I hate writing the typical "race report". Mainly because by the time I get around to posting it, I have already shared the story with a ton of people and it seems like old news. Also because...well...sometimes race reports can be filled with the most banal minutia.
So here's my attempt at it - stickin' with the most interesting details.
I went into the race with a simple outline of how I would get it done. It looked something like this: negative split the swim, ride the bike well, let the run be whatever it will be and those people passing me? Screw 'em!
Yes, that was my race plan: swim, bike, run. I think the most strategy I put into this race was my nutrition plan and that wasn't very strategic either - just a lot of bottles filled with Nuun and CarboPro (thanks Cat and Molly for the tips).
But you know what? It worked! My strategy of "winging it" gave me a sub-6 hour finish and I felt like a million bucks by the time I crossed the finish line. This could be in part to the four Ibuprofen I took during the run (that's not doping, is it?) or it could be, GASP, that I followed my plan???
The race was great. Overall, RR and TB put on a good show and all the players were there - Chrissie Wellington, Pip Taylor, Luke Bell, James Cotter, Nina Kraft, Simon Lessing. My only complaint was parking - ugh! At least 1/2 a mile to 3/4 of a mile from where we parked to T2 - it was another 1/2 mile to T1.
Parking also made people late for the start. I had just enough time to put my bottles on my bike, air up someone else's tire (seriously, I looked down and thought, "when did I put Kysrium's on my Scott?" - I ride a Felt and the Kysriums are on my Blue), pump up my own tires and then they were herding us out of T1. Lucky for me, I pack light. People were still filing into T1 after the pros entered the water exactly at 6:30.
I was nervous about the race. Why? Oh yeah, I was wingin' it.
The swim went pretty well. It was packed but I found little gaps here and there. It's fun to swim past the people in the two waves ahead of you...until you have to swim past the people two waves ahead of you because this means that they are really slow and will get in your way. I made up a mantra that I repeated over and over and that got me in and out of the water in a jiffy - which was good because I was not loving the swim.
T1 was pretty uneventful. Even though I was at the back of transition from bike out, I chose to run out with my shoes on because there was a hill at the mount line. Good choice! Paul said there were so many wrecks at the bike mount because people weren't paying attention, couldn't get clipped in, etc.
The bike was...what it was. This is a tough course! Hills out and back - with the worst of them at the end. I swapped out my 11-23 for a 12-27 and STILL I was spinning up the worst hill at 6 mph and 56 rpms. People passing me left and right - BUT THE BIKE IS MY BEST SPORT! Ugh. Frustrating. When I rolled in to T2 I finally looked at my computer and my avg. speed was 18.1. Okay. Not what I was hoping for but it was over now so no use getting down about it.
T2 - I HAD TO PEE! I had to go so bad that it hurt!
The run was FUN! I was slow as molasses but I had fun! I finally just said to myself, "do whatever it takes to feel comfortable" and "just keep moving" and most importantly, and Cat I owe you one for this, "stay inside yourself - stay in control". Looking back now, this may have got me over the finish line in great shape, but I certainly did not leave it all out on the run course. I could have given it more...I could have gone faster...I could have hurt more.
In the end, it was still a fine day and a solid effort.
AND, most importantly, the SPARK is back. I am ready to train with focus and purpose. I'm changing the schedule up a little. I won't be doing Steelhead, instead I'll be sub-ing two shorter distance races to build up some speed.
Coach and I "talked" a bit yesterday. She is so wise. No, really. She can read me like a book. Just when I say, "so I was thinking such and such" she usually comes back with, "that's so funny because just this morning I was thinking such and such". LOVE HER! The change to the schedule has me fired up again - ready to feel the burn, the pain! OWN IT!
Geez...this RR ended up being a lot longer than I wanted. Sorry no photos. So here are some nice photos from the local paper from Sunday.
