Houston 13.1

The first race of 2016 is in the books! I absolutely loved running the Houston half marathon. This race is so well organized. From packet pick up, to race morning, to the post race festivities. I loved all the support on the course and, of course, the run course itself was a dream - flat, flat, flat!

After my Rock n Roll race, I decided to see if I could crack 1:50 in Houston. What better course to try it on than a super flat course. Unfortunately, I had some training setbacks before Christmas and up to New Year's that caused me to miss a lot of training runs. My car started to breakdown so Brian and I had to go car shopping and I started having really bad migraine headaches. I'm not sure if the headaches were related to the stress of having to buy a car and having to have a car payment for the first time in over 8 years, but luckily I was feeling better race week and we got the car just in time so we didn't have to get a rental. I decided to just see what I had on race day and go for it.

Meet Snow White!

After Expo fun and meeting up with the A-team to head over to their friend's house where we were staying, race morning came bright and early and COLD! Unfortunately we were late for our corral A start so we ran into corral B and tried to push ourselves as close to the front as we could. Literally five minutes later we were off and running! I had some technical difficulties with my music the first mile of the race so I dropped back from Aixa and Brian. I was able to get it fixed and I was able to catch up with them. Not sure if that was the mile where I lost all the time but I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Ironman? Lol

I was feeling good right off the bat, which was a nice change from how I felt at Rock n Roll. The miles began ticking off and I was getting nervous because more times than not when I would look down at my Garmin I would see my pace to be in the high 7's. I know there is no way I could maintain that pace so I would try to reel myself in. Brian was there for me the whole time. He asked me what pace I wanted to be at and he said "Come with me". I went. He really is the most excellent run pacer. I don't know how he can keep such a steady pace outside. I'm always up and down and bursting and busting. He just calmly runs. Maybe I'll learn that one day.

The last three miles of the race came and he could tell that I was starting to sag. We run together enough he can tell by my breathing when I'm starting to struggle. He started barking orders at me to lift up my chin, drop my shoulders, breath. Instead of getting frustrated like I normally do, I listened. And OMG it worked. I lifted my eyes up to the horizon instead of on the road and put my chest out. It helped get me through the next 2 miles and forget about the lower back pain I was having. He started to get the crowd cheering by raising his arms and cheering on the other runners. It was so much fun and he was so good about trying to get me to my goal. It was so close, but I just didn't have it left in me. I held on as best as I could so I wouldn't loose too much time and crossed the finish line with a 3rd best half marathon finish of 1:52:15.

Done! Warming up!

So completely happy with this race and I definitely will be back! ;)

San Antonio Rock n Roll 13.1

I think this will be a regular race on the rotation. It's just a super convenient local race that is a lot of fun and with early registration or a coupon code isn't too pricey.

Pre-race pic with the A-team. Brian had already moved his way to the front of the crowd so he crush his race.

Going into this race I wanted to see if I could hit or better my time I did at Seawheeze (1:54). I knew where the hills on the course were this year and I was determined to not let them suck the life out of me like they did the year before. It also helped seeing these fabulous faces at the top of the hill cheering us on!

Kris, Linda, and Alex giving us great big PINK cheers!

Considering how I felt during the first mile or two of this race and how I was ready to give up and either quit or just slow down, I really pulled one out of the bag at this race. I finally got some water in me after the 2nd mile and I realized my pace was showing me that I DID have something to prove. The 8 minute miles kept clicking off and with each step I gradually felt better and stronger. Those hills that killed me last year were just little humps in the road to my half marathon PR!! I came into the finish line at 1:51:22!!! A 3 minute improvement on my Seawheeze time and 10 minutes faster than I did the race last year.

I gotta give a shout out to my husband for being such a sport and letting me drag him out to train and race all over the place. To my friends and most favorite training partners who always encourage me and push me to the limit and then some when I doubt myself. And to Brandi, my coach, for giving me some killer workouts that make me dread getting up in the morning but make me feel so much stronger after I am done with them.

Post-race selfie. Three happy finishers!

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.