Girlfriends & Dudes Triathlon - Race Recap

Hello folks - long time no hear?! As you can tell I took a little time away from the blogging world in order to hang with The Kid who is on his way to High School **shakes head in disbelief** this week. Knowing that I only have 4 more years before he's off to college is just terrifying. Who in the world believes that it really goes by THAT fast?! Sheesh.....

Anyway, as this race recap is over a month in the making, I tried to make it a good one......"tried" being the operative word here.

So, Girlfriends & Dudes Sprint Triathlon - Vancouver, WA. My first chance to race with The Kid! Super jazzed! Thankfully this was a local venue and with a later start time (9am) so no throwing the alarm across the room at 4am. This lead to a pretty easy going race morning with a quick breakfast, gear pack-up and a sleepy teenager to rouse.

I think I am finally starting to get a bit more, dare I say, "relaxed" on race day? P (my ever faithful sherpa), The Kid and I got to the venue about 45 minutes before the start, set up transition and then just hung out with a cup of jo before it was go time. Oh, and I can't forget to mention meeting a fellow Swim Bike Army member, Tammi, for the first time! (no photos though - next time Tammi!) Normally I am super paranoid, trying to ensure that we get to the site with oodles of time to spare. Maybe because this was "just" a Sprint and my first race coming off of Boise, but either way I was cool, calm and collected.  No one had to suffer the wrath of my usual race morning nerves - Winning!!



The Swim (.5 miles/804 meters)

Goal - 13 min or under

Doesn't look like it but I swear I'm running in this photo! :)

Ah, the swim - my fav. I debated the night before on whether or not I wanted to wear my wet suit for this race. I knew the water was a comfortable temp and given the short distance wasn't concerned with needing any additional support. Since I was also planning on trying to PR, I figured the amount of time spent in transition trying to strip my suit off wasn't really worth the extra few seconds it might save me in the water. Decision? Go without. Result? Mixed

The swim course was a point-to-point straight shot down the Columbia River.  A quick half mile walk up the beach to the race start and we were off. No wet suit? No problem.....well, kinda. It appears that my one piece tri suit had stretched out quite a bit since Boise (that or I lost some upper body weight since that time...ya right) leaving the top half to create a ton of drag in the water. Ugh - not what I wanted to happen but what can you do? 800 meters done, and given my PR, I'd say the drag was more of a mind game than anything else. Whoop!

Official Swim Time - 0:12:33  (PR from last year's Sprint of 14:46)

T1

Goal - 2 minutes

Awe yeah......pickin' up my transition pace, ya'll! I'm pretty sure it had everything to do with not bothering with a wet suit this time around but regardless I am stoked about my T1 time - 2 full minutes faster than last year?! Whaaaaat??!! Other than speed, nothing much to report. Didn't bother grabbing a drink or fuel, just threw the helmet/shoes on and Goooooo! I do need to learn how to do an awesome flying bike mount this off season -  I hate having to come to a complete stop at the mount line. Waste.of.time.

Official T1 Time - 01:49 (PR from last year's Sprint of 03:52)

Bike (12.5 miles)

Goal - Under 40 minutes

A nice flat, beautiful course - I was stoked. My goal on the bike was to average 20 mph, keep my legs pumping and do not slow down regardless of how much it burned. It is a sprint after all so EVERYTHING should be done as fast as possible. I think I'm finally starting to understand that. Both up and back down the course I only had 3 people pass me. And to my credit they were crazy 20 something year-old studs complete with speedy bikes. 12.5 miles out and back to the dismount line with a few sips of water/Nuun but no additional fuel. Although I didn't meet my 20mph sustained goal pace, I did managed to pull out quite a few miles at that speed and overall maintained 19.3mph. And let's not forget the ultimate desire of going under 40 mins - BOOM! Getting faster!

Official Bike Time - 0:38:55/av 19.3 mph (PR from last year's Sprint of :43:20/17.3mph)

T2
Goal - 2 minutes

What the what? Again with a fast transition?! I owe my T2 time to Lock Laces and Lock Laces alone. Those things are a life saver and I swear were the sole reason I took at least a full minute off my time! If you don't know what these beautiful creations are, check them out here. Shoes on, quick swig of hydration and out on the run course.

Official T2 Time -  1:36 (PR from last year's Sprint of 02:48)

Run (5k):

Goal - under 30 minutes

You know you're actually becoming a triathlete when you no longer deal with "transition" legs at the start of your run. I honestly felt great and ended up going out quite a bit faster than I thought I was, averaging around 8.5 min/mi at the first mile. 8.5?? Is this a dream?! I had no idea as to how I was able to keep that pace for a full mile but no part of me was going to complain. Halfway through the course I grabbed some hydration (without stopping - another win for me!), chugged it down and kept at it. My legs felt pretty darn good and my breathing was a bit labored but hey, it's a freakin 5k, I had better be going all out!

Through the finish and this gal was done!

Official Run Time - 28:46 (av 9:16 min/mi - PR!)


Holy crap. Is this time right? Couldn't be.....no way....did I just PR my 5k and my Sprint distance?

Check.it.

Official Finish Time - 1:23:42

2/25 Age Group

19/127 Female

55/211 Overall

Still unbelievable. I PR'd every event and took 8 minutes off my fastest Sprint! All with a 2nd place to show for it. 

Still on a crazy high from my podium spot (I literally got to have my picture taken on a podium with fellow 1st and 3rd placers - righteous), it was time to get The Kid ready for his race.

The RD (Race Director) put together such a fun event for the kids. The distance for each leg was based on age group. The Kid was scheduled for a .25 mile swim, 3 mile bike and .75 mile run. Pretty easy for a 14 year-old but the object of the event was for him to gain experience in a fun race environment. Mission accomplished.

The Kid's Tri wasn't timed and I was a ding-dong and didn't think to do it myself, so we don't have any specifics. Overall he really enjoyed himself and didn't need much coaching from me at all! He says he's ready to tackle a full Sprint next year. Hopefully I've created a monster. :)

Disappointed in his age group swim distance of 200 meters. He wanted a full mile!

On the right at the very end - away from the weaker swimmers so he can speed by. Smart play kid...smart play.

T1 - "Why is this taking so long?!!", he says. You'll get there dude. 

3 mile bike - Needless to say he wants a roadie now.

Out of T2 and on to the run! Looking strong!

                                   

Into the finish!!

Done! And exhausted. ;)

Love this Kid! 

Awesome race, with awesome support, and an awesome outcome. How could I ask for anything more?

So let's see..........

Recap done - check!

Back on the blogging wagon - check!

Kid successfully off to High School - check!

Training back in motion - check!

The break was definitely needed but I've got to get moving or I am going to drive myself and those around me completely nuts! Next on the race agenda? The 60 mile Gorgeous Relay on Sep. 21st and am  trying to nail down one more Tri before the season is over. The Beaver Fever is the sister race to The Beaver Freezer I did back in April. You know, the one I had that epic bike fail in? The OSU Triathlon club opens and ends the Oregon Tri season with these two sponsored races so I think it's only natural that I do the same. 

~ Cheers, Rebecca

IRONMAN Boise 70.3 - Race Recap 2 of 2

2 of 2........

THE BIKE

The bike - whew, glad to have made it off that 56 mile course unscathed. Since the reservoir is set up in the hills, the first few miles of the bike is entirely downhill, giving you a chance to catch your breath, get your heart rate down and completely freak out while applying your breaks the whole time. No.really. That's what I did. (wah waaah). I think it may have been a result from my bike crash earlier in the year but I had a very hard time trusting in my abilities during the downhill sections of this course and probably suffered time wise because of it. The thought of losing control kept running through my mind, so anything past 30mph and I was braking. Ugh - lame. **TIP -Trust in your machine and your own abilities. Practice both up and downhills. Get comfortable to a point where you can continue to peddle through even the fastest of downhills.**

My lack in downhill confidence wasn't the only issue - Boise can get WINDY! One of the locals had mentioned that this is why they have such a late start time. Apparently the wind is worse in the early morning hours but tends to die down later on. Um, no. At one point, about 20 miles in, the cross wind was so bad that it nearly blew the guy in front of me clean off his bike! Thankfully I was paying attention and braced for my turn. Crap.....the idea of dealing with 36 more miles of this nonsense was a frustrator. Thankfully it let up a little bit for the remainder of the course and we only had minor head winds to deal with.

At about the halfway turn around point I saw my brother and we both let out a quick shout of support. So nice knowing that he was out of the water and on his bike safely - I hated being out there without knowing how he did. I even saw a fellow Swim Bike Mom army member and wished her well as I passed  by. Other than the confidence/wind issue I really felt great on the bike! My nutrition was working flawlessly, I felt really strong the whole time and Ben performed like a champ. I wasn't passed by too many and the ones who did fly by looked pretty serious.

A little hilly but the out and back course made it easy to stay focused on what was next.

The last 10 miles of the course brought us out of the lonely hills and back into town and through some residential neighborhoods. So many folks camped out on their front lawns cheering us on - I swear there is not one unhappy person in all of Boise! A few more corners to turn and I had made it! 56 miles, safe and still full of energy. With P and the gang there to great me and the calf feeling a-okay, I was pumped to get out of that saddle. And given the annoying winds we had to deal with, felt great about my overall time. Oh, and did I mention the signs yet? Our group had spent the previous day making some of the best race support signs - some were silly and some just plain motivational. Regardless of what they said, it was the feeling of having your family there to support you that goes unmatched.

Total Bike Time - 03:17:16
Age Group - 30
Gender - 160
Overall - 700

Fuel: 3 bottles (water + 2 Nuun + 2 scoops CarboPro)

**The bike felt great - the wind. Now that I have some 70.3 experience under my belt I know that I can push myself a bit harder next time**


T2

Bike racked, shoes, race belt and visor on, I am happy to report that T2 was completely uneventful. And no, no potty mishaps this time around. Still decided to take my time though and focus on making sure that I had everything needed for the last 13.1 miles of my journey. A few extra minutes at the end wasn't going to matter.

T2 time - 00:04:19

**Obviously this could have been at least 2 minutes faster, but...**


THE RUN

Ok, let's start with the calf. I knew the run portion of this race was going to be the most difficult. Not only due to my injury but the simple fact that running a half marathon in itself is hard enough, let alone completing one after already racing for 4 hours. I had planned on doing a 3:1 run/walk scenario that my PT had signed off on and would see where that would take me. After about a mile the calf pain was definitely there and I was worried about doing anything that would aggravate it further. Heck, I still had a whole season and 3 more tris to get through! So easy does it.

The Boise 70.3 run is beautiful. It's a two loop, almost entirely flat course that follows directly along the river front - about 90% shaded it was a much appreciated break from the sun and wind. With an aid station at every mile it does a great job of keeping you motivated too. Water, Gatorade, GU, pretzels, chips, soda - you name it, they had it. My favorite? ICE CHIPS!! I swear those things kept me sane. I grabbed some every chance I could get. Down the front of my sports bra, down my back, rubbed all over my arms and face, it.was.heaven. The course also allows for spectators to see their racers at least three times - at miles 5, 11 and then of course at the finish. Getting to run by a crowd of supporters cheering you on so many times is a prefect way to re-fill those energy cells.

Here are some of the signs that our group made - aren't they awesome?!!!!

Loved the 'Go Random Stranger' - hope it helped to motivate someone else out there on the course!

Oh beer, how I've missed you as well!

By mile 6 the calf really started to flare up so I spent much of the last hour and a half doing more walking than running. This actually gave me a great opportunity to met all sorts of  motivating people doing just the same. Lots of Oregonians out on the course sporting their club gear too - made it very easy for me to yell out some words of encouragement. I never ending up seeing my bro on the run but I did see Kristen of Glitter and Dust fly by..holy cow, was she was in the zone! :) Would I have loved to have ran the whole thing? Of course! But to think that only a week prior I thought all my hopes of even finishing were tossed out the window. With that in mind I am thrilled with my overall performance at that point.

2 miles left and I was a ball of emotion. Every time I thought of P or The Kid I started to cry! It couldn't be helped. They have been so great in supporting me through all of my training, races, injuries and meltdowns - I just felt so blessed to have them in my life. With only a half mile to go I could hear the announcer's voice and knew the finish line was close. "Ok, Rebecca", I thought, "No more crying...you don't want people to think that you're in pain do you? Let's giddy up and sprint to the finish!".

Done. I was done!!! 6 hours and 45 minutes of non stop racing - I had conquered my first half Ironman! 70.3 miles of greatness complete. Now give me my freaking medal! :)

I swear I could not stop smiling. As I hugged everyone, chugged down ludicrous amounts of water and waited for my brother to finish, the joy of what I had just accomplished completely took over. The months of long hours and strenuous training had paid off. It was going to be awhile before I came down from my Ironman high.

Total Run Time - 02:39:40

Total Overall Race Time - 06:45:18
Age Group - 40
Gender - 239
Overall - 882

Fuel: Alternated water and electrolyte drink every mile. GU gel every 3 miles

**Not much could be helped with my run time. The energy was a bit more sluggish than I would have preferred but had zero stomach or cramping issues so my fueling must have been spot on. Excited to see how much better I can perform going into the run healthy next time**

A little over an hour later my brother had made it to the finish line too! So proud of him!! I kept thinking how much fun it must have been for my mom to see both her kids finish this race. Thankfully my pops tuned into the Ironman website and was also able to watch us both cross the finish line via their live feed. A huge THANK YOU to Ironman for allowing this to happen.

Half Ironman Boise finishers - BOOYAH!!

After our amazing finishes, my brother and I wandered over to food tent to replenish our calories by grubbing on some pizza and burgers. No beer though - that would have to wait until we got back to the house. Finished with our snacks, we all headed over to the Ironman store to pick up a few items to commemorate our accomplishments, then it was time to head back to the house.

It was a long (14 hours) day but worth every bit of the aches, pains, frustrations, lines etc. that we had to deal with.  My first HIM experience was a success and I can not wait to do it again! Many, many thanks to all my readers, fellow Tri-Fecta members, my online coaches Meredith and Brett, and friends and family for helping to make this dream a reality. The support and encouragement I've received along the way has been so overwhelmingly amazing. The sacrifices my family has made during this process is far more than I could have ever asked for.

What's next? I have quite a few more races on the calendar for this season so you'll definitely want to stay tuned. Also, Ironman Arizona 140.6 volunteer registration opens up next week..........you know what that means..........

Beer and I reunited once again........cheers!

IM Boise 70.3 Week 15 - Training Recap

Busy, busy, busy. As you can tell from my lack of posts, scheduling and simple exhaustion got the better of my free time this week. That being said I had another solid week of training and was finally able to get outside for a ride - first time since the crash a month ago and it felt ah-mazing! Week 15 was another good one - let's see what went down....

Monday - Planned: 1:30 min bike
                 Actual: 1:30 hour bike (trainer)

Interval work:
10 min warm up
4x15 min @80-85% LTHR - harder gear every 5 min while maintaining rpm
5 min recovery
15 min cool down


Tuesday - Planned: 3000 yd swim + 12 mile run
                  Actual: 9 mile run (Pool time next week!)

Whew! Rough 9 miles on a fairly hilly course around my neighborhood but I got the sucker done and despite some nagging pain in my right hip, was able to stretch it out just fine afterwards. So nice to finally be able to get my mileage up and still feel good the next day. Come on body - don't fail me now!! :)


Wednesday - Planned: 1:30 min bike
                       Actual: 1:30 (trainer)

More interval work on the trainer once again but I'm starting to notice some real changes in the definitions of my leg muscles as well as improved endurance to the pain and lactid acid build up.


Thursday - Planned: 4.5 mile interval run
                    Actual: 4.5 mile self defeating trail "run" in 85 degree heat

Not gonna lie, this was gross! It's been since Sept that we've seen temps in the 80's so my body was nowhere near prepped to run in any form, let alone on a dusty trail. I walked about 5 times and averaged something lame, like 12 min/miles. Didn't help that I hadn't hydrated enough throughout the day either. Here's hoping we get some more hot days in before Boise or this gal is going to struggle.


Friday - Planned: 3.5 hour bike
               Actual: 3.5 hour bike ( trainer)

Heck yeah!! 3.5 hours hole up in my bedroom rockin' the trainer. In all honesty the time went by fairly quickly. I was able to get on the bike pretty early and finished up by 9:30pm. So much better than last Friday. This was the first night that I practiced my liquid nutrition plan (CarboPro) for Boise and am excited to report that everything went very well. I was able to maintain decent energy levels all 3 hours and my stomach handled the liquid just fine! Besides having to pee A LOT more than usual, I think I have it nailed down. 3 bottles on the bike (16oz water + 1 Nuun tab + 2 scoops CarbPro) should get me through the whole 56 mile bike leg without needing to stop at any aid stations. (which I heard can be a massive cluster so even better)


Saturday - Planned: 3:40 hour Brick (2.5 hour bike + 8 mile run)
                   Actual: 3:40 hours of brick domination

Another great brick workout this weekend! The best part was FINALLY being able to ride outside again as well as meeting up with friends to tackle the run. "Run" is a bit of an overstatement as we spent a decent amount of time chatting - but it was sure nice to get some miles in with company for once! The time flew by and thanks to the decision to wear my compression socks that whole day, my legs felt strong and more than capable of going faster/longer.

After the run we celebrated with some naughty food and a cold beer.

 What? I burned enough calories to justify this! 

Sunday - Planned: 2800 yd swim
                Actual: Foam roll and stretching

Plan was to get back into the pool this day but the arm was a little sore after yesterday's outdoor ride so I played it safe. The last thing I want is to do anything that might hinder my easiest/strongest portion of the race simply because I wasn't patient enough.

No better way to recover after a long workout than a 20 min ice bath and dual compression tights. My legs felt so energized the next day - LOVE this new routine!

TOTAL:
Swim - 0 (last week of no swimming - time to get back at it!)
Bike - 152 miles
Run - 21.5 miles



So 15 weeks down and only 5 more to go! It's recovery week the next 7 days and the last one scheduled till tapering begins so I am going to focus on the quality of my runs, add in a little yoga and get back to some more strength training and PT for the hip.

Also finalizing accommodations for the Boise trip - right now we have P, the Kid and myself going, as well as my brother (who is racing too) SIL, their two kids and then my mom and aunt. What's the best possible scenario for a group of 9? VRBO baby!! Forget hotel rooms - we found a great house that is plenty large enough to fit our group and will allow so much more privacy and general space for our 5 day trip. It's right outside of down town but still a close 15 minute drive away. Plus, with having our own kitchen we are in complete control of pre-race snacks etc. If you are ever looking for a place to stay when visiting from out of town, I would highly suggest checking the VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner) site to see what may be available. We've gone through this company to rent homes for a myriad of vacations -  from little cabins in the mountains to gorgeous beach homes. You just can't go wrong!

Tri Talk Tuesday - The Bike: What Do I Really Need?

Happy Tri Talk Tuesday all! Today I'm linking up once again with Courtney @ The TriGirl Chronicles, Cynthia @ You Signed Up For What?! and Miranda @ The Cupcake Triathlete to discuss this week's topic: The Bike.

Earlier this month I posted a pretty in depth article on my experience during a recent bike fit using the 'Retul" technology. If you're interested in finding out more about this process click here. Otherwise, let's get to one of the biggest questions I am asked from new folks curious about triathlon and one that I myself struggled with when starting out in the sport; Do I really need to buy a new bike?. In my humble opinion the easiest answer to that question is, it depends. #1. How long of a distance are you looking to participate in #2. What are your reasons for racing in the first place? (fun, competition, just to say you did one) and #3. What is your budget?

Let's first look at some of the basic differences in most of the bike options out there:

•  Beach Cruiser (single speed) - This is your fun bike! Your, let's-go-cruising-around-the-neighborhood-or-along-the-waterfront-enjoying-the-sun-and-fun bike. Everything about it's design, from the wide handlebars to the large padded seat, is made for comfort. Going fast is usually not the desire. 

         Cost:  Cheap! Usual range is from $200 - $500.

Beach cruiser: Grew up riding these in SoCal - FUN!

• Road - this kind of bike is designed specifically for the road. It has skinny tires and it's frame geometry is designed for road riding. The handle bars bend in that funny mountain goat horn shape which allows you to grab the bottom of the bars bringing your body closer to your bike frame causing less wind resistance. The seat tube angle (angle that the tube supporting your saddle makes in relation to the ground) ranges anywhere between 73 to 75 degrees. Everything about a road bike is designed for speed while on the bike. 

        Cost: Ranges anywhere between $1k (new entry level) all the way up to >$10k for more

        serious road racers.    

Road Bike: Cannondale CAAD9 - my baby, Ben!

• Mountain Bike/Hybrid - these bikes usually have tires that are wider and have more of a tread pattern than those found on road bikes. The handle bars shoot off to the side with gripping action allowing you better handling for the uneven road conditions they are meant to be ridden on. The tube angels vary to just over 71 all the way up to 75 degrees. These frames are designed for off-roading rides, allowing you to go over rocks and other obstacles, definitely not for speed on the asphalt. 

         Cost: Generally range between $300 (entry level) - about $5k.

Mountain Bike: Made for tough business!

• Triathlon or TT (Time Trail) - these are the kind of bikes that you see all the professional triathletes using as well as those who have been in the sport for a few years and are ready to start moving up in distance. The tires are skinny like a road bike and are made for road use. The most visible difference are the aerobars instead of handle bars and specifically shaped frame tubing and race wheels (that go whoosh-whoosh-whoosh when flying by). These features are designed to minimize drag, increase speed as well angling your body as such to allow your legs a better chance on that run you have to complete immediately afterwards. 

         Cost:  About $1,200 (entry level) up to $15k (no joke)

Triathlon Bike: Now only if this came in pink....

The most common bikes found in a typical race transition include mountain/hybrid, road and triathlon. As the race distances become longer and more competitive, you will no longer see mountain/hybrids and very few road bikes - mostly all triathlon beasts.

So what does one truly NEED when racing in triathlon? Do you have to go out and drop a huge chunk of money on a triathlon bike? The answer is NO - absolutely not. Are you new to the sport and just trying out triathlon? Are you looking to only race in Sprint distances and focus more on the having fun part vs. the competition? Then by all means use whatever the heck you already have! The bike portion of a sprint distance race is usually about 12 miles. Would I suggest doing 12 miles on a beach cruiser? Not so much. But that mountain or road bike you already have collecting dust in your garage will do the job just fine. Besides, showing up to your local sprint race on a ten thousand dollar, decked out tri bike complete with fancy race wheels is kind of lame. If you can afford a bike that expensive and are willing to shell out that kind of cash, chances are you've been doing this for awhile and are not in the business of intimidating others (specifically beginners) or trying to impress with your fancy gear. There's almost an unspoken rule that you just don't do that.

What about distance? Are you a current triathlete looking to move up to Olympic/ Half Ironman(HIM) distances and would like to focus on improving speed? A road bike is still fine in these situations (I've done an Oly and will be doing my first HIM on my road bike) as there is always the option of adding clip-on aerobars to help get you into a more aerodynamic position. That being said, as you plan on doing multiple HIMs and even get the cray-cray notion of moving up to a full IM (AZ 2015!), looking into purchasing a triathlon bike becomes more of a need. As tri frames are specifically designed to put you in a more forward position where not only are you more aerodynamic on the bike, but you are also putting less emphasis on your quadriceps, thus helping to save more of your legs for the run portion of the race. And that, my friends, is imperative when you still have a full 26.2 miles of marathon to run.

Last but not least is budget. First over all is determining what your budget is prior to shopping. Prices in road/tri bikes tend to increase the more specialized the frame design, weight of the material being used, wheels and fancy, technical advances. Do you really need all those bells and whistles though? Be honest with yourself. The last thing you want to do is run out and spend $5k on a bike that just sits in your garage after doing 1 or 2 triathlons - all that hard earned money could have been better spent on an awesome family vacation!

And last but never least, get your butt into a good local bike shop. Find one that seems to be the most customer oriented so you are never pressured into buying something that you don't need. And yes, it can be intimidating at first but we've all been there. Heck, I still get shy when I visit my tri shop. These guys and gals are there to help figure out what is best suited for your needs though so don't get upset if they ever talk you down from the multi-thousand dollar ledge. And the most important piece of all? Get fitted! The most expensive bike is useless if it doesn't fit you properly. 

Hope I've been able to give those new to the sport a little food for thought when it comes to choosing a bike to ride in your fav new sport of triathlon. There is so much more available out there on the interwebs. Just take your time and do some research before jumping in. You won't regret it!

What do you ride? Road vs Tri?