Short-n-sweet race report: Well I definitely wanted to race faster last weekend! There are a couple key things I'd change if I could do it over, and the rest is just part of the getting-race-fit process that will improve as I continue to up the intensity in training. Read more to get the detailed scoop, or skip down to the pics to get some of the Maine moments of the weekend. (Haha, yes pun intended.) :)
Reality/Reflection:
- This race was my first Olympic distance triathlon since last September. Most athletes are close to peaking at this point in the season, but my body is still going through the shock of getting race fit. It's a process.
- I haven't been training with intensity very long, & that's something ya can't win without.
- Finished w/o any injuries; gained a lot of experience; was in the mix (although I was sort of the clump that didn't really mix in well - ha)
- For the 1.5 weeks before the race, I was sick, so my training leading up to the race was sleeping 12+ hours & sitting in the sauna 20 mins. Not ideal but at least I was healthy by race morning.
The Bad & Ugly:
- I have come to realize that full wetsuit swims are (for me) synonymous to Gollum's statement "We hates them!" I came out of the water 17th out of 19. And swimming is my strength! Yikes! Swimming in a full wetsuit makes me feel like I'm slow-motion, spinning my arms in molasses. I have a long torso, long stroke, & broad shoulders. I feel like there are bungee cords attached to my arms when I wear a wetsuit. Maybe sleeveless is a better option for me - as long as I keep my core warm, I can also keep my own swim stroke.
- *T1* was not my friend. I've read that some athletes said it was 800m from the swim exit to get to our bikes, others said 400m. I have zero fat on the bottom of my feet (genetic), so my nerves are separated from the pavement by a layer of skin. Ouch. If I do this race next year I'll put shoes by the swim exit to protect my feet. The bottoms of my feet are still bruised.
- My bike watt avg was ~45w below what should've been reasonable for me. Double yikes. The run was survival. Perhaps the bike & run were sub-par because too much life was sucked out of me from the swim & T1.
- TSA inspected my bike box and then crammed everything back in there. As a result, my wheel and shifting on the bike arrived with problems. Even the bike support at the race tried to help but sort of made it worse, but Alex Poon w/ Rev3 helped me out a lot! Thanks :) To avoid those atrocities on the way home, I Fedex'd the "precious" back (keeping the theme LOTR)...and it was cheaper than Delta's ridiculous $150 fee for checking a bike.
The Good:
- Race course (*minus T1*)
- Rev3 staff acts like they'd put on races for fun w/o pay - great atmosphere
- Beach start & open water swimming
- Volunteers - thanks!
- Waves Oceanfront Resort = ideal
- Ocean - salt water - beach - air quality - sunsets: nice!
- Food: blueberries, grilled haddock sandwich, lobster
- Stephen was so much fun to be with and so helpful & encouraging :)
- Showing up at the start line healthy is a huge blessing - so thankful to have the opportunity to compete & use the gifts/talent the Lord has given me. After several injuries, a surgery & a procedure, I also know it's a true gift to be able to work hard!
All in all, there's more good than bad. And the bad will be
remedied! As a competitor, it's just not fun to race when I'm not quite
race fit (& then added mistakes to the day). I mean, that's pretty
obvious, right? ...whatever we do in life, it's way more fun to be
excellent and if it's a competition, winning is the goal! But it's also
important to maintain true perspective on reality & manage expectations.
On
a personal level, I'm confident that this earthly kingdom is not
eternal, there is more, and no matter what happens in my *mist* of a
life here, my story has the best, most happy ending beyond anything I
can imagine with Jesus my Lord!
I am so very thankful
for all the support I've been given from Pilot Flying J, Provision
Performance Lab, HUB Endurance Multisport Shop, & Retirement
Planning Services. It's truly fun to represent these companies &
know people who work there who are top-notch! At the Rev3 race, I was
wearing a Team Pilot shirt one day. A lady (Jean) approached me as I was
waiting on my bike to be fixed...She said, "Is there a Pilot booth? I
love Pilots! We always stop there - we've travelled all over the US,
even Alaska with our family...love their coffee! Please tell them hi
& pass it on!" I feel like that scenario could happen with all 4
companies that support me. Thankyouthankyouthankyou.
Here are a few pictures from the weekend...Cheers!
bethany
bethany
 |
| building bike... |
 |
| moment before I turned around and put on my wetsuit for a warmup swim |
 |
| Stephen had a Lady Vol swim cap sighting in the Atlantic on Friday ;) |
 |
| Sunrise race morn! |
 |
| Off to do a pre-race warm-up |
 |
| Jogging to the start line... |
 |
| Right before the horn... |
 |
| I look like I came from the life-sucking machine in The Princess Bride |
 |
| time to ride |
 |
| about to dismount into T2 |
 |
| a few more steps to the finish line...(clearly a good thing!) |
