out on the Queen K

I ran out at the energy lab on Wednesday and proved to myself that I could run the hills coming back up to the Queen K. According to my Garmin, they weren't exactly hills, so apparently I had a bit of a mental breakdown last year. I.WILL.RUN. on Saturday. Seriously.

I've worked the Powerbar booth, made custom goggles at the TYR house, and have been fortunate enough to talk to vendors of some of my favorite products.

Alyssa and I were lucky enough to be one of 400 that received Rudy Helmets to wear this weekend. I absolutely love this helmet, so I'm very excited for my new one.

New helmets!  Thank you Rudy Project

We've done a mix of cooking in the condo and going out, the best discovery has definitely been the acai bowls. I could eat these everyday.

The Banyan

I wouldn't be here without the support of my family and friends, so I can't say thank you enough.

 

Almost go Time!

AHHHHHHHHH, Kona departure is tomorrow! And as you may expect, I'm just a little EXCITED! My bags are almost all packed and I'm using my awesome new TYR luggage.

I've had a pretty awesome last week and I am feeling fit, fresh and happy that I have somewhat maintained a balanced lifestyle in the midst of Kona training. And unlike years past, I have not had ONE breakdown this entire training cycle.

Saturday morning was my last long run and I'll be honest, I felt like crap that morning. Absolute crap. I had the awesome idea a few weeks ago to ask Lindsay if we could extend the scheduled time of 2:30. I felt like mentally I needed to run 20 before Kona. Grumpily I started out a little before 8 am (late for me), but the miles ticked by fairly quickly and I had the most successful long run I've ever had and a huge confidence booster.

Later that day, Chris and I headed to the park for Apple Cross setup. While I was tempted to enter the CX race (HAH!), I watched everyone preride the course and enjoyed catching up with friends. It was great to see everyone and even more fun to go out for drinks and dinner that night (I am seriously the world's worst picture taker)! Kenny made a humorous toast that I will definitely draw strength from! :)

On Sunday I went to a winery. Fun! Since my typical Sunday involves riding my bike for hours on end, this was a very nice change of pace and a great way to start my taper. While there was some mention of Ironman, that conversation was limited.

This week has been filled with work, picking up a few last minute things I needed and getting some pretty awesome emails, pictures, etc. wishing me good luck. Lindsay sent me the plan last night and unlike Placid where I completely freaked out, this time around I felt completely comfortable and think it's totally doable.

I'm feeling very grateful to have the opportunity to go to Kona next week, compete with the best in the world and hopefully in the process, push myself to new limits. But regardless of whatever happens next Saturday for me, the sun will still set and nothing in my life will change.

Finish - 2011