Race report- Athleta Esprit de She 2014

Its been almost three weeks since the Athleta Esprit de She triathlon, so my race report is a little late.... Better late than never, right?

It was a great race to start off the season! The morning was COLD and cloudy. Cold enough that everyone with wetsuits was already zipped into their wetsuits before transition even closed just to try to stay warm. My sister has a sleeveless wetsuit, so she was wearing that, her husband's hoodie, and my fleece jacket! I was shaking, but that was probably 1/2 cold and 1/2 nerves. The sun started peeking out during the bike and was out in full force by the run portion. Fortunately, a lot of the run was through a tree lined neighborhood and a shady park.

That's me in the blue wetsuit. :) My sister was two waves after mine, and I also had my mom and little brother there cheering us on! It was a pretty even mix of wetsuits, swimsuits, trisuits, and a few random "they're wearing that?!" outfits.

 

 

The swim was a challenge, and yet I really surprised myself. There were around 80 women in each wave, and it was in a quarry. Imagine a huge stone pool, shallow sandy beach at one end and 15" deep at the other, with lanes.... It was a back and forth zig-zag swim, totaling 6 lengths. The first length was a chaos of bodies, and I tried to do my front stroke. By the end of the first length I was questioning my abilities... "Why am I doing this?! I can't swim this. I'm never going to improve my times. Blah blah blah." The typical swim voices-in-my-head I battle with every time I get into the water. So I flipped onto my back and started backstroking to calm myself down and slow my breathing. The next thing I knew I was done with the second length. So I kept backstroking..... And finished the rest of the swim doing the backstroke.

As I climbed out of the water I looked at my watch.... Time???? 15:53!!!!!!! That is HALF the time of my last sprint!!!! Half!!!
T1 4:34.

Bike was good too. It was a pretty smooth closed course, 2 loop ride. Very windy though! There were points that I was just pedaling against wind, and not going very fast. My sister mentioned that she couldn't use her aerobars because the wind would nearly knock her right over!

Time 49:39, averaging 16.07 mph, which is also an improvement from last year. (I KNOW I would have been even faster without the wind.)

T2 2:16. And that pisses me off. At the Bike In, I got stuck behind a lady who clearly hadn't done a race before and was having trouble locating her aisle. With TERRIBLE luck, it was MY aisle too, and she couldn't find her transition mat, so guess what? She put her bike right over MY transition area!! I had no place to rack my bike! I even told her, "That's my stuff" and she didn't move her bike! I finally shoved my bike against her's, tossed my helmet on my mat, and took off running. I was a new triathlete too once, but at least I knew not to rack my bike over someone else's mat.

Run was challenging but good! I caught up to my sister at the Run Out and thought it would be so cool to finish together. :) Then my shoelace came untied and Katie kept going. LOL It is a race after all. Note to self: double knot the shoe laces. The run started and finished in the park, and was a pretty straightforward loop. It was hot in the sun but nice in the shade. I alternated running and walking, until some guy was like "You're almost there! Only a half a mile to go!" And I was like, "I can totally run that!"

He lied.

Time was 33:13, averaging 10:42 min/mile. Certainly not my fastest 5k, but a huge improvement over last year's 12:31 pace. :) In hindsight I wish I had tried harder to run more of it.

Overall, my final time was 1:45! I took off a half an hour from last August! I'm very pleased with my time and my race, and I hope I can do just as well at my next triathlon.

Next up: ITU World Triathlon Series Chicago!

We Run For Boston 5k

I'd never done a "virtual" race before, but I really liked the bling for this one, and it was a fundraiser for The One Fund for Boston. I just ran around the country club nearby while the kids where in school.

Race to Wrigley 5k 2014

Race to Wrigley is getting to be an annual tradition, but since we've had 5 months of winter, we decided to wait until the last day to register so we could see if it was going to be snowing or now.... Happily I couldn't have asked for more perfect running weather! It was cloudy and mid-50's, with the chance of sun or rain (it rained after we got home, and then the sun came out :) ). The drive getting there was easy, but when we arrived at our usual parking lot, it was closed! We went to the lot that was listed in the race website (yes, we should have looked that up beforehand), and it was already full! We ended up finding street pay parking a few blocks away, finally getting to packet pickup about 30 minutes before the race was to start.

I hadn't actually run 3 miles at once since my last race last year, so my only goal was to not "lose" to my sister. (She's training for a Half Ironman!) Plus, I think its nice to run with someone. My brother-in-law had his own PR goal, and he was ahead of us the entire race.

I have this "Are we there yet? How much looooonger?" mentality to my runs; I want to know how I'm doing and how much more I have left. My running app tells me my pace and distance every 1/4 mile, which is wonderful. Kate and I started running, and my first thought was, "This is fun!" My second thought soon followed, "I'm never going to be able to keep up for 3 miles!"

A quarter of a mile in the little voice in my ear says, "Distance 0.25 miles. Pace 9:15 minutes per mile." WHAT?! Wow. Yay us!!!! Similar sounds were heard at 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and so on. Around 1.5 miles I lost my sister. She was behind me one second and the next she wasn't.

At 2.25 miles the voice told me "Average pace 9:08 miles per minute." A full minute per mile faster than my usual race pace! At this point my heart was beating 1,000 bpm so I decided to walk a little bit. A few minutes of walking and who runs up next to me? My sister! So off I go with her again for the final stretch. I thought it would be pretty cool to cross the finish line together and hopefully get a picture of it.

But then this crazy thing happened.... something I've heard about but never had experienced.... Speeding up at the end! Usually by the last 0.1 miles my legs are lead and it takes all I have left to get to the finish line. But here I was running through the concourse and I knew the end was so deliciously near.... and I had this energy burst and my legs moved faster!

Final time 30:10! New PR!!

Next race is a Virtual 5k to raise money for The One Fund Boston.

BTN Big 10k (5k)

It was my best run ever! The weather was perfect. My nutrition was great. I was surrounded by approximately 15,000 of my closest friends. There was just so much positive energy in the air!

First, I'd planned to take the train to the city, and then a cab to the race. Race planners predicted the parking garage would be full by 5:45, and additional parking was over a mile away. The train was scheduled to leave at 6:20 am. I was awake, packed, and ready to leave at 5:45.... and decided to drive. I'm SO glad I did! I arrived at the parking garage at 6:15 (before the train was even scheduled to leave!), and there was a ton of parking!

I spent the next two hours wandering around, watching the 10k runners finish, using the bathroom many times to prevent a "my bladder is going to explode" repeat of my last race, and waking up.

At 8:15 am our corrals started moving toward the start line. I had my iPhone set to MapMyRun and Songza, and my new Soleus heart rate monitor/watch ready to go.

My first mile was great at around 9:30. Second mile also great. As usual, third mile I stopped to walk briefly. But I was bookin' it!

Official time.... 31:04!!! Two freakin' minutes faster than my last two 5ks! A 10 min/mile pace average for the whole race!

I skipped the post-race beer since the line was 200-people-long, and headed home on a natural post-race high. :) 

Run From the Cops 5k

After a week of 90-100° temperatures, this morning was a lovely mid-70's. Actually, when I first got in the car I turned the heat on for a few minutes to take the chill off! By race time it was perfect in the shade, and hot in the sun.

The run was a nice flat surface, out, loop, and back. The out and back section was partly shaded, but the loop was all in the sun. HOT.

The first mile I was smokin' at a 9:20 pace! The loop was harder being in the blaring sun, but I was at a 10:15 pace which is still really good for me! I was feeling good, and super excited about making a new personal best!

The last mile is always the hardest [obviously] but the coffee and 16 oz water bottle I'd had prerace was starting to cause issues. Like "my bladder is going to explode!"  Running got to be very difficult, LOL! I ended up speed walking more of the last mile than I would have liked, and I didn't stop going until I got to the Porta-Potties. :)

Official time 33:12. I came in 13/37 in my age group, and 77/180 of all females.

Next race is on Saturday!

Dirty Girl Mud Run 2013

It's been 1 year since my first race ever! This year I ran with my older sister E (my little sister was benched due to an injury sustained during a triathlon last week).

It was a fun run, and I learned a few things. First, a pitcher of sangria does not make a good pre-race beverage. Mostly it just guarantees fatigue and mild nausea. Second, running a timed 5k on a flat surface is WAY easier than a rocky, hilly, muddy, ankle-twisting 5k with walls to climb and pits to wade through.

Third, E is in better shape than she let on. LOL! For months she's been saying "I'm going to be the slow one... I hope I don't hold you back..." Well, this lady was slowed down by ME. She's been practicing for our run by doing 3.1 miles at an average 10:45 mile pace!!! So awesome!!! I think I was holding HER back!

Now onto race day!

It was a chilly, overcast 62°, and just bordered on the edge of rain. When we were standing around before and after it was chilly. Spectators were in coats and sweatshirts. However, it was perfect for running!

All the obstacles were different from last year, which was nice. There were two inflatables, but they were much smaller than the Foam Fest inflatables. There were a few mud pits that were similar to each other; a few rope courses. The running course was similar to last year, with a bit of back-and-forth running.

We didn't technically time it, but I think it was around 45-50 minutes.

Overall I liked the Foam Fest course better due to the scenery, better inflatables, and more difficulty. However, I had such a great run, and weekend, spending time with newly- found sister! I'm looking forward to next year's run with both sisters and my sister-in-law. I've said it before and I'll say it again: even if we have to walk the whole mud run, it's the muddy sister bonding time that matters!!

(PS. You can and should wash your shoes after mud runs! These shoes have been through FOUR mud runs!)

K, me, and E, before the mud

SO MUDDY!

Running, and running, and running...

We did it!

After washing!

My Personal Super Sprint

Today starts my 2nd 12-Week Triathlon training program. My 1st 12-week training was ok; I did about 1/2 of it, focusing mostly on swimming, while letting my feet heal. Now it's FOR REAL.

To kickoff the REAL training, I did a Super Sprint at the gym today: 400 meter swim, 6.2 miles on the stationary bike, and 1.55 miles on the treadmill. I used the stopwatch and lap feature on my iPhone to keep track of each leg of the "race" and the overall time.

Then I accidentally hit Reset instead of Lap at the very end, and lost it all!!

Luckily, I'd been paying attention to it as I was going, so I can give approximate times. :)

The total time before my finger hit the evil Reset was 1:00 and some seconds. I clearly remember being happy I hit the hour mark on the head. Not award winning, but 3 minutes less then last year!

Swim 10:30
T1 9:45 Hahahaha.... wrestling out of a swimsuit and into clothes while trying to go quickly.... I'm sure the lady next to me was thinking, "Its a not a race..." I'm so grateful I don't have do that during a real race!
Bike 20:30
T2 1:45 Basically walking from the bike to the treadmill, drinking my water, and tightening my shoelaces.
Run 17:30

So that's my Day 1. :) I've got my training schedule set up, my open water swims planned, and in 12 weeks I'll do it again and see how my results compare before race day!

Race to Wrigley 5k

6 am on Saturdays are becoming too familiar. ;) Actually, I was up at 5:30 so I could decide between multiple outfits, make coffee, and have some toast before my sister and BIL picked me up at 6:20.

It was an overcast cold 50° when we got to Chicago, and it didn't warm up. I'm glad I had knee-high socks with my capris, but by the end my thin pullover was wayyyy too hot over my T-shirt. Around mile 2 I pulled off to the side to take it off, since my earphones where woven down the arm. Worst decision. Those 30 seconds cost me 1) my sub 33 goal, and 2) a PR.

My official time was 33:09.

Yes, a minute and a half less than my last 5k, but still not where I want to be by August.

Also, I still need to work on my pre-race hydration. Buy mile 3 I was dieing.

Next two 5ks in June are muddy obstacle courses, which are so much fun!

Loop the Lakes 5k

Pre-race:
It's a perfect 52° and sunny this morning. My feet are taped, my Aleve taken, and race packets picked up. This race is 2 loops around a lake, and its beautiful! I'm glad I got here at 7:30; by 8:15 it's a madhouse--- someone parked on the grass right in front of the pickup area! I'm sure the park officials will just looove that!

Another perk of getting here so early is the people watching. I've seen everything you can imagine. No one who looks professional, "I'll be done in 15 minutes" yet... Mostly the average moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, with a few kids too. Most of them are in long pants and long sleeves. I learned my lesson last year-- shorts! Dress as if it's 20° warmer. At the O'Hare 5k we were icicles while waiting in pants and gloves, and I was overheating by mile 2.

Post race:
Wow!!
First, one of those "few kids" was the top female. A 11 year old! Second female? Her 8 year old sister!!!!! I'll keep my eyes on the future Olympics. ;)

Second, I am VERY pleased with my 34:30. (Albeit 10 minutes slower than the 8 year old.) I haven't run since February. My feet HURT. I'm thrilled!

Honestly. Mile 1 was great. I felt great. Tape and Aleve holding up. :) By 1.5 my right [bad] foot was talking to me. A bit after mile 2 the lefty started talking. I had to walk more than I'd like between mile 2-3, but once I saw that finish line I was a full sprinter! :D

34:30 isn't my best, but its not my worst either. It was 11:12 min/mile pace, which if you've read past posts, it's faster than my 11:30 "go fast to go slow" training pace.

Next race is in two weeks, and I really, really, really, hope to be closer to 32-33 minutes. At the end of the upcoming race there's beer waiting for me. ;D

Last Summer Registration, Done!

I lieu of a July 5k I signed up for a second June Obstacle run. Lets be honest, who really wants to run 3 miles in the Chicago July heat?!?! Not this mama.

My official race schedule is now April 27, May 11, June 1, June 29, and August 24/25. I do have September and October picked out, but I can't register this early. Plus, my pocketbook needs a break! These things get expensive!

And, unlike my February race, there's no backing out. The first two I'm doing with my brother-in-law, and the other three with my sister. And my son... can't forget his first triathlon is this August too!

It's a Family Thing!

Fundraiser Race for Children's Hospital

I'm "Racing to Wrigley" on May 11! Fundraising supports the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital (formerly Children's Memorial), where my littlest munchkin was a hematology patient his first year of life. I'm so thankful for the doctors and nurses who supported us that year. If you'd like to make a donation the link is

http://www.race-cubs.com/racetowrigley2013/katsma. Thank you!

I am so thankful for the doctors and nurses that cared for KD when he was struggling with a rare (albeit) survivable diagnosis. KD was a patient for most of his first year of life. I am forever blessed with his health.

Cupid's Dash Race Report

I didn't run. It wasn't worth an injury.

I went to packet pickup yesterday, and that was uncrowded and well organized. However, it was so icy and slippery that I had a hard time walking to the store! We just had over a feet of snow over a sheet of ice, and last night's email from the race organizers warned of icy conditions along one road we'd be running on.

Then to top it off, it's raining.

With 9 more races planned for the year, I decided my ankles were worth more than than the $20 entry fee, and went back to bed. :)

Next up, St Paddy's 5k on March 9, assuming the weather is better....

Another mention.

We just got 2 feet of snow on top of an inch of ice. I plan to go to packet pick-up tomorrow or Saturday, but I'm wary of race conditions. I'm not hardcore [yet]. I can't risk injury at this point. So snow, ice, freezing rain = skip. :( I hope it doesn't come to that, but I have 9 more races, two of which are very important to me, and I won't risk an injury.

FX for good weather!!

5k Registration Time

It's starting! Time to put my money were my mouth is, and actually register for races.

First up, the February 10th Cupid Dash.
Next, March's St Paddy's 5k.
April is all set for a Loop the Lakes 5k with my brother-in-law.
May I haven't paid for yet. I want to do the Race to Wrigley 5k, but I'm only driving to Chicago if my brother-in-law and/or sister run too. Otherwise it's a local Mother's Day 5k.
June was paid for last year- another Dirty Girl 5k Mud Run. All fun, no timing. :)
July.... Any suggestions?
August.... The event of 2013... My triathlon. Paid for last year too. :D

Bring it on!!

No pain no gain...

Or sadomasochism?

As I've been hobbling around the house tonight after three tough leg workouts, it dawned in me that the pain had somehow morphed from "this sucks" to "this is great!" When the heck does that happen, and why the heck do I look forward to the next round of pain?? :)

No pain, no gain is a phrase I've been familiar with since childhood. I grew up on the Cathy comics as soon as I could read. I've suffered for beauty over the decades. Botox... Dozens of needles poking into your face in an effort to freeze the nerves and prevent wrinkles. Hair colors that sting the eyes abs burn the scalp. There was even the accidental chemical peel once- that hurt more than a dozen sunburns! Dieting. Waxing. Tweezing. Ouch!!

Two years ago I was lifting weights. I GOT the "no pain no gain" from that. I'd do my workouts twice a week, using the other 5 days to rest and recover. Then a year ago I added in *just enough* cardio to work my way up to a Super Sprint triathlon and a few [subpar] 5k's. It was challenging, for sure, but I always had enough recover time to make it tolerable.

Or perhaps I only gave 95%...

This year my mind is in a different place. This year it's 110%. "The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare."

Which translates into workouts 5 days a week. Sore, barely walking legs. Can't move arms. Fatigue. Hunger.

Hell yeah, bring it on! 2013 is a New, and better, Year!!!

Reflecting... On running...

I keep thinking about this morning's workout. I ran a comfortable mile as a warm-up. A WARM-UP!!!

A year ago I couldn't run a mile straight. Maybe if my life depended on it, but certainly not on a cozy treadmill at the gym. I started at a 15 minute mile pace a year ago, and I could do about 1/2 mile before I had to walk.

Today I did an easy 11:30 minute mile. And I only set the treadmill on easy because it was a WARM-UP.

Need to PREPARE. First 5k is February 10!

A Plan!

Thanks to "1st Time Tri" (although it's technically not my first), I have a 12 week triathlon training plan. With small changes, the first 12 weeks are all running and biking. Then I'll do it AGAIN with all the swimming. (No pool until March.) That puts me at the end of June, with two more months to prepare even more before the Chicago Triathlon.

I'm excited! Plus, I still have monthly 5k races starting in March or April too! 2013 is going to be a great year!

Happy New Year!

2013 has SO many Fun and Exciting things planned! Races, triathlons, mud runs, and a few runs with my kids. We're also currently at Walt Disney World, and plan to travel to Las Vegas and the Wisconsin Dells this year. :)

When we get home I'll be kicking off my 2012 training. January, February, and March are dedicated to running and biking. Goal: 4 miles run and 15 miles biked without dieing. April brings my [indoor] pool membership, so April and May are dedicated to swimming. Goal: 1/2 mile without dieing. June and July are my "put it all together for triathlon training" months. Goal: not dieing when I put them all together. ;)

If I survive it all, my August Super Sprint Triathlon goal is 45 minutes, from last year's 63 minutes. It's not "placing time" but it's a very respectable time. :D And totally doable.

"The will to win means nothing with the will to prepare."

So Thankful!

I have so much to be thankful for this year. In no particular order:

1. My husband.
2. My kids. Three sons who keep me on my toes, run with me, and for whom I want to be the best role model I can.
3. God.
4. The freedom to worship as I choose.
5. The freedom to love whom I choose. (And I hope this freedom someday extends to everyone.)
6. My sister. Yeah, YOU, who got me into this. ;-)
7. My brothers. Drinking buddies!
8. My mother, who has persevered through more than her share.
9. My father, whom I miss every day.
10. My other sister, that I've only recently had the pleasure to get to know.
11. My home. Small as it is, it's full of love. And paid off.
12. My car. It gets me from point A to point B safely.
13. My health. I can run, swim, bike, and race.
14. My family's health. Especially my youngest after a sick first year.
15. My brother-in-laws. One beat cancer, one cares for troubled youth.
16. My sister-in-law.
17. DB. Oldest friend, from when we were like 3. Triathlete!
18. Old friends.
19. New friends.
20. Facebook. The way we've reconnected with friends after years.
21. Max, my trainer. My body is in better shape now than in high school.
22. Coworkers/old classmates... Keeping me sane most nights.
23. My job.
24. The wine I drink after my job.
25. My adorable nieces.
26. Hannah, our amazing babysitter for the past 4 years!
27. Chocolate.
28. Wine. Beer. Vodka. Xanax. ;-)
29. Coffee.
30. And last, but not least, all the armed forces that keep us safe and protect our country.

My Turkey Trot 5k this morning was not one of my best (36:38), but I learned a very important lesson: forgetting to hydrate = bad cramping. Now it's time to join my family in celebrating our blessings.

Another 5k to feed the Addiction

It's official. I'm hooked. I'm by no means the fastest, but I LOVE the feeling of racing, and running, and finishing!

I love challenging myself to do a little better every time.

My last race of 2012 is this Thanksgiving. I still can't quite fathom that I went from "Me, running? You're crazy!" to "When's the next one??" in 6 months.

My first race EVER was June 29, and I'm proud to have competed three 5k's, two 3k's, and a triathlon since then.

As 2013 approaches, my goal for next year is two triathlons and seven or eight 5k's, March-November. One of my sons will also be doing his first triathlon in August. :-)

It's going to be a GREAT year!