August 2011 Featured Race Report - Mama races again

I knew when I went to bed that I was going to wake up very tired.  When Ella woke up at 3:00- that confirmed that!  Strike one for the day.  My aero bottle had a hole in it that I discovered the night before- strike two!  But, my engineer husband “fixed” it so it could make it through the race. However, I decided not to focus on that and just reminded myself to have fun and not worry about the things I can’t control.  I got in the truck and turned the radio up.  Every song that was playing on Klove that morning spoke to me.  They were all selected just for me.  Every one of them was about the strength and encouragement that God provides us.  How we aren’t perfect but giving our best is all He asks for.  It was wonderful!  I got to the race early and got an awesome spot on the racks and proceeded to set my stuff up.  I walked through my transitions, warmed up, and was feeling pretty good.  As I stood in line, I realized that there were about 20 of us that turned in the same swim time- not good!  Someone had to be guessing, lying, or wishing that’s what they could do.  I tried to listen to the people two in front and two behind so I could kind of tell where I might end up and what might happen.  In front- one that would be faster and one that was going to be slower.  In back- two that were very cocky and the male- he was going to do anything to get in front of the women in this group.  The female- determined to “rock the swim”.  So what I determined they would do was compete with each other and go out to fast, try to pass me, and die in front of me in the second half.  Man was I right!  Talk about a pile up.. Knowing what was going to happen and having a plan for dealing with it helped me not get frustrated and angry about it.  I decided to draft off the idiots behind me even if that ment I had a slower swim time- I would be fresher and not tired.  They were stupid and swam all the way to the wall- I was smart and used the ladder to get out and get around them anyway J


T1 went pretty smooth and I was off on my bike. It went as well as can be expected. It was only the 4th time I had even been on my bike for more than a couple miles.  My aero bottle patch held so I had something to drink- yay!  I was able to hold my cadence and really work my gears.  I wanted to do this well even if it ment I would have to be climbing in an easier gear at a slower speed to keep my legs moving. I am now very comfortable shifting and using my gears because I took the time and effort to do this.  I also got to feel what it was like to have my legs moving at a pretty constant cadence.  I’m glad I did this and knowing how to use my gears helped me to pass stupid girl swimmer behind me who was btw, in my age group J


T2 was simple and quick.  I tried the mommy version of frozen wash cloths- frozen burp rags.  It was WONDERFUL!!!!  I froze two of them and put one down the front and one down the back of my shirt.  They were great- stayed frozen almost the entire time and were cool for the entire run.  I was able to hold a cadence around 90.  What I wasn’t used to was how the different muscle groups in my legs would feel from the tri bike.  That is something I have to get used to.  The cramping in the muscle by my knees was intense!  IDK what that was but wow- not cool!  Thank goodness it didn’t start until I was a ¼ of the way from the finish.  My bestie Amber was there at just the right time to help me push through the pain and discomfort to finsih. 


Overall, I am very happy with my results.  Only a few minutes slower than last year.  I honestly was expecting at least 15 min. slower but didn’t want to put that down on this before the race!  Carrying around an extra 20lbs., working with a new bike, taking 6 weeks off from training, averaging 4 hrs of sleep a night, and having to overcome the mental issues just to bring my self to race has been very hard.  I am happy to say that I did my best on this day and that I am very thankful to you and to my besties for helping me through this race.  I am certain with out the support of you and mi amigas, I would be sitting on my couch eating chips or something!  Thank you so much for your support and encouragement.  I still have my issues, but now, I know I’m not alone dealing with them, and that just because things aren’t going quite right doesn’t mean I still can’t have fun and go out and do my best.  I’m happy that I have followed my training plan and it has paid off.  No matter where a person is in life, being true to the training plan will pay off on race day.


Things I learned today:

  1.  Stick to the training plan and trust it
  2. Make a race plan and stick to it
  3. It’s good to know what the other swimmers around you plan on doing- being prepared to get swam over and knowing how to handle it keep you calm in the water
  4. Being surrounded by friends on race day is the best form of encouragement
  5. Burp cloths are for more than cleaning up spit-up
  6. Super glue and baggies to a triathlete are like duct tape and matches are to MacGyver
  7. My new bike was totally worth the $!
  8. I’m really excited to race again next year when I am fit, at a healthy weight, and have trained all year.
  9. I am ready for the next challenge (half marathon) because now, I am comfortable with who I am and what I see in the mirror.