Kelowna Apple 2010

Sharon’s Kelowna Apple Olympic Race Report

I have to admit, I had some big outcome goals for this race. I knew the bike was going to be more technical than I was used to, so wasn’t exactly looking for a personal best time, but what I really wanted was a top 3 finish in my age group, and a top 10 finish. Of course knowing that these goals were also dependent on my competition I also decided that if I raced my best race and missed these goals that I would be disappointed but not devastated.

The couple days leading up to the race I had these feelings of dread, like I wasn’t quite ready to bring the pain. Even race morning on the beach I was feeling unready to bring it. Always my number one supporter, my husband reminded me why we were here and that I would bring it as soon as I got into the water. Even during the swim warmup I was having a tough time getting my race “mo-jo” on. I am not sure why I was feeling this way, my only explanation I can think of is I worked my nerves out on Friday and Saturday watching other events and at the prerace meeting and I just wasn’t as nervous as I usually am.

Once the race started I found my mojo in a hurry. From what I could tell after the initial plunge into the water was that I was in second, although I wasn’t sure. I was following the trail of bubbles, losing them from time to time. Around the second last buoy on the first lap I became confused and was looking at one of the buoys on the log boom, a nice kayaker pointed me to shore… At this point I know I slowed down some and felt a couple swimmers on my heels. As I exited the water for the beach run and got back in 3 swimmers had caught me and I was swimming alongside two of them while the third was tucked in behind. This is when I got smart and tucked in behind and we became a pack of 4, 2 in front and 2 getting the draft. This worked well until we started running into some of the men from the wave that went before us and we became a train of 4. Earlier I had realized that this group was swimming pretty darn straight so I had quit sighting and was simply following the bubbles. At one point the lead swimmer had turned to the left too early and was leading our foursome off course. A seadoo came and turned us back on course, but as I was the fourth in the line I was the last to turn back and so lost the pack. I worked hard to catch back up and unknown to me we had become two packs of two. Once I realized this I pulled along side the girl I was drafting and and decided we were doing okay and dropped back behind her. I was 5^th out of the 30-39’s out of the water, with a bigger gap between first and second and the next four of us pretty close together.

My transition went pretty well, Marty had made his way to the pathway along side transition and was loud enough that I could hear his encouragement where I was. Could have been a little faster, but all in all, not too bad.

To the best of my knowedge I exited transition in 4^th of the 30-39’s and passed 2^nd and 3^rd (although I didn’t know it at the time) as we ran to the mount line as they were in shoes and I was barefoot and faster! First lap went well, I had some trouble with my rear derailer cable and had to get off my bike at the top of the hill to put it back where it belonged ( it was rubbing on the derailer sprockets as I went up the hill, somehow it became flipped down??). I was a little hesitant on the corners and there was lots and LOTS of bikes I had to pass from earlier waves. I got faster on the second and third lap and saw a female walking a bike on either the second or third lap. I believe she was a lady from my AG, but I am not sure. On the third lap I encountered too much bike traffic at the bottom of the hill, all going pretty slow. I had some good speed and didn’t want to lose it so I took a small risk and went through some hard packed gravel on the left…it paid off and my last climb up the hill was great! Overall the bike was a blast!! The volunteers and crowd were amazing, and it was so great to see and hear my family 3x during the ride. All the corners at the end of the loop were actually fun and I think I had a big smile on my face for most of the ride.

T2 was fast and as I was leaving one of the kids I coached in cross country from a few years ago was there in transition as I went by and yelled out “pick up the pace, coach!”. Thanks, Mike—that was awesome! My pace felt good and smooth, much like it did at Chinook. I did some butt kicks to make sure the quads wouldn’t cramp and I settled into a good rhythm. I was making some passes, but no one with 30’s on their legs, and really didn’t see anyone from my AG chasing me. It was really frustrating not knowing where I was positioned in my AG. Looking back I think I might have been able to push harder in the run and maybe be a little faster, but it felt good at the time. Again, on the run course the volunteers and crowd were awesome! Seeing my family and hearing them cheering me on was such a big boost!! I picked up the pace a bit on the last km and my son and father in law were 300m out to cheer me in. My son started running alongside me up on the grass and he tripped on a hole and did a complete summersault in the grass, it was so funny I started laughing and other spectators were laughing too (not sure if at me or at him). Just made the race that much more enjoyable… My daughter was at the bridge cheering me in and my hubby right at the finish line taking pictures. So cool to run on the blue carpet and have so many people cheering at the finish line! One thing that really stood out in my mind at the finish was the fact that the volunteers weren’t accosting me for my timing chip. I am so used to being ready to fall over and someone wanting me to take that thing off, it was weird, they were all just standing back waiting for the athletes to come to them when they were ready…weird!!

It was so great running into all the TTL athletes at the finish line and hearing how everyone did, and Ally, well I am not sure how one girl volunteers in so many different spots!

Overall this was an amazing race for me. Swims leave little time or energy for thinking, but I can definitely say I biked and ran happy the entire time. I had more smiles in this race than I can ever remember doing in any other race, ever.

Here are the final results:

Swim: 24:24 (20^th in the women, 4^th in AG), T1: 1:40 (26^th W, 6^th AG), Bike: 1:08:56 (6^th W,3^rd AG),T2: 1:00 (20^th W, 3^rd AG), Run: 42:48 (9^th W, 1^st AG)(21:20 and 21:29 laps).

Overall time: 2:18:46 7^th out of all the women, and 1^st in the 30-34 AG.

I very much want to thank my family for the awesome support and putting up with my quirky prerace activities (oh my gosh and putting up with all my training time when it interfered with family stuff!! And I could truly write an entire blog about my terrific hubby!! Maybe I will….), my teammates for being so supportive, and my awesome coach Angie!! You know me so well, kick my butt when I need it and give me “rest” when I need that too, and you are in my head just when I need you to be!

2010 Regina Beach Race Report

There is something about being at the cottage that makes me want to eat junk food and drink pop…we arrived at my family’s cottage 2 days before the race and I tried really hard to behave myself nutritionally, and I didn’t even go wakeboarding even though the lake was like glass both days.

I slept terribly the night before the race, the whole family was out and there lots of activity in the cabin. Race morning came early, but nevertheless I felt great!! My stomach actually tolerated all the food I feel I need to stuff in it race morning and it was the first race that my hubby and I were both doing. Having him with me for the drive and registration/transition set up/warmup was an awesome distraction. He helped me with my wetsuit and kept me calm. Usually I have a stomach ache from the nerves, but on race morning it felt great.

I have to admit I had been creeping on my competition…I had checked her race results from a June race so I knew she was faster than last year, but then again so was I. Marty was doing the sprint, which started 45 min after the oly so he told me he’d be at the swim exit to tell me how far ahead of me she was when I got out ( last year she beat me out of the water by 1:07). The swim went pretty well. I was between two swimmers for most of the first leg and the guy on my right kept running into me. I was working pretty hard to keep up with both of them so made the decision to drop behind him. The effort immediately felt easier, and I stayed on his toes until rounding the second buoy at which point I began doubting my effort and passed him. I had clear water for the rest of the first lap and all of the second lap. I was completely surprised when I came out of the water and Marty was pointing to Emma just in front of me! I came out just 2 seconds behind her! The RB tri has a unique element in it….the lake is in the Qu’Appelle Valley so they have a T1 where you strip off your wetsuit, put on your shoes and run 650m to the top of the valley to head out onto the bike. They actually take the time from the hill and add it to your total run time, and subtract the distance off the final run (this makes for a slow run split) We jogged up the hill together and had a brief chat about how long the swim course seemed (she was 2 mins slower than last year and I was 1 min slower than last year).

Once I got out on the bike I realized I was pushing a little harder than I wanted to. Emma was behind me so I was the prey being chased. I figured I would be able to outrun her so decided on a little experiment…I was going to push really hard on the bike and see what the result was on the run. The bike was great, I wasn’t passed by any men and really enjoyed digging in and seeing how fast I could go. My bike split was 5 and a half minutes faster than last year although the conditions last year were not as favorable as this year. As I finished the bike I saw my family there cheering me in; that was awesome!!

After speeding through transition I hauled off down the 650m hill thinking of the time I wanted to make up because of how slow it is going up (I really wanted a fast run split on this course). Felt great, got to the bottom, they announced my name, went through the first water station at breakneck speed and then it happened…my vastus medialis on both quads started to cramp up. I slowed down and did some butt kicks, finally had to walk, couldn’t stretch them because then the hamstrings wanted to cramp. So did some walking butt kicks for awhile, then eased into a slow jog and finally got back up to a reasonable pace. I walked through the next two water station to make sure I got enough, took it really easy at the turn around point which involved a good hill climb before turning around to head for home. Was passed by a couple of guys on the run which made me mad because I knew I could be faster, but I hung in there, ran through the last water station and finished the run. The guy at the finish line was asking for my chip and I told him I couldn’t stop walking because my legs would cramp up…managed to get it off while walking, which was kind of impressive…. Almost my whole family was there at the finish line which was fantastic, Marty had come in just before me too so got to congratulate him on his first open water triathlon.

Final results: swim 25:07 (7^th with the men,last year 24:12), bike 1:06:58 (5^th with the men, last year 1:12:28), run 48:22 (11^th with the men,last year 50:31) total time: 2:20:26 (1^st female overall, 6^th with the men, last year 2:27:10).

Oh, and Marty was 7^th overall in the sprint and 2^nd in his AG!!

Side note: I think the muscle cramps were perhaps a direct result of my fast bike, but also the fast run down the hill…I need to try the experiment again when there are no huge descents at the start of the run! Oh and the aftermath of muscle cramps-delayed onset muscle soreness, it’s like doing a thousand squats with heavy weights, severely aggravated by wakeboarding and waterskiing. 2 days post race, having trouble going down stairs or hills and sitting down in chairs. Easy run scheduled for tomorrow…might not happen.

Chinook Olympic Race Report-June 2010

Are all distance runners superstitious? I am….so after my success in the 10k at footstock last weekend I had to replicate the night before food. Last Friday, I had popcorn before bed, so I made sure to do the same the night before Chinook….must have been the popcorn!

I was nervous all week about this race…first race of the season, first race after rediscovering my speed in the 10k. I do everything wrong when it comes to race goals, everything we are told not to do…I could do “this” in the swim, “this” on the bike, “this” on the run, I should be under “this” time…. I put so much pressure on myself to do well instead of just appreciating the opportunity to train, race, be healthy and develop friendships with a great group of people. I definitely do appreciate those things, usually after the race is done!!!

Woke up feeling great, but of course nervous!! Hard to force breakfast down with my race nerves, but I got it done (it’s a strange combo of oatmeal, banana, and wait for it…canned salmon—don’t ask why). Got transition set up and proceeded to be a recluse and go hang out by myself. I think I probably would do better with the nerves by staying with the group, but it’s an old habit I developed in high school track.

Swim wasn’t great, my sighting to the first buoy was off and I couldn’t see the second buoy for part of the second leg. Every time I found feet it felt too slow and I had to pass. Second lap was better, less congestion, better sighting. I had to remind myself to swim smooth lots, and probably not enough! I though I would have been faster out of the water, but I will definitely be thinking about ways to improve the swim for next time.

T1 was fast, but should have done the elastic band trick for my shoes on the bike (first time leaving my shoes on the bike!!). Bike felt good, keep my hr in the 160’s (my last tri I over did it on the bike and crashed on the run). Only one glitch, riding through the water that was on the road I got some gravel between my rear tire and my aero frame so at the risk of a puncture I jumped off my bike (going up a hill), and wiped my rear tire down with my hand. Coming into T2 I came off the bike great, doing a gliding dismount (first time!!). I had a tough time getting my running shoes on because my feet were still numb, and it definitely hurt my feet the entire run, both when they were numb and as they thawed.

Other than the feet, the run felt awesome for the first 8km. My pace was on or under what I wanted and it just felt great…then at 8km I saw the first place female and I looked at my hr and new I could go higher. I made up my mind to catch her and the last 2 km were tough, a real mental challenge going up that hill “second is really awesome”…”you can catch her”….”second is good!!”….”nope, go get her!!!!”. I caught her with 600m left to go and thank goodness she didn’t make a move to go with me because I did not have much left! I hung on and followed the bike in (yes, a bike!! That was cool!!). There was lots of cheering down that last stretch as I came in, it was absolutely amazing!! It was so thrilling, an experience I won’t forget!!

After the race I wound my way down to the home stretch to cheer my fellow teammates in. It’s so much fun going to these races knowing there are teammates supporting you (and having teammates to support!!).

I came in under my goal time for the season ( I know…goal times are bad….) so I was thrilled with that. I was absolutely thrilled with my run time, running only 5 seconds slower than my first stand alone 10k of the season at St. Patty’s Day. I will continue to push for my super secret goal time of the season ( under good conditions…I know!!). All in all it was a great opener to the season!

I will definitely be thinking of the team on the 4th….I hope everyone has a great day at GWN!!

Sometimes the long run makes it all better...

Last week I felt I had the worst training week ever ( little did I know the stomach flu was around the corner and worse was yet to come...). Monday's swim was slow, I was mentally and physically exhausted at Tuesday night's ride after an interval run earlier in the day. I actually quit working on the last interval...I don't think I have ever done that!! Wednesday's swim was slow and I felt so tired on Thursday that I totally skipped my workout and went to bed. Friday was a new day. I went to the pool and silently thanked my coach that it was a swim workout that wasn't on the clock. The swim was fine, nothing spectacular. After my swim I went out for a 90 min long run. It was my first long run outside in a while. I had some issues with my feet so I had slogged out my last few long runs on the treadmill. The run was amazing. It felt easy from start to finish and the route itself was healing. I ran my regular route, which involves heading north on my gravel road. Along my path I was witness to all the awesome signs of spring. Ducks, geese and red winged blackbirds were all around. New calves in the pastures, and even a herd of deer watched me warily as I strode by. I was listening to my ipod on shuffle (ALL my songs) and felt almost giddy at hearing a couple of really old faves ( I HAD to repeat Calling Baton Rouge by Garth...). I ran farther than I had since the half marathon training in the fall and it felt good to know this was the farthest I had ran this year. I finished this run feeling rejuvenated and revived. This one long run seemed to wipe clean the slate and remind me why I train. And the week, although almost over, would continue to get better.
On the weekend I was off to Sylvan Lake for a coaching course where my own coach reminded me that it was okay to be tired and take a day off (guilt gone!!) and we had a couple great workouts while we were there, including a great indoor ride with the group and outdoor run down by the lake with Angie and Sarah.
I went to bed Sunday night vowing to take better care of myself so a week (well, half of a week) like this wouldn't happen again.
And in the end, it all was made to seem really small when an email came to me from my coach reporting on our injured teammate who was hospitalized after a horrible bike crash. He is happy to spin free on a recumbent bike and kick on his back in the pool... It makes me a whole lot more grateful for those "crappy workouts"...

I have discovered oatmeal, and I don't mean with chocolate chips, butter and flour in cookies....

Knowing that lots of competitive athletes eat oatmeal for breakfast still didn't get me switched over to this awesome breakfast....never was a big fan of it. Besides, what could be better than toast and pb?? The big change for me came with teaching fitness classes at 6am and 9:15am four times a week. I found I was eating 2-3 "breakfasts'!! So, at the urging of a friend I tried oatmeal, but with protein whey powder. Now, each to their own, but WOW, oatmeal with whey power tastes like mush!! I tried, but could not choke it down. So, scooped out some more oatmeal, threw in a LITTLE brown sugar and a LITTLE maple syrup for flavor and some slivered almonds for protein....and the verdict is....Yummy, AND.... I am staying fuller longer. And, if you compare the list of ingredients on the bread or bagel I used to toast up to the oatmeal combo, I would have to concede that the oatmeal is waaay better for me!!

Marty's (Almost) Fat Free Brownies

I llllove these brownies!! Courtesy of my hubby Marty, and nicely reminded by my daughter who made some for us today:

Heat oven to 350

3/4 C sugar
1/2 C flour
1/4 C cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
2/3 C sugar free applesauce
2 egg whites lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla

combine ingredients, blend well. Pour into greased 8x8 pan.
Bake for 20-30 minutes (almost clean toothpick)
cool on wire rack
devour!

It's been awhile...

Wow, I have neglected this blog lately. What's been happening?? I have been busy working on Fit Element (www.thefitelement.com) and have been loving it. Why did it take me so long to find the perfect job for me? I guess it was obvious to everyone else besides me. I spend all my free time working now, and it's been great!! I am beyond excited about this. What a joy and a pleasure it is to enjoy my job. I have boot camp classes starting up in Didsbury and Carstairs in just over two weeks and I can't wait to get started.

In training news, I ran the St. Patty's Day 10km two weeks ago and had a great race, 42:19, which is not a personal best for me, but I it's the fastest 10km I have done since switching to triathlon training as opposed to just racing 10kms. I am very excited about this, it's early in the season and my run fitness is good, I am swimming faster than ever, and I know I am making gains on the bike, I just haven't had a chance to test it out yet. At this point I will try not to put too much pressure on myself, but my subconscious is whispering, you can go sub 2:20 this year, and maybe, if the conditions are perfect, just maybe 2:15??? What pressure????