Classic Rock 2011 Race Report

Results:
300 M swim 8:20, Pace 2:47
T1= 1:09
20K Bike 44:21, Pace 17.0 mph
T2:1:25
5K Run 26:38 Pace 8:44
Chip Time: 1:21:55 Ovearall 122, AG 6

Race Prep : The night before the race as I was packing my gear, I decided I wanted to change one of the fields on my Garmin, but I couldn't get it to turn on. Lucky for me, my husband has had the same problem with his Garmin and knew how to reset it.  I am so glad I tried to turn it on the night before, I would have been pretty frustrated if it had happened race morning. Lesson for next race: Always check the Garmin the night before to make sure it's functioning.  After it was reset, I plugged it in and let it charge.  It was the first thing I checked after my 4:30 am wake up.  Then I had my usual cup of coffee, braided my hair and suited up. I attempted to choke down breakfast, and was able to eat about half of a banana, and 1/4 of a whole wheat bagel with peanut butter. I always have a hard time eating race morning, but I think the ZBar I ate for the Kemah race was a little easier than the bagel.  Or perhaps I should just drink some HEED to get a few early morning calories.  I didn't start to feel hungry until after I had set up transition, so I grabbed a  few Power Bar gel caps out of my Fuelbox.
Pre-Race: After I set up my tranisition area, I took my bag over to the Tri4Him tent for after the race. As soon as the pre race meeting started, I regretted having left my warm sweatshirt and pants in the tent.   Somehow I forgot my usual rule of keeping a throwaway jacket with me for warmth. So I shivered while I  listened to the usual Jack pre race barking of orders, my favorite this time was when he reminded us that this was "a race, not a tour". Kevin led our usual Tri4Him pre-race prayer and we headed towards the pool.
Swim:  I had decided against a pre race warm up in the pool because I wanted to avoid standing around being wet and cold before the race.  As soon as I hit the water, I regretted not having warmed up. The entire swim felt slow, and I could tell I wasn't going to hit my goal pace. I could also see the clock every time I took a breath and knew that more than 6 minutes had gone by before I hit the last 100 M.   I only got passed by 2 people, and felt like I had more space between swimmers than in August.   So I did seed myself correctly. I need more practice in the 50M lane set up before the August race. I'm used to being able to push off the wall every 25 yards, and remember starting to feel a little tired after the first 200 M.  I also didn't push off the wall when I jumped in which would have propelled me a little farther at the start.  I had been able to swim 300 yards in 6:40 last week at the Y. 300 M is the equivalent of 328 yards, so I should have expected my swim time to be a little slower.  ( Not 8 minutes slow, but slower than 6:40 ) Getting out of the pool was tough, basically we had to be fished out by a volunteer.  One thing I was happy about was  that they changed up the bike and run start, which meant we didn't have to run down a flight of stairs to leave the pool. And there was a carpet which was easier to run on, and less slippery than the mats from last year.  According to my Timex, I swam 300 M in 8 minutes, and took 20 seconds to run to the mat where transition timining started.  .
T1: 44 seconds better than last year, probably because I didn't have to run gingerly down a flight a stairs, and I was acutally closer to my bike rack coming out of the water.
Bike: The first few miles were COLD. I'm saying this because I don't remember being cold on the bike at the Toyota Open, and I thought the temperature was about the same. The difference here was the north wind, which the weather forecast had promised would only be about 10 mph, but out on the course it felt a bit stronger. It also contributed to a slower first half.  My number blew off my bike again, and I spent a little time worrying about whether that would cause a penalty.  I was feeling pretty discouraged by the time I hit the turnaround because my average speed was so slow, and I was in a funk about my slow swim time.  But the wind was and advantage on the second half. I keep watching my average speed slowly increase, even though this part of the course has a few more inclines, and is usually the slower half for me. I passed quite a few people, and my good spirits returned.  I saw my speed edge back toward my Tri-Rock pace, then I sped up to my Toyota Open pace, and finally hit my  goal pace of 17.0 mph.   I hit transition feeling a lot more confident than when I left.
T2: 25 seconds slower than Tri-Rock, but this time I had to change into my bike shoes. Also had a little difficulty getting my Garmin off the bike.  Might try popping it off before I hit transition next time.   Also think I could save time by leaving my shoes clipped in the pedals and slipping my feet out as I slow down before I dismount.  That will take some practice.
Run: My legs felt heavy, and I was breathing hard.  For this course, I don't think I could have run any faster. Sometimes when I'm racing, I get a little devil on my shoulder telling me " it's ok, you can slow down. It will feel so much better to run slower."   He showed up just before I finished mile 1, but once I heard my Garmin beep and knew the first mile was over, I was able to push through and speed up.   The last 3/4 mile was the hardest for me, but I had expected it and was able to keeping pushing  through the pain until I saw the finish line. I waved and smiled at my family and crossed the finish line feeling content.
Post-Race: Changed out of my soggy clothes into nice dry warm clothes, and wished for even more layers. From now on I will always include a dry change of clothes for after the race. It sure beats sitting around being damp and sweaty while waiting for the awards to be handed out. And we had plenty of reasons to stick around, since several of our Tri4Him teammates got awards.
Post-Race Celebration:  Fajita cookout at our house with our teammates and their families. We had a great time, and hope to do this again more often. It was an awesome way to top off an awesome race.
What's next: Metroplex Sprint tri, June 12.  I'm going to continue my training plan, now the I've adjusted it to the correct level. I'll be focusing on improvement on the bike, and open water swimming. I've got a blister on my left foot, and one of my right toes is bruised so I'll probably take it easy for a few days while those heal. Next race I'll put body glide on my feet before I swim, and I may look into replacing racing shoes for running.  My old workout bag had to be retired, so I'm looking to replace it  with a back pack.  But first and foremost, I'm going to get a massage....

Goals vs. Expectations for Classic Rock

I have been working toward achieving certain goals for Sunday's race. Based on my training times and the course, my expectation is that I won't achieve those goals.  However, I'm not going to lower my goal just to be able to say I hit my goal on race day. I'm still going in with my same goals, still trying to achieve them, even though it's likely I won't.  The course for Kemah was a faster course than Classic Rock, both for the run and the bike it was flat. But the second half of the Classic Rock bike course is full of inclines and a constant headwind. The last 3/4 mile of the run is a long, slow incline as well.  I haven't hit very fast times in training on either of the courses.  The only place I expect to hit my goal is in the pool.
Goals for Classic Rock:
Swim: 6:40
Run: Pace 8:45,27 min
Bike Pace: 17 mph, 42 min         
Add transition times and my goal time to finish the entire race is under 1 hour and 20 minutes. My last race on this course is 1 hour 24 minutes.                                                                

The obligatory female athelete sports bra blog post

Last week, I purchased 2 new sports bras. One turned out to be the best I have ever worn, and the other turned out to the be absolute worst.

The Worst:
Champion Double Dry Distance Sports Bra 6209. Retail price $42.00.
Here is what Kohls.com says about this bra:
"Designed to go the distance. This sports bra features a soft, two-ply fabric where the inner layer lifts sweat away from the skin while the outer layer evaporates moisture quickly, so you stay cool, dry, comfortable. And a high motion control rating that makes it perfect for high-impact activities like basketball, running or aerobics. With cushioned underwire, molded cups, stabilized straps and side and undercup panels to provide extra support. V-back with a hidden, adjustable closure. Plus, just enough stretch for a flexible fit. And it's tagless, so your skin is never irritated! A workout wonder."

My thoughts: The only distance I could go in this bra was 1/2 a mile, and I had to hold my hands over my chest to keep from bouncing. It was truly so painful I couldn't complete my run. The only time it was comfortable to wear was when I was standing still.  I don't know who hands out the high motion control rating, but they need a review of what motion control actually means. It seemed more like motion out of control. I wonder what kind of workout could actually be done while wearing this.

The Best:



Champion Compression Vented Sports Bra. Retail price $30.00
What  Kohls.com com says about this bra:
"You'll be ready for anything in this Champion sports bra.

Compression design promises motion reduction for comfortable wear.
Stretchy nylon blend with inner mesh lining offers support and breathability.
Mesh-paneled back includes a keyhole opening, allowing for enhanced ventilation.
Fabric-covered elastic band provides a stay-put fit.
Racerback styling evenly distributes weight across your back. "

My thoughts: This one should be advertised as maximum motion control.  It fits like a glove, feels comfortable, doesn't chafe and keeps everthing in place. It is so far the most perfect sports bra I have found. And I feel like the price is vey reasonable for a good sports bra.  Espcially since you can always find a good sale or discount at Kohls. I intend to purchase a few more to wear for training and racing. 

Overtrained

For the last few weeks I have been pretty fatigued. Exhausted at the of the day, I've tried going to bed earlier and still been bleary eyed in the morning.  Saturday and Sunday came and went, and I didn't make time for my workouts. My motivation was slipping. Monday I woke up with a sore throat and felt achy all over.  It got progressively worse, and by the end of the day I was sitting in the doctor's office getting a prescription for an antibiotic. I was in bed by 5 pm. I attempted to go to work the next morning, and felt so miserable I went home at lunch. And slept. And realized that getting sick was my body's way of telling me it needed a rest. I was training too hard, and my body couldn't keep up.
      I've been focused on training hard for my next race, because it's my first "A" race of the season.  It's in my hometown,so every run and bike ride have been on the race course, sometimes looping it twice. I've been pushing myself hard, hoping to see faster speeds. But I've been frustrated by what felt like lack of improvement.  I have overtrained myself.   Too much training, too much intensity and not enough rest. My immunity was weakend and I got sick. Which allowed me the rest I needed.  And so, a week before my race I have backed down my training. My workouts will be shorter and less intense. And hopefully I can give myself enough rest before race day to perform at my "A" level. And if not ? I have all season to train for another "A" race. Without Overtraining.

Grumpy

I haven't been the easiest person to be around these days. I've been grumpy, grouchy, crabby, irritable and stressed.  Studying for my PE certification, increasing my training, and the dreaded and feared TAKS testing at school were all contributing factors.  The weather has been less than cooperative, as I've had to battle the wind, ride the trainer when it's raining, or miss workouts all together.   Tuesday brought storms and tornado watches, so I missed my run and swim.  I've been trying to adjust the rest of my schedule this week to catch up.  Yesterday after my swim, I raced home to get in a ride before picking up the kids.  But when I went to air up my front tire, it deflated instead.  I couldn't reinflate it with either of the two pumps that were in the garage. Defeated, I broke down in tears. Then I took a shower, and picked up my kids.  Instead of spending an hour on the bike, I spent that hour playing with the kids and cooking their favorite meal, breakfast for dinner.  When my husband came home, he helped me change the tire and told me I had a faulty valve in the tube.  As he was giving my tire changing lesson, I realized that I would much rather have had a flat yesterday than two weeks later on race day.   Sometimes things don't go the way I want, but when I take a step back and look at the situation, it becomes clear that, on occasion, there is better plan outlined for me. God's showing me again, that it's not my plan that's the important one. It's his. My kids needed my extra attention yesterday, and I needed a break from training, and stressing.  And if I don't make up yesterday's ride. So be it. I'll let it go.   Without being grumpy.

Training Notes

Just a few notes on how the new training is going.
1. The cadence meter is a very vaulable tool. It makes it much simpler for me to know when to shift gears.
2. Threshold run training is tough. I have a hard time keeping my pace slower on the warm up because I'm so used to starting out fast.  It takes some discipline to keep myself running a little slower.  The actual threshold part of the run was tougher than I expected.  I have no trouble keeping myself to a slower pace during the cool down.  The weather is getting warmer, and I'm not looking forward to conditioning myself to run in the heat.  It's harder to run fast when it's hot outside.
3. I need to wear my HR monitor, and use the data to evaluate my training and fitness. I have a fear that working out at a lower HR will give me slower run and bike paces, and so I haven't been utilizing the HR monitor.  
4. If I can swim 10x100 at race pace, then I can  swim 1500 in a race. 

Classic Rock Training

Last week I took a very productive break from training. Here's what I accomplished:
1. Evaluated my training plan and chose a new one.  I had been using training plans from beginnertriathlete.com, which I think were perfect for me when I was starting out.  Now I have moved beyond the "getting to know racing" phase, I have specific areas I want to improve, and that's not likely to happen with those plans. They give a good outline for the amount of time that should be spent training each day for the the 3 sports, but I need a plan that is more specific than "run 22 minutes or bike 47 minutes".  I chose a training plan from this book:

The workouts are more specific about what I should be doing during my 32 minutes of running or 55 minutes of cycling, and I'll be spending much more time on my bike.I'll still be going to Master's at the Y for my swim workouts. 
2.Upgraded some equipment. Bought a new strap for the Garmin, and added a cadence meter to my bike. We also started a home gym project in the garage.
3.Cleaned up my nutrition.  I've been pretty lax about good nutrition, and it's time to give this area some  attention. My goal here is to drop some weight, while still getting some valuable "fuel" for my workouts. I'm keeping a food log, tracking my calories, and adding more variety to my diet. I'm focusing more on whole grains, lean meats, steamed veggies, nuts and  fruit.  I'm cutting out highly processed foods, processed sugars, and white flour. 
4. Set my goals for Classic Rock. My main focus for this race is improvement on the bike. The new training plan, cadence meter and better nutrition will get me there.