Philadelphia Triathlon 2011

June 26, 2011 – Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon; Philadelphia, PA

The Philadelphia Triathlon has become an annual event for me and for the Ark Intervals team.  The local convenience and competitive field make it a great race.  The benefit of an “annual” race: because of course consistency, you can really compare year-over-year results against each other.  The downfall: year over year results are directly comparable so you really have to be prepared to accept, without excuse, when the times get slower.  Taking into account my prior performances at this race and recognizing the competition I would be facing, my goal for the race was to improve my bike split.  Looking at my times from the past several years, my bike split has unfortunately remained relatively stagnant and to me, was where I thought I had room for improvement.

Competing in this race as a pro was a different experience for me.  Because the pros race under a few different rules, which become extremely difficult to follow on a 40k, 2-loop bike course with 2,500+ competitors, they started the pro and elite amateurs almost 30 minutes ahead of the rest of the field.  Having calmer empty water and roadways was certainly nice!  At just about 79 degrees, the water temperature made the race non-wetsuit for everyone. (I’m sensing a disappointing trend for races this year – 3 for 3 non-wetsuit races.  At least most of this swim was down-river.)  Being in the water for several minutes before the race started created the issue that flowing rivers always do; we were constantly being pulled downstream and had to swim back up to the starting line several times.  Once we were finally off for a 0.9 mile swim, I noticed that I was right in the pack of top professionals.  It didn’t last long though as they seemed to suddenly accelerate into a higher gear after the first minute or so and I was quickly spit out the back and left with a few other slower swimmers.  Although I stayed with them for a bit, we eventually spaced out as well and by the end of the swim I felt nearly alone.  I felt as though I’d had a strong swim but realized, as I entered the pro transition area, that there were only a couple of other bikes still on the racks.  I didn’t let it get to me though and instead just thought about hitting the bike hard and trying to catch other competitors there. 

I attacked the course and thought about all of the factors affecting my speed while riding – power, cadence, position while climbing, recovery, taking turns more aggressively.  I was focused enough that although I heard Christian cheering for me a few times along the course, I wasn’t even aware it was him until after the race when he mentioned everywhere he’d been able to see and cheer for me.  Needless to say, I was disappointed when I saw my time after the 1^st lap and knew I wasn’t going to hit my goal bike time.  I think what was most disappointing about seeing my split time was knowing how hard I felt like I was going.  The first lap was painful yet it appeared as though I wasn’t going to make a dent into my overall bike time.  I was working hard and thought that based on the wattage I had maintained that my speed would have been faster.  But I still had another lap so I again attacked it with the hopes that I could at least pull off even splits.  As I finished the 2^nd lap I didn’t see my final time but knew it was close to or maybe slower than prior years.  I was definitely bummed but still had a run to complete; with the course design, I knew I’d be able to see my competition and maybe catch someone on the run.

My run started and finished well.  I feel like I remained consistent throughout.  I think my pace dropped off a few seconds per mile in the back half but not a significant amount.  I was not able to catch any of the pro females ahead of me but I was able to “chick” a few of the elite males that had passed me on the bike.  The course design includes an out and back which brings you back past transition followed by another out and back in the opposite direction.  It was strange as I passed transition roughly halfway through the run because other athletes were just finishing the swim.  (And because we had to cross paths, it made for a confusing and congested stretch.)  I was fortunate to have my parents and sister at the race cheering for me and I was able to see and hear them as I passed through this area.  Christian was out at several places on the back-half of the run course.  Since it’s much quieter on that half, and it’s where fatigue starts to hit, it was nice to hear his encouraging voice.  In all, I think I finished the run with my fastest run split at this race, which had me happy since my overall finish time was slower that I’d hoped for.  After picking up my bike and gear post-race, Christian discovered my front brake lever severely rubbing my front wheel, stopping it from spinning on its own.  I was bummed to see this but it made me think, “Did this impact my bike time?”  I am hoping that it was at least some of the cause of my sub-par bike performance.  I know Christian was also bummed because he’d adjusted the lever earlier after putting my race wheels on and it had been fine.  What it reminded me is that things can happen, even just from the car to transition.  So I need to remember that when I’m setting my bike up in transition, I need to do a final spin of the wheels.  I typically haven’t and it’s a bad habit that I’ll change going forward.  Mechanical issues happen and having a preventable one impact a race is a hard way to learn but usually the hard lessons sink in the best…and it’s also just more motivation to continue working hard on my biking legs.     

Post-race I had a great time hanging out with teammates and supporters at the Ark Intervals tent.  Owner (and triathlete) Noah Krug, Josh Krug, Jay Gantz, Chris Fields, and I were able to swap race stories, share a few laughs, and mingle with other racers (Chris, Polly, Noah, and Judy) and family all while feasting on tasty goodies prepared by Team Wife, Helene Krug.

(Photos courtesy of Sandra Schmidt and Christian Mongrain- thank you!)

Ironman Texas

May 21, 2011; The Woodlands, TX, Ironman Texas – my Ironman ‘debut’ as a Professional Triathlete

While planning my race season this winter, I saw the Memorial Hermann Ironman as a great way to start the season.  I know what you’re thinking, why would a northerner like me schedule a race of this distance so early in the season?  My logic, it would give me great focus through the long winter and get me into great racing shape early in the season.  Many of my training runs early on took place in the dark after work, usually on the roads because the sidewalks were covered with snow and ice.  Training on the bike was often on the trainer, but as soon as the roads were clear, I layered up and went outside.  The one factor of Texas I could not reproduce in training was the heat and humidity that is typical of southern Texas in late May.

 Experienced ironman racers have often said that during an Ironman, anything can happen, at any time, which can completely change the race for the good or the bad.  For me, the day started good, took a turn for the bad, before finally stabilizing.  I didn’t have one of my best race days, but it wasn’t totally terrible either and I learned a few things that will only make me a better racer. 

Race morning:  It was nice to have had a home stay so close to the race site which meant getting to “sleep-in” until 4am. (Thank you hosts Kristin and Michael.)  Before heading over to the race, I had my normal pre-race breakfast with the hopes that it would keep me filled for several hours.  When I arrived, the transition area was already teaming with athletes making last minute preparations to their bikes before
heading to the swim start.   

As a Pro, it meant a 10-minute earlier start on the swim.  6:40… into the water we went to line-up between buoys and kayakers marking the start of the 2.4 mile swim. “Brrrr!”  The other women and I started to question where they measured the water temp to determine that the race should not be wetsuit legal.  After treading water for approximately 10 minutes, we heard a faint “bang” and a kayaker said “go-go-go” and suddenly the race began.  “Are you kidding me?!?!” Right at the start of the swim my goggles were leaking; I took a few seconds to adjust them but as a result fell off a pack I’d started with.  I was soon able to find my own rhythm, sighting went well, and I eventually started to catch a few of the pro swimmers who earlier gained a lead while I cleared my goggles.  The course was roughly split into thirds:  2/3 was an up and back in the wide section of the lake and then a right turn to finish the final 1/3 down a canal.  “How cool!” I thought when hearing the cheers of spectators lining either side of the canal during the final stretch to exit the swim. 

After a 1:06:21 swim, I ran through the changing tent filled with awesome volunteers before heading out onto the bike. Having pre-driven the bike course, my mind was at ease knowing generally what to expect out there.  Early on I thought, “It’s not too hot yet,” with overcast skies, but the air was thick with humidity.  It didn’t take long before I set my sights on another pro female to reel in and pass on the bike.  I found myself being the hunter and the hunted many times during the first third of the 112 mile bike. The course started fast and flat with rolling hills starting somewhere around mile 40.  No hill was particularly difficult but the cumulative effect along with some head/cross winds in the second half were enough to make the legs feel some fatigue.

Nutrition was going well on the bike, including the PB&J and Clif Bars that I became accustomed to while training.  Until, late on the bike, something didn’t sit right… “I shouldn’t have drank that!” is what I found myself thinking after one of the aid stations where I picked up a super sweet red Ironman Perform drink.  I think the combination of nerves, heat & humidity, and the drink was causing a war in my stomach.  I probably needed to have consumed a few more calories and fluids while I rode but my stomach wasn’t willing to allow anything more.  With many more miles to ride and a full marathon to still run, it wasn’t great news for my body.  The clouds, at this point, had disappeared, and the sun was blazing.  The last 10 miles of the bike…so close and excited to be nearly finished with the bike… just seemed to stretch on and on.  I always have a small amount of anxiety on the bike because of uncontrollable mechanical issues, but I made it through without a problem.  It was totally awesome to see Christian, Noah & Helene Krug, my parents, cousins, and a few friends out on the course many, many times.  A personal, roving cheering squad!  Bike Time:  5:13:51, average speed: 21.4mph.

Into the cheering crowd at the bike dismount… “Ouch, ouch, ouch” over the bricks and pavement in transition, don my shoes, and then out to run a marathon.   I trained to run a 3:20 marathon coming off the bike, but that was with a heat index below 100 and without a belly ache!  All I could do was try my hardest and see how my body would adapt.  I started at a good pace but felt I was working harder than I thought I should have been so early in the run.  Somewhere around mile 3 my stomach issues resurfaced and for several miles, under the hot sun, I was reduced to an alternating run/walk.  There was a serious “control” battle going on between my legs, stomach, and brain!  My lowest point was probably around mile 5 when I thought that I was going to have to walk another 21 miles.  Those bad thoughts coupled with a pit stop must have been enough to flip a switch, because sometime between miles 5 and 6 I was able to mentally and physically regroup and resume full-time running.  I know I was fortunate to get going again but definitely disappointed to have abandoned my plan so early on.  The 3-loop run course was great for me in that I could break each loop into many small sections to help stay focused and running rather than concentrating on each mile marker.  It also meant the opportunity to see family and friends many times.  Even when I couldn’t muster a smile for them, I was very happy to see them!  I also felt better about my performance when I passed other female pros who were also struggling.  Looking back, I feel bad that seeing others suffering was a consolation to me but in the moment I felt better knowing I wasn’t alone.  Crossing the Finish Line was a bit of a blur but I remember feeling a wave of excitement as I rounded a corner and could take the “finish line chute” instead of the path that led runners back out to the course for laps 2 and 3!  Marathon time:  3:43:46, pace: 8:32/mile

The race itself was very good.  The volunteers, aid stations, staff, and communities were incredible.  The individual segment courses were very nice with the run being my favorite.  You notice strange things while participating in an Ironman:  Texas has a lot of animal carnage!  My count on the bike course: one cow, 2 unidentifiable (but the turkey volunteers sure seemed to be enjoying one of them), 2 snakes (and one was big!), a squirrel, and a bird.  “Cycle” of life, I guess.

In summary, it was a long, tough day of racing with highs and lows, but I finished with a smile on my face and can say, “I’ll be back for more Ironman racing!”    

Rev 3 Quassy Half

June 5, 2011; Middlebury, CT – Rev 3 Quassy

We arrived in Middlebury, CT for the Rev 3 Quassy Half on Friday afternoon for my second race of the season in as many weeks.  In the 2 weeks between Ironman Texas and Rev 3, I tried to focus on proper recovery.  However, without really knowing how my “racing legs” would respond, my expectations weren’t set on a finishing-time goal but rather to race as hard as I could and enjoy what I’d been told was a well organized and challenging race.  It was great to arrive two days early; it gave me the opportunity to get in a practice swim, drive the courses, and listen to the 5-person pro-panel Q&A on Saturday afternoon (although none of the pros gave away any good secrets).  During my practice swim, I remember hoping that the conditions I was experiencing were the worst they might be; except for the lack of saltwater, the lake could have easily been confused for an ocean with strong winds and white capped waves.  Following the swim, we took a drive to scope out the bike and run courses.  I’ve come to realize how much I appreciate being able to pre-drive the course.  Even when it totally psyches me out, I feel better knowing the general lay-out and having landmarks to look for. 

By race morning, the winds had died down but temperatures had dropped.  The air temperature was in the 50’s and racers arrived dressed in layers.  Warmer than the air, the water temperature was 69 degrees; just warm enough to make it a non-wetsuit race for the pros.  Although the water did not feel terribly cold initially, my limbs, and especially my feet, were cold by the time I finished swimming 1.2 miles.  But other than the cold, and the sun directly in our eyes for a portion of the swim, the lake was very nice for swimming.  I felt like the swim generally went well and I stayed just ahead of and just behind other women through the majority of the swim, which definitely helped with sighting and drafting.  I guess a lot of us had the same idea because after the race someone commented that the women started in a tangled bunch and then broke apart and stayed in smaller bunches throughout the swim. 

I bumbled a little in my transition struggling to get out of my speed suit and then my feet slipping off my shoes as I got onto my bike.  Maybe this was a sign of how cold and numb my feet really were from the swim.  Distance for the bike course: 56 miles.  The first half of the bike course had some nice rolling hills but I definitely think in general, we descended more in the first half because there was a lot of climbing in the second half.  Descending can sometimes be a lot of fun but with my teeth chattering and feet numb, I was actually looking forward to some of the climbs to try to generate body heat.  Not to be disappointed though…the climbing finally arrived sometime around mile 20 and by the time we finished biking, I felt like we had somehow climbed more than we had descended.  Christian wasn’t able to get out on the whole course but I was able to see him several times mid-course during all of the climbing; it was nice being able to look forward to seeing him!  With all of the climbing and descending, I tried to focus on using good form and technique so that I would not burn out my legs before I started running.  

T2 of less than 1 minute was quick and I was soon out on the 13.1 mile run course.  My legs were still feeling decent so I decided that attacking the run was the best strategy since I had no idea how long until my legs might start to rebel against racing.  Heading out onto the road, there were no other women in sight but I knew there was one behind me.  She and I had entered T2 together but I left before she did and I was hoping to keep it that way.  I used her as motivation to push hard and try to catch runners ahead of me.  I knew the first of several hard climbs started somewhere around mile 3 ½ so I kept a nice steady pace until then, even passing a few age group men along the way.  Once the hills started, I focused on keeping good form and controlled breathing and again managed to pass a couple men.  With the hills coming fast and furious and the sun warming the air up, I also focused on taking in proper fluids and a few calories to avoid a bonk.  Through the halfway point I was still feeling strong and tried to take advantage of flatter or downhill stretches to pick the pace back up.  But a hill just before mile 8 physically and mentally beat me down a little.  After reaching the top of that hill, I didn’t have anything extra to give to get my speed back up on the flatter section.  Fatigue had finally set in.  Unfortunately, a female pro that I had previously passed on the run was able to overtake me at this point.  While I kept her within my sight, I was not able to keep her pace and had to just settle into my own rhythm.  Those final miles were more of just a run than a race but I was okay with that; I knew I had pushed myself hard and wasn’t leaving anything out on the road that day.  I finished the race with my second-best half ironman run split, which certainly had me smiling.