P.S. My Quads are Trashed

Oh yes, that downhill did trash my quads. Did you ever see a bootcamp instructor teach class when she can barely walk? Oh I was entertaining for my ladies this morning!!

Melissa's 10km, Sept 25, 10

42:16

....not really what I was expecting in a stand alone 10k after consistently running sub 43 mins in triathlon 10's this sesason. However, considering that giantic, huge hill I think I am supposed to be happy with that time.

Let me back up....I started coming down with a cold on Tuesday, and I knew about the hill, so I knew it wasn't to be a superbly fast day, but still, I was looking for something around the 41:30 mark. Between finding parking, race number line up, and porta potty line ups, I didn't really do the warmup I am used to, but hey, it's just a 10k right?

I found my running buddy from the 10k at Footstock in June. There I ran the last 4km with this nice guy who kept encouraging me and I ran 40:48. He told me he had ran a sub 40 two weeks ago and we talked about running together and not taking the first km out too hard. The start went well despite the huge crowd and the tight turn and we were able to stay together. At the first km marker we were 3:55--a good first km. At the hill we stayed together and pushed through it. There was a short out and back on the down hill and I got to see Marty, we tried for a high five and missed, which is funny, because we tend to do that on purpose. I flew down the long hill thinking about making up time and wondering how much this fast downhill running was trashing my quads. Missed the odd km marker through out the whole race, which was good, because with the hill my splits were not at all where I wanted them to be...better to not know in a race like this. I used hr to guage my effort. ONce we started the down hill my running buddy and I got split up a few times. He walked a bit as well, he was having a rough day. With 2km left to go I saw that I was closing in on 4th place. This was encouraging. I was hurting and really needed something to focus on! With about 700m to go I passed a couple guys on a tight corner and yelled out that I was coming on their left. The girl in front heard me and just took off! On this day, I wasn't going to catch her! I came crusing into the finish line hearing my kids and family cheering me in. 42:16, 5th overall, 3rd in my AG.

Once I finished I headed back out to cheer in my hubby in his first 10km, he had a great finish, 49 mins!!!! But we both agreed this race hurt and maybe was too soon after the Banff tri to bring the pain.

We gave away our free beers to our brother in laws, Marty headed back east to Airdrie for Liam's soccer tryout and the rest of us? We went and hiked Sulpher Mountain...and yes, my legs are very sore today!!!

Subaru Banff Triathlon

Warning: This might be long.

the sun did come out for the finish....

You were warned....

Despite frigid water temp, air temp, and looming rain I was in a really good mood before the race started. They had shortened the swim from 1500m to 750m and although I would prefer the full distance, I was okay with that. Ally and John from Team Tri Life were there as supporters and kept us entertained while we were waiting to hit Two Jack Lake. I slipped into the water found a good spot and somehow got pushed into a not so good spot, race started and I have never been so beat up in a race before like I was in this race. Pulled under by a hand/arm on my back/butt 3 times, legs, feet pulled on multiple times...WOW! Not used to that! I was prepared for cold hands/feet/face, but I wasn't prepared for my body to be so cold. It felt so hard to get my arms out of the water, I couldn't keep my fingers together, and I breathed mostly to just one side. It was so HARD! Got out of the water in 10:41 so actually it turned out to be a very good swim for me, although it didn't feel like it at the time. I was so very happy to get out of the water!!

Ran up the hill to T1 not too bad, struggled to get my cap off a bit, ran to my spot and that's where things started to fall apart. I really struggled with all my gear in T1. My hands didn't want to work, couldn't do up my coat, actually physically couldn't! Couldn't get my gloves on...longest T1 of all time. Saw Ally as I was leaving T1 and begged her to do up my coat for me...should have had her put my gloves on too but obviously my brain was frozen too.

Other than wasting time trying to get my gloves on while riding (dumb) and being pretty darn cold, and the rain...the first 20k went pretty well. Then right at 20k the cable for my front delrailer broke. I didn't know what to do, the thought of doing the rest of the ride in my small ring really upset me. After a minute of thinking I hopped off my bike to see if I could but the chain in the top ring manually and leave it there...well darn, I wish I knew more about bikes because that didn't work. At this point I was cold and frustrated at knowing that I wasn't going to have my best ride and put in my best possible result. I got back on my bike and for about a minute very seriously wanted to quit. I was cold, wet, mad...and then I remembered Shane McKechney at the REgina Beach tri, he crashed early on the bike, broke his front derailer and finished the race bruised and bloody and spinning like crazy on the tailwind portions of the bike. Then I thought of Christine, who crashed in Kelowna and finished, then I thought of John Bosma... John!! Who did Ironman after a crash so bad it could have killed him! This was my mantra for the next 2 minutes while I rediscovered my race mo-jo "John Bosma, John Bosma, seriously? Suck it up!!" From that point on I did the best I could on the bike, it wasn't great, wasn't pretty but I put in a half decent bike time (would have been better if I would have just stayed on my bike and kept working!!). Having John and Ally on the course was extremely uplifting, just knowing they were there and cheering me on kept me pushing. When I was coming into town I had the privilege of calling out a cheater who was very blatantly drafting, that was fun....
T2 was another struggle. My feet were completely numb, my hands were partially numb. Marty was right there (he had already finished, 4th in his AG by the way, and 10th overall in the sprint!!!!) on the side of T2 hollering at me to push through it. I changed my socks and put on my runners, an experience that was both frustrating and painful. Marty's encouragement was vital in my getting out on that run. He was hollering that I had to push through the first 200m and then it would be okay...and here I was actually thinking of Running in Socks Angie, she ran the end of a half iron in socks...man suck it up!! Well I actually didn't feel my feet until around 6km but that's when my legs started cramping up...What??? So I walked a little, did some butt kicks, rubbed my quads a bit and the cramps let up enough for me to run again. At this point, knowing that the bike wasn't good and I likely wasn't going to finish where I wanted to I just wanted to put in my best run possible. During the last 3km I kept checking my "status" and it was good so I tried to pick it up...I think this resulted in actually holding pace and I was able to run 42:21- a 10k tri PR!! With a walk to work out leg cramps!!
So all in all...a very tough mental day! Couldn't have done it without my family there cheering me on in the run and John and Ally supporting me out of the water and during the bike. Awesome swim and run times, terribly slow transitions, and the best bike I could muster despite mechanical difficulties. Celebrated after by having a chocolate chai late and a dip in the hot springs.

I did end up placing 2nd in my AG, got to stand on the podium and get a medal, but the coolest part was my prize, it was a red and black jacket from IMC!! I told Marty it was foreshadowing...and that if it fit it was a sign....he claims it doesn't fit...LOL!!The jacket that fits pretty darn well...it must be a sign!