Saturday, July 23, 2011

Cindy's Invermere Race Report - July 2011

When I think of myself as a racer I don’t think fast. I think good, but not fast. When I got out of the swim Scott told me I was 6th out of the water. I could have sworn there was an entire pack of people ahead of me. When I hit the bike turnaround at the end of the downhill I was in 2nd place, I expected at least 4 others to be ahead of me. Starting back up the climb I could see all the riders behind me. The closest female looked so strong and fast, and there I was slogging up the hill in my granny gear. I knew she was trying to chase me down and accepted the fact she was going to pass me. I ACCEPTED the fact. At that moment I realized not only had I just lost the race, but I was handing it over. Why was I so ready to believe her abilities over mine – I knew nothing about her? What if she couldn’t climb? What if she was on the verge of blowing up? What if she couldn’t run?

While I wasn’t deluded enough to believe I could win, I was disappointed enough in myself that I figured I’d at least make this girl work to pass me. I pushed up the hill with what I had, not caring if I had anything for the run. I focused on the maximum effort I could produce in that moment. My goal was to get as far as I could before the next racer passed me. Imagine my surprise when I got to transition still in 2nd place.

Now did I think I had a shot at winning? Absolutely not. Running is not my strong point, I would eventually get passed – probably in the first 2kms, but I was sticking to my guns to make her work for it. I didn’t look at heart rate, pace, or time. I was going strictly on putting one foot in front of the other as fast as I could. At the run turnaround I was able to see how far back the rest of the racers were. They looked so close. There was the girl still looking strong, fast and even more determined. I was the one in the lead but I felt weak, slow and vulnerable.

I picked up the pace. When I saw the last steep climb I was done. There was no way I was going to maintain my lead up that. I mentally gave myself a shake, - don’t hand over the race. Make that girl work. Stop giving up. Maybe that girl has a stitch and had to walk. Maybe she feels like she has to puke like you do. I focused solely on going as fast as I could up the hill. I did get passed by a young guy, which meant others weren’t far behind but they weren’t there yet so I fought on. Not once did I look behind me because I knew if I did and saw how close the next racer was I would be finished.

When I reached the top of the hill I had 1.5km to go, all downhill. Never did I imagine I could maintain a lead in a race this long. Was I thinking I could win? Nope. I was hurting thinking that 2nd place was good and started slowing down. I gave myself a HARD mental slap across the head. What is WRONG with you? Why do you want to settle for second when first is right in front of you? I increased pace.

Only when I reached the 1 km mark did I believe I could take the win and decide to fight for it. I was so close to the finish. I was not going to be the Tour de France rider who worked so hard the entire race only to be blown by in the final meters. I dug into a well of energy and effort I didn’t know existed and sprinted the final km, hoping I wasn’t going to have to slow down to throw up. For the first time ever in a race seeing the finish line did not defeat me.

I finished 50 secs ahead of the next female. I was that far ahead, and yet up until the last 5 minutes of the race I was ready to concede victory to her because I didn’t believe I was faster. Why? Because I was in pain. I didn’t feel fast. I didn’t feel strong. I didn’t look as fit as her. She had fire in her eyes while I felt like a scared rabbit. I never realized how many negative pre-conceived notions I have in my head. It never occurred to me that maybe all top finishers are in pain. Maybe none of them feel fast. Maybe they all feel weak. Maybe none of them think they look fit. Maybe they all feel like scared rabbits running for the chute waiting to be passed. I’ve never seen myself race. Maybe I do look fast (I just assume everyone who tells me that is being polite and encouraging). Maybe I do look strong. Maybe I do look fit and intimidating.

This race has given me tremendous insight into realizing how many times I’ve mentally buckled in races. In this race, because I was leading, there was a tangible outcome if I gave up – I’d lose my podium finish and I’d know it. Usually I’m never in contention for a win so I’m only racing for my own goals, if I give up on those there’s no consequence and nobody knows but me.

Looking back on some of my races I realize that I’ve let a lot of goals go because for whatever reason I mentally checked out without even knowing it. Stony is a perfect example. I was ready to give the race up 2 weeks before it started because I had ACCEPTED I wasn’t going to PR. Halfway through the race I realized I could actually PR. Get a flat and lose 10 mins, what happens? I mentally check out because my timing to PR is blown. The entire run I’m miserable and just looking for an excuse to quit or walk. In the end I’m only 3 minutes behind my PR with the flat. Without the flat I would have had a huge PR, what a tragedy if I would have decided not to race. Even with the flat, what could I have done if I wouldn’t have mentally quit on the run? I was so sure I couldn’t do it. I thought I was too slow but I wasn’t. I was holding the exact pace I needed, but in my mind I needed to overcome a 10 min deficit, which wasn’t achievable, when in reality I only needed 3 minutes – something which was. What if.

In the future, I’m going to try my hardest to throw out my ill conceived race notions, they do nothing but damage the psyche. I’m going to believe in myself and my abilities, since I’m so quick to believe in other peoples abilities I might as well include my own. I’m going to fight for my race goals. Just because achieving them doesn’t result in a nifty transition bag doesn’t mean they’re not worth fighting for. In fact, they are what I should fight for. A bag gets kicked around and stuffed in a closet; pride in performing your best lasts forever.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Leslie-Anne's Great White North Race Report - July 2011

Dear Diary,

I just have to tell you about GWN, it was such a learning curve!

The fun began on Friday July 1st when all my TTL friends and supporters met at the pre race dinner. Diary, Cathy was amazing as my support for this race (aka Sherpa Cathy!)

I got the nicest compliment when Toni asked, “Where the other half of Leslie-Anne was?” Diary I was sooooo pleased to hear such a compliment! It was a real ego booster.

Saturday we (TTL and supporters) gathered at Allen Beach to do our pre race stuff. Coach Angie asked that all the strong swimmers start out fast for 200 m and then slow down to race pace.
Well, see if I ever do that again! OMG!! After I did the 200m I had such difficulty regaining my breath there was NO WAY I would be doing that in a race.

That was the 1st lesson learned.

Saturday afternoon hanging around the hotel with every intention of reading when the lovely Richelle stopped by. During the conversation I stated my worst fear was getting a flat, as I didn’t really know how to change one. Now Diary as a triathlete I should know how to change a flat and even Richelle was surprised (and shocked) that I didn’t.
Richelle then spent time with me one on one and coached me through changing a flat. My fear was dispelled and I know now that should I flat during the race at least I would be able to change my tire. Not fast mind you but I could do it.

That was the 2nd lesson learned.

Quiet night, prepped my fuel, clothing, and watched Thelma and Louise, mmmm Diary Brad Pitt was mighty fine in that movie!!! (teehee!)

Race Day dawned a beautiful clear blue sky and I thought wow, I’d be dealing with sun for the 1st time ever!
I enjoyed my breakky and soon we were off to the race.

Diary, you know how I HATE the black condom (aka wetsuit) but Diary I did better in getting most of it on and with Sarah’s hubby to put his hands down my pants pulling form the inside it was on in no time! Diary, you know this has to be done and thank goodness Sarah is cool about Kevin helping out! 

Next thing I’m in the water the for warm up, get a great hug from Coach Angie enroute to my place along the fence.
Diary what happened next surprised even me! I got going in the swim and before I knew it I was starting to have issues! ME~ issues in the swim!!! Just when I got my fecal matter together I saw a male swimmer in true distress. He was having trouble and it was me that got the attention of the vollies in the boats. I made sure he cleared the swimmers before I continued.
Wow, that was a scary thing to see and hear Diary, someone that scared. I did manage to get going and find my groove and when I did, ohhhhh Diary it felt great!

Out of water, found my bike, geared up and headed for the mount line (Ensuring I was pushing from my seat so I was “cool” looking.) I saw Angie and shook my head, as I knew my time was not going to be as I hoped it would be. 36:58 (slower than last year)

Off on the bike! Off comes my fuel bottle, argh, I stopped and a nice person retrieved it for me. Lovely day for bike ride weather wise, not so much road wise. Diary coming through Stony past the construction, hitting one serious bump after another caused my fuel bottle to almost fall out again, thanks to the athlete who told me I saved it. Diary shortly after that I had such a dark cloud of “I don’t want to be here” come over me I knew exactly what Coach Angie experienced during the Calgary Half. I had to make a decision and I did, I would finish the race for the sake of finishing.

Diary somewhere along the way I got back into what I was doing and had SUCH a great ride! Managed not to have to pee until 40k! I faithfully ingested my Infinite and managed to transfer from one bottle to my aero bottle without spilling! I even got a warning for drafting! “Hey Saskatchewan, mind your distance between you and the person ahead of you” We were on a hill! Guess it wasn’t really hill enough. No card though so I thanked the marshall and backed off. (Yes I did eventually pass the guy).
The last 10k into Stony just about did me in Diary. Egad, thank goodness for a sports bra that holds everything in place, as the road was CRAP I tell you!
The last challenge was the car that was trying to turn left up the hill to the dismount line that I almost ran into on my bike! I dropped one loud F-Bomb when I had to brake and drop my gears. I apologized to the spectators and got by the car. Yeesh. Bike time 2:59:01, close to 4 min improvement from last year! 

Diary you know I am not a fan of the run but I had such a good ride that it carried me into the next stage. I forgot my watch at home Diary and I thought it wouldn’t matter but ohhhh it did. The start was a bit dodgy but I managed to pull myself together after 4k or so. Coach Angie saw me at that point, Diary, she is so observant! She knew I wasn’t happy!
The usual gut issues flared but thank goodness for “perfectly placed porta potties”. 

My knee decided to give me major grief very close to the turnaround and I was one ticked off athlete. The others that ran by me as I was limping from tree to tree were so kind to me and one guy even asked if I needed salt. Diary I had to do something as there was NO effin’ way I was going to not finish. I manipulated my knee and it seemed to work and off I headed at a slightly slower pace. (Diary the watch would’ve really helped here). Back towards the home stretch and I was getting hungry, as in nothing in my stomach-start-to-ache-get-dizzy-hungry. Yeah for Heed! I tried the cookies but they didn’t quite work and eventually switched to the oranges, mmmmm tasty!
Just before 19k a man behind me said, “If you keep this pace up I’ll follow you and we will make under 6”
Diary, did I hear him right? He was going to follow me because of my pace! WOW Diary that was an amazing boost for me! 
He was my new best friend and we did get through the last portion of the race. We agreed to walk any hills (he said it would be like adventure racing that way). Diary, I had him on the hills even walking and I did tell him that I would defiantly not walk the last hill to the finish line.
I finished strong but my time for the run was 2:21:18, not what I was hoping for.

My overall time was 5:57:17 most defiantly not what I was hoping for.

Diary, I have to figure out what I can eat that will “stick to my ribs” but not give me too much trouble.
I have to work on my run pace, as I believe I start out too fast. For the 1st time as I neared the last “climb” from the park to the finish line I knew I had more in me, just need to figure out the fuelling thing.
Lesson learned-wear a damn watch!

Diary, this was a learning race and I am glad that I got scared in the swim, as I said to Coach Angie afterwards I tend to get cocky when it comes to the swim. I had a great bike and I learned that I can go faster and I can relax going downhill!
I also learned I need to pace better in the run as I do have a comfortable pace for me and if others like it then more power to me!

Diary for the record I placed 12th in my AG, and I’m ok with that.

Diary get ready for the next push, IMC, here I come!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Cindy's GWN Race Report July 3, 2011

The Dress Rehearsal: Great White North Half-Ironman Race Report

So with all of the training that Richelle has prescribed and that I have enthusiastically completed, I was ready to see what kind of results I'd get at a longer distance event, like a half-ironman. I wanted to treat GWN as a dress rehearsal for IMC, what a perfect opportunity to let it all hang out without worrying about the outcome or possible disaster.

Here are the distances: swim 2km, bike 90km, run 21.3km. I raced GWN two years ago as my first half-iron, and while the 6:45ish finishing time was a good performance on that day, I was also hoping to up the ante and see what the added training would do for me. I was ready for a dress rehearsal, time to try out nutrition, clothing, strategies etc. And see how far I could push the envelope.

This is how the day unfolded...

Lesley-Anne was kind enough to drive us to the lake, rather than take the uber-early bus (thanks LA!). I quickly headed to transition, organized my bike and other stuff, headed for the port-a-potty line, then worked myself into my (new!) wetsuit. Fits like a glove. I dove into the lake for a short warm-up (yucky murky water at the shore, ugh!), back on shore. I totally ignored all the crazies who natter about wheels and nutrition, I found my quiet zone and worked my plan. After exiting the water, while standing around waiting for the start, I was beside Cindy & Scott, who were sporting their Garmin 310XT's. I usually don't start my watch until the bike, as it is big and bulky and tends to get trapped in my wetsuit. Scott pointed out that because I have the quick release band, I can easily palm and twist off the Garmin. In a split second decision (and primarily because this is my dress-rehearsal race), I ran over to my bike and activated the Auto Multisport function. A huge THANKS to Scott and Cindy for their words of wisdom; this is what I love about our Team, we're good support and share info and experiences in a very open manner, it's awesome. The Garmin was a big success, I like having the extra data from the swim portion, transition info, love it.

Time to hit the water! My race plan called for getting into the mix of it all, taking some bumps and swimming with my peer group. Yep, I was certainly in unfamiliar territory! Lots of bumps, a kick to the chin, someone swam over my back, quite the washing machine! It ironed itself out after the first 400m, I kept swimming thru it all, long strokes, felt like a fish! Wonderful! The first lap was over quickly, sub 20min, then on to the 2nd lap. Not as bumpy, somehow I slowed down a bit, but still a huge improvement over 2009.
2009 swim time: +45min
2011 swim time: 40min

T1 was smooth, I probably could have gone faster, but it was smooth. I heard Angie at the mount line, I saw Danielle M, we gave a little cheer, then I pedaled up the hill.

I don't remember much about my bike ride, other than it was hillier course than I recalled from 2009. I remember trying to cram in my allotted nutrition, but I started to feel nauseous; I was unsure whether it was the nutrition or the exertion level, so I took little sips and prayed they would sustain me until the run portion of the race. The hills really sapped my speed, I lost ground to a lot of competitors on the hills, why oh why am I so slow on the hills, I train on hills, I mountain bike, I'm consistent on the hills with a good turnover rate, for the love of all things holy, why do hills slam into me like a freight train??? Something to work on, I'm sure.... anyhow, I stayed pretty focused, only momentary lapses, and the out and back course was helpful in determining where other teammates were on the course, cheering for them, encouraging them, receiving some cheers back. Nice.
2009 bike time: 3:16
2011 bike time: 3:04

T2 also went smoothly. Again, I could have been a bit quicker, but it felt like I was missing something, so I did a triple check before running out the gate. No harm done.

The half-marathon that they throw at us after swimming and biking is no picnic. Your legs are tired, and running 21.3km's is not what tired legs want to do. I generally pound thru the first 10km and hope that I can hang on; it's between 10-14km that I lose focus, I allow the nagging aches and pains to consume me, and I walk. Today was no exception, I desparately wanted to walk and walk and walk. I was tired, I needed motivation. That's when the TTL people starting appearing, as it was the out-and-back section of the course. TTL rocks, I am so thankful that we give each other a smile, a high five, a "go girl", whatever. It picked me up and pushed me forward, a gentle push to move me ahead. I also thought back to my race planning, and reminded myself that if an 8-year old can run 1km in 5:28, I needed to get it in gear. So I did.

In the past, the run portion of the race seems to have been my achilles heel: tummy trouble, nutrition issues, foot issues. I was determined not to let any of these slow me down. Yes, my foot started to hurt, yes, I grabbed the wrong nutrition bottle this morning so after the first sip I knew I would be doomed if I continued sipping, and yes, my tummy was still nauseous. The important part is how I solved these race-day in-the-moment issues.
1) ignore the foot: pain is temporary. Try to wiggle my feet a bit so that it stretches out, just keep going. I need to go back to see Sarah P again for more ideas for IMC. Post-race I iced it, stretched it, rolled it, and now my foot is back to normal.
2) time to look for alternative nutrition. The aid stations are serving flat cola and oranges, let's see what happens. I took mini sips of flat cola, it seemed to stay down and didn't jiggle in my tummy, in fact the sugar content was yummy, and little sips successfully got me through the run from min 61-110. Then I sampled a couple of orange wedges. Wow, they tasted amazing! And they seemed to work even better than the cola! Who knew?!
3) I decided that being nauseous was a by-product of my exertion level. Richelle had encouraged me to go hard on the bike and still hold steady on the run (similar to Wasa). Well, my bike was certainly a strong ride, and when I hit the run my HR was hovering around 160, where it stayed the entire run, even elevating a bit towards the end. I'm pretty certain that this high exertion level caused my nausea. And since I didn't actually vomit, I think it indicates that I was on the fine line of racing to my limit and totally blowing up.
Turns out the run portion of my race may no longer be my achilles heel:
2009 run time: 2:45ish
2011 run time: 2:22

Total 2009 time: 6:45ish
Total 2011 time: 6:07

Overall, I'm super excited about my results, my performance, my teammates, everything! This dress rehearsal was a huge success!

Now I'm ready for training camp, and I know that when August 28th rolls around, I'll be ready for that, too!