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April 6, 2009
Oceanside Race Report
Where to begin?
The race seems like ages ago now. That's probably why you should write the race report directly after the race so you don't forget what happens. But I was having too much fun doing other things Saturday night. So, oh well. :)
The swim! If it kills me, one of these days I WILL SWIM UNDER 30 MINUTES in a 70.3! But Saturday wasn't that day. :) I swam around 31 instead. So I'm not thrilled but it wasn't bad either. Especially considering this is my first time in open water in my wetsuit in a longgggg time. My first open water swim last season (St. Anthony's) was MUCH worse. So I've made a little progress. :) I am swimming so much faster in the pool but that same smooth, longer stroke that I've worked so hard on seems to go to pot in an open water race situation. :) Either way, I did feel strong and relaxed and the swim went by quickly. I also sited and drafted better than I ever have before. AND, after all that worry about how cold I was going to be, I was absolutely fine! The water was 59 degrees on race morning but other than when I first got in, I didn't feel cold at all!
Out of the water and into transition I saw all these women that I knew would place very well in my AG! Rachel and Charisa among them. And I got all flustered and decided I didn't want to put on arm warmers and socks after all. :) But that worked out just fine because it was a beautiful, sunny, clear day and I was never cold after that initial shock of getting in the cold water in the morning.
The bike was simply amazing! At times I almost had to pinch myself it was so beautiful. If you've never done this race, it's a must. The first 20-25 miles of the course are along the coast and flat and fast and I was loving life. Then, as we turned inward I wasn't loving life as much. It got real hilly and real windy real fast. :) But it was still beautiful. Most certainly the hardest 70.3 bike course I've done although that isn't saying much since I've only done Clearwater (which I think it all downhill) and Steelhead which is a little rolling but not anything near what Oceanside is like. Despite the challenge of the course I felt good. I had some orders from coach to back it down a little on the bike and some HR guidelines to stick to as I think the root of some of my 70.3 running problems in the past has been because I ride my bike like an Olympic distance race. Not such a great idea considering a 70.3 is over 2x as long. :)
So even though I REALLY wanted to chase Rachel (who I could see on the bike for about 20 miles) when I saw my HR creeping up and up and up I knew I had to let her go. Boooo. :) But I'm sure it was the right thing to do.
Like I said though, I felt good for the most part, even up the hills. I did have some low points on the bike when I thought I should be moving a lot faster than I was but later learned that most people struggled in the same areas mostly due persistant wind. Nevertheless, a big thank you to the Marines for allowing us onto Camp Pendleton because it was quite a treat!
I think I was in about 6th place coming into T2. I wanted to give myself a few miles to just relax and work into a pace but right off the bike my legs were feeling good and despite the deep sand we had to run through I still ran just a little over 7 minutes for the first mile. And then the 2nd. And then the 3rd. And then there were a few miles in the 6:50 range. And I thought "hooray - I've cured my 70.3 running problems!" :) But of course thinking that at mile 5 is a little premature when there are still 8 miles to go.
I won't say I completely fell apart but things did start to go a little south on the 2nd loop (the run is a 2 loop course) when all of a sudden I started running 8 minute pace instead of 7 minute pace. Oooops! :) I would like to blame that stupid sand (that you run through a total of 4 times for ~1 mile total) but really I think I just ran out of gas. I was having flashbacks to Steelhead last year where I cracked miserably and dropped out and was just determined not to let it happen again. It wasn't pretty but I did only run 1 mile over 8 minutes and managed the last 2 miles in the 7:45-7:50 range. Really picking it up - I know! I was definitely in damage control at that point but hung on okay.
And when I finished I was so happy. :)
I wasn't sure of my place. I had passed several women in my AG on the run but had also been passed by Charisa (who ran so, so, so well and just looked amazingly strong as she powered by me) and by at least one other women. In the end I was 6th.
I have to admit - at first when I found out I was 6th in my AG I thought "Grrrr...6th place? That's not very good." But after further inspection I realized I was actually the 9th overall amateur female which just sounds soooo much better than 6th in my AG. That 30-34 AG is rough business! These women don't mess around! And what the heck because the top 5 got awards and I wanted a little plaque too! But oh well, as coach told me, it will just make me more determined and help me rise to higher level of competition. Which is a good thing. :)
In summary, a so-so swim, a good bike (slower than ever before but also wayyyy tougher course than ever before), a good first half of the run and so-so last half of the run. :) BUT - overall I am happy. My goals were to break 5 hours (which I barely did with a 4:58:30) on this tough course AND to qualify for Clearwater which I did! I had to wait for a roll down slot but I got it and was very happy! I also wanted to make sure (for the first time!) that I REALLY did stick to my nutrition plan which amazingly I did. Taking it a little easier on the bike made that possible and I took in every calorie and oz of fluid that I had planned to. That's definitely a first for me!
So I did accomplish both of my goals but of course I'm greedy and wanted more. I wanted to swim faster and run (much) faster and place higher and... but that's how I always feel! There is always something I can do to improve or want to work on and that's what keeps me coming back for more. Like I said though, overall I was happy, especially for the first race of the season; for the first time swimming in open water in a while; and for riding well on a tough bike course when I really only rode outside 3-4 times in training for the race. AND - the best part about it is, I have 2 more chances this year to get this distance right! Steelhead and Clearwater and that is very exciting!
So there you have it - my race in a nutshell!
As for the rest of our time here - it's been AWESOME! I have so enjoyed getting to spend time with Jen and Chad and so many other wonderful people, some of whom I have met and some of whom I knew through blogs only! This sport is so awesome and amazing and I LOVE the people that do it. :) And we've gone to Noodles (twice!)! And we went to the zoo today! And we saw the seals at La Jolla! And we've certainly enjoyed the amazing San Diego sun and warm weather. O and I will definitely be sad to get on the plane tomorrow evening.
Some pictures from the weekend:
Marit was nice enough to have us over for dinner and it was awesome! Thanks so much Marit!
Chad and I with our Clearwater papers. We both got roll down slots!
Apparently in San Diego you have to wear sunscreen or something? :) When I woke up this morning I was definitely sore from the race but I think the sunburn hurt most of all!
O and I went to the San Diego zoo today because we love animals! O asked me my favorite animal and I said either the flamingos (I mean how cool is it that they stand on just one leg?!) or the...
giraffes! They are just sooooo tall! And today there were baby giraffes!
At the zoo O and I took the bus tour and also rode on the skyfari (the little cable car thing that goes OVER the zoo from one side to the other) to minimize walking. And it wasn't just because I was sore. O is hurting too! Read his blog for stories of his Spectathlete Performance of the Year yesterday. I think he ran harder than me AND - he also went down...HARD. :)
After the zoo we picked up Jen and Chad at the airport (who were having some serious flight problems) and went in search of the seals (which we kept calling sea lions) in La Jolla. It was quite an experience! We drove up the coast (which is beautiful) and finally broke down and called Marit (again!) to ask where to find these elusive seals! She pointed us in the right direction and finally - victory! La Jolla is amazing! And the seals are so funny! There was a momma seal that didn't seem to happy with our picture taking and hissed. Do seals really hiss? Regardless, we finished the night off with a beautiful sunset.
And now I have to pack my bike up. That just doesn't seem right. :)
Many, many thanks for all the good luck wishes and congratulations too! You guys are the best! This has been such a great trip - great way to kick the season off with a tough, hard fought race - and meeting and getting to see so many wonderful friends, new and old. I LOVE THIS SPORT! I LOVE TO RACE! Let's do it again real soon okay? :)
Posted by beth at April 6, 2009 12:52 AM
Comments
Congrats on Clearwater and a solid race on a difficult race. I'm still trying to get that sub 5 hr. I have matching sunburn too!
Posted by: Maggs at April 6, 2009 5:43 AM
Congrats on the race Beth! That sunburn looks nasty, hope you're feeling better soon.
Posted by: brian at April 6, 2009 8:56 AM
well hello! i've been waiting for your report! congratulations beth!!! i think we share the same competitive gene and i know i am scared as heck of the 30-34 y/o women!! good thing you can hang!!! woohooo Clearwater!! I'm glad you and O had such a fabulous time out west.
Posted by: Audrey at April 6, 2009 9:52 AM
Damn, that is one hell of a burn! I had to look twice, I thought you had tights on. Next comes the itchy peeling. Great race! I have said it more than once to people who raced this weekend - Way to gut it out. That is quite the recovery at the end of the run. I think most people would just let it go - nice mental fortitude. Back to the north with you. Have a safe trip home.
Posted by: t-odd at April 6, 2009 10:11 AM
BETH! Congrats on a great season opener :-) You are such a stud!!! That sunburn is horrific :-/ EEK! I can't wait to follow along as the year progresses, you are going to do great and really nail 70.3.
Posted by: elizabeth at April 6, 2009 10:37 AM
Beth, what a GREAT first race of the season. Look at it as a great warm weather training race and think about how much it will help you in the next races you do this summer. As much as it is hard to imagine being READY ( who is ever ready!) for a race in April i cant think of a better way to spend a weekend in April! Good job and now take care of that burn...Spray on sunscreen. Neutrogena. Get some!
Posted by: Julia at April 6, 2009 10:37 AM
Beth! YOU had a super race and do not be hard on yourself on that swim - you are MUCH faster than last season on that swim and now in the mix....VERY impressive! Congrats and NICE to see you there, of course. :) Did I let you get in a word edge-wise? uh oh. Congrats again.
Posted by: Jen Harrison at April 6, 2009 11:09 AM
Congrats on an awesome race!! It was so fun to meet you. Great start to the season and congrats on Clearwater! Owwww on the sunburn! :)
Posted by: Charisa at April 6, 2009 11:39 AM
Beth! Great job! It was a pleasure to track you and cheer for you all day Saturday!
Posted by: Molly at April 6, 2009 12:28 PM
Great race and report, Beth! Our new age group is so tough!!
Posted by: Bri Gaal at April 6, 2009 2:13 PM
Nice job Beth! You did awesome - way to hang in there on the run. I totally went through the same thing... pace was great and then "uh-oh" :) Like Jen said - don't be too hard on yourself with the swim - you are a GREAT swimmer!!! (repeat after me: "I am a great swimmer, I am a great swimmer) - and it WILL happen in the open water. SO SO SO great to finally meet you and hang out. I had a blast!
PS - you were the only person that I remember yelling for twice during the race! :)
Posted by: marit c-l at April 6, 2009 3:27 PM
CONGRATS! Take care of that sunburn. I got one about a year ago and it is still not right...
Posted by: Becky at April 6, 2009 4:19 PM
Congrats on your race. Ouchy sunburn. I love the zoo pictures. Giraffes and flamingos are cool. It's too bad flamingos get such a bad rap as a lawn ornament. I hope that you guys has a great time in California.
Posted by: Danielle Pedergraham at April 6, 2009 5:28 PM
That is a nasty sunburn! That trip to the zoo looks fun! Your swim was good, you are too hard on yourself, you can't expect to swim as fast in the PACIFIC OCEAN as in the pool!!! You are in such a tough AG, you did great, and it is just the beginning of the season. If you are the champion in March, likely you will be wiped out by the end of the year,right?
Thanks for dropping your phone in the port of john. That was hilarious!
Posted by: maija at April 6, 2009 8:51 PM
Wholly smokes! Look at that tan line! I mean, burn line!!! Pass the aloe vera please.
Great job Beth! Congrats for sure!
Posted by: andrea at April 6, 2009 9:21 PM
Congrats - great race. I had same sunburn from Oceanside last year. And you are right you can't tell whether you are in pain from the race or those burns. I was even sporting my race number and age sunburn marks for months.
Posted by: Angelina at April 7, 2009 5:00 AM
Great job!
Posted by: Mike D at April 7, 2009 9:54 AM
Beth, CONGRATS! You did AMAZING!! You are such a stud! WOOHOO!! I'm so excited for you...
Posted by: E Swanson at April 7, 2009 11:41 AM
Ouch, that's one heck of a sunburn! Contratulations on a great race and achieving both of your goals :-) That's a great way to start-off the racing season!
Posted by: Melissa Schwartz at April 7, 2009 5:43 PM
You did GREAT Beth! I mean really, if you could train in Hawaii all winter I have no doubt you would have been 1st in your AG, and probably top 5 OA! But you were stuck in the miserable winter in Pittsburgh and you held your own out there. 9th OA is fantastic! I have no doubt you'll continue to get better, especially on that darn swim. Congrats, again!
Posted by: mira at April 8, 2009 10:12 AM
Hi Beth. Great job at Oceanside!! I can't remember how I found your blog, but I've been a 'lurker' for a while now. I didn't realize you were from Pittsburgh. I went to college there and I LOVE THAT CITY!!! Seriously, I think Pittsburgh is in the top 5 of my favorite cities ever, but I hadn't heard of too many triathletes living there. Would love to move back someday. Anyway, best of luck this season.
Posted by: Laura at April 8, 2009 11:43 AM
Such a great race Beth! Way to go. You hung so tough through the hard times and really made it happen. I'm so proud of you. Glad you guys had fun in SD. Sounds like an awesome trip! safe travels my friend!
Posted by: Kim at April 8, 2009 2:51 PM
nice tan Beth! That is just beautiful! way to hang in there on the run and just keep on moving! That fast run of yours is there, and you tasted it for the first 5 miles, no doubt more experience at the 70.3's and that run will unleash!
Fun race report, stoked on your Clearwater slot too!
Happy recovery!
Posted by: Bree Wee at April 8, 2009 5:18 PM