Race Report Shelbyville Tri #3

SHELBYVILLE TRIATHLON #3 The weather was predicted to be chilly at the start and warm to the 50s so I planned to wear my one piece Coeur Kit under long pants and a long sleeve bike top for the Run and Bike legs. Due to the weather, we did this last one backwards again: Run - Bike - Swim. It's not my favorite because I run slow and am normally one of the lagging few to get out on the bike course making for a lonely ride. The swim is nice because when I finally arrive I have a clear path to the finish with no one to pass, or very few. The tri starts at 7:30AM or there abouts. It's a pretty casual/relaxed race start which makes my anxiety less of an issue. I don't have to get up until 6:30 AM and can get there by 6:45 normally after feeding the pets and getting some breakfast. I set up my bags the night before, laid out the clothes I planned to wear and was pretty ready once I was dressed to load the car and head out. Took my coffee on the ride. My piriformis as been tweaking me for days now and I wasn't sure how much running I'd be able to do. It does tend to limit my left leg forward movement and makes my hip joint hurt on the landing. I started out with a light jog and decided pretty rapidly to just walk the hills at a pace I could manage without pain. For mile 1 that was about 17 min mile, but I finished the mile in 14:15. So I was doing a lot more running than I expected to be able to do. Mile 2 was marginally better for pain but it has some pretty big hills. The pain is worse on the hills so I had to slow a bit. That mile was at 14:25. By mile 3 I realized the pain has subsided a lot and I could run on the flats and downhill but still had to walk the uphills. That mile was 14:55. Not my best performance but the best I could muster today. Race results indicate that's the leg I fell behind my competitor. I matched or bettered her in the other two legs, but was 5 min behind her due to my run. One issue, I'm still skinnier than I used to be and my long black leggings kept sliding down on the run. I decided to ditch them for the bike. I race in my Hokas because they have more cushioning and this seems helpful to my injury, reducing the pain on landing a bit. I took the gloves off but stuffed them into my bike shirt pocket in case I wanted them on the bike. This was a good idea. The run path heads up a paved area around a field and a golf course, across a gravel area and a bridge with lots of trip hazards, then across some grass to an entry road to a campsite contiguous to the start at the community center, then up a short way near the damn and back. I also walked any of the uneven pavement areas. I managed not to trip at all. 45 min run 3.2 miles I arrived at transition, found my bike and was able to keep that time to a short one. I had mentally practiced what I would do in that transition several times on the run, so upon arrival I was able to quickly strip off the pants, get my bike shoes on, set up my garmin and get my helmet on and set out. I took my time walking to the mount like because the transition is on asphalt and working on asphalt with bike shoes is how I slipped and broke my knee cap. I don't want to repeat that! Set out on the bike, wasn't having too much trouble breathing and was able to spin up pretty well. Hills were still slow 6-10 Mph on each. This bike ride was a 3 loop ride that heads out from the transition to the right going west with several hills to 55, right onto 55 for about 1.5 miles of false flat, then right again for a fast portion (I was doing 17-18 mph here) for a short 3/4 mile, then another right heading back toward town and this part is REALLY fun and fast (I was doing 20-30 mph) for about 1/5 miles then a short hill, a right turn, a left turn and a right turn in quick succession and a big hill down - up- down back to the start where I was again doing close to 30 mph. I had a blast on the ride. By loop 3 my hands were frozen as I passed the start so I dug out my left glove and struggled to get it on but I was so happy I had it. Weirdly, putting on glove on, warmed my other hand. I knew if I arrived with frozen hands I'd have trouble getting my bike shoes and helmet off so I decided the short loss of speed was worth the struggle to get my glove on. It was but I still had trounle getting my shoes off. I was a bit worried that I might be ruining my swim by pushing on the bike and running today. I have been fighting with muscle cramps a lot through all my training so I was mildly worried I'd cramp up on the swim and end it all there. I decided to set that worry aside and do what I could do. I had one bottle of mix: Precision electrlytes and Base aminos (rocket fuel) and another bottle of tea. I have found that tea hydrates me and quenches my thirst better than water usually. I alternated both through out the bike ride and consumed 3/4 of each by the ride's end. I spun up the cadence on the last few turns to try to release the blood from my legs and coasted into transition, carefully walking after dismount. I found my stuff and grunted my way through removing my shoes, helmet, bike shirt, socks etc to be ready to just jump in the water once I arrived. I had my swim bag packed with after race coverup, towel and some nutrition. I wore my sandals up the grassy hill to the pool. I had a lot of trouble getting my bike shoes off. A guy cleaning up his stuff said "lots of noises coming from over there!" laughing at me. I said "yes, I'm making old person noises!" WE laughed. I fnally got everything removed I wanted to leave behind and headed up the hill, slowly as my legs were still pretty heavy. I wished I had drunk some water in transition, but forgot. 1:08 14 mph avg 28 mph top speed, 188 max HR I got to the pool, finally got my cap on (my hands were still stiff and it wasn't cooperating...took 3 tries) goggles on and had set up my garmin for the swim on the walk up so I was ready to swim fairly quickly. The pool house was quite warm and as I entered I felt like I couldn't breathe it was so humvid. I stepped into the water and started swimming. I took the first 50 yds slow and gradually added speed at each lap. I had to stop once for a foot cramp (OH NO! I thought...is this going to continue?) and stopped once to clear my goggles and reset them, but otherwise I was doing okay. Not my fastest swim by far...I knew I could swim it under perfect circumstances in under 7 minutes but my garmin at the end said I used 9 minutes. I did pass a team mate on the last lap who I had not seen after he passed me on the run. 9:50 according to Garmin, but I started before I got in the water, and the timer mat is a few paces before water entry. Results are: Place Name Age Overal Place Rnk Time Run---------Time T1 Rnk Time Bike---------Time T2 Rnk Time swim---------Time Total 1 Marcy Rucker 102 65 1 1 2 40:51.5 1:27.4 1:06: 20.8 10:14 2:02:50.0 2 Terri Friel 108 67 2 2 1 45:07.3 2:20.8 1:08: 49.0 10:08 2:11:08.0

Race Report: Shelbyville Tri #1 Feb 25 2024

 SHELBYVILLE TRI #1

Out alone on the bike

I knew I'd be pulling up the tail on this one.  Running is first and I'm never at the front in my runs.  This tri is done backward so I'd be trailing everyone for the whole race.  Not a fun place to be but the broken knee requires time to heal so I have to listen to my body.  As expected I came in 2nd to last on the run.  Despite that, I had a PR mile time of 14:27 which is a great improvement on my prior run walks since last September so I was cheered by that notification on my Garmin.  

Note to self, I was overdressed on the run and pretty warm by the time I finished.  I had my onesie, a long-sleeved IM finisher shirt, my windbreaker biker jacket, two pairs of gloves, and thermal-lined pants.  However, I was glad I had these on for the ride.  The wind got pretty wicked after the second turn. I also had my shoe covers on my shoes which kept my feet nice and warm.  The gloves gave me issues though, they were slipping around on the hoods so next time I need to actually find my bike gloves.  (ya think?) 

I took the time to stop and reset my Garmin to the bike in transition and I carefully walked to the bike out because those bike shoes are the ones that caused my knee break in the first place.  They are slippery because they lost the gasket on the heel that keeps you from slipping.  (note to self, replace those gaskets...and likely the clips as well, they are quite old).  But I like those bike shoes because they match the bike.  Oh vanity.  

As I set out on the bike the guy who ran in after me exited before me so I was actually the last biker out.  But my trusty steed "Winning Colors" and I were clicking along between 14-23 MPH for the ride.  The hills did slow be briefly and at one point I think I was doing 5.5MPH up one of the short hills, it was pretty steep, but I felt pretty good as I passed rider after rider and slid into transition ahead of four other folks.  

I got my bike racked and bike shoes off and made my way up the hill to the pool.  I had left a lot of energy on the bike leg so I wasn't moving fast up that hill.  I took my time and tried to get my breathe back.  

I arrived at the pool and realized I had to cross the timing pad to get to my gear so my swim time looked incredibly long.  I got everything off, switched my Garmin to swim and got into the pool.  I kept feeling like I had something I needed to remove but "race brain" said "nah, we good."  After two laps, feeling like I was smothering, I realized I still had my gator on.  I got to the end, grabbed it, slid it off, and left it on the side, hoping I would be able to retrieve it later. (I did.) After that and after some guy rammed into me at one end, I swam pretty well.  I was tired though so I figured I was doing 2 min 100s instead of my expected 1:40s.  I decided to just enjoy the swim, push as much as I felt I could, and accept the time I got.  I passed 3 people on the swim.  

I felt pretty good after the race, ate a banana and a pickle, drank a lot of water and when I got home I made a mix of Base greens and Base aminos and drank that before lunch.  Ate a full-sized panera chicken Chinese salad for lunch.  

Total time 1:06:26

Place 1st AG 65-69

Run time 25:34 pace 14:12  Transition 2:18

Bike time 25:48 pace 14 Transition 1:00

Swim time 12:45 pace 55:29