Oilman 70.3 Race report

After having raced only short-course races during the beginning half of the 2015 season, I decided sometime during the summer that I was ready to tackle another 70.3 for my end-of-the-season race. I picked Oilman because it had been a couple years since I had done it and I really, really liked the venue. Halloween weekend came and Brian and I packed up the car and headed to Conroe to stay at the race host hotel, La Torretta Resort and Spa. Even if you don't want to race, this place is super nice to stay and I would highly recommend a visit here.

I was excited for many reasons going into this race:  to see where my fitness was; meeting some new Smash teamies (Jenny, Gemma, and Veronica) who were going to be at the race; and meeting up with A-team Part Deux (Karen and Anthony), who were both also racing.

Photo shoot for Chloe & her racing shoes:)

We got to Conroe early, picked up all the race stuff, did a quick scouting of the new swim and run courses, met up with Karen and Anthony for a quick dinner, and then it was back to the hotel room to get up off the feet and relax.

Me and Super Gemma!

Race morning came and it was a bit chilly and the clouds looked ominous. I was hoping that they would blow over the night before but no such luck. Looked like it might be a little wet for the bike ride. At transition that morning I got to meet Jenny, Gemma, and Veronica and we chatted for a bit looking fabulous in our Smash kits. :) Setting up my bike and gear in transition I was very unsure of what I would wear for the bike. I was worried about being cold on the bike and I was running around asking people what they were going to wear on the bike and left with somewhat of a plan for what to wear.

For once, I was the first wave to start so I was super nervous about being late but I got down to the start line with plenty of time to get in position and "visualize" my race one last time.

Overall, I am so extremely satisfied with my race. After DNF'ing at Austin last year, it was so nice to come out and push hard at a 70.3 event and still have an amazing time doing it. My swim wasn't where I wanted it to be, but I couldn't ask for a better bike or run. I felt like I was getting pushed around on the swim and had to correct myself a few times to stay on track. Not my best swim, but not my worst either. I opted to just wear by tri kit on the bike and I think that was the best choice. It was a little chilly when the rain started coming down on us on the bike but when it stopped the weather was perfect. There was a slight headwind on the way out but I thought I stayed in a pretty good mental state and stayed safe on the course, avoiding slick white lines. At the turn around the sun peeked out and the roads were drying up and I had a tailwind blow me back in. I would have loved to have gone sub 3 hrs on the bike but maybe that's what saved my legs for the run.

My face when I saw Aixa!

The best surprise was when I pulled into T2 and saw Aixa on the sidelines cheering me on! The original A-team had made the trip to Conroe to cheer us all on!!! That was such a super nice surprise!

I started my run and was able to keep a nice clip right off the bat. It was amazing to feel so fresh after biking 56 miles. As the miles kept ticking off in the 8's I began to get excited that this was the race where I would finally crack the 2 hr half marathon time in a triathlon. I tried not to get too excited but also kept pushing the pace hoping I wouldn't implode. The course was three loops and wound in and out and around the golf course. It was mainly flat but there were some sections where the camber of the trail was so tilted that it made it hard to run. The support on the course was great and I got to see Brian and Aixa multiple times during the run. I fought hard the last 2-3 miles to not let my pace drop off too much and I crossed the finish line completely exhausted but extremely happy with my effort.

DONE!!! Almost a 1 min PR!

Happy finishers!

Swim - 43:41
T1 -2:37
Bike - 3:00:39
T2 - 1:44
Run - 1:57:12
Total - 5:45:54

Kerrville Olympic Tri

I constantly find myself falling behind on this "blog" thing but I really like sharing my stories, so if you don't mind reading about my adventures a few months after they have happened, I'm going to keep sharing. It allows me relieve all the moments again (good and bad) and I enjoy looking back on the experience and seeing if my feelings have changed since the race took place.

The Kerrville Tri is one of my favorite races and I've done it every year since it began (hint, hint - I need like a free race registration or something). One thing I did learn after last years race is that I definitely ENJOY the Olympic distance race at this venue over the half-ironman distance race. I've done the half three times and the Olympic twice and I definitely have more fun doing the Olympic.

I went into this years race with some high goals. I really, really, really wanted to place. I've been so close before and I felt like my training going into this race was strong and I was feeling good so I wanted to leave it all out there. As the race started, I felt great from the get go. I completed the swim, bike, and run without a hitch and I was very happy with my overall performance and my final time. Since it was a time-trial start I had no idea who was ahead or behind me and I kept checking my place on the computer to see if anyone who started behind me overtook me. I have to give a huge shout-out to the girl who won my AG because she ended up being the overall winner and that bumped me up into 3rd in my AG!! FINALLY - I placed in a super competitive Kerrville race!!!

Swim:  21:58 - still need to get faster in open water
T1:  2:45
Bike:  1:26:32 (20.1 mph)
T2:  2:40
Run:  54:36 (8.32 min/mi)
Total:  2:48:33

I was so super happy to be able to run that fast after having a very strong for me bike leg. I PR'd my Olympic distance time by 7 mins and got a podium finish! Great day indeed!

I loved the new 1-loop run course!

Podium!

Lululemon SeaWheeze 13.1 Vancouver/Whister adventures

So my big and most exciting trip this year was traveling to Vancouver to run in the Lululemon SeaWheeze Half Marathon. Registration was an experience all in itself, as it sells out fairly quickly. Me, Brian and our friends Aixa, Allen, Herb, and Cheri were lucky enough to all get into the race! 

Vancouver from our hotel room

Fast forward to August 2015 and we were off to Vancouver! I've never been there before and I had such a fun time exploring the  city and going to Whistler for a day trip. I would highly  recommend visiting these two cities to anyone who has ever  thought about going. There is so much to do and see. I definitely  plan to go back and do more exploring there. Apparently they  were having a heatwave with their temps of 80 degrees. We    laughed at all the locals and said that we would take their  heatwave any day!

Exploring Whistler

Zip lining Whistler!

After about 2 hours of waiting
we finally made it into the
convention center - to wait
some more!

Friday morning came and Cheri, Aixa, and I got to experience the 

madness of the Lululemon expo. Ironman expo lines have nothing on this. I guess with 10,000 runners the lines are going to be longer, and the girls there definitely had a plan to make sure they got the gear they wanted. If I do this race again, I most likely will be skipping this part of the experience. Not that I'm not happy with the gear I did pick up, but there was a lot of standing the day before the race and we had to miss the yoga that was being held because we were hungry and tired and didn't care about yoga at that time.

Ready to run!

Race morning came and, just in time, so did a cool front. We woke up to cloudy skies and breezy weather. We grabbed a taxi for a quick ride down to the race start and after checking in our gear we found our place in the corrals and before you knew it "Oh Canada" was playing and then we were off!

All the happy finishers!

I quickly fell back from Brian and Aixa and settled into my own rhythm. Running through the downtown area was neat and there were tons of spectators lining the roads cheering us on. The crowd support was awesome all along the run course. There never seemed to be an empty spot along the road as far as I can remember. Pretty soon I was running through Stanley Park and along the sea wall and I was blown away by the gorgeous views. It was so pretty and I was so happy to be running there it made it easy to ignore the fact that I was running 13.1 miles. When I hit the 10 mile mark and started to make some calculations in my head I realized that I was on pace to go sub 2 hours. I made sure to keep my pace steady and hunkered down to ignore the pain and go for it. I ended up crossing the finish line in 1:54 and change - a 4 minute PR!!! This was not something I was expecting and it made this trip even more unbelievable for me. 

Afterwards we grabbed some food and went back to the hotel to clean up and relax before heading out to the Sunset Yoga Festival and Concert in Stanley Park. We got there and Aixa and I finally got to do some of the group yoga. That was a lot of fun doing yoga in the park with 1,000's of other people. Then the music started and we just relaxed and hung out listening to the music and enjoying the wonderful weather. The clouds from early had cleared up and the sun was out and it was a beautiful day. 

  

    

This is definitely a great racecation and one that I would love to do again!

  

Marble Falls Tri....only a few months late

After Cap-Tex I got serious with my training and started a coached plan again. I decided to try something new and Brandi Shipman was nice enough to agree to coach me. I just needed to give myself a fresh perspective on training. I think I fell into a rut and I needed to make it fresh and new again. I've dedicated myself to the training and it seems to be paying off.

Pre-race shenanigans!

Come July and it's time for Marble Falls Sprlympic race - not quite a sprint but not a full Olympic race either. Kris did this race too so that made race day super fun to be able to hang before and after and chase on the course.

Right off the bat I noticed a huge difference in how I felt when I started the bike. I've actually been doing my swim workouts and on race day it showed. I felt fresh getting on my bike instead of totally exhausted from the swim. I had a decent swim and felt I had a decent bike. I still need to work on those hills, but it's coming along. As I got off the bike and headed for the run I felt good. My legs were turning over and I had a good pace going. The miles just seemed to tick by and before I knew it I was climbing up the short hill towards the finish line!

                               

Coming back in from the bike!                               

Heading out on the run!

I had a super fun time and improved my time by I think 12 or 13 minutes from the last time I did this race and got 2nd in my AG!

CapTex Duathlon

Well as the title implies, my first triathlon of the season got turned into a duathlon because of heavy rains we have been having in the area. My thoughts go out to all those affected by the flooding and damaging storms that have been coming through the area.

Not swimming in that water!

Suffice it to say, there was a lot going on news wise this Memorial Day weekend so when Sunday came around and they announced at packet pickup that the swim had been cancelled I was not surprised. Lady Bird Lake was flowing with tons of debris and who knows what else that turned the waters into a muddy looking cesspool (more so than usual). I was bummed for my friends who had signed up to do the relay, as their superstar swim ringer (Linda) was not going to be able to swim. But she still came up and cheered everyone on and was a great sport out there. Thanks Linda!!

Packet pickup superstars. We made the CapTex FB page!

Having it changed to a time-trial bike format with a 10k run made me kinda excited to see how hard I could push on the bike and run. During my training my legs always feel like lead weights when I tried to run off the bike, so I was nervous about going hard on the bike and still trying to have a good run. My age group was one of the very last to go for the Olympic wave so the waiting seemed to take forever. I actually probably got on the bike around the same time I would have if we would have swam but it was a slow process getting out of the gate.

I was pleasantly surprised by how smoothly the time trial start on the bike was. They spaced us out 5 seconds apart and the way out of the parking lot was super clear with none of the congestion I had been worried about. Once out on the course it was smooth sailing. I really liked the new route they used this year as it eliminated the short, steep hill around the Capitol. The course is four loops and I got up as fast as 19.8 mph on my first loop and was back down to 19.3 at the turnaround to start my second loop. I told myself that I needed to stay in the 19's for the rest of bike....and I was able to do it! According to the official results I average 19.93 for the 24.8 mile course - one of my fastest bike splits.

Oh the cramps!

I had opted to run with my package of Clif Shot Blocs in my hand the night before and take one bloc every mile instead of drinking the Gatorade at the water stations. This was a decision that turned out to save me during the race. I was extremely happy by how quickly my run legs came to me. I didn't have any of that "dead weight" feeling that I had while I was training. This was a huge motivating factor for me! I took a bloc immediately as I started the run and just grabbed some water to sip and pour on me at the first water station. As I came up to the second water station I took another bloc and grabbed some more water. Things seemed to be going smoothly. I liked the new run course too as it ran us around the front of the Palmer Center and over the bridge and back again as opposed to running around downtown for a block or so. The cloud cover was holding so not having the sun beating down on me was super nice. Then as I was heading out for my second loop I passed the water station but didn't take a bloc. I was feeling good and just wanted to keep up my pace. As I turned to left to start to make my way up the one "hill" that's on the race course both my quads above my knees started cramping. I refused to stop running and tried to adjust my stride to see if I could loosen the cramps up. I got up the hill and they still hadn't subsided. I quickly downed two blocs and almost immediately I felt relief. My electrolytes must be messed up! I had two left with 3 miles to go. I had to use them wisely. Finally my watched beeped and I only had 2 miles to go. I took another one and the cramps stayed away. My quads were hurting from the cramps but it was manageable. My friend Karen had caught up to me and we ran together for a little bit. She gave me some encouraging words and I told her to stay on my heels (which she did!) and as I passed mile 5 I took my last block and hunkered down to see what I had left in the tank to finish. As I ran
out over the bridge for the last time and hit the turn around my cramps came back over my quads and also down along the front of my left shin. I was wobbling around on my legs refusing to slow down. The finish line was just around the corner!! I hung on and finished the run in 55:51, taking 2 minutes off my previous CapTex run time.

After learning that the swim had been cancelled I set a goal of 2:15 for myself to finish the bike and run. I ended up finishing in 2:12:29, exceeding my goal by almost 3 minutes. It was so much fun seeing all my friends out on the course and on the sidelines cheering. Everyone's support is so appreciated and I'm thankful for it. So even though it wasn't officially a triathlon, I'm super happy with my first race of the season and can't wait to tackle the next one.

                      
         

4 outta 5

Well, April was supposed to be my 5th half marathon in 5 months But back in the beginning of April my wisdom teeth decided to start "moving" again causing me to be 37 years old and "teething". Ugh - so not fun. Trust me, I now have complete sympathy for babies going through teething. It sucks! After my dentist visit we set up an appointment to have my two right wisdom teeth removed the Thursday before the race. Lots of people I spoke too said not to worry about the removal, I'd be fine, and maybe even be able to run my half. 

Long story short - ended up not being able to run the half but I was able to drop down to the 5k race and had a blast pushing myself on a tough little course!

Started at the front of the pack and quickly fell into a rhythm. With the adrenaline pumping through my veins I didn't even feel my aching jaw so that was a plus for about 30 mins or so. It was an out-and-back course so I was able to start counting the females in front of me once they hit the turnaround. I counted 10 when I got to the turnaround and passed one to move into 9th as she stopped to drink water. Then I caught up to another one and passed her to move into 8th. I heard her stay on my heels after I passed her and just kept pushing the pace hoping she would fall back. Then we hit an uphill section and I picked up my cadence and did quick short strides to pump up the hill and when I hit the downhill stretched out my stride to make the most of the downhill instead of enjoying the recovery. I didn't hear her breathing behind me anymore but didn't let up fearing she was still with me biding her time. Finally got to a section that allowed me to see the runners behind me and I saw that she had fallen a good enough distance off me. This was a relief but also spurred me on to keep pushing it a little bit further so I didn't get passed at the finish line.

Since I hadn't been planning to run when I left the house in the morning I didn't bring my Garmin and didn't think to carry my phone with me to record my run. I knew from the hills and from how my legs and breathing were that I would be under 30 mins but didn't know by how much. I was thinking somewhere between 28 and 29 mins. As I hit the last turn before the finish line I figured it would be 29 minutes. Finally, the last turn to the finish I picked up the pace and hoped the girl from behind me didn't suddenly appear. Sure enough 29:10! Crossed the finish line light-headed and feeling like I had run a half. Since this was a smaller running race the age groups were broken down into 10 year increments. I looked at all the females around me who had already finished and thought I might have a chance to place. I kept my fingers crossed....and came away with a 2nd place AG finish!!

What started out as a day feeling bummed about not being able to run my half turned into a fun, spur of the moment race! I must say that the Texas Wine Series and Carrera Races put on a great race with a great venue. We got nice finisher medals (even the 5k), a wine glass, a t-shirt, and yummy, delicious food from La Madeline, which I wish I was able to enjoy more of but couldn't (boo hoo). IAAP had the race results up in a jiffy and were on the ball about time corrections. Definitely a race series to keep in consideration. Plus a legit race course! 

Plus I have to give a huge shout-out to Brian, who won the Overall Masters Half Marathon race with a time of 1:45 on a super tough, hilly course! Way to go my love! So super proud of you!!

:28 seconds...

The Alamo 13.1 half marathon would be my 4th half marathon in 4 months. When I first signed up for it, I was leery of the timing because it falls on the first weekend of March Madness. If you don't know me, you may not know that I have an almost unhealthy obsession with college basketball in the month of March. This is when college basketball holds its national championships and from Thursday-Sunday of that first weekend there are basketball games on from 11 am in the morning to 11 pm (or later) at night. And I have to watch as many as possible. I schedule days off from work so I can stay home and watch them on opening day. 

But I reasoned with myself that I could run a half marathon in the morning and be home in time for the tip-off of the first game. No socializing at the end of this race - Just get in, get it done, and get out. My partner in crime, Aixa, was a great friend and picked up my packet for me so I wouldn't have to leave the house and miss a game. Again, many thanks to you!!

This was my first time doing this race and it was a decent race. There were some sections of the course that had lots of turns and it takes you down on the Riverwalk so it's pretty scenic for the out of towners doing the race but, at the same time, these turns and tight corners made it hard to get around people and possibly slowed my pace just a bit. The section through Brackenridge park and Incarnate Word was nice. I got to see some sections that I hadn't seen before so that was neat. So, while not my favorite course, I would still recommend it to someone if they wanted to do it. 

                       

I didn't really have any time goals for this race, except maybe see if I could maybe go under 2 hrs. As the time and miles ticked off my calculations had me coming in around 2:02 or 2:03. For how tired I was for staying up so late the night before I decided to just settle for that and I backed off my pace just a bit. Why I decided to do this, I'm not sure. Just goes to show that my head and heart weren't really in this race. After I finished and looked at my Garmin I wanted to scream. My time showed 2:00:28. No way!! Only :28 seconds away from going under 2 hrs when I totally had it in me to push a little harder than I had!!! 

The rain we had the day before the race caused one section to be a mud bath!

My big lesson here was to never give up in a race!! I'm dying knowing that I left those :28 seconds out there and that the next time I run I will not pull myself back. I will go for it with everything I have so I don't have to see those :28 seconds mocking me!!