Last Sprint for a While (race report)

Socorro Chili Harvest Sprint Triathlon was held today in Socorro, New Mexico. They had a change of venue for this year since the city was doing some work on the city pool, and used the pool on the campus of New Mexico Tech instead. I liked the new venue.

This is my last event before Ironman Louisville, which is two weeks from tomorrow.

I recommend this little race to anyone who wants to do a sprint. The bike course is a bit of a challenge, but not overwhelming. More importantly, the Socorro Striders and Riders, who put it on, are increadibly enthusiastic. The overall winners of this little sprint received Nambe chilis. I actually got to touch one...

This sprint starts with a seeded swim. The whole thing is timed by CCRTiming, and they've got this whole seeded swim thing down to a "T". My swim was slower than I've done it before, with an average pace of 2:37/100 meters compared to last year's pace of 2:35.

My T1 was faster than last year by over a minute. I attribute this to the fact that I no longer walk from the pool and then sit down while I dry off my feet, put on my socks, drink some juice, look around, think about life....

Instead, I now have *finally* worked my way into the ability to at least trot through transition, where I have my towel sitting with nothing on it. I stomp on it to dry my feet while I'm grabbing my helmet. Then I shove my feet into my shoes, sockless, grab my bike, and head for the exit running. Well, Okay. Trotting.

It also saves you time in T1 if you skip those little details, like grabbing your prescription sunglasses, or checking to see that your aerobottle is properly secured before you take off on the fairly bumpy bike course. Just a tip....

Well, luckily for me they had marked hazardous areas in the road. Big yellow chalk sawteeth even my nearsighted peepers can see, and how could I miss the the many enthusiastic volunteers waving and pointing with their whole bodies at the turns?

I felt like I was really pushing it, but it didn't show in the results: my average speed was a bit lower and my overall time on the 20K bike split was almost 6 minutes slower.

At T2, I dug into my transition bag and grabbed my sunglasses, put my running flats on, with no socks, and my hat, and took off running the mostly flat run. I felt pretty good, and kept a 10:50 pace, with is pretty momentous for me at the end of a triathlon. My pace was over a minute per mile faster than last year.

I was hoping to beat my nemesis, Karen, but alas, this was not to be, as she smoked me. Just. Smoked. Me.

I think she finished a full 9 minutes ahead of me. The enigmatic Lena S. showed up and beat us both, and then disappeared again, damnit, before awards. I still don't know what she looks like. Dammit, dammit, dammit!

Results:
Mini-baboo: 2nd place, 15-17 AG
Sweet Baboo: 1st place, Clydesdales. and that's with a taped calf. I'll let him tell you about that.
Me: 3rd place, Athena

I'm happy to report also that the Jimmy has changed my scheduled 110 mile bike ride tomorrow a 60 mile bike ride. Whew.

SW TriGirl was there. Dread Pirate was also there. You should go nag her until she posts a report. She'd like that.

Next event: Ironman Louisville on August 26th. The dread and nausea and worry have already begun, thanks very much.

Eep...

OH, one more thing. Like to give a shout out to Andie, who thought I was 10 years younger than I am. Ohhhhh, I feel so good...

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It's all About Me.

I got tagged by Di to enjoy the festival of narcisism that is this latest round of tagging.

This is one of the fun ones...enjoy!

Jobs I’ve Held
pre-college: Long John Silvers, Wendys, MacDonalds, the Dog Stop, Picadilly Cafeteria, Church Daycare center, Home office Insurance Reissue/GIO Clerk, Underwriting Assistant.

During College: Library Assistant, Laboratory Assistant, Upgrading computers and installing hardware, Workshop facilitator, computer applications trainer, tutorial writer, Computer applications Teaching Assistant

After College:Math and Science teacher (Mostly Algebra)

Movies I Can Watch Over & Over
Bridget Jones' Diary
The Shawshank Redemption
the Hours
Michael
Finding Nemo

My Guilty Pleasures
Margaritas
Whiskey sours
Pretty much anything batter-dipped and fried
Long, hot baths
Napping
Watching mindless TV for hours at a time
Kettle fried Potato chips
French fries dipped in green chili sauce

Places I Have Lived (in order)
Dallas, Texas (born)
Jacksonville, FL
Hoover, AL
Yokohama, Japan
Richardson, Tx, Garland, Tx
Volin, SD
Tuscaloosa, AL
Duncanville, Tx
Rio Rancho, NM

Shows I Enjoy (getting in touch with my inner nerd)
The Daily Show
Southpark (Mmmkay?)
The Colbert Report
CSI
House
Startrek
Quantum Leap

Places I Have Been on Vacation

As a kid: Disneyworld, Florida, Mt. Fuji, Hawaii, New York
As an adult: Portland, OrArizona (all over!)Most of the National Parks in the soutwestern US, including: Grand Canyon, Meteor crater, Petrified Forest, Death Valley, Yosimite National Park, Mono Lake, Volcanic National Parkand: Redwood National Forest, Squoia National Forest, Climbed Mt. Taylor and Wheeler PeakLots of backpacking in the mountains in New Mexico and a couple in Colorado with Sweet baboo...

Favorite Foods
Northern Indian Cuisine
Thai Noodle

Websites I Visit Daily
Lots of blogs at bloglines.com
cnn.com

Awards I’ve Won
1st place in a fall festival poster contest when I was in the 4th grade
2nd place in the Alabama State fair art show when I was 10
Some gymnastics stuff in elementary school
Scholarship for pre-service science teachers
Pre-service internship for science teachers
Teaching excellence award, 2002;
Award For encouraging students research, 2003

Sports...
Various sundry awards in the Athena Category 2005-2007
2nd place Athena in the Southwest Challenge Series, 2006

Body Parts I Have Injured
Broken finger
Burned hand and foot
Cut forehead/brow when I was two

Nicknames You’ve Been Called
Messy, mossy, mister, geekgirl, spazgirl

Now, I guess I get to tag 5 more people:

Sweet Baboo, because he thinks tagging is a woman thing AND to because I'm dying for him to list all the injuries he's had in his life (I'll leave it to him to explain his childhood nickname)

Pirate, because she LOOOOVES being tagged.

Lisa Tri-ing, becuase she doesn't have appendicitis (Yay!)

BikingBrady, because he's kinda out of the loop and is gearing up for the SD GutCheck

SWTriGal, because I'm wondering what all she's done (I already know she's been a lifeguard)

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Taper, shmaper

I don't know why but I had this crazy notion about the phenomenon known as "the taper." Everyone kept asking, "so, when do you start your taper?" and somewhere in my little head I had stored the idea that "the taper" meant that I'd get to just sit and chill for the next three weeks.

Evil, slothful Athena was rubbing her hands together with glee. Slothful Athena, who now has the same hair cut as I do, was thinking, Yay! Sloth Time!

Turns out, Not. So. Much. I have clearly misunderstood the whole notion of, "taper." Here's my training plan for the week:

• Monday: OFF
• Tuesday: Swim 2000 meters, Bike 20 miles
• Wednesday: Intervals and brick workouts
• Thursday: Swim 2500 meters, Run 9 miles
• Friday: Bike 30 miles
• Saturday: Socorro Chili Harvest Sprint Triathlon
• Sunday: Bike 110 miles, then run 3 miles.

I'm tired. Weary. My legs stiffen up when I sit for too long. No injuries, thank goodness: No pulled muscles, or tendons, or fractures, or blisters. Just sunburn and peeling, and tired, tired legs.

and...I'm trying, really trying to be excited about going back to work tomorrow. I picked up my classroom keys today, and the cart that I'll use to transport me and my supplies between the classrooms I'll be using.

Our school opened in '02 with a capacity of 2000, and an enrollment of 2100. This year, expected enrollment is nearly 2300.

I'll leave it to you to imagine what happens when you cram 2300 adolescents into too small of a space.

Classes are capped at 30. I fully expect when I check my rosters on Wednesday to find my class enrollments to be around 34.

It's not that I'm angry. I just can't get excited. I bought some classroom supplies today, but there's no enthusiasm. Maybe tomorrow, at the first day of inservice, I'll start to perk up.

I hope so. I hate to think I'm going to spend the next nine months being completely uninspired. I don't want to do that to the kids I'm supposed to be teaching.

Time for a Reframe...or at least to think positive...

1) I can always swim, bike, and run, and recharge my batteries.

2) In fact, I have first period prep this year. This means, among many things, that I teach my first class at 9 am. I still have to be at work around 7:15 or so, but I can ride my bike or run to work, 4 miles from my house, and arrive all sweaty and gross and still have time to refuel and change and get ready for the day. I'm taking a look at these no-rinse wipes to keep at work.

3) I'm good at what I do. That's just all there is to it. I get great job performance ratings every year, and I stay out of trouble. I keep administrators happy, too. I don't steal or try to romance students. Maybe that makes a difference to somebody, somewhere, even if I don't know it.

4) How many other people have a commute of 4 miles to their full time job?

5) I'm back teaching high school. Yay!

6) Other people have WAY SUCKIER jobs than me, and it's unlikely I'll ever get laid off.

There. I feel a little bit better already.

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20 miles of major suckitude.

Gather around, triathletes, and I'll tell you the tale of what happens when short-attention-span triathletes go for a long run.

Today I did a sort of mega brick workout, a 20 mile ride followed by a 20 mile run.

It was actually a beautiful day out. There was a breeze from the west, and it got up as high as the low nineties, but then New Mexico is so pleasant in the shade...since there's no humidity, once you're out of the sun, you're chillin' and enjoying the day, dude, and life is good.

Out of the sun, that is.

But of course, I was running 20 miles in the sun. I felt pretty good the first half of the run. It was morning and cool. Then, somewhere somewhere around mile 11, I got lost.

In the middle of the city.

I got lost.

I'd taken a new path out and, I guess wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I just know that on the way back the path got narrower and narrower and closer to the edge of the asequia until I'm hanging onto trees to keep from falling in, but will I go back? I will NOT because I am too stubborn.

Eventually the path opens up onto a big field, I have no idea where I am. I am lost, in a huge field in the middle of the city. WTF? So I keep heading north, stopping from time to time to dig the stickers and briars out of my socks, and this goes on total for about a mile, until I come to a 7-foot tall fence stretching as far as I can see in both directions.

On one side, are people meandering through the path at the Rio Grand Nature Center, a state park, a water fountain and a bathroom. O

n the other side, stickers and thorns and of course, me.

MOTHErF$#&ER!!!

This was not a climbable fence, either.

Sooooo, I walked down the perimeter of this fence for 300 yards or so, wondering how the hell I got trapped inside a nature preserve in the middle of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Some briars and brambles and climbing through some dead trees later, I was finally on the right side of the fence. A lot of time wasted, and now it was getting hot.

I filled up my water bladder, and then emptied my other bladder, and moved on. By mile 15, I knew several things:

1) I. Hated. Everyone.
2) I. Suck.

3) I really wanted to cry. It was hot, and and my feet hurt and my legs were tired. Worst of all was the heat. There was just no respite.

4) I was never going to finish this stupid ironman thing. I wonder what their refund policy is?

By mile 17 I was distinctly lacking in humor. There was no more beeze, and no more shady spots, either since the sun was directly overhead. I was doing a slow, shuffling walk down a path of deep, soft, sand in early August in New Mexico. I was seriously beginning to question my common sense in doing these things. I had plenty of Nuun in my pack, but Jeez, I was so tired. So hot.
I was
Just. so. tired. My legs hurt.

I can't believe that there's actually a race the starts out in Death Valley. I'm crying and whining and it's in the low nineties.

Eventually, I found my way to base, because I'm never truly in danger, just truly pathetic.

When I finally arrived back at base, Sweet baboo had a surprise for me: an empty chair with 2 bags of ice and a beach towel. See why I married him?

Ooooohhhh, you have so got to try this sometime after a long hot run: I sat on the ice for a while. Then I put it in my lap for a while. Then I put it on my feet for a while. I toyed with the idea of putting it on my head, but didn't because it was leaking. The ice bag, I mean.

So there you have it. The Peak of my training. Pirate and Sweet baboo both have assured me that it's supposed to suck this much. Then you taper and on race day, you feel great. I'll have to take their word for it.

Tomorrow, a sixty mile bike ride. Then Monday I have a day off from training, which is also the last day off of my vacation. I fully intend to spend it sitting on my a$$ watching movies and not answering the phone.

....

Things I just happen to know today.

1. Well, clearly pink is fastest. The masses have spoken.

2. Forget about running or cycling to get those sexy gams. Apparently, all you need are the right flip-flops.

3. Sweet Baboo bought a new toy, a 2-man kayak. He's wildly excited about it, as am I. If you have any good kayak tricks and tips (no pun intended), let him know.

4. I got about 6" cut off the back of my hair today. I also went blonder. In the face of ironman training, racing, and being half of a kayak-totin' couple, I felt the need to simplify. I also felt the need to be blonder. I already feel faster. And, yes, I am having more fun. Thanks to AndraSue for the inspiration.

5. I used to think having three kids was a lot of work until I read this.

6. I realize the picture of my haircut is a bit blurry. Here's a slightly less blurry one, below. Thanks to Duane for the link.

7. I swam the 2.2 mile swim at Lake Cochiti again yesterday, and there was choppy waves, which slowed me down. I've decided I don't like chop.

But that's not what's interesting. What's interesting is when I tried to do a 6 mile run afterwards and my hip flexors said, "Oh, no, you di-int." They did! They sounded a bit like Hank Azaria in "The Birdcage."

8. REI has all their summer clothes on sale now. I was able to add to growing collection of action skorts that I can wear when I ride my bike to work. Yayyyyy!

9. 4 more days until I go back to work. Booooo!

Completely unrelated.

Now that I'm finalizing the nutrition strategy, it's time for me to start thinking seriously about the fashion strategy.

I didn't realize until today they'd added pearl snaps for your race number to these little numbers.

I've decided I must have one of these for Ironman Louisville.

Because, um, they'll me feel cuter, which, um, will make me feel better emotionally and physicially, um, and, uh, yeah.


The only thing I don't know is, which is faster, black or pink...

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Miscellanea and July Miles.

Yesterday I tried to go down to do my planned 3000 meters but just couldn't seem to get started. Ever have that happen to you? It happened to me. I felt suffocated and tired and sore. So, after about 1000 meters, I went to sit in the hot tub, as often I am want to do.

I think it's funny how everyone keeps talking about how difficult, emotionally, the taper will be. Those people vastly underestimate my ability to take it easy, physically. I feel no qualms, no guilt about not moving. Sometimes my coach will say, "now, I want you to take it easy today."

"Okay," I'll reply.

"No, seriously, I really want you to take it easy," he says sternly,, like I'm secretely plotting to go out and swim, run, or bike without permission. I must give others the impression that I love to move all the time. The truth is, the miles that I'm reporting for July (below) are less than those which were prescribed.

Yesterday, Pirate and I agreed to meet at the club to do the swim that night, which I figured was good for getting the swim in that I'd missed in the morning, and so of course there was a huge deluge with lightening. Of course. And, so they closed the pool. Wussies.

So, we waited for a while and eventually went to sit in the hot tub. Which was pretty cool. Ever sit in the hot tub in the rain? Very neat. Except Pirate was all nervous about the lightening. What-ever. So, we went to sit in the sauna.

I've never really done that; I figure it's most attractive to those who grow up in arid environments. As a child growing up in Alabama and East Texas, I've never been drawn to a hot room full of steam.

I hung out in there for a while, wondering if this is what Kentucky is going to be like.

I don't mind humidity too much. I've been watching the humidity in Kentucky and it doesn't seem to be too bad, ranging between 35% and 65% during the day. It's a bit higher at night and in the morning, but it's cooler also. I have asthma, so as long as it's not like the sauna I was in yesterday, I actually do better with humidity. It makes it easier for me to breathe.

Right after I got out of the sauna, 16-year-old Mini-Baboo called me and scolded me for being out so late, so I went home.

So, here's my miles for July;

• SWIM - 20,350 meters
  
• BIKE - 510 Miles
  
• RUN - 81 Miles

This morning Sw tri gal and Lisa tri-ing were kind enough to accompany me on a 45 mile bosque ride, which I was thankful for because it goes through some of the WORST parts of town.
You can always tell you're in a bad part of town when even grafitti has been vandalized and has grafitti on top of it. There are usually some stray dogs, and odd looking people shuffling about. This is the part of the 'Burque where all the junk yards and industrial sights are. And, looping around it, a wonderful bike path.

Anyway, it was mostly flat, and a gorgeous morning, with no wind. I've been watching that in Kentucky, too. It's not a windy place. This could be a great experience.

I took my Ultimate Direction hydration pack, as I had for the 100-mile ride this past weekend, and I have decided that this is what I'm going to carry around instead of bottles at Ironman Louisville. I love this thing. it barely weighs anything and holds 64 fluid ounces of hydration goodness.

Tomorrow's training: 4000 meter swim (across lake Cochiti and back) followed by a 6 mile run.
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