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August 13, 2006
North Hills YMCA Triathlon
This morning when my alarm went off at 4:30, I felt like I was getting up and going to work. Since I had Friday and Saturday off my weekend already felt like it was over. I usually get up around that time for work...it was a weird feeling! I hopped in the shower and then stretched, just like any usual Monday....but then...I put on my bathing suit and all similarities ended! :) (you know, I don't really wear my bathing suit to work...I don't usually anyway... :)
Instead of work I was doing something much more fun (although slightly more painful)...the North Hill triathlon. O and I made the 35 minute drive to the park where the race was and got out of the car to very cold temps! It was in the low 50s this morning which at this point in the summer is pretty nippy. I was shivering like crazy. It didn't help that I had shorts and sandels on but hey, I'm so used to hot weather I don't even know where my sweatpants are! I stood around cold for a while and then eventually got my packet, chip, body marked and all my gear set up at the transition area. I warmed up on the bike course with one my teammates E who has done this race before. He showed me the bike loop that we'd be doing 5 times in the race. It was pretty nice, flat and some downhill with one hill that didn't look that big but was kind of tough during the race. I jogged around some and then it was time to get in my wetsuit. Yes, I wore a wetsuit in a pool swim. I didn't even think that was allowed but my coach said to bring it and wear it and indeed about 1/4 of the other racers did the same! Strange! But it was actually pretty nice because as I mentioned it was a cold morning and the water (as it's an outside pool) felt quite chilly!
I was in the first heat of swimmers which was about 50 people (very big pool). They seeded everyone based on their estimated finish time with the fastest people in the first heat. Of course you can never be sure but the winners should have come out of that first heat so if I wanted to win I had to make sure to win my heat (obviously) and then I would probably be safe. We started the swim and it was fine. The swim usually goes pretty fast for me. 700 meters and as I was getting out of the water my watch read about 11 minutes flat. I was the first woman out of the water. The time that will actually show up as my swim time will be a lot slower though because it will include T1 and let me just say...my first transition was terrible! I couldn't get my wetsuit off and then I couldn't get my socks on and then when I did get my one sock on it was backwards. ARGH! I eventually got on my way though and still managed to be the first woman out but with 2 other women right on my tail.
The bike was good. My legs felt kind of tired and my heart rate was high but my heart rate has been a little higher all week, likely because I'm still a little on the sick side. O was standing on the hill and each time I would go by he would tell me about how much time I had on 2nd place. The first time around was 20 seconds, then 20 seconds again, then 20 seconds again. Uh oh - I wasn't putting any distance between us! I thought I might but I never really did. When I came out of T2 though O told me I had more like 50 seconds - her T2 must have been as bad as my T1!! :)
Anyway, so started the run - with me running scared. The run was tough too. All on trails and not fast trails either. We're talking rocky, turny trails with very big downhills and what seemed like even bigger uphills. And the surface was sort of a loose gravel, loose dirt/sand mixture. As I was running I was pretty sure this was going to go down as my slowest 5K of all time. And I was right - 22:25! Oh my! But luckily it was enough to keep me ahead. I ended up winning by about 1:30. My overall time was 1:09:01.
And that's that! I was pleased to win, even though I know it's just a small race. I had a lot of fun. It was a Senior Games qualifier so it was neat to watch some of the older generation compete hard! All in all I good day's work.
Now I am done racing for a little bit and that's okay with me. Three weekends in a row was tough even though two of those were sprint distances. More than anything the ritual of getting all your gear ready, getting up so early, etc... wears you down! And I think O is ready for a break too. Being someone's equipment manager requires a lot more if one is racing in triathlons vs just running races. :) So I'm looking forward to some good training for the next couple weeks and then maybe one more race in September. We shall see what the future holds...
Posted by beth at August 13, 2006 5:00 PM
Comments
You are a superstar!
Posted by: Alison at August 13, 2006 6:54 PM
Seeing the alarm go off at 4-something AM on the weekend is something that I could definitely take a break from. Good thing for 2 to 3 hour weekend afternoon naps. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Posted by: O at August 13, 2006 7:29 PM
Congrats on your win! I feel like I'm congratulating you all the time. That's so awesome!
Posted by: Meghan at August 13, 2006 8:59 PM
Whoa... great job... also it is sweet having O as your equipment manager... My wife is my accountablity partner whenever i overdue things she gives me perspective...
Posted by: Kranky C Dale at August 13, 2006 9:45 PM
:) Fun times!! Nice victory!
Posted by: Audrey at August 13, 2006 11:11 PM
"...O was standing on the hill and each time I would go by he would tell me about how much time I had on 2nd place..." Being the stellar assistant that he is, would not be surprised if he planned to say "20 seconds" each time around just so to keep you off your seat :) ... nice account, great racing. How about a sister site: www.elitetriathloning.com ... or maybe www.swimbikerun.com ... Maybe with capitals: www.SwimBikeRun.com ... ok i'll leave :) ...
Posted by: corrado giambalvo at August 14, 2006 10:31 AM
How true Corrado! O definitely did keep me hammering up that hill (and yes, I was out of my seat)with his reports of "still just 20 seconds"!! I joked afterward with him if he was giving accurate reports seeing as how I was mysteriously 50 seconds ahead out of T2... :) Either way, it did the trick.
Posted by: Beth at August 14, 2006 10:40 AM
Way to go Beth!!! Congrats on your win.
I hope you enjoy a few weeks of not racing, sleeping in, and the like.
Posted by: barb at August 14, 2006 11:23 AM
hey Beth, I hope :) you will not be offended if I tell you that as I was re-reading your account, at the transition part I could not help hearing The Benny Hill Show trumpety soundtrack and seeing you and your socks in fast motion!! :) I used to have a roomate right after college and whenever we did duh things around the apartment we would look at each other and then one would start lip-trumpeting Benny Hill and in a matter of seconds we would be just wiped out laughing. Had to be there, but I thought I'd share :) take care c. (Yes, not very busy today...)
Posted by: corrado giambalvo at August 14, 2006 12:31 PM