The short version: I had a good race at the Buffman and Squeaky International Distance Tri. There was gusting wind AND super steep hills (see the bike profile in my previous post, below) but I ran like a girl, and did twenty minutes better than last year, felt great, climbed EVERY hill, and wasn't last. This is a well-run race with a challenging bike course that I recommend because I love the race directors and it's just plain fun.
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The longer version: A list of lists.
List One: Things that were different this year:
1. I increased my calorie intake, due to comments by my dentist and coach. My dentist commented that I must must have a high metabolism because all my life, the novacane wears off unusually fast and I have to have a second shot. (My teeth are a long story. I've had 9 root canals) My coach commented that my heart rate is higher than most. Ergo, what if all this time, I've been calorie deprived and that's why I'm so tired and so slow?
2. I hired someone and enlisted peer pressure to overcome my substantial lazy streak. the Jimmy not only writes training plans but meets with all his coaching clients each week at a local track to do intervals and plyometrics. Otherwise known as The Torture, the Jimmy style. For instance, last week, he had us jump up and down bleacher steps. On one foot. And then run sprint relays. Even if I had the experience and know-how to come up with this stuff, I need the peer pressure each week from having people standing around staring at me.
3. I've stopped coughing. For as long as I've been training, whenever I slow down after exerting myself, I'd flem up and cough like crazy. People would stare, it was so bad. This past week, right after the Jimmy had us doing relays at full speed, it just stopped. It didn't peter out, or lessen, It just. stopped. I don't know why. Maybe my asthma has given up.
4. I wasn't breathless today. Oh, maybe a bit on the swim, but my max heart hate was 170, compared to last year's 183. Usually I loiter about in transition waiting for my heartrate to go down. Today, I didn't have to do that. I was, in fact, less breathless and couging and flemmy than even last week, and I don't know why.
5. I knew more people, which is fun. Like to give a shout-out to Helen, Lisa, and the rest of the peeps.
List TWO: What I ate today
1. a good breakfast. 3 hours prerace, I had oatmeal, half a sandwich with vegan cheese and vegan meat, and a double soy latte.
2. Extra GU's alone with plenty of hydration and electrolytes. On the bike, I had a bottle of heed and 1 bottle of perpetuum, 2 GU's and a bag of shot blocks. On the run, aside from 2 gulps of water at each of the 3 aid stations, I had three Gu's.
3. T1, a couple ounces of energy drink. T2, a couple more ounces of energy drink. T3, the rest of the energy grink and a medium pizza and a latte.
List THREE: STUPID TRIATHLON TRICK of the DAY
it isn't really a list; that's part of what makes it STUPID.
Okay, well, I didn't fasten my aerobike bottle on securely. So, as I was careening down the first downhill it started to shake violently. I held onto it for a while, but as I started going over some bumps at the foot of the hill I finally had to let go and grab the handlebars with both hands. At that point, the aerobottle exited my holder, hitting the pavement on the corner so that it bounced up into the air, spinning like fireworks. Except that, instead of sparks, it was spinning out 20 ounces of HEED. And, of course, it happened right in front of a race official. So, I stopped the bike, ran 10 yards or so in my cycling shoes to pick it up, and the only way to carry it was to fasten it back onto the bike. Which was a feat in inteself because it has this little strappy doodle thing that is hard to thread through...oh, forget it. Anyway, once I finally got it fastened back into the bike I realized it was on backwards.
List FOUR: The results
1500 m. Swim
Last year - 42:51
This year - 37:47
The swim felt pretty good. I didn't feel as breathless as I have in the past, and I even got to beat up Stuart. (Just kidding, Stu. JUST KIDDING!)
40K Bike
Last year - 1:53:00. Walked up 4 of 5 hills.
This year - 1:50:00. Climbed every single hill.
This doesn't seem like a huge difference. (Be sure to check out the bike profile in my previous post below) Except that: I lost my aerobottle in front of an official, so I had to
get it (see below) Also, this year, there were some nasty gusting winds.
10K Run
Last year - Run pace, 14:45, Total run time - 1:31:29
This year - Run pace, 12:09, Total run time - 1:15:22
I felt awesome on this run. I started out conservatively, taking a 1 minute walk break after running 5 minutes, but after 2 miles I thought, screw it, so I stopped walking except through the aid stations. Eventually, I got bored and started singing to myself and even skipping (Yes, LIKE a GIRL.)
Total time
Last year - 4 hours, 7 minutes.
This year - 3 hours, 49 minutes.
1st place (and again, the only) Athena.
Time for a nap. And some soy ice creme.
...
The longer version: A list of lists.
List One: Things that were different this year:
1. I increased my calorie intake, due to comments by my dentist and coach. My dentist commented that I must must have a high metabolism because all my life, the novacane wears off unusually fast and I have to have a second shot. (My teeth are a long story. I've had 9 root canals) My coach commented that my heart rate is higher than most. Ergo, what if all this time, I've been calorie deprived and that's why I'm so tired and so slow?
2. I hired someone and enlisted peer pressure to overcome my substantial lazy streak. the Jimmy not only writes training plans but meets with all his coaching clients each week at a local track to do intervals and plyometrics. Otherwise known as The Torture, the Jimmy style. For instance, last week, he had us jump up and down bleacher steps. On one foot. And then run sprint relays. Even if I had the experience and know-how to come up with this stuff, I need the peer pressure each week from having people standing around staring at me.
3. I've stopped coughing. For as long as I've been training, whenever I slow down after exerting myself, I'd flem up and cough like crazy. People would stare, it was so bad. This past week, right after the Jimmy had us doing relays at full speed, it just stopped. It didn't peter out, or lessen, It just. stopped. I don't know why. Maybe my asthma has given up.
4. I wasn't breathless today. Oh, maybe a bit on the swim, but my max heart hate was 170, compared to last year's 183. Usually I loiter about in transition waiting for my heartrate to go down. Today, I didn't have to do that. I was, in fact, less breathless and couging and flemmy than even last week, and I don't know why.
5. I knew more people, which is fun. Like to give a shout-out to Helen, Lisa, and the rest of the peeps.
List TWO: What I ate today
1. a good breakfast. 3 hours prerace, I had oatmeal, half a sandwich with vegan cheese and vegan meat, and a double soy latte.
2. Extra GU's alone with plenty of hydration and electrolytes. On the bike, I had a bottle of heed and 1 bottle of perpetuum, 2 GU's and a bag of shot blocks. On the run, aside from 2 gulps of water at each of the 3 aid stations, I had three Gu's.
3. T1, a couple ounces of energy drink. T2, a couple more ounces of energy drink. T3, the rest of the energy grink and a medium pizza and a latte.
List THREE: STUPID TRIATHLON TRICK of the DAY
it isn't really a list; that's part of what makes it STUPID.
Okay, well, I didn't fasten my aerobike bottle on securely. So, as I was careening down the first downhill it started to shake violently. I held onto it for a while, but as I started going over some bumps at the foot of the hill I finally had to let go and grab the handlebars with both hands. At that point, the aerobottle exited my holder, hitting the pavement on the corner so that it bounced up into the air, spinning like fireworks. Except that, instead of sparks, it was spinning out 20 ounces of HEED. And, of course, it happened right in front of a race official. So, I stopped the bike, ran 10 yards or so in my cycling shoes to pick it up, and the only way to carry it was to fasten it back onto the bike. Which was a feat in inteself because it has this little strappy doodle thing that is hard to thread through...oh, forget it. Anyway, once I finally got it fastened back into the bike I realized it was on backwards.
List FOUR: The results
1500 m. Swim
Last year - 42:51
This year - 37:47
The swim felt pretty good. I didn't feel as breathless as I have in the past, and I even got to beat up Stuart. (Just kidding, Stu. JUST KIDDING!)
40K Bike
Last year - 1:53:00. Walked up 4 of 5 hills.
This year - 1:50:00. Climbed every single hill.
This doesn't seem like a huge difference. (Be sure to check out the bike profile in my previous post below) Except that: I lost my aerobottle in front of an official, so I had to
get it (see below) Also, this year, there were some nasty gusting winds.10K Run
Last year - Run pace, 14:45, Total run time - 1:31:29
This year - Run pace, 12:09, Total run time - 1:15:22
I felt awesome on this run. I started out conservatively, taking a 1 minute walk break after running 5 minutes, but after 2 miles I thought, screw it, so I stopped walking except through the aid stations. Eventually, I got bored and started singing to myself and even skipping (Yes, LIKE a GIRL.)
Total time
Last year - 4 hours, 7 minutes.
This year - 3 hours, 49 minutes.
1st place (and again, the only) Athena.
Time for a nap. And some soy ice creme.
...
