The race is done. The goal that consumed most of my life for the past nine months is done leaving me feeling somewhat bereft and rudderless. But, that is a different story...
I was fortunate in that while the temperature highs were a little warmer than I would have liked, the lake itself was calmer and the starting temps were not as chilly as the previous day. The swim course was a train wreck. Because of the low water levels of the lake, the course was modified from the original long rectangle shape to an inverted triangle. The orange buoys that were supposed to mark the course boundary had either drifted or blew off their designated resting places and were sitting randomly in the middle of the course. The buoys marking the corners (turning points) were...WHITE! Seriously? White? White buoys that were 1,000 yards away that turn invisible on a cloudy day? SERIOUSLY?
I had signed up to be in the last wave of swimmers, as it was designated the "Safefy Wave" and intended for those who wanted to not worry about being in the crush of all the faster swimmers. We were told by one of the organizers that there kayakers out on the course with noodles if we needed a break and that they would be following us in as the last swimmers were finishing.
The rifle went off (yes, really a rifle), and the swimmers started walking into the depths. Another distinction from the non-safety wave was that I don't think anyone was running! It had to be the funniest looking thing in that the water stayed shallow for so long. People were still walking....and walking...and walking. My wetsuit was still causing me grief, so before the water got too deep, I went ahead and pulled it down off my torso.
After a few hundred meters, I looked up to sight and realized that I had gone off course, way to the right. No one was around me, including a kayak. I looked for the white buoy, but it was blocked from my sight by one of the random orange buoys. This further disoriented me. My heartrate and breathing rate began to rise. I flipped over on my back and flutter stroked for a while. When I turned back on my stomach, I could see the white buoy at last, but wow! it was LONG ways away. I continued to alternate between flipping on my back and checking my position for quite a while. I was a little anxious, and knew I needed to get my heart rate and breathing back under control. I finally was able to find my "Go" gear and get to the business of swimming. It was a good thing, since there was no one around to save me.
When I finished the swim and was trying to wade out of the mud, my right calf cramped so badly, I was immobilized again and almost in tears from the pain...and the anger...and the disappointment of my 1:06 swim time! Needless to say, I was NOT a happy camper...even though I had just overcome my biggest obstacle to triathlon.
My performance for the rest of the race was okay. My bike time wasn't too bad: 3:16. My emotions were running rampant; I started bawling three times while I was on the bike--relief, release, gratitude, you name it. My run was ok. It was a little slower than I had intended, but my right calf was a tight as piano wire, and my left not far behind it. Seeing so many of the Reds ahead me disheartened me a little.
So, while my day personally was disappointing, the whole experience of the day was priceless. ALL of us finished that race. We were allowed in the finish area when Robbin, our last Red Lady came through and we were all in tears. What a day! What a wonder culmination of eight long months!
I've been in a bit of a funk ever since the weekend. I'd been warned of the post-race depression that was common, but I didn't really think I'd feel that way. I figured I would just be so happy that it was done and I could look toward the next goal. I know that it is partly due to my disappointing time on the swim. Ah, well. At least it should something I can easily PR the next time. LOL. I already have a new wetsuit on the way!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Redman Eve
It's here. The day before Redman. I'm so ready. Sort of.
We did a Last Chance Workout, so to speak, today at Lake Hefner. Everyone on the message boards had been very worried that the water would be too warm for wetsuits. That won't be a problem. The water was 70 degrees this morning and with the lows going down below 50 tonight, it won't be warming up any too soon.
I almost think I would be better off if it weren't westsuit legal. My wetsuit has been problematic lately. At HyVee, I had to pull it down off my torso so I could expand my lungs enough to breath. Then, I wore it at a practice swim on Monday. The water at Lakewood was fairly cool. We swam about a mile there, and I had no problems. Today, the water being cold and choppy, I felt like I had issues again.
I haven't done much swimming in choppy water to begin with. That, along with the cold water freaked me out a bit, and I had a "moment" again. I made myself stay out there until I swam a few hundred feet comfortably. I do really believe that once I get into the race tomorrow, have the buoys clearly defining the space, see lots of kayaks around for safety, and can just GO, I'll be fine, but this again did give me pause. I think it was a good reality check to NEVER, NEVER, NEVER take the swim for granted.
The weather is probably going to serve up the worst on both ends...it will be cold for the swim and the start of the bike...and, it promises to be hot for the run. And, it could be windy on top of all that. Weather is never anything we can control, but just get to deal with what is served up. While I feel more than ready for this event, I am worried...worried about staying calm and focused on the swim; worried about my nutrition on the bike; worried about running in 80+ degree weather, when my body so quickly acclimated to the 60's and 70's KC has been serving up; worried about the unknown.
But, overall, I am so grateful. First and foremost, I'm grateful that I have the mere ability to swim, run and bike. Secondly, I'm grateful that I joined this group of amazing women that have so enriched my life in every way. We each came to the table with strengths and weaknesses. We've bolstered each other up and cheered for our successeses. I appreciate our coach and the time/planning she has done, but it is really these women that I have to credit to the fact that I'm sitting here in this hotel, writing these words and anticipating not only a triathlon, but my first half Ironman distance triathlon.
Go, Red Ladies! Be safe, race well, and Kick 'em in the NIBLETS!
We did a Last Chance Workout, so to speak, today at Lake Hefner. Everyone on the message boards had been very worried that the water would be too warm for wetsuits. That won't be a problem. The water was 70 degrees this morning and with the lows going down below 50 tonight, it won't be warming up any too soon.
I almost think I would be better off if it weren't westsuit legal. My wetsuit has been problematic lately. At HyVee, I had to pull it down off my torso so I could expand my lungs enough to breath. Then, I wore it at a practice swim on Monday. The water at Lakewood was fairly cool. We swam about a mile there, and I had no problems. Today, the water being cold and choppy, I felt like I had issues again.
I haven't done much swimming in choppy water to begin with. That, along with the cold water freaked me out a bit, and I had a "moment" again. I made myself stay out there until I swam a few hundred feet comfortably. I do really believe that once I get into the race tomorrow, have the buoys clearly defining the space, see lots of kayaks around for safety, and can just GO, I'll be fine, but this again did give me pause. I think it was a good reality check to NEVER, NEVER, NEVER take the swim for granted.
The weather is probably going to serve up the worst on both ends...it will be cold for the swim and the start of the bike...and, it promises to be hot for the run. And, it could be windy on top of all that. Weather is never anything we can control, but just get to deal with what is served up. While I feel more than ready for this event, I am worried...worried about staying calm and focused on the swim; worried about my nutrition on the bike; worried about running in 80+ degree weather, when my body so quickly acclimated to the 60's and 70's KC has been serving up; worried about the unknown.
But, overall, I am so grateful. First and foremost, I'm grateful that I have the mere ability to swim, run and bike. Secondly, I'm grateful that I joined this group of amazing women that have so enriched my life in every way. We each came to the table with strengths and weaknesses. We've bolstered each other up and cheered for our successeses. I appreciate our coach and the time/planning she has done, but it is really these women that I have to credit to the fact that I'm sitting here in this hotel, writing these words and anticipating not only a triathlon, but my first half Ironman distance triathlon.
Go, Red Ladies! Be safe, race well, and Kick 'em in the NIBLETS!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
More Race Practice
After eight long months of intense training, the event is almost here. I am officially in taper mode, though in all honesty, I started tapering last week after I finished the HyVee 5150 race. While I feel ready, I am still a little apprehensive. HyVee was my longest tri yet, and while the swim was almost as long as the half IM, the bike and run were a little less than half the distance. What it will feel like to put all three together is still an unknown. I only hope the cooler weather we've been experiencing here prevails in OKC next weekend, as I have already gotten pleasantly acclimated to the milder weather.
The HyVee 5150 (5150 being the total number of meters in the race: 1,500 swim, 40,000 bike and 10,000 run) was a great experience. Bea and I both signed up for the race; me, because I wanted the experience, especially in the swim, of the longer distance and Bea, because when she attempted the race several years ago, the race prevailed.
We were told at our pre-race meetings the day before that there was basically no likelihood of the water temperature being wetsuit legal. It had measured at 84 degrees and the possibility of it dropping six degrees was unlikely. I was okay with that; I'd practiced enough in open water that I wasn't worried about it. I just figured I'd be slower than normal. When we were preparing our stuff for the race, Bea asked me if I was going to go ahead and take my wetsuit. My first inclination was no, but then decided to throw it in at the last minute.
Miracle upon miracle, as we were walking to transition the morning of the race, the announcer was saying that the water temp had dropped to 74 making it legal to use a wetsuit. Yay!
The elite age groupers started the race first, at 6:45, so it was quite a wait before Bea's and then my heats took off. As I stood waiting for my turn to get into the water, I really wasn't nervous. I started out fine, however, as I got about 300 meters out, I noticed that I didn't feel that I could take a full breath and that my heart rate was starting to go up. I talked to myself quite a bit: slow down, take slow deep breaths... those techniques were not helping. So, I turned over on my back trying to will my heart rate down.
When I turned back on my stomach, a couple on a Sea-Doo asked if I was okay. I thought a moment and then waved them over. They threw me a floaty and I still tried to calm my heart rate. Since I knew that I had plenty of open water practice, I knew there was something else causing the issue. My wetsuit felt too constrictive. I unzipped it, tossed the floaty back to the couple and started out again.
I still couldn't catch my breath. As I treaded water, so many thoughts were going through my head. Was I going to have to get out? I looked around me and thought, there's still a lot of course ahead of me. But, all the swag I got...I won't be able to use it if I bail again! A girl in a kayak was nearby, so I waved her over. Holding on to the nose of the kayak, I pulled the top of my wetsuit off and let it fall to my waist. The couple on the Sea-Doo again asked me if I was ready to get out. It was obvious that they wanted me to either move on or get out. After a little more assistance from various floatation devices, I finally felt that I had caught my breath enough to go on.
It spent the next several hundred meters praying to God and the next several after that thanking Him as I was able to get back into my rhythm and finish the swim. My heart rate went back to normal and I started enjoying the swim again. I even seemed to pass several people. Getting out of the water was a little weird as my legs didn't really want to hold me up. (Note to self: when Liz mentioned kicking the last hundred yards or so, really kick!).
The rest of the race was uneventful. It was the most gorgeous day, sunny and in the low 70's by the time I finished. I finally caught Bea at mile 3 of the run and we finished the race together. I'm glad I learned that I'm too fat for my wetsuit at that race and not at Redman, so many valuable lessons were learned indeed.
So, now Redman is sneaking up. I am sort of in a taper slump. I want to get it over with, and don't feel compelled to do the rest of the workouts (I am making myself do most of them). I am tired of the all-consuming nature this training has taken in my life. Triathlon is a very self-absorbing occupation, taking up most of my free time. But, on the other hand, I am so grateful that I have been able to do this training. I feel strong and in shape. I'm nearing the home stretch on this journey and it's been quite a ride.
The HyVee 5150 (5150 being the total number of meters in the race: 1,500 swim, 40,000 bike and 10,000 run) was a great experience. Bea and I both signed up for the race; me, because I wanted the experience, especially in the swim, of the longer distance and Bea, because when she attempted the race several years ago, the race prevailed.
We were told at our pre-race meetings the day before that there was basically no likelihood of the water temperature being wetsuit legal. It had measured at 84 degrees and the possibility of it dropping six degrees was unlikely. I was okay with that; I'd practiced enough in open water that I wasn't worried about it. I just figured I'd be slower than normal. When we were preparing our stuff for the race, Bea asked me if I was going to go ahead and take my wetsuit. My first inclination was no, but then decided to throw it in at the last minute.
Miracle upon miracle, as we were walking to transition the morning of the race, the announcer was saying that the water temp had dropped to 74 making it legal to use a wetsuit. Yay!
The elite age groupers started the race first, at 6:45, so it was quite a wait before Bea's and then my heats took off. As I stood waiting for my turn to get into the water, I really wasn't nervous. I started out fine, however, as I got about 300 meters out, I noticed that I didn't feel that I could take a full breath and that my heart rate was starting to go up. I talked to myself quite a bit: slow down, take slow deep breaths... those techniques were not helping. So, I turned over on my back trying to will my heart rate down.
When I turned back on my stomach, a couple on a Sea-Doo asked if I was okay. I thought a moment and then waved them over. They threw me a floaty and I still tried to calm my heart rate. Since I knew that I had plenty of open water practice, I knew there was something else causing the issue. My wetsuit felt too constrictive. I unzipped it, tossed the floaty back to the couple and started out again.
I still couldn't catch my breath. As I treaded water, so many thoughts were going through my head. Was I going to have to get out? I looked around me and thought, there's still a lot of course ahead of me. But, all the swag I got...I won't be able to use it if I bail again! A girl in a kayak was nearby, so I waved her over. Holding on to the nose of the kayak, I pulled the top of my wetsuit off and let it fall to my waist. The couple on the Sea-Doo again asked me if I was ready to get out. It was obvious that they wanted me to either move on or get out. After a little more assistance from various floatation devices, I finally felt that I had caught my breath enough to go on.
It spent the next several hundred meters praying to God and the next several after that thanking Him as I was able to get back into my rhythm and finish the swim. My heart rate went back to normal and I started enjoying the swim again. I even seemed to pass several people. Getting out of the water was a little weird as my legs didn't really want to hold me up. (Note to self: when Liz mentioned kicking the last hundred yards or so, really kick!).
The rest of the race was uneventful. It was the most gorgeous day, sunny and in the low 70's by the time I finished. I finally caught Bea at mile 3 of the run and we finished the race together. I'm glad I learned that I'm too fat for my wetsuit at that race and not at Redman, so many valuable lessons were learned indeed.
So, now Redman is sneaking up. I am sort of in a taper slump. I want to get it over with, and don't feel compelled to do the rest of the workouts (I am making myself do most of them). I am tired of the all-consuming nature this training has taken in my life. Triathlon is a very self-absorbing occupation, taking up most of my free time. But, on the other hand, I am so grateful that I have been able to do this training. I feel strong and in shape. I'm nearing the home stretch on this journey and it's been quite a ride.
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