Thoughts about my Auburn tri results

So I've had a couple of days to digest my results from the Auburn Tri this past weekend. Overall, I feel disappointed in the results. Yes, I finished, and yes, I finished safely, and yes, it's awesome that I even do triathlons (these are all things that Kellie continually tells me). However, I definitely came nowhere near placing within my age group - in fact, I was in the bottom 1/3 of the pack. There were 23 women in my age group, and I finished at #20. It does make me feel better that the fastest woman in the whole tri was in my age group, and she finished in 1:02. There is NO way I'm competing in that ball park!

Results (men & women combined)
Overall: 141 out of 174
Swim: 124 out of 174
Bike: 137 out of 174
Run: 161 out of 174

Within my age group:
Overall: 20 out of 23
Swim: 12 out of 23
Bike: 18 out of 23
Run: 19 out of 23

My paces:
Swim: 51:34 min/mile
Bike: 7:52 mph
Run: 13:30 min/mile

In every tri I've ever done, the pattern of results are the same. This tri is no different. The swim is my best category. I always come out finishing ahead of my overall place (for example, in this tri, I finished 124th in the swim vs 141st overall). That means I lose ground somewhere along the way. Inevitably, it's most apparent in the run. I definitely lose some ground in the bike (again, this tri is no different - my bike place is usually around where I end up in the end - 137th in this tri vs an overall of 141st). But I lose soooo much ground in the run every single time. I mean, 93% of people who did the tri ran the course faster than me! What kind of shit is that?? Running has always been my weakest sport, but I've really been concentrating on the running this season, and I really felt good about my progress, but the results weren't there. Apparently I'm not training the right way, or often enough, or something. This is an area where I feel a personal trainer can help me the most.

So there's my take on my results from the Auburn Tri. I have 2 whole months to improve my performance for my next tri, and I certainly hope I can see some progress.

Race results:
Overall: 1:44:41.2
Swim (1/3 mile): 15:59.0
Bike (8.5 miles): 1:03:36.0
Run (2 miles): 25:06.2

Auburn Tri - Race Report!

The night before
Kellie and I had driven up to Auburn the night before. Our goal was to be at the race site by 6:30 so we could hear the pre-race talk. You'd think leaving Berkeley by 3:50 would get us there, right? WRONG! When it rains, California folks don't know how to drive anymore. It was stop and go almost the whole way up. So it took us almost 2 hours & 50 minutes to go 110 miles.
When we got there, the race talk was already going on, so I listened while I checked in for the race. I got my race number & the bag of goodies & then set up T2. Running shoes, hat, a bottle of water, and a towel all got wrapped in two bags (it was still raining!) and ready to go. Kellie's job the next day was to come to T2 after she dropped me off at T1 in the morning and set up my shoes and stuff for me.

Waking up
4:35 a.m. - my alarm starts ringing. My mind is completely foggy, and it takes me a moment to remember (1) why my alarm is ringing so early on a Saturday, and (2) why I'm in a hotel. All those things come together within 2 seconds, and I remember it's the day of my first tri of the season!!!

After snoozing a couple of times, I'm finally out of bed & getting ready. I munched on a bagel and orange juice while I got dressed. I had already laid out my clothes the night before and gotten my bag ready for T1, so there really wasn't much to do. We loaded up the bike & all of our stuff and headed out to Rattlesnake Bar.

Pre-Race, at T1
We got there about 5:45, and the race volunteers were just setting up the bike racks. There were several other Janes there, so we staked our claim on the 3 front bike racks, put up the yellow tape & "Janes" signs, and settled in.

The time always goes by so quickly from getting there to when the gun goes off. Today was no exception. Kellie was there with me at T1 until about 6:30, then she headed over to T2. Until that time, she tried desperately to find safety pins so I could pin my number to my jersey. But there was never any to be found, despite the volunteers continually telling her that "they are coming!" Which just brings me to another point - this race was the most poorly organized of any that I have ever raced. They had no idea who was supposed to be marking (the folks finally came around 6:30 with magic markers), they didn't have the buoys set up on the swim course yet, the bike racks were still being set up, the race was 20 minutes late to start. It was so disorganized, and I was pretty disappointed. But at that point, you gotta tell yourself, "It is what it is" and keep going. :) I never got pins, so I didn't wear my race number.

The Swim
The first wave of swimmers were the Sprint Men, which set off around 7:20. We, the Sprint Women, were the 2nd wave, which went 5 minutes later. The countdown started at 2 mins, then 1 min, then 30 secs, then 10 secs, then 5-4-3-2-1! At the 10 second mark, I started to get butterflies, but I calmed myself down, and when it was go time, I was ready.

The swim overall was great. It's my strongest sport, so I came out feeling really good. (That's me in the pic below, 2nd woman in the pic already out of the water.) The only problem was near the turnaround at the buoy, where guys who were already heading back were crossing through the women going towards the buoy!! I was thinking "look up and spot, dude! you're going the wrong way!" But two of them just barreled through the women like they had the right of way. Again, you gotta say to yourself, "It is what it is" and keep going.

At about 3/4 of the way through, I popped my head up to see how far I had left to go, and this other woman triathlete said to me, "Keep going - we're almost there!" That felt so amazing. I love the comraderie of a triathlon, and I didn't know this woman at all, but that was a boost I needed to finish the swim strong.

T1
T1 was uneventful - got my wetsuit off no problem (I love cooking spray!), dried off, got my jersey, socks, bike shoes, sunglasses, and helmet on, unracked the bike, and headed off for the part I dreaded the most - the 8.5 mile uphill bike ride!!

The Bike
I don't know why I had a fear of the bike ride, but I did. I had read on the tri website that it was all uphill, mostly gentle uphills, but between miles 3 and 4 were some pretty steep switchbacks. So I was just dreading the ride.

And guess what - it was harder than I even imagined!!!! Up until Mile 3, I was doing great. But it was the 90 degree right turn onto what I think was Shirland Tract road with the immediate steep uphill where I completely fell apart. I made it up a ways, but there was a slight turn left and more uphill that it kicked my butt! I stopped to regain my compusure (and my breath) and take a drink of water. This woman passed me walking her bike up the hill, and I said "what a great idea" and she said "that's the only way I'm getting up this hill!" I contemplated walking my bike at that point, but I wanted to try again. So I hopped back on my bike, attempted the rest of the climb, but couldn't make it. So I walked my bike up that treacherous hill, along with that other woman. I can only imagine there were several people who walked up that hill. I'll be interested to hear other Janes race reports to see.

Between mile 3 and mile 7 were the hardest. I got off my bike one more time between those miles to walk up another hill. I was not ready mentally for those hills. Every time I could get to the top of one, I would think "ok, that has to be the last one", and then there would be another steep one staring me right in the face! I thought I was going to die out there. It was the hardest bike ride I've ever done. I'd rather have gone 25 miles on flat land than 8.5 on that course!!

After the 7 mile point, I felt better. The last mile and a half were pretty easy, except for one last hill right near the end of the bike. But I got out of my seat and forced my way up that hill without stopping, knowing Kellie was waiting for me at T2. What a blessing that was & did wonders for my motivation on the tail end of my bike ride.

T2
Sure enough, there was Kellie waiting for me at T2. What I haven't mentioned until now is that Kellie was planning on running with me. She was going to wait for me at T2, then run along side me for the balance of the race. When I got close to T2, it was soooo good to see her there. She directed me to where my stuff was, I racked my bike, changed shoes, took off my helmet and put on my running hat (I've used the same hat at every single triathlon I've ever done), took a swig of water, kissed her, and then she and I headed out on the course.

The Run
What a cool course it was! I loved the single track trail running! Kellie and I ran for about a 1/2 mile before I needed to stop and walk. I had just come off a pretty tough bike ride, and I needed a bit of a break. We ran and walked off and on the whole way. I couldn't believe that there was a HUGE HILL at the end of the run!! There were several other people who walked that part, us included. I looked at my heart rate monitor and saw that I could finish the race before the time I wanted to, so I kicked it into high gear. Once I knew I was close, I ran like gangbusters to the end. Kellie veered off right before the red finish arch, and I finished in just less than 1 hour and 45 minutes, which was my target.

Post Race
The food spread was awesome. I immediately went for a Cytomax, and it was sooo refreshing. I had a bagel, a 2nd cytomax, and that was it. I looked at my heart rate monitor, and I had averaged a 172 heart rate, with a max of 185 bpm. I knew I was way above my target HR the whole time, but I didn't pay attention to it (nor did I want to). I had my HRM set so it was showing the time elapsed instead of my HR. I burned something like 1300 calories.

Kellie and I headed back to the hotel for a quick shower & then headed home. The best part was lunch! I had been craving Popeye's fried chicken for weeks, but I wouldn't let myself have it until I finished this tri! We had already staked out a Popeye's at the Dixon exit on the way up to Auburn, and sure enough, we stopped and ate some goooood food. All I can say is that it was good carb and protein replenishment - that's how I justified it. :)

All in all, the race was great. I felt challenged & strong at the end, and that's what mattered to me. I loved the support of the other Janes, and I especially loved having Kellie with me in the last 2 miles of the run. This week will be an off week for me (no training) but next week, I will continue training for my next tri and start my training for the HM at the end of the season!

(More pics coming in the blog once they are posted from the event!)

I bit the dust on the Mock Tri

2 weeks ago, we had a Mock Tri with the See Jane Tri training group. It was a 7am start (UGH!!!), but Kellie and I got our butts out of bed & drove from Berkeley to Aquatic Park to participate. The swim went well, and the bike went well ... until the last few hundred yards. I turned the corner from Van Ness onto the paved sidewalk heading back to transition when my bike wheel caught in one of the train tracks, and before I knew it, I was on the ground! I knew I was going down as soon as my tire hit the tracks, and I tried like crazy to get my feet out of the clips, but I panicked too much and landed straight on my right hip with my feet still clipped. As soon as my body hit the ground, my feet did unclip, but it was pretty scary for a moment there. More than anything, it knocked the wind out of me. One of my fellow triathletes (I don't know her name, but she had the pink ribbons tied to her bike helmet) thankfully stopped to make sure I was ok. I told her I was and sort of waved her on to finish up her tri. Once I got my wind back, I got back on my bike and coasted to the transition area.

When Kellie saw me, she said, "why is there grass all over you?" and she started brushing the grass off of me while I told her what happened. What was spooky is that she started pulling grass chunks out of my helmet! I didn't even know I had hit my head when I fell! But once I gained my composure back (I was pretty shaken up by how quickly it happened), I got into my running shoes and finished the run portion of the Mock Tri.

All was well in the next couple of hours, but it was sort of like what you hear from people in car accidents - the pain didn't come until later! Saturday evening, my back started to ache. And by Sunday morning, I could hardly move!! I had no idea I had hit the ground so hard! My neck wouldn't move, my back was out of whack, and all I was doing was taking handful after handful of ibuprofen to lessen the swelling. I was also putting ice packs on my back & neck every few hours.

It took 4 more days to feel normal again. The only thing lingering today is the pain in my right hip. I still can't sleep on that side or I'll feel pain in the morning. Given it's been 2 weeks, I probably should go see a doctor! :)

Stay safe - and wear your helmet NO MATTER WHAT!!

San Jose 1/2 Marathon registration!

Ok, it's official! I'm registered for my Half Marathon!!!! YIPPEE!!!

4 exhausted triathletes pulled from bay

I tell you what - it's things like this article I shouldn't find while I'm perusing the internet.

1st Brick workout

This weekend was the first brick workout I've done this season. I decided to do a bike/run brick Sunday afternoon, with the help of my awesome partner, Kellie. So I headed out on my bike, heading up Spruce St, and followed Grizzly Peak for 30 minutes. This map is the route I took. Once I hit 30 minutes (which was only 3 1/2 miles, but it was all uphill - I swear!!!), I turned around and headed back home. The descent only took me 10 minutes, which was awesome! I think I got up to 29 mph!

You know what my big beef is re: biking? When cyclists aren't verbal! Normal cycling etiquette says that when you pass someone, you say, "On your left!" It's more safe & lets me know you're coming up behind. How hard is that? However, time and time again, I get passed by completely silent cyclists. And do you know who I generally find that these people are? Men. I just don't understand it. It's in their best interests as well.

Ok, I'm off my pedestal. Back to the workout ...

When I got back home, Kellie was all ready to run with me. She had on her shoes & workout clothes and was ready to go. So we headed out to do a 2 mile run to Monterrey Market, where we were going to pick up stuff for dinner, and then walk back home. The 2 mile run was great - just as planned - except Monterrey Market was closed!!! And if you know the area, you know there isn't anything around there. So Plan B - we walked from there to Andronico's on Solano, where we got the hankerin' for salmon. However, Andronico's had terrible looking salmon, so we walked some more down Solano to Safeway and picked up salmon (who ever heard of going to Safeway from Andronico's to pick up something like salmon?). Kellie is a starbucks fiend (pot calling kettle black, I know), so we stopped there on our way back home.

Fun, fun workout - best because I wasn't alone. Less than 3 weeks of training left until the tri!

Being blind

Yesterday afternoon, I'm heading home from Kellie's house, driving up Marin Ave towards the Circle, when I see a blind man waiting on the side of Marin. He looks like he wants to cross, like he's waiting for the traffic to stop so he can cross. The problem is that he's not at a crosswalk, and immediately I sense the danger he's in. At the next intersection, I whip my car around to go help him. As soon as I come upon him again, I roll down my window and tell him to hang on a sec, I tell him he's not at a crosswalk, and if he'll wait a sec, I'll go park my car and help him.

He does wait for me, and when I finally get my car parked and walk over to him, he asks me what intersection he's at. I tell him, and he says, "I'm a whole block off! I'm supposed to be at Santa Fe where there is a cross walk." I ask him if he wants some help, and he does indeed want help. Now I've only helped one other blind person before, and I never know just how to help, so I ask him what he wants me to do so I can help him best. He tells me to just give him my elbow, and he'll walk with me to Santa Fe, and of course I do.

As we're walking towards Santa Fe, he says, "Do you have the time?" and I tell him yes, that it's 1:45pm. He says, "Oh my! I still have 9 blocks to go and I need to be home by 2:00. I hope I can make it." And then it dawns on me that I could drive him whereever he needs to go! However, I pause before asking him, because I am reminded of a time I sat beside a blind woman on a plane. This woman and I chatted a little during the flight, but not much, because she was kinda crotchety! We landed in Oakland around 11pm, and I asked her how she was getting home, and she said she had hired a service to come pick her up & take her home, but that the service wouldn't be there until midnight, so she'd just have to hang around the airport until then. I felt terrible for her, and without hesitation, I asked her if she would like a ride home, that I'd be glad to drive her home on my way home. She immediately declined (and was kinda rude about it - like I said, she was crotchety), saying she preferred the service. I realized immediately that she didn't trust me. I didn't blame her, really. She didn't know what my motives were, or whether I was indeed a safe option, or any of those things.

So back to the blind man on Marin. Even though I was hesitant of his response to my question (trying not to make the generalization that all blind people don't trust other people), I asked him anyway if he'd like a ride home. He accepted my offer, so we turned around and headed back to my car. I took his backpack and his package, helped him into the car, and then got in the car myself. He told me where he needed to go, and I told him that was right on my way home. I asked him his name - Byron - and he asked me mine. We talked for the few minutes it took me to drive him to his house. When I pulled up, I got out, went to the other side, helped him out of the car, and handed him back his backpack and package. He thanked me, and off he went up the driveway to his house.

Seeing him standing on the wrong corner of Marin, trying to cross the street, made me initially think how helpless he must feel at times. I mean, can you imagine what that must be like? What must he have felt when he finally learned that he was on the wrong corner? But you know what? When I met up with him, Byron didn't seem bothered in the least. He seemed strong. It was like he was waiting for me to help him, and he knew I'd be around to help shortly. He didn't feel or act helpless or bothered at all. He's for sure come to terms with being blind & has learned to deal with it.

When I got back in the car after dropping him off, I waited until I saw he was safe inside the house, & I started crying. I cried for all the things I take for granted. How can I possibly give excuse after excuse for not getting out on my bike, or going for a run, or swimming some laps, when Byron may only WISH he had his sight so he could do these things? How can I complain about the car I drive when Byron may only WISH he had his sight so he could drive? If I had to guess, I would say that Byron doesn't wish all those things, because he realizes that life is about attitude & what you make of it. He's blind, and he doesn't let it stop him.

I will feel forever grateful for the encounter I had with Byron today. Even as I write this, my eyes well up with tears thinking about it. Dr. Phil talks about how everyone has 10 defining moments in their life, whether positive or negative, that change the core of who they are. This was one of those for me.

Byron, thank you. You've changed me in a way I never would've thought when I first saw you on the corner waiting to cross the street. I am already a better triathlete/friend/sister/aunt/girlfriend because of meeting you.