At the start of this season, my one goal was to gain experience racing as a professional. If I could learn what to work on in the next off-season, then I would consider this goal accomplished. This meant tackling a variety of different races with all different types of terrain, in different types of weather, so I could see how I would do relative to the competition in varying conditions. So far I have learned that my swim doesn't change much, regardless of the conditions. I am better in non-wetsuit, rough water conditions compared to my competitors, but I can swim in anything and still be one of the top out of the water. The bike is a bit different: Mooseman 70.3 I experienced a hilly, rainy and cold bike ride, Muskoka was hilly and cold, Timberman was rolling hills and cold, Rhode Island and Mont Tremblant were rolling hills and hot! I can only conclude that, since my best cycling was done in Mont Tremblant and Rhode Island, I am a hot weather cyclist who prefers rolling hills to steep climbs (for now, anyway!). The run: hands down I prefer a hilly run, hot or cold doesn't seem to matter. My top run splits relative to the field have been at Rhode Island 70.3 (3rd fastest run split) and Muskoka 70.3 (5th fastest run split). So I can say that even though my season isn't over yet I have learned what to work on during the off-season! Goal accomplished. However, it isn't always fun racing in conditions that you don't prefer (even if you are learning something), which brings me to my race report on the Muskoka 70.3.
The morning started off a little later than usual, we got to sleep in until 5:30am for an 8am race start. This was nice. I got to transition, set up my bike - although in this race I had way less room than usual. My bike was on the end of the rack and literally squeezed in between the poles that support the rack and the bike beside me. This would pose a problem in transition. The other problem of the day: it was COLD! 8 degrees Celcius cold! An extra few seconds of time in transition was not worrying me, but spending close to 3hrs on the bike in this temperature did. Nonetheless I continued on with my pre-race routine: swim tubing to activate the arms, swim warmup, some pick-ups in the water, then I lined up with the other Pros at the start line. This race we would start with the male Pros as well.
Before I knew it the race had begun. Immediately from the start the group split into two - one group headed for the second buoy and the other headed for the first buoy, which seemed the longer route. I stuck with the group headed for the second buoy and before I knew it I had passed them all and was leading the pack. Damn - no feet for me to draft off of, but 10 people to draft off me. I was feeling pretty good though and ended up putting some distance between myself and the group behind me. When I got to the buoy before I knew we had to make a sharp right into the channel I stopped dead - I couldn't see any buoys in any direction (this might be a point in favour of my learning to wear contacts). So I stopped for about 10s - waited for the group behind me to catch up and followed them until I could see the next buoy. Then I passed them all again and exited the water a few seconds in front, instead of the 20s I would have had. I guess I learned that swim races that have buoys every 100m are preferable for my near-sightedness :)
The first transition involved a long run up a paved hill BAREFOOT. This was not too much fun, especially while wearing a wetsuit, but I quite like running up hills so I can't complain too much about this part. My bare feet did hurt a bit though. I got to my bike, put on a long sleeved shirt over my trisuit (thinking it might keep me warm), fiddled with my bike a bit to get it out of it's stuck position and then I was off. 4th woman out of the water and on her bike.
At the start of the bike race I was passed by Chantell Widney and Jennie Fletcher. Jennie beat me out of the water in Tremblant, so I guess my swim has improved somewhat since then. I'll take it! I stayed with them for the first part of the bike, but each steep climb they gained a little bit of time on me. Thanks to my speedy Cervelo I would make up some of that time on the descents, but that wasn't enough. Also, the body heat I generated from the swim and the uphill run were fading fast and I was getting cold. The shirt I was wearing protected me very little from the wind and without being able to keep my core temperature up, there was no hope for my legs getting warmed up either. Think about trying to make a fist when your hands and fingers are freezing cold...that's how my legs felt and they did not want to push on the pedals. Once I got on the Highway 35 and was riding in the sun I felt a little bit better and saw my power numbers climb, not nearly as high as in my training ride the week before though. That is frustrating! By the last 30km my legs were fried, I was still cold and could no longer feel my feet. I was just barely hanging on. Annie Gervais passed me in the last 4km on the bike and I moved into 8th female. I finished the bike about 5 minutes slower than when I did this course in 2010, even though I know my bike fitness is much better than it was back then. I think I will be doing some winter riding outdoors this year for cold acclimatization...or maybe they can build a cold chamber at WattsUp...they can really do anything and everything there.
I have never been so happy to arrive in T2 as I was during this race! I couldn't feel my feet and the thought of a hilly 21km run was not very welcoming, but the run was an opportunity to catch some of the girls ahead so I was going for it. The first km of the run was weird, because my feet were still completely numb, and I couldn't feel them at all! What an odd sensation. I had to be extremely careful not to trip and I did nearly fall a few times. The awesome part of this run was that Coach had his bike and he would ride up ahead of me, stop, and cheer me on as I passed. The run actually didn't feel as hilly as I remembered it from the practice runs I had done on the course the week before. I was holding about 4'00 - 4'20 per km so was roughly on pace for my goal time of 1'28. The last final stretch of uphill before the turnaround was challenging, but I saw 3 girls up ahead and within 2' of me so that definitely kept me going. Plus, I knew that super fast runner, Jennie Hansen, was right behind me and probably on pace for a 1'24 half-marathon. I really needed to push to stay ahead of her. After the turnaround at 10.5km it was downhill for a good 2km and Jennie Fletcher was in my sights. She was not easy to catch, but I passed her around the 15km mark and moved into 7th. Annie was about 1.5 mins further ahead of me and I was pushing hard. At 18km I started to give everything I had - but by the 20th km I had nothing. The last km was uphill and Jennie H. passed me with about 200m to go and beat my by about 20s (better than the 15 minutes she beat me by in Vegas last year, though!). I ended up 8th, with a 1:29 run split...not too far off my goal.
You may think I would have been disappointed with this after my podium finishes in Rhode Island and Tremblant, but I accomplished so much from this race that I can't even be disappointed for a second. The accomplishments from the race may not have included a podium finish, but the accomplishments did include learning my weaknesses and strengths, which will help me make the podium in the future. Most of my competitors are in their mid-30s and they didn't get where they are overnight or in one season. Most of them went through the process that I am going through right now. Hopefully I have the patience to stick with it, learn from every race, and someday get to be as fast as them.
There are a few people I want to specifically thank for being there for this race, in particular: Faye for her many words of encouragement (Faye completed her first Ironman yesterday only a year after her first ever triathlon!), Marty, Faye's family for letting me stay at their beautiful cottage while I trained on the Muskoka race course (and for teaching me how to shoot a potato gun), my parents for making the trip to Muskoka to cheer me on, my coach for his unwavering support (even when I'm yelling at him during the race), other spectators and athletes cheering for me during the race and through email, facebook, etc. (Dr. Kath, Mike, Tara Norton, Lesley from Cervelo) and of course, Rikki :)
Up next, Pocono Mountains 70.3! Another chance at a hilly and cold bike ride!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
TImberman 70.3 - Overcoming obstacles
Every once in awhile, for reasons you can't control, you find yourself in a situation in less than ideal conditions. Whether the situation is a crucial business meeting, a huge presentation, a daily chore, or a race, sometimes things come up that pose a significant risk to your well planned intentions for that event. Maybe you can't find a crucial document in time, have deleted part of your powerpoint presentation, bought the wrong mutual fund for the wrong client, gotten a flat tire or the stomach flu. We've all been there. What do you do in these circumstances? Of course your first reaction is to panic, then you try to get yourself out of the situation (postpone it?), then your brain kicks in (hopefully) and you find a way to deal with the problem and carry on so to make the best out of the bad situation. Of course, the outcome may not be what you wanted or hoped for, but no matter what, you learn something and are better prepared for the next time you are faced with such circumstances. I was faced with an "unfortunate circumstance" during my race this Sunday.
On Friday we drove down to New Hampshire. I wasn't feeling too great, but I thought that was just the effects of the long drive. It was 10 hours to get there, plus more driving once we got there: running errands, picking up the race kit, driving the wrong bike course (there are two Laconia Roads!). It was almost 12 hrs after starting our journey that we had finally settled into the very nice hotel (Hampton Inn and Suites, Tilton, NH - they had free coffee and cookies all day long!). I must thank my title sponsor, Turner-Tomenson and Asssociates, for helping to offset the cost of such comfy accommodations. After unpacking, I went for a run on the treadmill (it was thunder and lightning outside) and then lounged a bit in the hot tub. I had a small dinner (still wasn't feeling great) and then we were asleep by 8pm!
I woke up Saturday feeling refreshed after an 11 hour sleep! Yes, that was exactly what I thought I needed. However, after only being awake for 5 minutes I realized that I did not feel better, much worse actually. I will spare you the details, but basically I felt the effects of some type of stomach illness. Later in the morning, I was able to get on my bike to ride the last 25km of the bike course (thanks Enduro Sport, my bike was perfectly tuned up!) and did a short run and then a swim (I actually felt OK, but it was just zone 2 stuff). Then more "stomach issues" hit during the pre-race Pro meeting :( After that I did start to feel better, maybe I still had a bit of a weak stomach, but I didn't know if that was nerves or not. I ate regularly and tried to eat a lot for the rest of the day. Although my stomach felt completely fine by the evening I felt an odd sort of feeling, that I really did not want to do this race. That is usually not the case. I am usually eager to race and tackle an event. Nonetheless, I had a good sleep - except had a dream that my bike seat was not tightened properly and kept falling down on me! haha.
Race morning started at 4:45am (a bit of a sleep in compared to Rhode Island!) and I woke up feeling really hungry. I literally scarfed down my usual pre-race breakfast of bagel with peanut butter and banana, coffee in record time. Unfortunately, my breakfast made it's way back up later that morning :( Usually the morning of a race I feel slightly full, and I find comfort in that. I know I will have plenty of fuel for the swim and bike and will feel good by the run. I definitely didn't feel that way today. I felt empty.
I did manage to get in a good swim warm-up and take in an energy gel, and to my surprise, at the start of the race I felt super ready to go. The pace seemed to start off slow compared to other races and I was actually in the lead off the start, before Cait Snow and Heather Wurtele pulled ahead. The three of us swam together for a bit, and then we dropped Heather at some point and I stayed right behind Cait for the next 1500m of the race. This was great! Even better, was that I had no hip flexor issues like in my previous 3 races this year. I must thank my Chiropractor, Bill Wells, at Urban Athlete for that (he treated me for this issue a few days before the race. Unfortunately, with about 300-500m to go I just felt all of my energy go. It was a struggle to pull myself through the water and my legs felt super heavy - especially my quads. By the time I exited the water (I still managed to come out of the water seconds behind Cait and in 2nd) all I wanted was to sit down for a steak dinner. Not a good sign for the rest of the race (not to mention the fact that is was only 7:30am)!
I had a super quick transition (the 2012 full-sleeve blue seventy helix is a breeze to take off!) and was off on my bike, still in second place. I knew on the first climb that I did not have the amount of energy in me that I would have liked. My quads were still burning from the swim and it was taking all my strength just to pedal, let alone pedal with any sort of power. I was overtaken by 1,2,3,4...7 girls in the first 5 miles and another at mile 10. I was in an "unfortunate situation" that I really didn't have any control over - under-fueled, heavy legs, low self-confidence. My first thoughts were to just pull over and pull out of the race, but then I thought back to the pre-race article I had read about Timberman. In that article, Joe Gambles (who actually won the men's race) had mentioned something about the best sort of training coming from racing, because it pushes you to a level that you can't get to on your own. This is actually what kept me going. It didn't matter anymore whether I was going to have a good race or not - I didn't want to lose out on a potential training session. So I sucked it up, fought through the pain, biked to the best of my ability on the day and not one person passed me from mile 10 to mile 56.
I had no idea what to expect from the run part of the race. I knew the course was hilly and if my legs were burning during the bike, there was no saying how they would do on the hills on the run. The first 2 miles of the run I think I did way too easy - my heart rate was in Zone 2 territory (and it was uphill). I didn't feel too bad so I pushed a little harder after that. I don't really remember much of my thoughts during the run. I know that I was hungry, but not for gels - for steak! I remember the volunteers being incredibly friendly, I remember Ming cheering me on from his bike, I remember being inspired by seeing Cait Snow's incredibly fast run pace and I remember moving into 7th. All the rest is a blur.
I finished the run in 1:28:55 (the 5th fastest female run split) and completed the race in a personal best time for the year - 2:38:56. I was happy. It wasn't the podium finish that I would have liked, but I had pushed through an "unfortunate situation" and I think I came out a stronger triathlete. I did the best I could, which is sometimes all you can do in such a situation. If you misplace an important document before a crucial meeting or delete part of a presentation, maybe have co-workers help find the missing document while you continue the meeting, improv the missing part of the presentation, etc. It may not be the ideal way to do it, but it gets the job done and you learn from it.
I am not sure whether my poor bike split was due to low energy (it certainly didn't effect my run too bad) or too many hours in the car on the Friday, but I hope to get to the bottom of it and be at top form for my next race in Muskoka on September 9th!
Thanks again to all my family, friends and sponsors for your words of encouragement. You guys are what keep me going in the best of it and in the worst of it!
On Friday we drove down to New Hampshire. I wasn't feeling too great, but I thought that was just the effects of the long drive. It was 10 hours to get there, plus more driving once we got there: running errands, picking up the race kit, driving the wrong bike course (there are two Laconia Roads!). It was almost 12 hrs after starting our journey that we had finally settled into the very nice hotel (Hampton Inn and Suites, Tilton, NH - they had free coffee and cookies all day long!). I must thank my title sponsor, Turner-Tomenson and Asssociates, for helping to offset the cost of such comfy accommodations. After unpacking, I went for a run on the treadmill (it was thunder and lightning outside) and then lounged a bit in the hot tub. I had a small dinner (still wasn't feeling great) and then we were asleep by 8pm!
I woke up Saturday feeling refreshed after an 11 hour sleep! Yes, that was exactly what I thought I needed. However, after only being awake for 5 minutes I realized that I did not feel better, much worse actually. I will spare you the details, but basically I felt the effects of some type of stomach illness. Later in the morning, I was able to get on my bike to ride the last 25km of the bike course (thanks Enduro Sport, my bike was perfectly tuned up!) and did a short run and then a swim (I actually felt OK, but it was just zone 2 stuff). Then more "stomach issues" hit during the pre-race Pro meeting :( After that I did start to feel better, maybe I still had a bit of a weak stomach, but I didn't know if that was nerves or not. I ate regularly and tried to eat a lot for the rest of the day. Although my stomach felt completely fine by the evening I felt an odd sort of feeling, that I really did not want to do this race. That is usually not the case. I am usually eager to race and tackle an event. Nonetheless, I had a good sleep - except had a dream that my bike seat was not tightened properly and kept falling down on me! haha.
Race morning started at 4:45am (a bit of a sleep in compared to Rhode Island!) and I woke up feeling really hungry. I literally scarfed down my usual pre-race breakfast of bagel with peanut butter and banana, coffee in record time. Unfortunately, my breakfast made it's way back up later that morning :( Usually the morning of a race I feel slightly full, and I find comfort in that. I know I will have plenty of fuel for the swim and bike and will feel good by the run. I definitely didn't feel that way today. I felt empty.
I did manage to get in a good swim warm-up and take in an energy gel, and to my surprise, at the start of the race I felt super ready to go. The pace seemed to start off slow compared to other races and I was actually in the lead off the start, before Cait Snow and Heather Wurtele pulled ahead. The three of us swam together for a bit, and then we dropped Heather at some point and I stayed right behind Cait for the next 1500m of the race. This was great! Even better, was that I had no hip flexor issues like in my previous 3 races this year. I must thank my Chiropractor, Bill Wells, at Urban Athlete for that (he treated me for this issue a few days before the race. Unfortunately, with about 300-500m to go I just felt all of my energy go. It was a struggle to pull myself through the water and my legs felt super heavy - especially my quads. By the time I exited the water (I still managed to come out of the water seconds behind Cait and in 2nd) all I wanted was to sit down for a steak dinner. Not a good sign for the rest of the race (not to mention the fact that is was only 7:30am)!
I had a super quick transition (the 2012 full-sleeve blue seventy helix is a breeze to take off!) and was off on my bike, still in second place. I knew on the first climb that I did not have the amount of energy in me that I would have liked. My quads were still burning from the swim and it was taking all my strength just to pedal, let alone pedal with any sort of power. I was overtaken by 1,2,3,4...7 girls in the first 5 miles and another at mile 10. I was in an "unfortunate situation" that I really didn't have any control over - under-fueled, heavy legs, low self-confidence. My first thoughts were to just pull over and pull out of the race, but then I thought back to the pre-race article I had read about Timberman. In that article, Joe Gambles (who actually won the men's race) had mentioned something about the best sort of training coming from racing, because it pushes you to a level that you can't get to on your own. This is actually what kept me going. It didn't matter anymore whether I was going to have a good race or not - I didn't want to lose out on a potential training session. So I sucked it up, fought through the pain, biked to the best of my ability on the day and not one person passed me from mile 10 to mile 56.
I had no idea what to expect from the run part of the race. I knew the course was hilly and if my legs were burning during the bike, there was no saying how they would do on the hills on the run. The first 2 miles of the run I think I did way too easy - my heart rate was in Zone 2 territory (and it was uphill). I didn't feel too bad so I pushed a little harder after that. I don't really remember much of my thoughts during the run. I know that I was hungry, but not for gels - for steak! I remember the volunteers being incredibly friendly, I remember Ming cheering me on from his bike, I remember being inspired by seeing Cait Snow's incredibly fast run pace and I remember moving into 7th. All the rest is a blur.
I finished the run in 1:28:55 (the 5th fastest female run split) and completed the race in a personal best time for the year - 2:38:56. I was happy. It wasn't the podium finish that I would have liked, but I had pushed through an "unfortunate situation" and I think I came out a stronger triathlete. I did the best I could, which is sometimes all you can do in such a situation. If you misplace an important document before a crucial meeting or delete part of a presentation, maybe have co-workers help find the missing document while you continue the meeting, improv the missing part of the presentation, etc. It may not be the ideal way to do it, but it gets the job done and you learn from it.
I am not sure whether my poor bike split was due to low energy (it certainly didn't effect my run too bad) or too many hours in the car on the Friday, but I hope to get to the bottom of it and be at top form for my next race in Muskoka on September 9th!
Thanks again to all my family, friends and sponsors for your words of encouragement. You guys are what keep me going in the best of it and in the worst of it!
Monday, August 6, 2012
August Long Weekend: K-town Tri & Mississauga Wedding
After 4 weeks off racing, I took part in the K-town triathlon weekend. This was a last minute decision to get me prepped for Timberman 70.3 coming up in New Hampshire on August 19th. This local race began in 1984 and has been going strong every year since then. I was very happy to be a part of it!
This was going to be a particularly hectic weekend. A wedding to go to on Saturday morning, the drive to Kingston, race Sunday morning, drive home to Toronto and then the wedding reception on Sunday night. I also knew that I wouldn't be at my freshest as I had just finished a HUGE block of training (more than I had ever done before). Consequently, my only goal for the race was to have fun and just get some racing in.
Luckily my sisters decided to join me for this particular trip and we began our road trip to Kingston at 2pm on Saturday. Highlights of the drive were the playlist that included songs that went all the way back to high school, seeing some pretty trucks (an F-350 that would look very nice in Bee and Thatcher's garage ;) ), making fun of/trying to avoid the MANY bad drivers, my outfit of a sari and baseball cap to match!
The hotel was very nice (we had a suite) and once we checked in both me and my sisters were on a mission. I needed to check-in, get my race kit and find bagels and they had to find an LCBO! We headed out in the CRAZY heat and humidity to get our errands done. I was also able to pick up my new Tri suit for the race from Olivier at Kiwami.
We then got to relax at the hotel. We were joined by Annalisa who decided at the last minute to come to Kingston to watch the race. My coach also decided to make the trek to Kingston to watch the race! He had almost his whole team of athletes racing...me, Faye, Tim Lychy...so it was great that they were able to come.
Bianca made an amazing pasta for my pre-race dinner and we all ate dinner watching a re-run of the Women's Olympic triathlon...not much better motivation for a race than that!
Race morning I woke up at 6am for my usual pre-race routine...shower, coffee, breakfast, coffee. As soon as I stepped out of the hotel with my bike (and almost got blown over!) I knew there was going to be race day trouble. I rode my bike cautiously over to the transition area, careful to not get blown over in the process. As soon as I reached the race site I saw the HUGE white caps in Lake Ontario, where the swim was supposed to be. Oh no! I remember seeing this in New Orleans last year when they cancelled the swim. My heart sank...out of all three sports I felt I was most prepared for the swim portion of this race. I have been swimming all summer with Bob Hayes at Summerville Pool and had noticed huge improvements since I started. Sure enough, the call was made that the swim would be cancelled and we would run a 7.2km run instead of a 2km swim. I was not mentally prepared for a 22km run and had no idea how a run before the bike would effect me. Obviously I was upset, but nothing could be done, so I just tried to reset my brain and get it ready for a duathlon. It helped that Bill and the team at Urban Athlete was keeping me injury-free, so I knew my body would be able to handle the extra mileage.
Before the start of the run I lined up next to Canadian super-star triathlete, Beth Primrose, who was a Canadian champion about 20 years ago and is still a super strong triathlete. She had beat me the two times I had raced her last year so I knew that I could use her to pace myself for the first run. Before I knew it we were off, running into a heavy cross-wind/head wind. At first there were 3 of us running together, but by the 2km mark there was just Beth and I. She led for the first half of the run, but I was right on her feet. I had no idea how to pace this run so I decided I would let her, the more experienced triathlete, do it :) I ended up beating her back into transition by a hair and was out of transition and off on my bike 10s ahead. A sub-4:00/km run to start off was a good sign.
A few kms into the bike we had to dismount our bikes to cross the Causeway because the cross wind was so strong it was deemed to dangerous to ride our bikes across. We had to cross single file with our bikes across the bridge. I was caught behind an amputee, which is so awesome that he was racing, but meant I had to cross the bridge at a very slow pace and about 10 people caught up with me (including Beth) as a result. After the bridge I hopped on my bike and tried to make up for lost time. The only problem...my bike legs seemed to have decided that they were not going to wake up. Not only this, but the cross-wind was incredibly intense and it was taking a lot of energy just to stay upright and in a straight line as the wind pushed me all over the road. These conditions definitely made me happy I had got by biked tuned recently (thanks Enduro Sport). Beth passed me at the 10km mark, but I made it my goal to not let her out of my sight. My legs were burning and my heart rate soared if I pushed any higher than zone 2...but I did manage to pass Beth at the turnaround and I think that this was also the point when my legs decided to wake up. I pushed hard for the next 10km and then it started to rain. HARD. Cross-wind + downpour + trucks passing you made me so mad! I think I was swearing out loud. I wanted to get back to transition as fast as possible just to tell my coach how much I hated this race and how mad I was. I'm not sure if that's why I was able to find a harder gear to go hard back into transition, but the last 15km was definitely my strongest leg of the race!
I came into transition a little shaky from my windy and stormy ride, but I was greeted by the smiling faces of my sisters, Annalisa and Coach. Soon I was out on the run, running back into the strong cross/head-wind! Coach was on his bike as I ran, telling me I was doing great and at least 2 minutes ahead of second place. I relaxed at this news, until I heard my coach say that I still had to push it...damn...no relaxing for me. At 7.5km I reached the turnaround and I couldn't believe I would have to run another 7.5km. It really did make it easier that I had the wind at my back on the way back. I would see guys running in front of me and made it my goal to catch and pass them. I ended up crossing the line with the second fastest 15km time overall - including the men! And first female by about 15 minutes. I guess the race didn't turn out too bad after all - despite the crazy weather and a cancelled swim :)
All WattsUp athletes had excellent results. Faye was 2nd in her age group, Tim was 3rd in his age group, Claire came 1st in her AG, Claudia was 2nd in her AG, Irene was 1st in her AG! Awesome job to all the athletes!
Thanks again to Sara, Bee, Annalisa and my coach.
This was going to be a particularly hectic weekend. A wedding to go to on Saturday morning, the drive to Kingston, race Sunday morning, drive home to Toronto and then the wedding reception on Sunday night. I also knew that I wouldn't be at my freshest as I had just finished a HUGE block of training (more than I had ever done before). Consequently, my only goal for the race was to have fun and just get some racing in.
Luckily my sisters decided to join me for this particular trip and we began our road trip to Kingston at 2pm on Saturday. Highlights of the drive were the playlist that included songs that went all the way back to high school, seeing some pretty trucks (an F-350 that would look very nice in Bee and Thatcher's garage ;) ), making fun of/trying to avoid the MANY bad drivers, my outfit of a sari and baseball cap to match!
The hotel was very nice (we had a suite) and once we checked in both me and my sisters were on a mission. I needed to check-in, get my race kit and find bagels and they had to find an LCBO! We headed out in the CRAZY heat and humidity to get our errands done. I was also able to pick up my new Tri suit for the race from Olivier at Kiwami.
We then got to relax at the hotel. We were joined by Annalisa who decided at the last minute to come to Kingston to watch the race. My coach also decided to make the trek to Kingston to watch the race! He had almost his whole team of athletes racing...me, Faye, Tim Lychy...so it was great that they were able to come.
Bianca made an amazing pasta for my pre-race dinner and we all ate dinner watching a re-run of the Women's Olympic triathlon...not much better motivation for a race than that!
Race morning I woke up at 6am for my usual pre-race routine...shower, coffee, breakfast, coffee. As soon as I stepped out of the hotel with my bike (and almost got blown over!) I knew there was going to be race day trouble. I rode my bike cautiously over to the transition area, careful to not get blown over in the process. As soon as I reached the race site I saw the HUGE white caps in Lake Ontario, where the swim was supposed to be. Oh no! I remember seeing this in New Orleans last year when they cancelled the swim. My heart sank...out of all three sports I felt I was most prepared for the swim portion of this race. I have been swimming all summer with Bob Hayes at Summerville Pool and had noticed huge improvements since I started. Sure enough, the call was made that the swim would be cancelled and we would run a 7.2km run instead of a 2km swim. I was not mentally prepared for a 22km run and had no idea how a run before the bike would effect me. Obviously I was upset, but nothing could be done, so I just tried to reset my brain and get it ready for a duathlon. It helped that Bill and the team at Urban Athlete was keeping me injury-free, so I knew my body would be able to handle the extra mileage.
Before the start of the run I lined up next to Canadian super-star triathlete, Beth Primrose, who was a Canadian champion about 20 years ago and is still a super strong triathlete. She had beat me the two times I had raced her last year so I knew that I could use her to pace myself for the first run. Before I knew it we were off, running into a heavy cross-wind/head wind. At first there were 3 of us running together, but by the 2km mark there was just Beth and I. She led for the first half of the run, but I was right on her feet. I had no idea how to pace this run so I decided I would let her, the more experienced triathlete, do it :) I ended up beating her back into transition by a hair and was out of transition and off on my bike 10s ahead. A sub-4:00/km run to start off was a good sign.
A few kms into the bike we had to dismount our bikes to cross the Causeway because the cross wind was so strong it was deemed to dangerous to ride our bikes across. We had to cross single file with our bikes across the bridge. I was caught behind an amputee, which is so awesome that he was racing, but meant I had to cross the bridge at a very slow pace and about 10 people caught up with me (including Beth) as a result. After the bridge I hopped on my bike and tried to make up for lost time. The only problem...my bike legs seemed to have decided that they were not going to wake up. Not only this, but the cross-wind was incredibly intense and it was taking a lot of energy just to stay upright and in a straight line as the wind pushed me all over the road. These conditions definitely made me happy I had got by biked tuned recently (thanks Enduro Sport). Beth passed me at the 10km mark, but I made it my goal to not let her out of my sight. My legs were burning and my heart rate soared if I pushed any higher than zone 2...but I did manage to pass Beth at the turnaround and I think that this was also the point when my legs decided to wake up. I pushed hard for the next 10km and then it started to rain. HARD. Cross-wind + downpour + trucks passing you made me so mad! I think I was swearing out loud. I wanted to get back to transition as fast as possible just to tell my coach how much I hated this race and how mad I was. I'm not sure if that's why I was able to find a harder gear to go hard back into transition, but the last 15km was definitely my strongest leg of the race!
I came into transition a little shaky from my windy and stormy ride, but I was greeted by the smiling faces of my sisters, Annalisa and Coach. Soon I was out on the run, running back into the strong cross/head-wind! Coach was on his bike as I ran, telling me I was doing great and at least 2 minutes ahead of second place. I relaxed at this news, until I heard my coach say that I still had to push it...damn...no relaxing for me. At 7.5km I reached the turnaround and I couldn't believe I would have to run another 7.5km. It really did make it easier that I had the wind at my back on the way back. I would see guys running in front of me and made it my goal to catch and pass them. I ended up crossing the line with the second fastest 15km time overall - including the men! And first female by about 15 minutes. I guess the race didn't turn out too bad after all - despite the crazy weather and a cancelled swim :)
All WattsUp athletes had excellent results. Faye was 2nd in her age group, Tim was 3rd in his age group, Claire came 1st in her AG, Claudia was 2nd in her AG, Irene was 1st in her AG! Awesome job to all the athletes!
Thanks again to Sara, Bee, Annalisa and my coach.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Staying Injury Free and Training over 20hrs a week
How do professional triathletes train over 20hrs a week and stay free from injury? This is a question I often asked myself when I was an age-group level triathlete, training less than 10 hours a week and still getting injured! Part of this is due to the fact that most pro athletes are able to recover properly, because we don't have to run off to the office after a workout. We can sit on the couch or take ice-baths to allow our bodies to heal after a hard training session. However, the other reason we are able to get through our training without getting injured is the fact that we have the best possible team of health care practitioners making sure that the smallest little "niggle" doesn't progress to a full blown injury. My team of health care practitioners includes my amazing Chiropractor, Bill Wells at Urban Athlete.
The guy who referred me to Bill said that he knew a Chiropractor who could tell your injury just by looking at you and cure you just as fast. I had a race in 3 weeks and was not able to run at all due to a knee injury, so I booked an appointment with this Chiropractor ASAP. Sure enough, on my first visit I was in awe at what Bill could tell by just looking at me! Among many things, he knew that I had been a swimmer and that I must have specialized in breast stroke without me even mentioning this fact. Not only this, but I was back to running within a week, which allowed me to compete in the race that qualified me for the World Championships. Since then I have struggled with MANY injuries: strained muscles, IT band syndrome, a bruised tailbone, a stuck fibula...you name it! All of these injuries might have kept me from training and even racing, but Bill didn't only keep my on my feet, but he kept me in the pool, on the bike and in my running shoes throughout all of these injuries!
The team at Urban Athlete also includes physiotherapists, massage therapists, naturopaths, personal trainers (check out: www.urbanathlete.ca for a complete list or their services). When Bill is away I see Greg Lehman (chiropractor/physiotherapist), who helped me fight an adductor magnus strain right before I raced Ironman 70.3 Mont Tremblant!
Thanks, Urban Athlete, for all your support!
The guy who referred me to Bill said that he knew a Chiropractor who could tell your injury just by looking at you and cure you just as fast. I had a race in 3 weeks and was not able to run at all due to a knee injury, so I booked an appointment with this Chiropractor ASAP. Sure enough, on my first visit I was in awe at what Bill could tell by just looking at me! Among many things, he knew that I had been a swimmer and that I must have specialized in breast stroke without me even mentioning this fact. Not only this, but I was back to running within a week, which allowed me to compete in the race that qualified me for the World Championships. Since then I have struggled with MANY injuries: strained muscles, IT band syndrome, a bruised tailbone, a stuck fibula...you name it! All of these injuries might have kept me from training and even racing, but Bill didn't only keep my on my feet, but he kept me in the pool, on the bike and in my running shoes throughout all of these injuries!
The team at Urban Athlete also includes physiotherapists, massage therapists, naturopaths, personal trainers (check out: www.urbanathlete.ca for a complete list or their services). When Bill is away I see Greg Lehman (chiropractor/physiotherapist), who helped me fight an adductor magnus strain right before I raced Ironman 70.3 Mont Tremblant!
Thanks, Urban Athlete, for all your support!
Monday, July 9, 2012
3rd Pro race and 3rd place!
Well, my third Pro race has come and gone. I really can't believe that the first few races of my season are over, but what is more unbelievable is that I exceeded my expectations for all 3 races! I started this season with one goal in mind: Not to come last of the Professionals. This would justify my decision to turn Pro. Once I had a few Pro races under my belt I would work on making the podium in my last few races of the season. Now, I guess the pressure is off!!! Sort of ;) The following is a little report of my Rhode Island adventure.
This trip started off as usual, with a long car ride. I am becoming an expert at packing the car: wheel bag for my ZIPP404s (thanks Sara, Bee, Kevy and Thatcher!), everything in compartmentalized bags (no loose stuff!), cooler filled with avocado, bagels, strawberries, bananas, cheese , various cold meats...all healthy (and boring) for the few days pre-race. We left Toronto Thursday afternoon and drove to NY's capital, Albany where we decided to spend the night. Friday morning we were back on the road for the final stretch of driving. We got to drive on the MASS. PIKE (clearly the best name for an Interstate....don't ask why I think so).
Once in Rhode Island we drove/I road part of the race's bike course that takes you through rural and beautiful rural R.I. This proved to be a very good pre-race idea, considering its a point-to-point bike route that has many tricky turns. It was pre-race routine as usual from that point...race registration, swim, bike, run warm-ups, intimidating Pro pre-race meeting. This race had some big names, former World Championship competitors: Cait Snow, Nina Kraft, Dede Griesbauer. I was a bit excited to see how I stacked up against the World's best.
Since the location of the race is right in downtown Providence, beside a shopping mall, we did get to do some shopping at Bed, Bath and Beyond...we picked up some sweet shoe organizers that you can store under the bed! And they seal so as to keep in the smell of smelly bike or running shoes. Very exciting. Also, got some Chip Clips for Mamma and some other knick-knacks. For our pre-race dinner, Rikki and I decided to head to Bristol, RI (which is right on the water and beautiful). Although the service was horrible at Leo's Restaurante (our food took over an hour!), the food was good so at least I knew I would be well fueled for the race :)
Race morning began at 3:55am on the Sunday. Rikki and I were both showered, the car was packed up and we were driving to the race site by 4:30am. Despite a little confusion about where Rikki was supposed to drop me off (which resulted in him almost not making it to the start of my race) all went smoothly. I had my transition all set-up, swim warm-up in just in time for the start of the race. It was a non-wetsuit swim which would be an advantage for me as it is for most strong swimmers. Plus, I would get to wear my Blue Seventy PZ3TX Swim Skin, which I love because it makes me feel so streamlined in the water. It's fabric is specially made of hydrophobic (water-retarding) materials to reduce drag. I wouldn't wear anything else. Since, Dede, Nina and Cait are well known super-star swimmers, my goal for the swim was to stay with the lead pack!
At 6:02 the race was underway. Nina, Cait and Dede were off like lighting (fellow Pro from Toronto, Suzanne Zelazo, had warned me they go out fast!). I lack speed, but make up for it with endurance so I wasn't too concerned when I was still a bit behind them as we approached the first buoy. I put in a few surges at around the 200-300m mark that put me about 5m behind Nina and Cait (Dede was way up ahead). I thought once I was near their feet I could cruise, but this was not the case! If I let up just a bit they would take off on me. After rounding the last buoy my left hip flexor really started to aggravate me. I couldn't really kick hard with my left leg and not wanting to aggravate it further I didn't try. This put me about 10s behind Nina and Cait exiting the water, but still 2:00 faster than last year's swim time (27:36 vs 29:19). Luckily my hip flexor stopped bothering me as soon as I was out of the water and was not an issue for the rest of the race. T1 went rather smoothly, unfortunately my sunglasses broke and I would have to ride the whole bike course with only one stem. Lol!
The first 10 miles of the bike my legs felt super heavy from the tough swim. I was worried I had worked to hard to keep up with the lead girls and that now I would pay for it on the bike. However, this fear became a distant memory as I started to find my momentum on the bike. Gradually my legs started to feel better and better, maybe that's the magic of riding a Cervelo. I just felt super comfortable on the bike and that made it easier to go fast. It seemed just as I found my groove I approached an intersection with a police officer directing traffic. He was pointing to the right and I assumed he wanted me to turn right! I made the right hand turn only to hear him behind me yelling "Come back! Come back!". Oops. I had to wait until traffic was clear and then made my way back into the course. Oh well...if this was the worst that was going to happen on the bike then no big deal. A few minutes later Suzanne passed me, cheering me on as she went. I was happy she was having a good day on the bike. I didn't want to let her out of my sight, though. I really started to push hard on the bike, probably a little beyond my comfort zone, but surprisingly I still felt good. I passed Suzanne again at around Mile 40 and we stayed pretty close to one another until the final 5 mile stretch of the bike course that led us into downtown. I was worried about all the turns in this last section so I kept a safe distance back from Suzanne and proceeded cautiously, probably a little too cautiously. I did manage to catch up to Nina with a few miles to go. I couldn't believe I had actually caught someone on the bike. This was a first for me and it was exciting!
Coming into T2 I still felt pretty good and I was ready for the run. Perhaps I wasn't thinking enough about my bike dismount, because one moment I was upright and the next I was toppling over my bike. Not my proudest moment! Luckily enough I managed to avoid getting any scrapes or bruises and was back on my feet in no time. Still a bit shaken from my tumble I ran into T2 right past my bike rack spot. Then I made the mistake of racking my bike in the wrong spot so had to unrack and then put it in the right place. Usually my T2 is my best transition, but this goes to show you that you can't get too complacent about the things you think you do well. Practice is important and I should have practiced my transitions pre-race. Had I have not made this errors I could have earned some extra seconds and every second counts!
Heading out on the run I actually felt really really good! Starting the run in Mont Tremblant I thought I might puke, but this race was different. I felt light on my feet almost immediately and this made me happy. I was about 1 minute behind Suzanne at this point with Nina hot on my heels. At the start of the first 1.5 mile climb (1 mile into the race) Nina and I were neck and neck. I managed get ahead of her on the hill (thank you to my coach for those treadmill hill repeats you had me do in practice) and at the top I caught Suzanne. For the first time in the race I was in 3rd place. However, this scenario was very reminiscent of last year when I ran my way into 1st in my age group at this very same point on the run...and then died later in the race. I was very aware that the good feeling I had at this point in the race may not last. On the downhill I definitely felt the heat. I made sure to grab 2 sponges at every aid station, stuffed ice into my bra, poured water on my head. I couldn't take in much fuel, except for 1 Peanut Butter GU pack during the whole run, because it was so hot. Mile 3 - 5 on the run was pretty flat and Nina had caught back up to me at this point. We ran together until the big hill started again (it was a 2 loop run course) and at this point I dropped her for good. At the top of the climb I still felt really good and I knew that I could push the pace for the last 4 miles. I saw Annie Gervais (super fast runner from Quebec) only 30s behind me and I knew that I would have to work hard to stay ahead of her. I pushed my limits on the run for the next 3 miles, but couldn't hold off Annie. Once she caught me we ran together for a bit, but then she surged on ahead. Close to the finish line I saw Dede up ahead and I knew that I could catch her if I tried. I found one more gear and was able to run her down just before the finish shoot. I crossed the line with a new personal best 1:27:28 run split and a 3rd place finish. I was ecstatic. I even got shuttled over to the media booth for an interview with the winner, Cait and second place female, Annie. So cool!
After my race I also learned that my sister, Sara, in her second year of doing triathlons, came 7/24 in her new age group (25-29) and made a personal best time in the sprint distance triathlon by 4 minutes! What a day for us Tomensons!!! woohoo. Look for my other sister, Bianca, dominating in the Scotia Half Marathon in the fall!
So now, 3 races are done, 4 more to go! I would again like to thank everyone who has helped make the first part of the season such a success:
- My title sponsor, Turner-Tomenson and Associates, for helping to cover some of the costs associated with training and racing.
- WattsUp Cycling, for providing the best training facility for cyclists trying to live and bike in Toronto.
- My coach, for tolerating my crazyness and for his amazing training program.
- Cervelo, for such a strong and fast bike! (As I was leaving transition with my bike yesterday a volunteer said "that's the smallest bike i've ever seen". I replied "it may be small, but it's powerful and speedy!")
- Enduro Sport, for always making sure I get the equipment I need and for always being so friendly every time I am in the store.
- Steve, for his amazing eBars and making sure I am well fueled!
- My parents, sisters, family and friends for showing such support all of the time. You have no idea how your emails, comments on facebook/twitter/etc. have helped to motivate me. I am forever in your debt!
- Rikki, for driving over 60 hours total for my three races and for his patience, love and support.
I will be racing at Timberman 70.3 in New Hampshire in about 6 weeks. I am taking this week nice and easy and then it is right back into the heavy training with 3 a day workouts!
A few more photos:
This trip started off as usual, with a long car ride. I am becoming an expert at packing the car: wheel bag for my ZIPP404s (thanks Sara, Bee, Kevy and Thatcher!), everything in compartmentalized bags (no loose stuff!), cooler filled with avocado, bagels, strawberries, bananas, cheese , various cold meats...all healthy (and boring) for the few days pre-race. We left Toronto Thursday afternoon and drove to NY's capital, Albany where we decided to spend the night. Friday morning we were back on the road for the final stretch of driving. We got to drive on the MASS. PIKE (clearly the best name for an Interstate....don't ask why I think so).
Once in Rhode Island we drove/I road part of the race's bike course that takes you through rural and beautiful rural R.I. This proved to be a very good pre-race idea, considering its a point-to-point bike route that has many tricky turns. It was pre-race routine as usual from that point...race registration, swim, bike, run warm-ups, intimidating Pro pre-race meeting. This race had some big names, former World Championship competitors: Cait Snow, Nina Kraft, Dede Griesbauer. I was a bit excited to see how I stacked up against the World's best.
Since the location of the race is right in downtown Providence, beside a shopping mall, we did get to do some shopping at Bed, Bath and Beyond...we picked up some sweet shoe organizers that you can store under the bed! And they seal so as to keep in the smell of smelly bike or running shoes. Very exciting. Also, got some Chip Clips for Mamma and some other knick-knacks. For our pre-race dinner, Rikki and I decided to head to Bristol, RI (which is right on the water and beautiful). Although the service was horrible at Leo's Restaurante (our food took over an hour!), the food was good so at least I knew I would be well fueled for the race :)
Race morning began at 3:55am on the Sunday. Rikki and I were both showered, the car was packed up and we were driving to the race site by 4:30am. Despite a little confusion about where Rikki was supposed to drop me off (which resulted in him almost not making it to the start of my race) all went smoothly. I had my transition all set-up, swim warm-up in just in time for the start of the race. It was a non-wetsuit swim which would be an advantage for me as it is for most strong swimmers. Plus, I would get to wear my Blue Seventy PZ3TX Swim Skin, which I love because it makes me feel so streamlined in the water. It's fabric is specially made of hydrophobic (water-retarding) materials to reduce drag. I wouldn't wear anything else. Since, Dede, Nina and Cait are well known super-star swimmers, my goal for the swim was to stay with the lead pack!
At 6:02 the race was underway. Nina, Cait and Dede were off like lighting (fellow Pro from Toronto, Suzanne Zelazo, had warned me they go out fast!). I lack speed, but make up for it with endurance so I wasn't too concerned when I was still a bit behind them as we approached the first buoy. I put in a few surges at around the 200-300m mark that put me about 5m behind Nina and Cait (Dede was way up ahead). I thought once I was near their feet I could cruise, but this was not the case! If I let up just a bit they would take off on me. After rounding the last buoy my left hip flexor really started to aggravate me. I couldn't really kick hard with my left leg and not wanting to aggravate it further I didn't try. This put me about 10s behind Nina and Cait exiting the water, but still 2:00 faster than last year's swim time (27:36 vs 29:19). Luckily my hip flexor stopped bothering me as soon as I was out of the water and was not an issue for the rest of the race. T1 went rather smoothly, unfortunately my sunglasses broke and I would have to ride the whole bike course with only one stem. Lol!
The first 10 miles of the bike my legs felt super heavy from the tough swim. I was worried I had worked to hard to keep up with the lead girls and that now I would pay for it on the bike. However, this fear became a distant memory as I started to find my momentum on the bike. Gradually my legs started to feel better and better, maybe that's the magic of riding a Cervelo. I just felt super comfortable on the bike and that made it easier to go fast. It seemed just as I found my groove I approached an intersection with a police officer directing traffic. He was pointing to the right and I assumed he wanted me to turn right! I made the right hand turn only to hear him behind me yelling "Come back! Come back!". Oops. I had to wait until traffic was clear and then made my way back into the course. Oh well...if this was the worst that was going to happen on the bike then no big deal. A few minutes later Suzanne passed me, cheering me on as she went. I was happy she was having a good day on the bike. I didn't want to let her out of my sight, though. I really started to push hard on the bike, probably a little beyond my comfort zone, but surprisingly I still felt good. I passed Suzanne again at around Mile 40 and we stayed pretty close to one another until the final 5 mile stretch of the bike course that led us into downtown. I was worried about all the turns in this last section so I kept a safe distance back from Suzanne and proceeded cautiously, probably a little too cautiously. I did manage to catch up to Nina with a few miles to go. I couldn't believe I had actually caught someone on the bike. This was a first for me and it was exciting!
Coming into T2 I still felt pretty good and I was ready for the run. Perhaps I wasn't thinking enough about my bike dismount, because one moment I was upright and the next I was toppling over my bike. Not my proudest moment! Luckily enough I managed to avoid getting any scrapes or bruises and was back on my feet in no time. Still a bit shaken from my tumble I ran into T2 right past my bike rack spot. Then I made the mistake of racking my bike in the wrong spot so had to unrack and then put it in the right place. Usually my T2 is my best transition, but this goes to show you that you can't get too complacent about the things you think you do well. Practice is important and I should have practiced my transitions pre-race. Had I have not made this errors I could have earned some extra seconds and every second counts!
Heading out on the run I actually felt really really good! Starting the run in Mont Tremblant I thought I might puke, but this race was different. I felt light on my feet almost immediately and this made me happy. I was about 1 minute behind Suzanne at this point with Nina hot on my heels. At the start of the first 1.5 mile climb (1 mile into the race) Nina and I were neck and neck. I managed get ahead of her on the hill (thank you to my coach for those treadmill hill repeats you had me do in practice) and at the top I caught Suzanne. For the first time in the race I was in 3rd place. However, this scenario was very reminiscent of last year when I ran my way into 1st in my age group at this very same point on the run...and then died later in the race. I was very aware that the good feeling I had at this point in the race may not last. On the downhill I definitely felt the heat. I made sure to grab 2 sponges at every aid station, stuffed ice into my bra, poured water on my head. I couldn't take in much fuel, except for 1 Peanut Butter GU pack during the whole run, because it was so hot. Mile 3 - 5 on the run was pretty flat and Nina had caught back up to me at this point. We ran together until the big hill started again (it was a 2 loop run course) and at this point I dropped her for good. At the top of the climb I still felt really good and I knew that I could push the pace for the last 4 miles. I saw Annie Gervais (super fast runner from Quebec) only 30s behind me and I knew that I would have to work hard to stay ahead of her. I pushed my limits on the run for the next 3 miles, but couldn't hold off Annie. Once she caught me we ran together for a bit, but then she surged on ahead. Close to the finish line I saw Dede up ahead and I knew that I could catch her if I tried. I found one more gear and was able to run her down just before the finish shoot. I crossed the line with a new personal best 1:27:28 run split and a 3rd place finish. I was ecstatic. I even got shuttled over to the media booth for an interview with the winner, Cait and second place female, Annie. So cool!
After my race I also learned that my sister, Sara, in her second year of doing triathlons, came 7/24 in her new age group (25-29) and made a personal best time in the sprint distance triathlon by 4 minutes! What a day for us Tomensons!!! woohoo. Look for my other sister, Bianca, dominating in the Scotia Half Marathon in the fall!
So now, 3 races are done, 4 more to go! I would again like to thank everyone who has helped make the first part of the season such a success:
- My title sponsor, Turner-Tomenson and Associates, for helping to cover some of the costs associated with training and racing.
- WattsUp Cycling, for providing the best training facility for cyclists trying to live and bike in Toronto.
- My coach, for tolerating my crazyness and for his amazing training program.
- Cervelo, for such a strong and fast bike! (As I was leaving transition with my bike yesterday a volunteer said "that's the smallest bike i've ever seen". I replied "it may be small, but it's powerful and speedy!")
- Enduro Sport, for always making sure I get the equipment I need and for always being so friendly every time I am in the store.
- Steve, for his amazing eBars and making sure I am well fueled!
- My parents, sisters, family and friends for showing such support all of the time. You have no idea how your emails, comments on facebook/twitter/etc. have helped to motivate me. I am forever in your debt!
- Rikki, for driving over 60 hours total for my three races and for his patience, love and support.
I will be racing at Timberman 70.3 in New Hampshire in about 6 weeks. I am taking this week nice and easy and then it is right back into the heavy training with 3 a day workouts!
A few more photos:
Monday, June 25, 2012
IM70.3 MTB Race Report
The adventure began on Friday at 7am as Rikki, Suzanne Zelazo (another fast Pro from Toronto) and me crammed all our tri gear, including 2 bikes, numerous helmets, smelly shoes (at least mine were!), etc. into a packed Jeep and headed to Mont Tremblant. Highlights of the drive were definitely the ferry that took us (in our car) across the river and the beautiful scenery of the Mont Tremblant region. The detours our GPS took us on were also quite amusing.
On the Ferry!
Once at Tremblant we were greeted by the extremely friendly Pierre and Sylvie from Auberge Le Lupin B&B (www.lelupin.com). From the moment we arrived we knew we were in good hands. Pierre brewed many amazing americanos for us any time we wanted, made a special pre-race dinner of delicious pasta, let us dry our wetsuits in his personal laundry room and did many other helpful things. Both him and Sylvie were always going above and beyond to make sure we were well prepared for our race. Sylvie even made us delicious oatmeal cookies to enjoy after our race! Le Lupin was located about 1km from transition (in the village) so an easy walk and away from the noise - it was the perfect location. I will definitely be staying at Le Lupin the next time I am in Mont Tremblant.
After a day and a half of the usual pre-race routine (check-in, super intimidating Pro pre-race meeting, taper swim, bike and run) there was nothing left to do but relax and get mentally prepared for the race. I chose to watch an inspirational movie called "Coach Carter". This movie is based on the true story of a basketball team who made it to the state championship tournament, despite many odds against them. It stars Samuel L. Jackson and a number of cute actors (bonus!). There are many inspirational quotes from that movie, but this one is probably the best (and my favourite):
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
I replayed this line from the movie several times. What I took away from it was this: during my race I should not be scared to show off my fitness, I should not be scared to really try hard, and I should not be too scared to give the race everything I had. The latter part of the quote didn't apply as specifically to my race tomorrow, but a long term goal of mine is to serve as an ambassador for the sport of triathlon and get as many people involved as I can (especially kids). If I can "shine" tomorrow I thought, maybe I can inspire others to as well (just hopefully not my competition!).
After finishing the movie I fell asleep visualizing the the race in my head. I visualized the best case scenario, the worst case scenario and I troubleshot my actions should something go wrong.
It seemed like I blinked and then my phone alarm was going off, signaling the start of Race Day. I scrambled in the dark to get my gear together without waking Rikki. I went down to breakfast and Pierre had my americano ready for me :) I chose to stick to my usual pre-race breakfast of bagel and PB with banana, but added one of Sylvie's homemade muffins to the mix (couldn't pass them up!). Can't hurt right?
Not much later I was biking over to transition with Suzanne. Weather was forecast to be hot and sunny all day, so I didn't need arm warmers! Good thing! After setting up transition I headed over to the swim start with my coach (who came all this way to watch the race! Great support!) and Rikki. I did my usual swim tubing set to activate those powerful (?) muscles in my arms. Coach said that turned a few heads and people looked intimidated..good! Standing at only 5'4 and 115lbs means I need a scare tactic! hah.
Swim Tubing - Intimidating?
Next, I put on my awesome Blue Seventy Helix! It has less material around the shoulder area, so makes it super easy to rotate the shoulders. This is especially beneficial as it doesn't make wearing a wetsuit too different than swimming in a regular swimsuit. This allows you to maintain a good swim stroke. I would totally recommend this wetsuit (and you get them at my favourite Toronto Tri Shop, Enduro Sport!).
After a cool pre-race show, featuring the Snowbirds demonstration team, we were lining up for the swim start. I tried to stand by Magali as I knew she was just 20s ahead of me in the swim at Mooseman, so I would be able to swim with her. A cannon signaled the start of the race (cool!). It was a lot more chaotic than the start at Mooseman - not only was this a beach start, but we were also starting with the men. I was swum over by men and they cut me off from the lead pack of swimmers. It was quite frustrating. The first 200m or so I spent trying to get around swim packs that had passed me at the beginning of the race. Eventually I found myself in the lead of the second pack and then I was somehow alone and watching as the lead group (all men) swam about 75m ahead of me. I felt great in the water, but I was disappointed that I didn't have a fast pair of feet to follow in order to conserve my energy. Oh well. As I approached the last buoy before heading back into shore I was a bit blinded by the sun and actually had to stop, take off my goggles, and figure out which way to go. Damn. This allowed the two girls behind me to catch up and now they were drafting off me. My next mistake was veering to the wrong side of the swim exit. I headed left and the other girls headed right. I quickly got back on course, but was in second place now. It would have been cool to exit the water first. A possible goal for Rhode Island.
Exiting the Swim
The run from the swim exit to the bike was about 500m. I was sprinting the whole way, wetsuit still half on, with my coach running beside me! My heart rate reached 192bpm and this was definitely the most intense part of the day. Luckily T1 went way smoother than in Mooseman - got my wetsuit off while putting on my sunglasses and helmet. BOOM! I saw Suzanne approaching her bike while I was leaving T1 so I knew she must've had an awesome swim. She learned to swim just over 5 years ago. For all of you out there who think you need to have begun swimming at a young age to be good at it - erase that thought from your mind!!!
The bike course was just beautiful - newly paved roads, wide shoulders to ride in, great scenery. Not only this, but I was feeling really great. It's hard not to feel great on a Cervelo P3, but I felt extra great. I had energy in my legs and a desire to really push this leg of the bike. After Mooseman 70.3, my coach and I decided that this race would be all about the bike: a 90K time trial and then see what I had left for the run. With this thought in my head I kept pounding on those pedals. I also used the advice I learned from Pro Cyclist, Ed Veal (www.realdealracing.ca). Thanks to him I was able to ride smarter: I knew how to approach a corner with speed, knew how to descend fast and knew to approach those hills. Ed taught me "free speed" which is almost as crucial for these races as bike fitness is. The last 20km of the bike course is a series of rolling hills and is probably the most technical and difficult part of the course. Since I had already rode this part of the race in a pre-race easy bike, I was extra confident that I could finish the bike leg super strong. The fact that I was still in 3rd was also a huge boost! The last 5km I got passed by an amazing cyclist, Jessie Donavan (also on a P3). I still got off the bike in 4th which was HUGE for me! T2 was pretty quick (except didn't get my feet out my bike shoes in time for the dismount line!) and before I knew it I was off on the run.
Heading into T2
The run started with a lot of uphills in the first few kms before settling into a gradual downhill on a nice trail. Jessie had to serve a drafting penalty after the bike (which I actually witnessed and don't agree with) so that meant I started the run in 3rd. At around the 4th km I had actually moved into 2nd! I couldn't believe it. I was feeling pretty good, but I knew that I was fading fast. Unfortunately the thought of taking any gel or sugary drink made me nauseous so I stuck to water. At the 10km turnaround I was still in 2nd but the girls in 3rd and 4th were closing in on me. The gradual uphill on the way back was making my quads burn and my legs were feeling more like bricks than springs. The nauseous feeling in my stomach was growing and I knew that it would take everything I had just to finish the race. I wish I had been able to find that extra energy to stay in second, but I am hoping that will come with experience and more run training. I got passed during the 14th - 17th km, but held on to 4th till the finish. The last km is usually the hardest, but luckily at this race it takes you through Mont Tremblant Village and is all downhill to the finish! My final time was 4:40, just 2 minutes behind second place!
Suzanne finished in 10th even though she had been doing hard training up to the race (and then she ran another 9K when it was over!) and fellow team mate, Faye, came 13th in her age group in her first ever half-ironman! Other WattsUp athletes also had great performances at Tremblant, Welland Tri and Half and I wish them huge CONGRATS!
To sum up the weekend: I couldn't believe that I managed to make the podium in my second Pro race. In my mind, I was true to the quote in Coach Carter. I gave the race everything I had in the hopes that I would "shine" and I think I did. I know that if I learn to dig a little a deeper I can shine a little brighter. And if I'm lucky - those of you reading this might be inspired to do the same.
Endless thank you to my sponsors: Turner-Tomenson Wealth Management, WattsUp Cycling, Enduro Sport, Cervelo, Steve's Ebars, Blue Seventy AND to my absolutely amazing husband for being the most understanding and patient man I have ever met (Rikki, please don't sell me for beer like the shirt says!)
SOME MORE PHOTOS:
Suzanne in Transition
Snowbirds!
Coach with his athletes (me and Faye)
On the podium
Cool bridge!
On the Ferry!
Once at Tremblant we were greeted by the extremely friendly Pierre and Sylvie from Auberge Le Lupin B&B (www.lelupin.com). From the moment we arrived we knew we were in good hands. Pierre brewed many amazing americanos for us any time we wanted, made a special pre-race dinner of delicious pasta, let us dry our wetsuits in his personal laundry room and did many other helpful things. Both him and Sylvie were always going above and beyond to make sure we were well prepared for our race. Sylvie even made us delicious oatmeal cookies to enjoy after our race! Le Lupin was located about 1km from transition (in the village) so an easy walk and away from the noise - it was the perfect location. I will definitely be staying at Le Lupin the next time I am in Mont Tremblant.
After a day and a half of the usual pre-race routine (check-in, super intimidating Pro pre-race meeting, taper swim, bike and run) there was nothing left to do but relax and get mentally prepared for the race. I chose to watch an inspirational movie called "Coach Carter". This movie is based on the true story of a basketball team who made it to the state championship tournament, despite many odds against them. It stars Samuel L. Jackson and a number of cute actors (bonus!). There are many inspirational quotes from that movie, but this one is probably the best (and my favourite):
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
I replayed this line from the movie several times. What I took away from it was this: during my race I should not be scared to show off my fitness, I should not be scared to really try hard, and I should not be too scared to give the race everything I had. The latter part of the quote didn't apply as specifically to my race tomorrow, but a long term goal of mine is to serve as an ambassador for the sport of triathlon and get as many people involved as I can (especially kids). If I can "shine" tomorrow I thought, maybe I can inspire others to as well (just hopefully not my competition!).
After finishing the movie I fell asleep visualizing the the race in my head. I visualized the best case scenario, the worst case scenario and I troubleshot my actions should something go wrong.
It seemed like I blinked and then my phone alarm was going off, signaling the start of Race Day. I scrambled in the dark to get my gear together without waking Rikki. I went down to breakfast and Pierre had my americano ready for me :) I chose to stick to my usual pre-race breakfast of bagel and PB with banana, but added one of Sylvie's homemade muffins to the mix (couldn't pass them up!). Can't hurt right?
Not much later I was biking over to transition with Suzanne. Weather was forecast to be hot and sunny all day, so I didn't need arm warmers! Good thing! After setting up transition I headed over to the swim start with my coach (who came all this way to watch the race! Great support!) and Rikki. I did my usual swim tubing set to activate those powerful (?) muscles in my arms. Coach said that turned a few heads and people looked intimidated..good! Standing at only 5'4 and 115lbs means I need a scare tactic! hah.
Swim Tubing - Intimidating?
Next, I put on my awesome Blue Seventy Helix! It has less material around the shoulder area, so makes it super easy to rotate the shoulders. This is especially beneficial as it doesn't make wearing a wetsuit too different than swimming in a regular swimsuit. This allows you to maintain a good swim stroke. I would totally recommend this wetsuit (and you get them at my favourite Toronto Tri Shop, Enduro Sport!).
After a cool pre-race show, featuring the Snowbirds demonstration team, we were lining up for the swim start. I tried to stand by Magali as I knew she was just 20s ahead of me in the swim at Mooseman, so I would be able to swim with her. A cannon signaled the start of the race (cool!). It was a lot more chaotic than the start at Mooseman - not only was this a beach start, but we were also starting with the men. I was swum over by men and they cut me off from the lead pack of swimmers. It was quite frustrating. The first 200m or so I spent trying to get around swim packs that had passed me at the beginning of the race. Eventually I found myself in the lead of the second pack and then I was somehow alone and watching as the lead group (all men) swam about 75m ahead of me. I felt great in the water, but I was disappointed that I didn't have a fast pair of feet to follow in order to conserve my energy. Oh well. As I approached the last buoy before heading back into shore I was a bit blinded by the sun and actually had to stop, take off my goggles, and figure out which way to go. Damn. This allowed the two girls behind me to catch up and now they were drafting off me. My next mistake was veering to the wrong side of the swim exit. I headed left and the other girls headed right. I quickly got back on course, but was in second place now. It would have been cool to exit the water first. A possible goal for Rhode Island.
Exiting the Swim
The run from the swim exit to the bike was about 500m. I was sprinting the whole way, wetsuit still half on, with my coach running beside me! My heart rate reached 192bpm and this was definitely the most intense part of the day. Luckily T1 went way smoother than in Mooseman - got my wetsuit off while putting on my sunglasses and helmet. BOOM! I saw Suzanne approaching her bike while I was leaving T1 so I knew she must've had an awesome swim. She learned to swim just over 5 years ago. For all of you out there who think you need to have begun swimming at a young age to be good at it - erase that thought from your mind!!!
The bike course was just beautiful - newly paved roads, wide shoulders to ride in, great scenery. Not only this, but I was feeling really great. It's hard not to feel great on a Cervelo P3, but I felt extra great. I had energy in my legs and a desire to really push this leg of the bike. After Mooseman 70.3, my coach and I decided that this race would be all about the bike: a 90K time trial and then see what I had left for the run. With this thought in my head I kept pounding on those pedals. I also used the advice I learned from Pro Cyclist, Ed Veal (www.realdealracing.ca). Thanks to him I was able to ride smarter: I knew how to approach a corner with speed, knew how to descend fast and knew to approach those hills. Ed taught me "free speed" which is almost as crucial for these races as bike fitness is. The last 20km of the bike course is a series of rolling hills and is probably the most technical and difficult part of the course. Since I had already rode this part of the race in a pre-race easy bike, I was extra confident that I could finish the bike leg super strong. The fact that I was still in 3rd was also a huge boost! The last 5km I got passed by an amazing cyclist, Jessie Donavan (also on a P3). I still got off the bike in 4th which was HUGE for me! T2 was pretty quick (except didn't get my feet out my bike shoes in time for the dismount line!) and before I knew it I was off on the run.
Heading into T2
The run started with a lot of uphills in the first few kms before settling into a gradual downhill on a nice trail. Jessie had to serve a drafting penalty after the bike (which I actually witnessed and don't agree with) so that meant I started the run in 3rd. At around the 4th km I had actually moved into 2nd! I couldn't believe it. I was feeling pretty good, but I knew that I was fading fast. Unfortunately the thought of taking any gel or sugary drink made me nauseous so I stuck to water. At the 10km turnaround I was still in 2nd but the girls in 3rd and 4th were closing in on me. The gradual uphill on the way back was making my quads burn and my legs were feeling more like bricks than springs. The nauseous feeling in my stomach was growing and I knew that it would take everything I had just to finish the race. I wish I had been able to find that extra energy to stay in second, but I am hoping that will come with experience and more run training. I got passed during the 14th - 17th km, but held on to 4th till the finish. The last km is usually the hardest, but luckily at this race it takes you through Mont Tremblant Village and is all downhill to the finish! My final time was 4:40, just 2 minutes behind second place!
Suzanne finished in 10th even though she had been doing hard training up to the race (and then she ran another 9K when it was over!) and fellow team mate, Faye, came 13th in her age group in her first ever half-ironman! Other WattsUp athletes also had great performances at Tremblant, Welland Tri and Half and I wish them huge CONGRATS!
To sum up the weekend: I couldn't believe that I managed to make the podium in my second Pro race. In my mind, I was true to the quote in Coach Carter. I gave the race everything I had in the hopes that I would "shine" and I think I did. I know that if I learn to dig a little a deeper I can shine a little brighter. And if I'm lucky - those of you reading this might be inspired to do the same.
Endless thank you to my sponsors: Turner-Tomenson Wealth Management, WattsUp Cycling, Enduro Sport, Cervelo, Steve's Ebars, Blue Seventy AND to my absolutely amazing husband for being the most understanding and patient man I have ever met (Rikki, please don't sell me for beer like the shirt says!)
SOME MORE PHOTOS:
Suzanne in Transition
Snowbirds!
Coach with his athletes (me and Faye)
On the podium
Cool bridge!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Adventures in New Hampshire
I have been in my PJs since my arrival back home last night. It is now 2pm! I woke up this morning, cleaned my extremely dirty and sandy bike, did laundry, unpacked, took out the garbage...now I finally have a chance to relax, collect my thoughts and write about this weekend's race. My first race as a Professional.
The adventure started on Thursday afternoon when Rikki and I began our road trip. On usual Indian Standard Time, we embarked on our journey an hour after we had scheduled. This meant we ran into some crazy 401 traffic. Luckily, this also meant that Rikki had some time to complete some work before we crossed the border.
After about 6 hours of driving, mostly through beautiful and quiet upstate New York, we arrived at Ransom Bay B&B and were asleep within minutes. The next morning we were greeted by the super friendly, Rick, the owner/chef. He cooked us up some amazing omelettes and brought us croissants fresh out of the oven (see below)! After our delicious breakfast and a quick walk around we were on the road again, but this time to the race site!
mmm...breakfast!
Feeling strong before my race
The next few days were filled with the usual pre-race routine: check-in, eating, sleeping, some light swimming, biking and running...oh, and tons and tons of rain that was expected to last until Tuesday. Not only was it raining, but cold too!
Race morning we woke up at 4:30am after an extremely good sleep in a very cozy bed. This briefly reminded me that I desperately need a new mattress back home and that the $12 Ikea pillows I currently own should be tossed in the garbage. Anyway, following that thought, I jumped out of bed and ran to the window...the rain seemed to have stopped (or at least it was lighter). I checked the weather report online and it confirmed what I had been hoping for: cloudy with some rain and some sun was predicted for the race. I was so happy! And it was going to be 14 degrees Celcius and not 12! Even better. In a rested and somewhat cheery mood I gathered my gear, we loaded up the car and headed to the race site. I enjoyed my usual pre-race meal of a bagel with peanut butter and banana, coffee and an advil :)
My newly cleaned racing machine!
Once on site I prepared my transition area: my Cervelo P3 was racked amongst 3 other P3s! Clearly the bike of choice by most of the other Pro athletes. I tried to find a way to place my arm warmers and windbreaker vest in a way so that they would stay dry if it started to rain again. I practiced putting on my arm warmers quickly, this was no problem - took less than 15s. Once I was satisfied with my transition area I headed over to the swim start. I met Rikki there and we both realized that I wasn't nervous at all. There was no real pressure for this race as I didn't have to worry about qualifying for an event or winning my age group. This was a new experience for me and I had no real expectations. I did have a few goals: top 3 in the swim, under 2:55 bike split, under 1:30 on the run and not to come last of the Pros. These all seemed like things I could achieve and it made me surprisingly calm.
Being tough before the swim start
Before I knew it we were being called to the swim start. I positioned myself close to Magali Tisseyre, because I knew she was a strong swimmer and I was hoping to have a strong swim. The official began to count down and the other Pros started dog paddling forward ahead of the start line...I just did as they did and soon we were off. It wasn't the usual washing machine that I was used to. No one was climbing on top of me or ripping off my goggles. Before long it was just 4 of us in the lead group who I later learned were Magali, Mary Beth, Amber and me. MB took off way ahead and Magali took off after her, leaving Amber and me about 50m behind. Amber backed off a bit and I swam the rest of the course about 50m behind Magali, not close enough for a draft (too bad!), but it made it easier stay on course that's for sure. This is my favourite swim course: there are buoys every 100m and it forms a rectangle with the shore line. It makes it quite easy to navigate and you can easily estimate the distance you have left on the course. The water temperature was perfect this year (last year half my body went numb!). I exited the water in 3rd - goal #1 accomplished! - and ran to T1. T1 was kind of a catastrophe. I had practiced getting my arm warmers on quickly a dozen times in the previous two days - but never with wet arms! They would only go on up to my elbows and as I began to get passed in transition I decided that would have to do. I strapped on my helmet and then was off on the bike (after more than 2 minutes in T1!)
The bike started out well, although it had started to rain again. I was feeling comfortable and wow, was my Cervelo fast, I felt like I flew through the initial rolling section on the bike. Then came the big 5K ascent...I had forgotten how tough this climb was and I was very excited to get to the top. The rain had made the roads pretty slippery and I was extra cautious on the descent. I watched a few of the fast male age-groupers fly past my down the hill, but I refused to let go of the brakes. The rest of the bike race continued and I knew I had not been prepared for such a tough, hilly course. I would catch people on the flat sections, only to have them take off on me on the hills or the descents. Although this may have been detrimental to me on race day, at least I now know what needs work in order for me to take my cycling to the next level: lots and lots of hill repeats...and going fast on the ascents AND descents! I did not meet goal #2, but this has only renewed my drive and desire to train long and hard and do whatever it takes to improve my biking.
My second transition went a lot smoother than my first (even though I couldn't really feel my feet). Within a minute I was out on the run course and in 9th. I had forgotten the run course would be in miles and didn't even think about what my splits should be per mile. I ran a 6'29 for the first mile and spent the next few miles trying to figure out what a sub-1:30 half marathon pace should be (I always joke with Rikki that the more I train, the more brain cells I lose!) In the meantime I passed another Pro and moved into 8th. At mile 4 I realized 1:31 was 7' per mile...I had been averaging 6'30 per km though. I was worried that this was way too fast and I would experience what happened in Vegas all over again. After this thought my pace did end up slowing to about 6'40-6'44 per mile (stupid brain!). I finished in 1'27 which met goal #3 and is the second fastest half marathon I have ever done (my fastest was a 1'26 and was a stand-alone half marathon). I still think I have a faster run time in me for the next race!
Overall, I think that the race went well, I came in 8th woman overall and achieved 3 of 4 of my goals. Most importantly though, I think that I justified my decision to turn Pro.
I would like to thank all of my sponsors for their support in preparing me for this race and my coach, Adam. Without their continued support I would not be able to do what I do. Next up: Mont Tremblant on June 24th.
A few more pictures:
Warming up the arms before getting in the water
Taking in the view of the swim course
Entering T2 (notice the arm warmers turned into forearm warmers)
Heading out on the run, I had just smacked my arm on the iron fence and am laughing at myself!
The adventure started on Thursday afternoon when Rikki and I began our road trip. On usual Indian Standard Time, we embarked on our journey an hour after we had scheduled. This meant we ran into some crazy 401 traffic. Luckily, this also meant that Rikki had some time to complete some work before we crossed the border.
After about 6 hours of driving, mostly through beautiful and quiet upstate New York, we arrived at Ransom Bay B&B and were asleep within minutes. The next morning we were greeted by the super friendly, Rick, the owner/chef. He cooked us up some amazing omelettes and brought us croissants fresh out of the oven (see below)! After our delicious breakfast and a quick walk around we were on the road again, but this time to the race site!
mmm...breakfast!
Feeling strong before my race
The next few days were filled with the usual pre-race routine: check-in, eating, sleeping, some light swimming, biking and running...oh, and tons and tons of rain that was expected to last until Tuesday. Not only was it raining, but cold too!
Race morning we woke up at 4:30am after an extremely good sleep in a very cozy bed. This briefly reminded me that I desperately need a new mattress back home and that the $12 Ikea pillows I currently own should be tossed in the garbage. Anyway, following that thought, I jumped out of bed and ran to the window...the rain seemed to have stopped (or at least it was lighter). I checked the weather report online and it confirmed what I had been hoping for: cloudy with some rain and some sun was predicted for the race. I was so happy! And it was going to be 14 degrees Celcius and not 12! Even better. In a rested and somewhat cheery mood I gathered my gear, we loaded up the car and headed to the race site. I enjoyed my usual pre-race meal of a bagel with peanut butter and banana, coffee and an advil :)
My newly cleaned racing machine!
Once on site I prepared my transition area: my Cervelo P3 was racked amongst 3 other P3s! Clearly the bike of choice by most of the other Pro athletes. I tried to find a way to place my arm warmers and windbreaker vest in a way so that they would stay dry if it started to rain again. I practiced putting on my arm warmers quickly, this was no problem - took less than 15s. Once I was satisfied with my transition area I headed over to the swim start. I met Rikki there and we both realized that I wasn't nervous at all. There was no real pressure for this race as I didn't have to worry about qualifying for an event or winning my age group. This was a new experience for me and I had no real expectations. I did have a few goals: top 3 in the swim, under 2:55 bike split, under 1:30 on the run and not to come last of the Pros. These all seemed like things I could achieve and it made me surprisingly calm.
Being tough before the swim start
Before I knew it we were being called to the swim start. I positioned myself close to Magali Tisseyre, because I knew she was a strong swimmer and I was hoping to have a strong swim. The official began to count down and the other Pros started dog paddling forward ahead of the start line...I just did as they did and soon we were off. It wasn't the usual washing machine that I was used to. No one was climbing on top of me or ripping off my goggles. Before long it was just 4 of us in the lead group who I later learned were Magali, Mary Beth, Amber and me. MB took off way ahead and Magali took off after her, leaving Amber and me about 50m behind. Amber backed off a bit and I swam the rest of the course about 50m behind Magali, not close enough for a draft (too bad!), but it made it easier stay on course that's for sure. This is my favourite swim course: there are buoys every 100m and it forms a rectangle with the shore line. It makes it quite easy to navigate and you can easily estimate the distance you have left on the course. The water temperature was perfect this year (last year half my body went numb!). I exited the water in 3rd - goal #1 accomplished! - and ran to T1. T1 was kind of a catastrophe. I had practiced getting my arm warmers on quickly a dozen times in the previous two days - but never with wet arms! They would only go on up to my elbows and as I began to get passed in transition I decided that would have to do. I strapped on my helmet and then was off on the bike (after more than 2 minutes in T1!)
The bike started out well, although it had started to rain again. I was feeling comfortable and wow, was my Cervelo fast, I felt like I flew through the initial rolling section on the bike. Then came the big 5K ascent...I had forgotten how tough this climb was and I was very excited to get to the top. The rain had made the roads pretty slippery and I was extra cautious on the descent. I watched a few of the fast male age-groupers fly past my down the hill, but I refused to let go of the brakes. The rest of the bike race continued and I knew I had not been prepared for such a tough, hilly course. I would catch people on the flat sections, only to have them take off on me on the hills or the descents. Although this may have been detrimental to me on race day, at least I now know what needs work in order for me to take my cycling to the next level: lots and lots of hill repeats...and going fast on the ascents AND descents! I did not meet goal #2, but this has only renewed my drive and desire to train long and hard and do whatever it takes to improve my biking.
My second transition went a lot smoother than my first (even though I couldn't really feel my feet). Within a minute I was out on the run course and in 9th. I had forgotten the run course would be in miles and didn't even think about what my splits should be per mile. I ran a 6'29 for the first mile and spent the next few miles trying to figure out what a sub-1:30 half marathon pace should be (I always joke with Rikki that the more I train, the more brain cells I lose!) In the meantime I passed another Pro and moved into 8th. At mile 4 I realized 1:31 was 7' per mile...I had been averaging 6'30 per km though. I was worried that this was way too fast and I would experience what happened in Vegas all over again. After this thought my pace did end up slowing to about 6'40-6'44 per mile (stupid brain!). I finished in 1'27 which met goal #3 and is the second fastest half marathon I have ever done (my fastest was a 1'26 and was a stand-alone half marathon). I still think I have a faster run time in me for the next race!
Overall, I think that the race went well, I came in 8th woman overall and achieved 3 of 4 of my goals. Most importantly though, I think that I justified my decision to turn Pro.
I would like to thank all of my sponsors for their support in preparing me for this race and my coach, Adam. Without their continued support I would not be able to do what I do. Next up: Mont Tremblant on June 24th.
A few more pictures:
Warming up the arms before getting in the water
Taking in the view of the swim course
Entering T2 (notice the arm warmers turned into forearm warmers)
Heading out on the run, I had just smacked my arm on the iron fence and am laughing at myself!
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