Making Great sTRIdes

Making great sTRIdes

Chicago Tri 2009

Time: 3:01:11

Swim (0.9 miles): 34:25

T1: 5:34

Bike (24.9 miles): 1:25:49

T2: 2:59

Run (6.2miles): 52:22

I’m starting to learn I have an obsession with my times. I’m thinking as I work my way to an Ironman this will change, but I just love looking at the statistics. My avg mph on the bike was 17.7mph, the average pace on the run was 8:26/mile, however my watch said 8:21, and I want those 5 faster seconds per mile. When I started the run, I didn’t have a goal set, but as my story below unfolds as being wonderful, I started wanting under 3 hours, and when I started my run, by looking at the time, I thought I had a chance, and with 2 miles left, I thought I had to run slower than a 10minute/mile to not get under 3hours so I thought I was good to go. I finished thinking I finished at 2:57, only to look up my time and learn I finished 3:01. Now why in the world would I be upset about that time? It blows my original expectations, but the final expectations were different and I can think of a handful of things I could have done to give back 1 minute and 11 seconds.While I am going to try not to dwell on the list, of course, just a little, I will. Top three ‘time back‘ opportunities:1) The Swim: bumping into people and having to float to go at their pace, or go my pace then wait for them to get ahead a little bit.2) Transition 2: Really? Did I really have to take off wearing my helmet? Maybe 30seconds-1minute could have been gained if I didn’t do that and have to turn around and run back to my bike to put that back.3) The run: If I would have been clear on my exact time, I could have picked it up on those last 3 miles - I had the energy.So with that, I will next say, my math error was because I kept thinking I started at 9:40am, that’s what I saw when I looked at the sheet, but I must have moved my finger down to wave 52, because wave 51 (my wave) started at 9:36. There it is, with all the hype getting in the water, I didn’t pay attention to my actual start time.Now with a half page of my write up being my complaining about time and getting it out of my system, I do have to say, I had so much fun, and the conditions, by the time I started, were great. I wouldn’t trade my experience for different conditions and the 3 things above giving me time back. In worse conditions, I might just have gone well over 3hrs 1 minute.So now lets back up some, I am still real bad at getting out on my bike. I only got two 25 mile rides in, a 50 mile leisure ride and then a few 20s. It’s difficult getting out around here; I don’t like how crowded the path gets and don’t really have the time to make a full day out of a ride (eventually for the iron man I will, but for these distances, I don’t see making it work). On Friday, Maria taught me how to change my tire, though I didn’t actually do it, so I need to work on my bike repair expertise. Thank God I didn’t get a flat, otherwise I might have been out.The swim is the part I fear most. I don’t know why, I think because 2 of the 3 sprints, I always thought during the swim “why am I doing this?” Because of this fear, I have been pretty consistent all since Rachel J. and Alexis got in the pool with me in February, to swim 2 times a week. I’ve picked up my distances so since Waukeegan, I have been swimming .75 miles in the pool, and 1 mile in Lake Michigan. I had a real bad swim after a crazy week of travel for work and just before I was leaving for Eric and Lisa’s wedding. I was out at the half mile turn around in the lake when I had water in my goggles. I wanted to get the water out, so I tried to tread legs only, and use both hands to get the water out and unfog the goggles. With playing catch up of 5 workouts within 2 days, my legs were tired and cramped. At that point, I was swimming then with only my arms and trying to get to a point where I could touch bottom. The waves were a little choppy, and more boats than usual were in the area, so when I usually could touch with my head above water, I couldn’t. I think a lifeguard was keeping an eye on me which then really gets me worked up, I’m not an idiot out in the water (usually), I don’t need to be watched. The half mile back to shore was long, but I made it through. I guess I should have known if I could fight off those cramps, that’s probably as bad as it will get (unless waves are winter waves*).The weekend of the race, Laura Bice, Maria and Myself had a wonderful Pasta Dinner at Rose Angelis after the expo on Friday. We were hoping for it to start and end earlier than it did and I might have been yawning already at 10pm, but that’s because I wasn’t giving up my Saturday morning run. Why, you ask? Well, 1) Our group is real fun and it was a cutback week so I figured what’s 13 miles. 2) Pace leaders unofficially only get 4 misses in the 18 week program, I take that kind of seriously and I have 3 planned misses, so I like to have that extra 4th as a spare. I do have to say, that 13 mile run was probably one of our funnest runs, I was laughing so hard my legs were getting weak from all the laughter. If you were there, you know what I’m talking about (Joe…you missed it and you will never get it back, you will always be an outsider to our Dirty Flirty 30 product line, you just wait until our next ‘Can I get a whoo whoo‘).Saturday, after the 13 mile run, I took it easy. It was cold anyway so it was easy to not overdo it, and was asleep by 8pm(thanks to Greg, worlds best boyfriend, and Tylenol PM). My alarm went off at 4am, I finished up packing up my gear, and was downstairs waiting for Laura Bice by 4:40. Then there was the ride to the start. This is when I seriously started to get REAL nervous. Riding to the start, the path was being hit by winter waves. It’s August people! They came up and hit us, my socks were soaked. At this time with a 9:40am start…or actually 9:36...I was hoping 4 hours would allow it all to calm over. When we got to transition, I set up my bike, got my number written on me and met up with Veronica. (Where the swim was didn’t look so bad- no winter waves) Veronica and I decided, with over 3 hours before we started, we’d go home for a bit and try to sleep. So, we ended up back at my place and laid down for about an hour. I didn’t ever fall asleep but at least I was warm in my bed. I turned on the TV before we left to go back at 7:45am- and it was 55 degrees outside, and from my place, I could see the winter waves still crashing. Off we went. We stopped by the ACS tent, and as we walked there, we already saw people who were finished. Are you serious? Not Fair! We hung with the Emilys for awhile, and then we were on our way to the start. Veronica started 2 waves before me. She actually was great to be with because though this was also her first Olympic distance and she had her own fears, she was well contained and made my fears feel normal and alright. Veronica also had the determination I feared I lacked, to finish no matter what. Say: Tire pops, she said she’d run it home if she had to. I think if I couldn’t change my tire, I would have called it a day. Luckily, no tires popped for either of us.As I finally made it to the start of the swim, we jumped in the water and I got myself to the far left as I was told was a good area. A minute later the gun went off and we started. I made my way on the first quarter of amile, no problem. I didn’t have many feet in my face, it was great. Then we made the turn, and I couldn’t get out to the far right as suggested, and I thought, oh it hasn’t been bad at all so it should be fine. That’s when I started swimming, then waiting for people in front of me to move forward then swim to them again and wait. I tried my way around but that wasn’t working either. Then it opened with the last half mile to go. As I was going, I thought I heard someone calling my name. I thought, could that be Andrea? But I wasn’t sure and I just wanted to keep swimming because it felt good. If I had to get on my back then I’d look and see if it was her, otherwise I’d just pretend it was. I then started getting hit by the Green Cap guys- and they were upsetting me so I stopped for a minute and looked up, and there she was! We said hello and I went on my way. Overall, I never felt tired or thought “why am I doing this” on the swim.The time for the swim end was actually .9miles swim and then a quarter mile run to the transition area. I ran strong and saw Jen and Steve. In the transition area, I took my time getting my wet suit off, I was a little tired and wasn’t getting it off in a graceful manner. Also, putting on my dry clothes on my wet body was also a bit of a challenge, but soon enough I was off on the bike. As I went north on LSD, the wind felt harsh. But I felt good so I just pushed through it and was looking forward to the turn. Once we turned and headed south, I got my bike up to 26mph and my average south was probably about 21mph, and it felt good. One thing different from the bike path and LSD is there are many mini hills over the off ramps/roads. Going back north again, I slowed my pace. Some hills came at 11mph and I was just taking my time. I laughed with some people about the wind and the hills. We all were excited for the 2nd turn around. As I neared the finish, a girl caught up to me and said she was using me as her pacer and complimented my pace. That’s always nice! As I dismounted my bike, to older biker-men actually crashed. Hmmm… So the next transition, I left my helmet on as mentioned earlier. Before I left my bike area I thought “what am I missing?” It wasn’t until running I realized it wasn’t something I was missing but something I didn’t need to be wearing. But I wasn’t far from my bike so I went back and took it off. At the Transition area, Kathleen, Connie and Rachel (and Clarissa and anyone else?) were cheering me on. Just as I started to run, I saw Steve, Jen and Andrea. Then I saw Greg, and then I saw JP who ran with me for a minute. My first mile was under 8 minutes. I didn’t feel as if it were that fast it just felt natural, and I let the rest of the miles all feel natural. Laura was nearing her last .2 miles as I saw her and we said hello. I just kept my legs moving and had moments of feeling tired, but not too bad. As I hit mile 4 and turned around, I saw Amanda running. I didn’t think I’d see her, but we said hello and I continued. With 2 miles to go, there was a that I noticed we were keeping together so I figured I’d make sure I just kept with her and I did. However, I did want to stop as my shoelace was extremely lose and I was waiting for it to come completely undone. But, I just tried to ignore it The last .2 miles is a slight up hill to the finish. Of course that’s the time you just can’t stop. I saw Rachel A. and Clarissa first, then Kathleen and Connie, and then Steve, Jen and Andrea and then Greg (I think that’s all I saw if I missed you please let me know, it all happens so fast I don’t mean to leave you out!) . As I said, when I crossed the finish, I thought I had finished in under 3 hours, and I was ecstatic. I’ll learn to live with that 1minute and 11 seconds. I did feel like I could keep going, and am 100% ready for the half-iron man. Now you ask about the iron man timeline, here is what I’ve decided. Since I’m still so scared ish-less about these things (compared to running), I will take it by chance. Nov 1st is the Ironman Florida date. I’m going to try to get in without making an appearance down in Florida that weekend because it’s really only one of 3 that I have nothing going on in 3 months. If I can get in from an online entry, then I’ll be doing Ironman 2010, if not, I will rethink Madison for 2011.And what’s with the title? I feel like this spring/summer I’ve accomplished a lot with my triathlons. Though only a fraction of the iron man distance, I was not a biker or swimmer before this year. My sprints have improved and really, if you take half the time of my Olympic time, it’s 1hr 30min and some odd seconds, which is better than any of my other 3 sprint times, so I’ve come a long way, making great sTRIdes.*Winter Waves: All unconditional Chicago Runners know what I’m talking about. You know in the winter when you go for a run, and the lake is frigid and wild and the waves crash into the shore and splash up on the running path? You run faster or slower in hopes not to get hit, usually just happens around Oak Street and Fullerton, but this past winter they were so bad they happened just south of North Ave and then froze over and the path was 100% closed: As in blocked off and guarded by a person who stopped anyone who tried to pass the blockades.