Nation's Triathlon 9/12/10

This is the race that started all the trouble. Though Luray was my first race, I signed up for Nation's long before--that story's in my Luray report. I am NOT an impulsive person—I learned from my dad to painstakingly analyze every option and consider all possible scenarios before making a decision. I can’t imagine signing up for any race without first being prepared. But precisely because of this, every so often I just say, what the hell? Let’s do it. OK, so Nation’s isn’t like jumping in on Ironman…but signing up for my first tri was a step for me! My twin Heather came from Philly just to help and cheer, and haul me around to pre-race stuff J

I was a nervous wreck all week: overworked, underslept, suffering calf and back pain, at a turning point career-wise with too much going on in my head. Not a good way to go into my focus race of the season. Swim practice definitely helped, just to get a feel of river swimming (a first for me) and the layout of the course—and out of 5000-something registrants, Seb and I ended up on the dock the same time. Greg’s pre-race dinner was just right too: chill, tons of food, and full of over-the-top dirty jokes. Thanks for hosting! Too bad your cat hates me……

After too much nervous packing and list-making, I hardly slept at all, and was dreading the 4:40am alarm. Rain: that makes me two for two on races so far… My awesome sister drove me downtown and hunted for parking while I trudged over to the muddy transition area. I was struck suddenly with loneliness, my first tri being at Luray where I was never more than 100 feet from 100 green jerseys. 5000 athletes makes you feel tiny in the way NYC does, and rain somehow more so. How relieved I was to find always-cheery Noelle, and then Lauren, and eventually a pack of Zers to wait with anxiously. Thanks Noelle, Lauren, Michelle, Gretchen, Misha, Tim, and the rest for calming me down. Next time I have fans I’ll make them useful and have them bring me warm clothes for the wait…oh man was I missing the Z tents. And a wetsuit.

SWIM

After 3 ½ hours of standing in cool drizzle, scantily clad, body temperature dropping, I was MORE than ready to dive in—76.3 degrees sounded perfect! I broke away from our Z huddle to join my flamingo pink-capped crew shuffling towards the water…and there was Heather screaming for me, camera in hand…and in we went. Anxiety must have hit because I felt tightly coiled and too technical; I had to work to loosen and reach. Yet prepared for the worst, the water wasn’t all that crowded: aside from some butt grabs, I kept a pretty straight line and came out bruise-free. The buoys were huge and easy to follow as promised. The turns and the last 400m, though, were semi-chaotic. A competitive swimmer (and essentially freestyler) for six years, I’ve gotten used to the tight mental focus needed, racing submerged where you hardly hear cheering. It was a little tougher for a straight 1500m swim. A few Tarzan strokes and a good look at the crowds ashore made me smile again. It was a “safe” swim for my first oly, and could be faster next race, but felt solid, and I was still energized and ready to hammer the bike.

Time: 31:45

T1: 6:50 (Still so slow…granted there was lots of mud involved, wet socks/shoes/everything, and a decently long run to the bike start)

BIKE

I’ve been hitting the cycling training hard since the bike is my weak link…and I love it a little more every week. I was psyched for a flat, fast course. Not so psyched for slick roads crowded with 5000 people, but have to take what race day brings…and the upside: it was novel to stay cool and hydrated. Volunteers warned us before every sharp turn, pothole, manhole cover, bear (oops—that’ll be Deep Creek this weekend), and around me people actually slowed down. Lots of riding on the left and clogged roads, but not as rough as the start of some Conte’s rides! I averaged 21 mph the first few miles and felt awesome, but pulled back a bit to save my legs. In retrospect, I could have afforded more power, and kicking up my speed a touch would have kicked me up in the rankings…aghhh. I’ll bite back my frustration and channel my competitive streak for hammering my training. Thanks to Zers for strategically positioning on Memorial Bridge—it carried me through the mostly spectator-less course…

Time: 1:20:50

T2: 4:12 (Eh, I’ll take it.) I didn’t know my sister could scream like that!!

RUN

Nerves kicked in again here: my calf and back had been tight all week (definitely needed my chiropractor Friday) and Monday’s run had been, frankly, embarrassing…enough to make me skip Wednesday. Running through mud in bike shoes isn’t exactly a party, but it did get the blood flowing ahead of the next leg, and mint chocolate GU perked me up considerably…the first time I have ever been truly excited about GU—I must be a real triathlete now.

The first mile felt stiff and sort of slow, but I was keeping a better pace than the crowd and tried to be patient with myself. Saw Noelle and 3 or 4 other Zers starting mile 2, right when a stomach cramp was setting in and I was beginning to unravel mentally, and they gave me a huge boost (and the cramp faded miraculously). From there, every mile felt better. I was alive, in perfect running weather, passing people, running zenlike and smiling. What felt like an easy 8:15 pace was actually 7:51. One random woman yelled, “You GO for it!!” as I kicked past her. And even though I’d mostly left it on the course, there’s always something to bring it home. I stepped it up the last mile, crossed the last bridge, and that finish line just screamed my name. And so did a sea of green J Mike, just like Luray your voice rose over everyone's--how do you do it?! Awesome, awesome feeling driving it home with you all right there with me. There’s nothing like a sprint to the finish.

Time: 48:35

OFFICIAL TIME 2:52:10

Professional pictures--they missed every ridiculous grin on the run and my kick to the finish :( but I love the random shot of the dude in a wetsuit in this mix, me nowhere to be found....

http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=60074&BIB=4894&ID=95201350

In my mind, the best way to settle into a new place is to run it: roads, trails, getting lost, wandering with my thoughts while the blood is pumping. I’ve done my share of long runs and road

races in D.C. A triathlon is a completely unique way to experience the city. A huge event similar to Cherry Blossom has its frustrations, but it’s also surreal being part of something on this scale…the biggest oly in the COUNTRY, it turns out! And even the dirty, dirty Potomac was a pretty cool place to swim. Z cheering squad, you are TROOPERS! Chris Wren, Mike, Jenny, Emily (as good as a Zer), Tim, Jules, the others along the course: thanks for coming out in the gross weather, early on a Sunday, to be support crew without our standard Z setup (and thanks to everyone who finished ahead and stuck around). Considering the scattered weekend, there was awesome support. Zers had a great showing, and as far as I heard, no one from our team got hurt. Huge congrats to Lauren, Misha, and all the others with PRs, to the first-time racers, and to Andy for winning M 35-39!

I was sorry to miss witnessing so many Zers becoming a new or once-again Ironman, but you know we were all cheering our brains out for you from here. Ironman isn’t on my schedule…yet…but wow, what an inspiration, and awesome to be a small part of your experience. Here's to the rest of the season.

Luray Sprint 15 Aug 2010: my first tri

Five years ago, caught up in tri fever before Bowdoin’s annual sprint but committed to a regatta, I promised myself I’d become a triathlete. After a lot more rowing and running, a year in Belgium, and a move to D.C., it’s happening. Thanks to a friend’s not-so-gentle pressure to register for Nation’s, a what-the-HELL-did-I-get-myself-into freak-out, and Andy’s Gold’s Gym classes, I found Team Z.

…and HAD to sign up for a Z race too, after all I heard at practices about these epic weekends. Luray seemed like a good first. After registering, though, I started having periods of excessive fatigue and blood sugar crashes. I got blood tests and prayed new supplements would start correcting imbalances. Then one morning started badly…let me tell you, your sternum does NOT appreciate being slammed by a handlebar. It holds a long, painful grudge—sometimes months, my chiropractor told me. Months?! It’s my first season, my first race! No way am I dropping out. Two adjustments and hours of icing helped, but it was laser treatment from my mom that worked miracles—lucky for me, she’s a chiropractor (yes, both parents) and joined for vacation. Thanks Mom!

Vacation the week before may have been risky, but I made it work. Kept up workouts (OK mountain bike is not exactly the same), did an open water ocean swim, and got more sleep than I have since age 12. I felt like a whole person!!

I finally felt ready and psyched for my race. Going for the oly Saturday was key: I got to watch a full race and transitions for the first time and settle in with the team. Loved being a Z cheerleader, had an AWESOME myofascial release massage, and did a good brick (full swim course and short bike) that felt great. And Ed and Z cooks, you really outdid yourselves on meals.

RACE DAY

Sunday morning would have been insanely nerve-racking if I didn’t have 150 Zers around to bother with stupid questions. Managed to eat most of a bagel and peanut butter, my trusted pre-race breakfast for every regatta and road race; got bodymarked, chip equipped, rounded up transition gear…and then the skies opened up. Seriously?? Dry all weekend until now? My transition setup neighbor said he hadn’t been rained on in 4 years of tris. Here we go, a little extra excitement…….

SWIM

The swim was great. High school swim team hasn’t totally left me and I’m confident in the water, especially after previewing the course. Our novice group was friendly and nervous and I had clear water ahead at the start (at least for three minutes). Someone even apologized for bumping into me. I felt strong and relaxed, and halfway through, started catching purple caps, but stayed dialed back to keep to a conservative race strategy. Wait, no seaweed? No spiny mussels? No rugby moves? This is almost EASY! And my foot didn’t find the glass that Seb’s did…twice…… I eased onto the beach to avoid dizziness but felt awesome to run the beach and stairs. And here were the first green jerseys and vuvuzuelas calling me into transition!

T1

Suuuper slow. I’d planned to sort of check out and give myself time to dry off (me and bike seat), fully prepare, and keep my cool. My worst race experiences involve freak-outs and I was not going to get there today. But I didn’t realize QUITE how slow I was until the results and race simulator…ouch, this is definitely an area I can shave off minutes J

BIKE

Yea, the false flats and late hills we heard about from the oly were there. It helped to be ready for it—and we didn’t have the head wind from Saturday. This is my weakest leg if only because I’m new to the road bike and clipless pedals. Yet after only a month with my Trek 1600, we’d already bonded and worked great together—definitely a good purchase. The course was fun and beautiful, which kept me relaxed. Damon’s (non-Z) buddy chatted me up, people bitched to each other about the “all-uphill” course. And after all that, the last two hills weren’t so brutal, really. Look, I'm even smiling!

T2

Also slow, but I was organized and psyched, and taking a little time meant my legs were ready. Thanks to Zers who turned me around when I started out of transition the wrong way……my body was so ready to run I went for the shortest route…

The start of the run, passing by the Z tents, was the high point of my race. Those 15 hands ready for high fives and shouts for ME made all the difference.

RUN

I’m a runner—I wanted something left in the tank to finish like one. And I had it. I wasn’t going to run like I’d race a 5K (a little sad), but I was strong and steady and knew the pace my body needed. The rolling hills felt familiar from running in CT, ME, and Brussels and worked to my advantage. Besides a little tightness in one quad, all was good and this run was mine. Almost every Zer out on the course was smiling, fist-pumping each other, actually enjoying this (as I was). Unfortunate timing when I unzipped my top: happened to make eye contact with a guy coming the other direction. Judging by his face, I looked to be seducing him. But he didn’t look for me after the race, so I guess my moves weren’t that hot…

Taylor passing me, with a shout of encouragement, was great motivation: I love having someone to chase. I started breaking down at just the right time, about ¼ mile from the finish, knowing my body would take me across…moved through a blur of green and cowbells and vuvuzuelas…and it was over. I became a triathlete—one of SO many, but feeling good enough to revel in the fact that I’d made my personal debut.

Good thing Steve flagged me down when my name was called, because I heard NOTHING. I hadn’t even checked my time crossing the finish line and was still in a post-race daze. Third place, even in the novice division, was pretty humbling. I was so psyched to share the podium with superstar Erica (first place) at our first race! And after refueling (“Could you make a bigger sandwich??” Well, Coach, I do what I can), I definitely christened that goblet.

FINAL TIME: 1:53:44

One reason I hesitated to write a race report is that I wasn’t sure I had much to share…because this race went well! There isn’t even a really funny or humiliating story to tell: aside from losing a water bottle on the bike and a brief directional challenge, I didn’t really screw up. I KNOW I’d have made a lot more mistakes without two months of Team Z. But this is what made me share in the end. You all need to know what a difference the team made for my first race. I’d never been trained as a runner or cyclist, and had no clue about transitions or nutrition, so the coaching and clinics were invaluable. Someone among our 400+ members has an answer to everything—and an extra seat in a car. And the people… I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard, been so inspired, felt so completely accepted and celebrated for who I am. I can't even begin to give shout-outs because there are too many deserved but I hope I've already thanked you personally. I sent a few pictures to family and my uncle said it looked like I’d found my “Dawnness.” Yes, I found a sport that makes me feel complete and fulfilled, and a team that brings out the best in me.

So THANKS for the clinics, the coaching, the training plans, the smooth race weekend logistics, the friendship, the motivation, the rides to practices, the inappropriate humor, the faith and support and cheering like hell. You guys rock. I’m so hooked (you warned me).

This is a beginning. Nation’s, bring it!! Sharks and all……