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June 23, 2008
Running Out of Real Estate - Philly Style
I never know how to start these race reports. Other than with...well...the start of the race. I know, very original!
Anyway, Philly has a point to point swim in the Schuylkill River which makes things sort of complicated. Mostly because there is no easy way to get from transition to where the race starts, other than to take a bus ride. It's not like at Steelhead (or many other races) where you can just walk the 1 mile to the start. So of course, this is the type of thing that I worry about. How will I get over there (the buses provided by the race of course)? When will I leave (ASAP)? Can O go over with me (yes)? What do I take with me?
Naturally I worried about it much more than I had to. If given the opportunity I will usually worry about the smallest, most insignificant details. Although O can probably attest, in our 6 years of marriage I have improved on this character flaw significantly. Mostly because he doesn't seem to worry about anything and this has rubbed off on me.
Regardless, it all worked out. We got to the swim start and I had everything I needed and I got in a good warmup and all was well. In large part because I have a husband willing to come over to the swim start with me and then run about 3 miles (with about a 50 lb tri bag on his back) back to transition. Three cheers for O! :)
The swim. What's to say? I was hoping for a raging river to carry me the 1500 meters down river but instead got a nice, calm, HOT river that was going to force me to do my own swimming. Darn. :) (by the way - I've heard many stories about how dirty the Schuylkill is and let me tell you, it's clean as a whistle compared to the Allegheny!) Philly doesn't have an elite amateur race category so I started the swim with what seemed like a HUGE pack of my AG and another AG (I think women 40-44). I'm sure it wasn't much bigger than 100 women but I've lost all perspective on large wave starts.
Anyway, we all got in the water and before I knew it we were swimming away. Actually, I never even heard someone say GO or START or a horn or anything of the sort. I just started swimming because everyone else started swimming! And away we went!
Truthfully, I had a relatively uneventful swim. It was a lot of kicking at first and then I found open water and tried to swim long, powerful strokes. It got a little messy again when we started to catch the waves in front of us but otherwise I can't complain. My overwhelming feeling while I was swimming was that I was HOT and wanted out of my wetsuit ASAP. I should have taken a lesson from Ness, where, in her most recent race, she decided to start taking her wetsuit off mid-swim. :)
My goal for the swim was to get in the 21s. Lofty I know. But I felt like I could do it. And I know one day I will. But yesterday was not the day. I glanced at my watch as I exited the water and saw low 22s (the official swim time includes running up to transition some, hence the slower time). At Columbia I was absolutely thrilled to swim in the low 22s and rightly so as last year I swam in the high 23-low 25 range. But now I'm getting greedy. And I don't want to wait another whole year to break that next barrier. So I don't think I will. :)
As uneventful as the actual swim was, the next few minutes were pretty exciting. First, getting out of the water. Holy cow! I kept trying to stand up when I was close to the sandy exit but it was still too deep! One of the volunteers finally took pity on me and grabbed my arm and dragged me in to solid ground where I then proceeded to trip and fall about 3 times. I just couldn't get my feet under me! What a tool! I finally got myself right and took off up to the transition area where my wetsuit and I were about to engage in a serious battle. I'm still not speaking to it (my wetsuit that is). I struggled and struggled and struggled and that dang thing would not unclench it's death grip from my hips! I finally wrestled it to the ground, grabbed Scotty (my bike) and off I went.
Ahhh...the bike. My favorite. I had borrowed my friend Jeremy's disc wheel and he left me with instructions to "make those wheels sing." (of course referring to the whirwhirwhir song the disc produces when going fast enough)
Let's get to business! The bike course in Philly is two loops and actually a bit on the hilly side. I didn't believe these tales I was hearing about hills but I have to give them credit. The bike wasn't flat nor was it technically easy. There were quite a few turns and quite a few hills and MANY, MANY, MANY people out on the course. By virtue of the 2 loops and the fact that the race had close to 3000 people in it, things got crowded quickly.
I have to admit that I feared for my life a few times. And I definitely didn't ride as aggressively on some areas of the course that I normally would have. I truly don't mean to sound elitist but there were quite a few folks out there that were perhaps a bit new to the sport and not very familiar with the "stay to the right, pass on the left" concept. That, combined with the fact that some people are out there riding 27 mph and others are riding 14 mph and we've got issues! Maija can attest as she was one of the unlucky ones that got tangled with someone on the bike course and crashed (but is thankfully okay)! YIKES!
I was lucky to stay safe the entire ride though and it was a beautiful course overall, running along the river and up through the city and Fairmount Park. And I had a great ride. I got on the bike with the focus of hunting down my very fast teammate Lindsay (also in my AG) who I knew was out of the water a good 2-3 minutes ahead of me. It was a good goal to have because it kept me on task.
Right around the time I caught Lindsay I saw O who told me Lindsay and I were 1-2 in our AG. Which was very exciting. But I also had the goal to be the top amateur and so I knew I had to continue to push hard because all those fast gals in the younger and older AGs would be pushing hard too!
Off the bike and into T2 where among other issues I couldn't find my visor. And so what did I do? I actually looked for it. WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING?! Looking for a visor of all things. Who the heck cares where my stinking visor was? Now if I couldn't find one of my racing flats...THAT'S something to look for. The visor obviously doesn't matter. So when I finally came to my senses I took off on the run sans visor. (by the way, I later found the visor about 5 or 6 bikes away - no telling what happened there)
On the run and I see O again who tells me I'm 75 seconds down on 1st place. WHAT?!?! I wasn't looking for my visor for that long! But obviously he had missed someone on the bike. Which is very easy to do considering how many people were out there and how quickly people whiz by. I immediately started wondering who was out there and what I was up against to catch her.
I started the run off feeling...um...tired. And my first mile split showed it. 6:47. UGH. For someone with designs on breaking 40 minutes, this was not going well. But I had a mission to complete and because the run course was essentially 2 out and backs I was soon going to see who was in front of me as I was heading out and she was heading in.
After the first mile split I got angry with myself and told myself to MOVE. MOVE, MOVE, MOVE! Next mile split 6:22. Now that's a little better. And then I saw 1st place - Mary Miller. Mary Miller! ARRRGHHHH!! I have been fortunate to race Mary quite a few times and although I may have beaten her once or twice she usually gets the best of me. At St. Anthony's this year she crushed me.
But I was not discouraged. Instead I just started doing what I always do. I set my sights on the next AG guy in front of me and then the next and then the next and just kept trying to pick them off.
When I passed through the finish line area to start on the next out and back, I saw O again hoping for an update on how far back I was. But he didn't say anything. This, I thought, is bad. Not only am I not making up time but I might be losing it! (O later told me he had just missed Mary going by and so he just didn't have an update to give me - although he worried I might think exactly what I started to think).
So the minutes and the miles ticked by. I took water and I focused on the next guy ahead of me. And then just when I was feeling a little hopeless (because I still really couldn't see Mary ahead) I see Maija on the side of the road yelling and telling me to "GO CATCH MARY!" Well thank you very much Maija - I think I will try!
And it really wasn't long after that that as I was heading out to the final turnaround, I saw Mary heading in and I realized I WAS gaining some ground. It felt like Columbia all over again!!!
Just after the 5 mile mark I passed the final guy that separated Mary and I from each other and I could sqaurely see her. And trust me, I tried my darndestest to catch her. And just like Columbia, I can honestly say I never gave up. With about a half mile to go I put my head down and even though I was really hurting I told myself "run as hard as you can for just 3 more minutes and then you can lay down on the ground and not get up for 10 minutes." And that's what I did.
But it wasn't enough.
Mary beat me by 10 seconds. I had run out of real estate yet again.
And I was very, very, very disappointed. 10 stinking seconds. I was disappointed because I didn't win. I was disappointed because I didn't break 22 minutes in the swim. Because I didn't break 40 minutes on the run. I was disappointed because I didn't really accomplish any of the goals I had come to accomplish at this race.
But then of course I came to my senses. Because while time and place goals really motivate me, they certainly aren't the be all end all in the sport.
I lost at Columbia and yesterday in Philly, both my less than 20 seconds. BUT, I learned big lessons in how to COMPETE. How to go out there and give it all that you have and cross that finish line knowing that you swam, biked and ran the best you possibly could. I learned not to search for a stupid visor in transition. I learned that getting your wetsuit off in a timely fashion is important.
And as the season is progressing I'm learning that sometimes, disappointment isn't such a bad thing. It's a huge motivator. O told me almost directly after the race "this will make you hungrier for next time." And boy is he right!
Going into this race I knew it would be my toughest of the season. It came at a time in my training where the training load is the highest. My rides, runs and swims are the longest. My recovery time is the shortest. This race wasn't a qualifier for anything nor was it an "A" race. The kind of race that both mentally and physically would be hard to get up for.
But just like anybody who is competitive, my stubborness thankfully took over in the race and I was still blessed with a good performance. My final time was 2:12:40, a PR for the distance. My bike split was 3rd fastest including the pros. Mary won the amateur race and I was 2nd. And although I didn't break 40 minutes on the run, I was close (40:34).
And besides all that mumbo-jumbo O and I really had fun! We had fun visiting a new(er) city. Learning how to drive around it. We had fun getting to see my teammates Lindsay and Kim and also seeing Maija and Heather and all the other wonderful girls that I get to race against so often. I had fun watching my friend Eric on the run (I was still on my bike!) and just getting to experience another big race. I had fun standing on the podium with Mary and my MAO teammate Lindsay. MAO rocks!
And so it goes! Thank you so much everyone for your good luck and encouraging words! I so often come away from races feeling so lucky to be in such a great sport filled with such great people!
Posted by beth at June 23, 2008 12:27 PM
Comments
Beth - you rocked! I'm sorry some goals were missed, but you went as hard as you could for those goals, you learned a bunch about competing, and no doubt you had to have neg split that run! Congratulations on a great RACE!!
Posted by: Rachel at June 23, 2008 4:53 PM
Beth even though you got second you are still my tri hero :) And 23 MPH is SMOKING FAST on the bike, that rocks!! Great job!!
By the way I just saw an ad (in Inside Triathlon or somewhere) for a spray that helps your wetsuit come off. I usually use Pam but I guess it is bad for your wetsuit. You might want to try this other stuff.
Posted by: barb at June 23, 2008 6:00 PM
Beth--You did great! You shouldn't be dissapointed with your finish or time at all. You had an amazing bike ride and did very good times for the Philly course on the swim and run. Remember--not all courses are created equal even though the distances are supposed to be the same! At NYC we should both easily slip under 20 mins for the swim, but somehow, I don't think that will count as a PR. It will all come together when it needs to. Sometimes losing a race can be the best thing that can happen to you because you learn the most from it and get more motivated by it.
Posted by: maija at June 23, 2008 6:36 PM
way to go BETH! Am improvement is nothing to be disappointed about! WOO HOO!
Posted by: mary at June 23, 2008 7:27 PM
way to go BETH! Am improvement is nothing to be disappointed about! WOO HOO!
Posted by: mary at June 23, 2008 7:27 PM
in smaller races than Philly, i too have lost my age group or missed placing in my age group by about 13, 14, and 11 seconds. and it HURTS. it does.
and i took the same lessons away as you...there were a few seconds here and there where i could have gained time. and after agonizing about those seconds, to that i say: NEXT TIME. BRING IT!!! BRING IT!!!!!! I DARE YOU TO BRING IT!!!
you two will be back head to head i am sure and you will definitely bring your A++++++ game.
you had an excellent race and congratulations on your AMAZING placing. yeah for more hardware!
Posted by: Audrey at June 23, 2008 9:34 PM
Hey Beth!
NICE RACE! Have a little talk with your wetsuit and take it off 1,000x before your next race and you will be smoking. :) I know you wanted to nail those goals, but GOOD for you for racing your hardest and going after it. When you do that, you can walk away PROUD. And, we do get spoiled racing head to head in the elite AG races...those waves are tough! Congrats! :)
Posted by: Jennifer Harrison at June 23, 2008 9:58 PM
Congrats! Beth do you ever think that there is someone behind you trying ever so hard to run you down, an thinking the same thing about you as you do of Mary; yes, she's out there just ahead. . . But nobody has ever run you down right???
Posted by: dawn at June 23, 2008 10:14 PM
Congrats! Beth do you ever think that there is someone behind you trying ever so hard to run you down, an thinking the same thing about you as you do of Mary; yes, she's out there just ahead. . . But nobody has ever run you down right???
Posted by: dawn at June 23, 2008 10:14 PM
awesome race report beth... when ever i've been seconds away for the top i've comforted myself with the quote "I do not try to be better than anyone else. I only try to be better than myself."...
Posted by: Kranky C Dale at June 24, 2008 9:53 AM
awesome race report beth... when ever i've been seconds away for the top i've comforted myself with the quote "I do not try to be better than anyone else. I only try to be better than myself."...
Posted by: Kranky C Dale at June 24, 2008 9:53 AM
Beth-Great race. I took a deep swallow when you said you "lost at Columbia and at Philly"...GIRL YOU ROCKED. Also, look at the improvement since St. Anthony's where Mary had much more time on you. Keep improving at that rate and you'll be untouchable when it really matters!! Hold you head high, NICE WORK.
Posted by: Cy at June 24, 2008 10:38 AM
That's it Beth - this WILL make you hungrier for more. And I have absoluteley NO DOUBT that you'll get 'em next time. This is NOTHING to sneeze at - you are incredible. Chin up, head high - onwards and upwards - you have so much to be proud of.
And - between you and me - the races that don't go the way we envision, are the ones that we learn the most from. Congratulations on LEARNING a lot. Lessons you will never forget! :)
Posted by: marit c-l at June 24, 2008 11:58 AM
Wow what a race report, I felt like I was flying along with you. So very close you were!
Sorry things didn't pan out the way that you wanted them, but I echo the others in saying ohmygosh look how far you've come. And, really, it sounds like any number of little things could have made 10 seconds go by a lot differently, the danged wetsuit, the visor search, etc.
Hope your recovery is coming along nicely, and I know this will make you want victory more!
Meghan
Posted by: Meghan at June 24, 2008 7:34 PM
I really admire your drive. You are one seriously tough competitor. But maybe it's OK to be less tough on yourself? :)
Posted by: Leah at June 24, 2008 11:07 PM
DANG....awesome race,Beth. Just wants you want it more, right??? You are sooo close, you got it and those little lessons will all help at the right time.
Posted by: kerri at June 25, 2008 8:07 AM