Race Training. . . and the Hidden Lessons



 Many weeks I wonder what we can write about that doesn't say the same thing that we've already said. This is not one of those weeks. In fact, if this gets a little long, forgive me. There's just so much to say.

This week started out like any other week for the most part. We evaluated our schedules and then talked about when we were putting our training into the real life we have. I had a funeral to attend Monday, so instead of an evening swim, I opted for an early morning swim. Jason ran long on Tuesday when a friend asked him if he wanted to keep him company on a 10-miler. He swam on Wednesday, and I ran when I normally bike. Thursday Jason spun inside with a friend, and I crashed a swim class to acquire a little help from an experienced teacher on how I could eliminate the stupid shoulder pain I've been experiencing (mission accomplished, by the way). Friday we scored a sitter and both attempted to put some miles under our tires outside. Jason went on a 36-mile loop with me, and then I went home to retrieve the kids and prep for an unexpected tri on Saturday while Jason went back out for another 36-ish (he's an animal).

At the beginning of the week I had not planned on racing the following Saturday. However, Thursday night, after much encouragement from Mr. T. with phrases like, "you'll have fun," "it'll be good practice," and "you can totally do this," I signed up for a sprint tri about a half hour from our house.

My thoughts on the wind that we were about to encounter.

So, here's the race report:

Weather: sunny but incredibly windy--20-30 mph east wind with gusts up to 40 mph.

The Race:
500-yard indoor pool swim (I started third from the end because of my late registration)
 20K (aka 12.4 mile) bike
5K (aka 3.1 mile) run

Nutrition: I'm really proud of this. We had salmon, rice, and asparagus for a night-before-race meal because we needed to both recover from rides and prep for a race. I also took a protein shake after I finished the 36-mile ride outside Friday. I also figured that since I wasn't going to race until almost noon, I needed to eat a hearty breakfast, so I took in a couple scrambled eggs and some toast early, and then a banana an hour before racing. Throughout the race I took a salted carmel GU after the swim, liquids during the bike, and a salted carmel GU in the first mile of the run. In hindsight, I most likely didn't need the second GU, but I didn't want to take any risks. I also slammed a protein shake when we finished because, after all, we have a run scheduled for tomorrow.

The Swim: went about like I thought it would. My time ended up being about :30 shorter than I anticipated, so I was really pleased. The best part of this discipline were our friends who came. We had one friend who rode up with Jason and the kids (I rode up with her husband who raced), and then another friend and her husband and three kids who came just to cheer us on. Every time I hit the wall away from the starting block, I heard screams and cowbell just for me. So. Cool.

T1: I apparently need to work on this because I was . . . slow. I opted to put on socks, which I think I'd not use in the future if the weather isn't as cold.

The Bike: This was a 12.4 mile route of 3 miles north, 3.2 east, 3.2 west, 3 south. We had wind "issues" no matter which direction we went. The cross wind was wicked for the first 3 miles, and the head wind just plain sucked the next 3.2. Let's just say American runner Shalane Flanagan ran the first half of the Boston Marathon at a faster pace than I rode those 3.2 miles. The 3.2 going west, I saw no less than 25 mph and up to mid 30mph. The last 3 took some concentration because, again, the cross winds challenged my balance. (Incidentally, on our way home, we saw such strong winds that the semi in front of us was struggling to keep his trailers on the road.) The best part of this discipline was at the halfway point going east (and west) when one of our friends had found a side road and parked her car with her children there. She totally surprised me, yelling and ringing the cowbell. Again, so cool. So encouraging.

T2: Nothing to comment on here. I'm sure I'd transition faster with some elastic laces in my shoes, but otherwise, I can't see much room for improvement. Oh wait. I forgot. I forgot my race belt with my number. Whoops. I did not remember that I needed it until about half a block from transition, and at the at point, I wasn't going back.

The Run: I'll be honest: the first mile felt uncomfortable. But then I just fell into a groove and thought that maybe, just maybe, a little push would feel good. And it did. Again, the best part of this discipline, other than crossing the finish line, was at about mile 1.75, where once again, the same friend and her husband had found their way to the route and cheered. I just felt so blessed.

Overall conclusion: I haven't enjoyed a race this much in a very long time. I finished near the end of the pack seemingly because I began at the end, but when I looked at my times, I finished in the top half of the participants and third in my age group. The night before the race I asked a couple of wise friends for some advice. And I kept it all in mind as I raced. Here's what I heard:

• Really use this to practice your transitions. (No backwards helmets.)
• Just have fun, practice your transitions and don't second guess your fitness. It's a sprint, and you're training for an ironman It's going to hurt. That doesn't mean you're not fit.
• Have fun. Count backwards helmets.

I figured I'd finish near the end, so I kept this in mind going in. Just work hard, and have fun. I tried to thank every volunteer I saw because I knew they'd been out there since the beginning, waiting for me and the two people behind me.

I also saw the HUGE benefit of having a support system there. One friend corralled, held, and entertained our kids while Jason took pictures. That same friend was at the end of the pool snapping pictures while Jason entertained kids away from the water. Then my roaming, cowbell-ringing friend--I just felt so blessed by her and the fact that she worked so hard to find me. Quite frankly, few people hang around to see the last person finish the race. So props go to a) the people who finish last and b) the people who hang out to cheer for them. They really do need it.

Probably more than anything, this triathlon just reminded me of the FUN of this sport. For the most part, athletes encouraged each other, and I felt the triathlon family love both from our friends and local triathletes. We've long believed we should not do these shorter races because they a) add some extra cost to training and b) could lead to an injury. But seriously, they also allow us to connect with local triathletes and remember that our training does not take place in a vacuum.

Man, today was just a lot of fun.

Only 22 weeks to IM Chattanooga.