Warhawk Triathlon Race Report

March 15, 2014
Monroe, Louisiana

Time flies when you're training hard! The winter months have come and gone and it's officially tri season. My goal race is the Nautica South Beach Tri in Miami in April, but I was looking for a warm-up race before then. The Warhawk Triathlon fell into the perfect time frame for both myself and training buddy Brinn, who is getting ready for 5i50 New Orleans in a few weeks.

We got a late start on Friday evening because of the Hattiesburg Irish-Italian Fest 5K. We had 25 BRAND NEW runners from our New Beginnings Training Program complete the 5K. This group faced some serious challenges- pretty much every training run was cold, raining, or both. They are pretty tough, though. GREAT race turnout, perfect race-day weather, lots of happy faces, great success! Very proud!

We arrived to Monroe late and the morning came too soon. There was definitely a little anxiety about kicking the season off and racing again so I didn't get much sleep. We arrived early to the race site per usual to check in, get settled, and warm up. Somehow Brinn and I BOTH got our timing wrong and thought the race started at 7:30, so at 7:10 when we arrived to the pool ready to do our swim warm-up and the pool still wasn't open, we started freaking out a bit. The lifeguard arrived, we jumped in and did a couple hundred meters plus some pick-ups, then looked around confused at 7:30 when we were still one of the few athletes in the pool area. The race started at 8... Whoops! And that's why we're here- to get the mistakes out of our systems and PRACTICE! We spent the rest of the time with a long warm-up and practicing starts and turns.

Swim 6:06, 1:32/100m
The swim was a time-trial start with about 5 seconds between athletes. I was number 22 in the water and it was pretty congested. I asked the guys around me what their EST's were and they all said 5:30-5:45. LIARS! Within the first 50 I caught up with the person in front of me. By the next 50 we were swimming 3 wide with the guy two spots in front of me. I didn't feel comfortable trying to pass the guy in front of me and being able to hold pace, so I swam next to his hip for the next 100 and took advantage of some drafting. At the 200m mark, I decided I needed to pick it up and had a strong but still chaotic second half. All this week I'd been working on a strategy for snaking the pool, but the turns were too congested so my plan went down the drain. Finish time 6:06. A little slower than I expected, but ok considering all the congestion.

Bike 29:18, 22.5 mph


Today I wanted to see what I was capable of with the bike. I've had some pretty solid rides over the past few weeks and have been feeling some real improvements. Today I wanted to see those on paper. I felt strong from the beginning. There were a lot of turns, but when I wasn't slowing down or speeding up, I was putting in some fast efforts and I felt like things were finally meshing. The course was flat, but challenging. After the race someone said they didn't realize they were going to be doing a crit today. On the drive home, I replayed the course in my head and counted 19 turns. But there may have been more... 29:18, 22.5 mph. Not as fast as I was expecting, but I still feel good my moving speeds.

Run 20:47, 6:57/mile

Finishing up the run & cheesing big
because I just won my first tri
of the season!

Most of my anxiety for today was about the run. I didn't know how my body would be feeling at this point or how it would respond to the fatigue today. The past few weeks have been pretty volatile. One of the guys on the bike told me the girl behind me was a strong runner, so I needed to move it. Focus on form, get my head in the game, quick feet, don't think about how bad it sucks- you can rest in 21 minutes, just keep moving. A couple men passed me with some speed, but no sign of any girls (I peeked on the turns). Most of the course was on concrete sidewalks, which made me nervous. I tried to stay on the asphalt as much as I could to avoid the harder surface, even if it meant a few extra steps. 3 miles felt long... I don't think I had much more speed today, but once I got into a rhythm things were ok. I think I'm set up for some strong 10k's this summer (fingers crossed!).

Finish 57:37. 1st Overall female 
Took away some fun hardware and prize $$, which is ALWAYS a plus. This was a solid race for me. I'm happy with today's performance, but am more excited about this season. None of the legs were particularly outstanding, but none of them held me back. I'm looking forward to continued improvements. It's going to be a good summer!


Results HERE

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Most days of the year, south Mississippi is the perfect place to live and train. Our winters are mild; layer well & biking is manageable. Our summers are hot; but who doesn't mind a little sweat? The only real downfall is the humidity, which makes the hot seem hotter and the cold seem colder, but a little discomfort is a small price to pay for four seasons of training. 

View from the house this morning. Notice the pond is icing over... brrr!

As I write, the "deep south" is in the middle of the snow-pocalypse. Relatively speaking, of course. South Mississippi is not accustomed to wintery conditions, so freezing temps, "wintery mix" precipitation, and 2 inches of white slush are a big deal. The roads are icy and our transportation services (and, drivers!) aren't equipped to deal with such rare occasions. 

This has obviously put a damper on training. For 48 hours, the roads are expected do be iced over & therefore not run-able or ride-able. Perhaps spend some extra time in the pool? NOPE! When schools close down, the pools do, too. 

Today's schedule called for 90 minutes of running, 40 minute tempo bike, & a short swim. The run was out, and treadmills are miserable, so we improvised with the following workout.

Indoor Training Session

15 min warm up

30 min. tempo Bike- 20K effort

1K on Treadmill - 8-9 mph

check heart-rate

5 min recovery spin

repeat tempo bike & run

15 min cool-down

total time=2hrs

Since I just did a 10K on Sunday & Brinn has a 1/2 marathon this weekend, cutting the long run actually worked out. We're both training for Olympic Distance races, but we've got some sprints along the way. The goal of this session was to come off of a hard bike and be able to hit quick paces and maintain with tired legs. 

We both did well- pushed the bikes & were hitting 5K goal paces on the treadmill. Even though we weren't able to get our prescribed workouts in, we were able to make the best out of our workout time. SO, don't let the wintery blues interrupt your training. Jump on the trainer & treadmill & get some quality work in. Train hard and stay warm!

W is for Winter... & WORK... and eventually, Winning!

A lot of triathletes take the winter months off to recuperate from the previous season and prepare for the coming months of training & racing. The terms off-season and pre-season may sound familiar. My personal favorite is "hibernation".

NOT US!

We swim. HARD. Then we enter swim meets and show down with the real swimmers. The benefits of this are two-fold.

• 1. We compete against people who are former swim studs. Collegiate swimmers, regional champs, national champs, whatever. It's quite humbling to get lapped. It's also humbling to exit the water hyperventilating but pleased with your 1:05 best time for 100 free, then watch the next heat & the guy swimming a 100 fly swims 10 seconds faster. "Hey, just in case you forgot, 'pretty fast for a triathlete' is actually not all that fast". HUMILITY.
• 2. In order to swim fast for the long stuff, you have to swim fast for the short stuff. My priority for swim meets is to swim a distance event and get a time. We work harder and perform better in race situations, but we also have people to swim against. If there's someone moderately close in speed, it's a race. COMPETITION.

At the University of New Orleans Short Course Meters Southeastern Championship. I'm in lane 5; first in the water! Not bad for a newbie swimmer. Teammate Elizabeth is next to me in lane 4. Apparently coach Kyle does a nice job of teaching Hub Fins Masters to have quick reaction times!

We don't swim hard everyday in training. But we are in the water 5 days a week and each day is focused on some important aspect of training. Stroke technique; long aerobic sets; fast, hard threshold training. Swimming is by far the most technical sport in triathlon, and it takes YEARS to master it, so we don't take any rest time & our fitness carries over & improves between race seasons.

We bike. Outside as much as possible, but we're sometimes forced to the misery of trainer sessions. We have our weekend long rides, our weekday short rides, and our interval days depending on what training phase we're in. Some days it's cold, some days it's pleasant (we're in MISSISSIPPI, so there are the occasional 70' sunny afternoons in January), but we always get the work done. Winter is the PERFECT time to build up the base phase and prepare for fine-tuning the speed and power once the weather is more consistently cheery before the early season races.

We run. The volume and intensity would be unimpressive to the elite runner. Again, this is a base building period to prepare the body for the speed it will be going through in the coming months. The long runs feel less agonizing, the 'moderate' pace begins to feel easier, the once 5K race pace feels like it could endure twice the distance. Quite simply, running feels less miserable, and I love it!


Tri season is approaching. QUICKLY. I am only 11 weeks out from my season opener, the Nautica South Beach Tri. 11 weeks seems like a long time... heck, that's almost 3 months! Well, it's not! I have full confidence that I could go out and complete an Olympic Distance with a halfway decent time right now, probably even on par with last season. BUT I don't want to be on par with last season, I want to be faster than last season. The huge gains I'm chasing need to happen now (in the winter). There's just not enough time to use the race season to get faster. Why? Because we're racing! Summer is a time for sharpening. There's no better feeling than having a successful summer and knowing that the winter work you put in on those cold days and nights paid off. Work now, race with the big girls (or boys) later.

Looking forward to 2014

2013 is in the books. It was a roller coaster. I've got my sights on 2014, but I feel it's necessary to reflect on the past year before I put it behind me completely. I made mistakes & learned tough lessons, but I also did a few things right. You take the good and learn from the bad; overall it was a successful year.

Accomplishments (in chronological order)

• 1st overall at West Point Lakes Draft Legal Triathlon
• 3rd overall (& prize $$) at Girl Power Triathlon
• 2nd overall at Crawfishman Triathlon
• 4th overall (& prize $$) at Indian Creek Triathlon
• 1st overall at Sunfish Triathlon
• 5th overall & age group win at Music City Triathlon (Olympic Distance 2:25:15)
• Re-Organized the Team H.A.M.R. Triathlon Club thanks to a gentle shove from Ginger Spansel :)
• Competed in the open division at Rocketman Triathlon (Olympic Distance 2:33:57)
• 2nd overall (& prize $$) at Girl Power Triathlon; shed 2 minutes from my spring time
• 1st Elite Amateur at Lifetime Fitness Tri U.S. Open in Dallas
• 1st overall at Mighty Magnolia Triathlon; shed 3.5 minutes from last year
• Top 10 1500m time for women 25-29 in US Masters Swimming National Rankings (21:57)
• Helped A LOT of people reach their fitness goals through leadership in training programs (2x5K, 10K, 1/2 marathon, & triathlon)
• Co-organized monthly women's only group ride in Hattiesburg- The Monthly Cycle- with Brinn Strange

Ladies of Hub City Velo & Team H.A.M.R. get together for the December Monthly Cycle.

Lessons Learned

Awards ceremony at the
Lifetime Fitness Tri in Dallas.
Biggest and best race for 2013,
spontaneity means no pressure!

• A race is just a race. As a former competitive cheerleader, I've grown accustomed to the concept that one performance determines whether the year was a success or a failure. As a result I've built up goal races in my head and create unnecessary pressure; and this is a recipe for disaster. Races shouldn't be a source of anxiety. They're an opportunity to let the hard work come together and finally work for you, and that's FUN. Races are never perfect, and things don't always work out the way you want them too. That's ok, because there's always another race, and if you've put the work in, success will follow. 

Ginger, me, & Brinn in Sumrall for one of last group rides.

• I get by with a little help from my friends.  A LOT of goodbyes were said in 2013, but I'm still surrounded by many really great ones. Some of them simply put a smile on my face, but some of them get me through the training. If it were not for my training buddies, I would really struggle through a large percentage of my workouts. The hours spent pounding the pavement, spinning the wheels, and surviving the water are where true friends are made! I'm so grateful to the people who accompany me and get me through the workouts. It makes the training fun.
• I can't control how other behave, only how I react. I've come to the sad realization that not everyone shares my moral standards. I can't control, or even understand, why some people choose to behave the way they do.  Responding to negativity is a waste of energy, and will only result in bitterness. Instead, keep an eye on the goals at hand and focus on what is RIGHT. And very reverently, CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES.
• Attitude is everything. I know this is silly, but sometimes I view workouts as punishments. This usually occurs at the peak of a hard training block, when I'm mentally and physically exhausted. I sometimes pout and act pathetic, hoping that Kyle will take sympathy on me and back off on the training load. This rarely happens, though, because he and I both know I need to suck it up and get to work. Consequently, I often approach workouts reluctantly and in a negative mental state. Bottom line- the work needs to get done, I'm need to do it, so approach it with a better attitude and life will be happier.

Goals for 2014

• Keep getting faster (duh!)
• Eat healthier (My new nutri-bullet should help)
• Go to bed earlier (8:30-9p.m. will put me around 7.5-8 hrs a night)
• Limit media time (I LOVE to veg out on occasion and just be entertained... but this is time I COULD spend sleeping...)
• Read for education (how about, for every book I read for pleasure, read another for education)
• Blog more (because everyone wants to know what's on my mind...)
• Use my degrees- research and report (because this is actually a talent of mine, and I'd LOVE to do it professionally one day)

Work Hard, Pay Hard

Me, Kyle, and some of his Tri-201 trainees at the 2010
Monster Tri following my first overall win. The RD
awarded me with a lifetime of comped entry fees.
Equally great- These guys are still racing!

I completed my first triathlon in 2007. It was a sprint distance- 400 meter swim, 10 mile bike, 3 mile run, and cost my dad $30. I received a swim cap that I was required to wear, a tee-shirt I still have, post-race pizza, and an orange coffee mug for placing in my age group. The 200 participant race was a true grass-roots event, with great volunteers who were there to show their support of triathlon, its' athletes, and the beneficiary- Big Brother & Big Sisters of Decatur.


Over the years I've witnessed a shift in our sport. While some of those great grass-roots events are still around, there are more and more triathlons popping up from large production companies. They lure us to their events with their promises of swag & finishers medals. They shamelessly charge over $50 for an event you'll complete in less than an hour.
Some of us justify these expenses. To us, they're small sacrifices for our hours of training. And because we complete only a handful of races in a season, those sacrifices are just that- small. But to others- the ones who don't race for fun, but race to race- normal triathlon expenses are a burden. To them, triathlon is more than a hobby. They train hard with ambitions of one day "making it". The need to race frequently is not only their way to compete head-to-head with fellow athletes, but a means to track progress, to get noticed by sponsors, and very seldom, a chance to win prize money to fund race expenses.


The Elite Amateurs

When we think of the 'elites', we think of the professional triathletes who win world championships and make a comfortable living off of it.  The triathlete's dream: get paid to train & race. A living of luxury. Whether or not their lives are luxurious is debatable. What's not is the years of hard work & sacrifice it took to get to that point.

Most top-level triathletes were not nurtured as triathletes. They developed as swimmers, cyclists, or runners. At some point they transitioned into triathlons as a way to continue their athletic endeavors. They've worked hard to master all three sports. Training is a process, and it takes time become a high performance athlete. A lot of time. Most of them have spent years developing their talents to advance from 'finisher' to 'competitor', and ultimately to 'winner'.

Before the professionals were professionals and got paid for winning races, they were amateurs & didn't get paid for winning races. They might have found an odd race here and there with a modest prize purse, but the number of races that offer cash awards to elite amateurs is small. Only when they earned their elite license (or "Pro Card") would they be eligible to compete in races with prize purses. Consequently, every season is dedicated to qualifying for that license. The license doesn't mean a pay check, though. It just means there's an OPPORTUNITY to race for one. Unfortunately, since they've graduated to professional races, chances are they're not winning anymore. It may take years to advance enough to hang with the big boys and girls, and even then racing is complemented with coaching, writing, or both to make a living out of triathlon.

Done right, training is a full-time job. Each discipline demands consistent and quality training. Train for each sport as if the others didn't exist. Rest between workouts to make the best of each session. Train tired, ignore the fatigue, and know that tomorrow, the next day, and every day in the foreseeable future, you will do it again. Keep your eye on the goal and have faith that one day this will pay off. Sleep 8-9 hours and wake up for another day of training. The work load demands are high, so it's difficult to take on a job that pays well. You put your life (and career) on hold, because in 10 years the opportunity will be gone. Unless you have a flexible job, one that allows you to leave for hours in the middle of the day, training to perform to your highest potential is nearly impossible. Your workouts directly affect your mental state, and in the middle of a hard training period, you find yourself asking, "What am I doing with my life?"

Pay it Forward

The shortage of cash prizes in triathlon threatens the viability of our sport.
Not the participation (to the age grouper, triathlon will continue to thrive) but this situation in which our ascending athletes struggle financially hurts our ability to compete internationally.
How can we expect our future Olympians to perform when our current triathlon culture fails to support their endeavors?

The solution is simple: reward those who work hard to win. Encourage talented young athletes to invest in our sport by showing them we are willing to invest in them. Support proposals of prize purses in local & regional races, because it's one of the few breaks these athletes get. Understand the marketing potential of having a prize purse, and encourage RDs to raise the bar. Show your support to our sport by supporting your local & regional elites!

Christmas Ornament Giveaway

Who likes free stuff? This girl!

Follow my blog for a chance to win!

While searching the perfect Christmas gifts for my loved ones I stumbled upon Milestones Sports, an online shop that specializes in run & tri jewelry. I browsed around a bit & fell in love, so I subscribed to their newsletter. This week one of the deals was a free Christmas ornament with purchase. I normally drag my feet when it comes to spending money, but I'm always enticed by the lure of sales & free-bees, which means my Christmas shopping is complete a full week earlier than anticipated. Yes, I fully expected to wait until the week of Christmas to shop. I procrastinate. Don't judge me.

+Milestones Sports Jewelry  sent a tri ornament to offer as a giveaway to my followers. On Monday (12/23) I will announce a random winner from my followers. To be entered in the drawing, all you have to do is follow my blog. Best of luck!

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