ChiTri Triple Race Report

Chicago Triathlon 2016 

Chicago Triple 

August 27-28, 2016

Super Sprint
Olympic
Sprint



So this year, I went crazy and scheduled my races nearly back to back.  I did the Ohio Delaware Half Ironman 2016 the week before the Chicago Triathlon.  I do the ChiTri every year for the AIDS Foundation raising money so I could not skip it.  So I knew I'd be challenging myself a lot by doing all these races over two weekends.

Frankly I wasn't sure I could do them all.  I spent the week after Ohio in taper + recovery doing practically nothing but eating and resting.  I hydrated and used my infrared heating pad to reduce inflammation.  I got some extra rest.  It was a busy week for work too though so I had plenty to occupy myself.

Saturday  Super Sprint

This race continues to bedevil me.  I really dislike running mass starts as my heart rate spikes and it takes forever to get it back down.  I was hopeful that I'd do really well, but that ended after the first two minutes when I was struggling to catch my breath in sloshy waves, knowing I was wasting precious time instead of swimming.  A short swim that should take about 6 minutes or less took me 1l minutes instead.  Mental shrug,  keep going.  I hopped out and got to my bike pretty quick, Triple racers get a pretty nice slot in transition.  I like that.  My bike results were pretty good.  The first loop took me awhile to get going but the second and third loops were faster.  Not fast enough to make up for a dorky swim but faster.  I did my run and could only manage 13:30 pace.  Last year was faster, surprisingly.  I had a full on panic attack last year, but I ran considerably faster last year 10:30 miles.  Huh.  I didn't recall I had ever done that so I'm on the hunt to pick up my running pace again.  I came in at 57:48.  Last year was 52 minutes.  I'd need to get it closer to 30 mins total to be competitive in my age group.  Still some work to do.

Sunday International and Sprint

I guess the best news is that I'm not suffering on the races these days.  In the past, I'd have moments of joy, but usually it's just one long sufferfest and I'd be happy once it was over.  These days, I'm finding that I'm enjoying a good part of the race and feeling really strong.  That's a nice change from feeling weak and frustrated about how slowly I'm traveling.  So the goal for that day was to hit 3:30.  I got really close.  3:35.  Oh I tried to hurry and get that last few minutes shaved off but just missed.  Dang!  I wasn't going for any record on the Sprint after really putting out the effort on the OLY.  As it was I was dizzy when I finished and had to drink several bottles of water, some gels and some salt to recover enough to start the Sprint.  Good news was I had a lot more time to recover and rest.

I have to say think you to coach Joy, Allan and Chris for coming over to the swim start that morning to wish me well.  I was feeling a bit alone...nothing new but ..heck it sure is nice to know that someone is there hoping you do well.  I got tears in my eyes when coach Chris gave me his pep talk and I got a hug from Joy.  Not sure they realize how deeply they are appreciated, not just by me.  Chris told me to stick close to the wall that day and that was the best advice.  It was pretty peaceful over there away from the center and good positioning for getting to the swim out.  It's always so cool to come up to those steps and see people's feet and a hand waiting to help you out.  Those folks are awesome.

So the results how how I did.  The swim went great.  I came out fourth in my age group!  That's nice.  I worked hard to get to where I could compete in swimming.  I like that part of the race best.  Weirdly as I've had the most frightening episodes of panic attacks on the swim.  I had someone work with me on tapping to overcome that fear early this year.  As Coach Allan says "I have to email her and thank her"  because it actually seems to have worked quite well.  Not only was I able to swim hard, not something I've been able to do in races for fear of creating a panic attack and being breathless, but I felt really strong and confident in the water.  I had a long transition as I had to walk a bit on the long run but I expected that.  I might have jogged a bit faster but I think it would not have done me much good.  I got changed as quick as I could and hopped on my bike.  I had no idea what my legs would put out that day.  I knew that half ironman was just a week ago and it was possible I'd experience some sluggishness and feel worn out but I was surprised pleasantly to find I had a great deal of power.  I was doing 17-24 mph through the whole race and feeling pretty happy.  I love riding at that speed.

Thanks to Bruce Critelli for taking this shot, I never saw him but heard him holler at me. 

 I can feel my race wheels singing beneath me and it feels like I'm flying.  Compared to prior races my bike pace is about 1-3 mph faster on average.   I used one Huma gel and a bottle of water and half a bottle of Rocket Fuel.  The run, still working on that one.  Running has always been my nemesis. It's where I fall below 50%.  Makes me sad but determined to get better.  I really pushed myself to speed up for the run, especially as I saw the time sliding toward 3:40.  I got across the finish line in 3:35 but it cost me.  Despite using salt every mile and sometimes twice, I was spent and dizzy.  It was pretty hot and humid and I knew I was going to have to slow it down on the sprint  but I was so happy to have a new PR for this race.  This race was my first triathlon in 2010.  For comparison, here are my results on that fateful day.  Fateful because it was the beginning of a new chapter in my life and I had no idea.  Total finish time?  4:28:31.  Wow.  I've shaved off nearly an hour from my first race. Only took me seven years to do it.  Ha!

For the Sprint I drank two bottles of water and ate a pack of shot blocks on the way over to the swim start.  I donned my lava pants on more time and put on my brand new goggles.  I have to say, the adage "nothing new on race day" had me concerned because I had not used these goggles once but knew that I needed some that were more clear for the early morning.  Wonder of wonders, these did NOT fog up.  I was really happy to be able to see.  That does help a lot.
The sprint swim started out pretty good.  I had a great pace, I could see I was middle to front of the pack until about half way.  However, I was feeling my lava pans sliding down as I swam and knew I'd have to do something about that soon.  Suddenly someone hit my legs and they both went into full cramp. I mean so hard I could not move.  I had to roll over on my back and wait for a minute to keep going. I was pissed off but that's one of my issues.  I have leg cramps A LOT.  I get them on the bike and the swim and sometimes they threaten on the run.  It's frustrating.  It's been a lifelong problem, not just in triathlon.  I did fix my lava pants and get them back on to finish swimming.  (I must've lost some weight because that has never happened before)
Anyway, I swam a good part of the rest with no kicking at all.  I didn't really even look at the time.  I took my time walking to transition and getting onto the bike.  I knew I'd have to slow it down a bit and keep eating to keep going.  I was surprised at the speed I did maintain despite that.  I was pretty spent by the run though and knew as I left transition I'd have to walk a lot.  I met up with a woman with whom I'd been trading places on the bike and run all day.  Christina and I walked together and crossed the finish line together.  We enjoyed talking about our racing and our lives.  Turns out we have a mutual acquaintance; Leslie Battle, all time Athena national champion.  She also wears Pierce Shoes so we talked about the shoes for a bit.

My first pass along the T2 tent, so happy to see everyone! 

So thus ends the racing season for me, except for the upcoming Big Shoulders 2.5 K swim.  I'm looking forward to that day.  Seriously, in spite of the cramping and the panic attacks, swimming is my favorite part of the sport.  It makes sense to me in a way the other two do not.  I get how to go faster and that does not require lots of strength.  It's more like being one with the universe and I enjoy that peacefulness of a good swim in a washing machine.  LOL. Well the washing machine is not my favorite. I do feel closer to my brother, the guy for whom I began doing these.  He's smiling and laughing and making fun of me for finally realizing something he knew all along; swimming is fun.  He swims with me whenever I'm in the water.


Reflections on the Triple

I love doing this race.  I did it the first time last year, after I won a raffle and got a free entry.  I was in serious doubt about whether I could finish a triple, thinking it was only for truly badass triathletes like Lynn Flentye, who kept saying I could do it.  I thought she was badass but also a bit crazy at the time.  Turns out she's smart and badass.   I know now that it's for anyone who wants to test themselves.  It's a test but it's a level of camaraderie that you don't get much else.  A small group who see each other repeatedly during two days who know how hard you are working as they do it themselves.  It's fun to have them recognize you on the trail, on top of your friends who compete as well.  I don't know if I'll do it again next year, I'm thinking maybe I'll want to volunteer for the Kid's Tri again or something.  I need to give back my time for all I've used.  So many volunteers at these races spend hours to make a race successful, working full days at fatiguing work.   Sounds like fun doesn't it?  It is.  To see people meeting their goals and so happy to get to the finish, it's fun and satisfying on a spiritual level.  I'd say try the triple at least once in your life.

Ironman OHIO 70.3 Race Report

Ironman Ohio makes my 10th Half Iron attempted and my 8th completed one.  I've done:
1)Honu (DNF) 2)Steelhead, 3)Las Vega World Championship, 4) New Orleans, 5)Haines City, 6)Racine, 7)Muncie, 8)Grand Rapids (rain out) 9)Milkman and 10) Ohio.

I like the 70.3 distance.  It's a big challenge but I feel capable of doing it, despite the first DNF and the rain out.  I've walked several of them due to lack of training or illness pre-race, but that race, more than the OLY or Sprint distance makes me feel like I've really challenged myself and accomplished something big.  Yes my IM LOU is an important milestone and I'm very pleased that I did that one. However, as far as training requirements, I think I can get ready for the HIM more easily and be ready for a race than I can for a full IM LOU.  That may change over the years because I can see my body is improving every year but we shall see  For now, the HIM is my favorite distance.

This year I was very happy to be doing the race with a lot of friends in triathlon.  I was hoping to see them on the course (probably as they zoomed by on the bike) and to enjoy the pre and post race times with them.  And I did but I was alone a lot more on this race than expected.  Partially because I was faster and did not get passed by many and partially because of the timing of the waves.  We all had dinner sort of around the restaurant the night before.  That was a little sad that we were not all together as a group.  But the food was good with good company at the table:  Tim Sanker, Marni Willenson and her two kids, Linda Pryce, and Bill Hineline.  Linda was a bit stressed about the swim as were many other athletes headed into this race.

Water temps had been high all week making it appear that the swim would be wetsuit optional but anyone with a wetsuit would be going in the last wave, or the "party wave" as Jamie Jacobsen called it.  Linda was not comfortable without the wetsuit but also concerned about her ability to meet the cutoffs.  As it turned out, she finished just fine and here she sashays down the finisher chute.   I was happy to leave the wetsuit behind.  I gave Linda my lava pants for a faster swim and transition but also to keep the heat from being an issue on her core.  She said it worked well.  Clearly! 

So the night before the race the weather was really terrible.  Tornado touched down in Delaware and driving rain had me concerned for my bike at the transition.  This race also had two transition areas 8 miles apart which is always a logistical nightmare if you are alone.  I found out you could leave your run gear at the T2 area the day before and Masumi Yoneyama and I planned our travel so we could do that and leave my car there overnight.  So I was wondering as that tornado passed through if I'd have ANY mode of transportation the next day.  All was well the next day.  No tangle of bikes or tipped over car.

Masumi and I arrived about 5:50 to T1 and this was plenty of time to air up the tires, check the bike computer, set out my gear and get ready.   I was pretty happy, but forgot to eat my last gu before the swim.  As I headed into the start chute, I realized I was hungry.  Damn!  First mistake.  I was too busy talking with folks and forgot all about my nutrition.  I had eaten a lot that morning and knew I would be fine for the swim but maybe at a deficit as I began the ride.  Shoot.

So the swim was a frustrating effort to pass/lose the woman who kept swimming on my right pushing me into the buoy line,  I tried several times to lose her, managed to a couple of times but damn it she kept showing up!  I knew it was her because she would swim a few strokes, then breast stroke, kick me and sight and go back to crawl.  I almost swam into two buoys trying to keep my distance from her.  Other than that it was an okay swim.  Not real slow but not my best.  I almost missed the second turn buoy and headed for the #4 orange buoy which was in line with #3 but I sort of said....I think I should be looking for a turn buoy and if I've not looked far enough right I might have missed it.  Sure enough, I sighted again and looked further right and found it.  Saved me swimming some extra yards.  Did have a nice finish, felt strong on the last 400 yards and was ready to get to the bike.  I was disappointed when I checked my time on getting out though.  Some folks are saying the swim was more like 2200 yds than 2000 so I may be okay with my time if that's true.  I got out of the water ahead of many in my division so that was a good start.  There were 53 finishers in the F 55+ division.

Total  1.2 mi   00:47:0500:47:050  pace: 2:26/100m  division rank:  19

T1 TIME 5:06

We had a run to get to the bike and then a run to get out that took me a few minutes.  I walked part of the way to catch my breathe.  I can say that I am able to run now.  In the past I would be completely out of breathe and unable to do more than walk so I'm happy to see that improvement.

Bike  Here is the bike course: IM OHIO 70.3 BIKE COURSE PREVIEW

It was advertised as a flat fast course.  Honestly, it was not flat. At times it was fast and my bike time was pretty good with a good pace.  I enjoyed the scenery a lot.  It was windy though so fighting cross winds was fatiguing.  It was hard to keep up the nutrition and hydration.  As I said I forgot the eat my planned gu before the swim so I got out with a slight deficit.  I took the time to drink some water before heading out and grabbed a packet to eat early.  My bike computer and my garmin both decided to malfunction at that point though so I was fooling with them for the first five miles.  I managed to suck down some nutrition and get my garmin working but I had to alter it to show just the bike course so I had no idea of my total overall time etc.  I was upset about that but heck it's go time!  I got sleepy at mile 40.  Good indicator of dehydration.  I upped the water consumption and got some more electrolytes in me. I was having slightly unhappy stomach for much of the ride but didn't use the Pepto tabs I carry on the bike.  It wasn't terrible and I'd rather see if I can fix it with nutrition than with medication.  I was however wishing like crazy I had an aspirin with me.  My right leg was aching from my butt down to my knee for the whole ride after about mile 15.  I was in a lot of pain and just wishing it was over for a good part of the ride.  I was changing my position, trying to stretch...but on a flatter course, you have no time when you cannot pedal.  It requires that you keep moving to keep your speed so I limited my stretches to the short downhills.  It wasn't enough.  I didn't have an aspirin because I used it on a prior ride. (Mistake #2)   Lesson:  do a better job preparing.  Normally I'm very good at anticipating and preparing for stuff, but this race was not my best one for that.  I did grab a gu on the last aid station.  Happily it was citrus flavor and had caffeine.  Saved me totally.  I was out of nutrition I wanted and I cannot normally stomach anything but citrus on the race.  I had an emergency gu but it was chocolate and the thought of eating that turned my stomach.  No way!  I sucked down that gu over the next few miles and felt much better.

Overall I did enjoy the ride except for the chip seal areas.  That was also tiring and not a good roll.  It did slow me down a lot to deal with those rough areas.  I'm not the best hill climber yet.. Still working on it.  I did try shifting down more on the uphill and managed to keep better speed so perhaps I've learned a new lesson in hill climbing.  My average speed was high for me.  Normally I'm at 14.8 or 15 so that was encouraging.  My division rank slipped down as often happens.

Total  56 mi   03:24:14    16.45 mph   division rank: 32
 T2: 3:51

I did a good job in T2.  In and out pretty fast but I had strapped on my phone carrier on my left arm for my HR monitor and got stopped by a ref.  For a minute my heart stopped when Roz said she would take my chip. I thought I was being DQd but she just wanted me to go back into transition but not with my chip.  HUGE RELIEF!  I lost about 3 mins going back but she waited and I picked up my chip and headed out.

I walked about a mile but was happy to feel my legs loosening up and allowing me to run.  I was doing 13:30 min mile pace for awhile but between walking and slowing due to heat and humidity I lost about a 1 min per mile pace eventually.  I had left my water bottle behind  (Mistake #3!) so I had to stop at every aid station on the run.  Sometimes I can skip them when I have my own water.  Again, not my best planned race.  The bottle was in my race gear bag but I forgot to grab it.  Normally it's in the shoes so I have to grab it to put my shoes on.  I did use my Pierce Shoes for faster transition.  And as usual I ran pretty well in them.  I actually am proud of my running improvements. I have much better posture and feel good on the run.  I ran for about 3/4 of the 13 miles so I was quite happy with that.  Not fast but good running.  At about mile 3 I ran into Nic Ruley...he ran up to me rather.  He tried to help me keep pace with him but my body is not able to keep up with a 30 yo runner like Nic.  I wish  I could....but no.  sad face.
Then I was passed by Masumi and Chris Navin in quick succession.  I heard later then all caught up with each other and ran together for awhile.  Sounds like that was fun.  sigh.
Then at about mile 11 Jamie Jacobsen passed me and I hollered hello to her.  There was one volunteer who was screaming her lungs out on a turn.  She was incredible in her energy and really putting a lot of love on the course.  I hollered that she was "awesome" as I went by and she looked at me surprised.  She was!  I met her through FB today and she said she is a coma survivor and volunteered not really knowing about IM or what she would be doing and was just amazed by all the athletes.  She was a real treasure.  What great lady.  At about mile 10 I came across a guy doubled over and asked if he was okay.  He said no, he needed salt.  He has just run out.  I stopped to give him my Base Salt tube and he took about six hits of salt and I left him trying to get started.  He passed me on a slow run but again I met him about 1/2 mile later as he was doubled over again.  This time he walked with me while he took more salt.  He ran off to finish after that.  I hope he was happy with his race.  Glad I could help him with his run.  I figured my run was not going to be too affected by that stop. It was not going to be a PR for me and a few more minutes were not going to kill me that day.   The  pace below does not indicate the running splits.  I was doing much faster on some of them when I looked.  I was pretty happy to have been at 14 min miles for a good part of the race.  Certainly walking all the aid stations and walking up the hills accounted for this overall time.  Plus, my best 13.1 standalone time is 3:15.  For all the damn walking and stopping I did, I nearly matched my best half marathon time.  I guess I'm improving.

Run 13.1 mi 03:22:42 15:28/mi div rank47
Total Race time: 07:42:58

My total race was not a PR (When I wrote this I thought it was true). I ran to the finish in the stadium (which was cool BTW) but none of my friends was there to see me or congratulate me. It was a quiet finish for me. I hunted for people after the race, missed every finish except for Katie Schmidt's which I saw as she ran down the street headed for the finish. It was not quite the day I had pictured in my head and I pouted a bit about being alone and not getting the time I had hoped for (still after that 7 hour HIM) but there will be other races and future improvements and maybe someone will be there to witness it with me that day.

In the mean time, first time finisher Anne Statton had a very proud finish that day. I wish I had seen her cross. Also a few other friends I haven't mentioned finished that day with me. Martin Christian and Sally Stresnak, Carol Steele, John Dizon and Tim Sanker. It's always cool when ALL your friends finish. Some of them finish in around 6 hours or less! Someday I'll be doing faster races...at least that's my goal.

  Epilogue: 

Racine Results from 2014

I looked up my Racine results because I was thinking I had been faster at that race but apparently I had a PR yesterday.  OMG!  (Racine Summary Swim00:45:03 Bike03:35:24 Run03:16:43 Overall07:49:0)  The race results from Racine are posted at right. There were only 21 competitors in 55+ that year. So I was in the bottom   I had mis-remembered that race as being 7:16 hrs but clearly it was not.  Not sure how I got that idea but hey, if I actually had a PR on Sunday, that's pretty cool.  I was asking myself how the heck  I could be doing so much more speed and end up slower than my past races.  DOH!  I guess I'll stop pouting now.

Ironman OHIO 70.3 Race Report

Ironman Ohio makes my 10th Half Iron attempted and my 8th completed one.  I've done:
1)Honu (DNF) 2)Steelhead, 3)Las Vega World Championship, 4) New Orleans, 5)Haines City, 6)Racine, 7)Muncie, 8)Grand Rapids (rain out) 9)Milkman and 10) Ohio.

I like the 70.3 distance.  It's a big challenge but I feel capable of doing it, despite the first DNF and the rain out.  I've walked several of them due to lack of training or illness pre-race, but that race, more than the OLY or Sprint distance makes me feel like I've really challenged myself and accomplished something big.  Yes my IM LOU is an important milestone and I'm very pleased that I did that one. However, as far as training requirements, I think I can get ready for the HIM more easily and be ready for a race than I can for a full IM LOU.  That may change over the years because I can see my body is improving every year but we shall see  For now, the HIM is my favorite distance.

This year I was very happy to be doing the race with a lot of friends in triathlon.  I was hoping to see them on the course (probably as they zoomed by on the bike) and to enjoy the pre and post race times with them.  And I did but I was alone a lot more on this race than expected.  Partially because I was faster and did not get passed by many and partially because of the timing of the waves.  We all had dinner sort of around the restaurant the night before.  That was a little sad that we were not all together as a group.  But the food was good with good company at the table:  Tim Sanker, Marni Willenson and her two kids, Linda Pryce, and Bill Hineline.  Linda was a bit stressed about the swim as were many other athletes headed into this race.

Water temps had been high all week making it appear that the swim would be wetsuit optional but anyone with a wetsuit would be going in the last wave, or the "party wave" as Jamie Jacobsen called it.  Linda was not comfortable without the wetsuit but also concerned about her ability to meet the cutoffs.  As it turned out, she finished just fine and here she sashays down the finisher chute.   I was happy to leave the wetsuit behind.  I gave Linda my lava pants for a faster swim and transition but also to keep the heat from being an issue on her core.  She said it worked well.  Clearly! 

So the night before the race the weather was really terrible.  Tornado touched down in Delaware and driving rain had me concerned for my bike at the transition.  This race also had two transition areas 8 miles apart which is always a logistical nightmare if you are alone.  I found out you could leave your run gear at the T2 area the day before and Masumi Yoneyama and I planned our travel so we could do that and leave my car there overnight.  So I was wondering as that tornado passed through if I'd have ANY mode of transportation the next day.  All was well the next day.  No tangle of bikes or tipped over car.

Masumi and I arrived about 5:50 to T1 and this was plenty of time to air up the tires, check the bike computer, set out my gear and get ready.   I was pretty happy, but forgot to eat my last gu before the swim.  As I headed into the start chute, I realized I was hungry.  Damn!  First mistake.  I was too busy talking with folks and forgot all about my nutrition.  I had eaten a lot that morning and knew I would be fine for the swim but maybe at a deficit as I began the ride.  Shoot.

So the swim was a frustrating effort to pass/lose the woman who kept swimming on my right pushing me into the buoy line,  I tried several times to lose her, managed to a couple of times but damn it she kept showing up!  I knew it was her because she would swim a few strokes, then breast stroke, kick me and sight and go back to crawl.  I almost swam into two buoys trying to keep my distance from her.  Other than that it was an okay swim.  Not real slow but not my best.  I almost missed the second turn buoy and headed for the #4 orange buoy which was in line with #3 but I sort of said....I think I should be looking for a turn buoy and if I've not looked far enough right I might have missed it.  Sure enough, I sighted again and looked further right and found it.  Saved me swimming some extra yards.  Did have a nice finish, felt strong on the last 400 yards and was ready to get to the bike.  I was disappointed when I checked my time on getting out though.  Some folks are saying the swim was more like 2200 yds than 2000 so I may be okay with my time if that's true.  I got out of the water ahead of many in my division so that was a good start.  There were 53 finishers in the F 55+ division.

Total  1.2 mi   00:47:0500:47:050  pace: 2:26/100m  division rank:  19

T1 TIME 5:06

We had a run to get to the bike and then a run to get out that took me a few minutes.  I walked part of the way to catch my breathe.  I can say that I am able to run now.  In the past I would be completely out of breathe and unable to do more than walk so I'm happy to see that improvement.

Bike  Here is the bike course: IM OHIO 70.3 BIKE COURSE PREVIEW

It was advertised as a flat fast course.  Honestly, it was not flat. At times it was fast and my bike time was pretty good with a good pace.  I enjoyed the scenery a lot.  It was windy though so fighting cross winds was fatiguing.  It was hard to keep up the nutrition and hydration.  As I said I forgot the eat my planned gu before the swim so I got out with a slight deficit.  I took the time to drink some water before heading out and grabbed a packet to eat early.  My bike computer and my garmin both decided to malfunction at that point though so I was fooling with them for the first five miles.  I managed to suck down some nutrition and get my garmin working but I had to alter it to show just the bike course so I had no idea of my total overall time etc.  I was upset about that but heck it's go time!  I got sleepy at mile 40.  Good indicator of dehydration.  I upped the water consumption and got some more electrolytes in me. I was having slightly unhappy stomach for much of the ride but didn't use the Pepto tabs I carry on the bike.  It wasn't terrible and I'd rather see if I can fix it with nutrition than with medication.  I was however wishing like crazy I had an aspirin with me.  My right leg was aching from my butt down to my knee for the whole ride after about mile 15.  I was in a lot of pain and just wishing it was over for a good part of the ride.  I was changing my position, trying to stretch...but on a flatter course, you have no time when you cannot pedal.  It requires that you keep moving to keep your speed so I limited my stretches to the short downhills.  It wasn't enough.  I didn't have an aspirin because I used it on a prior ride. (Mistake #2)   Lesson:  do a better job preparing.  Normally I'm very good at anticipating and preparing for stuff, but this race was not my best one for that.  I did grab a gu on the last aid station.  Happily it was citrus flavor and had caffeine.  Saved me totally.  I was out of nutrition I wanted and I cannot normally stomach anything but citrus on the race.  I had an emergency gu but it was chocolate and the thought of eating that turned my stomach.  No way!  I sucked down that gu over the next few miles and felt much better.

Overall I did enjoy the ride except for the chip seal areas.  That was also tiring and not a good roll.  It did slow me down a lot to deal with those rough areas.  I'm not the best hill climber yet.. Still working on it.  I did try shifting down more on the uphill and managed to keep better speed so perhaps I've learned a new lesson in hill climbing.  My average speed was high for me.  Normally I'm at 14.8 or 15 so that was encouraging.  My division rank slipped down as often happens.

Total  56 mi   03:24:14    16.45 mph   division rank: 32
 T2: 3:51

I did a good job in T2.  In and out pretty fast but I had strapped on my phone carrier on my left arm for my HR monitor and got stopped by a ref.  For a minute my heart stopped when Roz said she would take my chip. I thought I was being DQd but she just wanted me to go back into transition but not with my chip.  HUGE RELIEF!  I lost about 3 mins going back but she waited and I picked up my chip and headed out.

I walked about a mile but was happy to feel my legs loosening up and allowing me to run.  I was doing 13:30 min mile pace for awhile but between walking and slowing due to heat and humidity I lost about a 1 min per mile pace eventually.  I had left my water bottle behind  (Mistake #3!) so I had to stop at every aid station on the run.  Sometimes I can skip them when I have my own water.  Again, not my best planned race.  The bottle was in my race gear bag but I forgot to grab it.  Normally it's in the shoes so I have to grab it to put my shoes on.  I did use my Pierce Shoes for faster transition.  And as usual I ran pretty well in them.  I actually am proud of my running improvements. I have much better posture and feel good on the run.  I ran for about 3/4 of the 13 miles so I was quite happy with that.  Not fast but good running.  At about mile 3 I ran into Nic Ruley...he ran up to me rather.  He tried to help me keep pace with him but my body is not able to keep up with a 30 yo runner like Nic.  I wish  I could....but no.  sad face.
Then I was passed by Masumi and Chris Navin in quick succession.  I heard later then all caught up with each other and ran together for awhile.  Sounds like that was fun.  sigh.
Then at about mile 11 Jamie Jacobsen passed me and I hollered hello to her.  There was one volunteer who was screaming her lungs out on a turn.  She was incredible in her energy and really putting a lot of love on the course.  I hollered that she was "awesome" as I went by and she looked at me surprised.  She was!  I met her through FB today and she said she is a coma survivor and volunteered not really knowing about IM or what she would be doing and was just amazed by all the athletes.  She was a real treasure.  What great lady.  At about mile 10 I came across a guy doubled over and asked if he was okay.  He said no, he needed salt.  He has just run out.  I stopped to give him my Base Salt tube and he took about six hits of salt and I left him trying to get started.  He passed me on a slow run but again I met him about 1/2 mile later as he was doubled over again.  This time he walked with me while he took more salt.  He ran off to finish after that.  I hope he was happy with his race.  Glad I could help him with his run.  I figured my run was not going to be too affected by that stop. It was not going to be a PR for me and a few more minutes were not going to kill me that day.   The  pace below does not indicate the running splits.  I was doing much faster on some of them when I looked.  I was pretty happy to have been at 14 min miles for a good part of the race.  Certainly walking all the aid stations and walking up the hills accounted for this overall time.  Plus, my best 13.1 standalone time is 3:15.  For all the damn walking and stopping I did, I nearly matched my best half marathon time.  I guess I'm improving.

Run 13.1 mi 03:22:42 15:28/mi div rank47
Total Race time: 07:42:58

My total race was not a PR (When I wrote this I thought it was true). I ran to the finish in the stadium (which was cool BTW) but none of my friends was there to see me or congratulate me. It was a quiet finish for me. I hunted for people after the race, missed every finish except for Katie Schmidt's which I saw as she ran down the street headed for the finish. It was not quite the day I had pictured in my head and I pouted a bit about being alone and not getting the time I had hoped for (still after that 7 hour HIM) but there will be other races and future improvements and maybe someone will be there to witness it with me that day.

In the mean time, first time finisher Anne Statton had a very proud finish that day. I wish I had seen her cross. Also a few other friends I haven't mentioned finished that day with me. Martin Christian and Sally Stresnak, Carol Steele, John Dizon and Tim Sanker. It's always cool when ALL your friends finish. Some of them finish in around 6 hours or less! Someday I'll be doing faster races...at least that's my goal.

  Epilogue: 

Racine Results from 2014

I looked up my Racine results because I was thinking I had been faster at that race but apparently I had a PR yesterday.  OMG!  (Racine Summary Swim00:45:03 Bike03:35:24 Run03:16:43 Overall07:49:0)  The race results from Racine are posted at right. There were only 21 competitors in 55+ that year. So I was in the bottom   I had mis-remembered that race as being 7:16 hrs but clearly it was not.  Not sure how I got that idea but hey, if I actually had a PR on Sunday, that's pretty cool.  I was asking myself how the heck  I could be doing so much more speed and end up slower than my past races.  DOH!  I guess I'll stop pouting now.

Milkman Race Report

Milkman Race Course
"The race will grace the shores along iconic Olin Park in beautiful Madison, Wisconsin. Start with a 1.2 mile swim in the historic waters of Lake Monona shared by Ironman Wisconsin, then bike 56 miles among the endless rolling hills of Dane County, south of Madison. Finally, a picturesque 13.1 mile run along the shores of Lake Monona."

I arrived in Madison hoping for a great race, the first half of two scheduled for this summer.  I had unwisely signed up for both Naperville and Leon's Sprints the preceding two weeks and done well enough but used up some of my energy for those races I would need for Madison Milkman.  
I will say that ricocheting around my brain all week had been the question, "Why are you doing this?" and "I may just quit on this one."  This is not the best way to enter a race.  
SWIM  44:19  T1 5:49  BIKE 3:57:56  T2 5:28 RUN 3:27:42
Swim: 

I swam the course a bit the day before so I had a good idea of the course conditions.  I am not too concerned about swims these days, except when they are extremely cold and I tend to devolve into panic attacks.  Water temps were comfortable 72 and I used my lava pants for buoyancy.  
The swim went well.  It was at a different point on Lake Monona than where I had swum last year at the Madison OWS event.  The entry was squishy with mud and shallow out to a pretty far point so you had to decide whether to walk or swim at the start.  I got swimming at the starting shot and encountered a few obstacles in the way of poorer swimmers doing breast stroke and stopping but managed to get around them okay.  I had remembered to start my garmin so I got out at about 44 mins and was happy with that.  I stopped at one point to ask a lady if she was okay as she was gasping at the turn.  It was a bit tough to see all the buoys and I had some trouble, as usual, with a tendency to swim to the right, away from the course so I had to sight more often than I like.  Still working on that issue.  I did enjoy seeing all my teammates at the start of the race: Chris Navin, Shelley Sarson, Lynn Flente, Dottie Johnson, Steve Inman, Scott Hutmacher,  Masumi Yoneyama, and others.  It's always nice to have support!  You can see Steve's photo below, the photographer snapped it at the moment he whizzed by me and you can see me behind him.  HA!  

T1 5:49 was a long run to the bikes but I managed to jog the whole way without feeling out of breathe.  That is unique for me, in the recent races I have begun to be able to do this.  I got to the bikes and got myself into my bike shoes and helmet with no problems.  I took longer than I like but that run added at least 2 mins to my normal time.  I took my time though and put on sunscreen, ate a gu. I was not trying for a massive PR, but I did want to match some of my prior times. 

BIKE " Riders leave Madison to the south using the Capital City Bike Path and travel scenic country roads through the Village of Oregon and west over the challenging Observatory Hill. Returning through the Town of Paoli and through Alliant Energy Center, riders finish using the bike trail under John Nolen Dr. to Olin Park."       
When they say challenging you should believe them.  Observatory Hill  was not the first point on the course where I that thought of "I may just quit" arose in my head.  I was not feeling it that weekend, and it really presented a major challenge throughout this race.  But Observatory Hill had me going 2 MPH, barely upright on that hill, and while there were plenty others slowly making their way up that hill, I was certainly one of the back of the pack riders that day.  I hate that.  My competitive Type A self does not like to be last.  I was not last, I was 289/290 that day of all women competitors.  So one other very tired person followed me off the course.  There were actually many others behind me but they were DNF as they did not make the cut off.  As I rode that "scenic" course, I was all kinds of miserable, but took care of myself by hydrating well and eating even as I was talking myself into and out of quitting.  Each moment I got near to stopping, I'd get passed by a team mate who would shout out to me and I'd renew my efforts.  That bike ride was a tough mental challenge as well as a tough physical one.  I'm pretty sure I entered it in rather down condition to begin with.  I had only recently done a Threshold test and my watts were down by 30 so I knew I was dealing with weaker condition than last fall.  It was a test.  I figured I'd miss the cutoff as I rode but decided to keep going.  I do have a motto on hilly courses though: "Take all downhills as fast as I can tolerate."  That day I did several at 45 mph.  I was very surprised to enter the transition area with several other folks and to find that I was well within the cutoff.  In fact, the time for the ride wasn't that bad considering. I usually do about 2+ to 3:30 and that day I finished in 3:57 so hey, the mental challenge was my worst enemy.  I also almost quit at the transition, thinking I would not get it done in time but again figured, well hell, why not?  It was getting very hot at that point though and the heat took quite a toll. 

One irritating and laughable thing was that my garmin decided to think I was swimming the rest of the day, instead of forwarding to bike on the multisport setting.  So I had some very impressive swim speeds all day.  I only used my garmin for the total race time after the swim so I had no speeds for my bike or run.  My bike computer worked but it's not set right for my race wheels and reads a bit fast so I was not sure how fast my average speed was which also irritated me.  Hard to ride your race plan without feedback.

T2 5:28  Don't ask me why I took so long.  I had to sit to get my shoes on and had to ask someone who had finished to help me get back up.  My legs were very sore and I was tired.  Tired of the internal fighting and tired of the ride and the heat.  I have no idea why I dawdled in that transition area so long though.  

RUN 3:27 "A counter-clockwise loop of the iconic Lake Monona Loop. Passing through Monona on the way back to Madison, the run course is scenic and challenging. Spectators will be plentiful in the many parks and great neighborhoods along the course."

 I do know why the run took so long.  When you don't run much you take longer.  End of story.  As the heat and humidity worsened, I walked out of T2 and saw Shelley Sarson.  I was so glad to see someone one knew.  It made a huge difference.  She told me that Hootie was on the course and he was walking it.  I understood why.  Take a pair of legs, thrash them on a very steep and challenging course, add heat, humidity and a bad attitude and stir.  You get NOTHING LEFT.    I had expected the run to be pretty shady and close to the water in looking at the map.  HOWEVER, that was not what happened.  We were in subdivisions and at times you could see the lake but rarely were we alongside it.  Plus there might be trees but at the time I was running the shade was often on the opposite side of the street.  I took to the sidewalks to get the shade I could which helped.  I stopped for ice at almost every aid station.  I always carry my own water so I only got water if I needed a refill.  I walked alot but ran when I could.  Two volunteers put ice on my head and down my back after asking if they could.  I agreed and then shouted my appreciation as they all laughed.  That was the best part of the race I think.  I could hear them laughing as I ran off.  My normal stand along half is 3:15 so I was quite surprised to see my time come up so short.  

FINISH LINE  8:20
The cutoff for this race was 8:30.  I was shocked that I made it in time for the official finish.  I got my medal and limped around but saw no one but John Dizon who commiserated with me about the toughness of the day.  After listening to a great band and eating some food I limped over to my stuff and picked it up.  I had decided to keep my hotel room that morning and maybe leave the next day and I was enormously glad I had.  I went back to the hotel and just collapsed on the bed after taking a bath.  At about 8 PM I got up and drove home and still had leg cramps and soreness.  I did not want to drive home in the morning traffic though and worried that I'd be unable to get up really early so I decided to leave and drive home in Sunday evening lighter traffic.  

Epilogue
Many of my team mates had a tough day as well.  Many of us did less well than we would have liked but a shrug and a claim that it was a good training day let's you move forward.  I had been struggling with my training all spring, thinking of it as more like work than like fun and this race just epitomized those feelings.  I spent the recovery week doing fun things and considering why I do these races and what triathlons mean to me.  I let myself do the training I wanted to do rather than following a proscribed plan.  This year is more of a year off from the intensity of last year's racing and training schedule so I'm not out to blow the doors off any race really.  I'm working on strength training, running speeds and just fitting the training into a balanced lifestyle.  It's what I want to do long term and if I burn myself out now, I won't be happy with this choice.  So I've done what I like and what I want and I'm getting some results that are good.  My training yesterday was a long day of Metabolic efficiency activities.  I swam a mile, did 25 on computrainer and ran 8 miles, all at Zone 2-3 levels.  It took longer but I ended the training day feeling quite good and knew I'd used a good amount of fat that day.  So this race taught me something about my mental attitude that needed repair and helped me to find the way to do that.  While it was not my fastest race, it may well have helped me to figure out how to get to my fastest race.  And my next threshold test I was back up above my last fall level at 161 Watts so indeed that "training race" put me on track.                                                   

Naperville Sprint Triathlon Race Report

"Bad day at the office, honey."

It's Sunday evening and I'm really very tired but I thought I'd get a few thoughts down before I retire.
It was quite a weekend.  I really didn't put too much emphasis on this race for myself as it was short and a training race on the way to the Milkman Half next weekend.  I'm surprised at how much it took out of me but that's probably because of all the other stuff I did, not the race itself.

I offered and was happy to accommodate Christina Putnam in her request for a ride to the race.  She accepted my offer to spend the night on Saturday at my place and ride in on race morning with me.  We had a really fun time talking and getting to know one another.  Joy rode out to Naperville on Saturday with us to get our race packets.  That day was very hot and humid and probably I got somewhat dehydrated from that and did not replace my fluids as well as I should have.

I did get my race wheels on my bike and my gear packed and ready on Saturday night.  I made dinner for me and Christina using the crock pot and the rice steamer so it was an easy meal to make.
I did every thing I could to get my bike set up right but when I picked Ruthless up from Element, but her tune up was not spot on.  She clicks in nearly every gear indicating a maladjusted derailleur.  Not good.  Anyway, she was as ready as I could get her last night so I went to bed feeling pretty confident.
Race morning we executed out plan nearly spot on, arriving for transition about 6:10.  By 6:30 I was set up and ready.  I thought.
I used my lava pants instead of a wet suit and had a pretty good swim.  My form and speed were good when I wasn't dodging people sort of standing and just doing nothing along the way.  The swim course is a snake swim with five turns.  It's in a pool with a shallow end where you can walk around the two end buoys.  It's not bad for first timers except there are lane lines and it's a bit cramped.  I checked all this out and decided to start at the front of the pack for this race.  I normally hang back but I figured the best least "washing machine" location would actually be at the front.  It worked well.  I passed quite a few from the three waves in front of us as well.  13:24 swim time.

T1 had a long run to the transition area and I didn't push myself real hard so I have a long T1.  5:46 mins

I took my bike on a jog and hopped on feeling pretty good.  I was having a lot of trouble keeping my speed up and at mile 3 I took a right turn at a good speed and nearly wiped out twice on that one turn. A lady called out that "You're lucky!" and I responded "Nope, I'm very skilled, no luck about it!"  However, I was just really feeling like I was pedaling through mud and the mental analysis started: " The fact that I had just done a threshold test on Thursday may have had an effect.  Friday I was just exhausted after that day.  Sat I did a 1.5 mi run in the heat before we left for Naperville too. "   By mile five I knew something was off. I have having a lot of trouble steering and the rear wheel felt loose.  I stopped to check the wheel and found it was flat.  I got out my CO2 which I promptly opened and discharged completely.  Luckily a  volunteer guy came by and pumped it up. He remarked on my IMLOU sticker still on the bike.  Feeling awesome and raring to go I headed out on really fast wheels.  I was doing 22-23 mph with a full tire but this slowed over time.  I knew I probably had a slow leak because the night before at 9 PM the tire was at 110psi.  I decided not to take the time to change the tire and instead drive the rest of the course as hard as I could as fast as I could before the tire flattened again.  By mile 11 I was pretty much pushing mud again but held onto about 15-16 mph.   I had to use my Garmin for the ride though because my bike computer battery was dead.  I had just replaced this battery before Leon's last week so I guess it was a bad battery.  Argh.
Not sure what my bike time was.  50 mins I think.  52:58 by official timing.

T2 was shorter but it's a long run to the bike in so it was still long; 3:40 I think.  Actual 3:10.

I got Ruthless racked, changed shoes (Pierce Footwear ) and headed out on an easy run.  My legs felt like tree trunks but I managed to run all but about 5 mins of the run.  I felt pretty good and knew my form was good and my knee was not bothering me.  I had injured it in Krakow and it's been aching on the outside of my right knee since then.  Running was slow; 13:30 min miles but steady...until I tripped over a small ledge on the sidewalk and went flying.  I managed to land and roll and the injuries were just a bit of skin from my hands and one knee.  I sat for 30 seconds and got up and got going again.  Run time was 40:19, not what I had wanted but given the problems I faced I felt I had done a pretty damn good job.   I crossed the finish line in 1:55.  The best full sprint time I've had is 1:52.  I believe I would have had a PR without the problems so I'm happy that my "training day" really gave me problems to solve which I handled without getting rattled.  I felt good at the end and although not my best time it does indicate again to me that my fitness has improved yet again.  I'm really excited about the OH 70.3 in August to see where I can drive my fitness level.  Pretty sure Milkman will not be my most outstanding race given that my knee is now bothering me a lot and the fatigue after Naperville was pretty extreme.  I'm hydrating and keeping up with my 100 day Burpee challenge (we are on 11 days and 11 burpees today) and my training so I'm hopeful that Milkman won't be a total disaster.  I guess expecting that could shield me from disappointment from a longer day.  My summer goal is to finish a 70.3 in under 7:30 and if possible just over 7 hours.  We shall see.

My comment Sunday evening:  "Not a PR but certainly with all the trouble I had, it was a great time.  I'm happy for the outcome.  It was a good day but now I'm headed to bed.  It's 9 PM.  Very early for me."

Even a bad day at the triathlon "office" is better than a good day in a real office.  I'm happy that I get to do these.  It's a great sport.

Race results are below.

Leon's Triathlon Race Report

This is me, behind the other two racers.  Despite that photo, I actually tied with the Carol who is in front of me because she is one of my team-mates on Trimonster and she waited for me so we crossed together.  That meant I tied for third place but in all honesty she earned it.  I was grateful that she did that and got a medal but there's that * after it.  *Due to kindness and team spirit.  It's a testament to the soul of most triathletes:  Gratitude that we can do this, graciousness with other competitors, encouragement for anyone who attempts this sport and generosity for those who need a hand.  That's one of the reasons I love this sport.  So many beautiful things happen with these athletes.  Yeah, there are days when someone is a selfish jerk, but I want to focus on the great things about this sport today.

Please also note my running shoes.  I got those from George Pierce who invented the closure and patented them and produced them.  He is a great guy.  He was the national Duathlon Champion in 2011 but got hit by a car and broke his back in many places.  After healing he went back to the sport and was frustrated with the closures and the time delay of getting into running shoes so he decided to fix that.  You can see his story here: George Pierce's story

I've gotten to know him after he called me out of the blue one day and offered to send me a pair of his shoes to try.  Now I work with him.  We are seeking investors and working hard to launch this company.

Why?  I love these shoes.  They are not only easy to get on and off but they are comfortable.  The most comfortable SOCKLESS shoes I have tried.  I've tried them all.  They are usually very hard to get on, they have that tongue and eyelets that rub your feet.  They just don't do well.  After IM Louisville in my Altras, I lost several toenails and had a serious piriformis issue that kept returning.  I started wearing Pierce shoes and it went away.  And, no lost toenails.

So Leon's race was set in perfect weather on Sunday.  Whoever ordered that day did a great job.  It was just cool enough and overcast but not rainy.  My swim was 575 yds. I used my lava pants instead due to easier removal but still the advantage of buoyancy.  I had a pretty good swim but did an extra 75 yds or so.  10:08 was the time.

Transition has a longer run and although I wasn't happy with my time (3:42) I got in and out as fast as I could, talking to the young kid next to me who got out just ahead of me. (felt pretty good about being there).  Got off on my ride and encountered some tough winds (15 knots) off and on as we turned into and out of the wind.  Mostly yaw due to cross winds but once had it at my back on the out and back and hit 23 mph.  Returning sucked though, was doing like 12 mph.  Still it was a pretty good ride for me, finished in like 49 mins for an average speed of 15.6.  A lot of turns which I slowed more than I normally would due to fears about gravel and face planting.  Had I done the OLY, I would have done the second loop faster.

Got back to transition and into my shoes in 2:22.  I was feeling pretty good and rather than walking for a distance began running immediately.  I did have to walk a few times but managed to keep a good pace for almost the whole run.  It was sunny off and on but really very nice day for a run.

It took me 40 mins to do the run which doesn't indicate just how good I felt.  My walking slowed the average speed down but when running I was doing 12:30 pace.  That's not bad for me.  Carol passed me at the end.  I was mad at myself because she has been beating me for years.  I had a chance to come in third but blew it by allowing myself to walk those few times giving up the distance I had gained between us.  I don't begrudge her nor am I jealous.  I'm going to keep trying because I know I can improve and she's a great competitor.

My total race time was 1:38.  A 14 min PR for sprints for me.  I'm very happy with my performance but figure I might have come in at 1:35 had I been able to keep my run pace up.  Still first place was 1:16 so that's where I'm setting my sights.  That means a slightly faster bike and run and maybe a few seconds off the transition, plus a more direct swim.  I can do better and that's exciting to know.  I don't feel like I used to, that I used myself up completely and that's all I could do.  I believe my fitness has improved so much that I am able to do more now.

We'll see this Sunday at Esprit de She.  I'm treating this as a training race.  Will be good to nail down a few things.  I'm doing the Milkman Half June 19 so I want to have myself prepped for a good race that weekend.

So all in all it was a wonderful day with lots of friends competing.  A few newbies that did great!  Trimonster men took first place for team in OLY and we all had a very good day.  I'm so lucky to be able to do this sport.  It's a part of my life that keeps me healthy and focused.  Hope to someday be able to retire and just be a triathlon coach and competitor.  That would be the best of all worlds.

Will I ever be fit and thin again?

I know I'm not fat, but I know there's fat.  I can feel it when I bend and when I try to do things.  There's way less than there used to be but I'm still feeling like I'm not where I want to be.  I recall the old days of being totally in shape.  Where are those pictures of me posing in body builder poses?  Probably no one will believe it was me.  However I remember how it felt to be that fit.  I want that again.  Funny, I didn't really have to work as hard as I seem to work now and I ate anything I wanted.  I really  want those days back.  Where the heck did that body go and who snuck in and left this new older version for me to drag around?  Just not loving this body of mine so much these days.  It betrays me when I want the most from it.  Lately I've had a piriformis issue.  This totally sucks and now it's starting to affect my right foot at times.  Yes I'm massaging it and working this thing out all the time.  Stretching and hoping this problem will finally disappear but just when I can forget about it, it comes back and begins to ache.  F this.

I've been working on maintenance since the Ironman race hoping to hang on to much of the fitness I had developed, and in all honesty I think I've been able to hang on to a lot more than I deserve.  It's been nice to run up stairs and not be breathless and to do an indoor tri and not have to go home and nap all afternoon.  However, I'm still frustrated with age and the effects I feel.

I suppose I should be grateful that I don't have worse problems.  I mean I could be completely incapacitated like I was from 1991-1999 by migraine headaches and CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) but that is such an extreme.

I should also be grateful that my mental faculties are almost completely returned.  I'm back to reading 500 wpm and 700 books a year again.  I recently passed the IM coaching certification test so I'm confident that my mental capacity is pretty good.

Perhaps that's why I'm so hard on myself.  I think all the time.  I question and analyze and wonder why I can't do more.  I hate to chalk it up to age and let it go.  I'm certainly never going there.
I think I'll just keep after these things, dealing with the issues as they arise and keep going forward.  That's the only direction I know that's worth the effort.