Thursday, September 2, 2010

Season Finale

Sunday was my 7th and final tri of the season!  I raced with two friends Alexis and Pauline!  I can honestly say I was really excited about it from Feb until about June, then I started to freak out.  Around mid-July I REALLY started to freak out!  I had delusions that I would be a running gazelle by then!  Oh how life gives you things that are so different than what you expect :).

I spent August really working on my bike, I knew this was where I could gain the most for the race!  I went into the race feeling reasonably confident about the swim and bike, but really scared about the "RUN."- then mother nature decided to throw me another curve ball - a heat wave in New England!

I've raced 2 races this summer with full blown migraines &  I really didn't want this to be another one!  Friday I was so busy preparing for my parents to visit, trying to catch up with work so I could take a few days off after the race, that I FORGOT to hydrate!  By Sat AM I had a headache.... I kept thinking, great - here we ago again! I kept on top of it and was ok by Sunday AM!  Up at 3:30AM and in the car by 4:20 with my  Peanut Butter bagel in hand -woohoo, I was ready!

I felt great!  When I got to the race site, got my number, then met Alexis - she said "you're going to have a great race, they lost MY number." This meant I passed Mr. Murphy onto her!  Poor Alexis had to stuff her bike on a unmarked rack, then was forced to MOVE it again 10 min before the swim start!

So, onto the SWIM- .9 miles completely around this little lake.  It was very shallow, some parts I could touch the ground with my ARMS while swimming!  I can't imagine how tall people did it!  I saw some people walking,    I started out front right again, I think this will be my spot from now on, I really like it there!    I was kicked MANY MANY times, more than ever, but it didn't really bother me.  I had an awesome swim, I felt relaxed, kinda fast, and overall zen.

There was a really long run, AROUND transition to get to my bike, but I managed and off I went!  The ride was beautiful and fast!  I got a bento box and had some Gu Chomps with me. I have my air traffic control dashboard with me and finally figured out what numbers drive me on the bike (cadence, speed, and average speed).    Ever 15 min I would eat a chop and I kept my numbers in check.  This enabled me to keep a full 2 mph avg higher than I had been!  - VERY happy with my 26 mile bike!  --

I'm still a terrible climber. Even though the hills were tiny, I'm still slow. Every time I slowed down someone would say "hey awesome job, looking good" or something like that, and not until later in the race did I really appreciate that they MEANT it.  I totally thought "ugh, they're thinking 'poor fat slow girl."

I popped in another GU and just WENT, around mile 20 just found this burst of energy!  Some guy yelled out "woah, you look fresh as a daisy?!" -- interesting I thought, maybe I figured out how I need to fuel?

I passed a woman that had been in front of me the whole time, and just yelled out "hey, you're faster than me, and have been this whole race, come-on, you can do it" - so we cat and moused it the last 2 miles.  In Transition she yelled "hey thanks, I needed that." - of course she then RAN..  I knew I wasn't going to be able to run 6.1 miles!

The heat was starting to rage by this time, I have no idea what temp but it was in the 90's.  I started out with my run, which is about 14min mile.  I did that for 1 mile then walked, I can walk the same speed so I decided to just walk!  I noticed this guy in front of me, fit and appeared to be struggling.  He would walk/run/walk/run.  I rounded a corner about mile 1.7 and he was sitting in the grass on the side of the road.  I just walked over, gave him a hand and said "lets go, only .3 to the next aid station, you're walk/running what I'm just walking @ the same speed, I bet you can just walk this."  So he got up, and told me that he had just not fueled properly today.  He was bonked for sure!  I said "they have Hammer Gel at the station, grab a couple, see if that helps." - so he did, and we kept walking, and he started to feel better...

About .25 from the finish line, a police man said "hey its only a short distance left, finish strong!" so he said "ok lets run" --- as you can imagine he ran LOTS faster than I do, so off he went, and I just puttered along.  He noticed I was missing and STOPPED and waited for me!  When I caught up, he said "I would have been a DNF if you didn't pick me up off the ground." - So we crossed the finish line together!

These are the things I love about this sport!  You really do  meet the best people!

And now I've completed an Olympic Tri!

8 comments:

  1. I love it. You ALWAYS have some motivational thing to say, whether it's to someone you know, or a total stranger. Too cool. You're the best Laura!!! Ali

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  2. Great job Laura. You can still amazing me after all this time. Again, Very proud of you!!

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  3. Great story, Laura! Congrats on your first Olympic. :-)

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  4. Congratulations on a great season and the completion of your 1st Olympic race. You did it!! You should be very proud of yourself- not only for the physical accomplishment, but the mental one too!

    Way to go!
    Crystal

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  5. Great job, Laura! Amazing story! You do us all proud when you take the opportunity to lend a helping hand. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  6. Laura, you are an inspiration to more people than you will ever realize in more ways than you can imagine. Keep up the good work, and continue to strive for your goals.

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  7. You are truly an inspirational person. Can't wait to be able to actually race with you. You are what good sportsmanship is all about.

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  8. You are Awesome! Reading this 10 at night has so far been the most uplifting part of my day! Tim

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