CIM 2016 - Race Report

Sunday’s California International Marathon marked the unfortunate end to my 2016 racing season. Going into the race I had every hope of finally getting a Boston Qualifying time. I had done everything right leading up to the race. I followed my training plan as closely as possible. Tried eating right and getting as much sleep as I could. I trained with the nutrition I planned on using during the race. Before my long runs I would try out different pre-race breakfasts to see what worked the best. I had even made it through an IRONMAN training season and a marathon training season injury free. I was on top of the world. All I needed to do was run the race.

Easier said than done...

I even limited my time at the expo to packet pick-up and a quick picture

Race Start

Once we were a few minutes away from the start of the race, I gave HS a kiss and made my way towards the start line. I wanted to be a little closer to the pace group for my goal. I also wanted to hang my Mylar blanket on the fence so no one would trip over it.

I should have stuck with these two

The gun went off and the slow march to the timing mat started. I was in no real hurry. Eventually I crossed the line and pressed “Start” on my Garmin. I saw the 3:58 pace group. That would be my time to beat if I wanted a Boston Qualifying time that would actually send me to Boston (4:00 is the listed qualifying time for my age group but you need to be about 2 minutes faster to go).

All three of my prior CIM times have been sub 3:58. However, I still wanted to beat 3:55:04…my time from my first CIM four years earlier. That time still stings because it was four seconds off of a BQ for that age group.

Karyn, one of the pace leaders for the 3:58 group, had asked if I was running with them. I said “No. I was shooting for 3:55.” Her response was “Tracy Pengilly don’t let me chase you down ;-)” That warning stuck in my head. I had every intention of sticking to the pace I had programmed into my Garmin. I was using the same pacing plan I had used for my first CIM. If that plan got me to 3:55:04 a few years ago, it could get me there again.

First 10K

The first mile is the best at CIM. It’s basically all down hill. I did my best to stick close to a 9 minute per mile pace but the quick descent and my adrenaline had me running a bit faster than I desired. The next few miles on Oak Ave were across rolling hills. I was feeling pretty awesome at this point and knew I was running way faster than I should be. It then crossed my mind that maybe this year would be my year and not only would I run a 3:55, but I would run faster than I ever dared believe. Although I didn’t realize at that moment, this is the point my race took a turn for the worst.

At the end of the first 10k I decided that I needed to reign in my speed a bit. If things worked out as I had planned, I was going to pick up the pace at the wall and run with everything I had left until the finish.

Half-Way

I had successfully slowed my pace but was starting to wonder if I had slowed because I was trying to slow down or because I couldn’t go any faster.  Each time I came to a hill, I could feel my quads burning just a bit more than the last hill. Eventually my Garmin started beeping at me to “Speed Up”. This was not a good sign. I tried to chalk it up to the 20-30 seconds I lost refilling my water bottle, but I knew it was more than that.

20 Miles (The Wall)

As I neared “the wall” I started to wonder if this was the year I was actually going to hit it. I wasn't feeling tired, I was just starting to hurt. My quads were burning and there was a pain in my right leg that seemed to radiate around my leg and into my hamstring. I wanted to stop, but I wanted to stay in front of Karyn even more. Unfortunately, I soon recognized the voice behind me and I knew she had finally ran me down. I kept up with the 3:58 group for a bit but it hurt too much to try and stay with them so I let them go. I wanted to start walking but convinced myself that a slow run was still better than walking.

At this point, I was pretty down. Not only was I not going to beat the elusive 3:55, but I wasn’t even going to finish below 3:58. I slowed down a bit more. I was losing my will to fight on. I reminded myself that technically a sub 4:00 finish would still be a BQ. All I needed to do was stay in front of the 4:00 pace group. Within a mile or so, I heard a group of runners coming up behind me. I then heard the cheers of “Go Sub 4 Group”. Crap! They were here and I was suffering. As the group ran past me, I slowed to a walk.

I thought of another Karen at this point. She had just gone through a similar situation at the Las Vegas Marathon. If I’m not qualifying and if I’m hurting on top of it, why keep pushing and run the risk of actually doing long term damage? While this was a very logical decision, it was still a very bitter pill to swallow. I had worked my butt off for the last four months and I can’t even run the last few miles. Ugh.

Every once in a while I would start running again but the running spurts starting getting shorter in distance and further apart.  I thought of the Pearl Izumi pact and the words printed on the back of my Ambador shirt (We take the “ass” out of ambassador) "I will endure. I will enjoy". Well, I was definitely enduring, I just needed to focus on the enjoying part.

I will endure. I will enjoy.

The Finish

The final stretch to the finish was familiar territory. Not only was this my fourth time doing CIM, but I had been running the virtual course on my ProForm “Boston Marathon” 4.0 treadmill.  I knew exactly where mile 25 was. I had imagined the portion of the race over and over in my head. When I hit that point, that last one mile, with less than 10 minutes of running left to do, I was going to sprint. I was going to finish in a blaze of glory. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case today.

A Word About Hot Stuff

Last year, while I was signing up for the $89 CIM Re-Run special, I mentioned something about the cheap price to HS. He was on his second glass of wine and cavalierly responded "Sign me up!" I continued typing away on my computer. A few minutes later he asks "Did you just sign me up for a marathon?" Yes I did!

He wasn't sure at that time what he had gotten himself into, but around September, he decided to commit to a training plan and he stuck with it. He was not fond of the 18 and 20 mile training runs as the race date neared, but he got through them and he knew he could finish the race. Ironically, I tried instilling in him the importance of pacing himself and not going out too fast.

He watched his heart rate during the race and ended up running a negative split. In fact, he was closer to qualifying for Boston than I was! I missed the mark by 7 minutes and 3 seconds.  HS was only 4 minutes and 49 seconds away! I am truly impressed by his effort!

That's the face of a happy first time finisher!

Post Race

I am thankful that I decided to ease up and not hurt myself during the race.  I am in much better shape a couple of days out of the race than I have been in the past. The only pain that I have now is in my right shoulder/back area. HS thought that I may have slept funny or something, but it is more than that. There is a definite pinched nerve feeling and overall soreness. I wracked my brain trying to think of what I could have possibly done during the race to cause this much discomfort. At first I thought that I may have just been too tense in my shoulders and then it dawned on me. ..this was the first year I ran with a water bottle.

I've done other races with a hand-held bottle and I do my longer training runs (when I'm not on the treadmill) with a hand-held. However, when I carry a water bottle, I always make a conscious effort to change hands every other mile. I only switched hands once or twice during CIM. For the majority of the race, that 20oz water bottle was planted firmly in my right hand. If I carry the bottle again, I am going to make sure I change hands.

Did I just use the word "again"?

Yes, yes, I did. And before you ask, yes, I am registered for the 2017 California International Marathon. I missed the $89 Re-Run special, but I was quick enough to get the $99 Re-Run 2 special. I've already let Ms. Karyn know that if she's leading the 3:58 group again that I will be running with the group. I think I will go back and look at my training data from my first CIM and maybe stick with something similar to that. 5th time has to be a charm :-)

See ya next year CIM

#endureandenjoy #pearlizumirun #run365 #CIM #marathon

Meh-rathon Training

I realize I haven’t posted much in the last couple of weeks. Honestly, marathon training isn’t much to write home or blog about.  All I seem to do is run! LOL There aren't any horror stories of six hour bike rides, saddle sores, black toe nails, freezing water temps, or crying. I might bitch about the distance of a run, but nothing is really so bad that it reduces me to tears.

After I completed IRONMAN Vineman, my focus switched to the California International Marathon and my fourth attempt at running a Boston Marathon qualifying time. My first attempt was my fastest to date and every attempt after that has seen the clock move further away from a BQ time. I am hoping to reverse that trend next month.

• Boston Qualifying time for 45-49 female = 3:55:00
• Boston Qualifying time for 50-54 female = 4:00:00

GOOD NEWS! The qualifying times are based upon each athlete's age on the date of the 2018 Boston Marathon (April 16, 2018). That means I have an extra 5 minutes to qualify cuz I'll be 50!

• CIM 2013: 8:58 / MI pace, 3:55:04 finish Race Report
• CIM 2014: 9:02 / MI pace, 3:57:06 finish Race Report
• CIM 2015: 9:03 / MI pace, 3:57:09 finish Race Report

Half way through my first CIM

I was actually excited to start my marathon training...that is until I realized the 18 week program (Hal Higdon's Advanced 1) that I picked out started two days after Vineman. I decided to take a few extra days off to recover and ended up starting my marathon training on Friday, August 5. My excitement started to wane after a few weeks. I missed my IRONMAN training! Thankfully, the runs were still short enough that I could do them in the mornings before work and still do a swim or bike workout in the afternoon.

Morning Runs

Since HS and I both start work at 6 am, I would get up at 4 am (or earlier) and then run around the block (.58 miles) as many times as I needed to meet my scheduled mileage. The nice thing about running around the block at 4 am is that all of the neighbors are still sleeping and are not witnesses to my craziness. The bad thing about running around the block at 4 am is that it is dark and there always seem to be a few shadowy figures out and about at that time of day. If you don't have a headlamp and a Garmin on, you must be up to no good. LOL

This is what "crazy" looks like at 3:50 am!

HS was not fond of my morning runs (too dark and dangerous for me to be outside). As a compromise, we ended up buying a treadmill for the house. I could still do my morning runs and he wouldn't have to worry about me.

Keeping Things Interesting

To keep my sanity during all of this running, I did manage to sneak in a couple of triathlons, a trail run, and a wine tasting/cycling event with friends. These events were a much needed mental and social break.

Tarantula Run - Half Marathon Trail Run

Amador Triathlon

As I mentioned, HS got me a treadmill. To most people, treadmills (and bike trainers) are not a means to "keeping things interesting". However, the treadmill we picked out has iFit. This allows you to program a running route anywhere in the world that appears on Google maps. My first programmed run was on the CIM course! The nice thing about iFit is that you see the Google street view of where you are running and the treadmill adjusts the incline based on the actual road. I run all over the world now :-)

I even do my hill repeats on my "crying hill". Crying hill? Yes. This is the name for the hill that usually seemed to make me cry during my 2015 Vineman brick workouts (maybe that's why I didn't run this hill during my 2016 Vineman training).

Final Thoughts

Well, as I've heard so many times before...

Can't wait for race day!

#endureandenjoy #run365 #CIM2016 #trilife

19th Annual Granite Bay Triathlon - Race Report

This race report is the tale of two sisters. I hemmed and hawed over whether or not to do this race two weeks following IRONMAN Vineman. I was afraid of getting a cramp during the swim or being too tired on the ride or run. Ultimately, because my club was doing the race, I decided to sign up. I figured I would do my best and just try to relax and have fun with my Central Valley Triathlon Club teammates.

My younger sister woke up on race morning and thought “Yeah, I think I’ll go do that race today.” Mind you, she hasn’t even been doing any kind of triathlon training except for riding her bike to work and maybe some running. I don’t think she has been swimming at all, unless you count going to Wake Island Waterpark. Obviously, she is the daring one in the family.

Pre-Race

I decided to start my day the same way I did before Vineman…avocado on toast with some coffee followed by chia fresca about an hour before race start. I got up before my alarm and fixed my breakfast and filled the bladder on my bike with ice water and a couple of Nuun tablets. Everything seemed ready to go, so I went back to my room to eat and watch TV. As I sat there eating, I couldn’t figure out why my breakfast tasted so weird. The only change I had made was to use an English muffin in lieu of sour dough bread.

I finished the muffin but decided I was still a little hungry, so I went back to the kitchen to toast another muffin. This time, I decided to just put strawberry jam on it because something must be up with the avocado. As I grabbed the package, I noticed a label on the right side that said “Oatmeal and Cinnamon Flavor”. Ugh! No wonder it tasted like crap! I grabbed the package because it said double protein or something like that, I didn’t see the flavor. Who make’s flavored English muffins? (You can tell I don’t buy these often LOL).

Swim

As my sister and I walked to the swim start, one of the race official let us know that there was a problem with the GPS when they set up the course, so they moved the start farther out. I swam over to the new start and my sis walked with her man on the shore. The start was delayed a few minutes but eventually the first wave of men took off.

Trisha’s man was in the next wave and she was a nervous wreck. She was worried that an injury her guy got at Wake Island was going to make it hard for him to swim. As the orange caps moved farther away from the shore, I told her not to worry because he was wearing a wetsuit and at the very least could float. She on the other had was not wearing a wetsuit.

Who is the crazy chick without a wet suit?

“Where is your wetsuit?” I asked her, quite perplexed because I could not imagine not having my neoprene safety blanket. “I couldn’t find it” was her answer. So, not only does she wake up and decide to do a triathlon she hadn’t trained for, but she was going to do the swim sans wetsuit! She is so much braver than I am! LOL

Finally it was our turn to line up. We opted for the second row because we didn’t want to get run over by faster swimmers. When the buzzer sounded, we dove in, and that was the last I saw of her until the bike course. I quickly found myself battling for position and having to fight my way through a group of swimmers. Eventually things calmed down and I found some open water. All in all, the swim felt good.

Crazy girl with no wetsuit done

Another swim done

T1

All I can say is that it is a long way from the water to transition. I heard different distances tossed about, but I think it was at least a 1/4 mile. The good news it that they covered up the larger rocks that usually dotted the beach with patches of sand.

Swim - Run - Bike - Run

Bike

As I headed out of T1, I could feel the fatigue in my legs. Although I felt relatively good after finishing IRONMAN Vineman just two weeks prior, once I started pedaling, I knew I wasn't 100%. The first loop went OK and I kept my eye out for my Central Valley Triathlon team mates. However, I was more concerned with seeing my sister and knowing that she got out of the lake OK (not that I doubted she would, I just wanted that peace of mind).

On the second loop, I was really starting to feel the fatigue in my legs, but I kept on pedaling. The course is fairly technical, so I just tried to ride the best I could and not crash. About half way into the second loop, I did a quick down-shift and dropped my chain. I slowed and tried to get the chain back on while moving. I was missing something during this process and ended up pulling over to manually put the chain back on.

I feel like I'm on safari

It seemed to take forever! +James passed me going the other direction and asked if I was able to get it back on, I muttered "No!" under my breath because the last thing I wanted James to do was mess up his own race. He has played the knight on shining armor on plenty of occasions to damsels in distress, I didn't want him doing that for me. Eventually I was able to pry the chain out and get it back where it needed to go. I was mad that it took so long, but I knew that there was nothing I could do about that now except to finish my race as planned.

As I neared the end of the bike, I finally saw my crazy sister (ok, that's it...that's her new nickname...MCS "My Crazy Sister"). So anyway, I see MCS and her man and they are riding side by side apparently having the time of their lives. Me on the other hand, I was pissed off about my chain and trying to coax and bit of energy out of my legs. Ugh! I waved and them and pedaled on towards transition.

T2

For some unknown reason, I unclipped my left foot first as I coasted to the dismount line. I'm not sure why I did this, but I quickly realized that I was off balance and had to really concentrate in order not to lean over to my right side as I would have normally done. Thankfully, I was able to dismount my bike without falling over.

Still upright!

Run

My goal for the run was to get through it with as little as walking as possible. I tried not to focus on other runners as they passed me and reminded myself to run my own race. Actually, for a trail run, it went fairly well. Only in some of the really steep sections did I end up walking. At about mile four the trail back in comes within yards of the trail headed out. I saw a woman on her way out (probably mile 2 for her), turn and start to head back to the finish ahead of me. Before fully merging on the trail to the finish line, she turned and spotted me. She quickly made a 180 and headed back out on the course. I was blown away that she could have actually been trying to cheat.

Done!

MCS finishing!

Post Race

The award process seemed to jump all over the place. I was fairly certain that my age group was going to be a while, so I collected my gear and loaded it into the truck. Eventually, they neared my age group and I knew that I had placed 2nd in my age group. I wandered over to the water jugs to get another drink because I was still feeling extremely thirsty. All of a sudden I hear MCS yell "Tracy!" I rush over to the podium thinking that she was calling me because I was missing my award. Nope, not it at all. She was calling me because she had placed 2nd in her age group!!! Way to go MCS!!!

"Who does No. 2 work for?" ~ Austin Powers

After everyone had collected their awards and packed up their stuff, we decided to grab some lunch in Folsom. As sat around eating and chatting, I mentioned that I was considering IRONMAN Cozumel in 2017 for my 50th b-day. MCS says "I'm there!" I asked "Will you race it with me?" MCS answered, "I'll do the half." I sadly informed her that there was no half at that time, only a full. "I'm not doing a full," she says, "but I'm there!" What can I say...I love my crazy sister. Maybe she'll wake up in Cozumel in 2017 and feel like racing!

#endureandenjoy #pearlizumitrichampion #tbfracing

Pressing Pause

Sorry, Coach, I pressed “pause” this weekend. I really didn’t intend to, but it’s what ended up happening. It started with me changing up my schedule to accommodate a massage that HS and I had scheduled for Sunday afternoon. I decided that I would do my long ride on Friday, my long run on Saturday and then on Sunday, I could sleep in a bit and still have plenty of time to get my swim in before church. Well, by the time Sunday rolled around, I was dead tired and decided not to swim.

Actually, I don’t think I was too tired to swim, but my attitude sucked. Probably due to the fact that I haven't been sleeping well. The dream I had in between alarms sort of sums up how I was feeling.

I was going to go swim and as I was driving to the pool, a car blocked the road. Actually, it really wasn't a road, it was more like the covered driveway area at Home Depot off of March Lane where you can drive up and load your vehicle. There was a small white truck parked across the driveway. As I stood there trying to figure out a way around the truck, more and more athletes that wanted to swim appeared behind me. Finally a frustrated police officer (or maybe it was a Home Depot employee) gave the go-ahead to rush the truck and push it out of the way. 

We attacked the truck and shoved it out of the way and then rushed to a small apartment building. The lucky people had an apartment there, other people knew people who were staying there. Everyone that could get in to the building did. I thought I was going to get in, but the apartment I was headed to was full of people I didn't know. I stood in the parking lot wondering what to do. 

It then dawned on me that I didn't need to go inside to change because I already had my suit on and I had my swim gear. At that point, I thought to myself "It's not worth it" and turned around and left.

Yikes! I hope this dream doesn't represent my sub-conscience feelings about Vineman...that I don't think it's worth it. I've come too far and put in too much time to feel so "meh" about this race.

Last year I was writing about "Super Girl"

Balancing Act

The funny thing is, physically I feel so much better than I did last year at this time. Other than a little fatigue in my legs, most days I feel great! Of course I equate this to not training hard enough. I notice Facebook posts about training sessions from other people…people that rode more miles than me or ran longer distances at faster paces. Self-doubt creeps in.

Seriously, I worry that because I can walk in the morning like a human and not Frankenstein; that I don’t have to warn the massage therapist to stay away from my Achilles tendons because they are sore to the touch; or that I currently have all 10 toe nails that I am not doing enough. I should be thrilled that I feel as good as I do. I really don't have time to do anymore than I'm doing!!! (Hmmm, on second thought, I don't think I'm doing enough LOL)

My mental condition is a different story. While my improved physical condition makes it much easier to smile throughout my training, I look around at the chaos in my home (not that I’m a neat freak) and think, I need to get this back under control when this is over. I’ve got weeds in the flower beds, a dirty car, dogs that need a trimming, laundry piled up in the spare bedroom, and a dining room that looks like a bike shop. And this is after my attempt to keep my life more balanced this year. Honestly, I really feel way more balanced in terms of HS, work, and life than I did the year before (I'm sure HS wouldn't necessarily agree...he's about had his fill of this crazy training lifestyle). Hang in there, Honey, it's almost over!!!

This balancing act is not always easy with my 9/80 work schedule. 9/80 means I work eight 9 hour days and one 8 hour day every two weeks with every other Friday off. This “off” Friday is usually when I try and catch up on house work and laundry. I even started swimming at the gym so I could get my swim workout done immediately after work instead of driving to and from Lodi. Since Wednesdays are my double workout days (swim and then a run) they became crockpot days so dinner would be ready as soon as I was finished. And while HS didn’t need to wait for me to eat, he always did and I am grateful for that. 

Saving Grace

One thing that snapped me out of my funk was having breakfast with my BFF and her hubby. It had been a while since the four of us had gotten together and there was a lot to catch up on. When the topic of Vineman came up, my BFF asked when I thought I was going to finish…meaning what time of day. I said I wasn’t sure because I didn’t know what the start time was. She remarked that since this was an official IRONMAN race, she was going to make a day trip to be there at the finish line to hear those words I have dreamed of for the last few years “Tracy Pengilly…You..are…an…IRONMAN!” She gets it! I had forgotten.

Because of her, I remembered why I’m doing this. Of course, when I think of all the time, training and expense, it seems like an awful lot just to hear 6 words…especially after I’ve already done this distance. I can’t explain it. All I know is that is what I want (and to improve my time from last year ha ha) and for the next 3 weeks, I am going to stay focused on this goal...housework be damned and maybe cooking too! LOL

World's Toughest Half - Race Report

Pity Party Preface

I left the house this morning with tears in my eyes...fighting back a full on make-up ruining cry.

Before getting in the shower I checked the results from the “World’s Toughest Half” and realized that I had come in 6^th out of eight people in my age group. It was my worst triathlon finish ever. I knew I didn’t make the podium during the race because I could hear the awards ceremony for my age group as I looped past the finish line headed out for the last 2+ miles of the run. At the time, I thought I finished 4^th because I was only passed by three women in my age group…two during the bike and one on the run.  Silly girl!

Anyway, I didn’t get emotional until I was headed out the door and I gave Hot Stuff a kiss goodbye. I felt bad because he was such a good sport about hanging around for nearly eight hours for me to finish. I started thinking about the excitement that my Central Valley Triathlon Club teammates had been sharing after finishing their races. I remembered my first triathlon finish in 2012 and longed to have that same joyful, “can’t wait to do this again” feeling. I wasn't feeling like doing any kind of race again. The tears started to well up.

As I drove away from the house I started thinking about the Pearl Izumi pact to “endure and enjoy” and the tears welled up even more.  I endured the race but I'm not sure I can say that I enjoyed the experience.

Missed the team picture :-(

Thankful

Regardless of how I was feeling this morning, I had an awful lot to be thankful for. Yes, the race was tough, but there were a lot of positives...

• Spent the night before the race with my dad and stepmom…so much better than staying in a hotel!
• Didn’t mess up the multi-sport function on my Garmin (although I did forget to pair my HR strap to it).
• Improved my bike time from two weeks ago
• Met a Pearl Izumi Tri Champions teammate
• Several of my Central Valley Triathlon teammates stuck around long enough to cheer for me coming in off the bike
• Vineman doesn’t seem so tough in comparison
• I have a better understanding of my limitations
• I did this on only a “mini” taper
• I made it through a hilly run without destroying at least one toenail (I owe that to my shoes!)

Ok, time to get down to the nitty gritty race details…

Pre-Race

"Ambador"

There was a mandatory meeting on Saturday, the day before the race, to go over all of the details…and there were a lot of them. When the race director started going over all of the turn by turn directions of the run, I was totally lost. I looked at HS and said “I hope it’s well marked!” It was :-)

Toenail savers!

Just like Vineman, this race has two separate transition areas and you get to set up T2 the day before the race.  I found a spot on an empty rack and set out my running gear. This is always a little unnerving. I’m always afraid someone will move my stuff or I will come in off the bike and my shoes will be gone or there will be a large spider hiding in my shoe. Luckily, none of this has ever happened.

After the meeting, HS wanted to go check out Knee Deep Brewery, so we made a stop before heading up to Foresthill.

HS hammin' it up for the camera

Race Day

I set my alarm for 4am and hit the snooze when it went off. The second time I heard the alarm I knew it was time to get going. I changed into my Pearl Izumi Triathlon Champions kit, so excited to be racing in it for the first time, and went to the kitchen to fix breakfast. I toasted a bagel and smeared half an avocado on it. I had intended to eat the full bagel, but nerves were getting to me and I couldn’t eat.

When we arrived at Rattlesnake Bar I racked my bike and started setting up my gear. Body markings were next on the agenda and I couldn’t remember how old I was. One lady asked what year I was born and I told her 1967…and added "in December". We agreed that I would be 49 at the end of the year and that is the number they marked on my calf. How did I get this old? And did I really just forget my age? Oh, my!!!

My teammates, who were riding their bikes from T2, showed up and started getting their gear set up. I slipped on my wetsuit and was then greeted by Angela, a Pearl Izumi teammate.

2016 Pearl Izumi Tri Champions

HS and I walked to the swim entry point. I asked him to remind me to get my flip flops on the exit and he gave me a good luck kiss.

Swim

This race has a deep water start. The only other time I’ve done a start like this was at the Oakland Triathlon. I swam out to the start and floated around trying to remain relaxed. A race volunteer on a SUP described the swim course as we waited and told us that as long as we followed someone in front of us, we wouldn’t get lost. The course was fairly straight forward…just one big rectangle and all we had to do was keep the buoys on our left.

The swim start was hectic and there was a lot of slapping and bumping. This is definitely my least favorite part of the race. I can tolerate the swim once I get my own space but I hate the fight for position in the very beginning. I tried to remain calm and just swim my race.

At one point I looked up to sight, about half way to the first turn, and was amazed at how many green caps were in front of me. My first thought was “Is everyone on a freakin’ swim team?” Was I really that slow or was everyone else swimming that much faster than me? I tried telling myself that some people may have gone out too fast and I would soon be catching them. As I neared the buoy, I started passing some green caps, some of which were men. This was good…just keep swimming my race.

After the second turn, the glare on the water made it difficult to see the next buoy. I came up to sight and looked for the orange triangle buoy that we needed to keep on our left. I got my bearings and kept swimming. Out of nowhere a red cap (Olympic Distance) crossed directly in front of me. Where in the heck is he going? I looked to sight again. To my horror, the buoy I had been using to sight was the first orange buoy for the out bound portion. The buoy I needed to be swimming towards was way over on my right! ARGHH!!! I changed course and followed the guy in the red cap.

I can see my right turn, but I have no idea where that zig zag
move came from...maybe that's why my time was slower :-)

The swim course was very nice and didn’t seem nearly as long as the last time I raced this distance. It was however, my slowest time at this distance. I told myself not to worry…that I could make it up on the bike.

Still my favorite part of the swim 

Bike

HS and I had rode this course two weeks ago so I would be familiar with it. It was hard. I knew what
I was facing during the race (except for the 2 mile out and back section) and I thought I was mentally prepared. Two weeks ago it took us 4:38 to cover the distance in a total elapsed time of 6:30. I wanted to beat my time and to not walk any of the hills. The first test came a few miles in at the Shirland Tract switchbacks. This is the first climb HS and I walked so I knew I had to make this climb to set the tone for the rest of the day.

Leaving T1

I made the climb even though a little voice in my heading was saying to “save your legs and walk”. Shut up stupid little voice…this is going to be a long day! In the prerace meeting I think they said there is 1,000 ft of climbing in the first 7 miles. As a flatlander, I had no real appreciation for this feat until I actually tried it. It’s tough!

When my Garmin chirped at mile ten I did a quick calculation of elapsed time…I had covered this first part of the course about 5-10 minutes quicker than two weeks ago. I was feeling pretty good about that. I headed out of Auburn knowing that there were 46 miles of mostly climbing in front of me and I felt ready for the challenge.  Several miles later I was passed by someone in my age group (yes, I always look at the age). She remarked that she liked the colors on my bike as she went past me on her tri bike. Ugh!

After reading the race info and doing the practice ride of the course, I had decided to ride Beauty, my road bike, instead of my tri bike. It seemed like a good decision on the climbs, but on every descent, the tri bikes pulled further and further away from me. There was nothing I could do about that at this point except stick to my plan which included being patient on the first 40 miles of the ride.

The next “walked hill” approached so I kept my head down and forced myself not to look at it. I could hear cow bells and cheering in the distance. This confirmed that this was another tough climb…nobody stands at the top of an easy hill cheering for people. The stupid little voice in my head was a little quieter. Maybe at this point, the voice figured I wasn’t going to listen anyway so why say anything. I crested the top and notched another small victory.

At this point, I’d like to point out that the volunteers at this event were great. There were a ton of them and they were all so friendly and they cheered for everyone. This type of staffing and attitude helps make an event!

The ride continued and before I knew it, I was past the halfway point and headed back towards transition. Well, sort of. There is an out and back section that takes you in the opposite direction for a couple of miles, all basically uphill. This is the part of the course that HS and I didn’t ride so I had no idea what to expect. I made the right turn onto the “out and back” section and started to climb (surprise, surprise). I down shifted and dropped my chain. Seriously!?!! Argh! I remained calm and got the chain back on in a relatively short amount of time. My only concern was having greasy hands and white bar tape :-)

A few minutes later I was passed by another woman in my age group. The time lost to my chain crossed my mind, but as she got into her aero tuck and shot down the hill, I knew the amount of time due to the chain was nothing compared to the speed she was going on her tri bike. I made a mental note that I was probably in third place at this point.

I came to the last hill that HS and I had walked up. If I could get past this hill, I will have met my challenge of not walking any hills. I’m pretty sure that this is the hill they said that Greg LeMond walked LOL. I was about 2/3 of the way up the hill, confident that I was going to make it. All of a sudden a muscle in my left leg (that had never been a problem before) made itself known. I’m not even sure what muscle it was…it sort of went from my crotch to back behind my knee and felt like someone was strumming it like a guitar. All I could think of was the inner thigh cramps that makes HS shoot out of bed and lurch around the bedroom like Frankenstein. Please, please, please…do not cramp right now. I kept pedaling.

Next thing I know, my right leg starts to get the same strange feeling. No! Not right now. Puh-leeeze!!! The feelings intensified and I knew something was not right. I have never felt anything like this. I made the decision, as hard as it was, to dismount and walk the remaining 30-40 yards up the hill until my legs stopped freaking out. Normally I would beat myself up for getting off the bike, but I knew it was the right thing to do.

Such a lonely ride without HS

The rest of the ride was uneventful. Overall I am very pleased with the effort. I drank plenty of fluids…roughly 3-1/2 bottles and ate nearly all of the food I packed for the ride (4 - Honey Stinger Waffles, ½ cup dried coconut strips). I also managed to take a serving of sport legs and not drop them all over the road.

Coming in to T2

Run

As I walked my bike into T2 I could hear someone yelling my name. I thought I recognized the voice. Julie? Was she really still here? I knew that James said he was going to stick around, but I was certain that everyone else would be gone by this point. To my delight, HS (he had no choice LOL), James, Julie and Jessica were all there to cheer for me. It felt so good to have their support…this race is pretty lonely compared to some races. I was so grateful to see their smiling faces. I lingered a bit longer in transition than I normally do. I even took time to change socks and pose for a picture LOL. I think I was just trying to avoid the inevitable.

I think I'll change socks

I left T2 for the run course…not knowing what to expect other than what I had read. The course starts off downhill on a single track trail. I am not a trail runner. Running downhill over rocks and roots and loose dirt really makes me nervous. So nervous, in fact, that I will often walk downhill because I’m afraid of tripping and falling. Today was no different. On top of my cautious nature, I was also unsure of my legs. They were really tired at this point and I had no idea if I would be able to stop myself if I picked up too much speed on a descent.

Headed out on the run.

I stopped at the first aid station, taking some water and Gatorade, and then willed myself to get moving again. The next part was a rolling (seemed like mostly climbing though) out and back section with an aid station at the turn around point. Halfway to the turn-around point I was passed by another woman in my age group. The chance of making the podium faded away as the woman ran up the hill away from me. At this point, the race became just another training day. All I wanted to do was finish.

One little loop to go

As I walked up a hill, I noticed that my head was throbbing. The last thing I needed was a headache. This didn't feel like a regular headache though. This felt more like the headaches I have had from overheating. How could this be happening? Yes it was sunny out, but the temps were only supposed to be around 75. I felt crappy and my legs did not want to cooperate.

At the next aid station a lady offered me a choice of drinks. Suspended between her hands, however, was a bag full of white pills.
“What are those?” I asked. She replied that they were salt tablets and to help myself. I popped one and washed it down with some coke.

I watched the miles tick slowly by on my Garmin. This was going to take FOREVER!!! Luckily, the trail was absolutely beautiful! There were places touched by fire that were eerily desolate yet amazing. Canyon overlooks. Lush shady areas with running water nearby. There was a portion that you had to run twice that took you along a flowing aqueduct that dared me to jump in and cool off (I didn’t take the dare). I would love to come back with HS and run this trail again…without the 56 mile warm-up :-)

Post-Race

After crossing the finish line and getting a kiss from HS, we headed into transition to get my bike. I took Beauty off the rack and attempted to push her out to the truck. The back wheel would not move. What the heck? Are the brakes rubbing? Maybe that's why I was so slow. I checked the rear brakes and there was plenty of clearance. I tried pushing her again and she still wouldn't roll.

At that point I was getting frustrated. I really just wanted to get back to the truck and head home. I lifted the rear of the bike and to my shock, the rear wheel jiggled around. Apparently the quick release lever had come undone. When did this happen? As HS secured the wheel he shot me a look like "What did you do?" Before the race, he made me promise that I would take it easy going down hill and not do anything crazy. I swear I didn't do anything crazy! Crazy is not my style!

Well...except for picking races...this race was a crazy!

________________________________

Now that I've had about a day to reflect on everything, I'm feeling much better mentally (physically I feel pretty beat up and I still have the headache). Writing the race report helps me keep everything in perspective and overall I'm pleased with my effort. I don't feel, given the circumstances, that I could have given more. I am also over the pity party...I'm even embarrassed to say that I had those feelings, but feelings are what they are and that is what I was feeling this morning.

I'm not sure that I would do this race again. I don't feel like I have anything to prove. Correction...I am 99.99% I would not do this race again! LOL I did it once and that is enough. Would I recommend it to other triathletes? Sure. Overall it was a well run, challenging event with great volunteers on a beautiful course. Who could ask for more?



#endureandenjoy #ride365 #run365 #pearlizumi #endureandenjoy365 #wth #auburntriathlon

Pearl Izumi Tri Champions Team

Last month I got the most exciting news...I had been accepted into the very first Pearl Izumi Tri Champions Team!!!

I had been anxiously waiting to find out if I had made the cut since I applied back in November 2015. Prior to that, I had no idea about any of Pearl Izumi's other teams (running and cycling)...I just really liked their gear. PI had great looking stuff that was comfortable and held up well...what more could you ask for?

When I got the invitation to apply, I stood at the kitchen counter and filled out the application and submitted it within an hour. I'm not sure why I was in such a hurry, but I was just so excited that I wanted to get it in Pearl Izumi's inbox right away.  It wasn't until after I clicked on submit that I realized you could save your application and work on it later...LOL.

The Gear

There were two reasons for wanting to join this team. First and foremost, as I mentioned above, I really like their gear. I have multi pairs of Pearl Izumi Sugar shorts, two pairs of riding pants, riding jerseys, socks, gloves, and my favorite...my tri kit, which I wore last year to most of my races.

2015 Tri for Real #1
(Yes, I like pink)

Vineman

I even made a Pearl Izumi buddy during Vineman... 

"Throughout the run I traded spots with a guy wearing a Pearl Izumi kit similar to mine (his was green and blue). We chatted a bit while "running" about how comfortable they were and how much we liked them. He ran past me in the last half mile yelling "Go Zumi! Run team Izumi!" I guess he was just as giddy as I was about finishing this thing :-)"  - 2015 Lineman race report

Oakland Triathlon Festival

Salmon Duathlon

I am also on my second pair of the Tri Fly V Carbon cycling shoes.

Unfortunate chia fresca incident turned this pair into a chia pet

My new pair...so pretty and CLEAN :-)

The Pact

I will endure.
I will enjoy.
I shall only partake in this
crazy sport I love, because I love it.
And I will quit when I quit loving it.
I am a representative of this sport....

Posted on my office wall

One of the questions on the team application asked if I had read and signed the Pact and what I thought was the most important line and why.  Here is my response...

"My favorite line is "I will encourage the beginner, the professional, and everyone in between." I think this is most important because everyone needs encouragement... from my coach to the newest member of our team. Since completing my first triathlon in 2012 I have strongly "encouraged" friends, family, and co-workers to give this crazy sport a try (most have said "yes"). I love seeing the face of someone that never thought they could complete a triathlon cross the finish line!"

I would have signed this pact regardless of if I was applying for the team or not and I continue to encourage people to give this crazy sport a try (Did I mention that Central Valley Triathlon Club has a Tri 101 class starting March 5?)

Want to sign the Pact? Follow this link...

http://thepact.pearlizumi.com

I Can't Wait!

I am looking forward to getting my Pearl Izumi team kits. I've seen the design and it looks awesome...similar to the Factory Team Cycling kit below. On top of that, I think its going to match my bike and my new running shoes...

My new shoes

Our tri kits are very similar to the factory team cycling kits

@PearlIzumiCycling #endureandenjoy #ride365

CIM 2015 - Race Report

I really thought that this year was going to be my year to qualify for Boston. It's not that I even think I want to go to Boston, I just want to qualify. Maybe this goal is stuck in my head because the first time I raced CIM in 2013, I missed a Boston qualifying time by a mere :04 seconds! ARGH!!

Maybe I started off too slow this year?

I went back again in 2014 after following a marathon training plan and sticking with the 3:55:00 pace group. That should work, right? Wrong! I added two minutes. I was so bummed. Part of my problem was (I thought) that all of the running I had been doing as part of my training finally took its toll and caused my calf to cramp with less than 5 miles to go. I had to walk it out and missed my goal. I was completely defeated as I watched the pace group run away from me.

For 2015 my plan was to stick to a more diverse training plan with more swimming and cycling. I was done with running 5-6 days a week. I also decided to splurge and get a hotel room at the Hyatt right across from the starting line.  I also convinced Lindsey and Max to come stay at the house with the dogs. This move should remove any race morning worries about driving from Stockton, finding parking, dropping the dogs off at the kennel, etc. I should arrive at the start line well rested and ready to go...NOT!

Day Before the Race

HS and I got to Sac a little after 1:00pm on Saturday. We parked at the hotel and headed to the convention center to pick up my race packet. There were no lines and I was done within 10 minutes. Since we couldn't check in until 3pm, we wandered around the expo for a while longer, I bought some of my favorite GU...Salted Watermelon and HS snapped a pick of me standing by a CIM sign. By then it was still only 2:30pm. We walked back to our car, grabbed our bags, went to see if we could check in a little early.

This sign had the shortest line

There was a line of runners at Registration but the clerks were efficient and it was our time before we new it. To our surprise, The #Hyatt had our room ready and allowed us to check in. The Hyatt also had a goodie bag for the runners, a bottle of water, a banana, some Nuun, and a pack of ear plugs LOL

Our room was very nice. I went through my bag and starting laying out the gear I would need in the morning. Once that was done, I double checked that my Garmin and my LifeBEAM hat (for tracking my HR) were synced. I then triple checked my alarm and flopped down on the bed. HS warned me about taking a nap and not being able to sleep later on, so I did a little channel surfing before we decided to go get dinner.

I had been craving ramen for over a week so we headed for a sushi restaurant that was just around the corner from the hotel. I ordered the House Ramen and was not disappointed. It was just what I wanted.

Carbo loading with House Ramen at Osaka Sushi

We were back in our room by 6pm and HS was asleep not too long after that. I, on the other hand, was not ready to sleep. I was preoccupied by the race and could not wind down (not even after some #MichaelDavid Inkblot Petit Verdot). I tossed and turned, hot and then cold. Comfortable then uncomfortable. Eventually I turned off the TV and tried willing myself to sleep. This was not good.

I think I finally fell asleep around 10:30pm. It's not bad, but it would have been nice to be asleep at my normal bedtime of 9:00pm. The alarm would start ringing before I knew it.

Pre-Race

My alarm sounded at 3:55am (I just realized that I set my alarm for my goal time LOL) and I wished I could just keep sleeping. I rolled out of bed, started some coffee and hopped in the shower (my hair was a sweaty mess that even my hat could not hide). I ate a Clif Bar and a banana and finished my coffee. I had been thinking about bringing some bagels, but didn't get around to picking some up. At 4:50am, HS and I walked down to the bus line. It was a little on the windy side and chilly. HS wanted to go get his jacket but didn't want to miss sending me off, so he endured the cold.

I love my number!

A couple of buses appeared from the opposite direction and I was lucky enough to get on the second one. As we headed east on Highway 50, the rain started to fall. I told myself that it looked worse than it was because it was a big flat bus windshield. The funny thing about riding the bus from the finish to the start is you get a very good idea of just how long 26.2 miles is! Even though this is my third time running CIM, I'm always humbled about how far it actually it is!

Once we arrived in Folsom, the bus driver took a couple of wrong turns, but eventually he got us to the start. I got off the bus immediately and headed to the port-a-potties. Once that was taken care of, I wandered around a bit, helped myself to some free GU Chomps and looked around if I could see anyone I knew. No luck.

Race!

Before I knew it, we were singing the national anthem and on our way. Immediately I noticed my HR was too high for my race plan...even though I had been trying to keep it at the right pace and we were running down hill. I didn't want to slow down anymore and prayed that I wasn't dooming my race before the first mile was even over. Eventually, my HR started to come down a bit and I got into my rhythm as we made our way up and down the rolling hills.

The race progressed as I had planned, and according to my Garmin, I was at the pace I wanted. I ate a GU about every 5 or so miles and was drinking at the aid stations. I was happy that I was able to grab the cups of Nuun or water offered and drink without slowing down much (I did get water up  my nose at one station LOL). However, at around mile 18, things started to change. I noticed that my quads were starting to ache. This was new for me because I usually don't even notice my quads until about a day after the race.

My legs felt like they were on fire, so I took another dose of Sport Legs (I had one prior to the race and again at mile 10). I also had some Aleve in my bag so I took one of those too. Unfortunately, this had no affect on how my legs felt and I only succeeded in upsetting my stomach. I told myself that if I slowed down to walk I would feel worse tomorrow about walking than I did at that moment. I hate looking back at a race and wishing I would have pushed more, endured more, or not given up. So I kept running. I told myself it was just a little pain and that I wasn't going to die from it.

The 3:55:00 pace group caught up with me at around mile 21 or 22. I tried to hang with them knowing that as they moved past me my goal time was also slipping away. As much as I tried to muster more energy, I just couldn't go any faster. My goal at that point became not walking and instead pushing until the end. I ran past the spot where I walked last year. Every step after that became a victory. Before I knew it I saw the 25 mile mark and I started to run with everything I had left. Looking at my Garmin data I was running around 8:20 pace down to 7:34 when I rounded the corner and saw the finish line.

Thanks for capturing this moment, HS!

Post Race

After I crossed the finish line I walked over to HS. All I could say was "I didn't make my time." That was it. No tears, no anger, just sort of matter of fact. I guess the fact that I gave it everything I had, that I had no regrets made it easy to accept that once again I missed a Boston Qualifying time. I really didn't think about this moment again until the next morning when HS remarked "I was really proud how you handled yourself yesterday."

I was floored. It meant so much to me to hear this, to know that it was remarkable enough for him to notice!! It was another victory for me. I had finally learned to handle defeat and to shrug it off. I was moving past that race and looking forward to my next challenge :-)

Of course, one of my next challenges is CIM 2016. As soon as I got the invite for the $89 re-run I signed up. HS even signed up too and so did my sister, Trisha; my teammates Dani and Nancy; and one of my co-workers!

Here's to 2016...BQ or no BQ :-)

#endureandenjoy