Mighty Magnolia Triathlon Race Report

October 12, 2013
Hattiesburg, MS

It's been a busy several weeks of racing, so I  was anxious to wrap the season up with the local tri, Mighty Magnolia. Not only was this going to be a fun race with a lot of local friends & familiar faces (including long lost training buddy, Ginger!), but Mighty Magnolia was the GOAL RACE for Runner's High's first triathlon training program.

These are a few faces from the Runner's High Tri Program: (front) Joanne, Kelly, Todd, Michelle, Bradi, Alexis, Laura (back) me, Theresa, Pam, Carol, Kyle, Evan, Greg, Cayla, Kristina, & Brinn.

For 12 weeks we've been working with 21 beginners as they prepared for their first triathlon. Let me preface this by saying that the MMTri is NOT an easy beginner race. Each person in the program worked very hard. We gave them training plans for each sport, and many of them went above and beyond their 'prescribed' workouts in preparation for race day. Group training sessions included running form clinics, swim clinics for stroke technique, swim clinics for open water technique, bike clinics, bike maintenance workshops, transition clinics, open water swim practice... it was a BUSY 12-weeks jam-packed with information, practice, and training, but we got through it with beaming success. Out of the 21 starting participants, 19 were able to join us on race-day, and all 19 were successful in their completion! Here are some of the awards/rankings from our group:

• Hanna Knowles- 1st female beginner
• Greg Strange- 2nd male beginner
• Kyler Knowlers- 3rd male beginner
• Alexis Crosby- 2nd 20-24
• Pam Sumrall- 2nd F 50-54
• Carol Joplin (My super-tough MIL)- 1st F 55-59
• Becky Tew- 2nd 55-59

I have a lot of respect for each person who stepped out of their comfort zones and put their trust in us with this program. As a once-beginner, I understand how difficult and intimidating it is to jump head first into a sport like this. The difference is that I had a mentor (Rocketman) next to me for years and made sure I didn't do anything silly, like forget my swim cap, draft on the bike, sit down to put on socks... I absolutely LOVE this sport, and I love the people I interact with who have made it such a big focus in their lives. I love to see how much this sport has grown and embrace the opportunities to contribute to that growth.  Most of all, I love going to races and seeing people with different abilities, backgrounds, and challenges gathered at once spot to achieve the same goal: finish and do the best you can.


On to the race report!

Swim 7:37

Time trial format, seeding based on order of registration. This year Kyle and I registered early so we would be some of the first in the water. We were assigned bib numbers 30 & 31 out of 300+. The swim was wetsuit legal, the water felt borderline, but I welcomed any advantage that might help drop some time. Kyle has been working with Brinn and I on pacing, but that went down the drain AGAIN. I just get excited, and the fact that there were 250+ onlookers didn't help. I tried to make myself calm down, settle into a rhythm, and just GO. We've been practicing this course over the past several weeks, so we knew the EXACT path needed for a quick time: Swim STRAIGHT to the drain, curve left and hug the next buoy, then aim straight to the shore. Even though we were some of the first in the water, things got a bit congested around the drain. I was about to the next buoy when someone (BIG)  swam DIRECTLY OVER me! Weird, since I was passing several people at the time so it wasn't like I was creeping along... I got behind them and managed to draft along for a bit before dropping off. I later learned that this sea monster was fellow Team HAMR member Dave who swam in college. When my hands hit the shore I stood up and glanced at my watch -7:11. HUGE PR, woohoo! Official time after running up the hill to transition: 7:37.

It's funny to me how resistant most age-groupers are to getting in the pool and working! Kyle's masters swim group had 3 ladies who worked with him over the winter with the TOP 5 SWIM FINISHES! Me (1st, dropped :45), Brinn (2nd, dropped 1:35, HUGE!), Ginger (5th). WORK WORKS. And I am available for swim lessons.

Bike 45:30, 21.8mph
I had unrealistic expectations for this course. I've made huge improvements since last summer, so I had this ambitious goal that I would average 23mph. Even though I've practiced this course a couple times over the summer, I forgot how difficult the hills are when you're racing. Last year I was still pretty well trained for hills having just moved from Virginia, this year 95% of my workouts have been on the super flat & straight Longleaf Trace. While I'm so grateful to have the safety of the Trace in my backyard, I realize I need to do more hill riding if I'm serious about seeing speed improvements, especially on a rolling Course like MM. SO, not a TERRIBLE bike split, but not the improvement I was looking for- 21.8mph.

Run 20:40, 6:53/mile
While the bike course is tough, the run course is not easier. 3 miles of rollers, the worst of which are at the beginning right off the bike. There are a couple of out-and-back hairpins off of the main road which COULD be problematic (last year I heard a lot of complaints about cheating...). Fortunately this year there were some FANTASTIC volunteers on the course directing athletes where to run & making sure people hit those hairpins. I had some great motivation on the run: first off, you can see people right behind you on those hairpins, so I knew I was being chased. Second, I saw Brinn's husband Greg on the first hairpin; he was in front of me by maybe 200 yards, and I was determined to catch him. Third, half of the run course is shared with bikers coming back in, so I received some words of encouragement and convened myself that all those riders who started behind me were way too close!
Unfortunately, I never caught Greg. Talk about a guy with high pain tolerance. I've been working my butt off for a year to throw down a decent run at the end of a tri, and he starts training over the summer, looses a bunch of weight (no longer classified as a Clydesdale), has to take a month off of running due to an Achilles injury, then pops off a 22 minute 3 mile.

Final 1:14:58 1st Overall

I had one REAL goal for this race: Beat the female course record. I didn't share this with too may people because I know it sounds arrogant. Last year my time beat the record, but so did the woman who tied with me by A TENTH OF A SECOND and another who beat us by 5 SECONDS. Races are RARELY that close, and it was hard to look at the website's course records and see other names listed knowing that I was right there. I wanted to crush the record, I wanted to keep the female hardware local, and I wanted my name on the list. 3:23 faster this year, check it out! I'm also happy to report that my run is no longer a glaring weakness. If anything, it's become a strength. My bike used to be the only respectable leg when it came to racing, but now the swim and run combined are what make the difference.

I really enjoy local races. I like being around a bunch of people I see out on the trace or at other races and getting to socialize about all things triathlon. It was a GREAT day for Team HAMR (Hattiesburg Area Multisport Racing). It was so awesome looking at the post-race crowd and seeing so many bright blue team shirts. The group picked up a lot of hardware and we even gained a few new members. I'm proud to call these guys my tri family! Tri Optimum Performance had great success as well (between me, Brinn, and future athlete Ginger! 1st, 3rd, and 5th overall). Kyle was one happy coach. Lastly the Runner's High Tri Program did fantastic & we are SUPER excited about our next program (maybe for Girl Power/Guy Power in early spring?!?)

I feel like this race report wouldn't be complete without a shout-out to Brinn. She's been working really hard this year and is fairly new to the racing scene. She dropped 10 minutes off of her MM time from last year and placed 3rd overall! I'm REALLY excited to see what happens next year. All she needs is a little work on the bike and we are ALL going to be in trouble!

RESULTS HERE

Lifetime Tri Dallas: US Open Race Report

October 6, 2013

The Lifetime Triathlon Series is one of the largest triathlon events in the nation. Their homepage feed reads "The Greatest Races for the Greatest Athletes". Professionals and age groupers from all over the country travel to the Lifetime events to race for prize money and elite status, respectively. The top three amateur males and females gain eligibility for an elite license- THE GOAL! The Lifetime Dallas Tri was established in 2007 as the U.S. Open Tri, and is a championship event.

As I mentioned in my last report, Kyle and I decided last minute to hit the road and try our luck at the U.S. Open after learning that our scheduled race, Santa Rosa Island, had been canceled. My feelings about the race were mixed. On the one hand, I was not feeling confident since the whole reason why Dallas wasn't planned was because we didn't think I was ready. On the other, I WAS READY TO RACE. Perfectly trained, tapered, and mentally in race mode. After weighing the options, I knew that if we didn't go to Dallas I would regret it- it just seemed like the stars were lining up and pointing me in that direction; Dallas was the obvious choice.

Of course, the goals for this event needed to be adjusted. No pressure to place in the top three; that was probably not realistic. If it happened, GREAT; if not, no loss. This race was all about beating myself. I'm looking ahead to next year, so I just needed to set myself up for a positive winter. Get the bad taste of Rocketman out, end with a strong Olympic Distance going into the winter, show up in April with confidence.

K-Jop and I with 3x Olympian Hunter Kemper (NO BIG DEAL!)
JK JK yes, it IS a big deal!
 

We left Mississippi early Saturday morning and arrived to the expo at noon with the hopes of attending the open water swim clinic. As we drove into Dallas the sky quickly went from bright and sunny to dark and foreboding. Everything is bigger in Texas, and I realized that the oversized American flags on every other street corner were blown straight out. Of course after assessing the lake situation the race staff canceled the open water session due to the tremendous white caps that were forming. Instead we attended the pre-race briefing, walked around the expo, and got a photo taken with 3x Olympian, Hunter Kemper!

Sunday morning was chilly. We arrived at the transition area early to set up, warm-up, and get settled in. I stayed bundled up as long as possible before having to get into my wet-suit and get ready to race. I was feeling pretty good- a little jitters, but no panic. Even when we were lined up for our wave start (Which included both male and female elite amateurs combined!) I was in a happy place. No expectations, no disappointments... Just race!
 
Swim 25:25:08

Amateurs were not allowed a swim warm-up, so I tried to keep everything pretty loose while waiting and did a few out-and-backs while in the water waiting for the wave to start. After I lined up along the start line, I realized I was in the direct path to the turn buoy (score!). I also looked around at the group around me- all men. The guy behind me looked timid- like he was about to cry- so I decided to stay where I was. After all, I'm a decent swimmer by amateur triathlon standards, so there's no reason why I can't get in with a group of men and try to hold on.
I'M A DUMMY...
The horn blew and things got out of hand. Everyone took off sprinting, which was expected. I've done enough wave starts by now to realize that it gets a little chaotic, especially if you are trying to break away or stick with the break-away, but this was not just chaotic, it was violent. Obviously there is going to be lots of contact with a wave start, and that's fine.  BUT, I'm not a fan of kicking violently if someone touches your legs, throwing bows at your neighbor, or punching. Seriously, I got PUNCHED in the face... who swims with fists?!? I can only attribute it to the fact that the women where drastically outnumbered, and I'm concluding that men are crazy and outwardly aggressive. Seriously, when women race the focus is on getting away from the group, catch a draft, & swim fast. Men- "Swim hard & take out as many opponents as you can, we are at war!". FYI guys- There's a difference between hard & fast. In triathlon, fast is better.
After about 200m of this nonsense I realized that if I tried to continue to fight this crowd I would red-line from the chaos alone. I decided to back off to let the jokers go, then settled in and let them pull me. The course is a rectangular shape with 2 turns. After the first turn, the current became more noticeable (possibly because I fell off the back off the group). Although the wind wasn't nearly as bad as Saturday, the water was still choppy, and I could feel my body getting tossed around with the water. There was also a Coast Guard boat right off the course that may have been causing some of the wake... the water was rough. The last stretch is where I struggled the most. I had difficulty sighting with all the rough water ahead, and it was difficult to see where we were supposed to swim in. I ended up using people around & ahead of me to sight, which I felt uneasy about.  I also felt current pushing us to the outside... No doubt that on THIS day, the swim conditions were challenging.  Finish time 25:25:08. A little slow for me at this point, but under the conditions, not terrible. Goal for the winter- FIX MY STROKE so I'll be better equipped to deal with such conditions!

T1
I wanted to feel sorry for myself after looking at my watch, but saw another woman in my wave in T1, which made me feel better. Get out of the wetsuit and GO!

Bike 1:09:01 21.9mph
THIS IS NOT AN EASY COURSE! And there's a reason why they call this place "Rockwall". As you exit the transition area you have to climb up this monster hill to exit the Hilton parking lot. Let me be clear in saying that this hill would be a challenge in itself, however you are taking it on from ZERO momentum at the bottom RIGHT after you mount. For the first time in years I put my cleats on in transition area and chose to clip in over my flying mount.
Once you get past the transition hill, there's still a bit of climbing. For the most part the course is rolling, which is not TERRIBLE, but there are a few spots of longer, gradual inclines which caused most people to slow down considerably. The roads are not terrible. There are a few places towards the beginning and end that you have to watch out for roughage on the road, but the middle 12 miles or so are smooth and fast. This day wasn't terribly windy, so I chose to ride my race wheels (disc in the back), which I believe helped.
I obviously needed to have a good bike, but I also knew I didn't need to go out too hard for the first half because I would struggle on the way back in (there's a small decline out). I was pleasantly surprised to find that the course was more intimidating in the car than on the bike. I felt really strong until the last 2.5 miles- at this point there are a lot of turns and gradual inclines, so I just had a difficult time gaining momentum. The last half mile or so is downhill back into the resort area, so there was a lot of caution to avoid coming back in with too much speed.

T2
I didn't really notice that I was chilly on the bike until I prepared to dismount and realized I couldn't feel my feet! Ever seen the episode of The Office when Kevin shows up to Jim and Pam's wedding with tissue boxes on his feet because he lost his shoes? That's what I felt like trying to dismount my bike and run down the rest of that hill- fat Kevin trying to run with tissue boxes on.

Run 46:14 7:27min/mile
THIS REALLY IS NOT AN EASY COURSE!
You know that wall of a hill you have to bike up coming out of transition? Well you have to run up the other side of it with your Jell-O legs. I think this is one of the more challenging 10K runs I've ever done. The entire course is rolling- you are constantly going up or down, but oddly enough I don't remember the downs! The 10K is 2x 3 mile loops (plus some so it's REALLY a 10K), which I like. I was feeling fine until around mile 2.5 where there is a long steep hill immediately following a gradual incline. Both times around my legs wanted to give out, but the second time my right quad started to cramp and I took a few steps to walk it out. Run completed in 46:19- A PR ON A VERY CHALLENGING COURSE AT THE END OF A TRI! VERY excited!

Finish 2:24:53
What this race perfect? HECK NO! Are any of them? haha that's funny! BUT overall I am ecstatic about how things turned out. No doubt this course was the hardest I've faced this year, so I'm happy with how everything came together, especially the run.
The most valuable aspect of this race is what I learned: We don't train FOR ONE event. Our training may gear towards a good performance AT ONE, but everything builds on itself and the outcome of the ONE doesn't determine the outcome of our overall SUCCESS. I have a tendency of building things up in my head- like, "THIS IS IT, THIS IS ALL THAT MATTERS". I didn't have that outlook for Dallas, but had I been training FOR Dallas, I would have, and I would have been a nervous wreck. The buildup is not necessary; the focus IS. All that matters is the training and your preparation, and unless there is a freak accident (like the rare mechanical issue), things will come together. Will everything be perfect? Probably not, but the imperfections and the ways we overcome obstacles are what make this sport so dang fun!


You know what else is fun?

• Winning the Elite Amateur Division at a 'Championship-Caliber' race! Especially when you don't expect it.
• Racing on the same course as the pros we follow and read about.
• Cycling to your heads' version of  "Ceiling Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore, then seeing that same song performed at the awards ceremony.
• Meeting professional athlete & 2x winner of the Dallas Tri & Lifetime Series, CAMERON DYE.
• Indulging on Chipotle.

Complete Results here!

Up next: Mighty Magnolia Triathlon

The Moment I Realized that We Are Insane

For the past year There's been denial that I've transformed into one of the crazy, intense triathletes that my dad and I used to make fun of. After all, this whole tri thing is just recreational activity, great exercise, and a lot of fun, right? WRONG!

Yes to the above, but there's more to it. Kyle AND I have been working hard together for the past year. When we opened the running shop, we came to an agreement that one of us needed to be a hardcore athlete (being a couch potato and owning an endurance shop is LAME), and I had potential to make that happen with his coaching. While racing will probably never pay the bills, coaching can. Since then he has taken on excess responsibilities: coaching the local masters team, leading a weekly speed work session for me and  my friends, and voluntarily assuming the role as coach for other local athletes. 

Naturally, when you work hard to achieve something it's easy to become consumed. Some may call it obsession. To each his own. I look at it as setting a goal and having a very strategic plan on how to accomplish that goal. Along the way you have benchmarks, in our case, races. Each one carries it's own weight of importance because the desired endpoint is different. Things rarely go exactly according to plan, so you adapt to overcome those obstacles.

Earlier in the year we planned to race the Lifetime Fitness U.S. Triathlon in Dallas.  In order to make the trip worth our while, I needed to race under a 2:20 for an Olympic distance tri. Unfortunately I got injured and took the first half of the summer off from running to nurse my ITBand, which set me back a bit. Music City was close at 2:25 on a challenging course.  I expected to shed some time at Rocketman, but hindsight realized that I needed to change my plans to have a strong finish to the season. Instead of Dallas, I would do Girl Power and the Santa Rosa Island Triathlon. 

4 weeks, 4 races: The Crusader 5k, Girl Power, Santa Rosa, and Mighty Magnolia. The first two are in the books and this week was prep for Santa Rosa. Unfortunately, I received an email Thursday afternoon with news that the event would be cancelled (or postponed until further notice) due to tropical storm Karen. On a competitive standpoint I was disappointed because I was ready to race. This was my A race; I should hit my season peak, I'm perfectly tapered, and I was in race mode, so the news was defeating.

After spending some time thinking about what we were going to do, Kyle informed me that it wasn't too late to go to Dallas. After weighing the options, I couldn't think of a legitimate reason to NOT go...  other that the fact that traveling 7 hours each way at the last minute for a race I haven't been planning for is COMPLETELY insane! I should point out that any other serious racing team would do the same!

Girl Power Race Report

September 29, 2013
New Orleans, LA

Team Tri Optimum Performance

The Girl Power Triathlon is a super-sprint distance (300m pool swim, 10 mile bike, 2 mile run) that takes place in March & September of each year. I competed in this event last spring with some exciting results, so naturally I wanted to return this fall to quantify this summer's progress. Unfortunately Ginger wouldn't be doing this one since she moved to Shreveport (WE MISS YOU GING!), but teammate Brinn Strange was able to compete, which meant New Orleans was going to see some fast Mississippi girls!

Brinn and I battle for the podium.

The four of us (YEAH, the husbands went as our cheerleaders!) left early Sunday morning and arrived at the University of New Orleans pool with plenty of time to pick up our packets, warm up on the bike & run, and get some brief swimming in before the race started. We were assigned low numbers, 3&4. Since the top two women from the spring were given #'s 1&2, I assume they just assigned these based on current standings. Again, they announced that this was going to be a "seed yourself" time trial start. I knew from last spring that people LIE, so Brinn and I took our claim at the front of the line behind some competitors we KNEW would outswim us. We entered the water as 4th and 5th.

Swim 4:42 1:26/yd
Last week most of our practices consisted of sets to learn pacing. We also worked on pool entry & under-the-lane-line turns. I got a bit excited when they told me to go, and while I THINK my entry was ok, the turns were not nearly as smooth as I practiced and the pacing went to crap. I took off too fast and didn't allow myself to settle into our much practiced pace. Of course Kyle was there with his stop watch and afterward reported that my splits were slower with each 100.

Bike 26:11 22.9mph
I knew if I was going to make up ANY ground on the women ahead of me it needed to be on the bike. Kyle told me to just hammer and if I felt like I was going to red-line, back off (pretty good strategy, huh?). The bike course is FLAT with a few overpass bumps. The last time I rode this course I had some difficulty with navigating- a lot of the roads split off into forks and you ride through a few traffic circles. It's not extremely well marked, and you frequently don't know where to go until you ride over an obscure arrow. Fortunately I didn't have a problem, but I know a few women did. Hopefully in the future there will be some volunteers out there directing the flow a bit better to help with the confusion. Other than that, it's a fast course with a beautiful view along Lake Pontchartrain.

Run 13:18 6:39/mile
I knew coming out of T2 that I was in 2nd, but I also needed to work hard to keep that position. Kyle yelled "30 seconds back", which I assumed to mean that whoever was chasing me was not far behind. Since this was a short 2 mile run, there was no room to loosen up and settle into a pace; JUST GO and hang on! I saw the 1st female on my way out and thought "Well crap, she's gone!", and saw another one on my way back and told myself I needed to move it if I didn't want to get caught. "Just a 1200, 1000, 800... push it in!". I finished with BY FAR my best run at the end of a tri, a huge success!

Finish 45:57
I completed the race nearly 2 minutes faster than the Spring, which is a lot of ground to make up for a race this short. Unfortunately, the 1st place female ALSO dropped 2 minutes, but I'm stoked to have finished 2nd and take home $400!

Top 5 at Girl Power. 2nd Overall and 5th Overall from Tri Optimum Performance. Not too bad for Hattiesburg!