When I crossed the finish line two days ago in Boulder, I was half expecting the finish guy to announce my name and tell me I was 1/2 of an Ironman. After all, they tell you when you cross the Ironman finish line that you are an Ironman. But I was told something much better.
"Here comes Brandon Geist of Lone Tree. Welcome to the finish. You are officially a member of the Ironman Family."
THAT, my friends, feels amazing.
Knowing that the MDot isn't just for completing an Ironman; but it's for those of us who have stepped into the suck of a 1/2 Iron course and still gave it our all. That's amazing. And an honor to be a part of.
On another note, Kris and Mark are the most amazing people on this planet. No question. They were EVERYWHERE on the course and every time I saw them I was just elated.
A better recap coming soon.
The fitness adventures of two Ironman triathletes
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
DONE
After not as much sleep as I would have thought I would have gotten, I decided to get on here.
I'm not going to do my whole blog post now; that's for in a few days. But, I will do, like I have in the past, initial thoughts:
- THAT was seriously the hardest thing I've done. I know I've said that a few times before and I'll probably say it again when I do Ironman*, but for right now, yeah. Accurate.
- Both of us are lobsterized. I just don't want to know how much worse it could have been had I not resprayed in transition.
- Kris and Mark are the best cheer squad EVER.
- The amount of support and congratulations we've gotten from people is amazing ... and it's mostly been from people who barely have an idea of what a triathlon even is, which is even cooler. They just know we just did something hard and grueling that we've been training several months for.
And we did it.
I'm not going to do my whole blog post now; that's for in a few days. But, I will do, like I have in the past, initial thoughts:
- THAT was seriously the hardest thing I've done. I know I've said that a few times before and I'll probably say it again when I do Ironman*, but for right now, yeah. Accurate.
- Both of us are lobsterized. I just don't want to know how much worse it could have been had I not resprayed in transition.
- Kris and Mark are the best cheer squad EVER.
- The amount of support and congratulations we've gotten from people is amazing ... and it's mostly been from people who barely have an idea of what a triathlon even is, which is even cooler. They just know we just did something hard and grueling that we've been training several months for.
And we did it.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Gear Post!
Since my Boulder Peak post, I've been wanting to talk about some of the new gear and toys I've picked up for training and racing.
Behold, the picture!
Pretty stuff!
So. What we have:
Tyr Transition Bag. Snazzy birthday present from Brandon. While I loved using my Timbuk for racing, the trans bag holds seriously EVERYTHING. I would use it as my new carry on for flying if it weren't so huge. I'm pretty sure it would not fit under the seat in front of me and might only possibly fit in the overhead bin.
Bell Lumen Helmet. While my old Giro Skyla (mountain bike helmet, technically) served me well for a good four, five years, I figured it was time to get an actual road/tri helmet. I saw this helmet pictured in Triathlete magazine's gear guide this year in their bike basics. Since I had a limited helmet budget (and a handy dandy gift certificate from the parents for TriSports.com for the birthday), this one became the winner. Only complaint so far? Harder to squeeze my ponytail through the pony hole. That sounded bad.
SaltStick Caps. Also known as salt tabs. At the 5430 sprint, we were talking to some more experienced triathletes near me in transition and one guy said the best advice he could give us for the 70.3 was salt tabs. So, when we picked up the trans bag, we also picked up a bottle of salt tabs. So far, they've worked great. Next step: SaltStick dispenser. Ziplocs don't work so well on the bike unless one is stopped.
Profile Design Aqualite Aero Bottle. What may be my saving grace regarding hydration on the bike. I'm weird in that I tend to take in liquids better if I have a straw to take them in (like, say, in a restaurant). Plus I haaaaaatttteee reaching down for a water bottle, particularly if I'm in aero. So, the aero bottle. I actually hydrate now! Next step: buy a bigger one. Only issue is that liquids sploosh out the top and you get splattered a bit which isn't that big of an issue if it's just water in there, but I typically have an Ironman Perform/water mixture and, um, yeah. Bob becomes a sticky mess.
Nathan Sprint Handheld Water Bottle. We got Brandon a fuel belt; I figured we didn't need two and I've carried a water bottle on runs before ... so I decided to get this little guy. Once I cut out the tag, it's worked great. It only holds 10 oz of fluid, but I don't typically run much longer than 7 or 8 miles (unless I'm half training ... which will be coming up shortly) and I usually never hydrated anyway, so this will be a good thing. Plus I actually hydrate on runs now which is kinda nice.
Nike Lunarglide+ 2's. My new running shoes. Weirdly enough, I landed in Nikes for the second straight shoe go around (so far, I've been in Adidas, Saucony and Mizuno before two rounds of Nikes), after having been in the Zoom Structure Triax 13s. When I got the ZST13s, my shoe fitter at my local running store actually tried me in Lunarglides, but we decided against them since I had just started with the midfoot strike. This time, they work well for me. They're a little snug due to my deformed feet, but as long as my form stays correct, they work fine.
Finally, Bob got an upgrade:
Purple!
Yep, like Melon before him, Bob got new handlebar tape. I think it's pretty and works so well on him.
So yeah, fun new toys. I'll actually be trying the Sprint out during the half-mar part of the half-Iron on Sunday just so I can have some Perform with me.
Behold, the picture!
Pretty stuff!
So. What we have:
Tyr Transition Bag. Snazzy birthday present from Brandon. While I loved using my Timbuk for racing, the trans bag holds seriously EVERYTHING. I would use it as my new carry on for flying if it weren't so huge. I'm pretty sure it would not fit under the seat in front of me and might only possibly fit in the overhead bin.
Bell Lumen Helmet. While my old Giro Skyla (mountain bike helmet, technically) served me well for a good four, five years, I figured it was time to get an actual road/tri helmet. I saw this helmet pictured in Triathlete magazine's gear guide this year in their bike basics. Since I had a limited helmet budget (and a handy dandy gift certificate from the parents for TriSports.com for the birthday), this one became the winner. Only complaint so far? Harder to squeeze my ponytail through the pony hole. That sounded bad.
SaltStick Caps. Also known as salt tabs. At the 5430 sprint, we were talking to some more experienced triathletes near me in transition and one guy said the best advice he could give us for the 70.3 was salt tabs. So, when we picked up the trans bag, we also picked up a bottle of salt tabs. So far, they've worked great. Next step: SaltStick dispenser. Ziplocs don't work so well on the bike unless one is stopped.
Profile Design Aqualite Aero Bottle. What may be my saving grace regarding hydration on the bike. I'm weird in that I tend to take in liquids better if I have a straw to take them in (like, say, in a restaurant). Plus I haaaaaatttteee reaching down for a water bottle, particularly if I'm in aero. So, the aero bottle. I actually hydrate now! Next step: buy a bigger one. Only issue is that liquids sploosh out the top and you get splattered a bit which isn't that big of an issue if it's just water in there, but I typically have an Ironman Perform/water mixture and, um, yeah. Bob becomes a sticky mess.
Nathan Sprint Handheld Water Bottle. We got Brandon a fuel belt; I figured we didn't need two and I've carried a water bottle on runs before ... so I decided to get this little guy. Once I cut out the tag, it's worked great. It only holds 10 oz of fluid, but I don't typically run much longer than 7 or 8 miles (unless I'm half training ... which will be coming up shortly) and I usually never hydrated anyway, so this will be a good thing. Plus I actually hydrate on runs now which is kinda nice.
Nike Lunarglide+ 2's. My new running shoes. Weirdly enough, I landed in Nikes for the second straight shoe go around (so far, I've been in Adidas, Saucony and Mizuno before two rounds of Nikes), after having been in the Zoom Structure Triax 13s. When I got the ZST13s, my shoe fitter at my local running store actually tried me in Lunarglides, but we decided against them since I had just started with the midfoot strike. This time, they work well for me. They're a little snug due to my deformed feet, but as long as my form stays correct, they work fine.
Finally, Bob got an upgrade:
Purple!
Yep, like Melon before him, Bob got new handlebar tape. I think it's pretty and works so well on him.
So yeah, fun new toys. I'll actually be trying the Sprint out during the half-mar part of the half-Iron on Sunday just so I can have some Perform with me.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Politics and the Boston Marathon
I've contemplated the idea of Boston being a qualifying-only marathon on here before. Obviously, it's a touchy subject for a lot of people; Runners World even ran an article on it. I've been struggling how to phrase my feelings on it, but thanks to our moronic politicans in Washington over the past couple weeks, I think I got it.
You all know I try to avoid politics on this, but like I said, a lightbulb went off in my head.
Most of you probably realize I lean to the right when it comes to politics. I believe in the freedoms the constitution guarantees us, including firm support of the 2nd Amendment. I also believe in small government; allow people to make decisions for themselves and run their own lives. I support many good environmental practices but feel that in no way should the environment be a political issue.
Anyway, back to the topic here. People think Boston should be exclusive, open to all, and lose what it has had for many years. What this does ultimately is it lowers Boston to everyone's level. Every single person on the planet, regardless of ability, can go and do it. What's so special about that? And in a way, that's like the American Dream.
No one is saying that you can't run Boston. They are just saying that you have to do what it takes to do it. It's the same thing with the American Dream. With dedication and hard work, you can achieve it. By our government intervening in our lives to the nth degree, we lose the ability to reach our highest potential. Same thing if you lower Boston. Without some specific goals, no one has to work hard to achieve the ultimate marathon.
The bottom line is we're not all created equally. Not everyone has the ability to qualify for Boston or Kona (yo!). Not everyone is going to have the ability to achieve the American Dream. Luck has a factor in this. But the great thing about running is you don't have to achieve Boston to be a great runner. You can still achieve great things in the sport without having to add Boston to your resume. Same thing with the "American Dream". You don't need a ridiculous retirement fund or every toy to still achieve everything great this country can offer.
Food for thought in these tough times.
You all know I try to avoid politics on this, but like I said, a lightbulb went off in my head.
Most of you probably realize I lean to the right when it comes to politics. I believe in the freedoms the constitution guarantees us, including firm support of the 2nd Amendment. I also believe in small government; allow people to make decisions for themselves and run their own lives. I support many good environmental practices but feel that in no way should the environment be a political issue.
Anyway, back to the topic here. People think Boston should be exclusive, open to all, and lose what it has had for many years. What this does ultimately is it lowers Boston to everyone's level. Every single person on the planet, regardless of ability, can go and do it. What's so special about that? And in a way, that's like the American Dream.
No one is saying that you can't run Boston. They are just saying that you have to do what it takes to do it. It's the same thing with the American Dream. With dedication and hard work, you can achieve it. By our government intervening in our lives to the nth degree, we lose the ability to reach our highest potential. Same thing if you lower Boston. Without some specific goals, no one has to work hard to achieve the ultimate marathon.
The bottom line is we're not all created equally. Not everyone has the ability to qualify for Boston or Kona (yo!). Not everyone is going to have the ability to achieve the American Dream. Luck has a factor in this. But the great thing about running is you don't have to achieve Boston to be a great runner. You can still achieve great things in the sport without having to add Boston to your resume. Same thing with the "American Dream". You don't need a ridiculous retirement fund or every toy to still achieve everything great this country can offer.
Food for thought in these tough times.
Monday, July 25, 2011
A Chance to Reflect
Greetings from Times Square!
I blogged from NYC last year, also in July. Instead of being at 57th and 6th, I'm at 51st and 7th. This isn't some sort of anniversary thing, mind you; I just finally decided I have the time to catch up on a lot of thoughts and reflections.
So, we're two weeks out from the biggest race of our lives. Two weeks out from, as I've put it in the past few weeks, achieving infinity. Two weeks from truly digging deep within our souls, our hearts, and our minds, to figure out what we're made of, and eventually carrying the title of 1/2 Ironman.
The main thing that I think TeamBabyDino has achieved this year is growth. We've grown, both physically stronger and mentally stronger. We're both very mentally focused (most of the time) and although we're obviously a little apprehensive about doing our first 1/2 Ironman, we're both ready for it, even though we need to remind each other of that from time to time.
One of the biggest things I've noticed with me this year compared to last year is I don't make excuses. Last year, it would have been too easy to bag many of my workouts due to various reasons. This year, I've done what I call "risen up" to the occasion numerous times when it would have been easy to bag it. Perfect example: a couple weeks ago I had a 60 minute ride scheduled, and was planning on doing it when I got home from commuting. Problem is, our flight was delayed thanks to numerous thunderstorms in the Denver area. So naturally, I got home late and was exhausted. Due to the thunderstorms still floating around, I made the decision to Coach Troy it rather then ride. I didn't quite ride for 60 minutes, but the fact I still got a difficult ride in and still learned something shows how much we've changed and grown.
Diet has also helped immensely. I am at the point where everything I eat or drink, I wonder "what benefit am I getting from this?" This is something I should have been doing for years now but am only finally figuring out. Things like not just ingesting gels or Gatorade on the bike "just because". I have figured out through trial and error that on any ride under 60:00, I really don't need much nutrition; just water and some Gatorade. I also learned that Clif Shot Bloks, while tasty, are basically worthless and give me nothing. On long rides, I'll snarf a Snickers bar for energy and it works. Trial and error, like I said.
I turned this 1/2 Ironman not into one race to prepare for, but a way to change my lifestyle. Obviously I'm not perfect (I still have that damn sweet tooth!) and can still learn a lot from my mistakes, but I think that's one of the great things about triathlon; you can learn, grow, change, and ultimately, achieve infinity.
I blogged from NYC last year, also in July. Instead of being at 57th and 6th, I'm at 51st and 7th. This isn't some sort of anniversary thing, mind you; I just finally decided I have the time to catch up on a lot of thoughts and reflections.
So, we're two weeks out from the biggest race of our lives. Two weeks out from, as I've put it in the past few weeks, achieving infinity. Two weeks from truly digging deep within our souls, our hearts, and our minds, to figure out what we're made of, and eventually carrying the title of 1/2 Ironman.
The main thing that I think TeamBabyDino has achieved this year is growth. We've grown, both physically stronger and mentally stronger. We're both very mentally focused (most of the time) and although we're obviously a little apprehensive about doing our first 1/2 Ironman, we're both ready for it, even though we need to remind each other of that from time to time.
One of the biggest things I've noticed with me this year compared to last year is I don't make excuses. Last year, it would have been too easy to bag many of my workouts due to various reasons. This year, I've done what I call "risen up" to the occasion numerous times when it would have been easy to bag it. Perfect example: a couple weeks ago I had a 60 minute ride scheduled, and was planning on doing it when I got home from commuting. Problem is, our flight was delayed thanks to numerous thunderstorms in the Denver area. So naturally, I got home late and was exhausted. Due to the thunderstorms still floating around, I made the decision to Coach Troy it rather then ride. I didn't quite ride for 60 minutes, but the fact I still got a difficult ride in and still learned something shows how much we've changed and grown.
Diet has also helped immensely. I am at the point where everything I eat or drink, I wonder "what benefit am I getting from this?" This is something I should have been doing for years now but am only finally figuring out. Things like not just ingesting gels or Gatorade on the bike "just because". I have figured out through trial and error that on any ride under 60:00, I really don't need much nutrition; just water and some Gatorade. I also learned that Clif Shot Bloks, while tasty, are basically worthless and give me nothing. On long rides, I'll snarf a Snickers bar for energy and it works. Trial and error, like I said.
I turned this 1/2 Ironman not into one race to prepare for, but a way to change my lifestyle. Obviously I'm not perfect (I still have that damn sweet tooth!) and can still learn a lot from my mistakes, but I think that's one of the great things about triathlon; you can learn, grow, change, and ultimately, achieve infinity.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Race #6 of the Season: Boulder Peak Triathlon
Since Brandon moved out here, we've pretty much done every race together. The first he missed that was gender-legal (he didn't do Tri for the Cure '08 because that was women's only) was the Turkey Trot last year. But, with the exception of the aforementioned Tri for the Cure, we had done all our tris together ... and he was with me for TftC08 anyway and helped me get through that race.
For Boulder Peak, the second of three in the Boulder Tri Series we signed up for last October, Brandon didn't come with me. It was pretty much the only thing he asked off for in his July bids ... and didn't get it off and he COULD NOT get out of it. Sad day. So, it was only me heading up to Boulder that morning ...
Like 5430, I went up to Boulder the day before (so Saturday) for the pre-race expo and packet pick-up. Heard about the nasty hill (Olde Stage) ... and not much else. The only cool thing about packet pick-up was the tent of Ironman-branded stuff they had on SUPER CLEARANCE. While none of it gets cracked until August 8th, I picked up two IM Boulder 70.3 cycling jerseys, two visors, one hat, one pint glass, one coffee mug and two stickers for ... $40, I want to say? Each jersey was $5 and they're normally $80. Yeah. No-brainer. Unfortunately, the stuff's all sitting in a bag hidden behind the futon, but y'know.
After shopping, I drove back down to Denver, had sushi for lunch, breakfast for dinner (becoming our pre-race standard) and went to sleep.
Race Day
Like for 5430, I woke up butt-ass early for the long-ass drive to Boulder. Transition had already opened by the time I arrived and had to park a bit further away than we did for 5430. Still, I got in and set up just fine.
Sun rising over transition.
Transition! Ivan and Nelson are in the trans bag (post concerning that later), there's the crappy sunscreen I bought that didn't work and left me slightly fried ...
Now customary smiley. Thanks, Steve - a couple of Coloradoans now do this regularly.
Unlike 5430, I didn't take Bob for a spin; I just set up trans and basically hung out. I was telling myself not to be nervous so as not to poop the multiple times I usually do race morning ... but then I couldn't at all and that made me nervous instead so finally I just plopped in the port-o-potty line and forced myself to go.
Quick note here: AWESOME that they had someone pitching most of the line extra rolls of TP to make sure EVERY port-o-potty had enough. There's not much worse than using a port-o-potty after an event and having NO toilet paper.
Soon enough, though, it was time to leave transition and head down to the water (after popping a salt tab).
The Swim
After getting down to the beach, I popped in the water and swam a bit, but not too much as my wave was one of the earlier ones and I didn't want to miss my start.
Which ended up being good, as it was VERY hard to hear waves announced. I did ask the powers that be about it and they couldn't use the soundsystem because it was before 7am (noise violation codes or whatnot). But still, I can't help but wonder how many people missed their wave as a result.
In any case, after chit-chatting with a few people, it was time to go.
I let pretty much the entire wave go ahead of me before I started swimming so I could attempt to crawl with no distractions. Unfortunately, like 5430, I ended up breast-stroking most of it ... which I found out has the unintended consequence of killing my watch. ARGH. This should hopefully be the last race of that (more later). In any case, I survived and exited the water happily not last in my division (though close).
Time: 42:47 (1224th overall)
T1:
Transition in this race took a bit longer than it did in 5430, but I put on an extra pair of bike shorts to help out the lady bits and I popped a salt tab. Time well worth it, in my opinion.
Time: 3:46
The Bike:
As I had heard many nightmares about this course from many different sources, I made sure to take in some nutrition (mmm, no-bake cookies) within the first few miles. Legs felt kind of crappy, but that is to be expected, after all.
I saw a woman in front of me as I turned onto one of the main roads and eventually caught up with her, knowing I made some progress (because I knew I was definitely one of the last out of the water in my division). We ended up passing each other back and forth for pretty much the entire ride, which helped a lot, actually. Lightened up the course.
Much too soon (okay, like five miles in), we made the turn that would take us to Olde Stage Road.
It. Was. As. Bad. As. Advertised.
Two to three miles of straight up CLIMBING. According to some Google research, the first mile is an 11% grade and the rest of it averages an 8% grade. It was MISERABLE. There were several people off their bikes and walking. I never got off and walked, though I did have to stop three times just to catch my breath to ward off a potential asthma attack. I was in baby gear all around ... and going anywhere from 2-5mph up the hill. Averaging probably 3.5 mph.
What's more cruel is there's a water station near the top ... if you haven't done the ride, and all you have to go on is the costumed volunteers (in devil costumes, mostly; probably because you feel like hell at that point) is saying, "Wee, you're done!" ... you don't expect more climbing. But there WAS. And it felt like a cruel, cruel joke.
Teaches me right to not 100% scout the course out ahead of time.
Anyway, after the end of the horrible hill, you get to go blessedly downhill. The first section has a speed limit of 35 mph - a strictly enforced speed limit of 35 mph (you go over, you dq'ed). Doing the ride, you see why; riding my brakes and not pedaling, I stayed around 31, 32 mph. At the bottom of the hill, there's a nice turn that if you're not careful, you could take one hell of a tumble. Which people have done and to avoid such further incidents, they implemented the speed limit. Makes sense to me.
I did hit 40ish later on the course though, so yay. :)
Another falsehood was that after Stage, the course was flat and fast. It was ... for probably until mile 15. After that? Rollers. Rollers that burned. Rollers that sucked. I commented to someone at some point that I thought it was supposed to be flat and fast after Stage. I got a nod and a grunt in response.
The woman from the first few miles and I were really going back and forth at this point, though she eventually passed me for good within the last five miles ... where my legs just started giving up.
Other points of mention:
- The guys in daisy dukes, fake pigtail wigs and knotted up plaid shirts at the second aid station? AWESOME. I hooted and hollered at them (which they loved).
- There was a suicidal rabbit at one point; dashed across the road in front of the girl in front of me; almost got killed; dashed back in front of me; almost killed both of us. Saw it dash back again ... don't know what happened. I presume it made it, as I didn't hear sounds of crashing. I think if a cyclist hit a rabbit said cyclist would probably crash ...
And though I said my legs started to give up, I still tried to finish the bike (a non-Oly distance 42K) strong. Some really old guy passed me at one point and I said to myself, "Really? You have GOT to start moving here." And I did. And it was good.
Time: 1:41:49 (1173rd overall)
T2
Peeled off the bike shorts, tossed on the race skirt (with number), changed shoes, Body Glided feet again (10K, figured I should), tossed another salt tab.
Time: 2:44
The Run
I wasn't so sure on how the run was going to go. All I was hoping for at that point was to do better than I did at Rattlesnake. I wasn't expecting a HUGE PR or anything - I was training through the race and all - but I did want to improve if anything.
The first mile didn't seem like that would be accomplished. I had to walk quite a bit starting out and I just couldn't get into any sort of groove.
Then, just into the second mile, I fell. I was actually noticing all these big ol' rocks in the path and thinking, "Hmm, someone might trip on these" and down I went. Left palm, left leg. Palm, ankle and butt all got road rash. I popped up quickly and ran a bit afterward, but the stinging of the gravel (and, let's be honest here, my pride) forced me to walk shortly thereafter. Luckily, the aid station was soon and I got water to clean my hand out as best as possible, drank a ton myself and kept on going.
From a week later. It's almost healed now, but it took over a week and a freaking half to do so.
Mile three was fairly uneventful ... except that it had a few hills. I stopped at all the aid stations and took in the Hammer gel right at the halfway point to give myself a little extra boost.
I knew my miles were pretty slow at that point, but given the time on my now blurry watch, I knew I could walk the rest of the way and still essentially PR. Obviously I tried to run a bit more and I did, but unfortunately not much.
Still, I managed to run it in the chute and sprint to the finish ... chicking one guy pretty badly and almost passing another right at the finish line.
Time: 1:10:41 (1141st overall, 11:17/mile)
Overall Time:
3:41:07
1188/1279 overall
400/461 female
65/73 division (F2529)
My swim was almost at the bottom of the division; I caught quite a few people on the bike; a few of those caught me back on the run.
This was a race that if you look at the numbers alone, I was slow and crappy. However, that's still a five minute PR for a race that I didn't feel ready for. I was training through this; I didn't feel like I had put in the miles. In some senses yes, that showed. However, I was still able to PR, tripping a mile into the run and all. I'll take it.
For Boulder Peak, the second of three in the Boulder Tri Series we signed up for last October, Brandon didn't come with me. It was pretty much the only thing he asked off for in his July bids ... and didn't get it off and he COULD NOT get out of it. Sad day. So, it was only me heading up to Boulder that morning ...
Like 5430, I went up to Boulder the day before (so Saturday) for the pre-race expo and packet pick-up. Heard about the nasty hill (Olde Stage) ... and not much else. The only cool thing about packet pick-up was the tent of Ironman-branded stuff they had on SUPER CLEARANCE. While none of it gets cracked until August 8th, I picked up two IM Boulder 70.3 cycling jerseys, two visors, one hat, one pint glass, one coffee mug and two stickers for ... $40, I want to say? Each jersey was $5 and they're normally $80. Yeah. No-brainer. Unfortunately, the stuff's all sitting in a bag hidden behind the futon, but y'know.
After shopping, I drove back down to Denver, had sushi for lunch, breakfast for dinner (becoming our pre-race standard) and went to sleep.
Race Day
Like for 5430, I woke up butt-ass early for the long-ass drive to Boulder. Transition had already opened by the time I arrived and had to park a bit further away than we did for 5430. Still, I got in and set up just fine.
Sun rising over transition.
Transition! Ivan and Nelson are in the trans bag (post concerning that later), there's the crappy sunscreen I bought that didn't work and left me slightly fried ...
Now customary smiley. Thanks, Steve - a couple of Coloradoans now do this regularly.
Unlike 5430, I didn't take Bob for a spin; I just set up trans and basically hung out. I was telling myself not to be nervous so as not to poop the multiple times I usually do race morning ... but then I couldn't at all and that made me nervous instead so finally I just plopped in the port-o-potty line and forced myself to go.
Quick note here: AWESOME that they had someone pitching most of the line extra rolls of TP to make sure EVERY port-o-potty had enough. There's not much worse than using a port-o-potty after an event and having NO toilet paper.
Soon enough, though, it was time to leave transition and head down to the water (after popping a salt tab).
The Swim
After getting down to the beach, I popped in the water and swam a bit, but not too much as my wave was one of the earlier ones and I didn't want to miss my start.
Which ended up being good, as it was VERY hard to hear waves announced. I did ask the powers that be about it and they couldn't use the soundsystem because it was before 7am (noise violation codes or whatnot). But still, I can't help but wonder how many people missed their wave as a result.
In any case, after chit-chatting with a few people, it was time to go.
I let pretty much the entire wave go ahead of me before I started swimming so I could attempt to crawl with no distractions. Unfortunately, like 5430, I ended up breast-stroking most of it ... which I found out has the unintended consequence of killing my watch. ARGH. This should hopefully be the last race of that (more later). In any case, I survived and exited the water happily not last in my division (though close).
Time: 42:47 (1224th overall)
T1:
Transition in this race took a bit longer than it did in 5430, but I put on an extra pair of bike shorts to help out the lady bits and I popped a salt tab. Time well worth it, in my opinion.
Time: 3:46
The Bike:
As I had heard many nightmares about this course from many different sources, I made sure to take in some nutrition (mmm, no-bake cookies) within the first few miles. Legs felt kind of crappy, but that is to be expected, after all.
I saw a woman in front of me as I turned onto one of the main roads and eventually caught up with her, knowing I made some progress (because I knew I was definitely one of the last out of the water in my division). We ended up passing each other back and forth for pretty much the entire ride, which helped a lot, actually. Lightened up the course.
Much too soon (okay, like five miles in), we made the turn that would take us to Olde Stage Road.
It. Was. As. Bad. As. Advertised.
Two to three miles of straight up CLIMBING. According to some Google research, the first mile is an 11% grade and the rest of it averages an 8% grade. It was MISERABLE. There were several people off their bikes and walking. I never got off and walked, though I did have to stop three times just to catch my breath to ward off a potential asthma attack. I was in baby gear all around ... and going anywhere from 2-5mph up the hill. Averaging probably 3.5 mph.
What's more cruel is there's a water station near the top ... if you haven't done the ride, and all you have to go on is the costumed volunteers (in devil costumes, mostly; probably because you feel like hell at that point) is saying, "Wee, you're done!" ... you don't expect more climbing. But there WAS. And it felt like a cruel, cruel joke.
Teaches me right to not 100% scout the course out ahead of time.
Anyway, after the end of the horrible hill, you get to go blessedly downhill. The first section has a speed limit of 35 mph - a strictly enforced speed limit of 35 mph (you go over, you dq'ed). Doing the ride, you see why; riding my brakes and not pedaling, I stayed around 31, 32 mph. At the bottom of the hill, there's a nice turn that if you're not careful, you could take one hell of a tumble. Which people have done and to avoid such further incidents, they implemented the speed limit. Makes sense to me.
I did hit 40ish later on the course though, so yay. :)
Another falsehood was that after Stage, the course was flat and fast. It was ... for probably until mile 15. After that? Rollers. Rollers that burned. Rollers that sucked. I commented to someone at some point that I thought it was supposed to be flat and fast after Stage. I got a nod and a grunt in response.
The woman from the first few miles and I were really going back and forth at this point, though she eventually passed me for good within the last five miles ... where my legs just started giving up.
Other points of mention:
- The guys in daisy dukes, fake pigtail wigs and knotted up plaid shirts at the second aid station? AWESOME. I hooted and hollered at them (which they loved).
- There was a suicidal rabbit at one point; dashed across the road in front of the girl in front of me; almost got killed; dashed back in front of me; almost killed both of us. Saw it dash back again ... don't know what happened. I presume it made it, as I didn't hear sounds of crashing. I think if a cyclist hit a rabbit said cyclist would probably crash ...
And though I said my legs started to give up, I still tried to finish the bike (a non-Oly distance 42K) strong. Some really old guy passed me at one point and I said to myself, "Really? You have GOT to start moving here." And I did. And it was good.
Time: 1:41:49 (1173rd overall)
T2
Peeled off the bike shorts, tossed on the race skirt (with number), changed shoes, Body Glided feet again (10K, figured I should), tossed another salt tab.
Time: 2:44
The Run
I wasn't so sure on how the run was going to go. All I was hoping for at that point was to do better than I did at Rattlesnake. I wasn't expecting a HUGE PR or anything - I was training through the race and all - but I did want to improve if anything.
The first mile didn't seem like that would be accomplished. I had to walk quite a bit starting out and I just couldn't get into any sort of groove.
Then, just into the second mile, I fell. I was actually noticing all these big ol' rocks in the path and thinking, "Hmm, someone might trip on these" and down I went. Left palm, left leg. Palm, ankle and butt all got road rash. I popped up quickly and ran a bit afterward, but the stinging of the gravel (and, let's be honest here, my pride) forced me to walk shortly thereafter. Luckily, the aid station was soon and I got water to clean my hand out as best as possible, drank a ton myself and kept on going.
From a week later. It's almost healed now, but it took over a week and a freaking half to do so.
Mile three was fairly uneventful ... except that it had a few hills. I stopped at all the aid stations and took in the Hammer gel right at the halfway point to give myself a little extra boost.
I knew my miles were pretty slow at that point, but given the time on my now blurry watch, I knew I could walk the rest of the way and still essentially PR. Obviously I tried to run a bit more and I did, but unfortunately not much.
Still, I managed to run it in the chute and sprint to the finish ... chicking one guy pretty badly and almost passing another right at the finish line.
Time: 1:10:41 (1141st overall, 11:17/mile)
Overall Time:
3:41:07
1188/1279 overall
400/461 female
65/73 division (F2529)
My swim was almost at the bottom of the division; I caught quite a few people on the bike; a few of those caught me back on the run.
This was a race that if you look at the numbers alone, I was slow and crappy. However, that's still a five minute PR for a race that I didn't feel ready for. I was training through this; I didn't feel like I had put in the miles. In some senses yes, that showed. However, I was still able to PR, tripping a mile into the run and all. I'll take it.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Race #5 of the Season: Lone Tree Liberty Dash 5K
I guess this is now just the Liberty Dash 5K (formerly the Firecracker 5K). Anyway, I've been doing this stupid race since it started way back in 2005. In fact, it was my first ever running race.
Anyway, we all know I'm marginally sentimental toward this race for some ungodly reason and once again, decided to do it this year. Although that almost didn't come to fruition; didn't get it off at work and had to beg and plead and pick up another shift for it to get mostly covered enough so I could run.
Like last year, we walked down to the park early for packet pick-up and then walked back home to eat breakfast and everything. In park visit numero uno, it seemed quiet. The quietness was magnified by the time we started the race - it seemed like no one was there (even though the race results have 22 more people participating this year than last).
In any case, they kept the race the good route, but it just sucked this year. I knew it was going to be a LOT hotter than last year and even though I would have loved to keep my sub-30 5K streak alive this year, I figured if I could hit around 31:00, I'd be happy.
Mile 1: sucky. Up the hill, squeezing past rocks, only one water station, what now?
Mile 2: still sucky. Wound around through one of the subdivisions, started to get some downhill, never really felt like getting going.
Mile 3.1: Decided for the first time ever in my racing career to not sprint across the finish line (to make it the second time ever; couldn't physically run across the finish line at turkey trot '08) so Brandon and I could cross together chanting, "USA! USA!" No one was amused. Sad day.
Final Numbers:
Gun Time: 31:21
Chip Time: 30:59
Overall Place/Total: 136/306
Pace: 9:58.35/mile
Sex Place/Total: 48/153
Division Place/Total: 11/25
No pictures taken, but I will include some of the happy fireworks we had ... until the city decided to set the park on fire for the second time in four years. *sigh*
Off to the right, you can see the flames from the actual fire. Fun, eh?
Anyway, we all know I'm marginally sentimental toward this race for some ungodly reason and once again, decided to do it this year. Although that almost didn't come to fruition; didn't get it off at work and had to beg and plead and pick up another shift for it to get mostly covered enough so I could run.
Like last year, we walked down to the park early for packet pick-up and then walked back home to eat breakfast and everything. In park visit numero uno, it seemed quiet. The quietness was magnified by the time we started the race - it seemed like no one was there (even though the race results have 22 more people participating this year than last).
In any case, they kept the race the good route, but it just sucked this year. I knew it was going to be a LOT hotter than last year and even though I would have loved to keep my sub-30 5K streak alive this year, I figured if I could hit around 31:00, I'd be happy.
Mile 1: sucky. Up the hill, squeezing past rocks, only one water station, what now?
Mile 2: still sucky. Wound around through one of the subdivisions, started to get some downhill, never really felt like getting going.
Mile 3.1: Decided for the first time ever in my racing career to not sprint across the finish line (to make it the second time ever; couldn't physically run across the finish line at turkey trot '08) so Brandon and I could cross together chanting, "USA! USA!" No one was amused. Sad day.
Final Numbers:
Gun Time: 31:21
Chip Time: 30:59
Overall Place/Total: 136/306
Pace: 9:58.35/mile
Sex Place/Total: 48/153
Division Place/Total: 11/25
No pictures taken, but I will include some of the happy fireworks we had ... until the city decided to set the park on fire for the second time in four years. *sigh*
Off to the right, you can see the flames from the actual fire. Fun, eh?
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