2 Sprints and 2 Olympic Distance Tri's- an update!

Well....next year I really need to be more timely with my blog/race reports!

Here is the short version of some tri's I did this summer!

Sylvan Lake Sprint- First off I want to say I love this race!  So well run and organized!  Cathy and Scott with Sylvan Lake tri club do an awesome job with this race!!  I did this race 1 week after the Woody's Half Marathon so really didn't know what my legs would do, but it was a great race ( you will hear this alot in 2012, it was quite the year for me personally).  Swim and bike were faster than last year, run was slightly slower but run course was 300m longer this year so probably right on par with last year so considering my tired legs was super happy with that!  Loved being at the race with my athletes Jen, Marnie and Jim and cheering on lots of the Red Deer/Sylvan Lake athletes that I have come to know over the past few years.  I was 1st female overall and 3rd out of the men and I was faster than last year on a slighly longer course!  Yipeee!!!!


Wasa Olympic Distance - Made this weekend a road trip adventure with my daughter Ayden.  On a side note she got her learners right before we hit the highway and drove 2/3 of the way there!  WTG Ayden!!  We also had great hosts with friends of ours, Ron and Leah and their two daughters.  I kind of felt like a pro on a homestay!  The water was brutally cold and they shortened the swim, which is too bad because I had a good swim, a good bike and my best triathlon 10km ever!  41:49!  If this had been a full distance I think I would have been so close to a sub 2:16 time!!  Ah well....  The cool thing was I was 4th female overall (2nd in my AG) and was "in the money".  Wasa gives out cash to top 5 overall finishers.  I was so pumped and thrilled to stand at the front among such speedy ladies!  A huge thanks to Charlie with RM Events for putting on such a top rate triathlon.

Woody's Sprint Tri -  Another awesome race!  Val does such a great job as RD!  One cool thing about Woody's is they take the top 10 overall finishers (male and female) from previous years and group them together in the pool at the end of the swim.  So it feels less like a time trial and more like a head to head race.  Awesome fun!  I was 2nd last year out of everyone, so got to race with the #2.  And they kept announcing to watch out for the athletes with numbers 1-10.  As I came into t2 someone hollered at me to go beat some boys, so funny, so I yelled back "I'm trying!".  I was 2nd again out of the men and 1st overall female.  A fun day...not quite as fast as last year, but super happy with my result.

Edmonton Triathlon Festival and National Championships-  This was my first non wetsuit legal swim and surprisingly I was faster this year than last year!  Wooohooo!!  I need to swim more without a wetsuit!  It works for me!  I had the bike of my life but unfortunately the heat hit me on the run and had my slowest run time ever!  However, the strength of my swim time and bike time, even paired with a 45min run was enough for me to set a new OD personal best!  2:17:50.  (now if only I could plunk in that Wasa run time I'd have that sub 2:15 I am dreaming of......)  I was 4th female overall and 2nd in my AG.  So exciting to be on the podium again at nationals!! 

Well, that's the short version of most of my 2012 tri season!  Calgary 70.3 gets it's own post!

Red Deer Half Marathon May 20, 2012 (long overdue!)

I signed up for this race to help me prep for Calgary 70.3 Ironman.  The original purpose was to be a training tool.  However, after running two good 10kms in March and April (40:51 and 40:29) I knew that this race had the potential to be personal best day.  My previous personal best set in Nov of 2011 was 1:32:15.  I set a goal of 1:31 flat thinking this would be a good challenge.  I printed off one of those nerdy pace bracelets (because I am a NERD) with the splits for 1:31.

Off the gun I went out too fast!  My suunto had been calibrated with my training shoes and I had decided to race in my tri shoes as part of the prep for Calgary 70.3, (the foot pod does not "move" well from shoe to shoe) so needless to say my pace was reading WAY off!  As the first few km markers were ticked off I knew I was too fast, but it felt good so I kept at it and just resigned my self to the fact that either I was going to have a brilliant race and smash my pb or have a total blow up later in the race.... (My coaches mantra of race with your head to start and heart to finish was ringing in my ears).

As the race continuted the km's just flew by.  I couldn't believe how fast this race was going by for me.  The course was absolutely beautiful!  There were hills, which I usually hate, but it didn't matter today.  The weather was perfect, the course was scenic and I was on a roll.  I kept referring to my pace bracelet and couldn't believe that I continued to gain ground on each split time.  I soon realized that even if I blew up at the end I was still going to have a personal best day.  I think the excitement of knowing that I was going to be faster than I thought pushed me to hold that pace and go for it!  I caught up to a guy around that 16-17km mark, and if you have done a half, you know this part of the race.  This is where pace slows a bit and things really start to hurt.  He was chatty and positive.  I told him we were going to beat 1:30 if we can hold this pace and he said, "uh oh, my back half is going to be slow".  He was doing the full!!  We ran together for a couple kms and then he realized he should slow down, but he urged me ahead to go catch the next guy (which I did).  It's always great when you get a bit of mental mojo at a point like that in a race.  As my husband would say that was the TSN turning point.

 As I approached the dreaded uphill that takes you to the downhill finish I just dug in and went for it.  Checked my watch and realized that if I gave it my all I could do this in under 1:28.  The crowds were amazing and brought me across the finish in a time of 1:27:55 -- 4 minutes and 20 seconds faster than my previous personal best!  It is still unbelieveable as I type this....I never imagined I could run a  half marathon that fast. It felt good from start to finish, it was a "zen run" as my coach Angie would say.  I was 3rd overall, but after a race like this, placings really don't matter.  It was me versus me!

Arizona Rock and Roll Marathon - January 15, 2012

Drumroll please.....My First Marathon!!!

I really don't know why I waited 20 years to do my first marathon. I think I had so many overuse injuries in my days before triathlon that I just didn't think my body could handle marathon training. Well...I was wrong! I did use my chiropractor (Thanks Dean!!!) and my travel roller to keep me in one piece, but I actually loved the training for this race (Thanks coach Angie!!!)

I traveled to this race with the 3 athletes that I coach, Jen, Lara, and Marnie. And lucky for me, I also get to call these 3 ladies my friends! Little did I know when I arrived in Phoenix how much I would rely on these ladies on race day.

The morning of the race went well, I was able to eat my usual pre race bf without my race nerves giving me problems and was off on the hotel shuttle to catch the light rail to the start. Once there I quickly figured out the basics, porta potties, my start corral, and the gear drop. I had a great warm up and got throught the porta pottie line up 10 minutes before race start. There was a back log in the transportation from the finish to the start of the point to point race, and the race itself was delayed 30 minutes! So....off I ran to the porta potties for one more time, for good measure! On a funny note, I was so excited for the race to start that I forgot to lock the door...and well, you can imagine what happened next. Oh well, I was doing my first marathon, I was too excited to care!!!

My plan for this race was to pace for a 3:20 and try and hold on. The guy beside me at the start also wanted a 3:20, but he was going to go out faster and plan for the "fade". So, off we went. My job in the first 10k was to run like a tourist, and I did! I enjoyed the crowds, the bands, the other runners and hit my splits bang on!

From 10k to the half my job was to run loose, and I did that, but I was still running like a tourist! I was absolutely loving every part of this run!!! I hit the half just under 1:40-perfect!!From the half to 20 miles my job was to stay sharp and focused. It was at this point that I was feeling so good that I picked it up slightly. I picked up a running buddy around this time and we chatted and I remained super postitive and totally confident that I would come in under the 3;20 mark.

Everyone says the race starts at 32k and I was getting so excited to hit the 20 mile mark so I could just run and not worry about holding back....Ha! Was I in for a surprise! I had planned on thinking of specific people to movitivate me each mile from 20 into the finish. At 20 miles I was still feeling really good, and was busy thinking about my in-laws and how much they have supported me. At mile 21 I was thinking about my mom and dad and how proud I knew they were of me and then around 21.5 miles it got hard. I knew it was going to happen, but this part of me just really didn't belive it. You mean I wasn't going to cruise into the finish all happy and smiley?? What???

Mile 22 was my daughter, and I thought about how she would cheer me in and what she would say. I thought about how she knows what this feels like, she has raced her heart out in track and cross country, but boy, this was getting really hard, and it was tough to think about her.

Mile 23 was my son. At this point I had tears and my legs were on fire. At some point there was a small hill, but I am not really sure which mile that was. I do remember bring Liam to mind, the look on his face at the finish of one of his xc races, where it looked like he raced to his limit. I remember thinking, be tough like Liam.

Mile 24 was my husband, but to be honest, at this point I was in so much pain that I could barely bring him to mind. I do remember thinking he would be proud of me but I just couldn't think of what he would say.

At Mile 25 I was really starting to slow down and I thought, "what would Angie say". The answer that came to mind was a simple "GO SHARON!!" Loud and Clear! At this point I was doing my very best to hang on through what was the worst I have ever felt at the end of a race, EVER! I knew I just had to hang on a little longer because my girls told me they would be there to run me in. When I saw them I wanted to cry, but I tried to compose myself for a picture! They ran me in and promised me the finish line was just around the corner, although it was hard to believe!

I crossed the finish line in 3:20:34! I was thrilled!!! When they say the race starts at 32k, they mean it!!! When they say it's a different kind of pain from other distances, they are right!!! But, wow!! I did it, I finally ran my first marathon!!

I was caught by not 1, but 2 volunteers at the finish. They held onto me awhile and once they were sure I could walk without falling over I made my way through the food, out of the secure area to find the girls. And when I saw them I just started crying. I don't know if it was emotion from finishing my first marathon, or just simply relief that they were there for me, I am not sure. But we all had a little cry and I got to hear how their own races went in the half (VERY GOOD, BY THE WAY!). From then until we got to the hotel, these girls took care of me! I could barely walk (I felt like I was the only one walking funny, but they were quick to point out other people to make me feel better). I think they were scared to let me into the porta potty!!

In the end, this was an amazing experience for me! One I will never forget!! Big thanks to my husband and kids for supporting me and even though you weren't there, YOU WERE THERE! Thanks to my coach for preparing me perfectly, to my chiro, Dr. Dean for keeping me in one piece, to my "girls" for being the best fans ever, and to the people of Phoenix (especially all the cheer teams-they were the best) and the organizers of the race for an awesome, super charged event! It was fantastic!!!

Wow....I've been neglecting this site!!!

Well since the last post that was well over due I have done quite a few races!!
I am going to highlight all of them in one post...and yes that is almost my entire 2011 race season. Let's see if I can do better in 2012 :)

I was all set to head to Wasa and race the fast girls when 2 days before the event I pulled my hamstring...yes, my hamstring!!! How does a distance runner do that?? Long story short I was able to race Chinook Oly the following weekend. I biked really hard, not knowing if I could run and the result was a slow run with some quad cramping, but the hard work on the bike was enough to hold onto the win!

Next up was the Woody's sprint my athletes Jen and Marnie (and sadly missing Mel who fractured her elbow just a few days before). I have since learned that racing with these girls is good medicine for me as they keep my nerves at bay every time I'm out with them! The bike was a tough,windy, hilly course, but I pushed hard and had a great day and a great run and a huge sprint distance pb and overall win.

In July it was the Edmonton ITU age group olympic race. I was worried about this one being a hilly and technical bike race in the rain. I must admit I didn't push as hard on the bike as I probably should have, but was able to pull off a really fast run for what would be at the time a new OD PR for me. I was 5th overall and 1st in my AG.

In August it was back to Kelowna. Other than really hot temps everything went really well here for me in the swim and start of the bike. Past problems of quad cramping began to creep up at the end of the bike and the beginning of the run but I was able to stave them off with electrolyte pills and pull off another OD PR, a time of 2:17:54. I was really happy with this time given the heat and hilly bike course. I am still chasing that elusive 2:15, but each year I creep a little closer to it so hopefully I can get there one day!!

After the Apple it was a series of runs that kept me busy until the end of the year. Dino Dash in Sept was a good fast 10km, just short of a "30's pb" in a time of 40:53. Next up was a course best at Melissa's (and who are we kidding, I was there for the food and fellowship of great friends, the race was a great excuse!). In October was 15k (or so) at the Gorrilla Run in prep for the Last Chance Half in Nov. This was a personal best day for me in which I happy pulled off a negative split to finish in 1:32:15. But the best part of this day was getting to watch my athlete Lara pull off the same thing, a negative split and a HUGE pb herself. It was a zen run day for both of us!!

So...that catches you up, short and sweet??

Time for an update - Las Vegas and Sylvan Lake - a couple sprints!

It's been awhile, I have been neglecting this. So here you go, 2 for the price of 1.

At the end of April I did the Iron Girl Lake Las Vegas sprint triathlon.

This was a few firsts for me...first time flying with a bike, first girls only trip, first time trial start in a a lake swim. I will keep it short and sweet, this trip/race was so much fun! I had such a good time being with my teammates and getting to know them better and cheering them on in the race. I hope I am able to do it again next year, because it was great!

The race itself went well. Swim was ok, not great. Bike was good, hilly and windy so not terribly fast but I watched my hr to make sure I was putting in a solid effort at all times. The run was so cool! The whole time I was running (well except for the hill at the end) I was thinking "I'm running in the desert!". I wasn't really sure if I could actually do the run as I had a bad ankle sprain 10 days before (yep, only me...stepped on a dog toy while running in my own driveway). There was even some smack talk at the race expo by a certain coach (not naming names) so no pressure....LOL.

End result....

I won a jar of peanut butter...oh yeah!! I was first overall!! I also won some Iron Girl merchandise.

KGH Sprint....

So for this one I was really hoping to duplicate what I can do in the pool for training in a race...but it wasn't to be this day. A good swim, but not as fast I wanted. Out on the bike it was...Windy!! You guessed it!! A good solid bike, not much to comment on except I came into T2 a little hot...and couldn't hold the corner while trying to take my feet out of my shoes (duh!!) and layed the bike down with me on it. Embarassing, but no injury! My run here was smoking! It was a great course, flat and fast! As soon as I crossed the line and looked at my watch I went to RD SCott McDermott to confirm the race course was accurate because I ran the 5km in 20:02!! Woop woop!!! End result....1st place overall and second fastest run out of the men!!

For you people considering this early sprint, I would highly recommend it! Very well organized and supported!!

Stay tuned...2 more olympic and 1 sprint to report on!

Smile!

A couple nights ago I hopped on my bike for an 1:40 ride to be followed up by a 20 min brick run. I had been feeling kind of off all day, sluggish and tired. I thought if I waited for my hubby to get home and I had someone to tackle the ride with it might make it better/easier. Well....by the time he got home and we both climbed onto our bikes it was 8pm! And, to make it worse the main set of the ride was absolutely cruel...in an awesome kick butt kind of a way. It was 3 x 15 minute zone 4 intervals with 8 second bursts at 4, 8, and 12 minutes. Just looking at this workout made me want to groan. Dear Marty had hurt his hammstring the weekend before snowboarding (hammy versus tree...tree won) so he got off after the first 15 minute interval. So, there I was alone, in my basement, 9pm, cranky, tired and unmotivated to work hard. I was in the middle of the 2nd interval feeling very sorry for myself and trying to come up with a good reason to get the heck off my bike. I was hanging my head (not even watching a very hot Brad Pitt in Troy) when I glanced over at the water bottle still on Marty's bike. It was one of those bright orange ones from Tri-It. It had all these great inspirational words on it, like "courage", "determination", "commitment". I seriously scoffed at these words. I wasn't in the mood to be inspired. I WANTED OFF MY BIKE!!!!!!!!!!! And then, out of the corner of my eye I caught this one word, smaller than all the others..."smile". Wow, one word changed the rest of that workout. I put a smile on face and it all went uphill from there (uphill not a good analogy when taking about a bike workout, but for lack of a better word....). I began with a smile and from there, my nasty mood improved. I was thankful that I had the time to spin that night, that I was healthy and not injured, that I have a bike and a trainer! Thankful that I am able to participate in a sport like triathlon, that I have wonderful people around me supporting me! My husband, kids, coach, athletes and teammates! Now don't get me wrong, the rest of the workout still hurt, but my head was in the right place and that made all the difference. So, next time you are having a bad workout, day at work, kids frustrating you....just take a moment...and SMILE!

Gorilla Run, Oct 17th 2010 (15.something k)

I think the thing I loved the very most about the run was seeing so many people I knew at the race!! For years I would go to running races and not know a soul (hazard of small town training). Sunday morning I a saw a couple from Carstairs (that actually I see at a lot of races). I had a short visit with them ( saw their daughter and her friend on the course, 2 "kids" that I used to coach track). Then I ran into some of my Team Tri Life teammates, got to visit with them and hear about their post Ironman fallout. I ran into a group of runners from Carstairs, had a short visit with those lovely ladies (and got to see them on the course and we did the run by high fives!!!). Then I spoke with 2 different random people about Team Tri Life (was wearing the team running shirt...). Well for girl who is usually very antisocial prerace (neurotic and brooding) I was loving seeing so many familar faces!! I think I will say goodbye to prerace neurotic Sharon, and say hello to social, chatty Sharon. It's way more fun and there are no prerace nerves!!

On to the race....I got lucky for most of this race and had someone to run with. The first 12k I can only describe as smooth, effortless, and strong. I felt like one of those people that get described as having great form, or looking strong. It's just how I felt. I was guaging effort by hr, I wasn't really sure about pace as my Suunto was broke, again... and the km markers were not very accurate. I was patient in the first 5km, and that definitely paid off. The last 3km were definitely more challenging, I was really feeling it in my calves. I think I need to spend more time running on pavement and get off the gravel roads. All in all, it was a great race that felt good from start to (almost) finish.

I finished in 1:07:08, and is the same pace I need to run if I want to go sub 1:30 for my half mary next month....that will be tough.... It's a tough goal, one that I might not achieve this fall, but definitely one shooting for!! Bring on the intervals and long runs!!!