Race Day # 6 2010

Race Day!

I do love going to the SheRox/Danskin races in Webster for two reason:
1). they're in my backyard
2). so many newbies



These two races are GIGANTIC!  I've participated with any number from 1500-4000 women, yup that's not a typo 4,000!!!  I love seeing the women there, all shapes, sizes, ages (yea you can see everyone's age advertised on our LEGs)!  Many of whom its their first tri, but for most of them it won't be their last! It is so addicting!  I am so damn slow, yet I can't stop!  Sunday was race # 6 of the season!  I'm getting comfortable with being last! (at least this time it was just last in my age group).

I am amused at the quantity of CRAP people bring to transition though, most races require you to walk and/or ride your bike, yet people pack for the weekend!  I saw bags big enough to carry a body home (or maybe that was the point?).  You need the gear that you're going to USE during the race, not every contingency known to man... people its not going to SNOW in July.. you aren't going to need a blanket, you aren't going to need 43 pairs of socks.. and for heavens sake, you don't need a comforter and pillow set out in your transition area.  I did wonder if some folks were going to take a nap in transition!  I felt junk-envy when I saw the woman across from me, she had about 1500 calories worth of energy packs.. 1500 CALORIES!  do you know how long of a race you'd have to do to burn that???

Ok in all seriousness, packing for race day has actually become pretty easy for me, especially a sprint!  My bag seems to pack itself.  The day before, my bench seems to "collect" gear. - Then as I pack my SMALL BACKPACK, I make myself a little "woman" - I say "swim, bike, run" and make the little woman out in how I would look in each sport.  This way I won't forget anything. 


Unfortunately this race was yet another one that just about killed me though.  Saturday about 4PM, I started to get a migraine, and not just a normal one!  A really, really bad one!  I was getting pretty bummed because we had so many people from the group doing it, PLUS I was hosting the after party! I've never once thought, "I am not doing this race." but about 6PM, I thought "if I feel like this in the AM, I'm not doing it."....


Lots of drugs later, and probably 2 hrs of sleep later, it was time to get going!  Even though I ate properly, I'll spare the details but suffice it to say I was not properly fueled for the race!  I didn't feel "as bad" in the AM so I decided the show must go on!  Thing is HUGE races take FOREVER to get going, there were 23 waves of over 100 people in each wave!  4 minutes a wave!  It was after 8 before I even got to swim!  By the time I got in the water, I needed more drugs.   It was pretty funny to lay out drugs with my Gu on my tiny little towel in transition.


I had an ok swim, there was no way it was 1/2 mile ;)..  I tried something different this time.  I'm normally an outside back of the pack person, this time I tried outside and FRONT.  The Danskin & SheRox races are SUPER polite so I thought if I got kicked today it wouldn't be that bad.  Turned out  I kinda liked it.  I had lots of feet and arms all over the place, and had a few abrupt noodle stops (people with noodles standing in my way) but other than that, it was quite nice!  I even saw a big box kite out there, I might have to go try to find it again later.


I probably would have had a better overall time but I just moseyed along to T1.  I could have taken a rest in one of those comforters/pillow stations.   I jumped on the bike and went for a ride.   The ride was pretty nice because there were lots of people for me to pass!  That NEVER happens, and especially when I didn't feel well, this was a little boost for me!


About 1/4 mile from the end of the bike, there's a big cluster of people, spectators, runners, bikers, etc. This woman on a bike was ALL over the road, and would not let me pass her.  My choice was to get hit by a car, run over a runner, or just sit back and watch her COAST down the road, she wasn't even peddling .. so aggravating.

I eventually passed her and sprinted down the last 25 yards.  I was actually mad at that point so I ran to T2.. kinda funny for me!  Then the run UGH!  Migraine, AND my miserable running ability - I decided to run/walk every .25 miles.  I actually kept up with that, except the few places where I knew people. They made me run longer (thanks guys) btw, I use the term "run" loosely. 


I rounded the corner toward Waterfront Mary's expecting to see the old lady with the hose, she was not there.  She was about 100 anyway :( how sad- I missed her, I'm sure about 2000 of us missed her.


Once I rounded that last corner, I knew I had just over a mile to go - woohoo!  I really thought about swimming though, I could have jumped in the lake shoes and all and swam to the beach no problem!  It would have been easier than the run!


I love rounding the corner to Webster lake, its FILLED with people cheering you on.  I knew I could run in, so I did.... then .. thank goodness, it was DONE!

We collected the group, and went to my house for a cookout!

Congrats everyone for finishing, and for kicking ass, and for really having a fun party after!  Anne, Alexis, Me, (the tall one) Mireya, Julie, Pam, Stellah!

Swim Tidbits

I thought I’d write a bit about swimming tidbits.  These are tips I’ve picked up or told over the years a ton of times.  May sound stupid to some of you, but believe it or not, some people were never told some of this! 

Gear- what to buy.

The most important things are FIT AND COMFORT Do not listen to people that say you have to have the most expensive, fastest, most innovative, etc .. what you need is the item that FITS YOU best and is most COMFORTABLE!

Goggles:

I’ve been to way too many ‘talks’ where the speaker says “you NEED to buy the wide goggles, you can see more” – well if your face is shaped differently and you constantly get water in your eyes, you can’t see ANYTHING, it is USELESS.    I personally cannot wear those types of goggles, my face is short and the water leaks under my cheeks.  I’ve seen friends with flatter noses try the same thing.. bottom line, try them!  Expensive doesn’t mean “better” for you!  You have to find the goggle that FITS.

I do find that I enjoy a TINTED goggle especially on sunny open swims!

Swim Suits v TriSuits:
Again, you don’t NEED a tri-suit (one piece suit to swim in, bike in, run in). Try one out, see if you like it!  There are different kinds out there.  I’m short, so I personally like the two piece tankini and then tights/bike shorts.  You can also go to the restroom a little easier with two pieces!   Plus, I have a problem with the zippers on the tri-suits, they like to come un-done on me.

FIT AND COMFORT, it’s up to you on what you are comfortable with, don’t let expense or peer pressure make you get one.  It is best though, to have one ‘outfit’ to wear during the entire race, especially the shorter ones. Find what works for you and do it.

Wetsuits
I love my wetsuit!  The first time I swam with my wetsuit, it cut 10% off my time on a ¼ mile!  Again, you don’t need an ‘EXPENSIVE” one, but you do need to find one that fits you comfortably.  Wetsuits are generally uncomfortable though if you’re not used to them.  They will be tight around your neck, and arms if you get the sleeved one.  You should be able to move, and breathe without the feeling of being strangled or reduced lung capacity.  A wetsuit should not be loose though.  You do NOT want enough space where water can ‘woosh’ in your suit, that will keep you cold and uncomfortable.

Sleeves vs sleeveless -  up to you, the conditions you will be swimming in.  Again this is down to FIT AN COMFORT (see a theme?).  What is your tolerance to the colder water? Do you freeze in warm water?  Sleeves are probably better for you.  Are you super buoyant as a swimmer? Sleeveless might be the way to go.   These are factors to consider when going sleeves or sleeveless. 

I go with my sleeveless unless the water is less than 64 degrees.  My arms are pretty buoyant (as is the rest of me), so the sleeves make me feel like I have to work harder to keep them down.  – personal body type though. 

Remember what works for one person may not work for someone else, take in all the advise you get, but use your judgment!

Gear- How to take care of it.

Goggle’s –
Water:
 If you’re getting water in them all the time, first, are they too tight.. yup.. TOO TIGHT!  You can tighten them to the point where the lip flips over and becomes useless.  Try loosening them!  You want a little suction, but you do not want indentions in your eyeballs!    If you’re still getting water in them, it’s possible that the type of goggle may not work for you.  Look at yourself in the mirror, is there a space around your nose, is there a space next to your eyes on the sides, if so it may not be the right type for you.  Try another kind.

Fog:
Goggles will fog up.. LEARN HOW TO SPIT.  I can’t say this enough, so I'll say it again, learn how to spit!  Not this silly little ‘tah’ – work up a gross white amount of SPIT.. I can’t tell you how many women I’ve seen, LICK, or gently spray their goggles with saliva.. that just ain’t gonna cut it.. :) .  You want to get the film off the goggle and spit works great!    Use your finger to wipe it around, then wash it off. 

You can buy an mask anti-fog cleaner from a scuba shop, however you won't be racing with it, so it will only be useful to you for the FIRST part of your race! 

Another trick to fogging up is to keep water in your goggles.  After you defog (with spit or defogger), put some water in them and leave it there until your ready to put them on your head.

Lastly, if you’re getting an excess of fog, wash your goggles with toothpaste (the regular kind).  Use enough to coat both sides and rinse it well.  This will help get some film off of it as well.  Careful not to use the toothpaste with abrasive material, you dont want to scratch your goggles!

Wetsuits:
Too tight:
DO NOT DRY IN THE SUN… let me say that again.. DO NOT DRY IT IN THE SUN!..  neoprene shrinks in the sun!  so many of us think we gained weight, nope, you let it sit in the sun and it shrank!

Dry it in a cool- dark/dry place if you can!

If you find your suit too tight, you CAN stretch it. 2 liter bottles are useful.  For example if the arm is too tight, put the bottle in the arm hole and leave it there overnight. 

Washing:
You don’t need to wash your wetsuit   with soap after every use, however you should rinse it.  Rinse it VERY WELL if you were in salt water or chlorine. Try to limit chlorine exposure as it will break down the material and shorten the life of the suit.

You can soak your suit or wash it using dawn dish detergent.  You can also buy a special wetsuit cleaner from a scuba shop, but dawn works just fine. 

Getting in:

Wetsuits:

Many people struggle to no end getting into a wetsuit.  Trick #1, - it’s not pants, don’t yank it up like it’s a pair of jeans!    Roll the suit down until the crotch is exposed, and stick your legs through.  ROLL the suit up your body.  DON’T YANK.  If you try to stick your legs in you will end up with a big gap in the crotch and will be struggling with it, especially if it’s hot.  If you have trouble getting your feet in, put your feet in a plastic bag before sticking them through the leg holes, but don’t forget to still ROLL it up.

Women, think about putting on the wetsuit like you put on pantyhose!  - Men,  I don’t know what to tell you, ask a woman how to put pantyhose on.

You can also use a mixture of Dawn and water in a spray-bottle to assist.  Only do this if you’re in open water, don’t soap up someone’s pool!  Spray your arms/legs with the soapy water and you’ll find you slide right in. (still roll in).

Swim Caps:

Swim caps are a pain – but are a necessary evil.  I’ve seen a lot of demos where they tell you to stretch it and just stick the top of your head in…. guess what- you’re going to send that cap flying.  I’ve sling-shotted one a good 15 feet once!  If you have shorter hair, open the cap using both hands then stick your forehead in the front of the cap and stretch it around the back of your head. Then tuck your hair in as appropriate. 

If you have longer hair (like I do).  Flip the pony tail over the top of your head, open the cap up, and start from the back of your head and stretch it to the front.  Then pull the pony tail down as required.

Make sure you get the air bubble out of the top.

Swimming:

I’m not going to get into too much here, except – Total Immersion is awesome!  Take a class if you can!

 And if there’s three suggestions I can offer its:

1. Don’t kick so much, this is where much of your Oxygen is spent, and its why people think they can’t swim that far!  You only need to kick to keep your-self horizontal.
2. Head in the water!!!!   Holding your head out of the water is a big waste of energy.  It’s like driving your car down the road with a parachute sticking out the back.  Get comfortable with your head IN the water! 
3. Stroke and Glide.. (ok this belongs to a friend Jim, but its in my head ALL the time).. just remember Stroke .... and GLIDE...

I hope some of this helps!       

Oh Yea.. THAT'S WHY!!!

 Yesterday, I volunteered at the Mass State Triathlon.  I know I said no more, but I was signed up for this one and one in Sept.  I just didn’t have it in me to do 2 races this month, so I volunteered to be a swim buddy.   Half of the group I’ve been assisting this year was competing in this race,  so I really thought I should go.  

I convinced  a group of folks into being swim buddies with me. Some had done it before, some were new and a little apprehensive of doing it.   The night before was a little weird, I was like “ugh, I’m not racing.”  But then I remembered the joy of being a swim buddy.  I kid you not, it really is a great experience!

A swim buddy is a pretty cool and the most rewarding job @ a race.  We hang out in the water typically between the start and 100 yards in.  Most people that freak out are going to do so in this small space.   We have flotation devices and have them to offer to racers who are tired or panicked.  We give them the option to take a quick break and keep going.  When we are in the water, they don’t have to get ‘pulled out” and get the dreaded “DNF.”   We let them hang on, talk them out of the panic, have them breathe, and offer to swim next to them if the want.  Just having someone next to them, is often all the encouragement people need to finish!

Yesterday was typical of my experiences as a swim buddy!   Since there were only 5 swim buddies, they didn’t “announce” that we were there.  Tim, the Race director did let a few people know and within a few minutes, two women asked to have assistance for the swim.    The first few waves, each of us swam back and forth from the first buoy looking for signs of distress, with only a few people who needed to ‘catch their breath.’

I saw the yellow caps and went to pick up my buddy.  She was visibly shaking.  I just grabbed her by the shoulders and said “you do know how to swim right?” she said yes –I said “you’ve swam this distance before right? “ – she said yes…

 So I said “take a deep breath” – (then another).. – then I said, well I’m here, and I have a float, so you can stop whenever you want, and guess what:  you have as long as you want to finish this!  You’ve done this before, and it’s no different!

Off we went!  She did great!  She only hung on 2x during the entire course, and that was when 2 waves of splashy men came by!  A few times she  looked at me and said “there is no way I would have got this far without you”!   My response was “well when you get more comfortable, you will be a swim buddy, and will swim with someone and talk them though and tell this story” – she just laughed- yup she was relaxed enough to laugh.

We got closer and closer to the finish line and she was on her back.  I told her to turn over and swim looking at that lovely finish line! To enjoy it, she was ALMOST there!    I touched bottom first, and I told her “hey the bottom is there if you want it.” – she just looked at me, gave me a huge hug, and this wave of just pure emotion covered her face.  Exhaustion, excitement, and the best..... triumph..

She did it!


and Oh yea, that's why I volunteer!

Red Feet

Had a chi running clinic yesterday.  It started with just two of us for the level II, on the track &  It was sweltering hot!  My form is ok, I can get into the "c" shape ok, but I have trouble keeping it while 'leaning.'  I look back at pictures from races and I look like a duck, so I know I have some work to do.  I asked Vince what I can do about the "duck" as well as my hip-bursitis and he noted that I'm crossing my feet very close together.  His suggestion : run barefoot to feel the ground under you, and 'know' where you're going.  Note, I was in myBARE feet, none of these weird 5 toe shoes!

Ok good idea ---- in theory!

The level I class joined us, and I removed my shoes.  The rain came, THANK GOD, it felt so nice!  Running the first lap in barefoot was pretty cool.  It really made me pay attention to where my feet were landing, and I wasn't thinking about how out of shape I am, I was thinking about - where my feet were landing.  I have to say I felt drunk as I staggered along the track line! 

The 2nd lap was good, it was nice to run in the puddle too!   We practiced the 2nd and 3rd gears and I think I'm getting it, I just need to build up some endurance.  The bare-feet thing was pretty cool up to this point too, it made me think about those weird shoes, except... do I REALLY need another thing to spend money on??

3rd lap, I actually looked at the bottom of my feet - EEK.. the track was red, and so was the bottom of my feet!  not so much from irritation but from the color of the track.  I felt like Lady McBeth!

4th lap, OUCH... each step was irritating, I could feel each raised groove in the track!  I swear I was floating just because I didn't want my feet to touch the ground! 

5th lap - just torture.. I splashed through the puddles as much as possible, got to the other side and found my precious shoes!

We then practiced hills.  I learned some new techniques on how to go up a pretty steep hill without straining the calves, also I learned how to go 'down' a hill  without killing myself or really pounding my knees.

All in all, a good day.. but damn my feet hurt today!

My Niche

Well, good news is I found a niche, bad news it’s at a terrible cost to ME!

I’ve been assistant-coaching a tri-group.  I am not very good at the bike or run part, but I’m an ok swimmer.  I wouldn’t call myself a swim coach, but as a divemaster, I am trained to help people with fear, anxiety, and other issues with the water.  I’ve turned that into something useful for triathlons.   My specialty isn’t to teach people to swim, nor is it to teach people to swim fast.. But to teach folks to swim efficiently and without fear of their face in the water, without fear of fish, seaweed, and to just slow down and enjoy it.  As a good friend once told me (and its repeated in my head over and over and over and over..) STROKE AND GLIDE…..

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing a remarkable change in several folks, and it has been special.  I’ve seen SEVERAL people not be able to do one lap in the pool and within 1 hour be able to do a ¼ mile swim!  It really is rewarding in itself! 

HOWEVER! I’ve spent this summer worrying about other people, volunteering almost all of my free-time helping others that I forgot about me.  I went for a bike ride on Sunday and it was PATHETIC.  I feel like I totally wasted the last 8 months of training, and the thousands of dollars I’ve spent on personal training. I feel like I just let it go! 

I have my first Olympic triathlon just around the corner, and sure I can hustle, but I don’t have the luxury of spending the $$ on the personal training again, nor do I really have the luxury of the time anymore.  I was volunteering almost 40% of my free time to the tri-group, then another day to PT, and another day to Pilates.. There’s my week - no real time for my training. (now of course I didn't push it either).

I love to dive, and I had anticipated that I would have time to spend diving the 2nd half of the summer. I'll have to decide which I want to do, dive or tri!  I have to rush back to get into the shape I was in back in May!  It’s sad really!  Sure I can do it.. but had I planned a little better, not just ‘given’ myself, I wouldn’t be in this situation!

I guess the moral of this is to not forget about YOU! – because no one else is going to remember YOU!

On Your Left!

Just finished the Cohasset Tri yesterday. It was an absolute beautiful day, calm flat ocean - clear skys, etc. Apparently the last few Cohasset races were not so lucky! This race is a nationals qualifier so all the elites of New England show up! It was the fastest sprint sellout in the country- It sold out in just 60 hours!

I felt kinda icky on Sat, nothing in particular, just my lower back hurt and my hips/ITbands always hurt. Woke up Sunday bright and early 4AM, and I didn't eat what I had prepared to eat. We ended up being a little late so I ate a bagel instead. Anne stayed over and we picked up Alexis and went on our way. Arriving in Cohasset right on time 6:15AM.

You had to park 1.5 miles away from the venue, our Tri-Sherpa John brought a bike too so he could also ride to the race site! We get to registration pick up, I give the woman my info, she checks me off the list and goes to get my packet.. of course it's missing.. seriously I AM MURPHY! So we stand there for a while as they dig around the boxes, then he race director comes over and shoves a "race day late entry" thing in my face and tells me to sign it. ???? I"m like "uh, I've done this??" - he THEN explains that they'll issue me a new # if I fill it out. So I fill it out, then some guy comes over and hands in my packet, they had given it to someone else! We joked that it was probably Scott Brown :) - ONLY ME!


The race was in a great location, the beach was awesome but freakin COLD! I debated between sleeves and sleeveless. Anne had a shorty sleeveless so I decided to go sleeveless just because she was. I'm glad I did too! They had a pretty long wait between waves and it was VERY hot out. I would have died if I had that long sleeve on!


I've never done an ocean race, nor a beach start. I like messing with my goggles in the water. With a beach start you have to have them set before hand! This way you can just high-tail it down the beach and dive into the 60 degree water!


I dove in and YIKES, I knew how cold it was because I was already in there. I need to practice diving in and NOT messing with my goggles. Of course they fogged up on me, I tried to deal but I took a second to rinse them again. Then the most freaky thing to me was the breath. My friends have all told me about how the cold water takes away your breath, I didn't believe them! It was like I had 1/4 the lung capacity. For the first several strokes (1/2 way to the first bouy) I took a breath EVERY STROKE! jeeze.


The rest of the swim was ok, my arms weren't too numb - feet were just fine. I tend to stay back and to the right so most of the pack was in front of me. I prefer to not get kicked so I'm ok with this location. That second buoy seemed SOOO far away though! The third buoy came quicker, I guess I found my stroke by then. Next thing you know I'm on the beach again, and there's another 50 yard run UP THE BEACH.. and I mean UP! YEA!

I walked, Alexis passed me on the run up and was like "why are you walking?" LOL!!

Transition was fine, mediocre T-time, but I learned to not put my socks on for the bike. I just dont need them. This also means they're DRY for the run! The bike was beautiful but it seemed like it was 40 miles long! I kept looking at my HRM and it said "4 miles" I'm like "WHAT??"


The whole town comes out in some fashon, so there's lots of people sitting out, cheering you on! The entire bike all I heard was "ON YOUR LEFT" "ON YOUR LEFT" "ON YOUR LEFT" (for those of you that don't race, that's what you're SUPPOSED" to yell when you pass someone on the bike). -- I decided that was the motto of this SEASON for me! "ON YOUR LEFT!"

Given my Murphy's law history, I round this corner and see a sign "Warning, Golf Course"- watch out.. I'm thinking to myself "today IS the day I"m going to get hit with a golf ball!...

It was just a short twist through there, but I was totally convinced I was going to get clobbered by a golf ball! Luckily, I survived.

I finally came to the dismount on the bike! I thought "what, now I gotta run?" it was getting hot and I was just not having fun today. I am so not a quitter so on went the socks and shoes and off I went. I jogged/walked. Then I met my new friend Veronica. We walked a good portion of it together (nope it's not cheating). I crossed the finish line and still didn't feel quite right, so I sat in the shade and drank some coconut water and some Owater (that stuff is pretty good). Eventually I felt better!

BUT, I kept thinking to myself "HOW THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO AN IROMAN IF I CAN'T RUN 3 MILES!!!"

Ugh.. guess I need to step it up a "little."

Lots of Races

I apologize again for not writing in a while. I was consumed with the Adventures of Flat Stanley! That's not to say that I didn't' have lots to write about with my Tri-world, I just need an additional day or two in the week.

Since I last wrote, I've been seeing a physical therapist weekly for IT band syndrome and hip bursitis. That's just lovely, right? They ask you "what's your level of pain?" The hip is typically a 2-3 for me on a 1-10 scale, but I'm comparing that to a 9 migraine! I really have no idea how severe it would be for others! They just look at me like I'm crazy for being there for a "2."

I've also had a crazy unforgiving piriformis muscle. I joked to the PT that I've had "more people touching my butt this week than I have--EVER." He totally didn't find it amusing at all! The PT, the Chiropractor, the Massage Therapist and the Pilates instructor all have had their pain sessions with me and that muscle!


I've been working with Alexis with a Triathlon group, sharing my experiences, helping with swimming, hopefully providing comic relief, and most importantly letting people know its OK to be a TRI-TURTLE! Finish what you start, that's the key!

I've had two races since I last wrote. I actually placed in "The Y-Tri" - the hilarity of this statement still kills me! This was a TINY race, there were only 2 people in my category. YEA ME, right? HAHA!! The Turtle takes the race!

This was probably my last race in a pool, I really don't like the pool starts, I feel like I'm racing alone. I really need people around me to keep me going. This past weekend I rode the Webster course with Alexis and John's friend Jay. There happened to be a triathlon going on at the same time! We started out on the bikes just before the elite men exited the water. The confusion on their faces when they saw a GIRL up in front of them was priceless! I'll take this as another "win" - I was in the front of the pack for the race - HAHA!!


The second race was the King Pine Triathlon in Madison, NH. BEAUTIFUL.. but.. if you're going to do a race in the MOUNTAINS, and the transition area is in a SKI RESORT parking lot, EXPECT IT TO BE HILLY! - No idea why I thought it would be anything different than that! The swim was good, I expected it to be cold but it was a balmy 68! Bike was a nice hilly, you could really crank it on the downhills, but the run was pretty challenging for me. It was also quite hilly, and it was mostly trail. I really need to work on the run! Nice little benefit was the cute twenty-something massage therapist dude after the race :).


My Sunday ride is getting to be pretty cool. There are a variety of riders, and enough of us to push each other, but also enough that we don't have to feel guilty if we can't make it. I like organizing the Sun ride, because it makes me get off the couch early in the day.

I won't be doing it this week though, because I have the Cohasset Tri with Alexis & Anne. "Not last" could be a problem at this one, it's a regional qualifying race! Lets hope I dont get run over.

Next scheduled race is the SheRox on July 25th that'll be #6 of the season!

-Tri-Turtle-

Apologies

I haven't written in a while, I have been fully engulfed in a Flat Stanley project which has consumed all of my writing time! I do have a ton to say, and so much has happened! School is out tomorrow so I will be done with Flat Stanley and will be back to the Fat Girl!

Please feel free to check out Flat Stanley's Adventure!

Memorable Tri uh, er, wet , Du-ish???

I started watching the weather reports last Sunday; I noticed that the temp was going to drop significantly for this weekend. Then, I noticed the “WINDY” mark on the forecasts. As the weekend approached, the “Wind” landed in Pittsburgh. I saw many of their posts on FaceBook and it started to freak me out, so many people lamented about how crazy the wind was. I knew the Pittsburgh weather would be in New England for Sunday AM.

I awoke at 4:30 AM for the tri. When I let the dogs out, I heard the howling of the wind, noticed the bent over trees, and then was suddenly hit with the frigid air. The Air temp was a balmy 35 degrees when we left the house!! I’ve never really had race anxiety, I was a bit concerned about swimming in 62 degree water, but I knew I could deal with it for a short ¼ mile. It was the wind and the bike ride that was starting to freak me out. Winds were 17 mph with gusts from 30-50mph so the Weather Channel said!

We entered Hopkinton State Park about 6AM, early enough to get a good parking spot and a good spot in the transition area. As the transition area filled up, I got colder and colder. Luckily it was sunny out! Looking over to the water showed not only whitecaps but waves that one might consider jumping over in a jet ski. I couldn’t believe how crazy I was to get in the water, then ride a bike in this! I figured that Karma is after me somehow, or that someone just has a sense of humor and wants me to have these crazy things to write about.

We suited up in preparation for the swim, and walked toward the water. I was anxious about touching it; however it was about 30 degrees warmer than the air so it felt “good.” I said good luck to Rick who was the wave in front of me and I joined ironically the “white caps.”

The race director explained that the “square” course would become a “triangle” - - we would swim out and round the RIGHT buoy instead of around all of them. As the Elite wave rounded the buoy we watched as the two buoys get closer together! Then the race director came to us and said “ok don’t go around it, just tag it.” – Then it came time for my wave “white caps” to get in the water. This race is a “Deep Water” start, you wade out to over your head, then you go about 2 min after the wave before you.

We got out to our destination IN The cold water, and then the race director yells over the PA “we’re on a hold while they get a few athletes out of the water.” At this point I actually saw a kayak flip over in the wind, I actually thought he was screwing around. Next we saw the volunteers putting ‘caution’ tape across the start line on the beach. NOT a good sign.. A good 8 minutes later, while we were just treading water, the director says “ok, white, please come back.” By this point we had drifted/were blown a good 50 yards away from the start. We thought they were going to make us stand out of the water while they continued the “hold.” We argued that we wanted to stay in the water rather than be WET/COLD while waiting. Then another min later, the “swim” was canceled. We were told that we’re only going to do the Bike and Run. In my opinion, my wave got the short end of the stick, sure it was canceled, but we had to sit in that cold water for nothing!

My friend Rick was one of the unfortunate waves that did swim. Rick is an incredible tri-athlete, and he said it was extremely unnerving, especially hearing the cries for help. “It was like trying to swim straight in a washing machine.”

The bike was pretty hilly, and I don’t know how possible but 95% of it had either a head wind or side wind. I literally just started laughing at the absurdity of it all. I saw lots of rescue vehicles while on the bike, but really had no idea what they were doing until the race was done.

The run was pretty funny too. Much of it was in the park and was nice, but there were some exposed areas that were, well just hilarious! I’m glad I’m an ahhem “sturdy gal”, or I might have blown away! There is a large viaduct that sits about 100 feet above the water, the winds were just GUSHING through there; it was all I could to do stay on my feet! I did feel bad for those tiny runners; I thought I might have to go capture one from the water! At one point my pony tail was out at a 90 degree angle!

Once I got back to the finish line, I started to hear what really happened. Apparently the rescue boat was ‘overtaken’ by distressed swimmers and actually sank! No one was hurt, thankfully! Check out the pic, you can see the boat just about to be swamped! MetroWest News

On a good note, John brought the dogs and they had a ball, I don’t think they’ve had that much attention in years! Rick had his best Run time for a Sprint! And Nicole – on her Debut Duathon placed second in her age group and First in the Newby category! Way to go Nicole and Rick!

**note to my friends that are considering Triathlons, these past 2 weekends are NOT THE NORM, I have no idea what’s going on :) - Murphys Law, or well Kevin Called Me SchlepRock!

Play the Cards You're Dealt!

It is certainly harder than it seems to Play the Cards your Dealt when you’re in the thick of a perceived unfair situation! I am usually a person that faces adversity head on and just scoffs at it. Sometimes it can get the best of me, and I can take a day or two to reflect and remind myself that every experience is a LEARNING experience.

I had my first race of the season on Sunday, and I am still mad about it, but I’m getting over it. I always have two goals when doing a race: 1). Finish and 2). Not last. Well… this time I crossed the finish line DEAD LAST, complete with my own police escort! It was incredibly frustrating, but my friends are awesome, supportive, and reminded me that its not about ‘last’, it’s really about finishing. And they ALL reminded me that I did overcome some goofy circumstances to actually finish the race as well. I chose not to give up! And now I officially chose not to be mad .

One of the cards I typically have to play is that I’m a migraine sufferer. 3AM before the race I awoke to a throbbing head! I had talked SEVERAL friends into doing this race, and it was going to be a beautiful day. I decided I wasn’t going to let my head stop me. Mind over matter!

I had to eat a little different than normal with the head issues, so I was a little concerned (as long as I didn’t have an “issue” in the pool – I would be ok). I got to the race site and was feeling a little better, fresh air, friends, first race, only 4 people in my category- hey I can still place, right?

The race was a pool race where 1 swimmer starts every 20 seconds and you go up and down the lanes of the pool. You start by your estimated pool time. I should have been categorized in the 6:30, but after looking around me and asking I somehow was placed with the 10-11 min folks. I didn’t want to have to try to PASS people the whole time in the pool so I asked about it. It turned out that they screwed up several swimmers, and were going to have a second START to the race.

I’m an ok swimmer, but a very poor runner. I like to be in the middle of the starts so I have a decent chance of having others around me while riding or running! The 2nd start put me almost to the back of the STARTS! (About 20 people behind me). UGH!! In hindsight, I should have just dealt with the 10 min swim time! I did end up first in my category on the swim though!

The bike ride was rather uneventful, I didn’t push myself though because 1) the migraine and 2) no one around to push me. I’m rather competitive and like to have others around! “on your left” gets me going.. I ended up coming in 3rd on the bike, but hey I did beat the #1 person in my category .

I entered the transition area to rack my bike and some jerk had racked their bike ON MY STUFF!!! I have zero clue how one could do this when I was on an end with a crazy towel under it. So I lost at least a minute trying to deal with this! This of course, got me more frazzled, and then I started to notice my throbbing head again. I thought of the DNF.. (NO WAY, I refuse, they have to carry me away in an ambulance for that to happen).

I started off on my run only to see most of my friends sharing a drink because they were FINISHED with the race! I saw only ONE PERSON on the run.. This was SO frustrating! I kept thinking “Laura you should run” but I just couldn’t. I kept thinking “well if someone was near me maybe I’d try to chase them.” Then I saw the police escort and it just made me mad. She was very nice and encouraging, but still, I was going to cross the finish line LAST! DEAD LAST!! The Volunteers had to wait for me! They were taking down the cones as I came across, and they were half way through the awards ceremony! (I did win a pair of shorts though). My Friends were awesome, Michele ran the last .5 miles or so with me and made me run.. Anne, Alexis and Michele rounded the corner as I literally crossed the finish line… LAST!

I got two things out of my way this week:
1) Doing a race with boys.. – ok no big deal, I really just did a race ALONE..
2) Finishing last.. that sucked, I really don’t want to do that again, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought and it will just make me run faster I suppose so it WON'T happen again.

Sometimes you just have to play the cards you’re dealt and learn from it, grow from it, and well, suck it up!